Oat and ryegrass silage for small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico.
This study investigated the effects of the inclusion of oat-ryegrass silage (ORGS) in combination with maize silage (MSLG) in four treatments: T1 = 100 % ORGS, T2 = 67 % ORGS/33 % MSLG, T3 = 67 % ORGS/33 % MSLG, and T4 = 100 % MSLG to milking cows on continuous grazing with 4.7 kg DM of commercial dairy concentrate 18 % CP. Daily milk yield and composition, live weight, body condition score, and chemical composition of feeds were recorded during the last 4 days of the experimental periods. Feeding costs were calculated by partial budgets. Eight Holstein lactating cows were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square, with 14-day periods. There were no statistical differences (P > 0.05) for milk yield (mean 15.5 ± 5.0 kg/day/cow) or composition (mean milk fat 34.6 ± 4.4 g/kg, protein 32.4 ± 3.1 g/kg, lactose 46.9 ± 1.6 g/kg), milk urea nitrogen (11.3 ± 2.1 mg/dl), live weight (434 ± 38 kg), or body condition score (2.4 ± 0.15). The silage cost of ORGS was 2.5 times higher than MSLG, so the feeding cost in T1 was 26 % higher per kilogram of milk than for T4, with T2 and T3 as intermediates. ORGS can be a substitute to maize silage in the proportions studied, although feeding costs were higher.
Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), Instituto Literario #100, C.P. 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
Maria Danaee
MD
Celis-Alvarez
Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), Instituto Literario #100, C.P. 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
Felipe
F
López-González
Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), Instituto Literario #100, C.P. 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
Carlos Galdino
CG
Martínez-García
Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), Instituto Literario #100, C.P. 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico.
Julieta Gertrudis
JG
Estrada-Flores
Instituto de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Rurales (ICAR), Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (UAEM), Instituto Literario #100, C.P. 50000, Toluca, Estado de México, Mexico. cmarriagaj@uaemex.mx.
Carlos Manuel
CM
Arriaga-Jordán
D000531:Altitude; D000821:Animal Feed / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics; D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000824:Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D003612:Dairying; D005260:Female; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D008129:Lolium; D008800:Mexico; D008892:Milk / Q000378:metabolism; D012820:Silage / Q000032:analysis*; D003313:Zea mays
Continuous grazing; Maize silage; Mexico; Oat-ryegrass silage; Small-scale dairy production