Chemical composition and nutritive value of irrigated tall fescue pasture for dairy cows

Abstract

Irrigated tall fescue (Fesluca arundinacea: Schreb) was evaluated over four seasons, in the spring and autumn, and was able to maintain a milk productionof 15.5kg FCM/d for medium-sized(550kg) Friesiancows in mid-lactation, under a lax grazing programme. The response to concentrate feeding was 0.88 kg FCM/kg concentrate fed (as fed basis). The in vivo DOM of the pasture remained relatively high (within the range 61-63) during autumn even as the season progressed,whereas the DOM of the spring fescuedeclinedmarkedly (from62 to 57) as the grass set seed. However, this decline in the DOM value was not reflected in the milk production of the cows grazing the pasture, which indicates selectivegrazing.