Description
The innovation is rational use of fodder resources occurring in the farm by adjustment of different beef cattle feeding to different grassland types. The mowing and grazing of the permanent grasslands depends on location and forage production potential. The farm indicates various feeding groups of the beef cattle. Beef bulls receive the best forage obtained from the best quality mowed grasslands, conserved in the form haylage and an addition of concentrates; suckler cows in the dry period receive the worst quality feeds (hay/haylage) obtained from grasslands included in the agro-environmental program. Heifers for fattening are grazing in summer only the pasture sward, and in the winter they are fed with conserved feeds with an addition of concentrates.
Reason for the innovation
In order to rationalize production costs and reduce labour input, the farm divided own grasslands in terms of their productivity and type of use, as well as to the nutritional requirements of the proper beef cattle feeding groups. Thanks to the introduced feeding system, the farm relatively quickly receives bulls ready for sale due to an intensive fattening and heifers fattening on less intensive pastures . An additional benefit of introducing such solution is, noticeable by the farmer, correct condition of suckler cows intended for breeding, which significantly improves the rate of calving on the farm.
Farm description
Environment
- Soil types: Clay, Sandy
- Climate: Warm-summer humid continental
- Altitude: 148 m a.s.l.
- Slope: 10%
Grassland management
- Grazing for 6 months in the year. The rotational stocking system is carried out on a pasture divided into two parts, the cattle are in each within a month.
- The sward from meadows for winter season is conservated by haylage or/and hay making.
Structure
- Annual Work Unit: 2.5
- Agricultural Area: 198 ha UAA
- Main forage area: 165 ha
- Arable land area: 30 ha
- Permanent grassland area: 165 ha
- Temporary grassland area: 0 ha
- Average stocking rates:
- agriculture area 0.4 LU/ha
- main forage area 0.5 LU/ha
- grassland area 0.5 LU/ha
Animal performance
- Beef cattle: 133
- Total livestock units: 78.25 LU
- The farm sales beef animals: fattening bulls in 25 months in average weight of 650 kg and fattening heifers in 25 months in average weight of 500 kg.
Why it is working
Innovation works on the farm because it allows on the rational use of forage resources of individual grassland in the feeding of different groups of beef cattle. Finally, the production and using of feeds is optimized, input and costs of labour is decreasing and animal health and welfare is improved.
