Grazing System In Agriculture

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Introduction
The beef industry is the largest sector of the Irish Agricultural sector. In Ireland grassland accounts for 91% of agricultural land. Grazed grass is currently the cheapest feed source available for beef cattle in Ireland. The utilization of grass by grazing should provide a sustainable livestock system as grazed grass is the cheapest source of nutrients for the animal. It is 60% of what an animal will eat in its life but only 30% of the cost. As said grass is the cheapest feed available to the animals so to get the most from the grassland the grass growth must be monitored regularly and stocking rates must be adjusted.
Grazing Systems
Grazing management is when the grazing habits of animals on pastures are controlled. Good grazing management requires young, fresh leafy grass at a vegetative stage of growth available to grazing animals at all times. The aim is to graze for 220 to 240 days per year.
An efficient system of rotational grazing allows the farmers achieve this. There are various systems available including Paddock Grazing, Strip Grazing, Block Grazing, Set Stocking, Creep Feeding, leader follower system, Zero grazing and Mixed Grazing.
The diagram below shows that grass doesn’t have a steady growth curve throughout the year, there’s a peak in May with surplus grass. The grazing method chosen helps to make the most efficient use of grass at all times of the grazing cycle.

Paddock Grazing
This is a form of rotational grazing. It is considered the best method of grazing. It involves the farmer dividing grazing areas into 20-25 paddocks. The paddocks depend on the size of our herd. Every day cows will graze one paddock. This method is based on the idea that each tiller has three actively growing leaves at an...

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...gement of grass must be taken. On farms where grassland management is poor, rising beef prices will be eroded by rising costs.
The chart below shows the comparison between silage, concentrates and grazed grass. It proves that grass is the cheapest feed available.
Live wt gain/d (kgs) Est. carcase gain/day Feed costs/day Cost/kg carcase (€)
Silage & 6kgs conc/d
Ad lib conc
Grazed grass 1.0
1.3
1.0 0.68
0.92
0.65 2.00
2.98
0.25 2.94
3.24
0.38

Conclusion
Grazing management is one of the most important factors for farmers to get right. It is the cheapest form of feed available as seen in the costs section, so the right method must be chosen. Grass management for farmers in Ireland is a yearly challenge as the weather is so unpredictable. I conclude that a rotational grazing system such as strip or paddock grazing would make the best out of the grassland.
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