Current state of the feeding systems on dairy farms in the Principality of Asturias (Spain)

摘要

Nowadays, a wide range of dairy farms coexist: from family farms to large-scale dairy farms. In order to determine the feeding systems of the dairy farms in Asturias (Spain), a sample of close to 2% of the total number of dairy farms (2,446) was randomlyselected and surveyed. Farms were stratified according to their milk quota into four groups: < 175, 175-325, 325-500 and >500 Mg year'1. Milk yields in each group were 6,120, 7,525, 7,997 and 9,537 kg cow~(-1) per lactation, respectively (P<0.05). The 54.5% of the cows in smaller farms use grazing, while this percentage decreases to 7.1% in the larger farms. The preserved forage used is different between groups. Maize silage is more frequently used on large farms (0,41.2, 80 and 100%, respectively), while the use of grass silage is higher in smaller farms (100, 76.5,70 , and 64.3%, respectively). In conclusion, feeding systems are influenced by the size of the farms. The use of grazing is associated primarily with the smaller farms (less than 175 Mgmilk year~(-1)), whereas maize silage has become the main part of the diet on larger farms (more than 325 Mg milk year~(-1)).