Supplementary feeding of dairy cows on continuously stocked pasture

Abstract

Summary: Two experiments were conducted with milking cows on continuously stocked perennial ryegrass pastures. In each a control group, T₀, received 1 kg/day of a concentrate supplement and treatment groups T₁ and T₂ received 4 kg (Expt 1) or 5 kg/day (Expt 2) of a low quality T₁ or a high quality T₂ concentrate. In Expt 1 treatments were applied continuously for 14 weeks to a total of 30 cows. In Expt 2 a Latin square design for 9 weeks was conducted with 18 cows. The stocking rate of the pasture declined from 9·6 to 5·1 cows per ha (mean 6·7 cows/ha) from May to August (Expt 1) and was maintained at 3 cows/ha in August-October (Expt 2).Supplements increased total intakes by 0·92 and 0·77 kg organic matter (OM)/kg OM supplied in the concentrates respectively for Expts 1 and 2. Milk yields increased by 0·6 and 0·5 kg/kg concentrate supplied and supplemented cows showed small increases in live weight. Differences in lactation milk yield just approached significance. Grazing times were only slightly reduced by supplements and bite sizes were lower than normal. There was no important difference in animal performance between the two concentrates. The total output from the pasture was 19·6t milk and 115 GJ of utilized metabolizable energy per hectare.Reasons for the high supplementary effect of the concentrates and its implications for stocking rates are discussed.