While growth on drystock farms has been recorded at 36kg DM/ha and farms are still building cover as a result, this is expected to turn the other way in the next week or so, with growth falling along with utilisation.

At any rate, stock are flying through covers rapidly, while dry matters aren’t anything to write home about. In this case, it would be wise to start looking at housing at least some animals. Forward store cattle are the obvious option for those finishing beef, as growth off grass is variable at best and these cattle will probably thrive better indoors at this point. Spring calved sucklers that are weaned are also likely better indoors where there is youngstock on farm, to prioritise remaining grass covers for them. Where weanlings are at grass, some concentrate should still be in the diet to combat low dry matter grass, but also to reduce digestive upsets when these cattle are housed for the first time

Jack Spillane – Tipperary calf farm, Co Tipperary

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Eight more cattle were drafted for slaughter this week, with 24 drafted to date. Weights are nicely up on previous years, and it will be interesting to see at the end of the year what our average carcase weight is.

One hundred and forty forward store cattle remain indoors, while 110 lighter store cattle are at grass – they will be slaughtered after Christmas.

While we are still building cover on-farm, we will soon be starting to see growth drop below demand and utilisation levels decrease as well. With a low demand in spring time, we will look to keep weanlings at grass as long as grazing conditions allow, ideally into December. Slurry tanks were emptied onto recently grazed ground at the weekend.

System: Dairy calf to beef

Soil Type: Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha): 1,171

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day): 38

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day): 29

Mark Maxwell – Ballinagore, Co Westmeath

Ground is getting sticky around gaps, etc, though grazing conditions are still okay. Our demand is quite high, as we have the autumn-calvers now coming up to appetite.

With grass covers depleting, we will look to reduce demand by possibly housing two batches of store cattle in the next week or so and hold grass for our spring-born weanlings and autumn-calving cows. Spring-born weanlings are being weaned indoors and will return back out to grass now, along with their dams in separate paddocks.

We have some covers of 11-12cm, but most are below this and are relatively easily grazed out. Recently grazed paddocks got an application of 2,500 gallon slurry/acre last week and are now closed up for the winter.

System: Suckler/ dairy calf to beef

Soil Type: Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha): 835

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day): 31

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day): 50

Shane McGuinness – Newford Herd, Co Roscommon

The last of our slurry went out on Monday ahead of the closing date, while the contractor is back in the yard today spreading farmyard manure.

The last batch of calves for weaning have been housed. These will be separated from their dams today, suckled on Friday and turned back to grass, with their mothers housed on straw bedding until next Monday. Forty-six store cattle have been housed, including empty replacement dairy beef heifers.

They are on 76 DMD silage and 5kg ration, with drafting to take place from two weeks’ time on and are in good order. Most of our covers are 1,400-1,500kg DM/ha, with growth slowing up a lot in the last week or so. Weaned calves are still on 1kg/head/day at grass.