Potential milk production on dwarf elephantgrass pasture in Alto Vale do Itajaí, Brazil

Abstract

The study was carried out to evaluate the milk production potential of ‘Mott’ elephantgrass pasture
during january-april/2000 in Alto Vale do Itajaí, Santa Catarina. The free stall used in the farm was the control production system. The grazing cows were fed with 10kg of dry matter of leaf blade/100kg LW/day of forage in daily strip pasture. The free stall dairy cows were fed with a diet based on corn silage, industrial by-products, forage and concentrate with 23kg/day of dry matter intake. The stocking rate sustained for ‘Mott’ elephantgrass pasture was
1.415kg LW/ha with individual production of 11,4kg milk/day, resulting in an milk potencial production of 7.000kg/ha during 200 grazing days. The free stall cows produced 17,3kg milk/cow. Differences were found in milk fat content with mean values of 3,85% and 3,42% for grazing and free stall cows, respectively. The free stall cows had higher
mastitis incidence and milk somatic cell contents three times greater than grazing cows. The grazing system reduced feed cost and increased return per cow.