It was inevitable that we would get some deluges of rain at some point after nearly six months of below average rainfall, but we had been crossing our fingers that September would wait dry and we would just have to suffer the final round with tricky grazing conditions.

However, PastureBase Ireland has reported this week that many fields are now reaching water capacity, with the next step up being waterlogged, meaning it is increasingly hard to not do damage.

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As it stands, next to no damage, bar around gaps or where cattle are being fed meal, has been done.

With more wet weather forecast, it does look likely that managing paddocks to try and get the happy medium of achieving a clean out without damaging paddocks will be harder and harder.

If you were to ask my opinion, I would be more inclined to protect paddocks and avoid any medium to heavy poaching, as once these fields are damaged, they will hold water, which may leave them next to ungrazeable in October for the final round. Leaving a small butt on them isn’t the end of the world, as October could turn frosty which would leave this ground harder and allow for harder grazing.

Ken Gill – Clonbollogue, Co Offaly

Calving has finished up here, with 60 cows calved in just over five weeks, with 62 live calves on the ground. These cows are now on reseeds and are fairly mowing through them, but they will be going on to some older swards soon which should slow them up.

The last of the finished cattle are going next week, which will help reduce demand and leave me with just two bunches of cattle (yearlings and cows with calves).

I’ve decided to mulch the red clover instead of taking a fourth cut due to the wetter weather, with dung to be spread on this after mulching. Any remaining dung will be lightly applied to paddocks where silage was mown as surplus.

Our oats this year yielded 2.2t/acre, so I’m delighted.

System Organic suckler to beef

Soil Type Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 830

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 30

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 25

Shane McGuinness – Newford Herd, Co Roscommon

We have a lot of grass on the farm at the minute, but we have no crazy high covers, which means that we are still achieving good graze-outs on paddocks relatively easily. Swards are leafy with the high number of paddocks mown out as surplus earlier in the year.

The last round of fertiliser went out last week and the week before, with the farm blanket spread with 30 units of protected urea/acre with sulphur. Calves are being creep grazed ahead of cows, with meal also being introduced to calves. High Mag licks have gone out with cows, with the weather turning cooler, to protect against tetany. Weather dependent, we would hope to take a fifth cut from out red clover at the end of the month.

System Suckler to beef

Soil Type Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 1,010

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 23

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 43

William Treacy – Hackballscross, Co Louth

Growth has picked up nicely now, with a jump in growth of over 10kg DM/ha in a week. We had been following cows consistently with fertiliser, so we are fairly well up to date.

We got some third cut completed last week, which was cut on Thursday and baled Saturday yielding six bales/acre. There is a small amount of slurry and farmyard manure to go out in the next few weeks.

We are creep-grazing the spring-born calves now, with the first vaccine for pneumonia to be administered at the weekend. Hopefully we won’t be weaning for another few weeks.

We have 70 bulls housed now, with the strongest 50 on 10kg/head/day of meal, with the others which were housed after on 8kg/head/day, along with haylage.

System Suckler to beef

Soil Type Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 662

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 69

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 43