COMPARISONS OF DIFFERENT FORAGE FEEDING SYSTEMS FOR DAIRY COWS

Abstract

Four different forage feeding systems were compared for milk production efficiency using 40 Holstein cows divided into four equal groups and assigned to the different forage rations for 3 consecutive yr. Two groups grazed on a ladino-timothy pasture for 130 days; for the 235 days of winter season the first group (PH) was fed ad libitum timothy-red clover hay, while the second group (PC) received ad libitum corn silage and 3 kg of hay per cow per day. The other two groups were kept in confinement; one (CA) was fed a mixture of corn silage and alfalfa-timothy silage in a 1:1 ration on a dry matter (DM) basis, the other (CR) was fed a complete ration consisting on a DM basis of 30% corn silage, 30% alfalfa-timothy silage and 40% concentrate. Concentrate was fed to the PH, PC and CA groups according to the level of milk fat production. Daily DM intake and fat-corrected milk (FCM) production were 17.4, 17.2, 14.9, 15.1 kg/cow and 18.2, 19.2, 19.1, 19.1 kg/cow, for groups PH, PC, CA and CR, respectively. Feed to FCM ration was higher (P < 0.05) for PH than PC which was higher (P < 0.05) than CA and CR cow groups. Milk fat production was lower (P < 0.05) for PH than for other systems. Average yearly FCM and hectare required per cow, when allowing for land required for concentrate production, were 3417, 3905, 4403, 3502 kg/ha and 1.45, 1.44, 1.29, 1.64 ha/cow/yr for groups PH, PC, Ca and CR, respectively. Health and breeding status were also recorded for each cow.