A number of beef farmers across the country cautiously opened the shed gates this week to allow at least some stock out as conditions have been extremely mild and dry over the past two weeks.

There is a decent level of grass on paddocks that had been closed since October at this stage and while most know it is only for a short period of time, farmers are taking the opportunity to get these swards grazed off.

In most cases its yearling heifers that are first to head to the fields, in relatively low numbers but where it can be done, without damaging paddocks, it definitely should as the grass they are grazing will be of higher quality than any silage sitting in the yard.

The forecast for the coming days is more broken so some will have to return to the shed until Sunday at least. Next week looks fairly settled at the moment at least with decent daytime temperatures likely to increase grass growth rates slightly.

Slurry

For most beef farms the current priority is on getting slurry out which is again been made all the easier with good ground conditions. Spreading more slurry in spring will yield a higher nitrogen capture by the grass plant compared to later in the year and with fertiliser prices slow to ease back in price, using slurry wisely in the spring should be a priority on all beef farms this year.

Willie Treacy – Hackballscross,Co Louth

On Tuesday night we got less than 2mm of rain, which is the most in a long time. I have some stock out but probably not enough. This weekend I will get yearling heifers out to covers of around 1,200-1,300kgDM/ha. I stopped feeding meal three weeks ago in preparation for heading back to grass.

The rest of the silage ground has had slurry at rates of 2,000gal/ac up to just over 3,000gal/ac depending on soil fertility status and what it received last year.

I have around 30 cows calved and about 20 of these are now out at grass, dotted around the yard so that if I did have to rehouse it wouldn’t be a big job. It’s great to be able to get cows and calves to grass quite quickly, calves are much healthier.

System Suckler to beef

Soil type Free draining

Farm cover (kg DM/ha) 1,020

Growth (kg DM/ha/day) 4

Demand (kg DM/ha/day) 8

Stephen Frend – Newford Herd, Athenry

We have 57 cows calved to-date. Post calving, both remain in individual pens for 24 hours before being moved to group pens for 72 hours.

The mild weather has allowed us to turn out 40 cows and calves to well-sheltered paddocks. Twenty-six yearling beef heifers were turned out to grass weighing 405kg having done 0.68kg/day over a 42 day winter period.

Twenty-eight replacement heifers were turned out weighing 282kg having done 0.75kg/day over winter.

Slurry was applied at rate of 1,500gal/ac on ryegrass/clover swards with a cover of less than 650kgDM/ha and 2,000gal/ac on multispecies swards. Earlier this week, 20units/ac of protected urea was spread on perennial ryegrass swards with covers of greater than 700kgDM/ha.

System Suckler to beef

Soil type Mostly dry

Farm cover (kg DM/ha) 750

Growth (kg DM/ha/day) 6

Demand (kg DM/ha/day) 25

Declan Marren – THRIVE Farm, Co Tipperary

No stock have been turned out to grass yet, but after the weekend we hope to get the lightest batch of heifers out by day. Grazing the weanlings into December means there is a decent proportion of the farm with low grass covers. This ground received 2,500gal/ac slurry.

Early-closed paddocks have covers of 1,200-1,300kgDM/ha, with later closed ones at 1,000kgDM/ha. The lower covers will be grazed first to get stock used to grazing again and to move across ground more quickly. Once ground conditions improve, the heavier covers will be grazed.

Cattle were weighed this week with bullocks averaging 348kg and the heifers 336kg. This is ahead of target, with excellent winter performance likely due to lower performance in late-autumn.

System Dairy calf to beef

Soil type Mostly dry

Farm cover (kg DM/ha) 824

Growth (kg DM/ha/day) 3

Demand (kg DM/ha/day) -