Is deferred grazing for you?
Deferred grazing was a management option mentioned at our recent Feed Tactics Field days. Farmers had
a few questions about the topic so we’ve talked to those who have tried deferred grazing and shared
their tips.
Deferred grazing is the practice of holding over surplus pasture generally in late spring so that it can be grazed at a
later date; usually starting in January when growth rates drop due to dry summer weather.
Armer Farms’ general manager Robert McPherson says deferred grazing is a management tool the company has been
using successfully for 30 years on farms in the regions where it operates.
“If there is a genuine grass surplus, farm managers can take a paddocks out of the rotation in late spring when it’s too
late to cut silage; it’s all about being aware of rotation length, growth rates and pasture covers,” says Robert.
“The reason we defer is to keep pasture quality over the balance of the farm so the cows are fed high ME feed to
produce milk on. Ideally, the paddocks deferred should be less than 10% of the farm and good quality ryegrass and
clover as, if left long enough, the resulting seed drop will be quality grass rather than brown top and the like.
“When we are ready to graze it off, electric fences are used to strip graze the paddock as you would a crop, for part of
the day. The cows then go to another paddock for the rest of the day so they get a balanced feed. By the end of the
first grazing of the deferred paddocks you would aim to have grazed no more than 70% with the balance either rotting
down due to rain or re-grazed.”
Contract farmer Peter Wichman, who works for Armer Farms on a property near Taupo, says deciding on how much
land to use for deferred grazing will vary, depending on where you farm, the contour, and amount of surplus present.
Last season, the property had quick growth through November.
“We shut it up all in one go and didn’t start feeding it until January which resulted in a loss of quality of the deferred
grass. This year if there’s a surplus, I would look at shutting up paddocks in two blocks; the reason we would do this is
to retain quality so we can still milk on it. But this will depend on the weather,” says Peter.
Robert and Peter both say that it pays to think strategically about the location of the paddocks set aside for deferred
grazing.
“Ideally, you should think about using paddocks on either side of the farm, so that they are spread out for ease of
management,” says Peter.
The pros of deferred grazing:
The cons of deferred grazing:
•
•
Cheaper than making silage/hay therefore
reduces farm costs
•
•
•
Unlike cutting silage, deferred grazing
Loss of quality - long grass loses ME, reducing
milk production relative to good quality silage
•
Once deferred has been eaten, the paddock
takes time to regrow
Allows reseeding – a bonus that results in
stronger ryegrass pasture if left long enough
•
deferred grazing to pasture
Flexibility – paddock can go back into the
rotation at any time
•
and cows have to be moved more often from
Low cost method of pasture conservation if
there is no cashflow to support ensiling.
Deferred grazing needs to be part of a diet,
•
Other options may be more profitable for an
indivudal farm (e.g. cropping).
maintains nutrients within the paddock
•
Can be used to lengthen grazing rounds when
it is used.
Refer to Farmfact 1-40 Deferred grazing for more information on how to implement without reducing profit.
Is deferred grazing for you?
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