Is farming on the edge worthwhile?
The advocates of this system are generally very prominent after a few good grazing years.
The system generally involves feeding very little concentrates, resulting in relatively low milk production per cow, little or no grass being closed for silage until May, minimum winter feed, and grazing pastures too tightly.
Output per hectare might be satisfactory, but there are lots of extra animals eating into profits. One of the worst aspects of low output per cow is that there are lots of extra costs associated with extra, unnecessary cows.
This system can give satisfactory results in a good year, but is a disaster in bad years. The fodder crisis in recent years changed a lot of people’s minds about the system, but after a good year like 2014, there is a danger that some people will get a false sense of security about the stocking rate capacity of their farms.
Very high stocking rates are not as satisfactory as the more tried and tested system of grazing to about two inches (4-5cm) and closing for first cut at the end of March.
Even in a year like 2012, there was a fair amount of early silage harvested, and this significantly increased the area available for grazing, and reduced the effects of the bad weather.
With the average stocking rate of Irish dairy farms well less than two cows per hectare, and most of our good spring calving dairy herds stocked at 2-2.5 cows per hectare ( at 2.1 according to Dairy Profit Monitor data), there seems little reason for most farmers to be adopting very intensive and difficult grazing systems.
Most well reseeded, well-managed farms with fairly dry land are capable of comfortably carrying 2.3-2.6 cows per hectare, but going above this level is unnecessary for most farmers, and puts great strain on the system. If farmers are very limited by their cow grazing platform, they may have to be more intensively stocked. Of course, stocking rates will always have to be lower in heavy land.
Average output per cow in Ireland is one of the lowest among any of the serious dairy countries in the world. This is only partly due to quota limitations. With the end of quota, many dairy farmers will be increasing output per cow, as well as increasing stocking rates.
The benefits of increasing output per cow have generally been under estimated. Of course, increasing production per cow has to be carried out in the most efficient manner, through optimising the use of grass, moderate levels of concentrates, good genetics, and good dairy herd management. Remember that it never pays to keep four cows to do the work of three — which is happening on many farms at present.
Stocking rates should be based on the likely grass production and utilisation potential on the farm, to make it easier to manage the grazing system. When farmers reseed a lot of their pastures in a short period of time, there could be up to a 50% increase in grass production, and it is very important to have plans in place to utilise the increased production efficiently.
If stocking rates are not increased in line with grass production, it could lead to poor quality grass. Similarly, when soil fertility is improved, resulting in a lot of extra grass. Therefore, stocking rates should be based on the likely amount of grass that can be grown and utilised on the farm, and not on the amount of hectares available.
Whatever system of stocking and grazing management is adopted, it should be as robust as possible under a wide range of weather conditions, and suitable for the farm and management concerned. The most important aspect of dairying is to ensure that cows have as much highly digestible grass as possible, but this should be achieved with the minimum effort and simplicity.
In a bad year, every system is difficult, but easier on farms with moderate stocking rates.
