Harnessing the full value of grass at turnout provides a prime opportunity for dairy farmers to boost margins and will prove crucial this year as input costs remain at an all-time high.

According to Piers Badnell, LIC Pasture to Profit consultant, even with elevated fertiliser prices, grass remains the cheapest feed source available, and it will pay dividends to maximise its potential.

“Getting the most out of grass and reducing reliance on purchased feeds could be the difference between making a profit or not over the next 12 months,” says Mr Badnell.

“The majority of dairy producers that are grazing efficiently are seeing a positive profit margin and cows can achieve maintenance plus 20-25litres from good quality grass alone.”

To make the most of the available grazing and push production from forage, Mr Badnell suggests focusing on effective grazing management as well as rumen health.

When it comes to grazing management, producers need to base decisions on accurate figures.

“Firstly, calculate the amount of grass available within the field using a plate meter. With this, an appropriate stocking rate can be calculated – this is typically three to four cows per hectare across the grazing platform,” advises Mr Badnell.

“Ideally cows should go on to grass at 2800-3000kg/ha and graze it down to 1500 kg/ha. The average cover should be 2100-2200 kg/ha for the season. Accurate allocation is key to success otherwise, cows will select the grass they want to eat and leave the rest behind. If there’s too little, they won’t meet their energy requirements and additional supplementation will be required or yields will drop,” he adds.

“For example, if you have 100 cows eating 7kg of grass per allocation, you need 700kg/DM of available grass. If there’s 2900kg DM/ha when turning cows into the paddock, half a hectare per 12-hour allocation is adequate and will leave 1500kg DM/ha which is ideal for good regrowth.”

Mr Badnell strongly recommends rotational grazing for producers looking to maximise production from grass. More grass of a higher quality is grown with this system typically achieving 56% more utilisable yield than traditional set-stocked systems .

“One of the biggest challenges of rotational grazing can be grass growing too quickly for the cows, so it’s important to monitor grass growth, demand and average cover to ensure accuracy to ensure cows are turned onto quality grazing,” he explains. “Using a plate meter will help ensure this is accurate.

When looking at a perennial grass grazing system, cows should be turned into grass at the two and a half to three-leaf stage and then taken off once it’s down to 4-5cm high.

“If you always follow this system, grass will have an ME of 12 plus and a crude protein of between 20-30%. However, the dry matter can vary depending on the weather conditions.”

As grass growth rates decline, producers should either increase the grazing area, reduce the cow numbers on that field or supplementary feed.

Infrastructure is also important when rotational grazed cows, which need access to water, electric fencing and tracks.

Mark McFarland, Lallemand feed additive product manager, added that as grass quality fluctuates throughout the grazing season, rumen stability and digestibility can vary which can affect cow performance.

Read more: Best way to maximise cow yields from grass

“Loose manure can indicate poor rumen function, meaning the cow’s rumen is not working as efficiently as it could be, reducing the value of the feed. Feeding a live yeast, which has probiotic effects can lower the risk of this happening. It helps to enhance the ruminal microbiota establishment, balance the rumen and improve rumen fermentation conditions,” he explains.

Highlighting a recent trial, Mr McFarland says that stabilising the rumen microbiota and maximising fibre digestibility, can support a whole host of milk performance benefits.

A farm trial was undertaken on a 55-head Holstein herd, averaging 7500kg of milk per cow per day on a robotic system. Cows were fully grazed and received 6kg of concentrates per day via the robot.

Throughout the trial, half the cows received concentrate feed containing Levucell SC and the other half received concentrates without a live yeast, with all other management remaining the same.

The results (see table) showed not just an increase in milk yield of the group receiving Levucell SC, but also improved milk quality, highlighting the performance benefits of supporting rumen health and function of cows at grass.