5 Managing your grazing

Objective:
To cater for rapid changes in sward quality and quantity with a flexible grazing approach.

Whats in this section?

Preparing for grazing Deciding the length of the rotation Planning for critical times of sward availability Calculating the number of feeds from a field
5 Managing your grazing Page 5:3 Page 5:9 Page 5:12 Page 5:15 Page 5:16 5:1

Challenge:
Walk and assess swards at least once a week Achieve a 10% increase in days of consistent quality pasture supply this year, together with a 0.5 tonne/cow increase in utilised pasture DM intake.

Target
Increase pasture intake by 1.0 tonne utilised DM/cow.

Calculating the actual forage supplied.

Every Day Good Grazing

Planning a flexible approach to ensure the consistent supply of quality forage required throughout the grazing season is one thing. Actually maintaining it in the face of rapidly changing sward growth rates, pasture quality and cow requirements is something else. Despite the very best of intentions, a good quality spring sward all too often becomes progressively less productive as the season progresses and the realities of day-to-day management pressures take their toll. Close monitoring of progress through the grassgrowing season is the key to coping with the unpredictability that can be associated with grazing. It also provides much-needed confidence to achieve more from grazed grass.

Contents
Turnout Management Rotation Length Shortfalls and Surpluses Feeds per Field Pasture Utilisation

Adjusting the grazing rotation length is essential to keep on top of swards that can grow twice as fast one month as the next.

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Action plan
To increase your pasture intake by 1.0 tonne utilised DM/cow. 1. Preparing for Turnout
Make sure your pastures and cows are ready for turnout and manage the whole process carefully (Page 5:5).

5. Address Sward Shortfalls Effectively

Take effective immediate and longer-term action as soon as your grass looks like being in short supply for grazing (Page 5:14).

2. Maintain the Best Rotation Length

Use field covers to ensure your pasture rotation length matches grass growth throughout the season (Page 5:9).

6. Calculate Feeds per Field

Assess each field for the number of feeds it will provide to ensure the most effective management (Page 5:15).

3. Identify Costly Pasture Imbalances Early

Assess your field cover availability or pasture balances continually to identify costly potential grazing surpluses or shortfalls ahead of time (Page 5:12).

7. Measure Sward Utilisation

Compare actual sward DM intake to the cover you allocate to monitor utilisation efficiency (Page 5:16).

4. Address Sward Surpluses Effectively

Take effective immediate and longer-term action as soon as your grass looks like being surplus to grazing requirements (Page 5:13).

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Turnout management
At turnout, milk production levels may rise or fall for a few days. This is only to be expected as cows adjust to the substantial change involved in switching such a major part of their DM intake from conserved to fresh forage. It is important to have the confidence to stick with the grazing strategy, even if milk production temporarily falls sharply. Provided adequate grazing is available any effect on milk output will be transient and production will return to previous levels in a few days. A gradual transition to grazing over 2-3 weeks or longer, with grazing intakes starting at 4-5kg DM/ cow/day, minimises these effects by enabling the rumen microbes to acclimatise to the change in diet. Cows should be able to graze 5kg of dry matter in three hours quite easily. In some circumstances, the ground may be a little tender/soft in early spring, so a lower stocking rate will mean less feet and time on any particular area and, therefore, less chance of damage and poaching of the sward. This is best shown in the following examples: Example calculations for spring grazing Case 1. Grazing cover is 2800kg DM/ha and the required residual is 1500kg DM/ha. So every hectare of grazing has 1300kg DM to graze. A herd of 100 cows requiring 5kg DM/ head a day of grazing means the total demand is 500kg DM a day. The required 500kg demand divided by 1300kg supply, will be provided by 0.38ha a day. Case 2. Grazing cover is 2400kg DM/ ha and the required residual is 1500kg DM/ha. So every hectare of grazing has a potential 900kg DM to graze. A herd of 100 cows with a daily demand of 5kg DM/head means the total demand is 500kg DM. The required 500kg demand, divided by 900kg supply, will be provided by 0.55ha a day. In Case 2, cows will be spread over a larger area, reducing the potential to cause soil damage by poaching. A lower grazing cover when cows enter is also useful to re-establish a grazing wedge after making silage or when all grass covers are the same as a result of winter grazing. In this case, grazing at a cover of 2200kg DM/ha for the first few fields, then increasing this level of cover over a short period to 2800kg DM/ha to regain the wedge, may be the best option to re-establish a supply of quality grazing.

Sheep on Grazing Land

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Can sheep be useful to grazing management of grass for the dairy herd? Pros Sheep will graze all old grass, so spring grazing is of higher quality They keep on top of grass growth over winter, so cows are not put to graze pastures above the recommended 2800kg DM/ha, as most UK grass will grow to some extent all winter Extra income. Cons Spring calving systems rely on over-wintered grass and winter growth for grazing in February and March. Sheep will eat that grass Sheep not taken off grazing land early enough will delay turnout Grass taken down close to bare earth will delay spring regrowth Once sheep are removed, all grazing is generally at the same low level, resulting in potential of boom and bust of grazing supply. There will be nothing to start with, then once grass grows its all ready to graze at the same time and some can potentially go beyond the optimum of 2800kg DM/ha by the time cows get to it. This surplus may be silaged but that can leave too little for grazing requirements.

When dead and stem material are left they will prevent cows grazing down to the optimum residual of 1500kg DM/ha in early spring. If the residual is left too high in spring and dead and stem material build up in the sward, it will reduce quality, palatability and growth potential. Grass will grow in late autumn and winter, after cows are housed. When there is significant winter growth, grazing may be at or beyond the preferred level of 2800kg DM/ha at turnout, making it difficult to get cows to graze down to the optimum residual.

Managing grazing sheep

The problems of sheep grazing too much cover off, delaying spring growth and leaving all grazing at the same low cover can be avoided by planning their removal. This is best managed by walking grass frequently and not letting the sheep graze all the grass at once. Consider giving an area such as 20% for the first few weeks before moving to the next 20% and so on. Taking them off grass at different times will create a mini grass wedge, with the area grazed by sheep in November ready for cows before that grazed by sheep in January.

Alternatives to sheep
An alternative is to graze heifers or far off dry cows on winter grown grass early in the year to take the excess off and then close it up for an early cut of silage. Their muck should not reduce silage quality when stock are not being fed a fibrous buffer, keeping muck loose and easily dispersed by soil microbes before cutting.

So what is the answer?

Grazing sheep in winter is unlikely to be beneficial for a grass-based spring-calving system, but it may have advantages for other producers. Sheep will clean pastures not grazed hard enough in autumn. Grass carried over winter with dead and decaying material in the base will reduce grazing potential in the new season.

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Points to consider: Get cows out earlier and in later, do not use perceived wet conditions to keep them in. Tracks and gateway management will enable this Ask whether the centre of the field is dry enough. If it is, but the gateway is limiting access, use multiple entries from tracks Ensure a grass residual of 1500kg DM/ha Sheep may be an important grassland management tool, allowing you to achieve the correct covers in spring Global warming may lead to more grass growth in winter. Then sheep may help manage winter grass.

Graze other fields later into autumn Consider the slow but continuing grass growth rates over winter. Fields shut up first in autumn become the first grazing fields in spring and the later autumn grazed fields fall in behind (see Figure 5.1a field 1).

When there is no grass wedge

If all grass is left to grow to 2800kg DM/ha before turnout, the first few fields will be at the correct cover. But by the time cows get to the remaining fields they will have grown beyond the optimum for grazing with too much cover. When grass growth is beyond the optimum for grazing: Grass will be reducing in quality Cows will find this difficult to graze down to the optimum residual of 1500kg DM/ha Leaving a long residual means subsequent regrowth will be lower in quality and yield It will be difficult to gain control and establish a grazing wedge.

Prepare for Turnout Field covers at turnout

In the ideal situation all grazing fields would be at different cover levels when you start grazing. When cows have finished grazing one field, ideally the next to be grazed will have just reached 2800kg DM/ha, so it is ready for grazing. This enables a constant supply of grass available at the correct stage nutritionally for the cow and for maximum physiological output for the grass crop. For example see Fig 5.1a (on pages 5-7) Creating the different levels of cover required in each field forms what is known as a grass wedge. A spring grass wedge is particularly important for spring block calving herds on a low concentrate input system. To set up a grass wedge for spring: Begin planning in the previous autumn, while cows are still grazing Shut up some fields early in the autumn to allow good levels of cover to be carried over to spring

When turnout may be delayed

Ground conditions or the cow management system may prevent early spring grazing and in such conditions all fields should be grazed right down in autumn/winter with dry cows, youngstock or sheep to avoid covers in excess of 2800kg DM/ha at turnout. Then at turnout all grazing fields may be at similar covers, giving a similar scenario to that seen after silaging. This can be avoided by: Only let grass grow to 2200kg DM/ha and then starting grazing. The first few fields will be below the optimum for grazing but as grass continues growing on ungrazed fields, covers will gradually increase until cows are grazing at 2800kg DM/ha. This will establish a wedge for the second grazing round.

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As a general principle, introduce grazing slowly so the rumen has a chance to adapt. Start with 5kg DM of grazed grass and the remainder of intake from the winter diet and increase grazing intakes over time to allow the rumen bugs to adapt. The advantage of this is that if the weather changes, cows can go back onto winter diet without any problem, having taken advantage of the cheapest forage and having started to set up a grass wedge for the coming season.

Case study
Grazing silage grounds early in the season For the last nine years, Andrew Stevens has been grazing his silage fields early in the season before shutting them up for silage. Andrew runs 316 autumn calvers yielding 7040 litres at 4.19% fat and 3.45% protein (total solids of 555kg), near Lechlade in Gloucestershire, with a large emphasis on grazing. Grazing silage fields allows: An early turnout Grass to be substituted for concentrate Reduction in feed costs without any milk yield loss Savings on winter housing costs. How does he do this? Paddocks to be grazed early in spring are shut up in October with a reasonable cover. Andrew reckons he achieves the best results when he takes a good amount of grass over winter, as then grass can start to grow well straight away after grazing. Good grass cover over winter: Stimulates a good root structure Provides grass for an early turnout

The first essential for success at the start of the season is to achieve a good farm grass cover at turnout (Section 4).

This ensures the cows have access to sufficient good quality grazing from the outset. Ahead of turnout it is also important to: Decide which fields to graze first (Section 4) Ensure fences, gates, roadways, tracks, water troughs and pipes are in good condition Check electric fencing is working well Is the gateway the limiting factor use multiple-entry slip gates.

Fields that are to be cut for silage can safely be grazed until mid-April.

Allows grazed grass to take on nutrients and moisture quickly and effectively after grazing. The aim is to start grazing by about 20 February. Andrew may put on 25kg of N/ha in February, if he thinks its necessary.

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Each paddock is only grazed once, with cows allocated enough each day so they graze down to a residual of 1500kg DM/ha. With Andrews set-up, this means each paddock is divided into three by a strand of electric fencing and cows get a third for each grazing. This also eliminates any regrazing of regrowth, which has a serious negative effect on the regrowth and subsequent yield of silage. In 2007, Andrew was able to graze 19ha of his 24ha of silage ground. This area is dictated by the weather. He only grazes when the conditions are ideal, looking at the forecast, walking the fields and planning grazing, as any damage will increase the cost of every tonne of dry matter. When grazing silage ground, the 300 cows are allocated 0.8ha to 1.2ha at a time, depending on grass availability, to achieve a good residual (cows are about 500-550kg liveweight). Cows are taken off silage grounds in the first half of March and then progress around the grazing area. Once cows come off silage ground, it receives 125-140kg N/ha and 75kg of potash/ha, as his ground is potash hungry. Sheep were once used in winter but have now been replaced by cows grazing as long as possible in the autumn, generally into December and an early start to grazing in spring. A typical analysis of silage from ground grazed until early March shows: Dry matter Crude protein D-value ME pH NH3 Sugars 27% 13.9% 73 11.7 MJ/kg 3.8 4.5 1.3

Cows are fed 2/3 maize silage, 1/3 grass silage over winter until turnout when grazing replaces grass silage. Muck contamination of silage is not a problem when: In a well grazed rotational system the grass is at a maximum of 2800-3000kg DM/ha at entry and grazed to 1500kg DM/ha, so muck makes contact with the soil and soil microbes are able to disperse it Muck is reasonably loose because of the grass element of the diet, which aids dispersal It is dispersed by rooks seeking out bugs and any undigested maize in muck. The photographs below show the sward and its base, demonstrating no evidence of muck to contaminate silage. More importantly, the base is all fresh new growth grown in spring, so it does not contain any dead or dying leaf or stem material which will reduce silage quality. Sward base (taken 3.5.07)

Once silaging starts, cutting height is standard and not raised because of fear of muck contamination, as there is no muck.

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This ground was cut on 23 May and picked up on 24 May. Andrew normally expects to cut between the 20 and 25 May and would normally expect 27 to 28 tonnes/ha fresh weight. The grass is a late perennial ryegrass ley. The photo below shows stubble post-silaging taken on 25 May 2007, the day after grass was lifted.

Because sugars are at their highest levels in grass and their balance with N is optimal in the afternoon, intakes in the first hour of grazing have been shown to increase by over 15%. There is little effect on overall forage intake but a switch to new pasture in the afternoon has the potential to raise daily milk production by over 5% as a result. Table 5.1: Timing of New Forage Allocation Time of Allocation AM Forage intake rate in first hour (g DM/min) Forage intake/ day (kg) 46.6 PM 54.4 Value of Improvement* (p)

17.8 21.8

18.0 23.1 32.4

As can be seen from these photographs, the mower was set at a normal height and there is little evidence of muck from the previous grazing, despite an extremely dry April. The very small amount of muck left is not enough to contaminate silage and in a normal April when there is rain there would be no muck left. Andrew shows that this practice is possible and successful in terms of cow health, nutrition, grass utilisation, performance and most importantly of all business efficiency using resources to the full.

Milk yield** (litres/day)

* Assumes milk is worth 24.9p/l **Measured over last four weeks of a 10-week study Source: DairyCo Report 96/R3/06: The efficient use of grazed herbage by dairy cows (updated with 2008 figures).

Turnout Tips Cows should have an edge to their appetite This edge of appetite may be achieved by cows running out of feed up to two hours before the morning milking Graze the cows for a limited period initially (eg three hours) then increase gradually A good leafy sward will encourage intake Start grazing close to the yard wherever possible.

DairyCo research suggests that turning cows onto a new pasture in the afternoon could increase milk output by over 32p/cow/day (Table 5.1).

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Rotation length
Grazing should start in the spring when the field cover reaches 2100-2400kg DM/ha (Section 4). In the main season grazing should start in each field when the target pre-grazing point is reached (Section 3). The aim in grazing each area must be to provide an allocation of grass that allows the cows to achieve maximum intake without going beyond the post-graze target and reducing subsequent sward productivity. Throughout the season it is important to ensure there is enough sward in front of the cows but not so much that it is wasted through reduced quality or utilisation. The first field is re-grazed once the other available fields have been grazed the trick being to ensure that it reaches the pre-graze target at exactly this time.

Pre-graze Target: Field cover is 2600-3000kg DM/ha Ryegrass has at least two and a half, preferably three, leaves.

Cows should be removed from a field when the sward reaches the target post-grazing point (Section 3).

The key to ensuring this is to adjust the length of the rotation between grazings to accommodate changing sward growth rates.

Post-graze Target: Field cover is 1500kg DM/ha A sward height of 4-5cm with one quarter to one third of the area covered in clumps no higher than 8-10cm.

Using Field Cover Estimates

Individual field cover measurements made with a rising plate meter (Section 3) provide a good way of estimating grazing rotation lengths (Example 5.1). Measurements should be made for all fields in the rotation, weekly in the season, to cater for changing sward growth rates.

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Example 5.1: Calculating Rotation Length with Field Cover Days to Reach Target Cover ***(2800kg DM/ha) (2800 A) B

The key effects rotation length has are: Controlling the area and amount of grazing that cows are allocated and, therefore, their intake of grass Controlling the time period between successive grazings, so grass has enough time to regrow and allow allocation of grass at the optimum growth stage to maximise its feed quality and quantity. (Holmes et al 2003). These are illustrated in Table 1, Factsheet 15. Reducing the area grazed each day increases rotation length and has three main effects: Grass offered and eaten each day is reduced, at least in the short-term, which can be useful when there is a grass shortage Paddocks have a longer regrowth period. This can be useful when growth rate is slow Grazing intensity is increased, so less available grass is wasted. This can be influenced by supplementary feed. The grazing offered each day should be based on the animal feed intake needed and pre-grazing cover. Therefore, rotation length is a balance of short- and medium-term feed management decisions. This explains why many farms use rotations of 20 to 30 days in spring and nearer 100 days in winter. (Holmes et al 2003).

Field Name or Number and Area*

Estimated Field Cover

Sward Growth Rate **(kg DM/ha)

B Mid-June

1 4.1 ha 2 2.8ha Average

1700 1900

90 90

12.2 10.0 11.1

Mid July 1 4.1 ha 2 2.8 ha Average 1700 1900 50 50 22.0 18.0 20.0

* Calculations should be carried out for all fields available for grazing ** Sward growth rates should be obtained from individual farm sward growth curves (Worksheet 2) or typical figures (Section 4; Figure 4.2). *** Target field cover for the start of grazing should be 2800kg DM/ha.

The length of grazing rotation can be flexible depending upon the circumstances. Rotational grazing allows control over the area allocated for grazing each day and this ability to allocate grazing is an important part of intensive grazing management.

Worksheet 6 provides a pro forma for estimating rotation lengths from field covers.

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Allocating Swards
Since rotation lengths may need to change quite markedly over the season the changes should be made gradually on an almost continuous basis to cater for changing sward growth rates identified through regular monitoring. Having determined the best rotation length, sward allocations can be made on the basis of cow numbers and intakes (Example 5.2). Example 5.2: Sward Allocation Demand: 150 cows producing 25 litres/day from spring/early summer grazing require 150x18kg DM/day (Section 4; Table 4.5 & Example 4.6) = 2700kg DM/day. Supply: Each hectare offers 2800kg DM at the outset and is grazed down to 1500kg DM providing 1300kg DM per grazing. Area: The area required to meet the daily demand is 2700 1300 = 2.1 ha. With a rotation length of 24 days the total area required is 2.1x24 = 50.4 ha. As the rate of sward growth slows down in the summer months, pastures will require longer to re-grow to the target 2800kg DM/ha pre-graze field cover. To accommodate this, the rotation length will need to be extended by bringing more fields into the grazing cycle. Alternatively, a shortfall in available cover will arise and supplementation may be necessary (Section 6).

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Shortfalls and surpluses

Grazing shortfalls invariably cost money in lower performance and/ or increased supplementary feeding.
A gradually increasing straight line indicates good cover availability in the short-term (Figure 5.1a). A relatively flat or convex-shaped curve with generally high values suggests a short-term surplus (Figure 5.1b). A u shaped or concave curve with a number of relative low values indicates a looming shortfall (Figure 5.1c).

Grazing surpluses also cost money, primarily in wasting high quality grass.

Monitoring field cover over the season allows likely imbalances in grazing supply and demand to be catered for ahead of time. Average farm covers falling from the end of April and during the period May early September generally indicate a shortfall is likely. On the other hand, increasing average farm covers generally indicate a surplus, particularly if they are greater than 2800kg DM/ha.

Assessing Pasture Balances

Calculating pasture growth:demand balances (Section 4) is another useful way of identifying potential grazing surpluses or shortfalls during the season (Example 5.3). Example 5.3: Pasture Growth:Demand Balances (Section 4: Example 4.6) Demand: 150 cows producing 25 litres/day from spring/early summer grazing require: 150x18kg DM/day = 2700kg DM/day. Growth: 30ha of pasture producing 80kg DM/ ha/day is 30x80 = 2400kg DM/day.
A shortfall of pasture is likely to occur here as growth is not meeting demand. Action is needed if growth appears to be continuing at this level.

Assessing Field Cover Availability (Feed wedge)

Regular plotting of the individual covers of all fields in the rotation on a graph enables potential surpluses or shortfalls in forage supply in the near future to be identified by the shape of the curve produced.

Growth: 30ha of pasture producing 120kg DM/ ha/day is 30x120 = 3600kg DM/day.
Pasture growth is well in excess of demand here and a surplus of grazing is looming. Action is needed if growth appears to be continuing at this level.

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Figure 5.1: Field Cover Availability Chart (Feed wedge) (a) Ideal Situation
3500 3000

Addressing Sward Surpluses

Grazing field covers in excess of 3000kg DM/ha result in lower pasture productivity and quality (Section 3).

kg/DM/ha

2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Average Target Average Farm Farm Cover Cover

Grazing covers greater than 3000kg DM/ha may reduce milk production.
Field number

(b) Surplus Looming

3500 3000

When swards look like being or, are already in surplus there are a number of actions that can be taken to redress the situation.

kg/DM/ha

2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Average Target Farm Average Farm Cover Cover

Short-term Actions
Close some fields and cut them for silage This is a grassland management strategy and as such taking a small amount of silage may cost more than the main silage operation per tonne of silage made, but it will pay in terms of future grazing quality. It may be easier to bale and wrap a small area, rather than open a clamp. Resulting bales can easily be fed back in a time of deficit. If a surplus occurs in the run up to the main silage time it can be taken with the main cut Topping, using a mower early in the season, may reduce re-growth in the following rotation but will help to maintain quality.

Field number

(c) Shortfall Looming

3500 3000

kg/DM/ha

2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Average Target Average Farm Farm Cover Cover

Field number

Worksheet 7 provides a pro forma for plotting field cover availability charts (Feed wedge).

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Longer-term Actions
Increase the stocking density earlier in the season Increase the total number of stock carried Reduce the area in the grazing rotation Reduce fertiliser/slurry/manure use Turn out earlier/stay out later Carry less pasture over winter, if at all. For a wet farm, it may be worthwhile taking cover right down in the autumn with stock, using low-yielding cows, dry cows, heifers or sheep, so that grass does not go beyond a good entry cover of 2800kg DM/ha at turnout. But this may leave all grazing land at the same level of cover which will require careful management (see page 5-3) Feed less supplements at grass Consider changing the calving pattern in some or all of the herd to better match sward potential.

Grazing shortages seriously limit the ability to produce milk from grass, increasing production costs markedly.
When grazing is in short supply, or looks like it could be soon, there are a number of actions that can be taken to redress the situation.

Short-term Actions
Increase the area in the grazing rotation, if possible Introduce a forage buffer feed (Section 6) Avoid continuing to run cover down, compromising re-growths as well as cow feeding Consider drying-off the lowest yielding cows.

Longer-term Actions
Graze silage ground before closing Build up higher covers going into winter Increase early fertiliser applications Grow lucerne, stubble turnips or forage peas for additional summer feeding Grow forage rape, kale or fodder beet for autumn and early winter feeding Include whole crop cereals in the rotation for use as a buffer feed Plan to buy supplements like brewers grains or pressed pulp when they are favourably priced Consider changing the calving pattern in some or all of the herd to better match sward potential Consider renewing older pastures with higher output ryegrass/clover mixtures (Section 12).

Factsheet 13 sets out a simple system for planning supplementary feeding at grass.

Addressing Sward Shortfalls

Grazing swards to less than 1500kg DM/ha or below 4-5cm in height compromises pasture productivity and quality (Section 3).

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Feeds per field

Having established the grazing rotation and daily sward allocation required, the final calculation that needs to be made in grazing management is the number of feeds each field or grazing area will provide. The decision to round up or down should depend on: Field cover high cover round-up number of feeds; less cover round down Sward quality high quality round-up number of feeds; poorer quality round down The number of upward and downward adjustments needs to be the same if the rotation length is to be maintained.

The primary aim should be to provide access to new grazing each feed, with cows spending a maximum of one day on the same pasture (Section 4).

Calculating Feeds per Field

Each field in the grazing rotation should be assessed for the number of feeds it will provide (Example 5.5). The feeds provided will not always be a whole number. So fractions of a feed need to be adjusted upwards or downwards. This should generally be done to the nearest half-feed on the assumption that cows should be moved after each twice-daily milking. Three-times-a-day milking, of course, allows feed numbers to be rounded to the nearest third.

Moving cows to new pasture after each milking is a good way of maximising forage intake, particularly as the season progresses.

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Pasture utilisation
Assessing the actual forage supplied by grazing at intervals during the grazing season provides a valuable cross-check on levels of milk production actually being achieved from grass as well as actual pasture offerings. It also allows the efficiency of sward utilisation to be calculated (Section 2). compromised at this efficiency of pasture use. Sward utilisations greater than 100% indicate swards are being overgrazed and subsequent re-growth will be compromised.

For most purposes a simple DM calculation will be quite sufficient to assess and monitor utilisation efficiency.

Sward Utilisation Target: 70-80%.

Similar calculations can be carried out to establish the efficiency of ME utilisation. The result is more accurate as it takes account of the stage of lactation of the cow but it is overly complicated for practical day-to-day use.

Where good quality swards are grazed close to the ideal post-grazing point utilisation values may be higher than 80%. Sward utilisation targets of closer to 100% are not advisable as animal intakes are likely to be Example 5.4: Calculating Field Feed Numbers Average Rotation Length (days) B 20

Total Grazing Area (ha)

Average Daily Allocation (ha)

Size of Each Field (ha)

Number of Feeds in Each Field (Calculated) (D C) 1.8 2.1 2.5 2.9

Number of Feeds in Each Field (Adjusted)

A 56

C (A B) 2.8

D 5 6 7 8 Etc .......

2 2 2.5 3

Worksheet 8 provides a pro forma for calculating feeds per field.

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Calculating Sward Intake

Sward intake is easy to calculate from the information already recorded (Example 5.5). Example 5.5: Sward Intake
Pre-graze Field Cover(kg DM/ha) Post-graze Field Cover(kg DM/ha) Total Pasture Offered (kg DM/day) Individual Milking Cow Numbers* Pasture Offered (kg DM/ cow/day)

Total Grazing Area(ha)

Rotation Length (days)

Daily Allocation (ha)

Field Cover Allocated (kg DM/ha)

A 45

B 19

C= (A B) 2.4

D 2800

E 1500

F= (D E) 1300

G= (C x F) 3120

H 180

(G H) 17.3

* High-yielding cows (over 15 litres/day) only. If necessary do a separate calculation for the lower yielding group.

Example 5.6: Estimating Sward Utilisation Efficiency

Worksheet 9 provides a pro forma for calculating sward intake.

Cover Allocation: 1500kg DM/day is provided to a herd of 100 cows, giving an individual allocation of 1500 100 = 15kg DM/head/day. Sward Intake: Cows weighing 600kg have a DM intake of 18kg and are consuming 6kg DM as cake in the parlour, giving an intake from grazing of 18-6 = 12kg/head/day. Sward Utilisation: The efficiency of utilisation is the actual intake divided by the allocation: 12 15kg = 0.8 (or 80%).

Measuring Sward Utilisation

Sward utilisation can best be measured by assessing the actual intake of sward DM compared to the cover allocated (Example 5.6). Sward intake is estimated either by calculation (Example 5.5) or by difference from the intake of all other feeds and the predicted DM intake of the cow.

Factsheet 14 provides advice on rearing heifers at grass.

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The predicted DM intake of the cow is approximately equivalent to 3% of body weight for cows weighing 550, 600 or 700kg this means 16.5kg, 18kg and 21kg respectively (sward DM intake beyond 18-19kg DM is not generally possible).

Photo 13 below shows a field ready for cows to graze after mowing and wilting. Photo 14 shows another field which has been mowed, wilted and grazed. This photo was taken a few days after grazing and good regrowth has been achieved.

Getting Grazing Back Under Control

This generally refers to not achieving the correct residual cover of 1500kg DM/ha. Mistakes will happen and it is not always possible to graze to 1500kg DM/ha. For example, cows are less likely to achieve the residual on a really wet day, but it is important to correct the poor residual left by cows so future quality is not lost. One way to monitor residuals is to score each field when cows come out. For example on a scale of 1-5, with 1 being good and 5 poor, make a note of this in a diary, allowing action to be taken on fields with a score of 1, 2 and possibly 3. There are a number of ways to correct a poor residual: Consider whether too much was allocated. If this is so, then try reducing the allocation and see whether cows graze harder (some trough-fed cows do need a bit of training) If there is not too much left, go in immediately behind the cows and top the area. A mower is best, as it makes a cleaner cut and does not tend to push grass down like a topper. The mower will cut to about 1500kg DM/ha, restoring a good residual. Do not do this if there is a mass of grass as mowed material will shade out new growth Mow grass 12 to 24 hours before grazing. This is particularly useful later in the season when seed heads are appearing, but it does require dry weather. Use a mower and wilt grass for up to 24 hours. Experience from around the country shows this works well (however, it has been suggested it does not work well with Jerseys)
Photo 14 Regrowth after mowing, wilting and grazing. Courtesy of Will Edwards

Photo 13 Grass mowed and wilted pre-grazing. Courtesy of Will Edwards

Regrow the area with a poor residual for a week or so until there is a fresh sward and then graze with other stock, such as heifers and make them graze it hard to achieve a 1500kg DM/ ha residual then allow to regrow to 2800kg DM/ha and re-enter the grazing rotation Designate the area to be silaged in the next round. The mower will then reinstate a good residual. These strategies are not an excuse for poor grazing management, as the cheapest way to get the optimum sward regrowth is for cows to graze down to 1500kg DM/ha. However, most fields may need one of the above techniques in the grazing season. If a certain field or part thereof consistently has a poor residual, it may be a palatability issue and it is worth considering grass types, soil pH, soil indices, (P, K and other elements) previous field history (such as excessive dirty water and/or slurry applications). Grass varieties also have differing palatability.

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Improvement through grassland management

Summary
The ideal Pre-graze Point is when ryegrass reaches field cover of 2800-3000kg DM/ha Grazing should continue until the sward is 4-5cm high (with one quarter to one third of the area covered in clumps no higher than 8-10cm) or field cover reaches 1500kg DM/ha Grazing rotation length can best be monitored and adjusted throughout the season using field cover measurements Monitoring field cover and average farm cover on a regular basis allows potential grazing surpluses or shortfalls to be identified and addressed before they create problems Careful allocation of feeds per field on the basis of area and rotation length will ensure the most efficient utilisation of pasture Target sward utilisation efficiency should be 70-80%.

See also...

Section 2: Section 3: Section 4: Section 6: Section 12: Section 14: Section 15: Section 16:

Calculating the Cost of Your Feeds Assessing Your Pasture Planning Your Grazing Supplementing Grazing Renewing Swards Grazing High-yielding Cows Factsheet 13: The Crichton STAR System Factsheet 14: Rearing Heifers at Grass Worksheet Worksheet Worksheet Worksheet Worksheet 5: Rotation Length (Three-leaf Assessment) 6: Rotation Length (Field Cover Assessment) 7: Field Cover Availability 8: Feeds per Field 9: Sward Intake

Improvement through grassland management

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