Opportunity to Improve Milk From Forage – Gerard Finnan   

Most farmers aim to improve their forage use efficiency in their dairy diets, but many don’t have a specific plan.  Any plan to increase Milk from Forage has to begin with renewing worn or older, poorer performing grass leys to improve quantity and quality forage as basis of the cow diet.  Never has it been more important to grow and use more forage with current high concentrate prices.

With plentiful grass supply and a wet first half of August forecast, this is the ideal autumn to reseed surplus grazing and silage areas with newer leys.

Estimates vary but new reseeds should grow in the region of 20- 40% more grass and importantly a lot of this extra growth will occur in the spring and autumn.  Increased animal performance, improved responsiveness to Nitrogen and a great opportunity to tackle weeds are all important additional benefits.  However, at roughly £200/acre, it represents a significant investment, while also been without the field for between 5-8 weeks.  Thus, the importance of a successful reseed is vital.

The most important fields are the grazing ones but sadly the most neglected as farmers don’t measure the grass output.  A farmer recently grazed his cows on a new ley sown this spring and got a 10% increase in milk yield, worth £125/day for a 200-cow herd.  So, consider re-seeding grazing paddocks as well as silage fields and reduce your feed costs next year.

Aim for the best seed mixes on the NIAB

& Teagasc Pasture Profit Index https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/pasture-profit-index/ .  

Contact Gerard at gerardfinnan@fcgagric.com or your local FCG Office, for help in formulating a plan to improve your dairy herd milk from forage.