Effect on mil production and liveweight of feeding balanced or
unbalanced supplements to cows grazing restricted summer pasture
P.G. Neil and N.A. Thomson
Dairying Research Corporation, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton.
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1997,
57: 151-153
To test whether supplementing summer pasture with a balanced
ration would improve milk production and liveweight compared to
supplementing with silage, four groups of 12 cows were offered with
grazed pasture (P), P plus silage (S), P plus a ration which balanced
the diet for crude protein (CP) and carbohydrate (PB), or P plus a
ration which balanced the diet for neutral detergent fibre (NDF), non
structural carbohydrate (NSC) and CP, (CB). The S, PB and CB treatments
produced similar milk and milk protein yields, which were higher
(P<0.01) than P. Milk fat yield for PB and CB was higher
(P<0.001) compared to P but not compared to S. The average
liveweight gain for S and PB was 16 kg higher (P<0.01) than P. No
improvement in milk production was observed to feeding supplements which
balanced either total carbohydrate and CP or NDF, NSC and CP compared to
silage supplements.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
dairy cattle; summer pasture; diet balancing; milk production;
liveweight change.
Last Updated 12-09-1998
