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Zero Grazing

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    #62
    TEAT SQUEEZER
    Closed Accounts Posts: 516 ✭✭✭TEAT SQUEEZER


    freedominacup wrote: »
    The debate seems to be about ZG against walking cows long distances often on public roads, how does it stack up when measured against other cropping? Delaval posted recently that he reckons he is heading for 12tDM/ha of grass utilised which is definitely impressive but it equates in DM yield to a reasonable crop of wholecrop wheat. If you were achieveing de's utilisation on ZG how does it stack up against wholecrop/maize/beet?

    Cows can easily get through a 10kg/DM buffer in an hour before/after milking morning and evening assuming around 3-4kg/DM from concentrates in mix. Once you get above 10kgs of buffer DM it starts to make more sense for them to be housed at night esp in poor weather.
    bob charles wrote: »
    that pretty poor isnt it. Have you any idea of what are the dutch figures for grass growth in a season. Considering land is costing over 20k in holland this has a major bearing. I presume a utilisation figure is up around 100% and a clean cut would grow an extra 25% more grass. So take delaval's figure of 12t ha utilised grass @ 90% utilisation (I wont say yeah or nah about that figure) and will call it the Irish figure

    so 12 / 0.9 = 13.5~ total grass grow in Ireland

    Extra growth using zero grazing 25% so

    13.5t/ha * 125% = 16.875t/ha (total zero grazed tons)

    16.875/12 = 1.40 or a zero grazer will be getting 40% more grass per ha into their cows.

    is the 25% extra grass growing in a season a fair figure for Irish conditions?



    Come on lads its a Sunday afternoon we have to prove that zero grazing full time is the way forward:)
    bob charles wrote: »
    Energy grown per acre is the important figure and not Tons per acre...

    perhaps freedoms question is answered by bob... is it not fair to say the type of zero grazed grass that should be offered to stock is on a par with any energy crop and dont forget the protein %age in grass


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    #63
    TEAT SQUEEZER
    Closed Accounts Posts: 516 ✭✭✭TEAT SQUEEZER


    the use of zero g as a buffer feeding option at the shoulders etc is where i`d see the majority of benefits with the system.. machinery sharing might improve viabilitymore...

    buffering at the shoulders on most farms is done in its most expensive form ie; milled conc or with poor performing forage ie, silage so again food for thought...


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    #64
    bob charles
    Registered Users Posts: 6,343 ✭✭✭bob charles


    delaval wrote: »
    I must grow a few hundred acres of sugar beet next year. I'd say my covers ill be low in May and June:):)

    My cattle tried to grazing method for sugar beet last year in July, they got a right kick in the arse when there was no sugar beet to put in front of their noses come winter time.


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