increasing pasture intake of high quality, low cost forages to improve net income – March 6 NY Organic Dairy Conference

This workshop will discuss how to use the basic “tools” of grass farming to improve pastures while also meeting livestock nutritional needs over as long a grazing season as possible. Increasing pasture intake can produce higher rates of gain in young stock, and better body condition & more milk from lactating animals. In this session, we will discuss methods to manage & monitor pastures & animals to maximize dry matter intake from pasture while using livestock grazing to improve pasture quality & productivity. Topics will include the use of different types of supplemental feeds, different stocking rates, stocking densities, trampling, variable regrowth periods, taller or shorter pre grazing heights, & post grazing residual as well as different annual and perennial forages and when to invest in seeds or fertility inputs to build soil health.