Home-grown feed is the cheapest feed available to farmers. Hardly a revelation but as farm inputs continue to rise the drive for milk from forage becomes a more crucial metric. Every additional litre from forage could be worth up to 20p per cow per day, or £600 per month for every 100 cows in the herd.
Addressing rising dairy feed costs
Historically the rule of 1,2 and 4 was what made milk from forage so relevant, with grazed grass being the cheapest feed (represented by 1), ensiled forage being twice the cost (represented by 2) and purchased feed being the most expensive (represented by 4).
Even with the limitations of grazing and waste in the form of rejection, the low-cost nature of grazing makes it a common practice. With changes to the pricing of farm inputs (particularly fertiliser) these numbers have become less clear as purchased feed has increased by around 25-30%, however, fertiliser has increased by over 100%.
Whilst grazed grass will still be the cheapest feed to grow and produce, the cost-effectiveness of fertiliser in particular has reduced the cost differential between concentrates and ensiled forage in particular (especially silages with a low fertiliser requirement like maize silage).
With this financial effect in mind, forage utilisation becomes an even greater metric when making decisions for the coming season. In systems that utilise grazing, the question needs to be asked about grazing strategy and whether it allows optimal utilisation. Grass grown with fertiliser is no longer a cheap option so a potential unutilised “waste” of 50% can’t be overlooked.
| Utilisation (%) | Total useable yield (t DM/ha) | |
| Rotational Paddock | 80 | 8.56 |
| Set stocking | 50 | 1.26 |
| Strip grazing | 60 | 1.68 |
| Set stocking | 50 | 1.05 |
| Total useable yield from all grazing (tDM/ha) | 622.80 |
Increasing forage utilisation by housing cows at night
For systems that can’t practically set up a rotational grazing system then using more silage and housing cows at night through the summer may be a practical alternative to increase forage utilisation. Silage utilisation can be as high as 90%, making this system especially relevant in the later stages of the grazing system where the rejection of grazed grass increases.
For housed systems forage utilisation should already be as high as possible in terms of consumption. Environmental factors such as feed barrier space, volume and frequency of push-ups and trough hygiene can all influence this. Mix quality can also have an impact on forage intake where a mixer wagon is present. It is also important to have enough high-quality forage so that it can be prioritised when making decisions to drive intake.
In conclusion, the cost-effectiveness of fertiliser means that feed strategy must be reviewed for the upcoming season. There are options available for managing the inflationary pressures currently facing farmers, although it may require thinking and a strategy that is different to what is done in a typical season.
