ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service
P.O. Box 3657
Fayetteville, AR 72702

Grass-Based and Seasonal Dairying (Summary)

Grass-based dairies rely on skilled management of a rotational grazing system. Managers must offer dairy quality forages for the entire grazing season. Supplementing this forage diet for optimal milk production and profitability is a challenge. Even so, some graziers are taking the next step to seasonal dairying. They dry off the whole herd at once, and take a vacation from all milking (and the milk check). However, management is even more difficult in such a system. Certain breeds or individual cows are more adapted to seasonal grass-based systems. Many graziers report improved herd health when cows are on pasture most of the year. Special equipment for fencing and water systems has been developed and is widely available. Additional resources are listed.

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Last Updated December 28, 2007

ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Visit the NCAT Web site for more information on our sustainable agriculture projects.

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