Pasture
16.6% dry matter, 11 MJ of metabolisable energy per kg of dry matter, 21% crude protein and 44% fibre (NDF) — the state the calculator opens on, and the cited reference values behind it. The table below shows how far that moves across the season.
Also called grass, ryegrass/clover pasture.
Composition through the season
Energy is MJ ME per kg of dry matter. Everything else is a percentage of dry matter.
| State | DM % | ME | Protein | Fibre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasture (NZ spring midpoint) | 16.6 | 11 | 21% | 44% |
| Pasture (leafy spring) | 16.6 | 11.9 | 26.4% | 41.7% |
| Pasture — summer (stemmy) | 25 | 9.5 | 12.5% | 57% |
| Pasture — autumn (medium) | 15 | 11.3 | 17.5% | 43% |
Macro-minerals, % of dry matter
- Calcium
- 0.8%
- Phosphorus
- 0.38%
- Magnesium
- 0.24%
- Sodium
- 0.27%
- Potassium
- 3.2%
- Sulphur
- 0.33%
Chloride is left out on purpose: standard lab digestion doesn't recover it, so published feed tables leave it blank and ours would be an estimate. A mineral left out here is one the source table didn't report — not a measured zero.
Where these numbers come from
- Pasture (NZ spring midpoint)
- New Zealand rotational dairy pasture — the midpoint of the published winter/spring range (PubMed Central PMC9367542).
- Pasture (leafy spring)
- A real Hill Labs herbage certificate, January sample — leafy spring pasture at its peak. This is pasture at its spring best, not a year-round average. For the rest of the year the seasonal pasture entries will be closer.
- Pasture — summer (stemmy)
- DairyNZ Facts & Figures Ch.5, “Effect of season on pasture composition” — the midpoint of the published range.
- Pasture — autumn (medium)
- DairyNZ Facts & Figures Ch.5, “Effect of season on pasture composition” — the midpoint of the published range.
How it compares
Other forages in the library, ordered by how close they sit to Pasture on energy.
| Feed | DM % | ME | Protein | Fibre | c/MJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasture (NZ spring midpoint)this page | 16.6 | 11 | 21% | 44% | — |
| Plantain | 14 | 11 | 19% | 35% | — |
| Greenfeed oats + Italian ryegrass | 14 | 11.5 | 15% | 34% | — |
| Kale | 14 | 11.5 | 9% | 31% | — |
| Maize silage | 35 | 10.5 | 7% | 45% | 3.3c |
A dash under c/MJ means the feed isn't bought — grazed pasture and standing crops carry no purchase price, and showing them at zero would read as free.
Does it feed the animal?
A composition on its own can't tell you that. Open the calculator with Pasture added to the diet, set your stock and how much of it they're getting, and it will tell you what the diet actually supports — and which of energy, protein or gut fill runs out first.
Feedwise gives indicative models for decision support. It is not a substitute for a nutritionist or veterinarian — for animal-health decisions, talk to your vet.