Hostname: page-component-84b7d79bbc-7nlkj Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-25T11:45:12.848Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Milk production and herbage intake of dairy cows kept on a leader and follower grazing system

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

K. A. E. Archibald ,
R. C. Campling  and
W. Holmes
K. A. E. Archibald
Affiliation:
Wye College, (University of London), Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH
R. C. Campling
Affiliation:
Wye College, (University of London), Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH
W. Holmes
Affiliation:
Wye College, (University of London), Ashford, Kent, TN25 5AH
Get access

Summary

Three groups each of 14 cows, balanced for stage of lactation and potential milk yield, were kept either on a control treatment C, grazing within a rigid rotational grazing system, or on a leader (L) and follower (F) grazing system operated within a similar system. The stocking rate of treatment C was 5·76 cows/ha, the same as the overall stocking rate of treatments L and F. In Experiment 1, a 10-week continuous-type randomized block experiment was preceded by a 4-week uniformity period; in Experiment 2, a 3 × 3 Latin square design was adopted with periods of 4 weeks. Herbage intake and milk yield were only slightly, and not significantly (P > 0·05), higher in the leader than control cows, whilst the performance of cows on treatment F fell significantly (P< 0·001) below the other treatments. In treatment L, cows in early lactation responded to the extra opportunity for herbage selection with significantly (P< 0·01) more milk than those in late lactation. The mean milk production of the leader and follower cows was similar to that of the control cows. It is suggested that the potential value of a ‘leader and follower’ grazing system is unlikely to be greater than that of a conventional rotational grazing system.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 21 , Issue 2 , October 1975 , pp. 147 - 156
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1975

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Adeeb, N. 1970. Factors affecting the digestibility of foods by ruminants. M.Phil. Thesis, Univ. London.Google Scholar
Anon, N. 1926. Nitrogenous manuring of pasture. J. Minist. Agric. (Gt. Britain), 33: 498–502.Google Scholar
Broster, W. H. 1972. Effect on milk yield of the cow of the level of feeding during lactation. Dairy Sci. Abstr. 34: 265–288.Google Scholar
Broster, W. H. and Clough, P. A. 1972. Feeding the cow on the large farm unit. Eur. Ass. Anim. Prod. 23rd Mtg E.A.A.P. Study Group, Verona, October, 1972.Google Scholar
Bryant, H. T., Blaser, R. E., Hammes, R. C. and Hardison, W. A. 1961. Method for increased milk production with rotational grazing. J. Dairy Sci. 44: 1733–1741.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clancy, M. J. and Wilson, R. K. 1966. Development and application of a new chemical method for predicting the digestibility and intake of herbage samples. Proc. 10th Grassld Congr., Helsinki, pp. 445–453.Google Scholar
Cox, D. R. 1958. Planning of Experiments. John Wiley and Sons, Inc, New York, London and Sydney.Google Scholar
Greenhalgh, J. F. D. and Reid, G. W. 1969. The effects of grazing intensity on herbage consumption and animal production. III. Dairy cows grazed at two intensities on clean or contaminated pasture. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 72: 223–228.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holmes, W., Campling, R. C. and Joshi, N. D. 1972. A comparison between a rigid rotational grazing system for dairy cows and a system in which grazing alternated with cutting. Anim. Prod. 14: 283–294.Google Scholar
Leaver, J. D. 1970. A comparison of grazing systems for dairy herd replacements. J. agric. Sci., Camb. 75: 265–272.Google Scholar
Leaver, J. D., Campling, R. C. and Holmes, W. 1969. The influence of flexible and rigid grazing management and of supplementary feed on output per hectare and per cow. Anim.Prod.il: 161–172.Google Scholar
Marsh, R., Campling, R. C. and Holmes, W. 1971. A further study of a rigid rotational grazing management system for dairy cows. Anim. Prod. 13: 441–448.Google Scholar