Grass continues to compensate for its slow start to the year as growth rates remain unchanged at 72kg daily (DM/ha). This is up around 15% on the ten-year average. There is quite a bit of noise around this figure, however, with some farmers reporting growth rates in excess of 100kg daily.
Weather patterns have been quite inconsistent in the past week too. While some farmers are reporting that drought conditions have gripped their holdings, others have put weaned cows indoors to try to boost grass supply and prevent sod damage. It looks like the country is in for a weekend of patchy rain and high temperatures, which will keep grass growth rates high.
Some farmers on drier ground have said that their current grass performance is comparable to a good spring. While this might be true in terms of the quantities, feeding value will undoubtedly be diminishing. Dry matter content and digestibility are beginning to fall back. Do we need to take action?
It depends. In the coming weeks, cattle due for slaughter straight from grass may benefit from an energy injection. This is particularly true for continental types with frame and room to deepen. Early-maturing cattle that had a good grazing season and are at or above 500kg should get away from grass-only diets late in the back-end, provided grass doesn’t run out.
In the coming weeks, we will publish a strategy guide for grass cattle this back-end.
Farmers targeting an early-turnout need to start thinking about building grass covers. Get out with 20-30 units of N across the whole farm in the coming week. Response to fertiliser is best in times of high grass growth. Farmers who aren’t thinking about an early turnout should ask themselves why not. Ground conditions mightn’t allow cattle out on Valentine’s Day, but when things do dry up how many find themselves chasing grass for the initial weeks before the kick comes? Start increasing grass supply by one to two days of grazing each week. Find a guide to boosting spring grass supply on p36 this week.
James Strain
Co Donegal
Farming system Suckler to weanling
Land type Heavy
Growth rate (kg DM/ha) -
Average farm cover (kg DM/ha) 787
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 3.24
Grass seems to have slowed right down here. We have 16 grazing days ahead, which might seem bang on but is actually tight on a heavier farm like mine. I weaned 16 calves last week and have left the cows in since to try and build up cover slightly. I really needed to wean these calves. While the ground wasn’t saturated, cows were beginning to do some damage. I was having to move stock on earlier than I would like. I’m following cattle with 18-6-12 and 18-20-0 at present, in an effort to improve my soil P and K levels.
So far the calves have shown no ill-effects of the weaning process. They’d been dosed well in advance. Calves don’t need another stressor at weaning time. I noticed that calves were still coughing some weeks after my first pour-on earlier in the season and had to go with a white dose subsequently. I have dung sample sent off to investigate further.
Ger Dineen
Co Cork
Farming system Suckler to beef
Land type Dry
Growth rate (kg DM/ha) 62
Average farm cover (kg DM/ha) 763
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 2.58
We went through a period of drought down here, so the inch-and-a-half of rain that came during the bank holiday was welcome. I expect grass to fly up now. I’m making bales left, right and centre – it’s like the start of the year all over again. This year things are slightly different in that I’m cutting paddocks out quite quickly, before they bulk up, as well as giving them a 24-hour wilt. Paddocks are yielding 4/5 bales per acre this year. I haven’t nearly as many bales in the yard compared with previous years as a result. But what is there is all good stuff.
I might have a bit of a headache in that all of my silage will be too good for dry cows. If the weather allows I will try to make some hay for them, but I could ultimately end up having to buy in some straw as a filler. I already reseeded some paddocks earlier in the grazing season, but will take this opportunity to do more while conditions are good.
Tomás Murphy
Co Laois
Farming system Suckler to beef
Land type Dry
Growth rate (kg DM/ha)
Average farm cover (kg DM/ha) -
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 4.48
The farm has between 12-14 grazing days at present and we’ll begin to build this for winter soon. Our soils are very light and drought conditions set in quickly here. I’d actually slacked off on my N applications for a period while it was very dry.
I dosed calves and did my BDGP genotyping last week. We’re about a month out from beginning the weaning process. I’ll send cows and calves to an out-farm and introduce a creep feeder for a couple of weeks. Half the cows will then be taken out and come home to the sheds for a week. The rest will follow a few days later depending on how settled things are. Since my farm walk back in late-June, I’ve taken out two more extra paddocks. Only for my high stocking rate, many more would’ve come out. We got five bales per acre from them. I’m taking 12 acres of second-cut silage next week and the fodder situation looks good, provided it’s not an extreme winter.
Billy Glasheen
Co Tipperary
Farming system Store to beef
Land type Dry
Growth rate (kg DM/ha) 80
Average farm cover (kg DM/ha) 562
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 1.94
As I kill more and more cattle from grass, my demand is dropping. I now have 91 cattle left on 77 acres. Growth, however, has been going the other way in recent weeks. I’m busy making bales to try and keep the quality good under the cattle. It’s vital that I don’t let grass get too strong – I plan to kill all my cattle from pasture without any meals this year.
Normally I’d be replacing the stock I kill, but I haven’t been to a mart yet this summer. I cannot justify re-stocking at current store prices. It’s frustrating that although I have primed my farm for production, financially my system is still one of the worst-performing in the BETTER farm programme. I’m growing 13t of grass, achieving great growth rates and feeding minimal concentrates. Something has got to change for the store beef farmer. My plan is to keep making top-quality silage which will turn into money either when sold, or fed to cheaper cattle.
Read this week's Grass + Dairy here