It’s safe to say that the past week has been superb weather-wise. The high pressure has allowed those in the north and west to catch up on field work while ground conditions are excellent everywhere.
With a return to showery conditions forecast for the weekend, get as much of the heavy land or higher covers grazed off as soon as possible.
![]()
Click image for full-size map.
Paddocks grazed now should not be grazed again until next spring. To ensure quality regrowth and a nice clean sward for overwintering, graze out hard now.
Production will suffer if you are grazing very high covers (greater than 2,500kg).
Consider alternating between high and low covers to keep the overall diet reasonably good. This will help in getting the area grazed and closed up. The target is to have 60% grazed and closed by the end of the month.
But farm cover is a more important target. Closing cover in mid- to late November should be between 600 and 750kg/ha.
While growth has been good (average growth 43kg/day), grass is still running scarce on some farms that may not have built sufficient cover. The best supplement is good-quality baled silage.
Rotation
With the good weather, some are able to feed this out in the paddock under the fence and use it to hold rotation length at 40 to 50 days. It’s hard to get a good cleanout when feeding silage. The best approach seems to be to give grass first and then bring cows in for silage when they hit the correct residual.
Average growth rates are good at 43kg/day and ground conditions are excellent but there is rain on the way.Paddocks grazed now should not be grazed again until next spring.Watch average farm cover closely, it should be around 1,000kg now and should be between 600 and 750kg at closing.If supplementing with silage, allocate the grass first and then bring cows in for silage.Shane Leane
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.96
Growth rate (kg/day) 56
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,147
Yield (l/cow/day) 14
Fat % 5.53
Protein % 4.35
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.42
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
We got a surprisingly high growth rate this week at 56kg per day, so average farm cover increased. As a result, we reduced meal to 2kg/cow/day. We did consider removing it from the diet altogether but we are being a bit cautious with regards growth rate over the coming weeks so we kept it in. Demand is currently 44kg/day. Cows are still on 36-hour grazings as ground conditions are ideal. We started closing paddocks this week and spread some soiled water on the closed paddocks. No cows have been dried off yet.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.78
Growth rate (kg/day) 33
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 881
Yield (l/cow/day) 13.1
Fat % 5.18
Protein % 4.12
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.25
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
The last week has been excellent, despite getting some rain on Wednesday morning. At this stage we have about 90% of the wet land grazed and closed so we are well set up. Average farm cover is lower than I would like so meal feeding has increased to 3kg but I am reluctant to feed silage. I will hold off feeding it until next week and get more of the higher covers grazed. We have 32% of the farm closed and we are currently grazing lighter covers on the dry land to get sufficient regrowth on these for the spring.
James Barber
Rathdowney, Co Laois
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.5
Growth rate (kg/day) 35
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 831
Yield (l/cow/day) 16.8
Fat % 4.3
Protein % 3.8
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.39
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.5
The last ten days have been excellent and it’s a great chance to get some of the higher covers grazed off. We are currently grazing covers of around 1,600 to 1,800kg. Cows are on 12-hour breaks and clean-out is good. We are feeding just short of 1.5kg of meal, just to cover for tetany. We started closing paddocks on Monday and should easily have 60% closed by the end of the month. We scanned the other day and had 7% empty after 13 weeks of breeding. The plan is to fully house the cows by around 20 November.
Jim Delahunty
Carrig, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.81
Growth rate (kg/day) 62
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,305
Yield (l/cow/day) 14.2
Fat % 5.03
Protein % 3.92
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.31
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We’ve been getting great growth rates over the last few weeks and average farm cover is probably too high, but at my stocking rate the last thing I was going to do was take out surplus paddocks after August. I’ve increased meal to 3kg/cow to help keep milk production up, particularly in the younger cows while they graze the higher covers. The plan is to work my way through the grass with no silage until mid-November or whenever average farm cover hits 500kg/ha and then house the herd fully.
Read more
Grass+ beef: How much grass should I have this week?
It’s safe to say that the past week has been superb weather-wise. The high pressure has allowed those in the north and west to catch up on field work while ground conditions are excellent everywhere.
With a return to showery conditions forecast for the weekend, get as much of the heavy land or higher covers grazed off as soon as possible.
![]()
Click image for full-size map.
Paddocks grazed now should not be grazed again until next spring. To ensure quality regrowth and a nice clean sward for overwintering, graze out hard now.
Production will suffer if you are grazing very high covers (greater than 2,500kg).
Consider alternating between high and low covers to keep the overall diet reasonably good. This will help in getting the area grazed and closed up. The target is to have 60% grazed and closed by the end of the month.
But farm cover is a more important target. Closing cover in mid- to late November should be between 600 and 750kg/ha.
While growth has been good (average growth 43kg/day), grass is still running scarce on some farms that may not have built sufficient cover. The best supplement is good-quality baled silage.
Rotation
With the good weather, some are able to feed this out in the paddock under the fence and use it to hold rotation length at 40 to 50 days. It’s hard to get a good cleanout when feeding silage. The best approach seems to be to give grass first and then bring cows in for silage when they hit the correct residual.
Average growth rates are good at 43kg/day and ground conditions are excellent but there is rain on the way.Paddocks grazed now should not be grazed again until next spring.Watch average farm cover closely, it should be around 1,000kg now and should be between 600 and 750kg at closing.If supplementing with silage, allocate the grass first and then bring cows in for silage.Shane Leane
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.96
Growth rate (kg/day) 56
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,147
Yield (l/cow/day) 14
Fat % 5.53
Protein % 4.35
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.42
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
We got a surprisingly high growth rate this week at 56kg per day, so average farm cover increased. As a result, we reduced meal to 2kg/cow/day. We did consider removing it from the diet altogether but we are being a bit cautious with regards growth rate over the coming weeks so we kept it in. Demand is currently 44kg/day. Cows are still on 36-hour grazings as ground conditions are ideal. We started closing paddocks this week and spread some soiled water on the closed paddocks. No cows have been dried off yet.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.78
Growth rate (kg/day) 33
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 881
Yield (l/cow/day) 13.1
Fat % 5.18
Protein % 4.12
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.25
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
The last week has been excellent, despite getting some rain on Wednesday morning. At this stage we have about 90% of the wet land grazed and closed so we are well set up. Average farm cover is lower than I would like so meal feeding has increased to 3kg but I am reluctant to feed silage. I will hold off feeding it until next week and get more of the higher covers grazed. We have 32% of the farm closed and we are currently grazing lighter covers on the dry land to get sufficient regrowth on these for the spring.
James Barber
Rathdowney, Co Laois
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.5
Growth rate (kg/day) 35
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 831
Yield (l/cow/day) 16.8
Fat % 4.3
Protein % 3.8
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.39
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.5
The last ten days have been excellent and it’s a great chance to get some of the higher covers grazed off. We are currently grazing covers of around 1,600 to 1,800kg. Cows are on 12-hour breaks and clean-out is good. We are feeding just short of 1.5kg of meal, just to cover for tetany. We started closing paddocks on Monday and should easily have 60% closed by the end of the month. We scanned the other day and had 7% empty after 13 weeks of breeding. The plan is to fully house the cows by around 20 November.
Jim Delahunty
Carrig, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.81
Growth rate (kg/day) 62
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,305
Yield (l/cow/day) 14.2
Fat % 5.03
Protein % 3.92
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.31
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We’ve been getting great growth rates over the last few weeks and average farm cover is probably too high, but at my stocking rate the last thing I was going to do was take out surplus paddocks after August. I’ve increased meal to 3kg/cow to help keep milk production up, particularly in the younger cows while they graze the higher covers. The plan is to work my way through the grass with no silage until mid-November or whenever average farm cover hits 500kg/ha and then house the herd fully.
Read more
Grass+ beef: How much grass should I have this week?
SHARING OPTIONS