As farms vary in size, layout, grass growing ability and factors such as labour availability, appropriate stocking rates can also vary from farm to farm. But chasing cow numbers and production could actually be damaging the bottom line.
Brendan Horan, a research officer at Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority Teagasc, talks through a report put together by technologist Donal Patton that outlines some of the factors that affect optimum stocking density.
See also: Irish dairy farmers explain how once a day milking is profitable for them
What is the objective of a good stocking rate?
The report says that stocking rate decisions should be made with the dual objective of maximising grass utilised per farm hectare and achieving a milk solids output per cow of more than 80% of their liveweight.
Mr Patton says that quoting a farm stocking rate as a simple ration of cows per milking platform hectare can be misleading, he says:
“Increasing SR beyond what the farm can grow will increase costs of production and results in the farming business becoming more exposed to input and output price volatility.”
Instead, decisions should be based on:
Annual grass production
Soil type
Cow type
Fixed costs
Labour structures