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Average grass growth this week on our Grass+ farms is 74kg/ha/day, which is more or less the same as last week. The most noticeable thing about growth at the moment is the regional variation. Some farms are growing almost twice as much as others. Moisture deficits are beginning to affect some farms that missed the rain, while reduced fertiliser spreading, and/or a lot of the farm cut recently, is reducing growth on other farms.
Of course, you only need to grow enough to feed the herd and produce enough winter feed. Your grass demand is calculated by multiplying your current stocking rate by how much grass the cows are eating. Holstein Friesians are probably eating over 18kg/day, while Jersey crossbreds are eating closer to 16kg/day, before meal is fed.
On farms with a low demand and a high growth rate, the extra growth will have to be converted to silage in order to maintain quality. Count how many bales you have made so far. A lot of farmers would like to have at least two good-quality bales for every cow in the herd, to be fed when grass is tight next autumn and spring. If you have enough bales, and are still generating surplus, then consider bringing other stock back to the milking platform to increase demand and closing up more ground for second-cut silage on the outblock.
The other option is to reduce nitrogen spreading rates for this month. The advantage to this is that you are saving money on nitrogen and not having to make expensive silage. The downside is that grass can get stemmy on low nitrogen, but at low stocking rates you can graze selectively, that is, to eat the leaf and leave the stem. A good level of clover in the sward will make a big difference.
Teagasc Curtins
Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.92
Growth rate (kg/day) 57
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 163
Yield (l/cow/day) 18.9
Fat % 4.35
Protein % 3.61
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.55
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
Growth rate dropped a good bit this week. The farm has dried out a lot and we could definitely do with more rain. Our average farm cover is fine, as we took back one paddock that was intended for bales. This had a cover of about 2,000kg but it was leafy so we grazed it. If growth rate doesn’t improve, we will be in trouble and will have to introduce some supplement. Our demand is currently 67kg/day. We are still spreading 20 units/acre of nitrogen and we have a week left in the breeding season.
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.58
Growth rate (kg/day) 79
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 150
Yield (l/cow/day) 20.3
Fat % 4.25
Protein % 3.58
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.64
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
Grass is flying it here. The mostly dry and humid weather is really suiting this farm. We skipped over some more paddocks for silage this week. The average farm cover is at 150kg but this is where I want it to be as I can’t see grass growth declining any time soon. Clean-out is reasonably good and, with so much aftergrass from silage in the wedge, quality is good also. Breeding is progressing away, with the bulls doing their work. We are spreading around 25 units of nitrogen per acre after grazing.
Greenfield Farm
Kilkenny
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.12
Growth rate (kg/day) 74
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 149
Yield (l/cow/day) 19
Fat % 4.48
Protein % 3.74
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.61
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
While the growth looks good at 76kg/day, the farm is drying out fast and the recovery after grazing has slowed down a lot. It looks like we are heading into a drought. Demand is low at 57kg but this includes the aftergrass from silage which isn’t fit for grazing yet. Pre-grazing yield is struggling to stay above 1,000kg so we are feeding meal for a few days. We will measure again tomorrow and decide then whether it needs to stay in or not but, looking at the forecast, there doesn’t seem to be much rain on the way.
Ballygarvan
Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.53
Growth rate (kg/day) 62
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 196
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.2
Fat % 4.47
Protein % 3.73
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.96
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
Grass is flying it at the moment, it has been a great year so far, so we can’t complain. We don’t have any ground closed for long- term silage so we just take surpluses when they come. Cows are grazing paddocks that were last grazed 16 or 17 days ago. Pre-grazing yield is around 1,250kg and cows are milking well. I’m spreading 20 units/acre of protected urea with sulphur after grazing. I have a few fields with good clover content and the cow’s milk great on it so I’m planning to over-sow clover into more paddocks.
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