Comparison of Continuous and Rotational Grazing of Three Forage Mixtures by Dairy Cows

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Abstract
The average daily fat-corrected milk production by cows grazing a pasture continuously and ten lots rotationally was 27.2 and 28.4 lb. for alfalfa-orchardgrass, 27.4 and 23.3 lb. for Ladino clover-orchardgrass and 25.4 and 25.6 lb. for Kentucky bluegrass-white clover-bird''s-foot trefoil, respectively. The daily carrying capacity per acre was 30.0, 18.9, and 21.6% greater for the rotationally grazed alfalfa-orchardgrass, Ladino clover-orchardgrass and bluegrass-white clover-bird''s-foot trefoil pastures, respectively, than the continuously grazed pastures. There was no significant difference in live weight gains between the cows for either the different grazing managements or forage mixtures.