The heavy rain that fell along the west coast last Monday was a further setback on farms that were just recovering from the previous week’s rain. That said, the good weather since has helped a lot and most farmers have used the opportunity to get second-cut and surplus grass cut for silage, which will be a big relief.
The key thing now is to give this area the best chance of coming back fast and contributing to the build-up of grass covers for the autumn. Nearly every farm should be aiming for an average farm cover of 1,100 to 1,200kg/ha by the end of September.
This equates to having covers of 2,200 to 2,400kg on the farm. To get there, rotation length needs to be extended and average farm cover allowed to build up gradually between now and then.
After September, growth rates will collapse, so the only chance to have sufficient grass for October and November grazing and to close at 600 to 700kg/ha is to build up grass now.
I think the discussions around average farm covers should move away from cover per cow to cover per hectare from now on because at high stocking rates you cannot carry a high cover per cow. If you do, the pre-grazing yields will be far too high and cow performance, clean-out and subsequent growth will suffer.
Growth rates are hovering around the mid 50s – slightly above demand on most farms.
With two rounds of nitrogen left to be spread, calculate how much fertiliser you can afford to spread – both in the nitrates and financial budget.
Ideally, 50 units of nitrogen per acre between two applications for reasonably highly stocked farms is optimum. Nitrogen is the cheapest supplement available and a good response will be achieved right up to mid-September.
Get all silage cut this week.Target is to have AFC of 1,100 to 1,200kg DM/ha by end of September.This equates to pre-grazing yields of 2,200 to 2,400kg.Two rounds of nitrogen left, so work out how much you can spread based on nitrates and financial budgets.Stephen Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.19
Growth rate (kg/day) 42
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 663
Yield (kg/cow/day) 19.05
Fat % 4.98
Protein % 3.79
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.67
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
Growth rate has dipped a bit this week, but pre-grazing yields and average farm cover are still OK. We cut out 15% of the farm this week for silage. The covers were low at 1,700 to 1,800kg but it was good to get them off and back growing. We are spreading 20 units per acre after grazing.
Fertility isn’t looking hectic. The indications are that between 12% and 14% will be empty after getting a high incidence of embryo mortality in the last few weeks. All cows got dosed with a pour-on worm dose this week as they were beginning to cough.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.89
Growth rate (kg/day) 74
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 607
Yield (kg/cow/day) 16.78
Fat % 4.56
Protein % 3.76
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.4
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.5
Growth is well up this week and the farm is flying it. We didn’t skip over any paddocks this week as we cut a lot out last week and that area is only just back. The cover per cow is at 210kg so we don’t have any surplus of grass. That said, our stocking rate and demand is low as the whole farm is available for grazing. Demand is 46kg so if the growth rates continue as they are the average farm cover will rise fast. The yield has dropped a bit this week which is a bit disappointing, but that’s probably a reflection of the weather we have been getting. Protein is holding steady at 3.76%.
John Russell
Manorcunningham, Donegal
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.64
Growth rate (kg/day) 58
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 703
Yield (kg/cow/day) 21.63
Fat % 3.86
Protein % 3.53
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.6
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.8
We’ve had a bad time with the weather here for the last month but things have picked up a lot this week and we have silage cut down now. We managed pretty OK during the wet period, by using on/off grazing, and only had to house them one Saturday night. We didn’t increase the meal above 1.8kg a day.
I’m not planning to build up covers for another while yet, probably another two weeks, because growth rates are still good and I think they’re going to stay up now that the weather has improved. Yield is holding up pretty well despite all the weather.
Jim Garry
Ballynacally, Clare
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.46
Growth rate (kg/day) 24
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 680
Yield (kg/cow/day) 20.4
Fat % 4.01
Protein % 3.59
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.55
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
The farm is slowly drying out. We had 43mm of rain in the past week but most of this fell last Wednesday and Friday. We can manage with an odd wet day but the constant rain is a disaster. Some fields that didn’t get fertiliser for a few weeks are just sitting there, barely green. I’m going to spread the whole farm with a bag per acre of pasturesward in a few days.
The cows are milking OK. I have an iodine deficiency so I’ve been supplementing in the water and meal all summer. It’s a bit early yet to see how fertility has gone, I plan to scan at the end of the month.
The heavy rain that fell along the west coast last Monday was a further setback on farms that were just recovering from the previous week’s rain. That said, the good weather since has helped a lot and most farmers have used the opportunity to get second-cut and surplus grass cut for silage, which will be a big relief.
The key thing now is to give this area the best chance of coming back fast and contributing to the build-up of grass covers for the autumn. Nearly every farm should be aiming for an average farm cover of 1,100 to 1,200kg/ha by the end of September.
This equates to having covers of 2,200 to 2,400kg on the farm. To get there, rotation length needs to be extended and average farm cover allowed to build up gradually between now and then.
After September, growth rates will collapse, so the only chance to have sufficient grass for October and November grazing and to close at 600 to 700kg/ha is to build up grass now.
I think the discussions around average farm covers should move away from cover per cow to cover per hectare from now on because at high stocking rates you cannot carry a high cover per cow. If you do, the pre-grazing yields will be far too high and cow performance, clean-out and subsequent growth will suffer.
Growth rates are hovering around the mid 50s – slightly above demand on most farms.
With two rounds of nitrogen left to be spread, calculate how much fertiliser you can afford to spread – both in the nitrates and financial budget.
Ideally, 50 units of nitrogen per acre between two applications for reasonably highly stocked farms is optimum. Nitrogen is the cheapest supplement available and a good response will be achieved right up to mid-September.
Get all silage cut this week.Target is to have AFC of 1,100 to 1,200kg DM/ha by end of September.This equates to pre-grazing yields of 2,200 to 2,400kg.Two rounds of nitrogen left, so work out how much you can spread based on nitrates and financial budgets.Stephen Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.19
Growth rate (kg/day) 42
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 663
Yield (kg/cow/day) 19.05
Fat % 4.98
Protein % 3.79
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.67
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
Growth rate has dipped a bit this week, but pre-grazing yields and average farm cover are still OK. We cut out 15% of the farm this week for silage. The covers were low at 1,700 to 1,800kg but it was good to get them off and back growing. We are spreading 20 units per acre after grazing.
Fertility isn’t looking hectic. The indications are that between 12% and 14% will be empty after getting a high incidence of embryo mortality in the last few weeks. All cows got dosed with a pour-on worm dose this week as they were beginning to cough.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.89
Growth rate (kg/day) 74
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 607
Yield (kg/cow/day) 16.78
Fat % 4.56
Protein % 3.76
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.4
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.5
Growth is well up this week and the farm is flying it. We didn’t skip over any paddocks this week as we cut a lot out last week and that area is only just back. The cover per cow is at 210kg so we don’t have any surplus of grass. That said, our stocking rate and demand is low as the whole farm is available for grazing. Demand is 46kg so if the growth rates continue as they are the average farm cover will rise fast. The yield has dropped a bit this week which is a bit disappointing, but that’s probably a reflection of the weather we have been getting. Protein is holding steady at 3.76%.
John Russell
Manorcunningham, Donegal
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.64
Growth rate (kg/day) 58
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 703
Yield (kg/cow/day) 21.63
Fat % 3.86
Protein % 3.53
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.6
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.8
We’ve had a bad time with the weather here for the last month but things have picked up a lot this week and we have silage cut down now. We managed pretty OK during the wet period, by using on/off grazing, and only had to house them one Saturday night. We didn’t increase the meal above 1.8kg a day.
I’m not planning to build up covers for another while yet, probably another two weeks, because growth rates are still good and I think they’re going to stay up now that the weather has improved. Yield is holding up pretty well despite all the weather.
Jim Garry
Ballynacally, Clare
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.46
Growth rate (kg/day) 24
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 680
Yield (kg/cow/day) 20.4
Fat % 4.01
Protein % 3.59
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.55
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
The farm is slowly drying out. We had 43mm of rain in the past week but most of this fell last Wednesday and Friday. We can manage with an odd wet day but the constant rain is a disaster. Some fields that didn’t get fertiliser for a few weeks are just sitting there, barely green. I’m going to spread the whole farm with a bag per acre of pasturesward in a few days.
The cows are milking OK. I have an iodine deficiency so I’ve been supplementing in the water and meal all summer. It’s a bit early yet to see how fertility has gone, I plan to scan at the end of the month.
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