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May is a crucial month for managing grass, as swards hit peak growth and covers can quickly get ahead of livestock.
Where store cattle are grazing swards of heavy grass that has gone to seed, weight gain will drop. Similarly, milk production in cows will be affected.
Fertility levels can also be affected, especially in later-calving cows which are lacking flesh from a long indoor housing period.
All grass will head out at some point over May and June. Good grassland management is about being able to react quickly and maintain grass quality in front of cattle.
1. Make use of electric fencing to reduce paddock size
As grass growth surges ahead of cattle, it is important to reduce the size of paddocks and increase grass utilisation.
Make good use of electric fencing to temporarily split paddocks. Having animals grazing in a smaller area will improve the level of clean-out in swards.
It will also allow you to close off paddocks for silage, as surplus grass will be much easier to identify. Flexibility is key, so set temporary fences up so that cattle can access water troughs.
This may mean splitting a paddock diagonally or creating a walkway along the headland of a field so animals can access water.
2. Increase the size of grazing groups
An alternative to subdividing paddocks is to increase the size of grazing group. Having more cattle in a group means greater grazing pressure, so paddocks are cleaned out faster. This improves utilisation.
You can also identify paddocks with surplus grass easier and close off for silage.
Where cattle were scattered out over the grazing area in early spring, now is the time to start doubling up numbers.
Ground conditions are generally good across the country, which will help grazing swards carry bigger numbers of cattle.
Leaving animals dispersed across the farm means there will be more grass wasted in the long run.
3. Don’t hold cattle in paddocks for longer than normal
As far as possible, stick to the normal three or four days of grazing in each paddock, then move animals.
If the sward isn’t fully grazed out, do not hold cattle for a few extra days just to clean out grass.
Holding animals in a paddock for an extra day means that grass covers in the paddocks ahead will continue to get stronger and turn to seed.
It is much better to remove cattle and top a paddock or bring in dry cows or dry hoggets to clean out swards after higher priority animals.
4. Don’t be afraid to skip paddocks
If grass is getting ahead of cattle, don’t be afraid to skip a few paddocks with heavier covers during the current and next rotation.
Keep moving cattle to swards with lower covers, as this will maintain animal performance. Close off the paddocks with heavy covers and take out grass as baled silage.
5. Take surplus grass out early
Where surplus grazing emerges on farm, make sure to take this grass out as early as possible. The idea is to go for quality fodder, not bulk. Mark these bales with spray paint and feed to high-priority animals later in the year.
Cutting surplus grass early means there will be a green aftermath, which is quick to recover. Leaving swards to bulk out will leave a white aftermath, delaying regrowth. This could leave you tight for grass at some stage over the next two months.
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