Soil temperatures are averaging 13 degrees, which is about one degree above normal and is contributing to higher than normal grass growths, as seen on the map. October has been a great month so far – growth is up and utilisation is excellent.
At this stage, everyone should have some paddocks closed or be thinking about when to start closing. You are either at peak cover or have gone past it. The important average farm cover figure from here on is the closing cover. Depending on demand next spring, this will be somewhere between 500kg/ha and 650kg/ha.
The target closing cover for your farm depends on how much grass you need to open at and what growth rate you expect over the winter. The higher the opening cover is next spring the better, as it means more grass will be fed, more milk solids will be produced and the costs of production will fall.
For most farmers, the target is 800kg opening farm cover. Given an average over-winter growth rate of 2kg/ day, for 100 days, means that the closing cover needs to be around the 600kg mark. Of as much importance is what type of covers to carry over but it is too early to worry about that just yet.
For now, the key thing is to close off paddocks quickly – a minimum of 60% of the farm needs to be closed in four weeks from now. That’s 15% per week, or a little over two acres per day on a 100-acre farm. Some farmers will accelerate this figure, being more aggressive with closing in the next two weeks, then slow it down towards the end of the 30-day period. The idea is to get enough regrowth back on the grazed area before growth starts to stall. See more in management notes page 66.
Growth rates are still good.Closing cover is the most important figure to ensure grass next spring.Target is 500kg/ha to 650kg/ha depending on spring requirement.Graze minimum 60% of the farm in the next 30 days.Steven Fitzgerald
Curtins Farm
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 2.96
Growth Rate (kg/day) 41
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 885
Yield (l/cow/day) 16
Fat % 5.49
Protein % 4.26
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.6
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Average farm cover is still behind target. At this stage we will never catch up, but the plan is to hold it for as long as possible and feeding the meal is helping us to achieve that. Demand is more or less equivalent to growth, so cover should hold. The first paddock has been closed and this has received 2,000 gallons of slurry per acre.
Utilisation is excellent so re-growths should come back fast, with good quality. Milk yield has dropped a bit this week but fat and protein percent are still rising so milk solids are holding well. Somatic cell count is 106,000.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth Rate (kg/day) 44
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 1117
Yield (l/cow/day) 15.4
Fat % 4.78
Protein % 4.13
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.4
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Average farm cover is there or thereabouts where we would like it to be. I wouldn’t like it to be much higher. Pre-grazing yields are 2,300kg and graze-out is excellent. The rain last Monday didn’t have any impact. Because we’ve a high demand next spring, and because growth will drop off faster here than in other parts, I plan to get 70% of the farm grazed by 1 November. The first paddock was closed on 1 October.
We are still feeding 3kg of meal. Demand is more or less equal to growth with the meal in so I think it is better to keep it in for another week or so to hold cover for as long we can, especially as conditions are good.
Peter Mongey
Stackallen, Co. Meath
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.2
Growth Rate (kg/day) 72
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 1110
Yield (l/cow/day) 18.81
Fat % 4.87
Protein % 3.98
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.71
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 3.7
We have been getting growth rates in excess of 70kg/day over the last few weeks which has really helped my farm cover to rise. The herd here is split calving, with about 40% calving over September and October. They are all being run as one mob at the moment, but the plan is to keep the autumn calvers in full-time from the middle of this month to stretch out the grass for the spring calvers.
I have excellent quality, 77% DMD round bale silage so the milkers will be getting this. My plan is to close up at a farm cover of 650kg in the middle of November. I started closing on 5 October and hope to have 80% grazed by 5 November.
Ivan Ferguson
Fahan, Co. Donegal
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 2.8
Growth Rate (kg/day) 38
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 665
Yield (l/cow/day) 18.5
Fat % 4.5
Protein % 4.11
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.64
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Weather has been great here for the past two weeks, but was horrible all summer. The farm here has two distinct soil types and the heavy land barely grew at all this year, constantly waterlogged and hungry looking. As a result, we are well behind in average farm cover at only 665kg. So I am feeding silage and meal to try and extend the grass for as long as possible.
Agrinet is telling me I have enough grass for the next 40 days so if I get that far I’ll be happy enough. I don’t start calving here until the end of February so I don’t have the same demand in early spring as others.
Soil temperatures are averaging 13 degrees, which is about one degree above normal and is contributing to higher than normal grass growths, as seen on the map. October has been a great month so far – growth is up and utilisation is excellent.
At this stage, everyone should have some paddocks closed or be thinking about when to start closing. You are either at peak cover or have gone past it. The important average farm cover figure from here on is the closing cover. Depending on demand next spring, this will be somewhere between 500kg/ha and 650kg/ha.
The target closing cover for your farm depends on how much grass you need to open at and what growth rate you expect over the winter. The higher the opening cover is next spring the better, as it means more grass will be fed, more milk solids will be produced and the costs of production will fall.
For most farmers, the target is 800kg opening farm cover. Given an average over-winter growth rate of 2kg/ day, for 100 days, means that the closing cover needs to be around the 600kg mark. Of as much importance is what type of covers to carry over but it is too early to worry about that just yet.
For now, the key thing is to close off paddocks quickly – a minimum of 60% of the farm needs to be closed in four weeks from now. That’s 15% per week, or a little over two acres per day on a 100-acre farm. Some farmers will accelerate this figure, being more aggressive with closing in the next two weeks, then slow it down towards the end of the 30-day period. The idea is to get enough regrowth back on the grazed area before growth starts to stall. See more in management notes page 66.
Growth rates are still good.Closing cover is the most important figure to ensure grass next spring.Target is 500kg/ha to 650kg/ha depending on spring requirement.Graze minimum 60% of the farm in the next 30 days.Steven Fitzgerald
Curtins Farm
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 2.96
Growth Rate (kg/day) 41
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 885
Yield (l/cow/day) 16
Fat % 5.49
Protein % 4.26
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.6
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Average farm cover is still behind target. At this stage we will never catch up, but the plan is to hold it for as long as possible and feeding the meal is helping us to achieve that. Demand is more or less equivalent to growth, so cover should hold. The first paddock has been closed and this has received 2,000 gallons of slurry per acre.
Utilisation is excellent so re-growths should come back fast, with good quality. Milk yield has dropped a bit this week but fat and protein percent are still rising so milk solids are holding well. Somatic cell count is 106,000.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth Rate (kg/day) 44
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 1117
Yield (l/cow/day) 15.4
Fat % 4.78
Protein % 4.13
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.4
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Average farm cover is there or thereabouts where we would like it to be. I wouldn’t like it to be much higher. Pre-grazing yields are 2,300kg and graze-out is excellent. The rain last Monday didn’t have any impact. Because we’ve a high demand next spring, and because growth will drop off faster here than in other parts, I plan to get 70% of the farm grazed by 1 November. The first paddock was closed on 1 October.
We are still feeding 3kg of meal. Demand is more or less equal to growth with the meal in so I think it is better to keep it in for another week or so to hold cover for as long we can, especially as conditions are good.
Peter Mongey
Stackallen, Co. Meath
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.2
Growth Rate (kg/day) 72
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 1110
Yield (l/cow/day) 18.81
Fat % 4.87
Protein % 3.98
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.71
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 3.7
We have been getting growth rates in excess of 70kg/day over the last few weeks which has really helped my farm cover to rise. The herd here is split calving, with about 40% calving over September and October. They are all being run as one mob at the moment, but the plan is to keep the autumn calvers in full-time from the middle of this month to stretch out the grass for the spring calvers.
I have excellent quality, 77% DMD round bale silage so the milkers will be getting this. My plan is to close up at a farm cover of 650kg in the middle of November. I started closing on 5 October and hope to have 80% grazed by 5 November.
Ivan Ferguson
Fahan, Co. Donegal
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 2.8
Growth Rate (kg/day) 38
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 665
Yield (l/cow/day) 18.5
Fat % 4.5
Protein % 4.11
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.64
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Weather has been great here for the past two weeks, but was horrible all summer. The farm here has two distinct soil types and the heavy land barely grew at all this year, constantly waterlogged and hungry looking. As a result, we are well behind in average farm cover at only 665kg. So I am feeding silage and meal to try and extend the grass for as long as possible.
Agrinet is telling me I have enough grass for the next 40 days so if I get that far I’ll be happy enough. I don’t start calving here until the end of February so I don’t have the same demand in early spring as others.
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