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DAIRY farmers could cut costs by 2p/litre by making better use of their grass, according the Milk Development Council.

Grass is the cheapest fodder available, and yet most farmers do not make best use of it, says Piers Badnell, South West extension officer for the MDC. "To maximise milk production from grass you must try to achieve not only large yields of palatable, high feed value grass, you must also measure its intake and growth for optimum utilisation."

Many dairy farmers pay great attention to formulating and feeding a total mixed ration to their cows over the winter, but fail to do the same when it comes to their summer grazing. "It is therefore hardly surprising that milk yields fluctuate when the cows are turned out," says Mr Badnell.

He is updating the MDC's Grass+ publication to reflect new thinking on grass management strategies, yield measurement and feeding plans, to help farmers make the most of their pasture. "You can have the same control over milk yields and feeding in the summer as you do in the winter."

The first step is to move to a rotational grazing system, he says. This makes the most of the grass's natural growth cycle, to produce high quality, palatable grass with rapid regrowth after grazing.

"You need to graze the plant when it is growing fastest, with the highest ratio of leaf to stem - at least three leaves per plant. This means turning the cows out when the grass cover is equivalent to 2800kg dry matter / hectare - or about ankle height on a Wellington boot." Any higher than that and the grass will start to go to seed, which reduces both the palatability and digestibility of the sward."

Cows should be moved onto a new piece of pasture at least daily, preferably after every milking, to allow the grazed grass to recover quickly.

"It is essential that producers measure the amount of dry matter available, to ensure optimum intake. If you have 100 cows which need 10kg of grass DM a day, you need to allocate enough pasture to provide 1000kg of DM."

Once grazed, grass starts to regrow by putting out a lime green leaf, which uses up its sugar stores until the second leaf emerges and starts to refill the stocks, ready to produce further leaves.

By giving swards a short rest, rotational grazing allows the grass to regenerate more quickly, producing more grass of better quality. "There is also evidence that rotational grazing improves the roots' ability to capture moisture and nutrients from the soil, helping to prolong grass growth through the summer."

Farmers should graze some fields early in the spring, to achieve a range in grass growth stages around the farm, says Mr Badnell. By measuring grass availability, they can then plan to match supply and demand, reducing wastage and ensuring optimum milk yields from grazing.

The new revised version of grass+ will be available free to levy payers from late April. To order your copy call Piers Badnell on 07929 203703.

3:11pm Tuesday 4th March 2008

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