Grassland-based milk production: development of assessment instruments and management options for dairy cattle nutrition with reduced concentrate inputs

The project aims at integrating feeding behaviour as well as feed intake and digestibility estimates into the assessment of the nutritional status of predominantly grass-fed dairy cattle. To this end, new technical aids such as the “RumiWatch” ruminating activity sensor and various faecal analysis methods are applied and combined with traditional assessment methods:

1. “Assessment tools” objective: RumiWatch and faecal analyses are being tested as new animal-based tools for nutritional status assessments in primarily grass-based systems. Regression analyses will be performed to estimate the relationships between feed nutrient analyses and efficiency, health and production parameters. This will give rise to an assessment approach supported by both feed and animal data.
2. “Management options“ objective: Together with farmers, management options for primarily grass-based feeding strategies will be developed, tested and evaluated on commercial farms.
3. “Discussion” objective: Outcomes of the first two project parts will be communicated to farmers, researchers and farm advisers at workshops where these results will also be subjected to critical discussion and joint assessment.

Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft (BLW)

• Itin & Hoch GmbH, Liestal
• Agroscope ART, Tänikon
• ETH Zürich

• Leiber Florian (Department of Livestock Sciences)

• Probst Johanna (Department of Livestock Sciences)
• Spengler Neff Anet (Department of Livestock Sciences)

Hauptprojektnehmer

• Animal Housing & Livestock Breeding (Department of Livestock Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)
• Animal Nutrition (Department of Livestock Sciences, FiBL Switzerland)