Effect of herbage allowance on productive and reproductive responses of primiparous beef cows grazing on Campos grassland

Abstract

The effects of two levels of herbage allowance (HA, kg DM/kg liveweight (LW)) on forage mass and chemical composition, cow body condition score, cow LW, stocking rate, productive and reproductive responses were evaluated during two consecutive years. Eighty primiparous spring-calving beef cows were allocated to a completely randomised block design of two HA that had an annual average of 2.5 (low) and 4.0 kg DM/kg LW (high) from –150 to 195 days postpartum. The grazing system was continuous, and the put-and-take method was employed to adjust HA. At 86 ± 12 days postpartum, all cows were submitted to calf suckling restrictions with nose plates (12 days) and dietary flushing (2 kg/cow.day of whole-rice bran for 22 days), 6 days before bull introduction. Forage mass was affected by HA (P = 0.004) and year (P = 0.014); the high HA had a greater forage mass than the low HA (1474 vs 1212 ± 86 kg DM/ha; P < 0.05), and Year 2 had a greater forage mass than Year 1 (1545 vs 1134 ± 78 kg DM/ha; P < 0.05). Stocking rate was affected by HA and season (P = 0.0004) interaction. The stocking rate during autumn and spring was greater in low than high HA, and no differences were identified in winter and summer. The body condition score was improved in high HA during autumn and resulted in a greater winter (mid-gestation) body condition score than the low HA without differences during spring-summer (postpartum). Cow LW was lower during autumn, winter and early postpartum (16 days postpartum) in low HA in Year 1 than high HA of Year 1 and high and low HA cows in Year 2. Furthermore, the probability of total pregnancies (0.88 vs 0.59 ± 0.07; P = 0.01) and the calf weight adjusted to 205 days (194 vs 175 ± 16 kg; P < 0.05) were greater in high HA. Calf weight adjusted to 205 days (Year 1: 192 vs Year 2: 177 ± 16 kg; P < 0.05) and survival curves of postpartum anoestrus (P = 0.01) were affected by year but did not affect the probability of conception, early or total pregnancies. In conclusion, the reproductive and productive responses of primiparous beef cows grazing Campos grasslands were improved in high HA and could contribute to alleviating adverse climatic conditions effects.

Grazing management for more resilient mixed livestock farming systems on native grasslands of southern South America

“…Both allow for greater herbage intake in HHA during the drought. This observation confirms other studies, whose overall results show that higher HHA increases animal productivity as a whole (Claramunt et al, ; Do Carmo et al, ).…”

“…Long‐term experiments in Brazil and Uruguay have shown that herbage allowance (kilograms of herbage dry matter available per kilogram of animal live weight) (Allen et al, ; Sollenberger, Moore, Allen, & Pedreira, ) is a key variable in grazing management that can be regulated to significantly increase current productivity and income (Claramunt, Fernández‐Foren, & Soca, ; Da Trindade et al, ; Do Carmo, Sollenberger, Carriquiry, & Soca, ; Soares et al, ). Higher herbage allowance corresponds with a taller sward.…”

Mobilizing Ecological Processes for Herbivore Production: Farmers and Researchers Learning Together

“…Crossbred Angus and Hereford cattle increased kg of calf weaned per cow and cow BCS (Do Carmo et al, 2018), which confirms previous results (Morris et al, 1987). The farm stocking rate was unaffected by pasture management on this farm (Do Carmo et al, 2018) but had to be reduced by 25% in HHA compared with LHA when primiparous cows grazed on shallow soils (Claramunt et al, 2017). In this second farm, precipitation during springsummer had a huge effect on herbage yield.…”

“…In this second farm, precipitation during springsummer had a huge effect on herbage yield. The stocking rate in HHA was lower, but the cow pregnancy rate (88 vs. 59%), calf weaning weight (194 vs. 175 kg;Claramunt et al, 2017), production per unit area, and production efficiency (g calf/MJ energy consumed per cow and per year) were higher in HHA than in LHA (Do Carmo et al, 2016). High HA led to moderate improvements in cow BCS (0.5 units) and energy intake (11%) during autumn.…”

“…In one farm, multiparous cows aged 4-8 years were used, and F1 reciprocal Hereford and Angus crosses were compared with Hereford and Angus cows (Do Carmo et al, 2018). Purebred primiparous Hereford and Angus cows were used on the other farm with shallower soils (Claramunt et al, 2017). In line with the grazing management strategy summarized in Figure 3, herbage allowance varied seasonally.…”