Grass growth has been phenomenal over the past week. The average growth rate recorded on our Grass + farms was 105kg/ha/day. This is an increase of 30kg/day on last week. The challenge for farmers now is to keep on top of grass quality and avoid the risk of grazing grass that is gone too strong.
In these periods of high growth rates, you must walk the farm twice a week and make decisions based on what you see. Rotation length must be reduced from 21 days down to a planned 17 or 18 days.
In this time of significant growth, you will have to graze paddocks that were last grazed 14 or 15 days ago. At a growth rate of 100kg/day, in 15 days a paddock that was grazed to zero will have 1,500kg back on it.
In this weather, the mower is your only friend. Skip over paddocks that are gone too strong for silage. The weather is changeable so it is hard to know when they will be cut and baled, but there is no major panic for a week or 10 days.
Keeping the stocking rate high for a fortnight will be OK, but remember that high growth rates won’t last forever so it is important to reduce demand and get more ground back into the rotation before growth slips again. Setting demand at 80 or 90kg/day for the next week or two should be OK.
The important thing is to maintain quality grass going into the cows.
As sure as night follows day, we will see a drop in milk protein percentage nationally now that growth has taken off. Avoid this by keeping pre-grazing yield at between 1,300 and 1,500kg.
In periods of rapid growth rates, you should target lower pre-grazing yields because by the time you get into them there could be another 200kg on them.
Rapid grass growth rates over the past week.Average growth is 105kg/day.Paddocks must be skipped over for silage.Keep pre-grazing yield at 1,300 to 1,500kg/ha.
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.95
Growth rate (kg/day) 86
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 148
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.8
Fat % 4.56
Protein % 3.48
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.88
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
We cut the silage on Monday evening. The growth over the past week was 100kg/day. After skipping over three paddocks for silage, the average growth dropped back to 86kg/day. These three paddocks were cut on Monday too. Pre-grazing yield is 1,500kg. Only a small bit of meal is being fed and cows are getting magnesium through the water. We have increased fertiliser being spread to 30 units/acre after grazing. The bulls are going out at the weekend, but we will continue to AI for a week after they go out. We are over-sowing the whole farm with clover at a rate of 1.5kg/acre.
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 5.8
Growth rate (kg/day) 109
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 127
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.5
Fat % 4.35
Protein % 3.52
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.91
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
Grass is jumping out of the ground at the moment. I had a few paddocks at 1,500kg/ha that I skipped over because I felt they were gone too strong. This is a risky move as it has pushed stocking rate up to 5.8 cows/ha. I hope to get these paddocks cut this week.
The area we cut for silage isn’t included yet as it is still greening up. I think the good growth rates will continue for another week anyway.
Cows are currently grazing a cover of 1,400kg which was last grazed 13 days ago. We are 20 days into breeding and have 94% submitted.
Currow, Co Kerry
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.43
Growth rate (kg/day) 92
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 162
Yield (l/cow/day) 25.4
Fat % 4.08
Protein % 3.59
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2.5
Grass is flying it. I walk the farm twice a week these days to try and keep on top of growth. The cost of grazing a paddock gone too strong is massive as protein will drop very fast.
We grew 92kg/day from Thursday to Monday, and 106kg/day up to last Thursday. I skipped over two paddocks for silage and these will be cut for bales. I staggered the first-cut silage – half of it is done and the rest will be done next week hopefully.
Breeding is going well. I got 93% submitted in 21 days and the vet is coming to check the cows not served tonight.
Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.23
Growth rate (kg/day) 100
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 142
Yield (l/cow/day) 21
Fat % 3.95
Protein % 3.62
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.64
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.5
I’m walking the farm twice a week at the moment to try and keep on top of grass. The bulling heifers were on the milking block for the last few weeks but I took them to the out-farm on Tuesday so this reduced demand at home and I skipped over two paddocks.
The plan now for the rest of the summer is to skip over paddocks for bales whenever I get a surplus. While making bales is a bit of a nuisance, it’s good to have them and grass quality improves after cutting. Rotation length has been reduced to 18 days and cows are grazing covers of 1,300kg.
Grass+ beef: don’t take the eye off the ball at silage time
Grass growth has been phenomenal over the past week. The average growth rate recorded on our Grass + farms was 105kg/ha/day. This is an increase of 30kg/day on last week. The challenge for farmers now is to keep on top of grass quality and avoid the risk of grazing grass that is gone too strong.
In these periods of high growth rates, you must walk the farm twice a week and make decisions based on what you see. Rotation length must be reduced from 21 days down to a planned 17 or 18 days.
In this time of significant growth, you will have to graze paddocks that were last grazed 14 or 15 days ago. At a growth rate of 100kg/day, in 15 days a paddock that was grazed to zero will have 1,500kg back on it.
In this weather, the mower is your only friend. Skip over paddocks that are gone too strong for silage. The weather is changeable so it is hard to know when they will be cut and baled, but there is no major panic for a week or 10 days.
Keeping the stocking rate high for a fortnight will be OK, but remember that high growth rates won’t last forever so it is important to reduce demand and get more ground back into the rotation before growth slips again. Setting demand at 80 or 90kg/day for the next week or two should be OK.
The important thing is to maintain quality grass going into the cows.
As sure as night follows day, we will see a drop in milk protein percentage nationally now that growth has taken off. Avoid this by keeping pre-grazing yield at between 1,300 and 1,500kg.
In periods of rapid growth rates, you should target lower pre-grazing yields because by the time you get into them there could be another 200kg on them.
Rapid grass growth rates over the past week.Average growth is 105kg/day.Paddocks must be skipped over for silage.Keep pre-grazing yield at 1,300 to 1,500kg/ha.
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.95
Growth rate (kg/day) 86
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 148
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.8
Fat % 4.56
Protein % 3.48
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.88
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
We cut the silage on Monday evening. The growth over the past week was 100kg/day. After skipping over three paddocks for silage, the average growth dropped back to 86kg/day. These three paddocks were cut on Monday too. Pre-grazing yield is 1,500kg. Only a small bit of meal is being fed and cows are getting magnesium through the water. We have increased fertiliser being spread to 30 units/acre after grazing. The bulls are going out at the weekend, but we will continue to AI for a week after they go out. We are over-sowing the whole farm with clover at a rate of 1.5kg/acre.
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 5.8
Growth rate (kg/day) 109
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 127
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.5
Fat % 4.35
Protein % 3.52
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.91
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
Grass is jumping out of the ground at the moment. I had a few paddocks at 1,500kg/ha that I skipped over because I felt they were gone too strong. This is a risky move as it has pushed stocking rate up to 5.8 cows/ha. I hope to get these paddocks cut this week.
The area we cut for silage isn’t included yet as it is still greening up. I think the good growth rates will continue for another week anyway.
Cows are currently grazing a cover of 1,400kg which was last grazed 13 days ago. We are 20 days into breeding and have 94% submitted.
Currow, Co Kerry
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.43
Growth rate (kg/day) 92
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 162
Yield (l/cow/day) 25.4
Fat % 4.08
Protein % 3.59
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2.5
Grass is flying it. I walk the farm twice a week these days to try and keep on top of growth. The cost of grazing a paddock gone too strong is massive as protein will drop very fast.
We grew 92kg/day from Thursday to Monday, and 106kg/day up to last Thursday. I skipped over two paddocks for silage and these will be cut for bales. I staggered the first-cut silage – half of it is done and the rest will be done next week hopefully.
Breeding is going well. I got 93% submitted in 21 days and the vet is coming to check the cows not served tonight.
Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.23
Growth rate (kg/day) 100
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 142
Yield (l/cow/day) 21
Fat % 3.95
Protein % 3.62
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.64
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.5
I’m walking the farm twice a week at the moment to try and keep on top of grass. The bulling heifers were on the milking block for the last few weeks but I took them to the out-farm on Tuesday so this reduced demand at home and I skipped over two paddocks.
The plan now for the rest of the summer is to skip over paddocks for bales whenever I get a surplus. While making bales is a bit of a nuisance, it’s good to have them and grass quality improves after cutting. Rotation length has been reduced to 18 days and cows are grazing covers of 1,300kg.
Grass+ beef: don’t take the eye off the ball at silage time
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