Grass growth is continuing to hold steady, but at 49kg DM/ha it is about 10kg DM/ha back on this time last year, with no real sign of improvement.
A good proportion of farmers are still behind target for the time of the year. Having the demand at 20kg DM/ha lower than your growth for a two-week period would see a farm cover going from 600 to 880 kg DM/ha.
You’ll find growth rates really start to take off once the average farm cover hits 700kg/ha and greater, but time is not on our side.
We really need an exceptional late September and October of grass growth to get back on target, but that could be wishful thinking.
For farms that have received sufficient rainfall and are seeing normal grass growth, it’s crucial to complete a grass budget on PastureBase and monitor it closely to achieve an optimal average farm cover of 1,100-1,200kg DM/ha by late September.
There is only 20-25% of the grass growing season remaining, so it is important to walk the farm to assess growth and grass availability at this time of the year.
Growth can vary even within the same county depending on rainfall, so make a plan in relation to your farm and not the farm on the other side of the ditch.
Important Dates
The final day for applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers is 14 September.
However, slurry can still be spread until 1 October to support grass growth in the coming months.
Potassium can be applied year-round, but now is ideal, as are conditions for lime application. Lime helps correct soil pH, improving phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) availability.
Check soil test results to determine the right lime quantity, ensuring no more than 7.5 t/ha (3 t/acre) in one application. If more is needed, apply half now and the rest in two years.
Delaying lime and potassium applications risks missing the window if weather conditions change.
Walk the farm weekly to assess growth rates, as growth is variable across the country.Rotation length should be at 35 days. Despite moderate growth rates, farm cover is below target for many, so supplementing may be required.Mid-September average farm cover targets:
1,050kg DM/ha on farms stocked at 2.5LU/ha.
1,150kg DM/ha on farms stocked at 3LU/ha.
1,200kg DM/ha on farms stocked at 3.5LU/ha.Denis Lahart – Kells, Co Kilkenny
The brakes are on and I can’t see them being lifted before the year ends in terms of grazing. Our region has only received 40% of the expected average rainfall for the month of August.
Cows are grazing covers of 1,200-1,300kg DM/ha with super clean outs, but they are on 12-hour allocations and are coming in hungry to high quality bale silage.
This time last year growth was between 65 to 70kg DM/ha, but it has been in the low 30s for the past month or so, making it practically impossible to build up covers.
Cows are being followed with 25 units of pasture sward and it will continue until the deadline.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 3.31
Growth Rate (kg/day) 30
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 180
Yield (l/cow) 20
Fat% 4.89
Protein% 3.95
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.82
Concentrates 5
Percy Mills – Kilcullen, Co Kildare
With colder temperatures forecast I expect growth to slow down quickly. To reduce demand and build covers, I’m introducing 5kg of silage, with added sugar beet and beet pulp nuts, which should help maintain milk production for a few more weeks.
This silage was reserved for a potential drought, but luckily we received enough rain throughout the year to maintain grass growth.
Cows were scanned through their milk samples and are showing 7.5 % empty, with the collars showing similar results. We’re currently 100 tonnes short of fodder for a five-month winter, but our final cut of 70 acres will be cut next week.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 3.79
Growth Rate (kg/day) 78
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 245
Yield (l/cow) 17.3
Fat% 5.58
Protein% 4.14
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.73
Concentrates 1
John Joe Collins – Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Growth is currently 35kg DM/ha above demand, allowing covers to continue to build well. Last week’s good weather allowed us to resume normal grazing, with cows now grazing covers of 1,600-1,700kg DM/ha in 12-hour intervals before coming in for 6kg DM of first-cut red clover bales. The favourable conditions have also ensured good cleanouts.
We found 13% of cows empty following a nine-and-a-half-week breeding programme. Next week, I plan to rank the clover paddocks from best to worst so I can earmark the top ones for grazing at the end of October during the last round.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 2.72
Growth Rate (kg/day) 55
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 311
Yield (l/cow) 17.6
Fat% 4.81
Protein% 3.91
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.58
Concentrates 3
Grass growth is continuing to hold steady, but at 49kg DM/ha it is about 10kg DM/ha back on this time last year, with no real sign of improvement.
A good proportion of farmers are still behind target for the time of the year. Having the demand at 20kg DM/ha lower than your growth for a two-week period would see a farm cover going from 600 to 880 kg DM/ha.
You’ll find growth rates really start to take off once the average farm cover hits 700kg/ha and greater, but time is not on our side.
We really need an exceptional late September and October of grass growth to get back on target, but that could be wishful thinking.
For farms that have received sufficient rainfall and are seeing normal grass growth, it’s crucial to complete a grass budget on PastureBase and monitor it closely to achieve an optimal average farm cover of 1,100-1,200kg DM/ha by late September.
There is only 20-25% of the grass growing season remaining, so it is important to walk the farm to assess growth and grass availability at this time of the year.
Growth can vary even within the same county depending on rainfall, so make a plan in relation to your farm and not the farm on the other side of the ditch.
Important Dates
The final day for applying nitrogen and phosphorus fertilisers is 14 September.
However, slurry can still be spread until 1 October to support grass growth in the coming months.
Potassium can be applied year-round, but now is ideal, as are conditions for lime application. Lime helps correct soil pH, improving phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) availability.
Check soil test results to determine the right lime quantity, ensuring no more than 7.5 t/ha (3 t/acre) in one application. If more is needed, apply half now and the rest in two years.
Delaying lime and potassium applications risks missing the window if weather conditions change.
Walk the farm weekly to assess growth rates, as growth is variable across the country.Rotation length should be at 35 days. Despite moderate growth rates, farm cover is below target for many, so supplementing may be required.Mid-September average farm cover targets:
1,050kg DM/ha on farms stocked at 2.5LU/ha.
1,150kg DM/ha on farms stocked at 3LU/ha.
1,200kg DM/ha on farms stocked at 3.5LU/ha.Denis Lahart – Kells, Co Kilkenny
The brakes are on and I can’t see them being lifted before the year ends in terms of grazing. Our region has only received 40% of the expected average rainfall for the month of August.
Cows are grazing covers of 1,200-1,300kg DM/ha with super clean outs, but they are on 12-hour allocations and are coming in hungry to high quality bale silage.
This time last year growth was between 65 to 70kg DM/ha, but it has been in the low 30s for the past month or so, making it practically impossible to build up covers.
Cows are being followed with 25 units of pasture sward and it will continue until the deadline.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 3.31
Growth Rate (kg/day) 30
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 180
Yield (l/cow) 20
Fat% 4.89
Protein% 3.95
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.82
Concentrates 5
Percy Mills – Kilcullen, Co Kildare
With colder temperatures forecast I expect growth to slow down quickly. To reduce demand and build covers, I’m introducing 5kg of silage, with added sugar beet and beet pulp nuts, which should help maintain milk production for a few more weeks.
This silage was reserved for a potential drought, but luckily we received enough rain throughout the year to maintain grass growth.
Cows were scanned through their milk samples and are showing 7.5 % empty, with the collars showing similar results. We’re currently 100 tonnes short of fodder for a five-month winter, but our final cut of 70 acres will be cut next week.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 3.79
Growth Rate (kg/day) 78
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 245
Yield (l/cow) 17.3
Fat% 5.58
Protein% 4.14
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.73
Concentrates 1
John Joe Collins – Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Growth is currently 35kg DM/ha above demand, allowing covers to continue to build well. Last week’s good weather allowed us to resume normal grazing, with cows now grazing covers of 1,600-1,700kg DM/ha in 12-hour intervals before coming in for 6kg DM of first-cut red clover bales. The favourable conditions have also ensured good cleanouts.
We found 13% of cows empty following a nine-and-a-half-week breeding programme. Next week, I plan to rank the clover paddocks from best to worst so I can earmark the top ones for grazing at the end of October during the last round.
Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 2.72
Growth Rate (kg/day) 55
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 311
Yield (l/cow) 17.6
Fat% 4.81
Protein% 3.91
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.58
Concentrates 3
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