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Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar

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Table 1. Averages of lives<strong>to</strong>ck inven<strong>to</strong>ry, milk production, reproductive<br />

parameters, and land use in dual-purpose cattle systems in Costa<br />

Rica, Honduras, and Nicaragua.<br />

Variable Costa Rica<br />

(n=21)<br />

Rainy season<br />

116<br />

Honduras<br />

(n=20)<br />

Nicaragua<br />

(n=37)<br />

Milking cows (no.) 16 30 33<br />

Dry cows (no.) 7 12 11<br />

Milk production/farm (kg/day) 109 198 139<br />

Milk production/cow (kg/day)<br />

Dry season<br />

6.81 6.60 4.22<br />

Milking cows (no.) 16 28 23<br />

Dry cows (no.) 7 14 21<br />

Milk production/farm (kg/day) 66 136 77<br />

Milk production/cow (kg/day)<br />

Lives<strong>to</strong>ck inven<strong>to</strong>ry (no.of animals)<br />

4.12 4.86 3.35<br />

Heifers 6 36 36<br />

Calves 13 29 22<br />

Bulls 1 1.8 4<br />

Total AUa Reproductive parameters<br />

36.4 78.2 81.0<br />

Calving rate (%) 71.4 71.4 75.0<br />

Culling rate (%) 17.9 14.8 18.2<br />

Adult mortality (%) 3.7 1.7 4.8<br />

Calf mortality (%) 6.3 6.7 13.6<br />

Duration of lactation (days)<br />

Land use (ha)<br />

285 286 274<br />

Native pastures 40.5 13.7 78.5<br />

Improved pastures 7.7 30.1 3.2<br />

Agriculture 0.6 7.6 1.8<br />

Forest/rest 7.2 5.6 2.5<br />

Total 56 57 86<br />

S<strong>to</strong>cking rate (AU/ha) 0.75 1.44 0.99<br />

a. Cows = 1.0, heifers = 0.7, calves = 0.3, and bulls = 1.3.

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