Kenneth Reid is farming 37.5ha outside Clarina, Co Limerick. The farming enterprise comprises calf-to-beef and contract heifer rearing. This year, Kenneth contract-reared 50 dairy heifers, which were run on 30 acres. This ground received no fertiliser.
Kenneth has also bought almost 50 calves for his calf-to-beef system this year. The animals were bought in February and March, while another 17 were bought in early October.
With the last of the slurry spread, the main focus now is on winter housing. Recently purchased Friesian cross weanlings were housed straight. Increased levels of rainfall are making grazing conditions tricky, with the main aim to keep stock already at grass out for as long as possible.
Over the next three weeks, Friesian weanlings will be weighed and the weights registered with the ICBF for the Friesian weighing dairy calf scheme.
Kenneth is also studying environmental science and so is currently farming part-time.
The journey so far
Kenneth started measuring grass after joining the Footprint Farmers Programme, and does so using a plate meter.
After receiving the results of the soil sampling carried out as part of the Footprint Farmers Programme, he has also spread 25t of lime to correct soil pH and increase the availability of nutrients. This will help him improve both phosphorus and potassium indices.
After receiving the results of the soil sampling carried out as part of the Footprint Farmers Programme, Kenneth has also spread 25 tonnes of lime.
Some other benefits of lime include increasing grass production and it can also release up to 80kg N/ha per year.
Combined, these practices are helping Kenneth to maintain profitability when artificial fertiliser prices are high. At farm level, every €100 invested in lime equates to approximately €700 in extra grass production annually.
Kenneth has also cut back on artificial fertiliser, and he has toyed with converting to organic farming. He used the results of the slurry testing carried out by the programme to target slurry to the silage ground that needed it the most.
Reseeding some fields is something Kenneth is planning to do next spring. Reseeding is very important to increase the productivity of the farm. Successful reseeding means that he can carry more stock on the ground, increase liveweight gain, use N fertiliser more efficiently, as well as improve his silage quality.
Kenneth started measuring grass after joining the Footprint Farmers Programme, and does so using a plate meter.
As silage will be the main feed on the farm over the winter months, it is important that Kenneth makes good-quality silage. An increase in silage DMD from 68 to 72 will reduce the amount of meal fed by 1kg per day.
Older swards such as Kenneth’s will grow more grass after spring reseeding than they would have grown if they had not been reseeded.
Kenneth plans to reseed in the springtime, as he is farming heavier, wetter soils and plans to include clover in the sward. The land to be reseeded is wet and drained by sluices and dykes.
Spring reseeding is ideal in this case, as increasing soil temperatures and sunshine will boost grass and clover establishment.
This will also provide him with an opportunity to graze the reseed several times throughout the summer months as it will allow the sward to tiller. This will result in a higher-quality reseed than one carried out in autumn.
This year, the silage ground got 1.5t of N, while the grazing ground got none
Kenneth has used the results of soil sampling carried out as part of the programme to target areas that need to be reseeded most.
Kenneth also over-sowed some clover last year.
However, he received mixed results from this and plans to try again this year. He hopes that over-sowing some silage ground with red clover will allow him to cut back his artificial N use here.
This year, the silage ground got one and a half tonnes of N, while the grazing ground got none.
Since joining the programme, Kenneth has also planted some hedges, and this is something he plans to continue.
He has plans in place to plant more whitethorn and blackthorn hedging, mostly using the blackthorn to try and fill the holes in long-term established hedges.
Kenneth also plans to set up two beehives on the farm over the winter to be ready for next year.
Kenneth Reid is farming 37.5ha outside Clarina, Co Limerick. The farming enterprise comprises calf-to-beef and contract heifer rearing. This year, Kenneth contract-reared 50 dairy heifers, which were run on 30 acres. This ground received no fertiliser.
Kenneth has also bought almost 50 calves for his calf-to-beef system this year. The animals were bought in February and March, while another 17 were bought in early October.
With the last of the slurry spread, the main focus now is on winter housing. Recently purchased Friesian cross weanlings were housed straight. Increased levels of rainfall are making grazing conditions tricky, with the main aim to keep stock already at grass out for as long as possible.
Over the next three weeks, Friesian weanlings will be weighed and the weights registered with the ICBF for the Friesian weighing dairy calf scheme.
Kenneth is also studying environmental science and so is currently farming part-time.
The journey so far
Kenneth started measuring grass after joining the Footprint Farmers Programme, and does so using a plate meter.
After receiving the results of the soil sampling carried out as part of the Footprint Farmers Programme, he has also spread 25t of lime to correct soil pH and increase the availability of nutrients. This will help him improve both phosphorus and potassium indices.
After receiving the results of the soil sampling carried out as part of the Footprint Farmers Programme, Kenneth has also spread 25 tonnes of lime.
Some other benefits of lime include increasing grass production and it can also release up to 80kg N/ha per year.
Combined, these practices are helping Kenneth to maintain profitability when artificial fertiliser prices are high. At farm level, every €100 invested in lime equates to approximately €700 in extra grass production annually.
Kenneth has also cut back on artificial fertiliser, and he has toyed with converting to organic farming. He used the results of the slurry testing carried out by the programme to target slurry to the silage ground that needed it the most.
Reseeding some fields is something Kenneth is planning to do next spring. Reseeding is very important to increase the productivity of the farm. Successful reseeding means that he can carry more stock on the ground, increase liveweight gain, use N fertiliser more efficiently, as well as improve his silage quality.
Kenneth started measuring grass after joining the Footprint Farmers Programme, and does so using a plate meter.
As silage will be the main feed on the farm over the winter months, it is important that Kenneth makes good-quality silage. An increase in silage DMD from 68 to 72 will reduce the amount of meal fed by 1kg per day.
Older swards such as Kenneth’s will grow more grass after spring reseeding than they would have grown if they had not been reseeded.
Kenneth plans to reseed in the springtime, as he is farming heavier, wetter soils and plans to include clover in the sward. The land to be reseeded is wet and drained by sluices and dykes.
Spring reseeding is ideal in this case, as increasing soil temperatures and sunshine will boost grass and clover establishment.
This will also provide him with an opportunity to graze the reseed several times throughout the summer months as it will allow the sward to tiller. This will result in a higher-quality reseed than one carried out in autumn.
This year, the silage ground got 1.5t of N, while the grazing ground got none
Kenneth has used the results of soil sampling carried out as part of the programme to target areas that need to be reseeded most.
Kenneth also over-sowed some clover last year.
However, he received mixed results from this and plans to try again this year. He hopes that over-sowing some silage ground with red clover will allow him to cut back his artificial N use here.
This year, the silage ground got one and a half tonnes of N, while the grazing ground got none.
Since joining the programme, Kenneth has also planted some hedges, and this is something he plans to continue.
He has plans in place to plant more whitethorn and blackthorn hedging, mostly using the blackthorn to try and fill the holes in long-term established hedges.
Kenneth also plans to set up two beehives on the farm over the winter to be ready for next year.
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