Grass+: March of many weathers beckons

After an excellent February, the hope is that March will be as good. The first week won’t be as good anyway, with a reduction in temperatures and a return to heavy rain in parts. Let’s not despair; this is normal March weather and we’re well able to cope with it. We should be able to cope better this year than any other year as most soils can take some rain now.

At this stage, those who have 30% or more of the farm grazed should park up the spring rotation planner and focus entirely on average farm cover for making decisions. The magic number is 500 to 550kg/ha and rising by late March or early April. If you go below this, subsequent grass growth rates will be depressed. Walk the farm once a week and allow for a gradual reduction in average farm cover during March. This can be manipulated by adjusting meal feeding rates. Avoid feeding silage if you can, but keep in mind there will be days and nights when cows will have to be housed in March. Advice for those who haven’t got 30% of the farm grazed is outlined on pages 32 and 33.

Get slurry out on grazed fields where possible. A splash plate is fine provided the field is well grazed and the slurry won’t stick to the grass. You’ll be grazing these fields in four or five weeks’ time and you don’t want a taint. Don’t forget the principles of wet weather grazing – graze in square blocks, allocate enough grass for 12 hours, don’t let them out when it’s raining and bring them in if it starts raining. Decisions about whether or not to graze cannot be made by standing in concrete – get out and walk the fields and then make a decision.

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Great grazing but exercise caution