Hanneke (J.C.A.M.) Pompe, Peter Groot Koerkamp, Anton Stokman

Labour requirement and mechanisation

costs of five strategies for zero-grazing

of dairy cows in the Netherlands

Overview of presentation

Introduction Zero-grazing and its drawbacks Objectives

Materials and methods Strategies for zero-grazing Labour requirement Costs

Results & discussion Labour and costs for zero-grazing strategies

Conclusions and concluding remarks

Grazed forage cheapest nutrient source To realize potential milk production:

Pasture-based diets need supplemental energy Feedstuffs like maize must be mixed with grass

Zero-grazing Feed mixture of fresh grass and other feedstuffs inside

barn

Introduction - Background for zero-grazing

Introduction - Drawbacks of zero-grazing

Fresh grass Spoils rapidlyIs voluminousNeeds to be collected and distributed twice a dayRigid time scheduleHigh labour requirement

Introduction - Objectives

To explore innovative solutions for systems that can feed grass based diets supplemented with other feedstuffsand to evaluate the labour requirement and costs of these feeding systems

M&M – Explore innovative feeding systems

3 farmers and coach Brainstorm sessions Alternative working methods to

mow/collect grass feed-out additional feedstuffs mix / distribute feedstuffs push feedstuffs towards the feeding fence

M&M – Current ration

Ingredient Amount,kg DM-cow-1-day-1

Fresh grass 14.0

Maize silage 3.0

Hay 1.5

Potatoes 2.0

M&M – Current working method

Activity

Mow/collect fresh grass

Feed-out other feedstuffs

Mix and distribute feedstuffs

Push feedstuff towards fence

2

2

2

4

Frequency of operation, #-day-1

Results – Innovative feeding systems

Feedstuff

shovel

Overhead

trolley

Cooperative

feeding

Summer

feeding

Base

situation

Mow/collect

fresh grass

Feed-out other

feedstuffs

Mix and distribute

feedstuffs

Push feedstuff

towards fence

Front mower+ loader wagon w/ side discharge

Tractor + front loader

Front mower+ loader wagon w/ side discharge

Tractor + front loader

Tractor + front loader

Loader wagon w/ side discharge

Tractor + front loader

Front mower+ loader wagon w/ side discharge

Tractor + front loader

Front mower+ loader wagon w/ side discharge

Feedstuff shovel

Front mower+ loader wagon

Tractor + front loader

Trolley on rails

Front mower+ loader wagon w/ side discharge

Tractor + front loader

Front mower+ loader wagon w/ side discharge

Tractor + front loader

Feedstuff

shovel

Overhead

trolley

Cooperative

feeding

Summer

feeding

Results – Innovative feeding systems

Activity

Mow/collect fresh grass

Feed-out other feedstuffs

Mix and distribute feedstuffs

Push feedstuff towards fence

2

2

2

4

Frequency of operation, #-day-1

Base

situation

2 2 (2) 0

2 1 (2) 1

2 Many (2) 1

6-8 - 4 2

Frequency of operation, #-day-1

Effect on flexibility in labour

+ +++ ++ +++

M&M - Assessment of labour requirement

Task times Standard software available

Only for existing working methods MS-Excel Data of an existing farm

120 dairy cows 12 ha fresh grass

M&M - Assessment of costs

Machinery costs incl. labour costs

Change in construction costs Change in contractor’s costs Change in costs for feedstuffs Difference in milk revenues

Per growing season

Results – Labour requirement, manmins-day-1

Task 

Base

situation

Feedstuff

shovel

Overhead

trolley

Cooperative

feeding

Summer

feeding

Mow/collect fresh grass 29 29 29 27 0

Feed-out feedstuffs 14 14 11 14 31

Remove feed leftovers 2 2 2 2 2

Mix and distribute feedstuffs 12 12 3 12 7

Push feed towards fence 9 0 0 9 4

Transport between farms 0 0 0 17 0

Total 66 58 45 82 44

Results – Costs, €-growing season-1

 Base

situation

Feedstuff

shovel

Overhead

trolley

Cooperative

feeding

Summer

feeding

Machinery costs, excl. labour 5,100 5,900 8,800 3,500 4,500

Additional costs contractor 0 0 0 0 8,000

Additional construction costs 0 0 50 0 0

Additional feeding costs 0 0 0 0 1,800

Reduction in milk revenues 0 0 0 0 3,000

Labour costs 4,000 3,500 2,800 5,000 2,700

Total costs 9,100 9,400 11,600 8,500 20,000

Conclusions – for the case farm

Low labour strategies Overhead trolley Summer feeding

Low cost strategies Base situation Feedstuff shovel Cooperative feeding

Best strategy per farm depends on arguments such as Available labour and interest in flexible working schedule Willingness to cooperate with other farmers Travel distances between farms Available capital Quotum policy, etc.

Concluding remarks

Changes in society and farmers attitudes Labour conditions Flexibility of labour Scale of farming New technology and working methods Sustainable farming, etc.

Need for labour and cost data for alternative strategies

Labour assessment requires lots of detailed data

Most agricultural labour and cost data were collected in the previous century

Let’s keep labour and cost databases up-to-date and share them

Acknowledgements

Jolmer de Vries – dairy farmer Wiebe Nauta – dairy farmer Bert Philipsen – WUR-Livestock Research

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