THE WELFARE IMPLICATIONS OF EXTENDED GRAZING 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Introduction Extended grazing: What is it? How does it work? How do I make it work for my business? What can go wrong? Does it pay? Summary

1. Introduction Grazing has re-emerged in recent years as a means of lowering production costs in response to falling milk prices. Talk of global warming and weather patterns that defy the seasons has encouraged this thinking by producing opportunities to graze at unusual times of the year. This has led to the introduction of New Zealand techniques of grassland management with some producers switching to an all-grazing system. For most it is not so much about changing systems as re-examining ones use of resources and challenging preconceived ideas. As with any modifications to a system there will be welfare implications that need to be thought through if the change is to be successful. 2. Extended grazing: What is it? Systems used around the world are determined by the prevailing local climate both weather and economic. These systems cannot be transplanted into other areas but there are skills that can be used. From grazing systems there is the lower capital costs that offsets the lower animal performance. Cows are bred for these systems to produce a smaller, lower maintenance animal that is capable of producing 4000 litres in an 8-month lactation without housing and limited quantities of silage. Skills here focus on maximizing grass intakes, out of season grazing and large herd management. 100% grazing systems such as those in NZ and Eire have the following features: ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

Seasonal calving Milk yields less than 6000 litres Housing and silage making avoided Large herds Low and volatile milk prices

North American systems are much more cow-centric with individual performance very often the goal. Stable output per cow and feed cost per hundredweight are frequently used measures. Yields per cow are rising with some herds averaging greater than 14,000kg and individual cows more than 28,000kg. A continental climate of hot summers and frozen winters have driven

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storage feeding as the preferred system. Herd size is not limiting with very large herds achieving high levels of performance. Unit costs are lowered by high output and feeding efficiency. Lessons learned are the nutritional standards needed to achieve high yields. 100% housed system such as those found in the US and Mediterranean countries have the following features: ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

All year calving Milk yields more than 8000 litres Storage fed Continental climate Range in herd sizes from less than 50 to greater than 5000 Strong domestic market, volatile prices

The UK, like the rest of Northern Europe, is catching up the US with genetics but still wants to use grazed grass in high yield systems. This is not adopting one or the other system but picking the best of both and applying them to the UK situation. A UK system for UK conditions. The 50% housed and 50% grazed systems found in the UK, Netherlands, France have the following features: ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

Seasonally biased all year calving! 6 to 8000 litres per cow. Grazing April to October Variable to nil grass growth December to January High winter rainfall, frost and snow Average herd size 83 cows Strong domestic market, volatile prices

Extended grazing is pushing back the self-imposed constraints by being flexible. It is not a 100% grazing system it is a compromise to achieve profits. Most grazing begins in April due to quotas providing a convenient start point and the desire to make good first cut silage. Extended grazing is challenging these conventions but still looking to satisfy the following conflicts: ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

Need higher farm output to lower unit costs but Want to use grazed grass to lower unit costs. Must house for part of winter but Housing is depreciating Skilled silage makers but 2nd to 4th cuts expensive

The objectives of extended grazing are simple: 1) To graze grass at any time of year if the conditions are right.

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2) To modify the system to increase the number of potential grazing days 3) To flex with conditions so that production is not compromised ~ loss of production is an extra cost! In practice it means: ™ Start grazing earlier in the season and finish later in the season, more grazed grass and less silage. ™ Replace a proportion of total diet with grazed grass. ™ No compromise on yields. ™ Rotational paddock grazing. ™ Good access to all paddocks. ™ Forward planning of feed wedges for the next season. 2. How does it work? Cows need to go out to grass and eat quickly and efficiently, not stand under the hedges or to roam relentlessly looking for the last blade of grass. It means putting hungry cows into a good bite so that in 3 to 4 hrs 25% of their DM intake will be satisfied. Under normal grazing they spend the rest of the time lying down, cudding, topping up and exhibiting normal bovine behaviour. With extended grazing all we are looking for is the intake bit the rest can take place in the yards and cubicles later. The keys to success are: ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

Cows must graze immediately after milking when they are hungry. Short bursts of grazing 3 to 4 hrs/day. In wet conditions 1to 2 hrs will suffice. In severe wet conditions keep cows inside. Do not offer silage at grazing. Cows should not be left out all day only enough time to fill up the rumen.

The fall back position is to keep them inside on full winter rations. Poaching really hits hard when cows walk in previous hoof prints. On the 3rd or 4th time real damage to soil structure occurs. Single hoof prints will heal when conditions improve as will normally happen during the grazing cycle. To achieve this requires some imagination: ™ ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

Changing field shapes so that entry points are conveniently located. Separate entrances into and out of fields. Cows must not cross grass previously grazed in that cycle. Walk cows over ungrazed sward to reduce poaching ~ graze fields backwards! Be flexible with conditions. Integrate extended grazing with non-grazing feeding for stable production.

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Be flexible, try something, evaluate, if it didn’t work, try something else. Trial data from Soyers & Mayne, Hillsborough, NI, provides good evidence of performance improvement. The following were observed: ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

2 hrs/day grazing in Feb. Silage intake fell by 25%. Milk production increased by 2.6 litres where concentrates flat rate fed at 6 kg/day. Grass was 12.6 ME compared to 11.2 ME silage. Dry matter intake increased.

3. How do I make it work for my business? Remember the objectives: 1) To graze grass at any time of year if the conditions are right. 2) To modify the system to increase the number of potential grazing days 3) To flex with conditions so that production is not compromised ~ loss of production is an extra cost! We need to get cows in and out of fields efficiently for a short period of intensive grazing. Access is the all-important requirement. If you have it already then you should be doing it already. If you don’t you need to consider the cost/benefit of investing in improved access. The key is to plan ahead: ™ ™ ™ ™ ™

Paddocks or fencing to get fresh ground each day. Access, access, access ~ have we got it. Tracks need to be free of mud and flints. Each field access used once each cycle. Fields grazed last in the autumn will be the last to graze in the spring.

Most farms will already have some of the infrastructure necessary to extend their grazing season. What they will lack is the confidence to make it successful. It is the fear of getting it wrong rather than doubts of the benefits of getting it right that holds producers back. 4. What goes wrong? If we are old enough we will remember the “joys” of walking cows through mud to and from milking, to graze kale in winter or to delay housing. There are good reasons why we adopted a more storage fed system across the country. These include: ™ ™ ™ ™

Better ensilage techniques. Better housing. Better slurry storage and handling. Stable production.

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™ Improved staff conditions. Simply turning the clock back and grazing longer through the year will not be enough. The welfare implications of getting it wrong are financially serious. 1 case of lameness costs £40 in lost production, drugs, vets costs, fertility and culls. Cows walking through hock deep mud to get to grass results in: ™ Lameness. ™ Solar punctures. ™ Foul in the foot. 1 case of mastitis costs £80 in lost production, drugs, vets costs, milk quality and culls. Sore udders from exposure to mud that is ground in to udder tissue by walking results in: ™ Higher SCCs. ™ Increase in clinical mastitis. ™ Higher bactoscans. The consequences are higher costs, lower yields and de-motivated staff! Even if access is good and cows get into fields there needs to be the required grass to get efficient grazing. 25% DM intake within 3 hours is the target. Grass not dense enough so cows have to work hard over 6 hours to get intake leads to: ™ ™ ™ ™

Poaching as cows walk in previously trod footmarks searching for grass. Reduced dry matter intake. Reduced dry matter yield. Reduced life span of sward.

Thin cows that don’t milk ~ 1 litre per cow, 100 litres across the herd £17/day at winter prices. Thin cows that don’t breed ~ 1 day lost per cow, 100 days across the herd £220. Poached compacted ground doesn’t grow grass ~ 10% reduction in dry matter yield increases forage costs by 10%, £23.65/cow, £2365 across the herd. The consequences are yield falls, condition drops, fertility collapses and grass production is reduced. All lead to reduced profit. 6. Does it pay? Early/late season grass is a variable feed resource that can be difficult to incorporate into diets. It is important to recognize that grass and silage are not the same! Typical analyses are:

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Grass Dry Matter % M E MJ/kg DM CP% NDF % Sugar % Cost £/t DM

10 – 15 11.5 – 12.0 20 – 25 30 – 40 10 – 25 40

Grass Silage 22 – 28 10.5 – 11.5 15 – 18 48 – 55