A comparison of conventional and automatic milking system pasture utilization and pre‐ and post‐grazing pasture mass

Automatic milking systems (AMS) present an opportunity for dairy farmers to not only improve their lifestyle and conditions of work, but also save on labour costs and/or increase the time available to focus on overall farm management. However, the viability of AMS will rely on achieving high levels of pasture utilization. Well‐established pasture management principles are implemented on many conventional milking system (CMS) farms and high levels of pasture utilization are achieved; however, the ability to follow these same principles on AMS is unknown. This study compared levels of pasture utilization and pre‐ and post‐grazing pasture mass between AMS and CMS farms at the same site when managed by the same pasture management principles. From 1 March 2007 to 29 February 2008, pre‐ and post‐grazing compressed height, milk yield and milk composition data were collected for two CMS farms and one AMS farm at the Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Camden, Australia. Despite differences in pre‐ and post‐ grazing pasture mass between milking systems, pre‐grazing mass was predominantly maintained within the bounds of 2200 and 2500 kg DM ha^?1 and post‐grazing mass between 1400 and 1500 kg DM ha^?1 (5–6 cm height). Similar levels of pasture utilization (mean 13 500 kg DM ha^?1 year^?1) were recorded between AMS and CMS farms. These findings highlight the ability to follow established grazing management principles and achieve high levels of pasture utilization on pasture‐based AMS farms.