Dairy Farm Management Systems | Non-Seasonal, Pasture-Based Milk Production Systems in Western Europe

The majority of milk production systems in Western Europe can be classified as nonseasonal, with the degree of reliance on grazed pasture primarily dependent on grass growing conditions. Within these systems, the Holstein is the dominant dairy cow breed, although other breeds have a significant presence in localized regions. Cows normally calve during the autumn/early winter period, and are housed indoors and offered either grass or maize silage supplemented with concentrates. The grazing season is normally between 6 and 9 months, with supplementary concentrates fed to higher yielding cows during the grazing period. The major challenge in grazing management is to balance the conflict between maximizing intake per cow and the need to ensure a high efficiency of grassland utilization. Feed input–milk output relationships span the full range from 0.75 t concentrate and 5500 l per lactation to 3.5 t concentrate and 13 000 l per lactation. The major endemic diseases are mastitis, infertility, and lameness. Concerns for animal welfare and consumer awareness of potential for transfer of antibiotic resistance to pathogenic bacteria have increased the need for prevention and nontherapeutic control of these conditions. Significant advances in automation, including robotic milking, automated heat detection, and automated feeding systems, offer considerable potential to reduce labor requirements associated with these systems.