Samenvatting

There has been little research on rotational grazing of a combination of different forages by dairy cows and the potential effect on milk production and quality. The objective of this research was to measure the effects of grazing different forages during the typical period in fall when the quantity and quality of tropical pasture kikuyu, due to the downfall of temperature, starts to decline, and is replaced by the more temperate perennial ryegrass. The period between the downfall of kikuyu quality and quantity and the fully established perennial ryegrass is typically known as the ‘feed gap’. During this period supplementation is essential to maintain high milk production. The aim of this research was to asses milk production and quality of cows grazing kikuyu next to the supplementary feeds: lucerne, oats, perennial ryegrass and silage during the feed gap.