Pasture quality top of the agenda

Milk protein content tends to dip during June for spring-calving herds.

Genetics (Economic Breeding Index) and calving date are important long-term factors.

However, pasture quality is the main issue over the next few weeks. Increasing amounts of stemmy material in the sward will depress digestibility, intakes and milk protein.

Quality is best controlled by keeping pre-grazing mass at around 1,400 kg of dry matter and 10cm height, and grazing out to 4cm. It has been a most unusual grazing year to date, with the silage area left in the grazing rotation on many farms. As growth recovers, it is essential to shorten rotation length to around 20 days. Baling out heavy grass covers and/or closing area should be top of the agenda.