What are the main farming methods used by the industry?
In Australia, the majority of dairy farms use a pasture based farming system. This means most of a cow's diet comes from fresh grazed grass, with a small amount of other feed sources to fill any nutritional gaps depending on the season and climatic variation.
Last updated 31/01/2025
Australia has one of the world’s most diverse dairy industries, both in terms of farming methods or systems and climate, spanning from Tasmania to north Queensland and across to south-west Western Australia.
In Australia, the majority of dairy farms are pasture based meaning most of a cow's diet comes from fresh grazed grass, with a small amount of other feed sources to fill any nutritional gaps.
Overall, about 60-65% of a cow's diet comes from fresh grazed grass averaged out over a 'normal' seasonal year. This results in cost efficient, high-quality milk production.
The remainder of a cows nutritional needs come from supplement feeds. This can include grains, silage (preserved pasture) and hay (dried pasture).
Some of the technologies that are used to maximise pasture based systems are available here:
Dairy Australia also has a number of tools to support farmers during the higher supplemented feed periods:
https://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/farm/feedbase-and-animal-nutrition/tools
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