Average grass growth this week is 82kg per day. Farms that were getting tight for grass last week due to some moisture stress are now back in surplus territory again after getting between 25mm and 50mm of rain over the past week. Most farmers would have been glad to get this rain as it means that they can expect the good growth rates to continue for another few weeks.
We should use this to our advantage. Lowly stocked farms with plenty of silage made can afford to ease back on fertiliser and let the weather grow the grass. Soil temperatures are averaging 19 degrees which is about five degrees higher than normal. With the heat and moisture in the soil, we are experiencing almost tropical growing conditions.
On the other hand, if you are short of silage or in a financial position to build up reserves, then spread extra nitrogen now to capitalise on the growth potential of the farm.
However, closing up a high proportion of the farm for long-term silage now is not advised. Growth rates will fall at some point – and when they do you don’t want to be caught out with an artificially high demand because too much of the ground is closed for silage. So, set stocking rate no higher than four cows/ha and take out surplus paddocks for bales when they appear.
There is a good bit of stem in many swards. Selecting paddocks for silage should be based on the cover and the quality. Some paddocks with lighter covers might be poorer quality than some higher covers and should be cut for silage instead. The current weather (damp/dull) provides the ideal conditions for spreading urea.
I’m still seeing some strip wires up around the country. Asking cows to graze out a section at every milking is detrimental to the intakes of younger cows and the protein percentage of the herd. Three grazings per paddock is ideal.
Extremely high growth rates over the past week are likely to continue.Soil temperatures are about five degrees higher than normal.Reduce nitrogen spreading if you don’t need to grow surplus grass.Ideal weather conditions for spreading urea.Steven Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.13
Growth rate (kg/day) 83
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 696
Yield (l/cow/day) 20.87
Fat % 4.44
Protein % 3.45
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.7
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We got 28mm of rainfall at the weekend and this lifted growth from 45kg to 85kg/day, so we have removed the bale silage from the diet.
We will continue to feed 3kg of concentrate until the end of the week to build cover per cow up to 200kg as the weather outlook is for further dry weather up to the end of the week. However, we will do another farm cover on Friday and re-assess the situation then. Pre-grazing yield is about 1,300kg and we have a very even grass wedge. The bulls are out with the cows and are working away.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.27
Growth rate (kg/day) 88
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 543
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.03
Fat % 4.28
Protein % 3.53
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.77
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
Growth rates have jumped from 68kg DM/ha last week to 88kg/ha this week due to heavy rainfall and a high soil temperature (18.2oC).
First-cut silage was cut in two stages, with the second block cut last week. These paddocks had heavy covers (5,000 kg DM / ha) so will be slow to recover. The next paddock has a cover of 1,600kg/ha – this cannot be cut so will have to be grazed. The 4.5ha of reseed has just started to germinate after the rain and this should be ready to graze in the next three weeks. We have closed another 7ha for silage.
Tom Lyng
Greenfield Farm, Kilkenny
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.13
Growth rate (kg/day) 103
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 601
Yield (l/cow/day) 19.5
Fat % 4.37
Protein % 3.63
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.61
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
We got a really good growth rate this week of 103kg/day, which was a huge change.
Growth rate had collapsed to 25kg last week and we ended up feeding 25 round bales of silage, which works out at about 3kg of silage and 3kg of meal, for nearly a week. But we stopped feeding when the rain came and are now on an all-grass diet.
Pre-grazing yield is about 1,650kg. Breeding is going well – we have eight weeks done and will continue for another month. We are using AI but have vasectomised bulls running with the herd.
Jim Dwyer
Borris in Ossory, Co Laois
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.56
Growth rate (kg/day) 66
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 766
Yield (l/cow/day) 18
Fat % 4.73
Protein % 3.73
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.5
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
We got a nice bit of rain over the past week, so growth rates are up and more paddocks will need to be skipped for silage.
Pre-grazing yields are around 1,500kg and cleanouts are good, with cows grazing a lot of aftergrass from surplus silage over the last few days. Protein is good but yields are back a bit on previous years. However, the herd is young, with around 50% between first and second lactation. We are five weeks into breeding and will do two more weeks of AI and then let out bulls for three weeks.
Average grass growth this week is 82kg per day. Farms that were getting tight for grass last week due to some moisture stress are now back in surplus territory again after getting between 25mm and 50mm of rain over the past week. Most farmers would have been glad to get this rain as it means that they can expect the good growth rates to continue for another few weeks.
We should use this to our advantage. Lowly stocked farms with plenty of silage made can afford to ease back on fertiliser and let the weather grow the grass. Soil temperatures are averaging 19 degrees which is about five degrees higher than normal. With the heat and moisture in the soil, we are experiencing almost tropical growing conditions.
On the other hand, if you are short of silage or in a financial position to build up reserves, then spread extra nitrogen now to capitalise on the growth potential of the farm.
However, closing up a high proportion of the farm for long-term silage now is not advised. Growth rates will fall at some point – and when they do you don’t want to be caught out with an artificially high demand because too much of the ground is closed for silage. So, set stocking rate no higher than four cows/ha and take out surplus paddocks for bales when they appear.
There is a good bit of stem in many swards. Selecting paddocks for silage should be based on the cover and the quality. Some paddocks with lighter covers might be poorer quality than some higher covers and should be cut for silage instead. The current weather (damp/dull) provides the ideal conditions for spreading urea.
I’m still seeing some strip wires up around the country. Asking cows to graze out a section at every milking is detrimental to the intakes of younger cows and the protein percentage of the herd. Three grazings per paddock is ideal.
Extremely high growth rates over the past week are likely to continue.Soil temperatures are about five degrees higher than normal.Reduce nitrogen spreading if you don’t need to grow surplus grass.Ideal weather conditions for spreading urea.Steven Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.13
Growth rate (kg/day) 83
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 696
Yield (l/cow/day) 20.87
Fat % 4.44
Protein % 3.45
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.7
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We got 28mm of rainfall at the weekend and this lifted growth from 45kg to 85kg/day, so we have removed the bale silage from the diet.
We will continue to feed 3kg of concentrate until the end of the week to build cover per cow up to 200kg as the weather outlook is for further dry weather up to the end of the week. However, we will do another farm cover on Friday and re-assess the situation then. Pre-grazing yield is about 1,300kg and we have a very even grass wedge. The bulls are out with the cows and are working away.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.27
Growth rate (kg/day) 88
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 543
Yield (l/cow/day) 22.03
Fat % 4.28
Protein % 3.53
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.77
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1
Growth rates have jumped from 68kg DM/ha last week to 88kg/ha this week due to heavy rainfall and a high soil temperature (18.2oC).
First-cut silage was cut in two stages, with the second block cut last week. These paddocks had heavy covers (5,000 kg DM / ha) so will be slow to recover. The next paddock has a cover of 1,600kg/ha – this cannot be cut so will have to be grazed. The 4.5ha of reseed has just started to germinate after the rain and this should be ready to graze in the next three weeks. We have closed another 7ha for silage.
Tom Lyng
Greenfield Farm, Kilkenny
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.13
Growth rate (kg/day) 103
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 601
Yield (l/cow/day) 19.5
Fat % 4.37
Protein % 3.63
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.61
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
We got a really good growth rate this week of 103kg/day, which was a huge change.
Growth rate had collapsed to 25kg last week and we ended up feeding 25 round bales of silage, which works out at about 3kg of silage and 3kg of meal, for nearly a week. But we stopped feeding when the rain came and are now on an all-grass diet.
Pre-grazing yield is about 1,650kg. Breeding is going well – we have eight weeks done and will continue for another month. We are using AI but have vasectomised bulls running with the herd.
Jim Dwyer
Borris in Ossory, Co Laois
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.56
Growth rate (kg/day) 66
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 766
Yield (l/cow/day) 18
Fat % 4.73
Protein % 3.73
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.5
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0
We got a nice bit of rain over the past week, so growth rates are up and more paddocks will need to be skipped for silage.
Pre-grazing yields are around 1,500kg and cleanouts are good, with cows grazing a lot of aftergrass from surplus silage over the last few days. Protein is good but yields are back a bit on previous years. However, the herd is young, with around 50% between first and second lactation. We are five weeks into breeding and will do two more weeks of AI and then let out bulls for three weeks.
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