Closing for second cut: With first-cut silage complete or nearing completion on most farms, now is the time to estimate the requirement for the second cut. Although crops bulked up well in the last weeks of May with warmer weather, those who grazed ground bare in the spring, or those who closed silage ground late, have said that yields are back, especially where slurry was not applied to swards prior to closing for the first cut. It is important to conduct a fodder budget now to estimate how much silage is required for the second cut. Bear in mind that the average second-cut silage yields approximately 6-9t/acre (15-20/ha).

If in doubt about how much you can close for second cut, consider splitting the nitrogen application. Second-cut nitrogen applications should be between 60-80 units N/acre, with the higher end recommended on perennial ryegrass swards and reseeds. Applying half the nitrogen input now, and half in three to four weeks’ time will allow you to graze the swards in the next rotation. Remember to replace the P and K, which will be removed in the silage crop also.

Dry cows: Fly activity has been very high in the past few weeks. If considering drying off cows, or where cows have already been dried, pay close attention for signs of mastitis. Cows that have plenty of milk should be placed on a restricted diet to help them dry off naturally. It may be worthwhile housing cows for a few days and feeding hay or straw to help dry them quickly. Applying Stockholm tar may also help keep flies at bay and reduce the risk of mastitis. However, this is a labour-intensive process and should be repeated every four to seven days. The use of pour-ons may also help to reduce fly activity around cows. Once dry, these cows should be used to clean out paddocks after cattle or spring-calved cows. Alternatively, keep on a restricted diet to manage body condition score (BCS). Remember, the target is to calve autumn-calvers in a BCS of 3. Over-fat cows will have more difficult calvings due to fat in the pelvic area. Reductions to the cow’s body condition should be done before she is six weeks pre-calving. A good plane of nutrition is required in the last few weeks of pregnancy.

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Drainage works: Most issues with poor drainage will normally occur in the top six inches of soil due to compaction from machinery and grazing livestock in wet conditions. Shallow compaction issues can be identified by examining the soil structure. Shakerators and pan busters can work effectively in some soils. Where drainage is an issue in subsoil, digging shores and using drainage pipe and stone chips may be the only option to help drainage.