Static grass growth as temperature remains cold

After two weeks without any rain, it looks like the dry spell is going to end with rain forecast for today and widespread showers forecast for the weekend.

A lot of land is still drying out, so rain is the last thing farmers on heavy land will be looking for. However, hopefully the rain will bring milder temperatures and activate nitrogen and slurry spread over the last 10 days.

This should boost grass growth, which is lagging in the low teens. Everyone is concerned about the covers of grass on the first-grazed paddocks – a perennial issue. Those with reason to worry are farmers who are starting the second round in or around 1 April. If there is only 500kg on the highest grazed paddock now, in seven days there is likely to be 650kg or 700kg – too low.

Average farm cover shouldn’t drop below 450kg/ha; if it does, you risk going into a spiral and supressing future growth, especially with an uncertain weather forecast. As a rule of thumb, pre-grazing yield is normally twice average farm cover. Heavy supplementation will be required on some farms to keep average farm cover above 450kg, but it shouldn’t be for long.

Those with less reason to worry about re-growths are the majority of farmers, with maybe 50% of the farm left to graze and a planned start of the second round in three weeks’ time.

Provided that sufficient nitrogen has been spread, there should be enough time for these swards to have a decent cover on them before they come around for grazing again.

Steven Fitzgerald

Teagasc Curtins, Co Cork

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9

Growth rate (kg/day) 30

Average farm cover (kg/ha) 855

Yield (l/cow/day) 25

Fat % 4.59

Protein % 3.46

Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.07

Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.5

The farm is in a good position. The average farm cover is reasonably high at 855kg so we have scope to let this drop away down. The only concern is the cover of grass on the first-grazed paddocks, this is low at 500kg. We should be starting the second round on April 8, so hopefully it will have a good bit more on by then. The plan is to start following the cows with fertiliser from that point. We are busy this week doing vaccinations. We have 91% calved and I will tail paint them tomorrow and do four weeks of pre-breeding heat detection. We cut the meal back to 0.5kg/day and we are putting magnesium through the water.

Donal Patton

Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9

Growth rate (kg/day) 11

Average farm cover (kg/ha) 542

Yield (l/cow/day) 22.2

Fat % 4.84

Protein % 3.44

Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.89

Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3

We are almost finished grazing the higher covers. The cows are currently grazing a cover of 2,100kg and when this is finished we drop back to 1,500 and then 1,300. Average farm cover is running low, I don’t want to let it drop below 450kg so I am going to introduce silage as soon as the high cover is grazed. I want to feed 3kg/cow but I think I will just house 30 cows and put these in for the day, it would be easier than feeding 3kg to every cow. I will rotate the cows every day. Fifty-eight per cent of the farm is grazed to date, and the plan is to start the second round on 10 April. The second round of fertiliser has been spread.

David Kerr

Ballyfin, Co Laois

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.6

Growth rate (kg/day) 12

Average farm cover (kg/ha) 300

Yield (l/cow/day) 24.24

Fat % 4.8

Protein % 3.45

Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.0

Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 5

Things are looking bleak here at the moment. There is a cover of only 500kg on the first-grazed paddock and I am due to start the second round in five days’ time. It means I am going to have to feed silage for a couple of days or a week until grass catches up. The farm is set up to grow; there is lots of fertiliser out. It just needs some heat to kick-start growth. The rain that is forecast might increase temperature, but about 25% of my farm is wet so I don’t want rain either. However, I’m comfortable enough to be where I am. I know things will change fast at this time of year. My demand is 12 kg/day with feed in so if I get a reasonable growth rate I’ll be OK.

Richard Geary

Carrigaline, Co Cork

Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.3

Growth rate (kg/day) 2

Average farm cover (kg/ha) 686

Yield (l/cow/day) 26

Fat % 4.44

Protein % 3.32

Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.11

Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 5

I’m OK for grass at the moment but by the middle of next week I’ll be under pressure as I will have finished grazing the high covers so the area grazed per day will increase and the average farm cover will drop sharply. I only recorded 2kg of growth here for the past fortnight as the easterly breeze is really harsh and I’m worried as there doesn’t seem to be any increase in temperatures forecast, despite the rain. I have 70 units/acre of nitrogen out. The plan is to feed some maize next week to slow the rotation down and push the second round out to 5 or 6 April. Cows are milking very well, they went out full-time 10 days ago.