Rörflen som foder till dikor under lågdräktighet

Reed canary grass is a perennial crop well suited to growing on organogenic soils. From a climate change perspective the longer a grass lay is left intact the better it is, due to lessened methane and nitrous oxide emissions. One of the bigger challenges for a cow calf operation is not to over feed the suckler cows during pregnancy. The aim of this pilot study was to investigate whether reed canary grass, with its low energy and protein content and high fibrous content, could allow the suckler cows to satisfy their hunger without gaining in condition.In this field study, performed on a cow calf operation near Falköping, comparisons between two groups of cows have been made. One group was fed reed canary grass hay and the other group was fed the regular farm grass and whole crop silage. The study was performed during eight weeks of the low pregnancy period. The cows were weighed and body condition scored before the start and at the end of the study. The farmer weighed the feed rations and had the forage analysed for dry matter and nutritional value. The calves were weighed at birth and at weaning.The group of cows fed reed canary grass hay consumed on average 8 kg dry matter whilst the control group consumed 12 kg dry matter silage. The weight gain was 26 kg in the reed canary grass hay group and 55 kg in the control group. The reed canary grass hay group lost body condition whilst the control group increased in body condition. The variation in weights and body condition scores was larger within the reed canary grass hay group than in the control group.The results show that reed canary grass can be used as a fodder to regulate over feeding of suckler cows when this is a problem. The study highlights the importance of correct feed rations during low pregnancy and the importance of considering the body condition, age and breed when calculating the correct rations. Further investigation under controlled circumstances is needed in order to be able to recommend reed canary grass as the only fodder during low pregnancy. This pilot raised several questions about the palatability and digestibility of reed canary grass hay, long rumination times and hard faeces, mineral contents and possible influence on calf growth.