Thirty-two multiparous Holando argentino cows in mid lactation were randomly assigned to two treatments: control or HFF (hydrogenated fish fat) at Rafaela, 31 degrees 11' South, during summer 1997/1998, to evaluate the effect of using HFF as a supplement under grazing conditions. Animals in both treatments grazed an alfalfa pasture, and were confined from 1000 hours to 1700 hours daily in a shaded pen where water was provided ad libitum. During each milking, animals in the control group received 3.73 kg dry matter per cow each day (DM cow(-1) day(-1)) concentrate (15% crude protein; 8.69 MJ energy for location/kg DM). Cows in the HFF group received 3.25 kg DM cow(-1) day(-1) concentrate, plus 0.200 kg DM cow(-1) day(-1) HFF. Both diets presented similar energy, protein and neutral detergent fibre contents. The trial was performed during a strong "El Niño" event, which resulted in a total rainfall of 396.3 mm (80% higher than normal). The mean temperature was 23.7 (SD 3.2) degrees C and the mean temperature humidity index was 72.9 (SD 4.96). Production data were analysed using a completely randomised design with analysis of covariance. Supplementation with HFF produced an increase in daily milk production (26.4 (SD 2.46) l/cow compared to 23.9 (SD 2.68) l/cow for the controls; P<0.05). Milk fat production was higher for HFF (P<0.05): 941 (SD 96) g cow(-1) day(-1) as compared to controls, which yielded 846 (SD 95) g cow(-1) day(-1). Milk protein yields also differed significantly (P<0.05), the respective values for HFF and controls being 795 (SD 72) g cow(-1) day(-1) and 715 (SD 83) g cow(-1) day(-1). It was concluded that hydrogenated fish fat could be a good ingredient to sustain high yields and elevated maintenance requirements in a grazing system during hot conditions.

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RESUMENLas variaciones en el precio de la leche y de los alimentos concentrados y el efecto del clima sobre la producción de cultivos afectan la productividad rentabilidad y riesgo de los sistemas lecheros. El objetivo del estudio fue investigar la productividad, el resultado económico y el riesgo de diversos sistemas de producción de leche en la región Centro-Norte de Argentina. Se investigaron sistemas lecheros alternativos al sistema representativo de la región, explorando el efecto de incrementos en carga animal, incrementos en suplementación con alimentos concentrados y el efecto de utilizar diferentes sistemas de alimentación sobre la productividad y la rentabilidad. El enfoque elegido para el análisis fue la simulación con el uso de dos modelos matemáticos: uno para predicción del rendimiento de cultivos y otro para evaluación del sistema lechero completo. Se realizaron simulaciones determinísticas y estocásticas, i.e., con variación aleatoria del precio de la leche, de los concentrados y el rendimiento de los cultivos. Los resultados muestran que el sistema actual de la región no es rentable. Los sistemas alternativos con mayor carga animal y mayor suplementación resultaron en mayor producción de leche por hectárea y mayor resultado económico que el sistema regional actual. Sin embargo, la intensificación a partir del incremento de la carga animal y de la suplementación aumentó la exposición al riesgo. El efecto de la variación de precio de leche y concentrado fue mayor que el efecto del clima sobre el resultado económico.Palabras clave: estocástico, carga animal, modelo, precios, clima, leche. ABSTRACTVariations in milk and concentrate feed prices and the effect of climate on crop production affect productivity and profitability of dairy systems. The objective of this study was to evaluate productivity and economic results, and assess the risk of different dairy systems in the Central-Northern region of Argentina. Alternative dairy systems (other than the traditional system of this region) were studied, evaluating the effects of increases in stocking rate and use of supplementary feed, as well as the effect of using different feeding systems on productivity and profitability. Two mathematical models were used in this analysis: one model to predict crop and pasture production, and the other to evaluate the performance of the whole dairy system. Deterministic and stochastic simulations, i.e., with random variation in milk and concentrate feed prices, and crop yield, were performed. Results showed that the current production system of this region is not profitable. The alternative systems 152-162.

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The objective of our study was to compare animal performance of a simplified feeding system, named easy feeding (EF), with animal performance of a total mixed ration (TMR) feeding system, using high yielding dairy cows in early lactation. Two treatments, TMR (n ¼ 16) and EF (n ¼ 16), were evaluated in a completely randomised design. Holstein cows (617 ± 85.1 kg of body weight and 52 ± 16 days in milk) were used. The TMR treatment consisted of a mix of concentrates, corn silage and alfalfa hay, mixed and offered twice a day, while EF treatment involved the same diet components offered separately, with concentrate offered individually in the milking parlour, alfalfa hay offered as bales and corn silage offered straight from the silo bag, with no intervention of machinery in the feeding process. The feeding system had no effect on milk production, fat and protein yield, total net energy intake, total dry matter intake, body weight, body condition score plasma metabolites and eating and ruminating time. Cows in EF system had higher non-fibrous carbohydrates intake, lower intakes of crude protein and neutral detergent fibre and longer drinking time than cows in TMR system. Cows in EF selected a diet according to their preferences, which may have allowed them to achieved similar milk yield to TMR cows, despite the advantages of mixed diets in TMR treatment. Thus, the EF system is an attractive alternative to traditional TMR system, provided that costs of feeding operations are effectively reduced. HIGHLIGHTSA new simplified feeding system was compared to TMR system Milk production was similar in both feeding systems Simplified feeding system is an attractive alternative to traditional TMR systems, provided that costs of feeding operations are effectively reduced in EF ARTICLE HISTORY