Grass based Dairying All about harvesting high quality forage

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Grass based DairyingAll about harvesting high
quality forage

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Grass based dairying at MU Southwest Center, MT.
Vernon

• Less stressful way of life
• Environmentally compatitable
• Less health problems with cows.
• Lower feed costs/ reduced milk yield

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Intensive Managed Grazing
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If you are not dairying for profit we wish you
well with your hobby.
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Peter West, North Island (peat soil)
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New Zealand style D-10
parabone parlor
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Grazing Concept

• Let cows harvest high quality forage
• Sward 1 1/2-12 inches tall
• Plant is vegetative
• Crude protein -16-24
• NE. lac. 0.65-0.74 MCal/lb.

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Dairy feeding management

• Graze spring, summer, fall
• Supplement with hay/ silage when no grass
• Feed concentrate in the parlor ( 5-18 lbs/cow/day)

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Cool Season Grasses

• 1. Perennial ryegrass
• 2.Orchardgrass
• 3.Small grains (wheat , rye)
• 4Kentucky bluegrass
• 5. Tall fescue( endophyte)
• 6 Endophyte friendly fescue (Max Q)
• 7 Endophye free, soft leaf fescue (Advance)

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Perennial rye grass
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Alfalfa
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Warm Season Grasses

• 1.Pearl millet
• 2 Sorghum-sudan
• 3.Bermuda grass
• 4.Red River crab grass
• 5.Corn
• 6.Eastern gamagrass

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Summer Forages
Caucasian bluestem
Bermuda
alfalfa
ryegrass
Sudan
crabgrass
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Other forages
corn
Pearl millet
Tall Fescue
Grazed corn
Rape
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Grazing management

• Management Intensive Grazing (MIG)
• Dairy-- new paddock every 12 hours
• 35 paddocks
• Long rectangular pasture with electric cross
  fences
• Water available at paddocks ( walk max 600-800
  feet)
• Shade available in summer??
• Construct lanes to prevent mud holes

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Portable Shade
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Data from North Carolina
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Reproductive Management

• Calve end February- April 1.
• 60-90 day window for breeding
• Breed AI/ bull
• Use synchronization programs
• Dry off all cows end of December (280 day
  lactation)
• Entire herd dry for 2 months.

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Financial management

• Land/cows/ fences/water
• Low cost milking parlor
• Own minimal equipment
• Strive to harvest 3 ½-5 ton high quality
  forage/acre/year
• Less labor
• 100 cows provide living for family farm

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Structure and basic production data of southwest
Missouri pasture-based dairy farms
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A successful dairy business can be a good way of
life