Effect of supplement level on herbage intake and feeding behaviour of Italian Brown cows grazing on Alpine pasture

Summer grazing of dairy cows on mountain pastures often leads to a fall in production or in body condition when the pasture is not adequately supplemented with concentrate feeds (Malossini et al., 1992; Bovolenta et al., 1998). An abundant use of concentrates may result into a reduction of herbage intake according to a substitution rate mechanism (Faverdin et al., 1991). The aim of this trial was to evaluate the effect of the supplementation level on herbage intake, milk yield and feeding behaviour (time spent grazing and ruminating) of dairy cows at pasture, combining the use of an electronic bitemeter and a double marker method for the estimation of intake.