Authors conducted a replicated farmlet study to investigate the potential for improving dairy profitability through increasing stocking rates without influencing milk yield per cow. The study was conducted in Pennsylvania on pasture dominated by orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) and Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis). Stocking rate had a positive effect on pasture nutritional quality, particularly when growth was more vigorous, and had a negative relationship with the percentage of the pasture rejected by cows. Seasonal milk yield per cow and milk consumption were not affected by treatments in either year. Consequently, milk production per acre was directly related to stocking rate. An economic analysis of costs and returns indicated that profits per unit area of land increase with stocking rate- a $481/acre advantage was shown for the high stocking rate over the low stocking rate. In contrast, profits per cow decrease with stocking rate- the low stocking rate showed a $36/cow advantage over the high stocking rate. The optimal stocking rate for a given farm therefore will depend on individual farm resources and can be adjusted to meet the constraints of those resources without fear of significant adverse economic input.
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