Effect of Supplementary Feeding Strategies on the Performance of Stall Fed Dual-purpose Dairy Cows Fed Grass Hay-based Diets

Abstract

Supplementary feeding strategies were evaluated from pre-calving throughout lactation on 24 dual-purpose Mpwapwa breed cows in their second or greater lactation, weighing 246-455 kg. The Mpwapwa breed is an established breed of 4 Bos indicus breeds and 8% of Bos taurus. The cows were penned and stall-fed individually. Eight weeks before calving to eight weeks after calving, the cows were divided into two groups and offered hay ad libitum with either 2 kg DM (L) or 4 kg DM/day (H) concentrates. Nine weeks after calving half of the cows on L-level continued with 2 kg DM/day (L-L) while the remainder received 4 kg DM concentrate daily (L-H). Half of the cows on H-group continued with 4 kg DM/day (H-H) while the remainder received 2 kg DM/day (H-L). The concentrate mixture comprised of sunflower seed cake (33%) and maize bran (67%). The cows consumed all the concentrate offered. Hay DM intake was similar (6.8 kg/day) and tended to decrease the last two weeks before calving increased again after calving. Live weight change and body condition score were similar across treatments before calving but differed after calving (p 0.05). (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2003. Vol 16, No. 3 : 359-367)