Description
A comparison of the actual feeding costs on 86 typical Swiss dairy farms confirmed that the production of hay and grass silage is very expensive with costs from the field to intake in the range of 20-25 Euro cents/kg of dry matter (DM). Options to extend the grazing season for dairy cows in the late autumn and early winter, and hence reduce winter feeding costs, would therefore be welcome (Penrose et al., 1996). The aim of the study was to compare the DM production potential of summer-seeded turnips with other brassicas and Italian ryegrass and to test whether dairy cows can utilize the bulbs of turnips efficiently.
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Extending the Grazing Season With Turnips
A comparison of the actual feeding costs on 86 typical Swiss dairy farms confirmed that the production of hay and grass silage is very expensive with costs from the field to intake in the range of 20-25 Euro cents/kg of dry matter (DM). Options to extend the grazing season for dairy cows in the late autumn and early winter, and hence reduce winter feeding costs, would therefore be welcome (Penrose et al., 1996). The aim of the study was to compare the DM production potential of summer-seeded turnips with other brassicas and Italian ryegrass and to test whether dairy cows can utilize the bulbs of turnips efficiently.
