MILK-PRODUCTION IN BRAHMAN AND ANGUS COWS ON ENDOPHYTE-INFECTED FESCUE AND COMMON BERMUDAGRASS

Daily milk yield and milk fat were estimated by method of milking mach ine in 60 Angus and 60 Brahman cows grazing common bermudagrass or end ophyte-infected fescue during a 3-yr period. Averaged over monthly est imates, there was evidence (P < .05) of a dam breed x forage interacti on in daily milk yield. Tall fescue decreased milk yield more in the A ngus (1.64 kg/d, P <.01) than in the Brahman (.53 kg/d, P > .15). Ther e were significant dam breed effects on both percentage of milk fat an d daily milk fat yield; Brahman exceeded Angus by .68% (P < .01) and 3 4.3 g/d (P < .01), respectively. There were significant forage effects for both percentage of milk fat and daily milk fat yield; common berm udagrass exceeded tall fescue by .5% (P < .01) and 62.3 g/d (P < .01), respectively. These data indicate that incorporation of Brahman germp lasm into a grazing system that uses endophyte-infected fescue may be beneficial in daily milk yield but will probably not prevent decreases in milk fat production associated with grazing endophyte-infected tal l fescue.