Perry County Dairy Producer Gives Inside Look At Rotational Grazing Operation, How To Drive Strong Milk Production And Pasture Health

In the Center for Dairy Excellence’s latest episode of the “Cow-Side Conversations” podcast, Neil Hertzler of Rock Hollow Dairy LLC in Perry County, Pennsylvania shares how his family transitioned their dairy operation to a rotational grazing model years ago. 

The Hertzlers have 240 milking cows and are passionate about giving their cows as much grass and sunlight as possible. 

With the start of winter and many grazing herds moving their cows off the grass, Neil describes some of the rewards of a pasture-based model, including strong milk production, herd health and longevity, and lower equipment costs. 

He also shares some of the challenges, including weather patterns, moving large groups of cattle, heat spells and lameness.

Neil opens the podcast by describing the size and scale of his family’s dairy operation. He farms alongside his wife and four sons as well as his brother-in-law, sister, and a few employees. 

All together, they farm approximately 600 acres. Half of that acreage is a permanent pasture system. 

As a seasonal dairy farm, they average about 240 milking cows and go as high as 270 cows. Neil breeds for the spring and fall, so they can match when the grasses are growing strong. 

His father initiated the rotational grazing model when Neil came home from college in 1999.

“We rotationally graze the cows, and that has been our core. What we love to do is graze cows on grass in a pasture-based system,” Neil says in the podcast. “When I came home from college, I fell in love with that style system. It has been fascinating to me. Before that, our cows were kept in the barn and we brought the feed to them.”

Click Here to listen to the podcast and for more information.

[Posted: December 6, 2023]  PA Environment Digest