ZEROING IN ON COSTS
ZEROING IN ON COSTS
The arguments for
zero-grazing systems have
become stronger, believes
a south Midlands producer.
Peter Hill reports
WITH 89ha (220 acres) of ground divided into three distinct and separate blocks, using a cut-and-cart system to feed cows on fresh grass instead of conventional grazing makes a lot of sense.
But, after three years experience of the system, Adrian Gleed reckons it has much to offer dairy farms with more convenient access to grazing ground, let alone those with a less favourable field layout.
"Zero-grazing simplifies field management, saves an awful lot of time and reduces costs," he insists. "Im convinced more dairy farms could use it to good effect."
Adrian and Jill Gleed run 120 commercial black-and-whites at Wheatleys Farm, Ashton Keynes on the Wiltshire/Gloucestershire border. All cropping on the 89ha (220 acre) unit is devoted to feed production.
At 39ha (95 acres), forage maize is the biggest crop; then there is 30ha (75 acres) of three-year leys devoted to grass silage which provides buffer feed through the summer; and 12ha (30 acres) of Westerwolds for cut-and-cart production. Another 8ha (20 acres) grows wheat which is cut and clamped as whole-crop forage to provide energy from late July until the forage maize is harvested.
"The farm produces really good crops of maize – if I was brave enough, Id put the whole farm down to it," says Adrian Gleed. "As it is, changing to the zero grazing system has freed up land to grow more."
Initial plans to use a double-chop forage harvester and trailer were scotched when it was realised how inefficient that would be, given the need to tip the grass then load it into a feeder to dispense to the cattle.
The system devised by Cheshire dairy farmer Edward Walley, however, looked to hold a lot more promise.
Just two items of equipment are involved – a 2.28m (7ft 6in) cut twin drum mower with paddle blower, and a purpose-made trailer to collect and haul the fresh grass. There are two versions – a bunker trailer that doubles as a feed rack, another with powered unloading to dispense grass into troughs or along feed passages.
Both types of trailer have a hydraulically offset drawbar enabling it to run alongside the trailed mower-blower, which is left in the field during the grazing season.
The mower itself – using the familiar PZ mowing deck – hitches on to a vertical pin on the trailer drawbar, the pto shaft and hydraulic hoses are coupled and the outfit is ready for work.
"Our zero grazing land is about a mile from the farm buildings; it takes barely half an hour to hitch up the trailer, run to the field, take on enough grass for the day and set it down in the yard again," notes Adrian Gleed. "You can spend as much time getting the cows in from distant grazing."
More to the point, the "meals-on-wheels" service eliminates the energy used by cows walking to pasture and spending much of the day grazing. They fill up fast, feeding 40 at a time at the bunker trailer, then settle to chew to the cud.
His view that this relative lack of activity allows more energy to be turned into milk is logical enough, and herd records go some way to supporting it. At 12.9 litres/kg, production from forage is almost twice the average of Midland Shires Farmers costed herds, while feed costs of 0.21p/litre are usefully below the 0.28p/litre average. *
Above: Barely 20 minutes after pulling out of the yard, the feeder trailer is full of freshly mown grass. Inset: Adrian Gleed – the Zero system enables grass grown on outlying land to be used to the full.