Comparison of milk production from meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) pasture and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) pasture under intensive grazing
2001
Sudo, K. (National Agricultural Research Center for Hokkaido Region, Sapporo (Japan)) | Ochiai, K. | Ikeda, T.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of Meadow fescue (Mf) pasture for intensive grazing of high-producing dairy cows. Trials were conducted to compare milk productivities of cows grazed on Mf pasture and on perennial ryegrass (Pr) pasture over a five-year period. Experimental cows were spring-calved and were grazed from May to October for about 180 days. There were no significant differences between the effects of Mf pasture and Pr pasture on milk production, quality of milk, body condition score, concentrations of blood constituents and total digestible nutrient (TDN) supply from grazing. Since the 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) production from cows grazed on both pastures reached 8,500kg/ha, the milk productivity of the Mf pasture was thought to be the same as that of the Pr pasture. On the other hand, over 60% of the TDN demand of the cows was supplied by self-supplying feed during the grazing season except for the first year, and this was considered to be due to the effect of intensive grazing.
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