Description

Practice abstract

Maximising labour and feed efficiency, especially when using your own forage, is a pivotal issue for all livestock farms.  

The Stockner family at Schnagererhof has developed over many years a pasture-specialized management system aiming at matching cattle needs and grass availability while minimising labour and resources.   

The key steps in this process were the introduction of full grazing in combination with a short sward grazing system and seasonal spring calving. There was also a switch from an all-year-round indoor housing with Braunvieh breed to a grazing-based production with the Jersey breed.   

By consistently focusing on an intensive grazing system, the farm achieves the best forage quality from the permanent pastures and produces fully grass-based milk. By not using concentrated feed, there is no food competition with humans.   

Grazing significantly reduces work processes in the field: fertilisation, mowing, field curing and harvesting of forage are strongly reduced. This leads to a considerable reduction in the amount of machinery required and therefore in fuel consumption.   

Seasonal calving allows taking a break of about 8-12 weeks from milking during the winter, which increases the family’s life quality.  

Profil context