Sean Power

Kilkenny

Land is getting a great chance to crack and dry but there is not enough moisture in the soil to keep grass growing.

A lot of my grass has headed out in recent days due to the drought and quality is an issue.

We have topped all the paddocks and some even twice to try to maintain quality. We have had to graze some heavy covers by strip grazing in order to slow down the rotation. I find strip grazing works well to improve utilisation.

I stopped spreading fertilizer about three weeks ago as it was too dry. However, the paddocks that received fertilizer also got some rain and the quality of those swards is far superior, with extra leaf content.

I will spread fertilizer on the paddocks that didn’t get a dressing the last round whenever rain falls.

I am spreading either CAN or Pasturesward, depending on soil fertility of the paddock.

I am feeding 70 heifers for finishing at grass. They are on good swards and 3kg of a three-way mix consisting of 50% rolled barley, 25% soya hulls and 25% distillers grains.

I killed the first batch of 35 three weeks ago and they averaged 320kg carcase. I also killed 40 heifers off grass between May and June. I hope to kill another 90 by the end of September off grass.

As soon as I kill heifers, I am drafting more of the forward store heifers from grass into these feeding groups. I am also replacing what I kill with either a 300kg to 320kg yearling heifer that I hope to kill off grass next May to June or a more forward 400kg to 500kg heifer that I will finish out of the shed this winter.

All the lambs were weaned in July and the ewes are cleaning up the paddocks after the cattle. The lambs are on after grass and creep for finishing. I haven’t bought any store lambs yet as grass supply is too scarce and they are too expensive. I will start buying them in September.