Research strategy

Early in 1999, 60 farmers were selected at random from a group of 90 volunteer farmers with cows expected to calve between April and July 1999. Another 30 who did not wish to test the scheme on their farms agreed to be monitored as a control group over the same period.

A questionnaire was prepared to provide baseline information including baseline data on milk yields of cows to be monitored in the survey.

Cows calving between March and October 1999 were then monitored over a period of at least 200 days post calving. Records were collected, generally at weekly intervals until the 12th week of lactation and fortnightly thereafter, on the quantities of concentrates and forage offered and the milk yield produced on that day.

A follow-up questionnaire was carried out 12 months after the end of the monitoring period. The purpose was to collect information on feeding practices and level of milk yield one year later.

Additional informal interviews were held with farmers during the longitudinal study to obtain information on the availability of credit, their approaches to concentrate feeding and additional information not being obtained through routine data collection.