From bite to system: how grazing management shapes dairy production

This thesis examined how post-grazing residual sward height affects grazed forage intake in dairy cow diets, forage growth grazing behaviour strategies, milk production, and methane emissions at both cow and hectare levels, as well as how supplementation-site infrastructure influences performance and economic viability in mixed feeding systems. Taller residual sward height consistently promoted behavioural strategies characterized by shorter, more frequent grazing meals, higher intake rates, and greater spatial exploration, resulting in higher grazed forage intake, milk yield, body condition score, and reduced methane intensity without increasing absolute emissions, although nitrogen losses increased. These individual-level benefits were partly offset by lower stocking rates, leading to similar grazed forage intake per hectare and comparable economic outcomes at the land-use level. Infrastructure studies indicated similar productivity between compost barns and outdoor pens in mixed feeding systems, with outdoor pens offering greater economic viability. Overall, this thesis shows that integrating grazing management, supplementation, and infrastructure design can enhance nutrient capture and use efficiency, reduce methane intensity, and sustain competitive milk yields.g over de promotie