Kikuyu grass in winter-spring time in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of central Mexico in terms of cow performance and fatty acid profile of milk.

The work herein reported closes the evaluation of the role of kikuyu grass in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico. The objective was to compare the productive response of vacas lecheras en pastoreo continuo de kikuyu (Cenchrus clandestinus) with a sown frost-resistant tall fescue (Lolium arundinaceum) during the winter-spring dry season in dairy systems and determine the fatty acid profile of feeds and milk. An on-farm double cross-over experiment with three periods the 14 days each was undertaken with eight Holstein cows randomly assigned to treatments sequence.

Milk production and fatty acid profile of dairy cows grazing four grass species pastures during the rainy season in small-scale dairy systems in the highlands of Mexico.

The study evaluated small-scale dairy systems with continuous grazing of pastures based on three temperate grasses festulolium (FL), tall fescue (TF), and perennial ryegrass (RG), compared with subtropical kikuyu grass (KG). All pastures were associated with white clover (Trifolium repens L.).