![]() | Better grazing management can increase farm profitability by €250 – 350/ha. |
A 10% increase in the proportion of grazed grass in a dairy cow’s diet reduces costs of production by 2.5 cent/litre. Grass budgeting is essential to ensure pasture based systems of production are profitable and efficiently convert grazed grass into milk.
The main ways to increase the proportion of grass in the animal diet is:
Simple Rule:1
![]() | Graze paddocks to 3.5 cm during the first rotation |
![]() | Each extra day at grass in spring is worth €2.70/cow/day. |
During mid-season the farm should be walked at least once per week and the farm cover (amount of grass on the farm) assessed.
Target pre-grazing yield is 1300 – 1600 kg DM/ha. Target postgrazing height during the main grazing season is 4 – 4.5 cm.
![]() | Maintaining the correct pre-grazing yield and post-grazing height during the main grazing season generates an extra €150/ha in milk receipts. |
A 60:40 autumn rotation plan helps extend the grazing season into late autumn. Autumn closing management has the largest effect on spring grass supply. Start increasing rotation length by 1 day per week from 1st August. Rotation length should be >35 days from mid-September.
Simple Rule:
* These dates should be a week to two weeks earlier on heavier soil types or slow grass growing farms.
Once a paddock is closed it should not be re-grazed as this will reduce spring grass supply.
* Each day delay in closing from 1st October to 11th December can reduce spring grass availability by up to 15 kg DM/ha/day.
Close some drier paddocks earlier to facilitate early spring grazing. Graze paddocks to 3.5 – 4 cm during the final grazing rotation to encourage winter tillering. Closing cover target is 550 kg DM/ha for farms stocked at 2.5 cows/ha in late November.
Where soil conditions allow – use on-off grazing.
Be flexible – graze lower grass covers (shorter grass) in wet weather. Ensure a good network of roadways to maximise pasture access and minimise poaching damage. Back fence areas that have been grazed to avoid poaching damage. Poaching paddocks can reduce grass growth throughout the year, particularly on heavy farms.
Achieving high levels of grass production and animal performance from swards which do not have a high proportion of perennial ryegrass is very difficult.
High perennial ryegrass swards can produce 3 DM/ha more than swards with low levels of perennial ryegrass. Swards with low levels of perennial ryegrass are not as responsive to nitrogen. Greater spring growth is achieved with high perennial ryegrass swards. Pastures with <65% perennial ryegrass should be reseeded.
The majority of pre-mixed grass seeds available from your local co-op are well balanced mixtures with varieties from the Irish recommended list.
Grazing
Silage
Clover
Footnotes
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