The dry weather from April through to mid-June put a significant check on grass growth on Stephen and Hazel Wallace’s farm near Seaforde, Co Down.
Growth rates on the milking platform had slowed up to a low of 18kg DM/ha/day in mid-June, but when rain arrived, they rocketed to 98kg DM/ha/day the week after.
The milking herd on Heenandale farm were being offered last year’s silage during the dry period, although Stephen was able to stop all buffer feeding a fortnight ago when grass availability picked up.
However, both first- and second-cut crops were light and concerns about silage reserves for the 2020/21 winter were raised early on.
Stephen has calculated a fodder budget with Dairylink adviser Aidan Cushnahan to quantify the extent of the potential shortage and assess options for addressing it.
First- and second-cut were ensiled in separate pits on the Wallace farm. The volume of each was calculated by multiplying the length, width and height of the main body of the clamp. The slope at the front of each pit was estimated by multiplying the three dimensions and dividing by two.
Silage clamp
Based on an estimated dry matter of 30%, a density factor of 0.60 was used to convert silage volume in cubic metres to fresh weight in tonnes (t). Allowing for silo losses of up to 10%, the calculations found that there is 655t of first-cut and 480t of second-cut.
Stephen also has 145 bales estimated at 110t and 250t of purchased clamp silage on an out-farm. For third cut, Aidan has given an estimated yield of around 350t. This is based on 88ac yielding 4.5t/ac, with a similar allowance for losses of up to 10%.
Overall, potential silage stocks on Heenandale farm stand at 1,845.
Calculations for the demand side are set out in Table 2 and again, several assumptions are made. An important one is the duration of the winter period, as every month that the cows are not housed could save 250t of silage.
The calculations for the Wallace farm include a short winter for young stock, as some calves will be offered meal and straw instead of silage. Monthly silage intakes in milking cows can vary from 1.0-1.5t, depending on fodder quality and meal input.
Deficit
The figures point to a current silage deficit of around 125t, although this will be revised and updated as the summer progresses.
Calculating the fodder budget early on gives Stephen time to weigh up options to address potential winter feed shortfalls. These include cutting a larger area for third-cut, making a fourth-cut later in the year and buying in extra fodder.
There is currently a very strong trade for dairy stock in Northern Ireland and selling surplus stock later in the year could also be a viable option, bovine TB status permitting.
There is 655t of first-cut silage estimated to be in the clamp.
Tightening calving and weighing replacements
The first cows will soon be due for drying off on the Wallace farm ahead of calving in September. The herd’s calving pattern has tightened and moved forward over the past two years, as Stephen aims to develop a more compact autumn-calving system.
There are 47 cows and heifers due during September, which will make it the busiest month for calving. There will be 85 fresh calvers by the end of October and 155 cows and heifers will be calved by the end of the year.
There are less cows due in the new year compared to last season, as the profile shifts towards the autumn. For example, in January 2020, 53 cows calved down, but only 16 are due next January.
Stephen has been achieving excellent clean outs by pre-mowing grass in some paddocks.
Before joining the Dairylink Ireland programme in 2018, the main bulk of calving ran from mid-September through to the end of April.
To help consolidate the calving block and reduce forage demand, some late-calving cows were sold off earlier this year, as well as late-born heifer calves that would not be ready for breeding with the rest of the replacements.
Heifers
Stephen has been monitoring liveweight gains of replacements heifers. At the last weighing in late May, the heifer calves had an average age of seven months and a weight of 189kg. This equates to a liveweight gain from birth of 0.7kg/head/day.
The target weight for heifers of this age is 200kg, so the group average is slightly behind. Stephen selected 12 calves that have a liveweight gain below 0.6kg/head/day and is managing them separately by offering concentrates at 2kg/head/day.
The rest of the calves are being offered meal at 1kg/head/day. All calves will be weighed again within the next few weeks to track progress. The main target is to hit 60% of mature liveweights, which is between 360kg to 390kg, for breeding at 14 to 15 months of age this December.
Farmers should take a “plan for the worst, hope for the best” approach when calculating a fodder budget.The earlier budgets are calculated, the more time there is to weigh up options and take steps to address potential shortages.Fodder budgets should be revised and updated throughout the summer and winter months. Read more
Watch: breeding finishing up in Monaghan
Dairylink: second cut plans in Armagh
The dry weather from April through to mid-June put a significant check on grass growth on Stephen and Hazel Wallace’s farm near Seaforde, Co Down.
Growth rates on the milking platform had slowed up to a low of 18kg DM/ha/day in mid-June, but when rain arrived, they rocketed to 98kg DM/ha/day the week after.
The milking herd on Heenandale farm were being offered last year’s silage during the dry period, although Stephen was able to stop all buffer feeding a fortnight ago when grass availability picked up.
However, both first- and second-cut crops were light and concerns about silage reserves for the 2020/21 winter were raised early on.
Stephen has calculated a fodder budget with Dairylink adviser Aidan Cushnahan to quantify the extent of the potential shortage and assess options for addressing it.
First- and second-cut were ensiled in separate pits on the Wallace farm. The volume of each was calculated by multiplying the length, width and height of the main body of the clamp. The slope at the front of each pit was estimated by multiplying the three dimensions and dividing by two.
Silage clamp
Based on an estimated dry matter of 30%, a density factor of 0.60 was used to convert silage volume in cubic metres to fresh weight in tonnes (t). Allowing for silo losses of up to 10%, the calculations found that there is 655t of first-cut and 480t of second-cut.
Stephen also has 145 bales estimated at 110t and 250t of purchased clamp silage on an out-farm. For third cut, Aidan has given an estimated yield of around 350t. This is based on 88ac yielding 4.5t/ac, with a similar allowance for losses of up to 10%.
Overall, potential silage stocks on Heenandale farm stand at 1,845.
Calculations for the demand side are set out in Table 2 and again, several assumptions are made. An important one is the duration of the winter period, as every month that the cows are not housed could save 250t of silage.
The calculations for the Wallace farm include a short winter for young stock, as some calves will be offered meal and straw instead of silage. Monthly silage intakes in milking cows can vary from 1.0-1.5t, depending on fodder quality and meal input.
Deficit
The figures point to a current silage deficit of around 125t, although this will be revised and updated as the summer progresses.
Calculating the fodder budget early on gives Stephen time to weigh up options to address potential winter feed shortfalls. These include cutting a larger area for third-cut, making a fourth-cut later in the year and buying in extra fodder.
There is currently a very strong trade for dairy stock in Northern Ireland and selling surplus stock later in the year could also be a viable option, bovine TB status permitting.
There is 655t of first-cut silage estimated to be in the clamp.
Tightening calving and weighing replacements
The first cows will soon be due for drying off on the Wallace farm ahead of calving in September. The herd’s calving pattern has tightened and moved forward over the past two years, as Stephen aims to develop a more compact autumn-calving system.
There are 47 cows and heifers due during September, which will make it the busiest month for calving. There will be 85 fresh calvers by the end of October and 155 cows and heifers will be calved by the end of the year.
There are less cows due in the new year compared to last season, as the profile shifts towards the autumn. For example, in January 2020, 53 cows calved down, but only 16 are due next January.
Stephen has been achieving excellent clean outs by pre-mowing grass in some paddocks.
Before joining the Dairylink Ireland programme in 2018, the main bulk of calving ran from mid-September through to the end of April.
To help consolidate the calving block and reduce forage demand, some late-calving cows were sold off earlier this year, as well as late-born heifer calves that would not be ready for breeding with the rest of the replacements.
Heifers
Stephen has been monitoring liveweight gains of replacements heifers. At the last weighing in late May, the heifer calves had an average age of seven months and a weight of 189kg. This equates to a liveweight gain from birth of 0.7kg/head/day.
The target weight for heifers of this age is 200kg, so the group average is slightly behind. Stephen selected 12 calves that have a liveweight gain below 0.6kg/head/day and is managing them separately by offering concentrates at 2kg/head/day.
The rest of the calves are being offered meal at 1kg/head/day. All calves will be weighed again within the next few weeks to track progress. The main target is to hit 60% of mature liveweights, which is between 360kg to 390kg, for breeding at 14 to 15 months of age this December.
Farmers should take a “plan for the worst, hope for the best” approach when calculating a fodder budget.The earlier budgets are calculated, the more time there is to weigh up options and take steps to address potential shortages.Fodder budgets should be revised and updated throughout the summer and winter months. Read more
Watch: breeding finishing up in Monaghan
Dairylink: second cut plans in Armagh
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