The low-input full grazing strategy attempts to achieve high efficiency by minimizing production costs and the means of production used. Maximizing output is not the priority. However, the use of machines and equipment, purchased feed, working hours, etc. must be consistently reduced in the short, medium and long term. In ruminant feeding, pasture feed is the cheapest feed. Therefore, low-input farms try to reduce the proportion of preserved feed and concentrated feed in the annual ration as much as possible by making best use of pasture.
The aim is for milk production to be based almost entirely on the company's own basic feed. High individual animal performance is deliberately not the focus, but the aim is to achieve high area productivity and conversion efficiency of grassland feed into milk. In typical pasture regions, the course of lactation is also optimally adapted to the growing season (seasonal milk production). The economic results of milk production in the “all-pasture regions” of New Zealand, Australia and Ireland show that this form of production can be very competitive if implemented consistently. In recent years, several scientific studies have been carried out on full-pasture farming in the foothills of the Alps and in the Alpine region (Switzerland, Austria, Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg). It became clear that with suitable operating conditions and a location-adapted implementation strategy, this operating concept can also be successfully implemented in our region.
This applies to full pasture farms:
- Start grazing as quickly as possible in spring (give a large area).
- Before the main growth period (= approx. 3 weeks before the first cut) the cows and the rumen must be moved to pasture
- Carry out full-day grazing during the main growing season
- During rainy periods, graze suitable pasture areas and use them over as large an area as possible. Possibly shorten the grazing time temporarily - but pasture grass remains the main fodder!
- At least 0.3-0.6 hectares of pasture area is required per cow
- Aim for a blocked calving
- High individual animal performance is not the priority
- High efficiency through the best use of pasture and consistent cost and working time minimization
- Do not drive dry cows onto high-quality valley pastures
- A good area performance can be achieved if the pasture is handled rather “stingily”.
- Rely on labor-saving pasture systems that suit the business and the stock
- Really exploit the high potential of the pasture
- A meadow that was previously used for cutting must slowly be converted into a pasture (promote the proportion of pasture grasses, possibly overseeding/reseeding, etc.)
- Get to know cows and pasture plants better (pasture management is more than just letting the cows out of the stable)
- Carry out the change in a targeted manner
- Pay particular attention to udder care and udder health
- A high proportion of pasture grass and concentrated feed do not go together
- Anyone who feeds a lot in the stable is inefficient on the pasture (pasture displacement and behavior change)
- The cows must always have access to clean water (multiple drinking points are an advantage)
- In the long term, rely on genetics that are more suitable for pasture (smaller cows, etc.)
Willow is the focus
When it comes to full pasture farming, the focus is on the pasture. The entire farm management is optimally tailored to the pasture growth curve and pasture quality. With optimal pasture management, a very high and constant forage quality of 6 to 7 MJ NEL per kg DM can be achieved with minimal effort. A suitable plant population and location-adapted pasture management are crucial for high pasture forage quality. Depending on the operating situation, paddocks, short grass or portion grazing can be used.
Operationally adapted management is required
Fully pasture farms implement sophisticated low-input pasture and farm management. It is important that operational management is aligned with the natural site conditions. The cows should primarily produce milk when inexpensive pasture feed is grown. The herd management is basically coordinated so that the cows calve in or by the end of winter (November to April depending on the operational situation). This means that the cows are kept dry in winter, which also reduces the need for preserved basic feed of the best quality. The young calves also go to a calf pasture in their first summer. In addition, all cows are pregnant in summer and are not dry. However, as the Austrian experiences in a research project with practical farms led by the Organic Institute of the LFZ Raumberg-Gumpenstein show, close block calving with 4-6 week milking holidays cannot be implemented or aimed at on every farm.
Full pasture with or without milking break
When dairy cows are kept on full pasture, they can work with or without a milking break.
Blocked calving yes – milking break no
The majority of farms, at least in the conversion phase, will not strive for or implement a close calving block with rapid restocking and the associated milking break. A sensible option for these farms is to schedule the calving-free period between April and the end of October. This ensures that no cows are left dry during the growing season with the highest pasture forage quality (until September) and that no occupancy is required from June onwards. There are also no cows calving here during the pasture season, which can cause problems with full pasture farming due to the limited supplementary feeding options. With this calving variant, the calves or those cows that have been “milked through” usually initiate the calving season in the fall. For the majority of cows, the dry period coincides with the end of the grazing period. Those farms that value relatively high individual animal performance can also recommend a calving date that is not too late. If the calving season is extended, you are more flexible with regard to the first calving age and remounting, you need fewer calf and calving places and you have continuous milk production. However, the milking break, uniform feed and performance groups and the time-saving, more concentrated work processes are foregone.
An Excel form is available
for calculating milk production over the course of the year depending on the time of calving and the distribution of the cow herd
1. Continuous calving throughout the year
Farms that practice continuous calving throughout the year can only implement the full pasture concept described to a limited extent. The pasture feed is usually used less efficiently here and higher feed costs must be expected (more preserved feed and usually more concentrated feed). In addition, when calving during the pasture season, supplementary feeding at the start of lactation is difficult to implement. This often results in the entire herd being fed in the barn and grazing behavior being significantly changed. Since there is a relatively high protein surplus in the ration during full-day grazing in the months of July to September (milk urea content usually over 35 mg/100 ml), retention rates may also deteriorate in this phase. It should also be noted that dry cows cannot be kept together with lactating cows on high-quality pastures (obesity, calving problems, metabolic disorders).
2. Full pasture with milking break - for specialists
A milking break can be achieved when all cows on the farm calve within 9-11 weeks. With strictly blocked calving, the highest proportion of pasture grass in the annual ration can usually be achieved and high milk production also coincides with the highest pasture forage quality in spring. The blocked and seasonal workflow also reduces the annual working time requirement. All cows are in a comparable lactation and feeding stage for most of the year and the lactation curve is very well matched to the pasture feed. During the growing season (the time with the cheapest feed), no animals are dry; on the other hand, the dry period in winter leads to a lower need for feed, especially high-quality preserved and therefore expensive feed. In those phases when the milk urea content of the cows increases due to the increasing excess protein in the feed as the vegetation progresses, the cows are already pregnant. Since there are no dairy calves on the farm for at least 6 months, the risk of calf diseases (chains of infection) decreases. In the first summer, the offspring calves are sent to a calf pasture if possible. Supplementary feeding should be possible here in a shelter.
However, this strictly seasonal system requires the best fertility results, otherwise the costs for stock replenishment will increase significantly. Appropriate pasture genetics (no extremely hot and high-performing animals) and at least a bull in the herd temporarily can be recommended in the second half of the breeding season. In any case, the greatest attention must be paid to heat observation. Even with the best fertility results, an annual loss of 10% of the cows must be expected due to the time-limited “breeding or calving window” (low retention rate for individual animals, unavoidable fruit loss, etc.). On average, the duration of lactation is shortened on farms with a milking break (less than 305 days on average for the herd) because late-calving cows are dried off earlier. Great attention must be paid to udder health. In autumn all cows are late lactating, so there is no mixed milk effect (S quality!). It should also be borne in mind that there are normally no male calves on the farm during this period. The appropriate spatial facilities must also be created for raising calves. If you add your own stock, an average first calving age of 24 (or 36) months is required. When kept in freestalls, a variable group formation option should be sought during the calving period, as the number of lactating cows continually increases. In addition, the seasonally inconsistent milk production must be taken into account. Important questions in this context are: Is the milk tank size sufficient? What about the minimum filling quantity for the milk cooling to function? How does seasonal milk production affect winter milk supplements, milk ingredients and possible milk processing on the farm or direct marketing?
If calving is strictly blocked, the varying working hours required over the course of the year must also be taken into account. From the start of the calving season until the switch to full-time grazing, the highest seasonal workload must be expected. In contrast, the working time requirement decreases significantly from May to the beginning of the next.
Switching to block calving
If you decide to implement a close calving block, fertility management is very important. During the transition phase, an average longer calving interval and lactation duration can be expected. The milk production of the cows or the farm can also decrease in the year of conversion (0-15%). If the animal population is significantly expanded or the use of concentrated feed on the farm is significantly reduced, the current supply of basic feed may not be sufficient despite efficient use. An Excel form is available to calculate the feed requirements when switching to full pasture farming
Cows that fall outside the mating window will no longer be mated from the start of the changeover. It should be noted that the calving date cannot usually be brought forward for cows that are at the end of the scheduled mating window. Those cows that come into heat after the end of the scheduled mating period will consequently no longer be mated or mated until the start of the next mating period. As the practice managers reported, there were no problems integrating these animals into the system. The cows came into heat regularly and became pregnant quickly on the farms.
- During the transition phase, an earlier calving date should be aimed for. Cows that arrive relatively late for mating - even if they are theoretically still in the mating window - should deliberately no longer be mated. This means you have less pressure in the first few years and have the time you need to gain experience.
Deadline example:
In the long term, the farm manager aims for a calving period from January 1st to March 15th at the latest. This results in a receipt window of March 22nd – June 1st. In the first year of the changeover, however, the start and end of the document should deliberately be moved forward by 3-4 weeks (document window 1st year of changeover: February 20th - May 1st). In the following years, however, the set deadlines must be adhered to very consistently - otherwise you will lose the milking break or have long dry periods for some cows.
Calving period on full pasture
The months in which the blocked calving period occurs depends largely on the operational goals. For farms with high-performance cows or farms that strive for higher individual animal performance, it is recommended that calving start earlier (e.g. from the end of November to the end of January). In this case, the animals can be well fed in the stable during the first 2-4 months of lactation and then go to pasture with a milk production of around 20-25 kg, which roughly corresponds to the pasture potential. During this period, pasture growth usually leads to a slight increase in milk production (“2nd lactation peak”). Even though summer drought often occurs in the region, an early calving date is more favorable. A possible feed shortage is less of a problem here because the cows' milk production level is already lower. In addition, in autumn the end of grazing coincides with drying off. Even if the vegetation period is short (mountainous areas), winter calving will usually make more sense.
during spring calving (end of January to end of March), a higher proportion of pasture grass and a lower need for concentrated feed can be achieved. In addition, the calves are born here as the day length increases and the time of re-stocking falls in the (natural) period in which the highest average retention rates are achieved. However, high-performance animals cannot be fed here if they calve in spring and are consistently kept on full pasture at the start of grazing. This can put a strain on the metabolism of these animals and lead to poorer fertility outcomes and steeper lactation curves. In Switzerland's favored grazing areas, spring calving is usually carried out successfully.
Fertility management
The basis for good fertility results are needs-based feeding, optimal birthing and husbandry conditions, animals bred for fitness and fertility (lifetime performance!) and targeted fertility management. Sharp, large or heavy high-performance animals are less suitable for low-input, full-grazing operations. Cows that come into calving fat or that milk heavily at the start of lactation show poorer fertility results. A heat calendar, sufficient time for targeted heat observation and constant records are essential for full-pasture farms with blocked calving! Having a bull in the herd can improve fertility results, but is not a substitute for heat monitoring.
Tail painting - yellow, green, red
A sophisticated and very successful fertility management system from New Zealand is also used on Swiss full-pasture farms (see Markus Bühlmann, www.weidemilch.ch ). The date for the desired start of occupancy is first set.
1. The program begins 28 days before the start of occupancy. From this point on, heat monitoring begins. This is supported by color markings of the cows (tail painting). The tail bases of all cows and calves that are capable of mating are painted thickly with yellow paint (emulsion paint from a hardware store in plastic bottles). The paint will be rubbed off if there is any jumping. be replaced green color for all cows and calves that show heat over the next 21 days Up to 7 days before the start of occupancy, a complete cycle has been completed and there are cows with two colors in the herd: green and yellow.
2. Those cows that still have the yellow color have not shown any heat at all. Cows that do not cycle must be examined by a veterinarian and treated as necessary. This does not apply to cows that have calved relatively late, as they are still waiting.
3. From the start of occupancy (e.g. March 22nd), all cows and calves in estrus should be inseminated and marked red Only inseminate cows that show a tolerance reflex!
4. On the 14th day after the start of mating (e.g. April 5th), the veterinarian should carry out a second examination for cows that are still wearing yellow.
5. All cows that will be inseminated from now on will be given a red color. The proportion of cows with green or yellow color should decrease continuously from now on.
An approximately two-month mating period, using recommended fertility management, all regularly cycled cows three opportunities to become pregnant. If two months after the end of the breeding season the proportion of non-pregnant cows and cattle is below 10%, the insemination season has been very successful. The color at the base of the tail not only shows whether a cow has been jumped on but also provides a good overview of the herd over the course of the breeding season.
The best time to observe heat is in the morning before milking and as late as possible in the evening. Every cow should really be carefully observed and you should plan time for this. Even if a cow is in heat, observation must continue - in blocked calving, there are often several cows at the same time!
Insemination or bull?
In principle, all variants of blocked calving are possible. A bull in the herd usually increases the heat detection rate, but represents a potential source of danger and increases feed and space requirements. In some cases, farms only keep a breeding bull in the last month of mating or only carry out artificial insemination.
The Swiss all-pasture pioneer M. Bühlmann ( www.weidemilch.ch ) only breeds the selected breeding cows with dairy cattle for the first and possibly second insemination, as otherwise he would receive late-born breeding calves, which would then only have a shortened growth period until the first calving. Animals that are being inseminated for the third time and cows that are not intended for offspring are bred here exclusively with fattening bulls. Since female calves calve at 24 months, they are mated with easy-calving fathers (Angus, Jersey, etc.). Animals that are to be bred at the end of the breeding season are not bred with French fattening breeds because the pregnancies from these crosses last longer than the pregnancies of Angus and Jersey bulls.
An Austrian all-pasture pioneer keeps a meat bull in the herd all year round and sells all the calves as fattening animals. Healthy cows that become pregnant late can be weaned as organic suckler cows. The remounting here is carried out using purchased animals.
Milk yields over the course of the year
With full pasture farming, very high individual animal performance is not sought or achieved. Depending on the cow type, breed and feeding at the start of lactation, annual milk yields of 5,500-7,500 kg are realistic values for blocked winter calving or between 4,000-6,500 kg for blocked late winter-spring calving. The highest milk production occurs in the months from April to August. However, the high content of valuable unsaturated fatty acids in pasture grass and the lower structural effectiveness of pasture grass reduce milk fat synthesis during the grazing period. As a result, the milk fat content in the full grazing period is 0.2-0.4% (3.6-4.0%) lower than with normal stable feeding. In the full pasture phase, the cows cannot be fed at the start of lactation. The pasture potential is in the range of 20-25 kg of milk. Cows with higher daily milk production must therefore also be expected to have a lower milk protein content during the pasture period (3.0-3.3%). The milk urea content increases over the course of the vegetation from around mid-June from 30 to over 45 mg/100 ml in August and September. It therefore makes sense if there are no occupancies in the summer months and the animals are pregnant. In any case, good udder health in the herd is crucial for receiving the quality bonuses. With block calving, all cows are late lactating in the fall.
Feeding throughout the year
The same principles apply to full-pasture farms in the winter feeding phase as to standard dairy farms. However, the pasture transition feeding in spring and feeding in the all-day grazing phase (=full pasture) deserve special attention.
Feeding during the stable period
In full pasture farming, the dry period usually occurs during the winter feeding period. The dry cows should be housed separately from the lactating cows. With normal body condition, a nutrient supply that corresponds to a theoretical milk production level of 5-7 kg is sufficient during the dry period. If these cows are offered a structurally rich basic feed (hay; grass silage/hay or grass silage/straw mixture) for free consumption, this is sufficient to provide them with nutrients. The cows should neither become fat during the dry period nor calve in poor condition; adequate rumen filling (free feed intake, high-structure feed) is always necessary. To supplement sodium, the cows must be able to consume around 3 dag of cattle salt per day, which can be offered either via lick stones or specifically by hand. Depending on the feed components, the cows also need 0-5 days of a mineral mixture rich in trace elements and phosphorus for dry cows in this phase.
To prevent milk fever, dairy cows should be fed a diet that is as low in calcium and potassium as possible but adequate in phosphorus last 2-3 weeks before calving If possible, little clover, alfalfa and the best grass silage and mineralized concentrated feed are fed. Calcium-rich mixtures must not be used to supply minerals in the last dry weeks. In order for the rumen microbes to be able to adapt to the lactation feed in this phase, the basic feed that is also fed immediately after calving should be at least partially included in the ration in the last dry period. If concentrated feed is only fed in small quantities at the start of lactation and only in slowly increasing quantities, then feeding with concentrated feed before calving does not make sense. Although this increases milk production, it also increases the energy supply deficit. The cows must not come to calving fat.
At the beginning of lactation, maximum attention must be paid to high basic feed intake. A high basic feed intake requires that the feed table of the lactating cows is never empty; only a continuous supply of feed promotes the digestive processes in the rumen. The food must therefore be replenished several times a day. Diverse rations that are as constant as possible over longer periods of time are necessary. This allows a stable rumen microbe population to be established and maintained. A portion of hay increases feed intake. A clean feed bar, optimal housing conditions, an animal-feeding area ratio of 1:1, frequent animal-human contact and sufficient water are other important success criteria in feeding. Concentrate feed may only be increased slowly after calving (maximum 0.3 kg/day and no more than 2 kg per portion). Salt administration to livestock (at least 3 dag/day) to provide sodium is always necessary. The supply of additional bulk and trace elements via mineral mixtures must depend on the ration components. In most cases, 3-5 days of a mixture containing phosphorus and trace elements are required per cow per day. Only with high milk yields is there usually a need for calcium supplements (feed lime). Since several cows calve in the same period during blocked calving, a higher space requirement must be planned for calving boxes and calf rearing. Furthermore, the increasing proportion of lactating cows during the calving season must be taken into account.
Feeding during the pasture transition phase
The pasture feed is highly digestible when the pasture management and use are optimal. In the full pasture project, an average energy content of 6.3 MJ NEL/kg dry matter was determined. The highest energy concentration was particularly evident at the beginning of grazing. The energy content is therefore in the range of corn silage or almost reaches low-energy concentrated feed mixtures. Current results from Austria show that with consistent use of the pasture potential, basic feed output of around 20-25 kg of milk per day from pasture can be achieved. The protein content (crude protein) in the samples examined was also at a very high level, averaging 21%. The considerable variation in nutrient content clearly reflects the plant population, farm, soil and management influences.
It should be noted that young pasture grass is not only rich in energy but also in sugar and has a low structural effectiveness. Therefore, full pasture feeding excludes high concentrate supplementation from a rumen physiological point of view. Digestive disorders can occur even with daily concentrate amounts of more than 2-4 kg. In addition, it must be taken into account that every kg of concentrated feed also displaces a lot of inexpensive pasture feed from the ration.
In contrast to intensively used pasture areas, the quality of feed on standing pastures, extensive areas and alpine pastures must not be overestimated. Depending on the plant population and selection options by the animals, the energy and crude fiber content corresponds approximately to that of low to medium quality hay. These pastures are well suited for raising calves and dry cows.
Grazing behavior of cattle
When kept on pasture, cattle spend between 6 and 11 hours consuming feed, depending on performance, feed availability and length of day. Studies with dairy cows have shown that the daily number of bites and chews can limit the intake of green feed in high-performing animals! For example, cows achieve 45,000-75,000 chews per day. Of this, 30-50% comes from food intake and the rest from rumination. They generally feed in 3-5 main periods within 24 hours, preferably early morning and early evening. The lower the forage supply, the more time is spent grazing. Rushing to eat increases the risk of bloating. On hot days (around 25°C), pasture feed intake decreases in the hours with the highest temperatures. Cool temperatures do not have a negative impact on grazing behavior. However, if wind occurs in combination with rainfall, there may be a decrease in pasture feed intake on these days. Cattle adapt their behavior strongly to feeding, climate and day length conditions and are also habitual and herd animals. For example, if good quality feed is offered in the stable, grazing activity immediately decreases and the cows wait (also hungry!) at the entry point.
- High pasture activity and pasture feed intake cannot be achieved with larger amounts of supplementary feeding!
- During long periods of rain (or very hot weather without shaded areas on the pasture), the cows should be on the pastures as early as possible in the morning and evening (= main feeding times). To relieve the pressure on the pastures (or cows), the animals can be temporarily housed during the remaining time (lunch or night).
Gentle transitional feeding is very important!
The start of grazing is one of the most sensitive feeding phases in full-pasture farming. The animals here have a high milk production and a correspondingly high nutrient requirement. In addition, the ration composition for the rumen microbes changes significantly and the cows have to get used to grazing again. The pasture feed is highly digestible and does not tolerate high concentrate supplementation. During this phase, the cows are usually waiting for restocking.
Pasture farms should start grazing their land around the time when the first farms in the region begin towing pastures.
- The cows get used to grazing in a phase where the daily feed increase is not yet very high.
- The rumen microbes are slowly switched to the pasture feed.
- Overgrazing the young plant population promotes the tillering of the grasses and root formation and directs the plant population in a favorable direction. Gap fillers and unwanted herbs are pushed back and sensitivity to footfalls decreases.
In the first 2-3 weeks, you should gradually switch from hourly to daytime grazing to all-day grazing (=day and night grazing). As the length of grazing increases, the amount of supplementary feeding (basic and, above all, concentrated feed) in the stable is reduced. Feeding hay is particularly beneficial in the transitional period. Fully pasture farms that use silage try to empty the silos before grazing begins and then usually rely on bale silage. The risk of reheating is lower here than with silos and you do not have to force the silage to be fed before the first harvest date. This is important because when implementing blocked calving and targeted full pasture farming, less preserved feed is usually required than before! Farms that overlook the grazing season due to feeding leftover feed have problems throughout the entire grazing period!
At the start of grazing, as large an area as possible is overgrazed. Areas can also be used here where the first growth will be mown later in the year - delayed by 1 week due to overgrazing. As practice shows, the droppings from spring grazing do not cause any problems with forage harvesting if the machine is set up correctly. In any case, overgrazing has a positive effect on the population (tillering stimulated, plant population control).
As Figure 1 shows, the most intensive growth phase in grassland with the highest forage quality begins around 3-4 weeks after the start of vegetation. At this point, the rumen microorganisms, the digestive tract and the animals (grazing behavior) must therefore have switched to pasture. This prevents the feed from growing out and resulting in feed losses.
Since pasture grass is also rich in protein, protein supplementation via concentrated feed can be reduced or suspended once grazing begins. If small amounts of concentrated feed are fed, it should not only consist of grains (barley, wheat, triticale, rye). The proportions of grain maize, bran and dried pulp (20-30% or 10-20%) in concentrated feed are advantageous here, as these components are broken down more slowly in the rumen. It is important to ensure a balanced and needs-based supply of cattle salt (20-40 g) and minerals and trace elements. If you compare the mineral and trace element requirements with the content in the pasture grass, then there is always a need for sodium supplements (animal salt). The supply of phosphorus and trace elements can also be below the recommendations. Calcium intake is usually sufficient for milk production of up to 30 kg. To prevent pasture tetany caused by magnesium deficiency, the use of at least 50 g of a magnesium-rich mineral mixture, especially at the beginning of grazing, can be recommended.
Feeding in the full grazing period
Fully pasture farms are pasture specialists! The focus is on high and as consistent pasture feed quality as possible without feed losses (see pasture management). From now on the cows are only in the stable for milking and on the pasture for at least 20 hours (day and night). The cows are only stabled in the morning (from 11:00 a.m.) or at night if there are no shaded areas available in the pasture when it is very hot or if there is increased foot damage during long periods of rain. It is beneficial if the animals can go to the stable independently in hot weather - for example via pasture drives. However, the pasture feed must remain the main feed component on these days - rapid feed changes and high levels of supplementary feeding should be avoided.
Concentrated feed supplementation only makes sense during the full grazing period if the cows' milk production is over 25-28 kg or if the breeding season has not yet ended. The low-protein energy concentrate should contain components that are gentle on the rumen (corn, bran, dried pulp). To ensure the sodium supply, salt licks should be installed in the stable - and if possible also in the pastures. Magnesium-rich mineral mixtures are particularly recommended at the beginning of grazing.
Lack of water or contaminated water leads to poorer feed intake, increases animal stress and puts a strain on metabolism and animal health.
The daily drinking water requirement of dairy cows is between 50 and 180 l.
Autumn – start slowly with silage
In autumn the daily grass growth decreases continuously and the pasture areas have to be increased. The daily milk production of late-lactating cows (200th-300th day of lactation) is in the range of 10-20 kg. After frosty nights, the food is frozen (ripe) in the morning. On these days the cows must not be driven out to pasture too early. Supplementary feeding in the stable begins when the pasture area is no longer sufficient or when we switch to half-day grazing. Adding silage should be started slowly (to influence the taste of the milk). It would be beneficial if the end of the pasture coincided with the drying off of the majority of the cows. In autumn, grazing must be carried out in a way that is as gentle on the soil and turf, especially on areas that are otherwise used for cutting. Any gaps that arise are not closed quickly enough in the following year, so that undesirable plants proliferate.
Breeding recommendations
In many countries, a significant increase in milk production from dairy cows has been observed in recent decades. At the same time, as the use of concentrated feed increased, the proportion of pasture grass in the dairy cattle rations decreased and the cows became larger and heavier. If you summarize the literature results on the suitability of high-performance animals for (consistent) grazing, the following picture emerges:
- In contrast to stable keeping, the daily pasture feed intake is more limited at 15-20 kg T per animal. The reasons for this are limited feeding time, bite frequency and number of bites.
- At the start of lactation, high-performance animals mobilize body reserves over a longer period of time and significantly more than low-performance cows.
- As individual animal performance increases, greater metabolic stress (nutrient mobilization, increased metabolic rate, heat stress, etc.) must be expected when kept on pasture. This can also lead to worsening fertility results and longevity.
- If high individual animal performance is associated with larger and heavier cows, then greater damage to the pastures can be expected
In principle, extensive farms or organic farms can be recommended to pay greater attention to life performance, fitness characteristics and frame (not too large or heavy) when selecting breeding animals.
Checklist - is full grazing an option?
The more questions you answer with yes, the more suitable a farm is likely to be for full pasture farming.