ABSTRACT
Managing pastures on grazing dairies is a continuous challenge because pasture quality,
quantity, and growth rate are changing daily. The objectives of this study were to
document weekly pasture growth, forage quality, and performance to understand how
to use this information to make management decisions on US dairies. One organic grazing
dairy was studied for 3 consecutive years. Pastures were measured and mapped, and
total standing DM was estimated weekly in all 22 pastures using a calibrated rising
plate meter. Weekly grazing wedges were developed and were used to make grazing decisions
that week. Paddocks grazed and residual pasture covers were recorded daily. Paddock
grazing and residual heights were also included in the electronic recordkeeping. Dry
matter yields ranged from 11,277 to 22,346 kg/ha per year and averaged 15,887 ± 1,919,
17,848 ± 1,966 and 17,956 ± 2,014 for each consecutive year. Daily growth rates ranged
from 18 to 100 kg/ha per day throughout the season and averaged as high as 56 ± 20.3
kg/ha per day in yr 3. Pasture quality and productivity in Oregon is comparable to
some of the most productive dairy pasture systems reported from around the world.
Key words
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LITERATURE CITED
- Technologies for measuring grass crops.in: Proc. South Island Dairy Event Conf. Dairy NZ, Hamilton, New Zealand2009: 134-151
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- Management and economic implications of intensive grazing on dairy farms in the northeastern states.10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(92)78021-7J. Dairy Sci. 1992; 75: 2587-2597
Article info
Publication history
Accepted:
January 3,
2018
Received:
June 21,
2017
Footnotes
The author declares no conflict of interest.
Identification
Copyright
Copyright © 2018, American Registry of Professional Animal Scientists. All rights reserved.
