Publication Date
1989
Description
In grassland based systems of animal production, it is important to choose a genotype of animal with production characteristics appropriate to the level of nutrition which can be supplied by the available resources. It is generally recognised that the most economically efficient beef cow systems are those that allow the cows to increase levels of body fat when feed is plentiful or cheap (eg. summer grazing in N. Europe) and to draw on those reserves during periods of feed scarcity or when feed is expensive (eg. winter) (Russel and Broadbent, 1985). The ability of cows to increase body reserves during lactation is determined, amongst other things, by the way in which nutrients are partitioned between body reserves and milk yield. An experiment was designed to examine the response of three different beef cow genotypes to two levels of nutrition during the grazing season. Level of nutrition was varied by controlling sward height. Data relating to the first two years of the experiment are presented in this paper.
Citation
Wright, I A.; Jones, J R.; Maxwell, T J.; and Russel, A.J F., "Performance of Three Beef Cow Genotypes when Grazing Sown Pasture at Two Sward Heights" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 43.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session10/43
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Performance of Three Beef Cow Genotypes when Grazing Sown Pasture at Two Sward Heights
In grassland based systems of animal production, it is important to choose a genotype of animal with production characteristics appropriate to the level of nutrition which can be supplied by the available resources. It is generally recognised that the most economically efficient beef cow systems are those that allow the cows to increase levels of body fat when feed is plentiful or cheap (eg. summer grazing in N. Europe) and to draw on those reserves during periods of feed scarcity or when feed is expensive (eg. winter) (Russel and Broadbent, 1985). The ability of cows to increase body reserves during lactation is determined, amongst other things, by the way in which nutrients are partitioned between body reserves and milk yield. An experiment was designed to examine the response of three different beef cow genotypes to two levels of nutrition during the grazing season. Level of nutrition was varied by controlling sward height. Data relating to the first two years of the experiment are presented in this paper.
