Grass growth this week jumped to 49kg/day on average across the country. But there are some farms growing twice this. Looking at the map, the growth rates seem to be highest in Munster and lowest in the west.
It’s hard to get your head around how changeable the weather is. From blistering heat last Friday and Saturday, to a deluge of rain on Tuesday. Heavy land was still wet even before Tuesday’s rain. Now it is saturated once again.
The key thing is to do what is right on your own farm. How much you will grow over the next week will depend on average farm cover (higher covers will grow more), how much nitrogen was spread to date, along with soil type and weather conditions. Farms that had a lot of nitrogen spread to date are certainly growing more grass now. Keeping on top of it will be a challenge for all farmers.
Most will have no choice but to close up large portions of the farm for silage and hope that the weather improves in time to cut it, before it is needed back in the rotation. Grass demand must be closely matched to grass growth.
But if average farm cover is high (more than 200kg/cow) then you can afford to let demand be higher than growth because you can afford to let average farm cover run down. In practical terms, it means that most farms should now be stocked at a little over four cows/ha.
The key thing is to watch pre-grazing yields and residuals. I walked a few paddocks early in the week which I thought had a cover of 1,600 to 1,700kg on them, but cutting and weighing told me there was over 2,000kg on the field.
Don’t compromise on residuals – 3.5 to 4cm post-grazing height is the target. This is much easier to achieve if pre-grazing yields are kept below 1,600kg.
Growth rates are up but heavy rain early in the week set most farms back.Farmers must walk their farm and assess grazing conditions and how much grass they have.Most farms can support a stocking rate of over 4 cows/ha at the moment as they either have grass, or have a high growth rate.
Teagasc Curtins Farm, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.87
Growth rate (kg/day) 60
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 186
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.5
Fat % 4.38
Protein % 3.43
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.9
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.1
We have brought demand up to 65kg/day this week with four paddocks out for silage and one paddock out for reseeding. We will probably increase demand further next week. The skipped paddocks are topped up with 90 units of N and slurry for long-term silage and the grazing ground will get 25 units of a stable urea and sulphur compound. We have also cut back the meal to a bare trickle in the parlour and are supplementing minerals through the water. We started breeding yesterday and cows are showing good signs of heat.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.28
Growth rate (kg/day) 54
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 202
Yield (l/cow/day) 24.5
Fat % 4.42
Protein % 3.48
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.99
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
The weather is really frustrating. It’s showery and cold here all week and I’m fed up of strip-grazing cows. The cows are staying out, but they’re only getting 12-hour allocations. We went back in and grazed one paddock that we skipped over last week because growth is back a bit. There was a cover of 1,500kg in it so it was OK and it wasn’t fertilised. We are following the cows with 30 units/acre of urea once a week. We had two cases of displaced abomasums here last week that the vet had to operate on. The change from silage to lush grass might be the cause.
Lifford, Co Donegal
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.62
Growth rate (kg/day) 61
Average farm vover (kg/cow) 186
Yield (l/cow/day) 29
Fat % 4.1
Protein % 3.55
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.22
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 6m 2s
Conditions are challenging but not abnormal for us. We have the sheds and we are using them to prevent damage being done to the fields. We’ve had dirty showers all week so I’m bringing the cows in last thing at night and they get a kilo or two of silage in the shed.
I’m feeding a good bit of meal still as I want to build up grass for silage and the weather is unsettled. There are a few cases of grass tetany around. Cows are milking well but the meal is driving a lot of it. We’re on 12-hour breaks and following the cows with two bags/acre of 18:6:12.
Duncormick, Wexford
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 6.15
Growth rate (kg/day) 110
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 141
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.3
Fat % 3.70
Protein % 4.86
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.96
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.5
We got 19mm of rain on Tuesday and the cows did damage. Grass has been growing over 100kg/day for the past two weeks so I took out three paddocks for silage and brought home the maiden heifers which has driven stocking rate very high. Because of the weather it’s going to be hard to get the silage cut, so we might have to go back grazing one or two of them. I will walk again on Thursday and make a call then. The heifers are only home for breeding and will go to an outfarm the day after they are bulled. I’m following cows with one bag/acre of ASN.
Read more
Alternatives for boosting fodder
Grass growth this week jumped to 49kg/day on average across the country. But there are some farms growing twice this. Looking at the map, the growth rates seem to be highest in Munster and lowest in the west.
It’s hard to get your head around how changeable the weather is. From blistering heat last Friday and Saturday, to a deluge of rain on Tuesday. Heavy land was still wet even before Tuesday’s rain. Now it is saturated once again.
The key thing is to do what is right on your own farm. How much you will grow over the next week will depend on average farm cover (higher covers will grow more), how much nitrogen was spread to date, along with soil type and weather conditions. Farms that had a lot of nitrogen spread to date are certainly growing more grass now. Keeping on top of it will be a challenge for all farmers.
Most will have no choice but to close up large portions of the farm for silage and hope that the weather improves in time to cut it, before it is needed back in the rotation. Grass demand must be closely matched to grass growth.
But if average farm cover is high (more than 200kg/cow) then you can afford to let demand be higher than growth because you can afford to let average farm cover run down. In practical terms, it means that most farms should now be stocked at a little over four cows/ha.
The key thing is to watch pre-grazing yields and residuals. I walked a few paddocks early in the week which I thought had a cover of 1,600 to 1,700kg on them, but cutting and weighing told me there was over 2,000kg on the field.
Don’t compromise on residuals – 3.5 to 4cm post-grazing height is the target. This is much easier to achieve if pre-grazing yields are kept below 1,600kg.
Growth rates are up but heavy rain early in the week set most farms back.Farmers must walk their farm and assess grazing conditions and how much grass they have.Most farms can support a stocking rate of over 4 cows/ha at the moment as they either have grass, or have a high growth rate.
Teagasc Curtins Farm, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.87
Growth rate (kg/day) 60
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 186
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.5
Fat % 4.38
Protein % 3.43
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.9
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.1
We have brought demand up to 65kg/day this week with four paddocks out for silage and one paddock out for reseeding. We will probably increase demand further next week. The skipped paddocks are topped up with 90 units of N and slurry for long-term silage and the grazing ground will get 25 units of a stable urea and sulphur compound. We have also cut back the meal to a bare trickle in the parlour and are supplementing minerals through the water. We started breeding yesterday and cows are showing good signs of heat.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.28
Growth rate (kg/day) 54
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 202
Yield (l/cow/day) 24.5
Fat % 4.42
Protein % 3.48
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.99
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
The weather is really frustrating. It’s showery and cold here all week and I’m fed up of strip-grazing cows. The cows are staying out, but they’re only getting 12-hour allocations. We went back in and grazed one paddock that we skipped over last week because growth is back a bit. There was a cover of 1,500kg in it so it was OK and it wasn’t fertilised. We are following the cows with 30 units/acre of urea once a week. We had two cases of displaced abomasums here last week that the vet had to operate on. The change from silage to lush grass might be the cause.
Lifford, Co Donegal
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.62
Growth rate (kg/day) 61
Average farm vover (kg/cow) 186
Yield (l/cow/day) 29
Fat % 4.1
Protein % 3.55
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.22
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 6m 2s
Conditions are challenging but not abnormal for us. We have the sheds and we are using them to prevent damage being done to the fields. We’ve had dirty showers all week so I’m bringing the cows in last thing at night and they get a kilo or two of silage in the shed.
I’m feeding a good bit of meal still as I want to build up grass for silage and the weather is unsettled. There are a few cases of grass tetany around. Cows are milking well but the meal is driving a lot of it. We’re on 12-hour breaks and following the cows with two bags/acre of 18:6:12.
Duncormick, Wexford
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 6.15
Growth rate (kg/day) 110
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 141
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.3
Fat % 3.70
Protein % 4.86
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.96
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.5
We got 19mm of rain on Tuesday and the cows did damage. Grass has been growing over 100kg/day for the past two weeks so I took out three paddocks for silage and brought home the maiden heifers which has driven stocking rate very high. Because of the weather it’s going to be hard to get the silage cut, so we might have to go back grazing one or two of them. I will walk again on Thursday and make a call then. The heifers are only home for breeding and will go to an outfarm the day after they are bulled. I’m following cows with one bag/acre of ASN.
Read more
Alternatives for boosting fodder
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