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With grass growth having temporarily stalled in the dry conditions, many welcomed the weekend’s rain. There has been a significant growth response to the moisture, with a 20% increase in grass production on last week.
Growth for the week up to Wednesday 17 May was 60kg DM/ha/day, and the current growth rate is likely higher, given that this figure encompasses a period before the rainfall. In the coming week, conditions are set to be relatively “growthy”, with moderate levels of moisture and heat forecast.
With growth back at grass-building levels on a lot of farms at this point, the handbrake can come off now in terms of grassland management. Any strong paddocks that had been skipped for removal during the dry period should be taken out ASAP. The risk of them flat lining post-cutting is no more.
At this point there should be 12 to 14 days of grass on the farm and, as first-cut-silage time approaches, begin to add surplus grazing ground to your first-cut area for convenience.
Don’t be tempted to let these bulk up – there is no need at this point. Aim to take three to five bales per acre from these and maximise quality. Your contractor will be well used to baling small covers on dairy farms, so don’t think you have to bulk it up on his or her part.
These bales are doing two crucial jobs for us: maintaining sward quality and providing a staple winter feed.
Energy is the most limiting factor in cattle production, and the fact is that stem contains 20% less of it than leaf. We need to be putting leaf into our animals, both in the field and at the feed barrier, in winter. If we can buy rolled barley at €175/t and grass silage at €29/t, the value goes from silage once we drop below 66% DMD.
Aim to cut surplus paddocks at 10 to 12cm. Chances are that subsequent bale DMD values will be well into the 70s – a big asset to you this winter. Every 3% reduction in DMD needs 1kg of meals to counteract.
Co Longford
System: suckler-to-weanling
Soil type: variable
Avg farm cover (kg DM/ha): 1,210
Grass growth (kg DM/ha/day): 53
I’ve a healthy looking grass wedge at the minute and the showery weather over the last few days has really bulked up my meadows. I hope to cut next week now, if the weather allows. All silage ground received 100 units of nitrogen and was grazed with sheep prior to closing so, all going well, I’m hoping for quality around the 75% DMD mark.
Breeding season has gotten underway on the farm, and my replacement heifers have joined the Saler bull this week. I’ve got some nice five-star Simmental heifers coming into the herd, so fingers crossed they’ll do the business in the coming years, as I bid to increase numbers and drive output on the farm.
Last week, I reseeded three acres. I went with the Top 5 Extend grazing mix, as it’s performing well for me here in other fields. I couldn’t have asked for better sowing conditions. It received 2.5 tonnes of lime/acre and three bags/acre of 10-10-20, which is definitely washed in by now.
Co Wicklow
System: suckler-to-steer
Soil type: free-draining/clay
Avg farm cover (kg DM/ha): 903
Grass growth (kg DM/ha/day): n/a
With the drop of rain over the last few days, grass has really kicked off. Already, I have a number of bales taken from surplus grass on paddocks and, once the weather permits, I have identified a number of other paddocks that will be taken out for bales in order to keep sward quality high.
The big grass supply will also give me a window to reseed an older sward, which I hope to stitch with grass seed in the coming weeks.
I’ll go for my main first cut when the next dry spell comes. It received three bags of 18-6-12 and two bags of CAN to the acre in April, and it seems to be in good condition, it was also sprayed four weeks ago for docks, using Forefront T, and there looks to have been a good kill.
The bull has been out with the cows for one month and activity is very good, with a lot of cows served already. All steers that have been out since early spring were given a worm dose last week.
Newford Herd, Co Galway
System: suckler-to-steer
Soil type: dry-to-heavy
Avg farm cover (kg DM/ha): 616
Grass growth (kg DM/ha/day): 45
At present, there are 104 cows and their 108 calves grazing, with no problems to report. We were three weeks into our breeding season on Monday and submission rates have been excellent, similar to last year. Out of 100 cows for breeding, 92 had been served up to Monday.
The plan is to scan any animals not served by today (Thursday). Our average calving interval for 2017 was 349 days.
There were 13 acres (four paddocks) removed for surplus bales on the home block early last week and, when weather allows, we will take another five acres on the outfarm.
The yield from these paddocks was 2.5 bales per acre, so quality will be top class. With the dry spell, grass growth slowed and we are now quite tight on the home block – fertiliser was sitting on the ground. However, the weekend’s rain should help to get things moving. We are on track to take the main first cut in the last week of the month.
Derrypatrick Herd, Co Meath
System: suckler to beef
Soil type: mixed
Avg farm cover (kg DM/ha): 770
Grass growth (kg DM/ha/day): 50
Grass growth over the past fortnight has been slow due to the lack of rain. Paddocks that were grazed during this period were very slow to “green-up” and were in need of moisture. The rain that has fallen in recent days was welcome and has brought some excellent grass-growing conditions.
Grass measuring will be carried out twice weekly for the coming weeks to ensure management decisions are correct, in order to maintain pregrazing heights at appropriate levels to maximise grass quality offered.
A combination of excellent-quality grass (10-11cm pre-grazing), warm weather and heat detection success has enabled 50% of the herd to be submitted for AI in the first two weeks of breeding.
The focus will remain on maximising submission and conception rates over the coming weeks. Silage production and the incorporation of clover into grassland will receive attention over the coming weeks too.
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