Organic milk production based entirely on home-grown feed

The aim of the Ph.D. project was to examine the consequences for the farm of an organic milk production based entirely on home-grown feed. The project included interviews that identified what in farmers’ opinion is crucial for obtaining organic milk production based entirely on home-grown feed, production experiments that examined the effects of different types of home-grown concentrated feed on milk production and scenario calculations that described the consequences for productivity, economy, and nutrient balances of organic milk production based entirely on home-grown feed

Concentrate Mixture, Grass Pellets, Fodder Beets, or Barley as Supplements to Silage ad libitum for High-yielding Dairy Cows on Organic Farms

A total of 246 Danish Holstein cows were included in three experiments. In each experiment, Barley (B) was compared with another type of supplementary feeds: a Concentrate mixture (C), Grass pellets (G), or Fodder beets (F). The concentrate mixture resulted in a higher (P = 0.002) milk yield (25.9 vs 23.7 kg), a tendency of a lower (P = 0.07) fat content (4.08 vs 4.25%), and a higher (P = 0.006) ECM yield (25.7 vs 24.1 kg) compared to feeding barley as supplement at the same energy level. Grass pellets resulted in a lower (P = 0.01) milk fat content (3.74 vs 4.07%), a tendency of a lower (P = 0.12) protein content (3.14 vs 3.23%), but no different milk or ECM yield compared to feeding barley as supplement at the same dry matter level. The total mixed ration with fodder beet tended to decrease (P = 0.12) milk yield (20.7 vs 22.0 kg) and the ECM yield (P = 0.05) was lower (21.5 vs 22.9 kg) whereas the composition of the milk was unaffected compared to the total mixed ration with barley

Effect of barley or rape seed cake as supplement to silage for high-yielding organic dairy cows

An experiment was carried out to investigate the effects of barley or rape seed cake as supplement to silage given ad libitum on milk production and health of dairy cows. A total of 103 cows were divided into two groups on two farms. Before the experiment, the cows had an average milk yield of 26.9 kg ECM and they were in milk for an average of 99 days. Their average parity was 2.3 and their weight 596 kg. The cows in each group received either solely barley or an isoenergetic mixture of rape cake seed and barley as supplement. The supplement feed was fed frequently by automatic feeding. A mixture of clover grass silage and whole crop silage was fed ad libitum. The daily milk yields were not significantly different in the barley and rape seed cake treatment (22.8 v. 24.1 kg). The milk fat content was not significant different either (4.51% v. 4.35%). However, the protein content tended to be higher in the barley treatment (3.51% v. 3.45%). But the energy corrected milk yield (ECM) was not significantly different in the barley and rape seed cake treatments either (24.2 v. 24.9 kg ECM). No differences in health as indicated by clinical illness treated by the vet and somatic cell count (SCC) was seen. It was concluded that barley and a mixture of isoenergic rape seed cake and barley had similar feeding value when used as supplement with a high proportion of easily digestible clover grass silage allocated ad libitum and frequently allocation of supplementary feed

Hvordan søger de økologiske mælkeproducenter at sammensætte en 100% økologisk fodring - resultater fra spørgeskemaundersøgelse blandt konsulenter

Resultater fra spørgeskemaundersøgelse blandt konsulenter viser hvordan de økologiske mælkeproducenter sammensætter en 100% økologisk foderratio

Bedre kvalitet af grovfoder gavner kvægbedriftens økonomi

Grovfoderets kvalitet er den faktor, der har størst effekt på det økonomiske resultat på økologiske kvægbedrifter, der er selvforsynende med foder og husdyrgødning. Det viser nye scenario-beregninger fra FØJO. Det økonomiske resultat afhænger desuden af, hvilken afgrøde, der dyrkes som tilskudsfoder og mængden af tilskudsfoder, der gives per ko per dag

Økologisk mælkeproduktion baseret udelukkende på hjemmeavlet foder

De bedriftsmæssige konsekvenser for malkekoens foderforsyning og produktion af at gennemføre en økologisk mælkeproduktion baseret 100% på hjemmeavlet foder er undersøgt og beskrevet i en ph.d. afhandling fra KVL

Tilpasning af den økologiske kvægbedrift til 100% økologisk foder

Tilpasning af den økologiske kvægbedrift til 100% økologisk foder. Der er eksempler på fodring på 5 bedrifter før og efter krav om 100% økologisk dyrket foder, FE pr. ko/år

The competitiveness of different herbs in grass/clover pastures.

On Danish dairy farms, herbs are often sown together with grass/clover, but the amount of herbs in the sward is often limited. The competitiveness of different herbs is therefore examined over three years (2007-2009) in grazed grass/clover pastures on five organic dairy farms and further on a research station. The seed mixture was composed of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), white clover (Trifolium repens), red clover (Trifolium pratense), chicory (Cichorium intybus), long-leaved plantain (Plantago lanceolata), caraway (Carum carvi), birds foot trefoil (Lotus coniculatus), salad burnet (Poterium sanguisorba), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) and chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium). The botanical composition varied between the experimental sites, but in general, the proportion of the single herb decreased over time. Chicory and plantain had the highest competitiveness and therefore the highest proportion of dry matter. Caraway, lotus and burnet had a considerable lower competitiveness. Sainfoin and chervil disappeared rapidly after establishment

A decision support model simulating the vitamin supply over the year on a farm

The aim of this new project is to develop a prototype of a decision support model simulating the feed and vitamin supply during a year to different groups of animals (calves, heifers, dry cows, cows in early and late lactation) on a farm self-sufficient with feed. The model takes into account that the content of vitamin depends on choice of crops, utilization method, cutting date, conservation method and duration of storage together with traditional optimizing the feed-ing scheme

Bedriftens økonomi, produktivitet og ressourceforbrug ved forskellige strategier for selvforsyning med foder

Forbedres grovfoderkvaliteten, via øget andel kløvergræs, stiger såvel foderoptagelsen som mælkeydelsen per ko per år og der opnås en meget positiv effekt på bedriften økonomien. Modelberegninger viser imidlertid også at kvælstofoverskud per ha i stiger dette system, med deraf øget risiko for kvælstofudvaskning. Som en konsekvens heraf er der behov for at se kritisk på den traditionelle ompløjning af græsmarkerne efter 2 til 3 år, frem for mere længerevarende marker