AN24285Milk yield and pasture nutrient availability associated with milking order in commercial dairy herds
On pasture-based dairy farms, cows spend prolonged time away from pasture while in transit to and from the dairy and while waiting to be milked, which reduces the milk production of cows later in the milking order as shown in our research. This is likely to be linked to later-milked cows having access to less nutritious pasture. Implementing mitigation strategies that improve the nutrients available to later-milked cows, such as reserving fresh pasture, should be explored.
This article belongs to the collection: Australasian Dairy Science Symposium 2024.