Average grass growth this week is 47kg per day. While the weather has been dry, there is a bit of a sting in the air which has definitely tempered growth rates somewhat. With no change in the forecast, it’s unlikely that we will experience a large boost in grass growth over the coming weekend. That said, there is so much grass on farms that we don’t need an increase in growth – many farms are already in a big grass surplus because growth has been excellent all spring.
Target pre-grazing yield should be between 1,200 and 1,400kg for the next few weeks. Grass quality is maximised at these covers. To achieve this you must skip over paddocks. Some of these can go into the first cut, but be careful not to close too many for long-term silage as you could be short on the grazing ground in late May if you do.
To avoid this, keep an eye on demand. I’d be slow to go above a grass demand of 65 or 70kg/day with all the ground out for long-term silage. Best policy if you still have a surplus above a demand of 70kg is to take out the paddocks for bales over the next few weeks. Some farmers are cutting bales already. This isn’t ideal and is not necessary unless demand is already above 70kg, which is really only an issue on very highly stocked farms.
Keep the focus on hitting target post-grazing residuals, especially on fields that were damaged in the first round and might not have been fully cleaned out back then.
Quality grass in the next round is essential for high milk yields and high protein percentage.
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Grass growth rate is 47kg/day and will probably hold steady until after the weekend.Watch pre-grazing yields and keep below 1,400kg.Set demand close to or slightly above predicted growth rates.Keep the pressure on residuals, cows should be on 24 to 36 hour grazing duration.
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.5
Growth rate (kg/day) 42
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 670
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.5
Fat % 4.97
Protein % 3.42
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.94
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
Cows are grazing covers of 1,250 to 1,300kg/ha and we are a week and a half into the second round of grazing. We have 34% of the farm closed for silage. This includes 10% of the farm that was not grazed in the first round but we intend to cut this in early May, so it will be back in the rotation early and will reduce our demand which is currently 72kg/day. We are following the cows with 30 units/acre of SulfaCAN. The last cow calved today and we plan to start breeding on 26 April. We are currently doing pre-breeding heat detection.
Gerard Brennan
Strokestown, Roscommon
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.12
Growth rate (kg/day) 47
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 771
Yield (l/cow/day) 30
Fat % 3.97
Protein % 3.31
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.25
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 5.5
We started the second round on Tuesday after skipping over two high covers that were part of the first round which will now go for silage. The cows are currently grazing a high cover of 1,700kg which wasn’t grazed out well the first time, but the next few paddocks are down around 1,400kg. Growth rate is rising so I will be reducing the meal over the next few days.
I have 75 units/acre of nitrogen spread and I am now following the cows with 1 bag/acre of sulfaCAN. We have eight cows left to calve and I’m starting AI on 1 May.
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.56
Growth rate (kg/day) 35
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 660
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.8
Fat % 4.46
Protein % 3.51
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.87
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
We are moving back and forth between the first and second round of grazing depending on the covers in the field. We have skipped over 10% of the first round and this is closed for silage. Cows are grazing covers of 1,400kg, rotation length is 25 days and cows are on 2kg of meal to cover for grass tetany. The last cow calved yesterday after selling a few late calvers. We have about 60 units of nitrogen spread on average, and we are following the cows with 30 units of urea. Some low-index fields are getting 1.5 bags per acre of 18:6:12 instead of the urea.
Golden,Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.5
Growth rate (kg/day) 41
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 640
Yield (l/cow/day) 26
Fat % 4
Protein % 3.5
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.01
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2.5
We started the second round last Monday, having skipped over a few paddocks of the first round. Cows are going into covers of between 1,400kg and 1,500kg and grass quality is good. Cows are on full paddocks and the strip wires have been taken down.
We have almost 90 units of nitrogen spread per acre so far, so the farm is well set up for the burst of growth when it does come. About 5% of the cows are on once-a-day milking to improve body condition score. They are still in the main herd but are only milked in the morning.
Read more
Grass+ beef: no explosion yet as thoughts turn to silage
Average grass growth this week is 47kg per day. While the weather has been dry, there is a bit of a sting in the air which has definitely tempered growth rates somewhat. With no change in the forecast, it’s unlikely that we will experience a large boost in grass growth over the coming weekend. That said, there is so much grass on farms that we don’t need an increase in growth – many farms are already in a big grass surplus because growth has been excellent all spring.
Target pre-grazing yield should be between 1,200 and 1,400kg for the next few weeks. Grass quality is maximised at these covers. To achieve this you must skip over paddocks. Some of these can go into the first cut, but be careful not to close too many for long-term silage as you could be short on the grazing ground in late May if you do.
To avoid this, keep an eye on demand. I’d be slow to go above a grass demand of 65 or 70kg/day with all the ground out for long-term silage. Best policy if you still have a surplus above a demand of 70kg is to take out the paddocks for bales over the next few weeks. Some farmers are cutting bales already. This isn’t ideal and is not necessary unless demand is already above 70kg, which is really only an issue on very highly stocked farms.
Keep the focus on hitting target post-grazing residuals, especially on fields that were damaged in the first round and might not have been fully cleaned out back then.
Quality grass in the next round is essential for high milk yields and high protein percentage.
![]()
Grass growth rate is 47kg/day and will probably hold steady until after the weekend.Watch pre-grazing yields and keep below 1,400kg.Set demand close to or slightly above predicted growth rates.Keep the pressure on residuals, cows should be on 24 to 36 hour grazing duration.
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.5
Growth rate (kg/day) 42
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 670
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.5
Fat % 4.97
Protein % 3.42
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.94
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
Cows are grazing covers of 1,250 to 1,300kg/ha and we are a week and a half into the second round of grazing. We have 34% of the farm closed for silage. This includes 10% of the farm that was not grazed in the first round but we intend to cut this in early May, so it will be back in the rotation early and will reduce our demand which is currently 72kg/day. We are following the cows with 30 units/acre of SulfaCAN. The last cow calved today and we plan to start breeding on 26 April. We are currently doing pre-breeding heat detection.
Gerard Brennan
Strokestown, Roscommon
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.12
Growth rate (kg/day) 47
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 771
Yield (l/cow/day) 30
Fat % 3.97
Protein % 3.31
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.25
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 5.5
We started the second round on Tuesday after skipping over two high covers that were part of the first round which will now go for silage. The cows are currently grazing a high cover of 1,700kg which wasn’t grazed out well the first time, but the next few paddocks are down around 1,400kg. Growth rate is rising so I will be reducing the meal over the next few days.
I have 75 units/acre of nitrogen spread and I am now following the cows with 1 bag/acre of sulfaCAN. We have eight cows left to calve and I’m starting AI on 1 May.
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.56
Growth rate (kg/day) 35
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 660
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.8
Fat % 4.46
Protein % 3.51
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.87
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
We are moving back and forth between the first and second round of grazing depending on the covers in the field. We have skipped over 10% of the first round and this is closed for silage. Cows are grazing covers of 1,400kg, rotation length is 25 days and cows are on 2kg of meal to cover for grass tetany. The last cow calved yesterday after selling a few late calvers. We have about 60 units of nitrogen spread on average, and we are following the cows with 30 units of urea. Some low-index fields are getting 1.5 bags per acre of 18:6:12 instead of the urea.
Golden,Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.5
Growth rate (kg/day) 41
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 640
Yield (l/cow/day) 26
Fat % 4
Protein % 3.5
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.01
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2.5
We started the second round last Monday, having skipped over a few paddocks of the first round. Cows are going into covers of between 1,400kg and 1,500kg and grass quality is good. Cows are on full paddocks and the strip wires have been taken down.
We have almost 90 units of nitrogen spread per acre so far, so the farm is well set up for the burst of growth when it does come. About 5% of the cows are on once-a-day milking to improve body condition score. They are still in the main herd but are only milked in the morning.
Read more
Grass+ beef: no explosion yet as thoughts turn to silage
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