The average grass growth on our Grass+ farms increased this week to 67kg per day on average across the country. The best–growing farms in the south are growing over 90kg per day, while some farms in the midlands and west are growing less than 60kg per day. There is a massive difference between these growth rates. The very cold front that hit the country on Tuesday and brought with it frost and hail showers is likely to temper growth rates for this week.
This has been one of the best months of April in living memory. Ground conditions are good and grass growth was stable and close to demand, allowing for good clean-outs, which should ensure good-quality grass over the next few rounds of grazing.
Managing grass in these weeks is all about matching grass demand with grass growth. The objective is to have pre-grazing yields of between 1,300 and 1,500kg/ha. This is best achieved when average farm cover is between 150kg and 180kg per cow. If growth rate is less than demand, average farm cover will decrease, and if growth is higher than demand then it will increase. You can influence demand by taking out or re-introducing silage ground and meal.
Be careful not to close up too much ground for silage, as you could be setting the demand too high. The long-term demand should be in or around the expected growth rate for the month of May and June. If you get a surplus over this, then cut it out for short-term silage.
On the other hand, if farm cover is getting too low (less than 130kg/cow) then action should be taken to avoid getting into a spiral. Grazing some of the lighter silage fields is a sensible approach. Anything above 1,800kg is probably too strong. Alternate grazings with lighter covers if needs be, and increase meal feeding too, if necessary.
In brief
Teagasc Curtins, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.69
Growth rate (kg/day) 51
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 142
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.5
Fat % 4.0
Protein % 3.48
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.72
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Grass growth wasn’t as high as expected here last week. After doing the cover on Monday it was 115kg/cow, which was too low, so we reintroduced a paddock that had been earmarked for silage. It had a cover of 1,700, so it was just about OK to graze. We are also back feeding 2kg of meal too. Demand is now 60kg/day, with 30% of the farm closed for silage. We will monitor growth closely and take out the meal as soon as we can. We started AI on Tuesday and have 19% served already, but this includes 14 late-calving and non-cycling cows that got fixed-time AI with CIDRs.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.65
Growth rate (kg/day) 72
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 166
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.7
Fat % 4.32
Protein % 3.45
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.9
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
Things are going fairly well, despite the frost and hail on Tuesday and Wednesday. We are pushing the farm hard, with a demand of 74kg/day, but I think the growth will continue over the next week. We have 30% of the farm closed for silage and some of this could be grazed again if needs be, so I have this to fall back on. Meal feeding has dropped to 1kg, and they are getting all of their magnesium requirement in this nut. We are spreading 30 units of nitrogen once a week on all the land that was grazed in the previous seven days.
Lifford, Co Donegal
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.55
Growth rate (kg/day) 57
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 235
Yield (l/cow/day) 28.5
Fat % 4.25
Protein % 3.69
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.33
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4.5
The last month has been excellent, with cows out fulltime. March wasn’t too bad either, as we got cows out most of the time with on-off grazing and taking chances when they came. We got all of the first round grazed and started the second round on 15 April. Growth is beginning to take off, I am just waiting for the cold snap to pass before reducing the meal to 2kg or 3kg/cow and take out more paddocks for silage. There was snow and hail blowing around Tuesday and cold again yesterday. I have four cows left to calve and plan to start breeding on 7 May.
Rathdowney, Co Laois
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.93
Growth rate (kg/day) 69
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 142
Yield (l/cow/day) 27.2
Fat % 3.78
Protein % 3.45
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.08
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Grass is flying it here at the minute, despite frost on two nights this week. We made 80 round bales on Tuesday and we plan to reseed 15 acres today or tomorrow. Pre-grazing yields are 1,400kg to 1,500kg, but I plan to walk the farm again today and skip over a few more paddocks. I am following the cows with two bags/acre of 18:6:12 after grazing. All the heifers were synchronised and served last week, and I plan to start the cows next Monday. Cows are on 2kg of meal to cover for grass tetany.
