Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Feb 10;54(2):100.
doi: 10.1007/s11250-022-03106-w.

Performance and feeding behavior of Holstein and Holstein × Gyr crossbred heifers grazing temperate forages

Marcelo B Abreu  1 , Camila S Cunha  1   2 , João H C Costa  3 , Emily K Miller-Cushon  4 , Polyana P Rotta  1 , Andreia F Machado  1 , Valber C L Morais  1 , Fernanda H M Chizzotti  1 , Marcos I Marcondes  5   6
Affiliations

Performance and feeding behavior of Holstein and Holstein × Gyr crossbred heifers grazing temperate forages

Marcelo B Abreu et al. Trop Anim Health Prod. .

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the difference between Holstein and Holstein × Gyr breeds on feeding behavior and performance of heifers grazing temperate pasture. The experiment was carried out in 89 days, split into 14 days of adaptation, and 3 periods of 25 days. Two treatments were used: Holstein (HOL; n = 7) and Holstein × Gyr (HG; n = 7). Heifers grazed a consortium of ryegrass and bristle oats and were supplemented individually daily with cornmeal at 0.33% of body weight plus 5 kg/day of corn silage. For 3 consecutive days, feeding behavior was observed for individual animals from direct visual observation recording at 10-min intervals. The digestibility trial was performed on day (d) 16 to d24 of each period. Body measurements and weight were taken at d0 and at d23, 24, and 25 of each period. Grazing duration, grazing frequency, and bite rate were greater for HOL than those for HG. Rumination characteristics, intake, digestibility, and body measurements were not affected by breed. Breeds had differences in grazing characteristics, but they did not influence performance or intake parameters. Therefore, HOL and HG heifers managed under temperate pasture in tropical countries have similar performances.

Keywords: Girolando; Replacement heifers; Rotational grazing; Ryegrass; Tropical dairy production.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Aguirre-Villegas, H.A., Passos-Fonseca, T.H., Reinemann, D.J. and Larson, R., 2017. Grazing intensity affects the environmental impact of dairy systems Journal of Dairy Science, 100, 6804–6821 (American Dairy Science Association)
    1. AOAC, 2005. Official Methods of Analysis, 18th ed. (AOAC: Gaithersburg, MD)
    1. Arnott, G., Ferris, C.P. and O’connell, N.E., 2017. Review: welfare of dairy cows in continuously housed and pasture-based production systems Animal, 11, 261–273
    1. Bailey, J.C., Tedeschi, L.O., Mendes, E.D.M., Sawyer, J.E. and Carstens, G.E., 2012. Technical note: Evaluation of bimodal distribution models to determine meal criterion in heifers fed a high-grain diet Journal of Animal Science, 90, 2750–2753 - DOI
    1. Barrett, P.D., Laidlaw, A.S., Mayne, C.S. and Christie, H., 2001. Pattern of herbage intake rate and bite dimensions of rotationally grazed dairy cows as sward height declines Grass and Forage Science, 56, 362–373 - DOI

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources