ISSN:
1365-2494
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
An experiment was started in 1957 that compared the production from dairy cows on daily strip-folding with that from a system of rotational grazing where the cows were given a fresh allocation of pasture about once or twice a week. Management was so arranged that equal areas of pasture were grazed off by the same number of cows in a similar period of time. The experiment was carried out at two rates of stocking, one about 20% greater than the other, the lower rate considered to be equivalent to good close folding practice and the higher rate therefore somewhat restrictive. No supplementary food was given during the grazing season.At the high rate of stocking, rotational grazing gave an average milk yield of 40 lb./cow/day whilst daily strip-folding yielded 38 lb./cow/day. At the low rate of stocking production was 42 lb./cow/day for both methods.At the high rate milk yield/acre from the rotational grazing was 1007 and from the strip-folding 977 gals. At the low rate comparable results were 881 and 874 gals.There was no general trend in yield per cow or per acre in favour of either the rotational grazing or daily strip-folding systems of management. Increasing cow days/acre by 21% decreased yield/cow/day by 7% but significantly increased milk yield/acre, by 13%.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.1960.tb00172.x
