Morning and evening pasture access – comparing the effect of production pasture and exercise pasture on milk production and cow behaviour in an automatic milking system

摘要: Abstract Although pasture is low-cost feed, many farmers find it difficult to maintain high milk yield when using for high-yielding dairy cows in automatically milked herds. Therefore, a seven-week experiment with 40 early mid-lactation was performed evaluate management model including the diet without jeopardizing production. Within part-time grazing system morning and evening outdoor access, we compared group ad libitum grass silage indoors combined access small grass-covered permanent paddock exercise recreation (group EX) offered production at allowance per cow day restricted night PROD). Both groups had same times concentrate based on pre-experimental yield. Milk milking frequency were recorded daily automatic unit. recordings samplings determination of composition took place weekly behaviour during hours six observation days, evenly distributed over experimental period. During experiment, average metabolisable energy concentration higher both than herbage. However, our results showed no significant difference between treatments. Furthermore, differences treatments found energy-corrected milk, fat production, or body weight change. protein was, however, significantly PROD. In lactation, observed while mid- late EX Over entire spent less time outdoors conclusion, offering yielding systems high-quality few afternoon appears be an interesting alternative full indoor feeding, as can reduce costs supplementary silage, facilitate natural behaviour, encourage spend more outdoors, maintaining level comparable that feeding.