Expanding the farm for grazing

Description

  • Expanding the farm for grazing
  • Focusing on higher production and lower costs
  • Setting up grazing infrastructure and soil fertility to carry more stock
  • Carry more cows
  • Increase output: milk sales
  • Increase the profitability of the system
  • Economic results
  • Discussion groups
  • More stock to justify labour on farm
  • Pasturebase Ireland

Reason for the innovation

Produce more milk sustainably from grass

  • Focusing on higher production and lower costs
  • Benefit from economies of scale
  • More stock to justify labour on farm

Farm description

Environment

  • Soil type: Clay/loa
  • Climate type: Temperate Oceanic Climate
  • Agricultural area (ha UAA): 114.88
  • Permanent grassland area (ha): 114.88
  • Average stocking rate (agriculture area) (LU/ha UAA): 2.69
  • Altitude: Variation across the farm (350m)
  • Slope: Variation across the farm (35%)

Grassland management

  • Grazing: Yes
  • Grazing management type: Rotational grazing

Structure

  • Main animal type: Dairy
  • Number of animals (heads): 420
  • Total Livestock unit (LU): 380
  • Breed type 1: Fr*Je
  • Annual work units (AWU): 3

Animal performance

  • Milk production per head (l/year/dairy animal): 5300l
  • Grassland management type: Rotational
  • Length of grazing period: 260-270 days
  • Fertilization rate (kg N/ha): 240

Why it is working

  • Setting up grazing infrastructure and soil fertility to carry more stock
  • Carry more cows, produce more milk, increase profit
  • Benefit from economies of scale
  • Economic results
  • Land available around the milking parlour
  • Discussion groups
  • More stock to justify labour on farm
  • Pasturebase Ireland

Additional information

Farming system

conventional farming

Domains of innovation

farm system, grazing management system

Main types of animal

dairy cattle

Country

Ireland

Product type

Farmer portrait

Language

English

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