Grazing management for dairy-beef systems

Achieving the desired levels of animal performance at pasture is critical for
dairy-beef systems. Target weight gains can be achieved from grass-only diets where the correct management practices are implemented.

Grazing Management for dairy-beef systems (pdf)

Key components of efficient grazing systems

Infrastructure

Good grazing infrastructure (roads and paddocks) maximise grass utilisation.
An inadequate number of paddocks leads to extended residency times, which reduces grass utilisation and DM production.
Forty-eight hour paddocks offer the greatest flexibility in terms of ensuring animal’s intake is not restricted, paddocks are large enough for machinery operations, and paddocks can be split for calves or during difficult grazing conditions.
10-12 paddocks necessary for each grazing group.

Grass Measurement

Needs to be done weekly (>20 measures/year)
Give confidence in making decisions
Identify when a surplus or deficit in feed supply occurs
Improve labour efficiency
Improve sward quality
Identify underperforming swards

Nutrient Management

Grass growth and growth response to N fertiliser can be constrained on farm if soil fertility is not optimum.
Dairy-beef farms should soil test regularly to identify any nutrient deficits and to formulate targeted nutrient management plans.
Investing in correcting soil fertility on farm increases the availability of N in soils and improves the persistence of productive herbage species such as perennial ryegrass and clover.
To maximise herbage production, the ideal pH is 6.3 for most soils and organic and inorganic manures should be strategically used to maintain and build P and K levels to index 3.

Clover

Including white clover in grass swards can improve sward nutritive value and animal production, while reducing reliance on chemical N fertiliser due to the ability of clover to “fix” atmospheric N.
An average annual white clover content of 20-25% increases pasture quality and encourages high levels of DM intake which ultimately leads to greater live weight performance of dairy-beef cattle. To promote and maintain high levels of sward clover content, a pre-grazing herbage mass of 1300-1600 kg DM/ha, and a post-grazing sward height of 4 - 5 cm should be maintained, N fertiliser should also be decreased over the summer months.
Red clover can also play an important role in efficient dairy-beef systems. The growing point of red clover is more exposed in the sward compared to white clover, making it more suitable as a multi cut silage crop. Red clover has the ability to fix high levels of N annually (200-300 kg N/ha).

Seasonal Management

Spring

Spring rotation planner
Finish first rotation by April 1st
AFC: 600-700 kg DM/ha
Target post-grazing sward height: 4 cm
45 day rotation
Close 45-55% of the farm area for first cut silage

Mid-season

Maintain sward quality
Walk farm weekly
Remove surplus grass as high quality baled silage
18-21 day rotation
Target pre-grazing herbage mass: 1300-1600 kg DM/ha
Target post-grazing sward height: 4-5 cm

Autumn

Planning for the following spring begins in the Autumn
Start building cover
- Reduce demand, increase rotation length (+1.5 days/week)
Use the “60:40 Autumn planner”
Target post-grazing sward height: 4 cm
AFC: 450-550 kg DM/ha on December 1st

Do's and don't's of good grazing management

Do's

Graze covers of 1300-1600 kg DM/ha (8-10 cm)
Regularly walk the farm
Target post grazing height 4-5 cm
Offer fresh herbage every 48 hours
Follow a 18-21 day rotation length
Remove surplus pasture as bales
Have a fertiliser strategy
Monitor animal performance regularly
Have a strategy for closing the farm in the autumn

Don't's

Continuously graze heavy covers (<1600 kg DM/ha)
Delay turnout in the spring
Residency time of >48-72 hours in a paddock
Force animals to graze out excessively heavy swards
Avoid sticking to routine housing dates, if conditions and grass supply allow, continue
grazing
Let animal performance decrease due to internal parasite infection