M-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, January 20, 1996 Grazing Gazette penn: B 9 College of Agricultural Sciences in cooperation with USDA/ARS INTENSIVE ROTATIONAL GRAZING AND/OR BOVINE SOMATOTROPIN LAWRENCE D. MULLER Penn State University Intensive rotational grazing (IRG) and bovine somatotropin (BST) are two topics that have received much press. Both are management tools that are avail able and being used by some dairy producers to improve dairy farm profitability. The above title sug gests that perhaps the two techno logies should not be used together. The real question is whether IRG and BST are management tech niques that should be used sepa rately or together. The apparent controversy about IPG and/or BST was reviewed by Dr. Stuart McCutcheon of New Zealand at the 1994 Cornell Nutri tion Conference. This apparent debate was created from a book published in 1993 entitled The Dairy Debate: Consequences of Bovine Growth Hormone and Rotational .Grazing Strategies edited by W.C. Liebhardt of the University of California. The Dairy Debate compares the impacts of IRG and BST on ani mal health, human health, con sumer response, farm economics, and environmental quality. The Executive Summary of the book concludes “Rotational grazing improves herd health in compari son to confinement-feeding sys tems. Poorly managed pasture feeding minimizes mastitis caused bacterial infections that contaminate milk and result in economic losses for dairies. Pasture-grazed cows also tend to have higher reproductive perfor mance, reduced lameness from leg or hoof problems and fewer meta bolic and digestive disorders.” Whereas many of these points may be correct, clearly the book claimed that IRG is a better man agement technology than BST. While grazing systems have many positive attributes and some chal lenges, a similar situation could be ALUMINUM GRAIN BODIES & ALUMINUM REPAIRS by **v ft* These ultra-light bodies are designed for strength through engineering, not strength with bulk. For example, a 16 1 grain weighs only 14 , We'll build you any length or any side height up to 60". Also available: Double swinging hay • Diamond flooring hauling tailgate • Pull out panel tailgates Barn door type tailgate • Any size grain chute Slide out cattle chutes HEWEY WELDING 80x2312, RD4 'Lebanon, PA 17042 (717)867-5222 stated for BST. Proper nutrition and feeding management is one of the keys to the successful use of both technologies. Underfeeding or improper feeding management will likely contribute to an unpro fitable response from either technology. IRG and/or BST. Are the two management technologies mutual ly exclusive or complementary? Can a dairy producer use IRG and BST together? Whereas extensive research has been conducted with BST under nongrazing conditions, more limited research has eva luated BST plus IRG. At least six research studies have confirmed that pasture-fed cows will respond to BST. Research from New Zea land indicated that the response to BST with grazing is closely related to pasture growth and availability, being high in the spring and low in the summer. This situation should not exist in the U.S. where we can economi cally provide supplemental for ages and grain t uring periods of low pasture availability. Addition ally, grain is usually fed in the US and is often uneconomical to feed in New Zealand. The responses to BST are contingent upon cows being adequately fed, whether grazing or not grazing. Both IRG and BST have the potential to improve profitability. The decision or choice is not simply IRG or BST. Each has its advantages and challenges and each requires good management. Cows will respond to BST when intensively grazed and BST should be considered in well man aged dairy operations where pas ture and total fetd intake is max imized. The challenge is to com bine the two intc a system which allows for the most profitable pro duction. Proper feeding plays a big role in the successful use of the two technologies. Feeding Guidelines. Admi nistration of BST results in an increased milk yield usually with in the first few days. The increase of milk yield is followed by an increase in dry matter intake, usu ally within 2 to 4 weeks after the first adminstration of BST. Dry matter intake is usually increased about 2 to 4 Ib/cow/day. Feeding management, particularly during the first few weeks, is very impor tant to obtaining a profitable response to BST. Following are some suggestions and guidelines that may help in optimizing the milk response of cows adminis tered BST with IRG: • Provide top quality and quan tity o£ pasture free choice (>2O hours/d) to allow maximum dry matter intake. Monitor stocking rates and available pasture, and move cows to a new paddock before the quantity of pasture is limiting, which usually occurs when pasture height is less than 3 inches. • Monitor pasture quality dur ing growing season. As the grow ing season progresses pasture quality tends to decrease, so com pliment lower quality pasture par ticularly during the summer with higher quality forage (i.e. com sil age, haylage, hay) and/or adjust the grain and total ration for milk yield and body condition. The response to BST will diminish as pasture quantity and quality decreases unless adjustments are made in supplementary forage and milking radon to balance the diet for milk production and body condition. • Feed balanced diets formu lated to meet or exceed NRC Dairy Guidelines based on perfor mance and body condition. No major nutrient or ration adjust ments are needed with BST. Cows eat more feed and need the proper feeding management condition which maximizes feed intake. • Optimize cow comfort and allow continual access to fresh clean water. If BST and IRG arc being used together, good management prac tices are needed to obtain a profit able response. Dairy producers ■WShOTW^^ yggall «6 \ 12’ x 83' Diameter Circular Manure Storage. 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The new MF® 6100 and 8100 series tractors were selected for their innovative features and func tions that set them apart from others in North America, and for advancing the state of the art and increasing equipment perfor : mance. The award is sponsored by OEM Off-Highway magazine published by Johnson Hill press. “These new tractor ranges have taken the lead in the emerging competitive battle for increased ‘power efficiency’, “said Wilfred Boyle, director, Massey Ferug son® Operations, “and this was one of the key factors in earning the award.” “The new MF 6100 and MF 8100 series tractors are designed Classified adsl # PAY OFF! iculture - Residential - Commercial receive BST. In summary, the issue is not IRG or BST. These are indepen dent management technologies that have the potential to improve profitability and should be consid ered together if they can improve dairy profitability. 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