ABSTRACT
This study aimed to evaluate the hypothesis that mixed sequential grazing of dairy cows and breeding ewes is beneficial. During the seasons of spring-summer 2013 and autumn-winter 2013-2014, 12 (spring-summer) and 16 (autumn-winter) Holstein Friesian cows and 24 gestating (spring-summer) and lactating (autumn-winter) Pelibuey ewes grazed on six (spring-summer) and nine (autumn-winter) paddocks of alfalfa and orchard grass mixed pastures. The treatments "single species cow grazing" (CowG) and "mixed sequential grazing with ewes as followers of cows" (MixG) were evaluated, under a completely randomized design with two replicates per paddock. Herbage mass on offer (HO) and residual herbage mass (RH) were estimated by cutting samples. The estimate of herbage intake (HI) of cows was based on the use of internal and external markers; the apparent HI of ewes was calculated as the difference between HO (RH of cows) and RH. Even though HO was higher in CowG, the HI of cows was higher in MixG during spring-summer and similar in both treatments during autumn-winter, implying that in MixG the effects on the cows HI of higher alfalfa proportion and herbage accumulation rate evolving from lower residual herbage mass in the previous cycle counteracted that of a higher HO in CowG. The HI of ewes was sufficient to enable satisfactory performance as breeding ewes. Thus, the benefits of mixed sequential grazing arose from higher herbage accumulation, positive changes in botanical composition, and the achievement of sheep production without negative effects on the herbage intake of cows.
Subject(s)
Animal Feed , Dairying/methods , Diet/veterinary , Lactation , Sheep, Domestic , Animals , Breeding , Cattle , Female , Medicago sativa , Milk , Poaceae , SeasonsABSTRACT
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitamin E on the fat content and fatty acid profile of grazing dairy cows supplemented with microencapsulated conjugated linoleic acid. Eight New Zealand Holstein cows in a rotational grazing system were used, in a crossover design, randomly assigned to four treatments: control (base diet with microencapsulated conjugated linoleic acid) and three levels of vitamin E (control with 4,000; 8,000; and 12,000 IU/cow per day). All the cows received a supplement apportioning 5 g of cis-9, trans-11, and 5 g of trans-10, cis-12 of conjugated linoleic acid. Moreover, they each received 4-kg dry matter (DM) concentrate and 3.2-kg DM corn silage every day. There were no differences in dry matter intake, milk production, milk composition (fat, protein, and lactose), or fatty acid profile as an effect of vitamin E, and fat content remained under 3 % in all treatments. Therefore, under the conditions that this experiment was carried out, high concentrations of vitamin E in the diet of grazing dairy cows do not inhibit milk fat depression associated with conjugated linoleic acid. It also has no effect on the fatty acid profile of the milk.
