Regardless of beef breed or location, all UK beef farmers have one thing in common: the need to provide their animals with grass to eat – whether grazed or silaged. In beef production, where margins can be tight, high-quality grass can be the key to profitability, and keeping a constant supply in front of livestock makes sound financial sense.
Providing major health benefits for animals as well as improvements in live weight gains, good grassland management can have a positive impact on farm finances. It can also be beneficial to the environment. Good grazing management relies on keeping grass plants leafy and actively growing while matching supply to livestock needs.
The beef industry uses a lot of silage. We estimate that around 90% of cows will receive silage (as opposed to hay/haylage) in winter and that all store and finishing cattle except for rose veal will eat silage at for at least part of the growing period. This is why having a great inoculant is key to feeding a more cost-effective ration. View the NWF Silage Additive range HERE
Beef animals will typically graze for about eight hours a day, with the heaviest grazing periods in the early morning and later in the evening. Beef farmers face a number of choices when it comes to managing how their animals graze grass. Typically, grassland growth rates should determine how long grass should be grazed and rested for, and will, therefore, have a bearing on the grazing method chosen.
Continuous grazing
With continuous grazing, a fixed area of land is normally grazed non-stop for a specific period. Time-frames vary from just a few weeks to the entire grass-growing season. Continuous grazing can be controlled or uncontrolled. To maintain a productive field in an uncontrolled continuously grazed system it is important to avoid under or over-grazing by maintaining the correct grazing pressure and adjusting stocking rates accordingly. Continuous grazing can lower grass production and persistency so it is vital to pick a suitably hardy grass variety. It is also important to ensure that a field used for continuous grazing has more than one water source. Cattle like to gather around watering points, which means recycled nutrients can become concentrated in one area. Providing multiple drinking points will ensure nutrients get evenly spread across a wider area. Having more than one water trough will also help minimize poaching when conditions are wet.
Rotational grazing
Rotational grazing is where fields are subdivided and then grazed and rested alternately. Once one field has been grazed, livestock are moved to a new patch of grass. The first field is then rested and the sward is given time to regenerate. Some farmers have a rotational grazing pattern of one to two weeks. Others opt for a more intense approach – moving livestock every few days. This method provides more control over what animals are eating and can result in better plant growth but requires more land and can be time-consuming from a land management perspective.
Creep grazing
Creep grazing is when young animals are allowed to move onto an area of grass ahead of older livestock to gain access to better quality forage. This method of grazing works well within a rotational grazing system, giving calves access to the top layer of more succulent, nutritious grass, which enables them to gain weight more quickly. Creep grazing is typically managed via a series of fences or gates that only allow smaller animals into a designated area first.
Mixed grazing
Grazing different animals together can have huge benefits in terms of grassland management and can increase grass utilisation. Different species of livestock prefer different types of forage and have different in-take levels. Cows generally prefer legumes to grasses while the opposite is true of sheep, which will generally always opt for immature grasses and weeds first. Cattle and sheep also eat differently. While cattle use their tongues to pull and tear, sheep use their teeth to nibble, grazing much closer and getting into parts of the grass that cattle either ignore or cannot reach. This can increase grass tillering and sward productivity – meaning animals will, long-term, gain more weight.
Speak to your local NWF Sales Specialist to hear more about how NWF Grass Seeds will help improve your livestock efficiency and performance.
