After last year’s Tullamore Show, those east of the Shannon were struggling to grow grass after a drought saw growth rates drop into the 20s and 30s.
It’s a much different affair this year, with growth sitting at twice that for a number of weeks now, with this week’s average growth rate again hitting 60kg DM/ha.
With the passing of the show has come more settled weather, with farmers using it to harvest the last of second cut or even to nip out a final hairy paddock or two.
Rainfall
While we have seen far higher than average rainfall levels in July, and relatively high rainfall in August so far, it’s not to say that the rest of the grazing period will be a breeze with favourable growth and grazing conditions.
Even if we were to get a dry August through to October, the shortened day length will see a drop off in growth.
While growth is good, now is the ideal time to build cover. Most farmers should now be building cover, with the aim being to slow down the rotation length to 30 days by 1 September, with an average farm cover of 1,000-1,1100kg DM/ha by that point.
Planning
Complete an autumn rotation planner on PastureBase and see if this is a realistic goal.
If it’s not, the difference between the demand on grass and growth needs to be increased in favour of growth.
Supplementary feeding of concentrates, zero grazing in grass or simply reducing the stocking rate on the grazing block will all allow for a lowering in demand.
It might be a good time to scan cows and heifers now that were bred in the first half of the season and moving off any empty animals sooner rather than later.
Build grass now while weather is good and growth conditions are favourable. No guarantee of an Indian summer, and growth rates are to remain high.Target an average farm cover of 1,000-1,100kg DM/ha by 1 September, with the higher number required for heavier stocked farms.Introduce more supplementary feeding or remove empty animals from the grazing block to reduce demand.John Russell – Manorcunningham, Co Donegal
We’ll be starting to build grass in the next week or so. Our silage ground will be zero grazed now after second cut and brought in to cows to reduce demand on the home block.
One field at home is coming back in after silage which should see the stocking rate drop to about 3.4 lu/ha.
Ground conditions are holding up well as we are on a dry farm here. With the weather so mild, growth rates have been good the past few weeks.
Cows are being followed with a half bag/urea acre, with the P and K requirements spread in the spring and summer.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.59
Growth Rate (kg/day) 62
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 197
Yield (l/cow) 16
Fat % 5.18
Protein% 4.01
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.51
Concentrates 4
Johnathan Dwyer – Borris-in-Ossory, Co Laois
We are on a flood plain here, and with the high levels of rain we have seen that some of our fields are currently flooded. We are fencing off the wet areas; in a 20-acre field you might only be able to graze 10 acres so I am taking this out as silage on the app.
We will be scanning cows next week, and we will offload the empties quickly to drop demand. Fifty per cent of the farm is of high clover content.
This has been receiving a half bag of 18:6:12/acre per rotation, with the grass swards now getting 23 units urea/acre. The contractor will be emptying the lagoon later this week.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 4.13
Growth Rate (kg/day) 63
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 204
Yield (l/cow) 15.5
Fat % 5.19
Protein% 4.01
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.47
Concentrates 4.5
Niall Moloney – Crecora, Co Limerick
Ground has recovered in the last few days and we’re looking to build grass now. We are a little behind, but we are hoping the mild weather and good growth will allow us to catch up quickly.
Growth is being dragged down a little as silage ground comes back in to the rotation.
I’ll be doing a feed budget in the next day or so to try maximise grass intake and reduce meal with the dropping milk price.
We are reseeding some ground with red clover this week that was sprayed off seven weeks ago. It’s the first chance we’ve gotten to do it with the wet weather and a busy contractor.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.26
Growth Rate (kg/day) 54
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 207
Yield (l/cow) 21.5
Fat % 4.26
Protein% 3.67
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.76
Concentrates 2
After last year’s Tullamore Show, those east of the Shannon were struggling to grow grass after a drought saw growth rates drop into the 20s and 30s.
It’s a much different affair this year, with growth sitting at twice that for a number of weeks now, with this week’s average growth rate again hitting 60kg DM/ha.
With the passing of the show has come more settled weather, with farmers using it to harvest the last of second cut or even to nip out a final hairy paddock or two.
Rainfall
While we have seen far higher than average rainfall levels in July, and relatively high rainfall in August so far, it’s not to say that the rest of the grazing period will be a breeze with favourable growth and grazing conditions.
Even if we were to get a dry August through to October, the shortened day length will see a drop off in growth.
While growth is good, now is the ideal time to build cover. Most farmers should now be building cover, with the aim being to slow down the rotation length to 30 days by 1 September, with an average farm cover of 1,000-1,1100kg DM/ha by that point.
Planning
Complete an autumn rotation planner on PastureBase and see if this is a realistic goal.
If it’s not, the difference between the demand on grass and growth needs to be increased in favour of growth.
Supplementary feeding of concentrates, zero grazing in grass or simply reducing the stocking rate on the grazing block will all allow for a lowering in demand.
It might be a good time to scan cows and heifers now that were bred in the first half of the season and moving off any empty animals sooner rather than later.
Build grass now while weather is good and growth conditions are favourable. No guarantee of an Indian summer, and growth rates are to remain high.Target an average farm cover of 1,000-1,100kg DM/ha by 1 September, with the higher number required for heavier stocked farms.Introduce more supplementary feeding or remove empty animals from the grazing block to reduce demand.John Russell – Manorcunningham, Co Donegal
We’ll be starting to build grass in the next week or so. Our silage ground will be zero grazed now after second cut and brought in to cows to reduce demand on the home block.
One field at home is coming back in after silage which should see the stocking rate drop to about 3.4 lu/ha.
Ground conditions are holding up well as we are on a dry farm here. With the weather so mild, growth rates have been good the past few weeks.
Cows are being followed with a half bag/urea acre, with the P and K requirements spread in the spring and summer.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.59
Growth Rate (kg/day) 62
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 197
Yield (l/cow) 16
Fat % 5.18
Protein% 4.01
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.51
Concentrates 4
Johnathan Dwyer – Borris-in-Ossory, Co Laois
We are on a flood plain here, and with the high levels of rain we have seen that some of our fields are currently flooded. We are fencing off the wet areas; in a 20-acre field you might only be able to graze 10 acres so I am taking this out as silage on the app.
We will be scanning cows next week, and we will offload the empties quickly to drop demand. Fifty per cent of the farm is of high clover content.
This has been receiving a half bag of 18:6:12/acre per rotation, with the grass swards now getting 23 units urea/acre. The contractor will be emptying the lagoon later this week.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 4.13
Growth Rate (kg/day) 63
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 204
Yield (l/cow) 15.5
Fat % 5.19
Protein% 4.01
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.47
Concentrates 4.5
Niall Moloney – Crecora, Co Limerick
Ground has recovered in the last few days and we’re looking to build grass now. We are a little behind, but we are hoping the mild weather and good growth will allow us to catch up quickly.
Growth is being dragged down a little as silage ground comes back in to the rotation.
I’ll be doing a feed budget in the next day or so to try maximise grass intake and reduce meal with the dropping milk price.
We are reseeding some ground with red clover this week that was sprayed off seven weeks ago. It’s the first chance we’ve gotten to do it with the wet weather and a busy contractor.
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.26
Growth Rate (kg/day) 54
Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 207
Yield (l/cow) 21.5
Fat % 4.26
Protein% 3.67
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.76
Concentrates 2
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