Journal of Applied Animal Research
  • Year: 2007
  • Volume: 32
  • Issue: 1

Inclusion of Maize or Oats-vetch Silage for Grazing Dairy Cows in Small-scale Campesino Systems in the Highlands of Central Mexico

  • Author:
  • J. Guadarrama-Estrada1, A. Espinoza-Ortega1, C.E. González-Esquivel1, C.M. Arriaga-Jordán2,
  • Total Page Count: 5
  • Page Number: 19 to 23

1Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Agropecuarias, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Instituto Literario # 100, 50000 Toluca Estado de México, México

2Secretaría de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México, Instituto Literario # 100, 50000 Toluca Estado de México, México

*For correspondence: Tel: +52(722)2262326; Fax: +52(722)2262328; E-mail: caj@uaemex.mx

Abstract

The productive and economic response of cows fed 6 kg DM/day of maize (Zea mays) (MS) or oats-vetch (Avena sativa-Vicia sativa) (OVS) silage under 9 h/day continuous grazing of ryegrass-white clover pasture was evaluated at a stocking rate of 4 cows/ha supplemented with 4 kg/day of commercial concentrate. Six Holstein cows were grouped in pairs by parity and lactation days and randomly assigned to treatments in a split-plot design. Mean liveweight and daily milk yields were not affected by treatments but maize silage resulted in better (P>0.05) body condition score with better returns. Thus maize silage was found superior to oats-vetch silage.

Keywords

Maize silage, oats-vetch silage, dairy cows, grazing, small-scale systems, highlands, Mexico