Samenvatting

The goal of this research was to find out if, and if yes, how, grazing management could be used to improve concentrate feed efficiency and thus farm income on commercial Irish dairy farms. The research was carried out on a commercial Irish dairy farm milking 240 crossbred cows on a dry farm with sandy loam soil during the second and half of the third grazing round. Data regarding feed efficiency, dry matter cover, paddock size, grass varieties, soil P and K levels and fertilizer application were gathered from available farm data. Weather data were gathered from the national meteorological institution. Because the data were gathered on only one farm, the research should be treated as a pilot study. The study is a valuable source of information on what grazing management factors could improve feed efficiency, but more research should be done to see if the same results can be achieved at different farms and over a longer period.