Experienced farmer profile: Andrew Rees

Name: Andrew Rees

Farm name and location: Moor Farm, Walwyn’s Castle, Haverfordwest

Sector: Dairy

Stocking rate (cows/ha or kgLW/ha): 3.5 cows/ha (milking platform)

Concentrate used per head (Dairy): 1200 kg

KgMS or Litres/year (Dairy): 490 kg MS/ha

Main soil type: Clay loam/silty clay

Soil fertility: Standard indices are typically 2 and 3. Working on balancing base saturations, typically increasing exchangeable calcium.

Nitrogen application rates at the moment - do you have plans to reduce this, and how? 85kg N/ha total applied in 2021 (reduced from 220 in 2019). 

Main pasture type (the area being measured): Mainly ryegrass/white clover, with ~10% multi-species.

Tonnes of dry matter (tDM)/ha grown 2021: 10

Rounds of grazing achieved per paddock/year: 8

How have you split the farm up? Number and size of paddocks? 40 paddocks on main platform.

Have you got a specific day of the week when you walk your grazing round and measure pasture growth? Typically, Monday.

Why do you consider grass measuring essential to your management? To recognise feed availability ahead of the herd, and to make timely interventions where necessary, to maintain quality pasture.

What grazing management principles do you abide by? Protect regrowth and avoid overgrazing. 

How do you deal with extreme weather conditions, such as drought or wet grazing conditions? Use of housing facilities and on/off grazing; will feed silage in paddock in dry weather.