ChileanJAR

During three consecutive seasons (1980-1983), a milk production system was evaluated at the Human Experiment Station (INIA, Los Angeles, Chile). Fifteen Holstein dairy cows were randomly selected from the station’s herd. Calving was 60% in autumn and 40% in spring. Five hectares of irrigated volcanic ash type soil were used. Sixty percent of the area was with corn, for silage, and oats, for winter grazing, and 40% with a white clover-ryegrass pasture, used under rotational grazing. Corn silage was supplemented alI year, varying the number of hours the cows had access to silage, according to the pasture and oats availability, to optimize pasture utilization. Milk productions were 11,500 It/ha and 4,900 It/cow, with a carying capacity of 2.5 cows/ha. The calving interval was 380 days.