Increasing production through stocking rate

Abstract

Our objectives as farmers are to sustain a pastoral farming system that converts the optimum amount of grass grown to milk solids. The key to achieving this is by adopting the correct stocking rate. On our property,production has increased from 330 kg milkfat/ha in the first year to 430kg milkfat/ha in the second year. Conservation is not the preferred option when dealing with surpluses. A combination of supplements, nitrogen and off-farm grazing is used to make up the deficits. The absence of a mid-season slump in grass growth results in a sustained production curve through the season. This is a feature of borderdyke dairy farming. The correct stocking rate will enable costly grass surpluses and deficits to be kept to a minimum. The distribution of grass growth on our farm is what is really important, not total dry matter. The availability of crop residues and off-farm grazing in this area can be used profitably to make up feed deficits. Production Increases in the short term will come through improvements in sward composition, fertility, cow quality and irrigation. Longer term, production increases can come only through growing more grass and finding the correct blend of calving date, stocking rate and drying-off date, to utilise that grass to the optimum. Keywords: dairy farming, stocking rate, borderdyke, pasture management