Research into the effects of intense grazing regimes on cattle behaviour and productivity will support the ethical intensification of pastoral dairy production. Two treatments were applied to two herds of 30 mid-lactation cows over 28 days. Cows were offered an estimated 12 kg DM/cow (above 5 cm from ground level) of irrigated pasture per day. The control herd received their daily pasture allocation in two equal grazings while the experimental herd received theirs over seven smaller grazings. Backgrazing beyond the current allocation (morning or afternoon) was prevented. Individual records were taken daily for milk production and behaviour (MooMonitor⁺). Milk composition, energy corrected milk (ECM), and live weight were recorded weekly. Feeding mid-lactation dairy cows over seven smaller grazing allocations reduced the time cows spent ruminating (p < 0.001), milk yield (p < 0.001), and ECM (p < 0.05). However, milk composition, live weight, time feeding, and pasture consumption were not affected by feeding frequency (p > 0.05). Cattle may have adapted their ingestive behaviour in response to the more intensive strip-grazing regime utilised in this study, with negative consequences for digestive processes and consequently milk production. Intense grazing regimes need to support the ingestive, digestive, and social behaviours of cattle.

During the past decade, Australian and New Zealand dairy farmers have been increasingly exposed to volatility in milk prices, declining terms of trade, climate variability, changing regulation, and increasing consumer demand to demonstrate their ‘social licence to farm’. In response to the varying challenges, it is not surprising that we see significant diversity in dairy-farm systems in Australia and New Zealand. Despite much research effort to address these challenges at both the component and farm-system level, the evidence of adoption and dairy farming-system change over the past 5 years has been inconclusive. The present review explores how farmers and systems research have been affected and are responding, and whether systems research is developing research in the appropriate direction, proactively researching dairy-farming systems that are resilient, profitable and sustainable into the future, notwithstanding the increased volatility that dairy farms are experiencing. While much farm systems research in Australia and New Zealand has addressed the challenges associated with improving productivity and profitability, and the known challenges such as climate variability and improving environmental outcomes, there is need to fore-sight future risk, challenges and opportunities for dairy systems. It is also important that the system researchers explore alternative approaches such as working collaboratively with the known system experts, the dairy farmer, in a participatory environment to increase rate of knowledge transfer and adoption of positive research outcome.

Research has shown advantages of including plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) in grazed perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)-based dairy pastures. Plantain is typically established in dairy pastures during paddock renovation, and included in a mixture with perennial ryegrass. While perennial ryegrass can persist for years, even decades, plantain plant numbers and productivity decline within a few years of establishment. Maintaining the advantage of plantain requires frequent re-establishment. The current research tested the efficacy of two sowing methods (direct-drilling and broadcasting) and three sowing rates (2.5, 5.0, and 7.5 kg of seed/ha) for establishing plantain in existing irrigated perennial ryegrass pastures. Research was conducted on five dairy farms in northern Tasmania, Australia. Sowing occurred in mid-spring 2017, immediately after paddocks were grazed. Plantain establishment was monitored until early autumn 2018. Paddocks were managed as per normal farm practice, resulting in plantain being first grazed ~4 weeks post-sowing, before plants had developed to the recommended minimum six-leaf stage. Dry weather, timing of first grazing after sowing and insect burden challenged plantain establishment. However, both direct drilling and broadcasting were shown to successfully establish plantain into existing perennial ryegrass pastures.

Context: In most pasture-based herds in Australia, supplementation with concentrates is normally a flat rate, with quantities determined by average cow requirements, rather than individual-cow requirements. Comparisons between flat rate and individual feeding rarely show advantages such as milk yield benefits for either. However, in pasture-based systems little is understood regarding milk production responses or levels of pasture substitution, when different groups of cows within the herd are fed concentrates at higher supplementation levels. Aims: To investigate the effect on milk yield, feeding time, and ruminating time, of two flat-rate supplementation levels of concentrate, fed over 8 months to 180 cows selected for one of three different parameters. Methods: Cohorts of cows were selected on contrasting differences for either milk production at the start of lactation, bodyweight, or genotype. Each cohort was divided into two balanced groups receiving either 2 or 6 kg DM/cow.day of concentrate, from approximately 12 days in milk onward. All cows remained part of the main milking herd (total herd size 320 spring-calving cows), with a similar opportunity for all cows to graze pasture or feed on supplemented grass silage during periods of pasture shortage. Milk yield was recorded at each milking and feeding behaviour continuously recorded by MooMonitor+ collars. Results were analysed for three seasonal periods of 10, 12 and 10 weeks (P1, P2 and P3 respectively) commencing in spring. Key results: Mean marginal milk response (L milk per 1 kg DM extra of concentrate) over the trial period was 0.88 L, increasing from 0.71 L in P1, to 0.92 L in P2 and 1.03 L in P3. The high-concentrate cohorts recorded reduced feeding time per day of 37 min overall (46, 35 and 29 min for P1, P2 and P3 respectively). Significant differences were found for milk yield and feeding time between several contrasting cohorts. The lowest marginal milk response was for cross-breed cows in P1 with 0.18 L and feeding reduced by 65 min/cow.day, with the contrasting cohort of Friesian cows at a larger marginal response of 0.94 L and smaller feeding time reduction of 32 min/cow.day. Conclusions: The differences among cohorts demonstrated potential for targeted concentrate feeding to specific groups of cows that respond differently in marginal milk yield and grazing behaviour. Implications: When a significant change is made in strategic amounts of concentrate feeding, the impact not only on marginal milk response should be considered, but also on pasture intake.