Extension > Agriculture > Dairy Extension > Grazing systems
Grazing systems
Pasture renovation – refreshing a tired pasture
Over-grazed pastures usually become little more than an exercise area after midsummer
Planning
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Is dairy grazing for you?
The challenge of managing a grazing system for dairy cattle is quite different than managing a confinement dairy.
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Annual calendar for pastures
A planning calendar is useful, as needs and opportunities change month by month.
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How can Fred learn about grazing?
Learn from pasture walks and field days led by experienced grass-based farmers.
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Grazing systems planning guide
Grazing resource inventory, plan development, pasture management, and system monitoring. (3.8 MB PDF)
Economics
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Grazing systems focus on high production per acre at reduced costs
Pastures and perennial forages preserved for winter feeding will be high quality forage.
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Irrigating rotationally grazed pasture on sandy soils improves productivity and profit
Research compared irrigated and non-irrigated pasture.
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What is needed to improve dairy grazing systems
Grazing can reduce production cost, improve cow health, and ease the stress on the farmer.
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Grazing and confinement returns – a look at the numbers
A database of farm financial records compares confinement and grazing systems.
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Raising dairy heifers in feedlots or under a MIG system
Management Intensive Grazing (MIG) or feedlots: comparison of animal performance and costs. (94 K PDF)
Managing
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Preparing for Grazing Season
key areas to think about when preparing pastures for grazing. A checklist.
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Driving is not herding
A single person with a good understanding of animal behavior has better control of cattle
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Irrigated dairy pasture soil water profile research project
A study of the feasibility of installing pasture irrigation on dairy farms
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Using “the grazing wedge” in pasture management
Provide fresh pasture each day and allow plenty of time for healthy plant regrowth
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The green, green grass of a dairy pasture
A few inexpensive changes in management can often turn into higher yielding acres
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Forage assessments pay big dividends
Awareness to nutrient requirements and commodity markets can help reduce feed costs
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Extending grazing and reducing stored feed needs
Priority: fill gaps in pasture forage availability to reduce stored feed needs (1.2 MB PDF)
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Drought, winter-kill, drought, heavy rains: What's next for your pastures?
Fall and winter management to restore pastures to good pasture production next year
Other grazing resources we recommend
- Pasture management and grazing – University of Wisconsin
- Sustainable farming and grazing – University of Wisconsin
- Grazier's notebook – University of Wisconsin
- Grazing in the dairy state – University of Wisconsin
- Stocker enterprise budgets for grass-based systems (233 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
- Enhancing milk components with pasture-based systems (295 K PDF) – Pennsylvania State University
- Rotational grazing – University of Kentucky
- Managing to get more milk and profit from pasture (149 K PDF) – Pennsylvania State University
- Pasture condition score sheet (27 K PDF) – United States Department of Agriculture
- Profitable grazing-based dairy systems (890 K PDF) – United States Department of Agriculture
- Pastures of plenty (536 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
- Determining pasture condition (102 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
- Pastures for profit: A guide to rotational grazing (617 K PDF) – University of Wisconsin
- Great Lakes Grazing Network – University of Wisconsin
- Pasture based dairies in Missouri – University of Missouri
