Grassland researcher, Mike Egan, summarises the autumn grazing management guidelines to maximise the amount of grazed grass in the diet of dairy cows in the autumn period.

Right now, farmers should be extending rotation length by 2 days per week and building cover.

Mike gives an insight into a grazing experiment looking at altering grazing management practices in autumn and examining the effects on animal performance and grassland in both the autumn and spring. 

Mike explains that where herds are carrying high stocking rates on the milking platform and calving more compactly (reflected in higher 6 week calving rates), they need to consider closing the farm earlier and at a higher cover.

For more information:

https://www.teagasc.ie/crops/grassland/grass10/grazing-management/autumn-grazing-management/

https://www.teagasc.ie/media/website/publications/2019/Strategies-to-increase-spring-grass-availability.pdf

For more episodes and information from the Dairy Edge podcast go to:
https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/dairy/the-dairy-edge-podcast/