The aim on the Downpatrick farm of Paul and Frank Turley is to grow as much grass as possible, to utilise the grass fully by rotational grazing in paddocks and by having the correct number of cattle on the swards as the season progresses.
The 400-acre farm includes a 93-acre block monitored in detail as part of the AFBI/AgriSearch three-year Beef from Grass programme. Visitors at a farm walk last week heard how grass is measured weekly, and to-date the Turley’s have grown 8.5t of dry matter per hectare (DM/ha).
The major challenge for Paul and Frank this year was coping with the extended drought, when grass growth plummeted in May and June and stopped completely in July and August.
The grazing season started as normal on the 93-acre block, with 77 autumn-born, bucket-reared calves going out on 20 February (the farm is in an early area).
A large crowd of farmers attended the AgriSearch event held on the Downpatrick farm of Paul and Frank Turley.
As grass growth picked up, 19 store cattle went out on 20 March, followed by 77 small and 95 stronger beef cattle on 18 April. Then 44 heifers were the last to go out on 7 May.
In total, there was 1,600kg liveweight of cattle per acre on the land in May.
That month, grass growth reached a peak of 100kg DM/ha/day and, despite the high stocking rate, the Turleys were able to make surplus grass into big-bale silage on 23 May.
Then the drought hit. Paul told visitors last week that the GrassCheck grass growth forecasts, along with his own measurement of grass growth, gave him two weeks’ notice of how the grass growth pattern was developing – so he knew drastic action would be required without delay.
On 7 June, he sold 126 fat cattle as beef at 310kg deadweight. Two weeks later he sold 93 forward cattle to a finisher, and on 14 July he moved 77 calves to meadows elsewhere.
Paul pointed out that no stock went hungry and knowing what he had to do and when meant it was not a forced sale of stock.
Paul Turley speaking at the AgriSearch farm walk.
He is fortunate to be clear of bovine TB, which allowed stock to be sold.
Overall, on the 93-acre block, there were just over 300 head grazing at the peak in grass growth in mid-May and with sales etc, this fell to only 16 head at the end of July.
Grass growth restarted in August and was growing at 81kg DM/ha/day last week, with fields green again.
Paul was able to put 46 cows with 48 calves on to the 93-acre block on 6 August; and there will be silage taken in September from 50 of the acres.
Grass
To grow the grass, Paul stresses soil fertility. First on his list is lime, followed by phosphate, potassium and sulphur. Nitrogen is applied to all land at the start of each month.
Following a brassica crop, 30 acres are reseeded each year. The germinal varieties, AberGain and AberChoice, are favoured, and no clover is used. Paul stressed they run a grass-with-nitrogen system, with weeds controlled mainly by spraying, so it is not suited to clover.
Stock
Central to the system on the Turley farm are the Aberdeen Angus-cross suckler cows bred with Aberdeen Angus bulls.
The farm had 190 cows in spring, but with the drought this has reduced to 150 cows by culling 40 of the oldest animals, five years old and over. The calves from the culled cows are currently growing at 1.1kg/day.
The calves still on the 150 cows do better, at 1.3kg/day.
Over the past two years, Paul has purchased just over 100 Aberdeen Angus calves, in both spring and autumn, for bucket-rearing. They are fed milk to 100kg liveweight, then some concentrate to 180kg liveweight.
Frank Turley addressing the crowd at the AgriSearch farm walk.
Thereafter, it is grass or kale and silage only, to finish at 18 months with a growth rate target of 0.9kg/day over their lifetime.
However, Paul is having second thoughts about a batch this autumn. He notes that costs will be £70/head higher (meal cost up £50 and straw up £20) and, with no guarantee that the eventual beef price will rise to cover the extra costs, the jury is still out.
Read more
Paddock-grazing delivering high beef output
Focusing on milk from forage in Limavady
The aim on the Downpatrick farm of Paul and Frank Turley is to grow as much grass as possible, to utilise the grass fully by rotational grazing in paddocks and by having the correct number of cattle on the swards as the season progresses.
The 400-acre farm includes a 93-acre block monitored in detail as part of the AFBI/AgriSearch three-year Beef from Grass programme. Visitors at a farm walk last week heard how grass is measured weekly, and to-date the Turley’s have grown 8.5t of dry matter per hectare (DM/ha).
The major challenge for Paul and Frank this year was coping with the extended drought, when grass growth plummeted in May and June and stopped completely in July and August.
The grazing season started as normal on the 93-acre block, with 77 autumn-born, bucket-reared calves going out on 20 February (the farm is in an early area).
A large crowd of farmers attended the AgriSearch event held on the Downpatrick farm of Paul and Frank Turley.
As grass growth picked up, 19 store cattle went out on 20 March, followed by 77 small and 95 stronger beef cattle on 18 April. Then 44 heifers were the last to go out on 7 May.
In total, there was 1,600kg liveweight of cattle per acre on the land in May.
That month, grass growth reached a peak of 100kg DM/ha/day and, despite the high stocking rate, the Turleys were able to make surplus grass into big-bale silage on 23 May.
Then the drought hit. Paul told visitors last week that the GrassCheck grass growth forecasts, along with his own measurement of grass growth, gave him two weeks’ notice of how the grass growth pattern was developing – so he knew drastic action would be required without delay.
On 7 June, he sold 126 fat cattle as beef at 310kg deadweight. Two weeks later he sold 93 forward cattle to a finisher, and on 14 July he moved 77 calves to meadows elsewhere.
Paul pointed out that no stock went hungry and knowing what he had to do and when meant it was not a forced sale of stock.
Paul Turley speaking at the AgriSearch farm walk.
He is fortunate to be clear of bovine TB, which allowed stock to be sold.
Overall, on the 93-acre block, there were just over 300 head grazing at the peak in grass growth in mid-May and with sales etc, this fell to only 16 head at the end of July.
Grass growth restarted in August and was growing at 81kg DM/ha/day last week, with fields green again.
Paul was able to put 46 cows with 48 calves on to the 93-acre block on 6 August; and there will be silage taken in September from 50 of the acres.
Grass
To grow the grass, Paul stresses soil fertility. First on his list is lime, followed by phosphate, potassium and sulphur. Nitrogen is applied to all land at the start of each month.
Following a brassica crop, 30 acres are reseeded each year. The germinal varieties, AberGain and AberChoice, are favoured, and no clover is used. Paul stressed they run a grass-with-nitrogen system, with weeds controlled mainly by spraying, so it is not suited to clover.
Stock
Central to the system on the Turley farm are the Aberdeen Angus-cross suckler cows bred with Aberdeen Angus bulls.
The farm had 190 cows in spring, but with the drought this has reduced to 150 cows by culling 40 of the oldest animals, five years old and over. The calves from the culled cows are currently growing at 1.1kg/day.
The calves still on the 150 cows do better, at 1.3kg/day.
Over the past two years, Paul has purchased just over 100 Aberdeen Angus calves, in both spring and autumn, for bucket-rearing. They are fed milk to 100kg liveweight, then some concentrate to 180kg liveweight.
Frank Turley addressing the crowd at the AgriSearch farm walk.
Thereafter, it is grass or kale and silage only, to finish at 18 months with a growth rate target of 0.9kg/day over their lifetime.
However, Paul is having second thoughts about a batch this autumn. He notes that costs will be £70/head higher (meal cost up £50 and straw up £20) and, with no guarantee that the eventual beef price will rise to cover the extra costs, the jury is still out.
Read more
Paddock-grazing delivering high beef output
Focusing on milk from forage in Limavady
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