Grass growth on our measuring farms averaged 16 kg DM/ha/day since last week. There have been better conditions for growth in the south and west of the country in the past week, particularly prior to last weekend. However, temperatures have lifted considerably since Monday and growth should be picking up again right across the country.

The one constant with the farmers we’re talking to is ground conditions – unheralded for February. Grass supply is varying, based mainly on grassland management last winter, but all are reporting that the ground is highly trafficable. Indeed, we have farmers on traditionally difficult ground in the west getting slurry out at the earliest point in years and reporting minimal marking of the ground.

If there hasn’t already been grass-based activity on farms, there absolutely should be this week. What do I mean? Fertilizer or cattle. Nitrogen fertiliser should be out at this point. If you’re avoiding it because there’s loads of grass around, that’s the wrong mindset. You’ll reap rewards from nitrogen you spread now in the next rotation and beyond.

If there is good grass, get cattle out – simple as. Go with the lightest stock in the shed, use temporary reels and get them grazing tight now while conditions allow. If possible, save the heaviest covers for cows or older stock. Turn light stock to 6-8cm covers and move through them quickly, hitting 3.5-4cm. It might seem counterintuitive, but restricting areas and grazing tight now will pay off later in the season. Grazing tight will kick start the plant and the nitrogen spread is the ideal fuel for growth.

There is no major rain forecast for the next week to ten days and temperatures are set to remain good. Conditions for growth and grazing should only improve.

  • Grass growth 16kg DM/ha/day.
  • Make use of good weather to spread fertiliser and turnout light stock.
  • N-fertiliser should be going out regardless of grass supply.
  • Graze tight the first time round.
  • John Heslin

    Derrypatrick Herd, Co Meath

    Farm cover: 770kg DM/ha

    The dry weather in January led us to believe we may have had an opportunity to let yearlings out to grass. However, weather conditions changed and the increase in rainfall at the beginning of February resulted in the animals remaining indoors.

    Over the past fortnight, we have only experienced two days above 6°C. Mean soil temperatures recorded on farm were 5°C and 3°C for the first and second week of February respectively. This explains the minimal increase in farm cover.

    Current ground conditions on farm are suitable for grazing. Recent weather conditions have provided great drying and we are aiming to have some yearlings out in the coming days, provided rainfall is low. Yearling heifers will be the first to taste spring grass and, in order to limit soil damage, they will go to grass hungry, be allocated grazing areas on a 24-hour basis and initially graze paddocks of 1,000kg DM/ha (~8cm) to maximise grass utilisation.

    Matthew Murphy

    Newford Herd, Co Galway

    Farm cover: 1029kg DM/ha

    Thirty-three cows have now calved since the first on 2 February. We have 35 live calves, with three sets of twins and one loss. Cows and heifers are being drafted to the holding area as required before calving. Calving has progressed easily and there are ten heifers left at this point.

    On Monday of this week, 89 yearlings went out to grass after receiving their Clostridia vaccination. The average weight of the yearling males going to grass was 398kg – a winter daily weight gain of 0.69kg. The average weight of the females was 375kg – a winter weight gain of 0.61kg. All going well these cattle will stay out. The ground is drier now than it was back in September last. Our 13 February turnout date is ten days ahead of last year. After getting slurry out back in January, we got the first of our urea spread last week. It’s a bit late but we simply couldn’t source any urea. Any areas that got no slurry received half a bag to the acre.

    Tomás Murphy

    Durrow, Co Laois

    Average farm cover: 221kg DM/ha

    My farm cover is quite low at present, likely because at the end of November I went back into heavy covers that had built up from the beginning of my last rotation. I was afraid that the material would rot over the winter. I’m not overly concerned – ground is good and I am bringing silage out to fresh calvers in ring feeders. The weather is lending itself to good growth too.

    Thirty have calved from a total of 70 and 15 of these are out. Shed space will become a limiting factor quite soon. Eleven from 13 heifers have calved at this point – all at two years of age. They’ve all come without any issues. I used an easy-calving Angus and calves are strong, hardy and quick to rise and suck. Half of the grazing ground and all of the silage ground got 23 units of urea in mid-January and I emptied one of my slurry tanks too, spreading 2,000 gallons on the lightest covers. I have lots of silage in stock and it’s good stuff at 75% DMD and 30% dry matter.

    Richard Jennings

    Claremorris, Co Mayo

    Average farm cover: n/a

    I spent Wednesday spreading urea. I put out the equivalent of half a bag on all of the farm apart from ground that the sheep had grazed recently. This got 2,500 gallons of slurry on Tuesday. Previous to that, I spread slurry on any bare fields three weeks ago. The fact that I’m carrying sheep over the winter makes it difficult to build spring covers but I think it suits me here as a typical year probably doesn’t lend itself to a very early turnout of cows.

    That being said, this year would’ve been ideal. I calve in the autumn and all calves are creeping out of the shed to graze at the moment. Cows are probably a month from going out. Heifers and young stock will hopefully get out in the coming weeks. I have around ten acres of good covers at the moment. Silage ground was grazed at Christmas with the sheep and got slurry then. I find that trying to graze it with cattle can sometimes lead to damage. I’m in the middle of AI at present, using Belgian Blue and Limousin bulls.

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    Grass+ dairy: good forecast for grass and grazing