An earlier turnout saves over £8,000
HAVING started grazing his cattle at the end of January and planning complete turnout in late March, Tom Rawson believes he will save over £8,000 over the two-month period.
He explained this system at Thornhill Hall Farm, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, to farmers attending a British Grassland Society Event, supported by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers and Milk Development Council.
Mr Rawson said he was milking 250 cows on 440 acres and operating a low-input forage-based organic system. The original herd of Holsteins was gradually being crossed with New Zealand Jerseys with cows remaining outside for 10 months of the year.
The herd came indoors on December 6, 2007, was turned back out during the day only from January 28 and would be fully out by the end of March.
These dates were very similar to what happened in 2006/07, when Mr Rawson calculated a saving of over £9,000 based on the cows being outside at least four hours per day for two months.
From January to March 2007, Mr Rawson calculated an increased yield from grass at +5 litres in February and +8 litres in March on 203 cows, saving 22.7 tonnes of concentrate at £237 per tonne – a total of £5,380.
Grazing instead of making/buying in 120 tonnes of silage (priced at £24 per tonne) saved £2,880. Straw saved from bedding, 18 tonnes at £33, saved £594 and power costs reduced by scraping up for only half an hour per day, 30 hours at £9, saved £270. This gave a total saving of £9,124 over the two month period.
Full story: here
He explained this system at Thornhill Hall Farm, Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, to farmers attending a British Grassland Society Event, supported by the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers and Milk Development Council.
Mr Rawson said he was milking 250 cows on 440 acres and operating a low-input forage-based organic system. The original herd of Holsteins was gradually being crossed with New Zealand Jerseys with cows remaining outside for 10 months of the year.
The herd came indoors on December 6, 2007, was turned back out during the day only from January 28 and would be fully out by the end of March.
These dates were very similar to what happened in 2006/07, when Mr Rawson calculated a saving of over £9,000 based on the cows being outside at least four hours per day for two months.
From January to March 2007, Mr Rawson calculated an increased yield from grass at +5 litres in February and +8 litres in March on 203 cows, saving 22.7 tonnes of concentrate at £237 per tonne – a total of £5,380.
Grazing instead of making/buying in 120 tonnes of silage (priced at £24 per tonne) saved £2,880. Straw saved from bedding, 18 tonnes at £33, saved £594 and power costs reduced by scraping up for only half an hour per day, 30 hours at £9, saved £270. This gave a total saving of £9,124 over the two month period.
Full story: here