Benutting van herfstgras op veengrond door melkkoeien

On peat soils, milk production of autumn grazed dairy cows is often disappointing. Reduced palatability (i.e. a musty smell) of autumn grazed grass and consequently a reduced intake is considered as the main reason for the decline in milk production. A grazing experiment was conducted to compare 3 different strategies of grassland management within a rotational grazing system to improve the utilisation of autumn grazed grass by dairy cows for milk production. In the experiment, 36 mid-lactation dairy cows were used to form 3 balanced groups (“control”, “rationed” and “clean”) of 12 cows each. For all strategies, the grass cover was aimed at approximately 1500 kg DM/ha (rising plate meter sward height of 16 to 18 cm) at the moment of turning into the paddocks