With the higher temperatures now, I expect growth rate to be in the mid 70s this time next week. Some farmers are still feeding silage, thinking that growth is still slow and worried about a cold wind forecast for next week. Grass will have gone out of control if you don’t take action quickly. Stop feeding silage and cut back meal to between zero and 1.5kg, depending on how much you need to feed to cover for grass tetany.
Walk your farm twice a week for the next few weeks. Cover per cow is a better indicator of available grass now than average farm cover per hectare. Ideally, this should be between 150 and 180kg at this time of year. Keep an eye on grass demand per ha when closing up paddocks for silage. This should not be higher than the anticipated growth rate for the next few weeks, or until the silage is cut. I would be slow to set demand higher than 70kg/day at this stage.
When taking out surplus paddocks, it is more prudent to take out paddocks from different stages in the wedge, as opposed to just the highest paddocks.
This means that in the event of reduced growth in the next fortnight, one or more of the paddocks with the lower covers can be re-introduced into the rotation. On fertiliser, most reasonably stocked farms should be spreading 30 units/acre per month for the next two months. Lighter soils should get 20 units/acre of sulphur in the year, either as ASN or sulfaCAN. Some farmers will spread a bag or more of 18:6:12 across the milking platform for this round of fertiliser.
Growth rates are well up and supplement needs to be cut back or eliminated.Take out surplus paddocks for silage, otherwise grass will grow out of hand.Set grass cover at between 150 and 180kg per cow for the next few weeks.Get fertiliser out on fields destined for long-term silage.Steven Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.29
Growth rate (kg/day) 46
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 671
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.9
Fat % 4.91
Protein % 3.42
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.1
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
Big change here in a week. Growth rate over the last week has been 46kg. We spread 30 units of urea/acre across the farm last Friday so we expect a growth rate of more than 75kg for the next seven days. We have already skipped two paddocks from the wedge and will be skipping more this week when we walk the farm again before the weekend.
Pre-grazing yield is 1,500kg and quality is excellent. Rotation length is back to 21 days. Strip wires are gone and cows can eat as much grass as they like as grazing conditions are excellent.
Ciaran Kavanagh
Tullamore, Co Offaly
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.8
Growth rate (kg/day) 55
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 550
Yield (l/cow/day) 24.5
Fat % 4.55
Protein % 3.13
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.94
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
The farm is turning inside out at the moment. We had been tight for grass for the last few weeks but growth is taking off now so we have cut out the silage and dropped the meal to zero. The spring was tough going, but cows got to grass for at least an hour after every milking before going back into the shed for silage and a lie down. I decided not to use a strip fence. Instead I gave them a big area and it worked well for me. The whole farm was reseeded in 2013 and 2014 before we started dairying. I’m following the cows with 30 units of 22-2.5-5. I expect to close up a few paddocks for silage towards the end of the week.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 22
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 521
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.9
Fat % 4.86
Protein % 3.25
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.91
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
Growth rate was 22kg for last week, but I think it is growing 60 or 70kg per day this week. We are still feeding 4kg of meal per cow as pre-grazing yields are low, at around 950kg. Because farm cover was let run too low last week, it is taking us a bit longer to get back to normal. No paddocks have been closed for silage yet, but I will walk the farm again before the weekend to reassess the situation. We have cut out the silage. Cows are out full-time and grazing conditions are excellent. Protein took a tumble in the past week, a consequence of the amount of silage fed over the past few weeks but hopefully it will improve as cows get more grass and sun.
Fergal Coughlan
Teagasc Clonakilty
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.65
Growth rate (kg/day) 46
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 641
Yield (l/cow/day) 27
Fat % 4.55
Protein % 3.53
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.24
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
We got a growth of 46kg for the past week but I think it is growing 70kg per day at the moment. We were feeding 4kg per day last week but we are cutting this back to zero. Pre-grazing yield is 1,500kg. Just over 25% of the farm has been closed for silage and more paddocks will be closed next week. We will fertilise this with 100 units of nitrogen, 20 units of phosphorus and about 90 units of potash per acre. There is a two-litre difference in milk yield between the cows on the clover and non-clover trial but no difference in grass growth yet, which follows the trend of previous years. Breeding is starting next Monday.
With the higher temperatures now, I expect growth rate to be in the mid 70s this time next week. Some farmers are still feeding silage, thinking that growth is still slow and worried about a cold wind forecast for next week. Grass will have gone out of control if you don’t take action quickly. Stop feeding silage and cut back meal to between zero and 1.5kg, depending on how much you need to feed to cover for grass tetany.
Walk your farm twice a week for the next few weeks. Cover per cow is a better indicator of available grass now than average farm cover per hectare. Ideally, this should be between 150 and 180kg at this time of year. Keep an eye on grass demand per ha when closing up paddocks for silage. This should not be higher than the anticipated growth rate for the next few weeks, or until the silage is cut. I would be slow to set demand higher than 70kg/day at this stage.
When taking out surplus paddocks, it is more prudent to take out paddocks from different stages in the wedge, as opposed to just the highest paddocks.
This means that in the event of reduced growth in the next fortnight, one or more of the paddocks with the lower covers can be re-introduced into the rotation. On fertiliser, most reasonably stocked farms should be spreading 30 units/acre per month for the next two months. Lighter soils should get 20 units/acre of sulphur in the year, either as ASN or sulfaCAN. Some farmers will spread a bag or more of 18:6:12 across the milking platform for this round of fertiliser.
Growth rates are well up and supplement needs to be cut back or eliminated.Take out surplus paddocks for silage, otherwise grass will grow out of hand.Set grass cover at between 150 and 180kg per cow for the next few weeks.Get fertiliser out on fields destined for long-term silage.Steven Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.29
Growth rate (kg/day) 46
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 671
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.9
Fat % 4.91
Protein % 3.42
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.1
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
Big change here in a week. Growth rate over the last week has been 46kg. We spread 30 units of urea/acre across the farm last Friday so we expect a growth rate of more than 75kg for the next seven days. We have already skipped two paddocks from the wedge and will be skipping more this week when we walk the farm again before the weekend.
Pre-grazing yield is 1,500kg and quality is excellent. Rotation length is back to 21 days. Strip wires are gone and cows can eat as much grass as they like as grazing conditions are excellent.
Ciaran Kavanagh
Tullamore, Co Offaly
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.8
Growth rate (kg/day) 55
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 550
Yield (l/cow/day) 24.5
Fat % 4.55
Protein % 3.13
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.94
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
The farm is turning inside out at the moment. We had been tight for grass for the last few weeks but growth is taking off now so we have cut out the silage and dropped the meal to zero. The spring was tough going, but cows got to grass for at least an hour after every milking before going back into the shed for silage and a lie down. I decided not to use a strip fence. Instead I gave them a big area and it worked well for me. The whole farm was reseeded in 2013 and 2014 before we started dairying. I’m following the cows with 30 units of 22-2.5-5. I expect to close up a few paddocks for silage towards the end of the week.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 22
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 521
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.9
Fat % 4.86
Protein % 3.25
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.91
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
Growth rate was 22kg for last week, but I think it is growing 60 or 70kg per day this week. We are still feeding 4kg of meal per cow as pre-grazing yields are low, at around 950kg. Because farm cover was let run too low last week, it is taking us a bit longer to get back to normal. No paddocks have been closed for silage yet, but I will walk the farm again before the weekend to reassess the situation. We have cut out the silage. Cows are out full-time and grazing conditions are excellent. Protein took a tumble in the past week, a consequence of the amount of silage fed over the past few weeks but hopefully it will improve as cows get more grass and sun.
Fergal Coughlan
Teagasc Clonakilty
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.65
Growth rate (kg/day) 46
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 641
Yield (l/cow/day) 27
Fat % 4.55
Protein % 3.53
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.24
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
We got a growth of 46kg for the past week but I think it is growing 70kg per day at the moment. We were feeding 4kg per day last week but we are cutting this back to zero. Pre-grazing yield is 1,500kg. Just over 25% of the farm has been closed for silage and more paddocks will be closed next week. We will fertilise this with 100 units of nitrogen, 20 units of phosphorus and about 90 units of potash per acre. There is a two-litre difference in milk yield between the cows on the clover and non-clover trial but no difference in grass growth yet, which follows the trend of previous years. Breeding is starting next Monday.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: