Getting more from forage

Although the recent increase in milk auction price is welcome, milk prices remain low, while input costs are high. In these challenging times dairy farmers must continue to identify options to reduce costs.  Options to increase forage utilisation efficiency need to be considered.  As part of a joint CAFRE-AFBI initiative, a series of articles will be published during the next two months to encourage a renewed focus on forage utilisation.  

The following article is the first of this series.

Grass is growing once again!  While growth is still ‘relatively’ slow (mean of 6 kg dry matter per hectare per day at the six GrassCheck sites this week), have a look at the line on the GrassCheck graph which shows average grass growth for the last five years (2003 – 2008).  Between the 1 April and 1 May grass growth normally increases rapidly, from approximately 15 to almost 100 kg dry matter per hectare per day.  

It is this surge in early season growth which often leaves cows struggling through heavy covers during May and June.  This can be a particular problem if cows are not turned out until there is ‘adequate’ grass cover across the entire grazing area.  In this situation, while grazing covers may be ‘ideal’ when cows are initially turned out in mid April, by the time cows get to the end of the first grazing cycle, grass covers may already be too high, and cows will be unable to graze out these high covers cleanly. This can have a detrimental effect on grass quality and cow performance throughout the remainder of the grazing season. Turning cows out to graze at the correct time is critical to ‘control’ grass growth and in maintaining high grass quality throughout the season.

In addition, cows on many farms are now consuming medium quality second cut silage with a milk output potential of 10 – 12 litres per day.  However, the nutritive value of high quality spring grass can have a milk output potential of at least 25 litres per day. Replacing medium quality silage with quality grazing has the potential to improve milk yields and milk protein levels, and more importantly, allow concentrate inputs to be reduced.  Timely turnout will also reduce silage requirements and reduce the quantity of slurry to be spread later in the season.

The message of this article is clear.  If your cows are not already out at grass…Don’t delay any longer!  Reduce concentrate feed levels, and start grazing.  Cows should go out with an ‘edge to their appetite’, normally immediately after milking.  Restrict the grazing areas so cows graze to a residual sward height of 4 – 5 cm. Use a back fence if conditions are wet.  Aim to have the first grazing round completed by 15 – 30 April, depending on whether you are in an early or late grass growing area. Seize the opportunity and capitalise on the potential benefits of grazed grass.

Greenmount final year HND students Robert McConaghy and Mark Beattie with Michael Graham (Farm Manager) and Jim Fulton (Dairy Supervisor) with cows from the Future Herd which first went to grass on Wednesday 18 March