The main concern for a lot of farmers around the country during the mid-season is grass quality, and whether or not they are feeding their cows correctly to optimise milk production.
This year’s unfavourable weather conditions has made grazing difficult, which has resulted in peak milk yield being affected on some farms.
Poor grass quality is the biggest risk to milk production in the mid-season, giving reason to make sure cows are grazing low covers throughout the summer months.
Focusing on grass quality
According to a Teagasc study, during the first 11 weeks post-calving, varying levels of nutrition affected both milk production of cows during the mid-season and throughout the entire lactation.
Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer at Teagasc, Dr. Joe Patton said: “Just because you get a high peak, doesn’t guarantee you are set up for high milk production for the year.
“Conversely, if you got a lower peak that does not mean you can’t catch up in milk from this point forward and for the remainder of the year.”
Dr. Patton has warned farmers to not get worried about cows not reaching their peak, and to start focusing on grass quality over the next number of weeks in order to see a positive result in your milk yield.
“Don’t obsess about peak, obsess about grass quality,” he stressed.
Research
Teagasc research had highlighted why a cover of 1,400kg DM/ha was optimal for cow performance and health, regardless of the stocking rate.
The study showed that cows receiving no concentrates and grazing 1,400kg DM/ha covers produced 23.9kg of milk compared to cows grazing a cover of 2,000kg DM/ha and being supplemented 6kg/head/day producing 23.7kg of milk.
These covers were compared again, this time receiving 2kg/head/day of concentrate on each. The cows grazing 1,400kg DM/ha covers had an intake of 16.2kg of grass and produced 26.2kg of milk.
The cows grazing the cover of 2,000kg DM/ha had a grass intake of 14.5kg and the cows produced 19.7kg of milk.
This study has clearly shown the results in milk production when cows graze optimal covers, where there is a focus on quality over quantity.
During the Teagasc webinar, Dr. Patton explained why a cover of 1,400kg DM/ha and a couple of kilograms of concentrates is often referred to:
“It’s the best balance of cow performance, cow health and managing to maximise the grass utilised out of the paddock.”
With that being said, carrying a higher stocking rate does not mean you have to increase you pre-grazing yield above 1,400kg DM/ha.
Having a higher stocking rate means you should reduce the grass allowance per cow and supplement the difference, according to the head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer.
He stated that: “If you run out of grass, it’s not the pre-grazing cover; it’s a mismatch between grass growth rate and your stocking rate.”