From silage being fed two weeks ago, it was strange to see silage being cut in the last week, and is likely an indication of grass not being grazed off in the first round rather than extremely high growth rates.
Growth appears strong for the most part, with just some in the northwest reporting lower than average growth. For fear of sounding like a broken record, farmers should continue walking farms to assess covers, especially if part of the platform has been removed for silage or reseeding.
Silage is on the minds of a lot of farmers that I have been talking to, after raiding the buffer of feed that is usually left over after spring. The easiest time to gather silage off of the milking platform is when growth is at it’s highest in late April/early May.
Paddocks can be taken out each week, or a smaller area can be removed for long term silage. While mowing out paddocks each week is time consuming and higher costing, it creates higher quality silage, ‘cleans up’ a greater percentage of the platform and spreads out the pull of nutrients from mowing out surplus grass.
Taking out paddocks in silage can also provide an opportunity to complete some spring reseeding. Paddocks can be sprayed off five to seven days pre-cutting, with cultivation works able to take place as soon as the silage has been lifted, instead of waiting for swards to green up, then spraying off and having to wait an additional ten days to burn off the sward.
Keep on top of grass walks to identify potential surpluses or deficits. A deficit can easily occur where a large amount of surplus has been removed.Keep up to date with fertiliser applications to maximise nitrogen utilisation rates.If mowing out surplus, consider spraying off and reseeding alongside it to boost sward growth for later in the year.Incorporate clover into any reseeds being completed.Darren Healy – Redcross, Co Wicklow
We are only really on top of grass now for the first time this year.
A wet March hampered our grazing and we had a lot of heavy covers at the end of the second round.
We took out 20 acres in silage last week, with another 15 acres earmarked for baling this week.
We are trying to get as much feed back in to the yard, as the pit has been emptied for the first time in 11 years.
Cows are grazing 1,600-1,700 covers, but this will be reduced back to 1,500 at the end of the week.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 4
Growth Rate (kg/day) 66
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 168
Yield (l/cow) 30
Fat % 4.2
Protein% 3.55
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 2.39
Concentrates 4
Caroline O’Sullivan – Teagasc Curtins, Co Cork
The weather has been a little on the cool side, but cows are very content with the dry conditions. We’ve taken a lot of the platform out this week in silage (30%).
We will look to bale this off as soon as we can to get it back in the rotation. A third of this area removed for silage is also earmarked for reseeding. The grass varieties to be used are Abergain and Aberchoice, with the clovers being Buddy and Chieftain.
A lot of grass came back at the same height, so we’re grazing some 1,400-1,500 covers at the minute, allocating 17kg grass/cow.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.91
Growth Rate (kg/day) 42
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 182
Yield (l/cow) 24.5
Fat % 4.91
Protein% 3.62
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 2.15
Concentrates 1
Christopher Cahill – Delvin, Co Westmeath
We have two paddocks from the first round earmarked for silage, and we would be hoping to mow and bale these at the weekend. We have been grazing some of the first round by day, entering our last paddock on Wednesday. By next week we should be back on 1,300-1,400 covers.
Solids are ok considering 80% of the herd are first and second calvers. I have 35 acres of the milking platform earmarked for reseeding with grass and white clover, with another 17 acres of silage ground to receive a grass and red clover mix.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 4.1
Growth Rate (kg/day) 61
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 180
Yield (l/cow) 20
Fat % 4.2
Protein% 3.6
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.6
Concentrates 3.5
From silage being fed two weeks ago, it was strange to see silage being cut in the last week, and is likely an indication of grass not being grazed off in the first round rather than extremely high growth rates.
Growth appears strong for the most part, with just some in the northwest reporting lower than average growth. For fear of sounding like a broken record, farmers should continue walking farms to assess covers, especially if part of the platform has been removed for silage or reseeding.
Silage is on the minds of a lot of farmers that I have been talking to, after raiding the buffer of feed that is usually left over after spring. The easiest time to gather silage off of the milking platform is when growth is at it’s highest in late April/early May.
Paddocks can be taken out each week, or a smaller area can be removed for long term silage. While mowing out paddocks each week is time consuming and higher costing, it creates higher quality silage, ‘cleans up’ a greater percentage of the platform and spreads out the pull of nutrients from mowing out surplus grass.
Taking out paddocks in silage can also provide an opportunity to complete some spring reseeding. Paddocks can be sprayed off five to seven days pre-cutting, with cultivation works able to take place as soon as the silage has been lifted, instead of waiting for swards to green up, then spraying off and having to wait an additional ten days to burn off the sward.
Keep on top of grass walks to identify potential surpluses or deficits. A deficit can easily occur where a large amount of surplus has been removed.Keep up to date with fertiliser applications to maximise nitrogen utilisation rates.If mowing out surplus, consider spraying off and reseeding alongside it to boost sward growth for later in the year.Incorporate clover into any reseeds being completed.Darren Healy – Redcross, Co Wicklow
We are only really on top of grass now for the first time this year.
A wet March hampered our grazing and we had a lot of heavy covers at the end of the second round.
We took out 20 acres in silage last week, with another 15 acres earmarked for baling this week.
We are trying to get as much feed back in to the yard, as the pit has been emptied for the first time in 11 years.
Cows are grazing 1,600-1,700 covers, but this will be reduced back to 1,500 at the end of the week.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 4
Growth Rate (kg/day) 66
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 168
Yield (l/cow) 30
Fat % 4.2
Protein% 3.55
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 2.39
Concentrates 4
Caroline O’Sullivan – Teagasc Curtins, Co Cork
The weather has been a little on the cool side, but cows are very content with the dry conditions. We’ve taken a lot of the platform out this week in silage (30%).
We will look to bale this off as soon as we can to get it back in the rotation. A third of this area removed for silage is also earmarked for reseeding. The grass varieties to be used are Abergain and Aberchoice, with the clovers being Buddy and Chieftain.
A lot of grass came back at the same height, so we’re grazing some 1,400-1,500 covers at the minute, allocating 17kg grass/cow.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.91
Growth Rate (kg/day) 42
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 182
Yield (l/cow) 24.5
Fat % 4.91
Protein% 3.62
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 2.15
Concentrates 1
Christopher Cahill – Delvin, Co Westmeath
We have two paddocks from the first round earmarked for silage, and we would be hoping to mow and bale these at the weekend. We have been grazing some of the first round by day, entering our last paddock on Wednesday. By next week we should be back on 1,300-1,400 covers.
Solids are ok considering 80% of the herd are first and second calvers. I have 35 acres of the milking platform earmarked for reseeding with grass and white clover, with another 17 acres of silage ground to receive a grass and red clover mix.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 4.1
Growth Rate (kg/day) 61
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 180
Yield (l/cow) 20
Fat % 4.2
Protein% 3.6
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.6
Concentrates 3.5
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