FARMERS are regularly reminded of the need to reduce costs of production, and with the uncertainty surrounding future subsidy payments, lower input systems appear to be the only way forward.
For Alex Brewster, who farms the 1000ha hill unit at Rotmell, Dunkeld, Perthshire, that means rotational grazing instead of the more traditional set stocking.
“Grass growth has improved significantly since we switched to rotational grazing,” he told a packed audience attending the Livestock in Low Input Systems Conference, at Lower Mill of Tynet Farm, near Buckie.
“We’re carrying far more stock per ha compared to previous years and we’re only utilising a third of the farm’s physical ground compared to four years ago when we were set stocking across the whole farm,” added Mr Brewster, who is also chairman of the Scottish Organic Producers Association.
By resting the improved ground for much of the winter, or 120 days, the farm has been able to maximise grass growth for when it’s required, ie lambing ewes.
“We can suffer a lack of grass growth at the beginning of the year, but by keeping the stock off the improved ground, and relying on silage, we are able to ease back into the rotational system when we start to get pasture covers above 1500kg per hectare.
“With careful grazing at this time of year, we’re able to utilise this good grazing ground when we really need it at lambing time and when there are so many extra mouths to feed.”
Since introducing this method, Mr Brewster has been able to reduce his concentrate use by up to three weeks too, purely because of the increased utilisation of grass growth.
The Brewsters have also noticed a difference with their cattle enterprise since they introduced rotational grazing.
Previously, they found their cows became too big and fat with set stocking and they weren’t working for them. Bulls became complacent, with some cows not in calf.
“We have changed our bull to cow ratio by using two bulls from the same home, and of the same age, in alongside 70 cows, rather than splitting them into two separate fields.
“By moving this bigger mob around to sweep up pasture residual behind the sheep, and having bulls competing against each other to serve the cows, our calving percentage has increased,” Alex said. In doing so, he said only four cows have been scanned empty in the last two years out of the 230 mixed spring and autumn cows put to the bull.
Mr Brewster added: “Before, we just didn’t have the knowledge to improve these problems. But, since introducing this system, our stock are continually grazing a higher quality sward which is high in ME and protein, and is clover dominated in late summer which helps drive increased weight gains.”
And, while the majority of farmers have experienced rapid growth in their pastures over the past month, the Brewsters have been able to utilise this growth by shutting off additional fields for silage and hay.
However, he admitted, he has had to get the mower out to take the grassy stems away allowing grass node to be reset to keep driving a leafy sward, without removing nutrients.