Management for milkfat or protein, does it differ?

N.A. Thomson

Flock House Agricultural Centre, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Bulls

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1988, 48: 225-230

The effect of management on milk, milkfat and protein production was assessed by analysing information collected from 16 different experimental farmlets run over a 9 year period on the Waimate West Demonstration Farm and the Taranaki Agricultural Research Station. In these trials a wide range of stocking rates (2.7 to 4.5 cows/ha), pasture types (ryegrass, lucerne, tall fescue and phalaris) and management systems were used.

Comparisons of production and regression analysis between and within years and treatments failed to detect any significant effects of variations in grazing management, stock rate and cow condition at calving on milkfat or protein production.

Information from a relatively wide data base, covering a range of seasons, management systems and pasture types suggests that herd management for maximum protein production needs to be no different than for systems already researched and adopted for milkfat production.

Keywords: NZSAPAB; Milk production; milk composition; management systems; stock rate

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Last Updated 18-03-1997