Effect of Four Levels of Concentrate Feeding on Milk Production by Holstein Cows Grazing Intensively Managed Tropical Grass Pastures

Abstract

Holstein cows grazing with free access to intensively managed, heavily fertilized Star and Pangola grass pastures produced similar yields of milk throughout a lactation when fed 20-percent protein concentrate at the rate of 1 pound per 1, 2, and 3 liters of milk produced daily. These cows produced an average of 10,465 pounds of milk during an average lactation period of 279 days, or an average of 17.1 liters daily. However, cows fed at the rate of 1 pound of concentrate per 4 liters of milk produced much less (7,447 pounds of milk per lactation).