Grazed grass is the most cost-effective source of quality feed for livestock. When comparing cost per tonne of DM, grass is £280 cheaper than concentrates, highlighting its cost-effectiveness. We can help and advise on grazing systems and autumn reseeding.
Feeding livestock with grass will help control costs, ensuring you can conserve forage and deploy concentrates when they are most impactful – for example: when finishing.
When grazing, the ideal growth stage is when grass has three leaves. This helps maximise growth and yield because grass will have the optimum leaf area to capture sunlight. AHDB has found that grazing below the two-leaf stage can decrease growth by up to 85% which is why set stocking reduces production.
*Source AHDB
To maximise grassland production, your grazing strategy is crucial. To ensure high utilisation, rotational or paddock grazing are more effective grazing systems than set stocking or continuous. *Germinal
Switching to rotational or paddock grazing can increase annual yield to 10.2t DM/ha. Meanwhile, paddock grazing can deliver 80% utilisation and 8.2t DM/ha of useable yield. Thus, investing in electric fencing and water troughs can significantly improve forage production.
Get in touch with the Pasturetec Team to see how we can help improve your returns from grass and forage.
Justin Rees – Shropshire, N Wales & Cheshire | 07425 425277
John Davies – West Wales | 07971 262772
Rob Massey – National | 07970540222
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