Over 450 attend two dairy farm walks
14 April 2010
More than 450 dairy farmers have found out how to make more from forage at Milking Grass for Profit farm walks organised by ourselves, the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers together with British Grassland Society and DairyCo.
We welcomed visitors from as far a field as Cheshire, Yorkshire, Kent, Pembrokeshire and Cornwall to attend the event at Batch End Farm, Lympsham, Weston-Super-Mare on 30 March.
Host farmer, Mat Boley who manages a 350 cow herd plus followers, explained how detailed attention to grassland management had enabled him to achieve high levels of herd fertility from a low input regime, including no concentrate, for the past nine years. He discussed his herd’s crossbreeding strategy and why profit per hour was the most important benchmark. Mat then went on to explain why he made the radical decision to introduce once a day milking and its subsequent benefits.
The following week we staged a similar day at Winnington Green Farm, Middletown, Welshpool where hosts, David and Rachel Lee manage a 300 cow herd plus followers. More than 200 visitors from 23 counties across England and Wales stretching from Yorkshire to Devon and from Cambridgeshire to Pembrokeshire heard more about their farm strategy featuring detailed attention to grassland management including measuring grass quality and quantity. The couple also discussed how they managed herd fertility on a low cost, low labour system and how they made strategic use of fertiliser and slurry. In addition, the Lees explained their herd’s crossbreeding strategy and why they took the major decision to invest in a new parlour and buildings for the future.
“Farmers attending these events found it was time well invested regardless of whether they were managing a 10,000 litre herd or a lower output system. They were all provided with the opportunity to do some thinking about their systems and how they could improve their efficiency,” said RABDF’s chief executive, Nick Everington. “Grazed grass continues to remain the cheapest form of forage, therefore starting to optimise its management from turnout should enable farmers to be well placed to maximise its potential throughout the season and subsequently have the opportunity to reduce input costs.”
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