S. PRASANPANICH¹, P. SUKPITUKSAKUL², S. TUDSRI³, C. MIKLED⁴, C.J. THWAITES⁵ and C. VAJRABUKKA¹

¹Department of Animal Science, Kasetsart University, Bangkok
²Dairy Farming Promotion Organisation of Thailand, Muaklek, Saraburi
³Department of Agronomy, Kasetsart University, Bangkok
⁴Department of Animal Science, Chiengmai University, Chiengmai, Thailand
⁵Department of Animal Science, The University of New England, Armidale, Australia

Abstract

Grazing behaviour, milk production, liveweight change and health status were studied in 2 groups of 6 Friesian-cross cows grazed outdoors on pasture or housed indoors during mid-lactation in central Thailand. Indoor cows were housed in an open-sided barn and fed with cut-and-carried pasture. Outdoor cows were strip-grazed on the same guinea grass pasture without any shade and were brought indoors only for milking. All cows were also fed meal concentrate twice daily at milking according to their level of milk production. Milk production (11.9 vs 12.3 kg/d for FCM yield) and composition were similar in both groups. Hoof damage was higher amongst cows housed than in those grazing outdoors. These data suggest that dairy cows will produce satisfactory milk yields when grazed outdoors instead of being housed, as is common in Thailand. This grazing system should result in significant reductions in farm costs.