Feeding Systems For Dairy Cows: Homegrown Versus By-Product Feeds

摘要

There will be increasing demands on land in the next few decades. On a world context there are significant challenges to be addressed as global warming effects are apparent, and unsustainable food production systems are causing environmental degradation (Foresight, 2011). Within the UK there are demands for more urban development; between 1999 and 2008 27,000ha were acquired for residential development in England (GLG, 2011) and the Scottish Government has the target of an additional 650,000 ha of new woodland (Forestry Commission Scotland, 2009). There are also demands for more crops destined for energy production (Colebya et aL, 2012) and concerns about intensification of farming have led to a decline in wildlife on farms (Boatman et aL, 2007). Therefore a study has been established with two contrasting dairy systems. One system is based on by-products (co-products) with the minimum amount of direct use of land. The other system relies on all feed being grown on the farm, hence using the maximumamount of land. Two management systems were agreed upon after discussions between scientists and consultants who were tasked with identifying systems which were likely to be at the extremes of UK dairy systems over the 10 year period from 2015. The systems also had to allow cattle to express their milk production potential and to operate with cows calving during any month of the year. The systems were established in September 2011 and it is intended to continue the systems for at least four years. The design of the systems also had to minimise the chances of making any changes in management or feeding. Any proposed changes have to be agreed by a technical group, consisting of all scientists involved in the project. Extensive monitoring of cows is encouraged, but experimental treatments of sub-groups are not allowed. This chapter reports on establishment of the systems, and results for the first 18 months.