Current growth rates are around 31 kg DM/ha per day, which is typical for this time of year. Farmers have been pleasantly surprised by better-than-expected regrowth in recently grazed paddocks.
This is partly due to the mild weather, but also because pre-grazing yields are slightly lower this autumn, allowing faster recovery.
However, some farmers are running out of grass sooner than expected. Data from PastureBase shows an average farm cover of 705 kg DM/ha.
The good ground conditions in recent weeks have encouraged more grazing while the weather holds. To manage grass availability, housing cows during the day or night can significantly reduce pressure on grass supply.
Some farmers, particularly on larger farms or where feed or cubicle space is limited, are alternating groups between grazing and feeding silage.
As the milk price continues to improve, keeping grass in the diet is key to maintaining yield, reducing costs, and easing workload.
However, it becomes even more crucial for dairy cows in the spring after calving. A feed budget is crucial for managing grass use now to ensure a good opening farm cover next year.
With lower-than-ideal farm cover this autumn, extra supplementation or silage will be needed to extend the grazing season.
A feed budget helps allocate daily grass and ensures the farm closes at 700-800 kg DM/ha by 1 December.
Heavy rain is expected Thursday night into Friday, but conditions should improve for the weekend. Walking the farm on Friday will help determine if cows can be let out, even if only for a few hours.
Make sure they enter the paddock hungry, and bring them back to the yard once they start gathering by the gap.
Paddocks with good infrastructure, which are targeted for early grazing in the spring, should be grazed now. To preserve clover in paddocks over the winter, it’s important to begin grazing them from now on and close them until the spring.With wet weather expected, it’s crucial to maintain grass in the cows’ diet as long as possible to help lower costs and sustain protein levels.Barry Bateman – Bandon, Co Cork
For the past 10 days, cows have grazed covers of 1,600 kg DM/ha and will continue on similar covers for the next 10 days, rotating on to aftergrass from the 10% cut in early September. Ground conditions remain good, allowing for 24-hour allocations.
We aim to have 50% of the milking platform grazed by 1 November, and the rest during November, targeting a closing cover of 650 kg DM/ha on 1 December.
We’ve just completed our last milk recording and will use the results to plan selective dry cow treatment, repeating the vet’s process of culturing high SCC cows to choose the best dry cow tubes.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 2.62
Growth Rate (kg/day) 39
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 320
Yield (l/cow) 14
Fat% 5.7
Protein% 4.6
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.49
Concentrates 4
Peter Blessing – Nenagh, Co Tipperary
Growth has now increased to 45 kg/day, but for the past five weeks it has averaged just 11 kg/day. Maintaining average farm cover became unmanageable, so we opted to house two-thirds of the cows at the end of September.
These cows have been primarily on zero-grazed grass, with silage supplementing the rest. The remainder have been grazing covers of 800-900 kg DM/ha. After a 13-week breeding period, we had a 5% empty rate.
Although the cows are using up some of our winter fodder, we still expect to have over 100% of what we need, including 42ac of kale that has performed exceptionally well in recent weeks.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 2.94
Growth Rate (kg/day) 45
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 192
Yield (l/cow) 15.6
Fat% 5.27
Protein% 4.45
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.56
Concentrates 6
Sean Cummins – Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford
By the weekend, or possibly as early as Thursday night if the forecasted rain arrives, the cows will be housed overnight. We’re on track to have 65-70% of the farm closed by 1 November.
Ground conditions have been excellent so far, and clean outs are very good. Growth rates remain steady, so we’re confident we’ll hit our target of 750kg DM/ha of a closing farm cover by 1 December.
So far, we’ve grown 12.7t/ha, although that’s 1.5t/ha less than this time last year. With collars on the cows, we only scanned those that showed signs of heat after breeding ended, and just 6% turned out to be empty.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 3.65
Growth Rate (kg/day) 48
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 194
Yield (l/cow) 15.3
Fat% 5.19
Protein% 4.4
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.51
Concentrates 5
Current growth rates are around 31 kg DM/ha per day, which is typical for this time of year. Farmers have been pleasantly surprised by better-than-expected regrowth in recently grazed paddocks.
This is partly due to the mild weather, but also because pre-grazing yields are slightly lower this autumn, allowing faster recovery.
However, some farmers are running out of grass sooner than expected. Data from PastureBase shows an average farm cover of 705 kg DM/ha.
The good ground conditions in recent weeks have encouraged more grazing while the weather holds. To manage grass availability, housing cows during the day or night can significantly reduce pressure on grass supply.
Some farmers, particularly on larger farms or where feed or cubicle space is limited, are alternating groups between grazing and feeding silage.
As the milk price continues to improve, keeping grass in the diet is key to maintaining yield, reducing costs, and easing workload.
However, it becomes even more crucial for dairy cows in the spring after calving. A feed budget is crucial for managing grass use now to ensure a good opening farm cover next year.
With lower-than-ideal farm cover this autumn, extra supplementation or silage will be needed to extend the grazing season.
A feed budget helps allocate daily grass and ensures the farm closes at 700-800 kg DM/ha by 1 December.
Heavy rain is expected Thursday night into Friday, but conditions should improve for the weekend. Walking the farm on Friday will help determine if cows can be let out, even if only for a few hours.
Make sure they enter the paddock hungry, and bring them back to the yard once they start gathering by the gap.
Paddocks with good infrastructure, which are targeted for early grazing in the spring, should be grazed now. To preserve clover in paddocks over the winter, it’s important to begin grazing them from now on and close them until the spring.With wet weather expected, it’s crucial to maintain grass in the cows’ diet as long as possible to help lower costs and sustain protein levels.Barry Bateman – Bandon, Co Cork
For the past 10 days, cows have grazed covers of 1,600 kg DM/ha and will continue on similar covers for the next 10 days, rotating on to aftergrass from the 10% cut in early September. Ground conditions remain good, allowing for 24-hour allocations.
We aim to have 50% of the milking platform grazed by 1 November, and the rest during November, targeting a closing cover of 650 kg DM/ha on 1 December.
We’ve just completed our last milk recording and will use the results to plan selective dry cow treatment, repeating the vet’s process of culturing high SCC cows to choose the best dry cow tubes.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 2.62
Growth Rate (kg/day) 39
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 320
Yield (l/cow) 14
Fat% 5.7
Protein% 4.6
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.49
Concentrates 4
Peter Blessing – Nenagh, Co Tipperary
Growth has now increased to 45 kg/day, but for the past five weeks it has averaged just 11 kg/day. Maintaining average farm cover became unmanageable, so we opted to house two-thirds of the cows at the end of September.
These cows have been primarily on zero-grazed grass, with silage supplementing the rest. The remainder have been grazing covers of 800-900 kg DM/ha. After a 13-week breeding period, we had a 5% empty rate.
Although the cows are using up some of our winter fodder, we still expect to have over 100% of what we need, including 42ac of kale that has performed exceptionally well in recent weeks.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 2.94
Growth Rate (kg/day) 45
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 192
Yield (l/cow) 15.6
Fat% 5.27
Protein% 4.45
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.56
Concentrates 6
Sean Cummins – Kilmacthomas, Co Waterford
By the weekend, or possibly as early as Thursday night if the forecasted rain arrives, the cows will be housed overnight. We’re on track to have 65-70% of the farm closed by 1 November.
Ground conditions have been excellent so far, and clean outs are very good. Growth rates remain steady, so we’re confident we’ll hit our target of 750kg DM/ha of a closing farm cover by 1 December.
So far, we’ve grown 12.7t/ha, although that’s 1.5t/ha less than this time last year. With collars on the cows, we only scanned those that showed signs of heat after breeding ended, and just 6% turned out to be empty.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 3.65
Growth Rate (kg/day) 48
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 194
Yield (l/cow) 15.3
Fat% 5.19
Protein% 4.4
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.51
Concentrates 5
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