Last week’s high temperatures have led to a significant improvement in ground conditions on more marginal areas of Newford Farm. This in turn has increased grass utilisation and allowed paddocks to be grazed down to 3.5cm to 4cm. Grass has also been harder to manage with some swards starting to head out.
Farm manager Matthew Murphy is keeping good-quality grass ahead of cows and, where possible, is removing surplus paddocks for baled silage with 21 bales made in recent days.
Matthew says it is paddocks with a cover of grass that are hardest to manage with growth on these exceeding 100kg DM/ha in the last week. This is in contrast to recently grazed swards with recovery a bit slower and growth rates ranging from about 50kg DM/ha to 80kg DM/ha.
The sharp improvement in ground conditions is also allowing Matthew to graze down paddocks that were poached pretty badly in previous rotations and this is helping to address and level some of the ruts and hoof marks.
Damage of spring is apparent in many paddocks but the fine weather is helping cows to level some of the ruts and hoof marks.
The damage carried out in spring is very apparent with these paddocks becoming more open and sustaining cows and calves for a much shorter period, despite having a higher cover on paper. A switch will be taken from applying straight nitrogen to 18-6-12 in a bid to promote root development and regrowth in patchy areas.
Ten acres of first cut silage was baled in Tuohy’s block of land during the week. Poor spring growth had a considerable influence on the yield with a total of 62 bales. Quality, however, is excellent and this will bode well for feeding to weanlings over the winter. The aim is to get this area growing and closed again for what will hopefully be a much heavier second cut.
Grass utilisation is excellent and is providing a good opportunity to get more marginal areas of the farm grazed tight.
Grass utilisation is excellent and is providing a good opportunity to get more marginal areas of the farm grazed tight.
While the unusually high temperatures for June are helping grass management, they also turned up an animal health issue with a calf suffering badly from heat stress. The calf and cow were brought indoors and the calf received veterinary treatment.
The vasectomised bulls are marking cows very clearly with chin ball paint as only a handful of cows are now in heat weekly.
The vasectomised bulls are marking cows very clearly with chin ball paint as only a handful of cows are now in heat weekly.
Activity on the breeding front has quietened with less than a handful of repeat cows inseminated in the last week. Total repeats now stand at just 11 cows, which signifies that conception to first service is likely to be very positive again. Cows are easier to identify with the vasectomised bulls now spending longer with individual cows and marking heavily with chin ball paint, as can be seen in the photo.
Last week’s high temperatures have led to a significant improvement in ground conditions on more marginal areas of Newford Farm. This in turn has increased grass utilisation and allowed paddocks to be grazed down to 3.5cm to 4cm. Grass has also been harder to manage with some swards starting to head out.
Farm manager Matthew Murphy is keeping good-quality grass ahead of cows and, where possible, is removing surplus paddocks for baled silage with 21 bales made in recent days.
Matthew says it is paddocks with a cover of grass that are hardest to manage with growth on these exceeding 100kg DM/ha in the last week. This is in contrast to recently grazed swards with recovery a bit slower and growth rates ranging from about 50kg DM/ha to 80kg DM/ha.
The sharp improvement in ground conditions is also allowing Matthew to graze down paddocks that were poached pretty badly in previous rotations and this is helping to address and level some of the ruts and hoof marks.
Damage of spring is apparent in many paddocks but the fine weather is helping cows to level some of the ruts and hoof marks.
The damage carried out in spring is very apparent with these paddocks becoming more open and sustaining cows and calves for a much shorter period, despite having a higher cover on paper. A switch will be taken from applying straight nitrogen to 18-6-12 in a bid to promote root development and regrowth in patchy areas.
Ten acres of first cut silage was baled in Tuohy’s block of land during the week. Poor spring growth had a considerable influence on the yield with a total of 62 bales. Quality, however, is excellent and this will bode well for feeding to weanlings over the winter. The aim is to get this area growing and closed again for what will hopefully be a much heavier second cut.
Grass utilisation is excellent and is providing a good opportunity to get more marginal areas of the farm grazed tight.
Grass utilisation is excellent and is providing a good opportunity to get more marginal areas of the farm grazed tight.
While the unusually high temperatures for June are helping grass management, they also turned up an animal health issue with a calf suffering badly from heat stress. The calf and cow were brought indoors and the calf received veterinary treatment.
The vasectomised bulls are marking cows very clearly with chin ball paint as only a handful of cows are now in heat weekly.
The vasectomised bulls are marking cows very clearly with chin ball paint as only a handful of cows are now in heat weekly.
Activity on the breeding front has quietened with less than a handful of repeat cows inseminated in the last week. Total repeats now stand at just 11 cows, which signifies that conception to first service is likely to be very positive again. Cows are easier to identify with the vasectomised bulls now spending longer with individual cows and marking heavily with chin ball paint, as can be seen in the photo.
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