Grazing behavior of two Holstein dairy cow strains under organic farming conditions in Switzerland

Viac o knihe

The thesis aimed to assess the necessity of concentrate supplementation in an organic, pasture-based feeding system and its impact on grazing behavior. Conducted on an organic farm in Switzerland, the study involved two crossover trials with 12 Swiss Holstein cows and 12 New Zealand Holstein cows. The first trial evaluated how concentrate supplementation affected milk yield, composition, grazing and rumination behavior, physical activity, and blood metabolites, as well as differences between the cow strains. The second trial focused on plant species selection by dairy cows using plant wax markers, examining differences in selection behavior between supplemented and non-supplemented cows. Results indicated that concentrate supplementation positively influenced milk yield, grazing time, herbage dry matter intake, and physical activity, but did not affect rumination behavior. Supplemented cows maintained a more stable energy status, while non-supplemented cows showed no strong negative energy balance indicators. The second trial utilized plant wax markers to estimate herbage composition, with a focus on alkanes, long-chain fatty acids, and long-chain alcohols. The findings revealed that supplemented cows selected more Trifolium repens than their non-supplemented counterparts, although no significant differences in plant composition between cow strains were observed. Further research is needed to validate these findings and enhanc