Microclimate and the thermal comfort during the implementation of silvopastoral systems: the windbreak countereffect.

Little has been studied about microclimate and the thermal comfort during the implementation of silvopastoral systems. This study aimed to evaluate the microclimate and thermal comfort during the implementation of High Biodiversity Silvopastoral System with Nuclei (SPSnu). Three treatments were investigated, SPSnu with 5 and 10% of the pasture area with nuclei, (SPSnu5 and SPSnu10, respectively), and treeless pasture (TLP). Each treatment was subdivided into 4 areas: within the nuclei, around the nuclei, around the nuclei with shade and internuclei. The analyzed variables were soil surface temperature, air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity, black globe temperature and the Heat Load Index (HLI) at 20 and 120 cm height. We hypothesized that the wind speed reduction associated with insufficient shade projection typical of the first years of SPSs may interfere in microclimate and thermal comfort during the hot seasons. SPSnu5 and SPSnu10 had a reduction in wind speed of 51.58% and 68.47% respectively when compared to TLP at 20 cm. Soil surface temperature and air temperature at 120 cm were higher for SPSnu than TLP. The same effect was observed for the HLI. At 20 cm, HLI indicated better thermal comfort in TLP than in the SPSnu treatments. The lack of shade projection from young nuclei in conjunction with the decrease of wind speed between the nuclei caused a higher air temperature and HLI in the SPSnu treatments, we called this conditions, windbreak countereffect. Farmers must knowledge this effect when implementing SPSs, and when necessary, mitigate with the proper management decisions.

Superficial skin temperature recovery of distal limbs of thoroughbred racehorses after training in a racetrack in different seasons.

In the present study we aimed to investigate superficial skin temperature of racehorses' distal limbs after training in a racetrack. Male and female Thoroughbred racehorses were investigated in summer, after light training, and in the winter, after light and intense training. Horses were exercised (Exercise group, EG) under trainers' protocol while others were maintained inside their stalls (Control group, CG). Thermographic images were obtained from the front (fetlock, cannon, and carpus) and hindlimbs (fetlock, cannon, and tarsus), before exercise and 45, 60, 120 and 180 min after exercising. Images were analyzed using the Flir Tools® program. Temperatures of different moments of each group were compared using Anova for repeated measures and each moment of EG versus CG using Student t test. Horses of the CG maintained steady temperature in the winter, but in summer temperature increased at M45 until M180 (P < 0,01). EG increased temperatures after exercises that remained higher than M0 even at 180 min post-exercise (P < 0,0001), for most of the regions in winter and summer. EG temperatures were higher than CG at most of the time points after exercise. There was positive correlation between all regions' temperature and the atmospheric temperature for the CG during the summer (P = 0,003, r2 = 0,9622), observed for the front fetlock and carpal regions for the EG (P = 0.035, r2 = 0,8166). This pilot study demonstrates that, after race exercising under natural conditions skin temperature might take more than 180 min to return to basal values.

Horse behavior and facial movements in relation to food rewards.

Food rewards are believed to have a positive valence in horses. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of food rewards on horse behavior before entering a horse chute, and behavior and facial movements while restrained in it. Thirteen female adult horses were brought once daily to an animal handling facility for three weeks. In week 1, baseline period, no reinforcement was applied. In weeks 2 and 3, experimental phase, half of the horses received positive reinforcement treatment after entering and remaining in the chute; the remaining horses were considered as controls (no positive reinforcement applied). There was a cross-over between the groups during the experimental phase. Horses were individually brought to the restraining chute and videos recorded during 60-sec. The duration and number of entries into the area close to the gate leading to the chute were measured before restraining and body posture, neck position, and tail swinging were recorded in the chute. Facial movements were also recorded and scored using EquiFACS methodology. Multilevel linear and logistic models were built to assess behavioral changes from baseline to the treatment phase and between phases (control and positively reinforced). Horses did not change their body posture or tail swings across the different phases (P > 0.1) and were less likely to show lowered neck during the positively reinforced phase (OR: 0.05; CI95%: 0.00-0.56; P = 0.05) compared to baseline. The likelihood of a lowered neck did not differ between the positive reinforcement and control phases (P = 0.11). In the positively reinforced phase, horses seemed to be more attentive (ears forward) and active (less eye closures, more nose movements) than in the control phase. A three-day positive reinforcement phase did not elicit major changes in body behavior in the chute but affected the facial movements of group-housed mares.

Horse Grimace Scale Does Not Detect Pain in Horses with Equine Gastric Ulcer Syndrome.

Equine gastric ulcer syndrome (EGUS) is a highly prevalent and presumptively painful condition, although the amount of pain horses might experience is currently unknown. The aims of this study were to determine if the Horse Grimace Scale (HGS) could identify pain behaviours in horses with and without EGUS and if severity would be positively associated with the HGS score. Horse grimace scale scores were assessed blindly using facial photographs by seven observers and involved evaluation of 6 facial action units as 0 (not present), 1 (moderately present) and 2 (obviously present). Lameness examination, serum amyloid A (SAA) measurement and gastroscopy evaluation were performed on all horses. Horses (n = 61) were divided into two and three groups based on the presence (yes, no) and severity (none, mild, moderate-severe) of EGUS, respectively. Presence of lameness and elevated SAA (≥50 µg/mL) were used as exclusion criteria. Inter-observer reliability was analyzed by intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC). HGS scores between groups were compared using Welch's and Brown Forsythe tests (p < 0.05). Overall, HGS ICC was "excellent" (0.75). No significant differences (p = 0.566) were observed in HGS scores between horses with and without gastric lesions (mean, 95% CI; 3.36, 2.76-3.95 and 3, 1.79-4.20, respectively). HGS was not influenced by the presence or severity of EGUS in this current study. Further studies investigating the use of different pain scales in horses with EGUS are needed.

Can We Reliably Detect Respiratory Diseases through Precision Farming? A Systematic Review.

Respiratory diseases commonly affect livestock species, negatively impacting animal's productivity and welfare. The use of precision livestock farming (PLF) applied in respiratory disease detection has been developed for several species. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate if PLF technologies can reliably monitor clinical signs or detect cases of respiratory diseases. A technology was considered reliable if high performance was achieved (sensitivity > 90% and specificity or precision > 90%) under field conditions and using a reliable reference test. Risk of bias was assessed, and only technologies tested in studies with low risk of bias were considered reliable. From 23 studies included-swine (13), poultry (6), and bovine (4) -only three complied with our reliability criteria; however, two of these were considered to have a high risk of bias. Thus, only one swine technology fully fit our criteria. Future studies should include field tests and use previously validated reference tests to assess technology's performance. In conclusion, relying completely on PLF for monitoring respiratory diseases is still a challenge, though several technologies are promising, having high performance in field tests.

A systematic review of the effects of silvopastoral system on thermal environment and dairy cows' behavioral and physiological responses.

Does the silvopastoral system (SPS) promote a satisfactory thermal environment for dairy cows to perform their natural behaviors and perform a suitable thermoregulatory function? To answer this, peer-reviewed articles, written in English and evaluating the effects of silvopastoral systems on thermal environment, dairy cows' behavior, and physiology were used in this systematic review; additionally, a bibliometric approach was performed. Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to compile the literature. The resulting articles (1448) underwent a 4-step appraisal process and resulted in 19 articles that fitted our inclusion criteria. Microclimate variables and thermal comfort indicators were the most researched topics (discussed in 89% of studies); 47% of studies addressed cattle behavior and 36% physiological responses. Our review highlights different benefits of silvopastoral systems for grazing dairy cows. For example, the SPS provides a more comfortable thermal environment than treeless pasture, which increases feeding behaviors; furthermore, dairy cows in SPS show lower drinking events, surface temperature, and respiratory rate than cows raised in treeless pasture. However, for nine of the variables related to cows' behavior (e.g., resting, rumination) and physiology responses (e.g., internal temperature), the results of the studies were unclear. Furthermore, behaviors associated with lying down (e.g., idling and rumination) and milk production in SPS were explored only in six and two studies, respectively. These findings provide consistent evidence that the silvopastoral systems are beneficial to thermal comfort of dairy cows; nonetheless, the effect on cows' behavioral and physiological responses is still scarce and unclear.

Measuring lameness prevalence: Effects of case definition and assessment frequency.

Lameness assessments are commonly conducted at a single point in time, but such assessments are subject to multiple sources of error. We conducted a longitudinal study, assessing the gait of 282 lactating dairy cows weekly during the first 12 wk of lactation, with the aim of assessing how lameness prevalence changed in relation to case definition and assessment frequency. Gait was scored using a 5-point scale where scores of 1 and 2 were considered sound, 3 was clinically lame, and 4 and 5 were severely lame. We created 5 lameness definitions using increasingly stringent thresholds based upon the number of consecutive events of locomotion score ≥3. In LAME1, a cow was considered lame when locomotion score was ≥3 at any scoring event, in LAME2, LAME3, LAME4, and LAME5, a cow was considered lame when locomotion score was 3 or higher during 2, 3, 4, and 5 consecutive scoring events, respectively. We also assessed the effect of assessment frequency on measures of prevalence and incidence using weekly assessment (ASSM1), 1 assessment every 2 wk (ASSM2), 1 assessment every 3 wk (ASSM3), and 1 assessment every 4 wk (ASSM4). Using LAME1, 69.2% of cows were considered lame at some point during the trial, with an average point prevalence of 31.8% (SD: 2.8) and average incidence rate of 10.9 cases/100 cow weeks (SD: 3.7). Lameness prevalence decreased to 28.0% when using LAME5. Survival analysis was used to assess the effects of parity, using these different case definitions. Parity is a known risk for lameness, such that case definitions and prevalence estimates should be stratified by parity to inform management decisions. Using the LAME3 criterion, primiparous cows had the highest chance of reaching 12 wk without a lameness event, and fourth and higher parities had the lowest. Weighted linear and quadratic kappa values were used to assess agreement between different assessment frequencies and lameness definitions; we found substantial to excellent agreement between ASSM1 and ASSM2 using LAME1, LAME2, and LAME3 definitions. Agreement was fair to substantial between ASSM1 and ASSM3 and low to fair between ASSM1 and ASSM4. Likewise, the agreement between LAME1 and LAME2 was fair in primiparous cows, substantial in second and third parity cows, and poor to fair in fourth and greater parity cows. We conclude that lameness prevalence estimates are dependent upon case definition and that the use of more stringent case definitions results in fewer cows classified as lame. These results suggest that routine locomotion assessments be conducted at least every 2 wk, and that cows should be defined as lame on the basis of 2 consecutive assessments.

Invited review: Risk factors for transition period disease in intensive grazing and housed dairy cattle.

Transition period (±3 wk around calving) diseases are prevalent in dairy systems. In this review we describe the physiological and behavioral changes experienced by cows during the transition period and during the dry period leading up to this. Our narrative review examines risk factors associated with these diseases in zero-grazing and grazing systems. The available research indicates that cows in these 2 systems experience similar incidences of transition diseases, and that low or high BCS and lameness are key manageable risks associated with both systems. Other cow- and herd-level risk factors identified in this review are parity, breed, and seasonal variability in disease incidence. Some risks appear to arise earlier in the dry period, outside what is normally considered the transition period; we recommend that future studies of transition period diseases should consider the entire dry period. We also encourage new work on measuring the effect of intervention strategies during late lactation on transition period diseases.

Voisin Rational Grazing as a Sustainable Alternative for Livestock Production.

Current livestock practices do not meet current real-world social and environmental requirements, pushing farmers away from rural areas and only sustaining high productivity through the overuse of fossil fuels, causing numerous environmental side effects. In this narrative review, we explore how the Voisin Rational Grazing (VRG) system responds to this problem. VRG is an agroecological system based on four principles that maximise pasture growth and ruminant intake, while, at the same time, maintaining system sustainability. It applies a wide range of regenerative agricultural practices, such as the use of multispecies swards combined with agroforestry. Planning allows grazing to take place when pastures reach their optimal resting period, thus promoting vigorous pasture regrowth. Moreover, paddocks are designed in a way that allow animals to have free access to water and shade, improving overall animal welfare. In combination, these practices result in increased soil C uptake and soil health, boost water retention, and protect water quality. VRG may be used to provide ecosystem services that mitigate some of the current global challenges and create opportunities for farmers to apply greener practices and become more resilient. It can be said that VRG practitioners are part of the initiatives that are rethinking modern livestock agriculture. Its main challenges, however, arise from social constraints. More specifically, local incentives and initiatives that encourage farmers to take an interest in the ecological processes involved in livestock farming are still lacking. Little research has been conducted to validate the empirical evidence of VRG benefits on animal performance or to overcome VRG limitations.

Standing behavior and sole horn lesions: A prospective observational longitudinal study.

Studies performed on individual research farms have reported that dairy cattle developing sole hemorrhages or sole ulcers in peak to mid lactation spent more time standing during the weeks around calving. The aim of this prospective observational longitudinal study was to evaluate whether this relationship is evident in commercial dairy herds. A convenience sample of 8 herds were visited every other week, and animals without previous severe horn lesions and deemed sound at 4 to 8 wk before calving were enrolled. Standing behavior was measured with data loggers attached to a rear leg, and standing time and duration of the longest standing bout were determined for each cow. Standing behavior was summarized into 3 periods: before (d -14 to -2), around (d -1 to 1), and after (d 2 to 14) calving. Average daily standing time and average daily longest standing bout were determined for each cow and period. Average daily standing time was normally distributed, with a mean ± standard deviation of 12.1 ± 1.6, 14.4 ± 2.2, and 13.8 ± 1.7 h/d for the 3 periods, respectively. Average daily longest standing bout was right skewed with a median of 3.6 h/d [interquartile range (IQR): 3.0 to 4.3; range: 1.7 to 12.1], 3.9 h/d (IQR: 3.1 to 4.8; range: 1.3 to 11.5), and 3.7 (IQR: 3.2 to 4.4; range: 1.5 to 11.7) h/d before, around, and after calving, respectively. Hoof trimming was performed 8 to 12 wk postpartum; hoof lesion data were summarized per cow, and the most serious injury of each type of lesion was noted. Sole hemorrhages or sole ulcers were found in 25 of 256 cows. Mixed-effect logistic regression models with herd as random effect were used to analyze the risk of developing sole hemorrhages and sole ulcers, using animals without hoof lesions as reference category. Separate models were fitted for the 2 standing behaviors, and for the periods before, around, and after calving. Change in standing behavior from before to after calving was also analyzed. Body condition score at calving, body condition score loss in early lactation, milk yield, parity, and days in milk at trimming were included as covariates. In this study, no evidence for an association was found between sole hemorrhages and sole ulcers and standing behavior before or around calving. Longer standing time and longer standing bouts after calving were associated with increased odds of developing sole hemorrhages and sole ulcers, as was an increase in standing bout duration from before to after calving. Animals with sole horn or white line lesions had higher unconditional sample odds of becoming lame (odds ratio = 2.5) and severely lame (odds ratio = 11.7) after calving, compared with animals with no registered lesions at trimming. Multiparous animals had higher lameness incidence, both before and after calving. Avoiding practices that exacerbate increases in standing time and standing bout duration in early lactation may reduce the incidence of sole hemorrhages and sole ulcers.

Body condition loss during the dry period: Insights from feeding behavior studies.

Body condition change during the dry period (ΔBCS) has been associated with a myriad of transition cow diseases. We used data from 3 studies to assess the relationship between ΔBCS, feeding behavior, and body condition score (BCS) at dry-off. We also studied the mediation effect that dry matter intake (DMI) has on ΔBCS and the association between dry period feeding time and DMI. A total of 100 parous cows were enrolled in 3 studies to investigate differences in dry period diet on behavior, health, and performance pre- and postcalving. Body weight was measured and BCS was assessed by the same trained observer after dry-off and 1 wk from calving date. The ΔBCS was calculated by subtracting the BCS at calving minus the BCS at dry-off. The BCS at dry-off was categorized as overconditioned (≥3.5) or not overconditioned (<3.5); no cows had a BCS <2.75. Feeding behavior data were collected using electronic feed bins. Parity at dry-off (median = 2; min = 1, max = 6) and 305-d milk production (mean = 10,235 kg, SD = 1,625 kg) from the previous lactation were considered. Data sets were split into 2 time periods: d -56 to -22 (early) and -21 to 0 (late) in relation to calving. Selected feeding behaviors (DMI, DMI as a percentage of body weight, and feeding time) were used to evaluate the associations between each feeding behavior and BCS at dry-off in each period using mixed linear regression models. Each model included the following covariates: parity, previous 305-d milk yield, and trial treatment. Experimental day was included as random slope, and cow was included as random intercept. A mediation analysis was used to evaluate the potential causal direct effect of BCS at dry-off on ΔBCS and the potential indirect effect mediated by differences in DMI. The BCS at dry-off was associated with changes in feeding behavior, such that overconditioned cows had lesser daily DMI and feeding time during the early and late dry periods compared with not overconditioned animals. We also noted an effect of previous 305-d milk yield on DMI; cows that produced more milk had greater DMI throughout the dry period. The ΔBCS was only partially mediated by DMI, and BCS at dry-off still had a direct effect on ΔBCS. This result indicated that mechanisms other than DMI were associated with BCS loss during the dry period. Feeding time correlated weakly and moderately with DMI during the early and late dry periods, respectively. To conclude, strategies to improve intake during the dry period should take dry-off BCS into account or, preferably, efforts should be made to minimize the number of overconditioned cows at the end of lactation.

Effects of case definition and assessment frequency on lameness incidence estimates.

The reliability of locomotion scoring is often low, making it unclear how a single gait score should be interpreted. In addition, differences in assessment frequency between longitudinal studies makes it hard to compare results. Our aims were to evaluate how lameness definition and assessment frequency affect measures of lameness incidence. Six dairy farms in British Columbia, Canada, were enrolled, and 262 cows that were sound at dry-off had their locomotion score (LS) assessed weekly from dry-off to calving, using a 1 to 5 scale. Cows were categorized as remaining sound or becoming lame using 3 different case definitions (LAME1: ≥LS3 at least once; LAME2: ≥2 consecutive scores of LS3, or ≥LS4 at least once; and LAME3: ≥3 consecutive scores of LS3, or ≥LS4 at least once). We analyzed the correspondence between the 3 definitions with percent agreement and weighted κ (linear and quadratic weighting). Comparing LAME1 to LAME3 resulted in lower percent agreement (53%) and κ values (linear κw = 0.50; quadratic κw = 0.64) than comparing LAME2 and LAME3 (85%; linear κw = 0.83; quadratic κw = 0.89), indicating that cows scored LS3 twice were likely to be scored LS3 a third time. We also compared the 3 case definitions against trim records from trimmings occurring 90 d or less before calving (n = 117), and used logistic regression models to determine sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value. Using the LAME1 criterion resulted in high sensitivity (horn lesions = 0.90; infectious lesions = 0.92) and low specificity (horn = 0.21; infectious = 0.24). We observed higher specificity for LAME2 (horn = 0.62; infectious = 0.66) and LAME3 (horn = 0.71; infectious = 0.77), but LAME2 had higher sensitivity than LAME3 (horn = 0.89 vs. 0.64; infectious = 0.69 vs. 0.64). When evaluating the effects of assessment frequency, we obtained 3 data sets by keeping every, every other, and every third locomotion assessment, and using LAME2 as a case definition. More cows were categorized as lame when assessment frequency increased. Of the cows that were classified as lame when assessed weekly, 72% of the mildly lame, and 33% of the severely lame were classified as sound when assessed every third week. Our results suggest that a single LS3 score should not be used as a criterion for lameness in longitudinal studies. To correctly identify new cases of lameness, dairy cows should be assessed at least every 2 wk.

The relationship between transition period diseases and lameness, feeding time, and body condition during the dry period.

In this longitudinal study, we tested the hypothesis that cows that are lame around dry-off are at increased risk of transition diseases (TD), including metritis, subclinical ketosis (SCK), retained fetal membranes, hypocalcemia, or displaced abomasum. We also hypothesized that the relationship between lameness and TD would be mediated through reduced feeding time. We enrolled 461 cows at 9 wk before their expected calving date on 6 commercial freestall farms in the lower Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada. Cows were gait-scored weekly using a scale of 1 to 5. Lameness status was classified based on consecutive gait scores as lame (2 consecutive gait scores = 3 or 1 score ≥4) or sound (2 consecutive gait scores ≤2). Lameness status was summarized as (1) lameness at dry-off (sound or lame); (2) lameness group (always sound = sound on all visits, chronically lame = lame on all visits, and other = changed from sound to lame or vice versa); and (3) proportion of weeks lame during the dry period. Body condition scores were recorded at dry-off and at calving and collectively used to calculate change in body condition for each cow. A subsample of cows (n = 159) was evaluated for feeding time once a week during the dry period. All cows were evaluated for SCK (positive = ß-hydroxybutyrate ≥1.2 mmol/L) and metritis (positive = foul smell, red/brown watery vaginal discharge) every 3 to 4 d between d 3 and 17 after calving. We retrieved data on treatment of retained fetal membranes, hypocalcemia, and displaced abomasum during the first 17 d after calving, cow parity, and milk production in the previous lactation from farm records. We created a binary variable, TD (any of SCK, metritis, retained fetal membranes, hypocalcemia, or displaced abomasum), to differentiate between healthy cows and cows that developed TD. Lameness at dry-off was associated with the occurrence of metritis and TD, but not with SCK. Cows that were chronically lame and cows that had an increased proportion of weeks lame during the dry period had higher occurrence of metritis and TD. Lameness was also associated with reduced feeding time, which in turn was associated with increased likelihood of SCK and TD, but not with metritis. Lameness was not associated with change in body condition; however, cows that lost body condition score during the dry period had increased odds of developing SCK, metritis, and TD. Change in body condition was highly associated with body condition score at dry-off. These results suggest that association between lameness and TD is partially mediated through reduced feeding time.

Lameness during the dry period: Epidemiology and associated factors.

Lameness has been extensively studied in lactating cows, whereas few studies have reported on lameness during the dry period. We conducted a prospective longitudinal study to describe the epidemiology of lameness during the dry period and to identify risk factors associated with onset, cure, and chronic cases of lameness. A total of 455 cows from 6 freestall commercial dairy farms were enrolled at 9 wk before calving and gait scored weekly until calving using a 5-point scale. A subset of cows was also followed fortnightly after calving to measure the association between lameness during the dry period and lameness during early lactation. Body condition score (BCS) was assessed in a 5-point scale using increments of 0.5. Hoof-trimming records, parity, and previous lactation milk production were retrieved from farm's database. Cows were considered sound when 2 consecutive scores were ≤2 and lame when 2 consecutive scores = 3, or any assessment with score >3; when in a sequence of scores only one score = 3 (or ≤2), the cow was considered sound (or alternatively lame). Following this lameness definition, we derived weekly lameness status for each cow and calculated the number of new cases of lameness, the number of cure cases and the number of chronic cases. The incidence rate of lameness cases during the dry period was 8.2 lameness cases/100 cow per wk, whereas cure rate was 7.1 cure cases/100 cow per wk; at the end of the dry period 50% of cows had developed lameness and 36% were cured. Multilevel logistic regression models using farm as random effect were fitted to assess (1) the association between being lame in wk 2 or 8 postcalving with being lame in the last week precalving, (2) risk factors for lameness onset, (3) risk factors for lameness cure, and (4) risk factors for chronic lameness. Cows that were lame in the week immediately before calving were more likely to be lame in wk 2 and 8 after calving. We found that the interaction between parity and hoof-trimming before dry-off was associated with lameness onset; primiparous cows that were trimmed before dry-off had lower odds of developing lameness, whereas the opposite was found for multiparous cows. The same interaction was also associated with the odds of chronic lameness. Cows that were diagnosed with noninfectious hoof lesions compared with cows that were not diagnosed with hoof lesions before dry-off, and cows that had BCS <3 compared with cows with BCS 3.0 to 3.5 at dry-off had higher odds of chronic lameness. Conversely, primiparous cows and cows with BCS 3.0 to 3.5 had higher odds of curing lameness during the dry period. Our results suggest that the dry period may be a period of high risk for lameness development and that hoof-trimming before dry-off may not be effective for all cows.

Readily Available Water Access is Associated with Greater Milk Production in Grazing Dairy Herds.

In this cross-sectional study, we measured the association between water provision and milk production on intensively managed small-scale grazing dairy herds. Farms (n = 53) were categorized according to water provision as follows: (1) Restricted-cows did not have access to a water trough while on pasture; and (2) Unrestricted-cows had free access to a water trough while on pasture. Herd main breed and feeding practices were included in a model to assess the effect of water provision category on farm average milk yield/cow/d. The effect of pasture condition and environmental variables on milk production were also assessed, however were not retained on the final model. Herds provided with unrestricted access to drinking water produced on average 1.7 L more milk per cow/d (p = 0.03) than herds with restricted access to drinking water. Predominantly Holstein herds produced 2.8 L more milk per cow/d (p < 0.01) than non-Holstein herds. Each extra kg of concentrate offered per day increased milk yield by 1.1 L/cow/d (p < 0.01). In conclusion, providing free access to drinking water while grazing was associated with greater milk production.