Can you cut costs through better grazing management?

    The answer, as field studies prove, is a definite 'yes'. We look at the pros and cons of different grazing systems and show you how to get the best from your grazing. Learn more…

    Grazed grass: the cheapest feed on the farm

    Numerous studies show that the cheapest and most efficient way to use your grass is to let your animals do the harvesting – by grazing. The table below comes from a study undertaken in the UK. It compares the costs of a range of forage options. Grazing is a clear winner.

    Management tips to improve your grazing

    Good grazing management takes time, but it's valuable work that easily repays the effort you put in. For beginners, this article is a great place to start.

    Grass is nature's answer to the grazing habit. Most grasses have evolved to withstand grazing by locating their growth points at or near ground level. After defoliation, the growing points quickly spring into action. For a herdsman, the big challenge is to reduce the variability of growth and feed intake because they lead to variations in animal performance.

    When grass growth is at its most vigorous, usually in the spring, a new leaf is produced every four to five days. At peak growth, a plant can replace all three leaves within two to three weeks. At the other end of the scale – in mid-winter when growth is at its slowest – it can take 30 days to produce one new leaf. The best time for grazing is when the plant is at the two-and-a-half-to-three-leaf stage.

    The rate of growth depends on a range of factors including soil temperature, light, water, and nutrient availability. When managing grass it helps to know how much growth you can expect at different times of the year, e.g. <10kg DM/ha/d (dry matter per hectare per day) in winter or >40kg DM/ha/d in spring.

    Use every blade for feed

    Never let your grass go to waste. Full utilisation is the key to successful grassland farming. Your herd should turn every blade you grow into milk or meat.

    Good grazing management maximises your utilisation. For example, if you can prevent plants reaching the fourth leaf stage and dying, you reduce wastage and the build-up of unproductive thatch at the base of the sward.

    Monitor your sward heights

    Monitoring sward height is a useful way to increase utilisation. It's all about comparisons – between the grass heights in several fields or between the heights in the same field over consecutive weeks. By plotting heights over time you see how your fields perform in comparison with each other – and then you can set yourself some sward-height targets.

    There are no hard and fast rules for achieving your target heights. Every farm is different and, since weather is unpredictable, flexibility is key. A single strategy will not suit every farm. For example, you might practise set stocking with your cows and calves early in the year, then switch to a paddock system for your growing cattle. Maximising grassland production is a balance between utilisation, yield, and management input.

    Grazing systems

    Set stocking

    Animals have unrestricted access across a wide area throughout the grazing season.

    Pros

    Cons

    Low management input

    Low capital costs

    Can work well if sward-height targets are maintained

    Lower forage yield

    Can be difficult to maintain grass quality and an even sward height

    Uneven manure distribution

    Lower utilisation due to trampling

    Weeds can build up

    Rotational grazing

    Stock moves around a small number of fields – movements based on sward-height, grass-cover targets, or a fixed length of time in each field.

    Pros

    Cons

    Higher productivity than set stocking

    Allows the pasture to rest and regrow

    Can extend the grazing season

    More even manure distribution

    More fencing required and water provision increases cost

    Forage production and pasture utilisation are not optimal

    Paddock grazing

    Livestock moves frequently through a series of paddocks – movements based on measured grazing heights or grass covers.

    Pros

    Cons

    Highest forage production and use per ha

    Provides very high quality feed: 11–12ME

    Higher stocking rates can be sustained

    More even manure distribution

    Weeds can be controlled through grazing

    Reduced need for conserved forage by extending the grazing season

    Requires careful monitoring of forage supply

    Initial costs of fencing and water provision may be high

    More management intensive