Bride and Blackwater Group: Spring Grazing Objectives

Grassland management group meets monthly in County Cork, Ireland, to discuss optimizing spring grazing for milk solids production. Focus areas include early turnout to boost profitability, reducing reliance on silage and concentrates, lowering production costs, and minimizing farm workload. Research shows each day at grass adds €2.70 per cow daily, equating to €270 profit for 100 cows. Practices like short grazing bouts (2–3 hours) protect soils, especially on heavy ground. The group emphasizes maximizing grass in the diet to enhance cost efficiency and milk output, with a focus on sustainable, grass-based systems.