Effects on milk production of feeding wheat supplements to grazing dairy cows in early lactation

Abstract

Two herds, each of 19 Friesian cows, were run on separate farmlets in north-western Tasmania. One herd (NW) grazed pasture only, and was estimated to be receiving 75% of potential intake, while the second herd (W) received 3.0 kg coarsely hammermilled wheat per cow, daily for 42 days during early lactation in addition to pasture. Although the feeding of wheat increased total feed intake, there was no significant difference between the groups in either daily milk yield (21.5 v. 21.8 L cow-1), milk fat yield (1.1 v. 1.09 kg cow-1), liveweight change (0.05 v. -0.2 kg cow-l) and herbage intake (12.0 v. 12.0 kg DM cow-1 day-1) of cows or of pre- (1.77 v. 1.8 t DM ha-1) and post- (1.31 v. 1.32 t DM ha-1) grazing mass, on farmlets NW and W respectively. We conclude that the feeding of wheat did not increase milk production or improve liveweight change under the conditions of this experiment.