P.A. (Sander) Abrahamse: “Feeding and grazing management for dairy cattle: opportunities for improved production”

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2 Oct 2009 16:00
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: Prof.dr.ir. S. Tamminga
Co Promotor: Dr.ir. J. Dijkstra

 An adequate feed intake is important for high milk production in dairy cows, especially during grazing. Various grazing strategies, aimed to optimize intake and milk production, were evaluated. Grass intake was greater when allocating cows daily compared to every four days to a new grazing plot. In a subsequent experiment, grass intake was increased when allocating twice daily compared to once daily to a fresh grazing plot. In both trials, effects were related with grazing behavior but mainly found when grass height was high, and resulted in increased milk yield. Allocation frequency did not affect milk fatty acid profile in both experiments. In a third grazing experiment, reallocation following afternoon milking instead of morning milking to take advantage of higher sugar levels in grass in the afternoon showed no effect on intake and milk production. In conclusion, frequent reallocation of cows to a fresh grazing plot improves intake and milk yield, especially when grass height is high.
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