Abstract 48

Ehrlich,-WK; Upton,-PC; Cowan,-RT; Moss,-RJ

Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Mutdapilly Research Station, MS 825, Ipswich, Qld 4305, Australia.

Proceedings-of-the-Australian-Society-of-Animal-Production. 1990, 18, 196-199; 10 ref.

Copra meal was evaluated as a supplement for dairy cows grazing tropical and temperate pastures. 20 grazing Holstein-Friesian cows in early to mid lactation were given once daily cracked sorghum grain 0 (control) or 3 kg or copra meal 3 or 6 kg. The cows ate all of the sorghum, but not all the copra meal given. Intakes of copra meal, given daily at 3 and 6 kg were 2.5 and 3.1 kg/day, respectively. Milk yield was, on average, 12.4 kg daily for control cows and 13.0 kg for the cows given supplements. Copra meal increased milk fat content significantly and reduced body weight loss. It is concluded that copra meal can partly replace sorghum grain as a supplement for lactating cows.