User Guide – Pasturing in Pastures

The Pasturing screen allows recording and consulting animal entry and exit in each pasture, with the goal of automatically calculating forage consumption, pasture efficiency, and the impact on milk production.

Pasture Records Table

Each row represents a pasture usage cycle (entry → exit of animals). The fields are:

• Entry Date: Day and time the animals entered the pasture.
• Exit Date: Day and time the animals left the pasture.
• GT (Grazing Time): Number of days the herd remained in the pasture.
• GI (Harvest Interval): Time (in days) from the last use to the new entry.
  👉 Key indicator for evaluating forage rest periods.
• Group / Herd: Identification of the animal group entering.
• Entry Forage Estimate (Kg/DM/ha): Estimated dry matter availability before grazing.
  👉 Automatically linked to the last measurement in the Forage Module.
• Post-Grazing Residual (Kg/DM/ha): Dry matter availability after grazing.
  👉 The system calculates actual consumption by subtracting the residual from the entry estimate.
• HG (Kg/DM/ha): Amount of grass harvested per hectare during the cycle.
• HG (Kg/DM/pasture): Total grass harvested in the pasture.
  👉 Result of multiplying pasture area × HG per hectare.
• Kg/DM/cow/day: Average forage consumed per cow per day during the stay in the pasture.
• Growth Rate (Kg/DM/ha/day): Average daily forage growth in that cycle.
• Grass Height at Residual (cm): Height measured at animal exit.
• Grass Height at Grazing (cm): Height measured at animal entry.
• AVG (Kg/milk/day): Average milk produced per cow per day while in the pasture.
  👉 Calculated automatically from milk production during grazing days.
• Work Time (hrs): Record of man-hours used for pasture management.
• Labor Cost ($): Economic value of work time assigned to this grazing.
• External Service Cost ($): In case of hiring external work (e.g., supplementation, irrigation, machinery).

New Pasturing Form

When creating a new record, the following fields are completed:

1. Entry Date and Time: Exact moment animals enter.
2. Animal Groups:
   • Group or herd to graze.
   • Number of animals (auto-filled).
   • Expected consumption (Kg/DM/cow/day).
3. Expected Residual (Kg/DM/ha): Level of forage to be left.
4. Grass Height at Residual (cm): Field measurement.
5. Last Measurement Date and Data: Automatically retrieved.
6. Grass Height at Grazing (cm): Entry measurement.
7. Total Harvestable Forage: Automatic calculation.
8. Pasture Duration (exit date and time): Determines GT.
9. External Services and Costs: e.g., machinery or technical assistance.
10. Observations: Specific management notes.

📌 Important Notes

• HG, consumption, and average calculations are automatic, based on forage estimates and entry/exit data.
• The AVG (milk) field allows relating pasture use to actual milk production, showing the direct impact of grazing management.
• It is recommended to record grass height accurately both at entry and exit, improving consumption calculation and rest period planning.
• GI (harvest interval) is a key indicator for planning pasture rotation and maintaining grass persistence.