Why grazed grass still wins on feed costs
With the increased cost of fuel and fertiliser, Peter Doyle, Grassland Researcher in Teagasc, Grange, joins Stuart Childs on this episode of the Dairy Edge podcast to discuss the cost of growing grass, silage and other feeds.
Peter outlines the costs that he uses in the Grange Feed Costing Model, which are of course assumptions but are necessary for the model to function.
He emphasises that grazed grass delivers the lowest feed cost, even with higher fertiliser prices. The cost model estimates grazed grass at about 14c/kg dry matter (including land charge), compared with roughly 42c/kg dry matter for concentrates.
Feed quality is important in the model as the energy of the feed influences the performance it delivers. Peter argues that delaying first-cut silage to chase higher yields given increased fuel costs to get better bang for the buck from contractor costs is a false economy.
Earlier cutting (around late May) produces higher-quality silage, improves the total energy yield of the overall two-cut system as well as supporting better animal performance, reducing the requirement for expensive concentrate supplementation. Big first cuts of low quality material don’t deliver more silage and are ‘penny wise, pound poor’ due to the cost they create subsequently.
Peter also stresses that feed quality should be matched to the type of stock being fed. High-quality silage is needed for lactating cows and young stock, while lower-quality, higher-volume silage may suit dry cows.
He notes that alternatives such as maize and fodder beet can be useful but involve similar or higher costs, additional management requirements and often require supplementary protein and minerals.
Finally, Peter says that the cost of grazed grass doesn’t increase as significantly as the other feeds and thus people need to focus on grazed grass as their primary feed source and maximise the amount of it that they produce and consume to minimise their overall feed costs.
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