LECTURE 28- Livestock production systems I: pasture in New Zealand

what is pasture growth driven by

temperature and rainfall

what seasons have pasture surplus

Spring (and autumn)

what seasons have pasture deficit

Winter and summer

how is pasture growth measured

kg of dry matter per hectare per day (Kg DM/ha/day)

what ways can you measure pasture mass

1. manual measurement

2. plate meter

3. estimating grass mass

what percentage of grass is water and dry matter

80% water, 20% dry matter

what components does grass contain

Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and other plant compounds

what is ash in dry matter

mineral content

how much dry matter is in cereal grains

85% dry matter

what’s the largest fraction in plant-based feeds

carbohydrates (followed by protein)

what happens to the nutritive value in plants throughout seasons

chemical composition of plants changes

what can do you to pasture during surplus seasons

• speed up livestock rotation

• harvest to make grass silage or hay

• top/mow

• plant different forages in paddocks

• get more livestock

what can do you to pasture during deficit seasons

• plant alternative forages

• fertilise pastures

• irrigation

• graze strategically

• use supplementary feeds

• switch cows to once-a-day milking, or early dry-off

r

swedes, forage kale, fodder beet, fodder oats

what are alternative forages for summer

plantain, chicory, lucerne, red clover, turnips,

what supplements are there for livestock

• pasture silage, maize silage, hay

• PKE, pellet feed, by-products

what is feeding value

combination of animal feed intake and nutritive value of the food

• a measure of animal production in response to eating a certain type of food

what is food nutritive value based on

• digestive efficiency

• digestive end-products