A Forage-Milk Production Model

Effect of forage legumes on feed intake, milk production and milk quality – a review*

Literature data from experiments with lactating dairy cows offered silage-based diets was reviewed to evaluate the effects of the grassland legume species Trifolium repens (WC, white clover), Trifolium pratense (RC, red clover) and Medicago sativa (M, lucerne) on feed intake, milk production and milk quality. Seven data sets were created to compare grass silage (G) with grassland legumes in gen...

Forage Crop Production

Influence of milk production potential on forage dry matter intake by multiparous and primiparous Brangus females.

Brangus cows (n = 29) were used in three experiments to evaluate the effects of parity (multiparous vs. primiparous) and potential genetic merit for milk production (high vs. low) on forage intake during late gestation, early lactation, and late lactation. Cows were selected for milk production based on their sire's EPD for milk production (MEPD). Cows had ad libitum access to (130% of previous...

Effects of Forage Species on Milk Protein Production by Lactating Dairy Cows

Eighteen multiparous early lactation Holstein cows were assigned to a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square with 28-d periods to evaluate milk protein production potential when corn silage (CS) or small grain silage (SGS) was added to diets based on alfalfa silage (AS). Treatments consisted of all AS, a mixture of AS and CS, or a mixture of AS and SGS. Treatment diets were isonitrogenous, isofibrous, a...

Effect of Forage Feeding Level on Body Weight, Body Condition Score, Milk Production, and Milk Urea Nitrogen of Holstein Cows on an Organic Diet

In the past decade, a global demand for products from organic agriculture has increased rapidly. Milk quality is of major interest to all parties. Therefore, the objective of this study was to compare cow performance and product quality on conventional and organic diets. 72 Holstein dairy cows were allotted to one of four diets: a conventional diet (CON40), an organic diet with a low amount of ...