The grass that cows are going into has gone too strong on many farms and this has resulted in a noticeable drop in protein percent over the last week.
With the good sunny weather this week and some rain forecast for the weekend, it is likely that the high growth rates will continue for another while.
There are so many factors involved in predicting growth rates – weather, soil type, fertiliser etc. But in reality, the only thing that matters is the grass that the cows eat, so focus all your attention on getting this right. Pre-grazing yields shouldn’t be any higher than 1,500 or 1,600kg/ha.
Any higher than this and there is too much stem and not enough leaf in the sward, which isn’t good.
I know it’s a nuisance, but the best way to manage the high growth rates is to keep an eye on pre-grazing yields and cut out surplus paddocks for silage as they appear, at least once a week.
This is a very prudent approach to managing surplus grass and it means that regrowth will be staggered and too much of the farm will never be closed up for silage at once – a risky strategy when growth rates are variable.
If cutting the main first-cut silage this week, consider putting a few paddocks into the pit too. Maybe do a deal with the contractor for a separate price for the cow paddocks which will be lighter cuts and closer to the yard.
Other farmers will prefer to keep the good surplus grass in a bale where it can be accessed easily when supplement is needed towards the back end of the year or next spring.
Managing high grass growth rates is very difficult.Focus on pre-grazing yields, 1,200 to 1,600kg is optimum.Cut paddocks out for silage if pre-grazing yield is higher.Walk the farm at least twice a week.Steven Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 5.3
Growth rate (kg/day) 93
Average farm sover (kg/ha) 799
Yield (l/cow/day) 25.6
Fat % 4.59
Protein % 3.54
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.15
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
We cut about 10% of the farm for silage on Wednesday and will bale this up on Friday. Cutting this ground will reduce the stocking rate to about 4.5 cow/ha which will also reduce the demand to about 76kg per day. The covers on some of these paddocks are low at about 2,000kg but we think it’s important to get them cut and reduce the demand.
It’s a big challenge managing grass in these conditions but we can only do our best. We have a hole coming in the wedge but I think growth rate will remain high for another week or more so we should be OK. We are spreading 27 units/acre of sulphaCAN/acre after grazing.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.38
Growth rate (kg/day) 91
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 670
Yield (l/cow/day) 24.76
Fat % 4.19
Protein % 3.59
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.98
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Grass is powering ahead and we have three more paddocks closed for silage. Stocking rate is 4.38 cows/ha. We are planning on cutting two paddocks for bales this weekend that were closed last week, just to avoid having too much ground closed at once and to stagger the aftergrass. I think we’ll be skipping over more paddocks at the weekend.
Breeding has been going well – we have three weeks of breeding done today and up to yesterday we had 86% of the herd submitted. The plan now is to get any cows not served scanned to see what is up with them, but a quick glance of the list tells me that most are late calvers.
Denis Corcoran
Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.82
Growth rate (kg/day) 96
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 722
Yield (l/cow/day) 26
Fat % 3.88
Protein % 3.5
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.98
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Managing grass is some struggle at the moment. It’s very hard to do the right thing. Covers are gone strong yet the grass wedge is showing what was grazed in the last few days is slower to come back. I don’t want to take out too much silage only to get caught out in a deficit in a few weeks’ time.
I mowed four paddocks on Tuesday and decided to let the cows in to graze off one of them and the rest will be baled up today. It’s hard to get a good cleanout at the moment, with cows unhappy when asked. They are milking well though, so I’m happy enough with that. They are getting 2kg of meal for tetany risk.
Shane Fitzgerald
Ballynoe, Co Cork
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.53
Growth Rate (kg/day) 73
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 605
Yield (l/cow/day) 25.5
Fat % 4.20
Protein % 3.58
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 2.04
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 2
We have about 300 round bales of silage made over the last few weeks, which I’m delighted to have because we are stocked fairly high at 3.5 cows/ha all year, so they will come in handy in the autumn. Growth has definitely slowed down over the last week and pre-grazing yields are hovering around the 1,100kg mark, but I think it’s a good place to be.
Cleanouts are good and regrowth is quick. We are going back to graze aftergrass shortly. Rotation lengths are short at around 12 days so I’m walking the farm every few days. Cover per cow is around 160kg. We are feeding 2kg of a high phosphorus nut in the parlour.
Read more
Grass+ beef: Focus remains on pre-grazing covers and removing surpluses
The grass that cows are going into has gone too strong on many farms and this has resulted in a noticeable drop in protein percent over the last week.
With the good sunny weather this week and some rain forecast for the weekend, it is likely that the high growth rates will continue for another while.
There are so many factors involved in predicting growth rates – weather, soil type, fertiliser etc. But in reality, the only thing that matters is the grass that the cows eat, so focus all your attention on getting this right. Pre-grazing yields shouldn’t be any higher than 1,500 or 1,600kg/ha.
Any higher than this and there is too much stem and not enough leaf in the sward, which isn’t good.
I know it’s a nuisance, but the best way to manage the high growth rates is to keep an eye on pre-grazing yields and cut out surplus paddocks for silage as they appear, at least once a week.
This is a very prudent approach to managing surplus grass and it means that regrowth will be staggered and too much of the farm will never be closed up for silage at once – a risky strategy when growth rates are variable.
If cutting the main first-cut silage this week, consider putting a few paddocks into the pit too. Maybe do a deal with the contractor for a separate price for the cow paddocks which will be lighter cuts and closer to the yard.
Other farmers will prefer to keep the good surplus grass in a bale where it can be accessed easily when supplement is needed towards the back end of the year or next spring.
Managing high grass growth rates is very difficult.Focus on pre-grazing yields, 1,200 to 1,600kg is optimum.Cut paddocks out for silage if pre-grazing yield is higher.Walk the farm at least twice a week.Steven Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 5.3
Growth rate (kg/day) 93
Average farm sover (kg/ha) 799
Yield (l/cow/day) 25.6
Fat % 4.59
Protein % 3.54
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.15
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
We cut about 10% of the farm for silage on Wednesday and will bale this up on Friday. Cutting this ground will reduce the stocking rate to about 4.5 cow/ha which will also reduce the demand to about 76kg per day. The covers on some of these paddocks are low at about 2,000kg but we think it’s important to get them cut and reduce the demand.
It’s a big challenge managing grass in these conditions but we can only do our best. We have a hole coming in the wedge but I think growth rate will remain high for another week or more so we should be OK. We are spreading 27 units/acre of sulphaCAN/acre after grazing.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.38
Growth rate (kg/day) 91
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 670
Yield (l/cow/day) 24.76
Fat % 4.19
Protein % 3.59
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.98
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Grass is powering ahead and we have three more paddocks closed for silage. Stocking rate is 4.38 cows/ha. We are planning on cutting two paddocks for bales this weekend that were closed last week, just to avoid having too much ground closed at once and to stagger the aftergrass. I think we’ll be skipping over more paddocks at the weekend.
Breeding has been going well – we have three weeks of breeding done today and up to yesterday we had 86% of the herd submitted. The plan now is to get any cows not served scanned to see what is up with them, but a quick glance of the list tells me that most are late calvers.
Denis Corcoran
Clonmel, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.82
Growth rate (kg/day) 96
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 722
Yield (l/cow/day) 26
Fat % 3.88
Protein % 3.5
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.98
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Managing grass is some struggle at the moment. It’s very hard to do the right thing. Covers are gone strong yet the grass wedge is showing what was grazed in the last few days is slower to come back. I don’t want to take out too much silage only to get caught out in a deficit in a few weeks’ time.
I mowed four paddocks on Tuesday and decided to let the cows in to graze off one of them and the rest will be baled up today. It’s hard to get a good cleanout at the moment, with cows unhappy when asked. They are milking well though, so I’m happy enough with that. They are getting 2kg of meal for tetany risk.
Shane Fitzgerald
Ballynoe, Co Cork
Stocking Rate (cows/ha) 3.53
Growth Rate (kg/day) 73
Average Farm Cover (kg/ha) 605
Yield (l/cow/day) 25.5
Fat % 4.20
Protein % 3.58
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 2.04
Supplement Fed (kg/cow/day) 2
We have about 300 round bales of silage made over the last few weeks, which I’m delighted to have because we are stocked fairly high at 3.5 cows/ha all year, so they will come in handy in the autumn. Growth has definitely slowed down over the last week and pre-grazing yields are hovering around the 1,100kg mark, but I think it’s a good place to be.
Cleanouts are good and regrowth is quick. We are going back to graze aftergrass shortly. Rotation lengths are short at around 12 days so I’m walking the farm every few days. Cover per cow is around 160kg. We are feeding 2kg of a high phosphorus nut in the parlour.
Read more
Grass+ beef: Focus remains on pre-grazing covers and removing surpluses
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