Average grass growth on our Grass+ farms rose again this week to 75kg per day. After a mild week, some farms in the midlands are recording phenomenal growth rates in excess of 100kg per day. Soil temperatures are about 1.5°C higher than normal at 16.5°C and rainfall is about 1.5 times the normal, so all the conditions are there for growth. However, sunlight duration is about 30% of normal.
Generally speaking, grazing conditions are good and clean-out has improved on heavy farms depending on rainfall intensity.
Watching pre-grazing covers and skipping over high paddocks is essential to prevent grass going out of hand. When grass is growing well, it is necessary to walk the farm more than once in the week.
While it’s too early to start building covers, it is important to be thinking about it. Removing surplus grass and cutting second cuts soon are the first steps.
Forecast
The current forecast for the weekend is for fairly dry weather, so this should offer an opportunity to get surplus paddocks and silage cut.
There are probably only two more grazings per paddock where we can be pretty much guaranteed good conditions.
The secret to maintaining good-quality grass and preventing as much die-back as possible when covers are high in the autumn is to start off with a clean sward. Even though grass is plentiful now, you can’t afford to leave grass in the paddock, as this will really mess up quality going into the autumn. Target post-grazing height is 4cm or whenever the dungpads have been well eaten into.
On fertiliser, there is a real opportunity now, with the high growth rates, to ease back on nitrogen for the next three weeks, especially if stocking rates are low.
This weather is ideal for urea and the nitrogen in slurry/soiled water is more available too.
In short
Growth rate this week of 75kg per day.Cut second cuts and surplus paddocks if weather allows.Keep the focus on good residuals.Use slurry and soiled water on aftergrass.Listen to grassland management advice from Teagasc's Gary Fisher in our podcast below:
Shane Leane
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.7 Growth rate (kg/day) 80 Average farm cover (kg/ha) 740 Yield (l/cow/day) 21 Fat % 4.55Protein % 3.67 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.78 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2Grass is still growing well, with a growth rate of 80kg this week. Stocking rate is high at 4.7 cows/ha because we are waiting to cut silage. The plan is to cut it soon – we are just waiting for a few dry days. Just over one-third of the farm is closed for silage. Pre-grazing yields are 1,500kg to 1,600kg and quality is fairly good. We took out the bulls the other day after 11 weeks of breeding. The number of cows seen bulling was low, so we said we would finish up a bit earlier than normal. We are still spreading 20 units/acre of sulphacan after grazing.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.96 Growth rate (kg/day) 79 Average farm cover (kg/ha) 606 Yield (l/cow/day) 20.6 Fat % 4.32Protein % 3.58 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.68 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1Growth rate has increased this week as a result of higher temperatures. We are now back on track with average farm cover, so the meal has dropped back to 1kg per cow. Grazing conditions are reasonable, but we were grazing the reseeds along the riverbank and had to stop because they were just too tender. Hopefully we will get back to grazing them in the next week. Pre-grazing yields are around the 1,300kg mark and quality is very good. If growth continues, we will probably have to skip over a few paddocks next week.
Pat Hennessy
Athy, Co Kildare
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.7 Growth rate (kg/day) 98 Average farm cover (kg/ha) 815 Yield (l/cow/day) 19 Fat % 4.6Protein % 3.73 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.58 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0Grass is growing really well at the moment. We’ve been at close to 100kg/day for the past few weeks. While it’s hard to manage, it’s great to have it. Cows are grazing covers of around 1,800kg, which is a bit on the high side, but they are still cleaning it out well to about 4cm post-grazing height. They are getting three grazings per paddock. Stocking rate is high at the moment, but we are waiting to cut second-cut silage, which will bring it back to 3.2 cows/ha and then the job of building up covers for the autumn will begin.
Tom Lyng
Greenfield Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.29 Growth rate (kg/day) 70 Average farm cover (kg/ha) 606 Yield (l/cow/day) 18.12 Fat % 4.53Protein % 3.75 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.5 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0We’re having a great summer. The regular showers of rain over the last few weeks are as good for grass growth as spreading a bag of fertiliser, as the farm is normally dry at this time of year. The farm is green and every paddock is growing well. Milk solids production is back a small bit compared with the same period last year, even though we are not doing anything different. Pre-grazing yields are around 1,400kg and clean-out is good. Breeding is going well. We have vasectomised bulls out with the herd and we are continuing to use AI.
Average grass growth on our Grass+ farms rose again this week to 75kg per day. After a mild week, some farms in the midlands are recording phenomenal growth rates in excess of 100kg per day. Soil temperatures are about 1.5°C higher than normal at 16.5°C and rainfall is about 1.5 times the normal, so all the conditions are there for growth. However, sunlight duration is about 30% of normal.
Generally speaking, grazing conditions are good and clean-out has improved on heavy farms depending on rainfall intensity.
Watching pre-grazing covers and skipping over high paddocks is essential to prevent grass going out of hand. When grass is growing well, it is necessary to walk the farm more than once in the week.
While it’s too early to start building covers, it is important to be thinking about it. Removing surplus grass and cutting second cuts soon are the first steps.
Forecast
The current forecast for the weekend is for fairly dry weather, so this should offer an opportunity to get surplus paddocks and silage cut.
There are probably only two more grazings per paddock where we can be pretty much guaranteed good conditions.
The secret to maintaining good-quality grass and preventing as much die-back as possible when covers are high in the autumn is to start off with a clean sward. Even though grass is plentiful now, you can’t afford to leave grass in the paddock, as this will really mess up quality going into the autumn. Target post-grazing height is 4cm or whenever the dungpads have been well eaten into.
On fertiliser, there is a real opportunity now, with the high growth rates, to ease back on nitrogen for the next three weeks, especially if stocking rates are low.
This weather is ideal for urea and the nitrogen in slurry/soiled water is more available too.
In short
Growth rate this week of 75kg per day.Cut second cuts and surplus paddocks if weather allows.Keep the focus on good residuals.Use slurry and soiled water on aftergrass.Listen to grassland management advice from Teagasc's Gary Fisher in our podcast below:
Shane Leane
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.7 Growth rate (kg/day) 80 Average farm cover (kg/ha) 740 Yield (l/cow/day) 21 Fat % 4.55Protein % 3.67 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.78 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2Grass is still growing well, with a growth rate of 80kg this week. Stocking rate is high at 4.7 cows/ha because we are waiting to cut silage. The plan is to cut it soon – we are just waiting for a few dry days. Just over one-third of the farm is closed for silage. Pre-grazing yields are 1,500kg to 1,600kg and quality is fairly good. We took out the bulls the other day after 11 weeks of breeding. The number of cows seen bulling was low, so we said we would finish up a bit earlier than normal. We are still spreading 20 units/acre of sulphacan after grazing.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.96 Growth rate (kg/day) 79 Average farm cover (kg/ha) 606 Yield (l/cow/day) 20.6 Fat % 4.32Protein % 3.58 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.68 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1Growth rate has increased this week as a result of higher temperatures. We are now back on track with average farm cover, so the meal has dropped back to 1kg per cow. Grazing conditions are reasonable, but we were grazing the reseeds along the riverbank and had to stop because they were just too tender. Hopefully we will get back to grazing them in the next week. Pre-grazing yields are around the 1,300kg mark and quality is very good. If growth continues, we will probably have to skip over a few paddocks next week.
Pat Hennessy
Athy, Co Kildare
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 4.7 Growth rate (kg/day) 98 Average farm cover (kg/ha) 815 Yield (l/cow/day) 19 Fat % 4.6Protein % 3.73 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.58 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0Grass is growing really well at the moment. We’ve been at close to 100kg/day for the past few weeks. While it’s hard to manage, it’s great to have it. Cows are grazing covers of around 1,800kg, which is a bit on the high side, but they are still cleaning it out well to about 4cm post-grazing height. They are getting three grazings per paddock. Stocking rate is high at the moment, but we are waiting to cut second-cut silage, which will bring it back to 3.2 cows/ha and then the job of building up covers for the autumn will begin.
Tom Lyng
Greenfield Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.29 Growth rate (kg/day) 70 Average farm cover (kg/ha) 606 Yield (l/cow/day) 18.12 Fat % 4.53Protein % 3.75 Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.5 Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0We’re having a great summer. The regular showers of rain over the last few weeks are as good for grass growth as spreading a bag of fertiliser, as the farm is normally dry at this time of year. The farm is green and every paddock is growing well. Milk solids production is back a small bit compared with the same period last year, even though we are not doing anything different. Pre-grazing yields are around 1,400kg and clean-out is good. Breeding is going well. We have vasectomised bulls out with the herd and we are continuing to use AI.
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