New focus on pasture lifts milk production

A high-energy intake and ensuring good grass growth for the next grazing rotation, instead of chasing every blade of grass, are the focuses when feeding the cow herd at Lincoln University Research Dairy farm.

The change is paying off for the research farm, as 400 farmers learned at a focus day yesterday at the 186-hectare irrigated property with a 160ha milking platform.

South Island Dairying Development Centre executive director Ron Pellow said the farm was up 10 per cent on the same time last year for milk production, with 5 per cent fewer cows.

The cows were in better condition with fewer on a condition score of four on a 1-10 scale and pastures were continuing to supply high-quality feed, he said.

‘‘Our focus has changed from chasing pasture utilisation and chasing every blade of grass which could be harvested to ensuring we have high intakes of energy and normal residuals [grass cover remaining after grazing] so we have good-quality pasture for the next grazing.’’

The farm produced 1700 kilograms of milk solids a hectare last season from 670 cows, compared with 638 at the peak of this season.

Pellow said farm managers were focusing mainly on getting energy into the cows on a daily basis while looking after pasture residuals.

The farm’s model of grazing paddocks down to 1500kg of dry matter a hectare was still being applied, but more leeway was being given to achieving the target, he said.

‘‘Previously we always used the entire herd to graze every paddock to 1500kg. We now have two herds and can be more lenient with one if we choose to and we are also mowing before or after grazing if required as part of a planned approach to achieve consistent pasture quality across the season.’’

Farm managers were seeking more analysis of interpreting the calibration between getting grazed pastures to a compressed height of 3.5 centimetres above ground level and whether this was equal to 1500kg of dry matter a hectare, Pellow said.

This was important because it could impact on the available pasture and the herd’s energy intake, he said.

More cloud cover and fewer hot days so far this season have been less desirable for the irrigated property, which performs better in a hot and dry season. Three paddocks, rather than normally two, have been renovated with the latest ryegrass varieties and, in autumn, are expected to produce greater productivity in the conversion from grass to milk.