Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
Feeding Systems with Legumes to Intensify Dairy Farms - cgiar
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gain of calves <strong>with</strong> access <strong>to</strong> legume was 30% higher than that of the control<br />
group during the 90 days of the experiment.<br />
Table 1. Volume of milk for sale and growth of pre-weaned calves <strong>with</strong> and<br />
<strong>with</strong>out access <strong>to</strong> Stylosanthes guianensis in Caquetá, Colombian<br />
Amazons.<br />
Parameter<br />
Treatment<br />
Control Stylosanthes guianensis<br />
Milk for sale (kg/cow per day) 3.3 4.0<br />
Liveweight gain of pre-weaned calves<br />
(g/day)<br />
297 389<br />
Conclusions<br />
The results of this study agree <strong>with</strong> those obtained on small dairy farms<br />
of Pucallpa, Peru. This technology could be very attractive <strong>to</strong> small dairy<br />
producers given that the establishment cost of this legume is less than that<br />
of other alternatives based on legume-grass associations. Furthermore, cash<br />
flow increases because of the higher sale of milk, <strong>with</strong>out affecting calf<br />
liveweight gain.<br />
In addition, this technology could form part of a crop-pasture rotation<br />
system <strong>to</strong> improve soil fertility, thus eliminating the need <strong>to</strong> fallow land.<br />
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