It’s time to plan for autumn grazing

While growth rates are exceptional for the time of year, grazing conditions have deteriorated considerably in the west and southwest of the country. Average growth rate on those farms measuring grass came in at 66kg per day this week, which is 10 to 20kg per day higher than would be normal at this time of the year.

Many farmers in the west and southwest decided to hold cattle indoors at the start of the week and some are getting them out for a few hours as the week progresses.

The use of strip wires is now almost mandatory as many farmers are going into covers over 2,000kg (10” to 12” of grass). With wet conditions, you almost have no choice but to use a 12-hour wire if you want to protect grass ahead of the cows and prevent damage to paddocks. Farmers are tuning into the start for closing paddocks in October. If you start closing in October then you need to aim to have 60% grazed by the end of the first week of November.

Options for reducing stocking rate must be looked at if rain continues – can you take out the cows not in-calf? Can you look at drying off some first-calvers that are in-calf and need a boost?

If farm cover is below target (1,000kg at 2.5 cows/ha) then you need to take quick action to rectify. This might mean supplement or reducing stocking rate or a combination of both.

Shane Leane

Teagasc Curtins Farm

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.96

Growth rate (kg/day) 59

Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,086

Yield (l/cow/day) 15

Fat % 5.23

Protein % 3.98

Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.42

Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2

We have the strip wire up and are grazing 24-hour allocations. It’s essential even on a dry farm like ours when we get such heavy rain. Growth rate has held up and is well above normal for the time of year so we are on track for grass cover.

We will hit the 1,200kg average farm cover target for end of September if growth rates continue and we don’t get very cold weather. We are grazing covers of 2,000kg DM/ha, average farm cover is 1,086 (367kg/cow).

Donal Patton

Teagasc Ballyhaise

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.78

Growth rate (kg/day) 60

Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1.50

Yield (l/cow/day) 14

Fat % 5.14

Protein % 3.85

Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.3

Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1

We got a lot of rain Friday and we had to go back to 12-hour allocations to prevent damage. We are going into covers of 2,000kg so we need to clean it out fairly well. We will probably hit a peak cover of 1,150kg, which is high enough for us on heavier ground.

We could do with 10 dry days because we have a lot of grass on heavier paddocks but we will skip out of rotation if needs be and wait for dry weather. The last round of fertiliser has gone out and in total this year we have used over 70% urea (46% N) as our nitrogen source.

Conor Creedon

Co Kerry

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.7

Growth rate (kg/day) 80

Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,030

Yield (l/cow/day) 13

Fat % 5.19

Protein % 4.66

Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.31

Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1

We measured over 60mm over last week, with Friday and Monday the most difficult for grazing. Thankfully, things have dried up and the milk price lift is also welcome. We kept cows out and we kept the heifers moving around also to reduce damage. Milk dropped over weekend but it’s back up around 13 litres now as intakes improve. At our stocking rate (3.7) we will have to look at feeding 2kg to 3kg of soya hulls sooner rather than later. I have culls I can sell or first-calvers that I can dry off. Growth was exceptional this week at 80kg per day.

David Lonergan

Fermoy, Co Cork

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.8

Growth rate (kg/day) 72

Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,070

Yield (l/cow/day) 15.5

Fat % 5.02

Protein % 4.12

Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.44

Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1

Grazing conditions were tricky enough at the start of the week but improved as the week progressed. We haven’t been forced into putting up the strip wire yet and if the weather dries up as predicted we should be OK for this week. About 55% of the herd are first and second calvers. I’m conscious that we don’t want to burn condition score so I will be looking after these young cows, especially when we start the real long walks later in the autumn. So far, we have utilised 12.3t/ha. Current yield is about 15.5 litres at 9% solids. We got a milk boost following a worm dose after we dung-sampled 20 cows.