Average growth rate this week from our Grass+ farms was 30kg per day. Despite air temperatures being a bit lower than normal over the past week, soil temperatures are up to 1.6°C higher than normal, as soil temperatures are slower to change. This is really helping growth rate, as average growth is almost twice the 10-year average.
The superb weather of the past week is worth an extra 10kg or 15kg in growth, especially on heavy farms, as grass utilisation is excellent. When the weather was bad a few weeks ago a lot of grass was being walked into the ground, but conditions are perfect now and this, along with higher-than-normal growth, is a big boost.
Farmers running low in average farm cover (700kg/ha or below) are wondering what to do. On the one hand, grazing conditions are excellent, but if they keep going as they are they will be out of grass in a matter of days.
On the other hand, if they put in supplement now they will slow down the round, and when the weather changes they will be grappling with feeding supplement and trying to clean out paddocks, which is difficult to achieve.
If housing and silage quality is reasonably good, I don’t see any problem with grazing more area now and closing up earlier than normal.
The important thing is to set up the farm well for next spring. So this means closing at the right average farm cover and getting a good clean-out of paddocks. Target post-grazing residual should be 4cm or below.
Some farmers are drying off cows to reduce grass demand. Start with the heifers and thin cows or sell empty cows.
If feeding silage, you must use a strip wire to make sure cows clean out paddocks correctly.
In brief
Growth rates are excellent at 30kg per day.Grazing conditions and grass utilisation is excellent.If running low in average farm cover, make a decision about supplementing or housing early.Target average farm cover at closing is between 600 and 700kg/ha.![]()
Shane Leane
Teagasc Curtins,
Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.96
Growth rate (kg/day) 24
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 989
Yield (l/cow/day) 14
Fat % 5.22
Protein % 4.5
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.4
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Grazing conditions are excellent and everything is running smoothly. We are on target for average farm cover, but we’re still feeding 2kg of meal per cow. If growth and cover drops further we will look into getting rid of the culls, which will reduce the herd by 11%.
We have 47% grazed to date and are on target for 60% by 1 November. We have skipped a few high covers to get more area grazed. Cows are currently grazing covers of 1,700kg. No cows have been dried off yet, and body condition score is good, so it depends on grass supply.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.78
Growth rate (kg/day) 24
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 709
Yield (l/cow/day) 13.29
Fat % 5.13
Protein % 4.16
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.27
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Average farm cover has held pretty well over the past week. Growth is reasonably good. We will remove the culls and dry off some cows next week, so demand will drop.
We are feeding 3kg of meal to the milkers. We have 64% of the farm closed to date, so we are well on target.
The last 10 days or so have been excellent, and we are back grazing some of the lower land again, which I didn’t think I’d be able to do. We will stay out full-time for at least one more week.
Esther Walsh
Tallow
Co Waterford
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.1
Growth rate (kg/day) 20
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 600
Yield (l/cow/day) 16.2
Fat % 5.15
Protein % 4.35
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.54
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 6
Average farm cover started dropping fast about two weeks ago. We should probably have put in more feed earlier, but we held off because clean-out and conditions were so good.
Cows are now on 6kg of meal, just to reduce demand and hold average farm cover. We have also dried off low-yielding and thin cows. Because cover is low, we will have no choice but to house earlier than normal. I’m not too worried once we have grass in the spring.
The target closing cover is 700kg by end of November. I think we can still achieve this if we house fully next week.
Brian Ronayne
Dungourney
Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.6
Growth rate (kg/day) 37
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 813
Yield (l/cow/day) 12.55
Fat % 5.48
Protein % 4.24
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.26
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2s 2m
We are grazing 3ha per day, which means we’ll have 60% grazed by 1 November. The cows are on 24-hour breaks, and if they don’t have enough grass for the night we give them access to silage. The amount of silage they get depends on the cover of grass in the paddock. Protein dropped since we started feeding silage – it was at 4.41%. There is a cover of 600kg back on the first closed paddock, which was grazed on 7 October. The target closing cover is 700kg/ha. We have a high demand in spring and cows go to grass as soon as they calve, so I need grass in spring.
Read more
Grass+ beef: close up, it’s worth more in the spring
Average growth rate this week from our Grass+ farms was 30kg per day. Despite air temperatures being a bit lower than normal over the past week, soil temperatures are up to 1.6°C higher than normal, as soil temperatures are slower to change. This is really helping growth rate, as average growth is almost twice the 10-year average.
The superb weather of the past week is worth an extra 10kg or 15kg in growth, especially on heavy farms, as grass utilisation is excellent. When the weather was bad a few weeks ago a lot of grass was being walked into the ground, but conditions are perfect now and this, along with higher-than-normal growth, is a big boost.
Farmers running low in average farm cover (700kg/ha or below) are wondering what to do. On the one hand, grazing conditions are excellent, but if they keep going as they are they will be out of grass in a matter of days.
On the other hand, if they put in supplement now they will slow down the round, and when the weather changes they will be grappling with feeding supplement and trying to clean out paddocks, which is difficult to achieve.
If housing and silage quality is reasonably good, I don’t see any problem with grazing more area now and closing up earlier than normal.
The important thing is to set up the farm well for next spring. So this means closing at the right average farm cover and getting a good clean-out of paddocks. Target post-grazing residual should be 4cm or below.
Some farmers are drying off cows to reduce grass demand. Start with the heifers and thin cows or sell empty cows.
If feeding silage, you must use a strip wire to make sure cows clean out paddocks correctly.
In brief
Growth rates are excellent at 30kg per day.Grazing conditions and grass utilisation is excellent.If running low in average farm cover, make a decision about supplementing or housing early.Target average farm cover at closing is between 600 and 700kg/ha.![]()
Shane Leane
Teagasc Curtins,
Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.96
Growth rate (kg/day) 24
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 989
Yield (l/cow/day) 14
Fat % 5.22
Protein % 4.5
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.4
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Grazing conditions are excellent and everything is running smoothly. We are on target for average farm cover, but we’re still feeding 2kg of meal per cow. If growth and cover drops further we will look into getting rid of the culls, which will reduce the herd by 11%.
We have 47% grazed to date and are on target for 60% by 1 November. We have skipped a few high covers to get more area grazed. Cows are currently grazing covers of 1,700kg. No cows have been dried off yet, and body condition score is good, so it depends on grass supply.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.78
Growth rate (kg/day) 24
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 709
Yield (l/cow/day) 13.29
Fat % 5.13
Protein % 4.16
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.27
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Average farm cover has held pretty well over the past week. Growth is reasonably good. We will remove the culls and dry off some cows next week, so demand will drop.
We are feeding 3kg of meal to the milkers. We have 64% of the farm closed to date, so we are well on target.
The last 10 days or so have been excellent, and we are back grazing some of the lower land again, which I didn’t think I’d be able to do. We will stay out full-time for at least one more week.
Esther Walsh
Tallow
Co Waterford
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.1
Growth rate (kg/day) 20
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 600
Yield (l/cow/day) 16.2
Fat % 5.15
Protein % 4.35
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.54
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 6
Average farm cover started dropping fast about two weeks ago. We should probably have put in more feed earlier, but we held off because clean-out and conditions were so good.
Cows are now on 6kg of meal, just to reduce demand and hold average farm cover. We have also dried off low-yielding and thin cows. Because cover is low, we will have no choice but to house earlier than normal. I’m not too worried once we have grass in the spring.
The target closing cover is 700kg by end of November. I think we can still achieve this if we house fully next week.
Brian Ronayne
Dungourney
Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.6
Growth rate (kg/day) 37
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 813
Yield (l/cow/day) 12.55
Fat % 5.48
Protein % 4.24
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.26
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2s 2m
We are grazing 3ha per day, which means we’ll have 60% grazed by 1 November. The cows are on 24-hour breaks, and if they don’t have enough grass for the night we give them access to silage. The amount of silage they get depends on the cover of grass in the paddock. Protein dropped since we started feeding silage – it was at 4.41%. There is a cover of 600kg back on the first closed paddock, which was grazed on 7 October. The target closing cover is 700kg/ha. We have a high demand in spring and cows go to grass as soon as they calve, so I need grass in spring.
Read more
Grass+ beef: close up, it’s worth more in the spring
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