We are now in the second half of October and most farms will have close to 50% of their farms closed by the end of next week, if not more, especially those on heavy soil.

It's important farmers continue to walk the farm and monitor the grass covers. With growth rates below average for this time of year and conditions still very good for grazing, it means grass is disappearing on the ground.

There are four areas to focus on in your final rotation, listed in order of important below.

1. Getting a high percentage of ground closed in October

Target is 60% to 70% by 1 November. This ensures you will have a cover grass next spring.

Use your autumn rotational planner to monitor this and, for most, they will find themselves ahead of target.

This will mean they can afford to go in with extra supplement or will need to reduce stock numbers in the land to stretch out the days at grass.

2. Graze outs

Grazing out the paddocks well in the final rotation is extremely important, as it sets up grass quality for the coming year.

Allocation is key here - 12 hours ideally and try not let stock go back over grazed ground, as it is much more subject to poaching. Good grazing infrastructure is also a big help.

3. Target closing cover

Know the target closing cover you want in order to have enough grass to meet your demand in spring.

Your closing cover is done on 1 December regardless of housing date and should range from 500kg to 800kg DM/ha.

Factor in turn-out date in the spring, early demand and winter growth on your farm.

If cows are housed on 1 November, remember to take November's grass growth into consideration when trying to achieve your target. This can be monitored on PastureBase through the grass budget feature.

4. Picking your paddocks

Set up your paddocks for spring so you have the right covers on the right fields.

The paddocks that you closed up first will have the highest covers on the farm next spring and want to be dry if possible.

Fields grazed this week will be at an ideal cover for early grazing. Target grazing paddocks with good access near the milking parlour this week, as it will help you get cows out early next spring and ensure good utilisation, as covers will be lower and also help get a high percentage of ground grazed early.