Milk production and eating patterns of lactating cows under grazing and indoor feeding conditions in central Thailand

Grazing behaviour, milk production, live weight change and health status were studied in 2 groups of 6 Friesian-cross cows grazed outdoors on pasture or housed indoors during mid-lactation in central Thailand. Indoor cows were housed in an open-sided barn and fed with cut-and-carried pasture. Outdoor cows were strip-grazed on the same guinea grass pasture without any shade and were brought indoors only for milking. All cows were also fed meal concentrate twice daily at milking according to their level of milk production. Milk production (11.9 vs 12.3 kg/d for FCM yield) and composition were similar in both groups. Hoof damage was higher amongst cows housed than in those grazing outdoors. These data suggest that dairy cows will produce satisfactory milk yields when grazed outdoors instead of being housed, as is common in Thailand. This grazing system should result in significant reductions in farm costs.