Management and Economic Implications of Intensive Grazing on Dairy Farms in the Northeastern States

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Abstract
The effects of intensive grazing by dairy cattle on annual herbage utilization, forage and crop production, and net returns were,compared,with,a drylot feeding system,for a typical Pennsylva- nia dairy farm using linked spreadsheet models. The 80-ha case farm supported a herd of 53 cowsloss amounted,to 659 kg,of Dma.,The gross margin,was $121 per cow,higher on the grazing farm. Despite this poten- tial to improve,the profitability of dairy farms, the low usage of intensive grazing in the northeastern US is likely to con- tinue until dairy producers become,confi-