Liam McWeeney of Teagasc provides an update of the Derrypatrick suckler herd at Grange, an initiative aimed at researching optimal sustainable suckler beef systems.
Grass growth for the past week was 55 kg DM/ha/day, average farm cover is 810 kg DM/ha. The aim at the moment is to build up the farm cover grass supply coming into the autumn.
We should achieve this as grass utilisation continues to be excellent. Grass growth rates are good and 20 ha of silage ground which was cut in early August is coming back into the grazing ground.
Paddocks also receiving nitrogen after grazing and there is reduced demand as finishing heifers are being housed for finishing. The finishing heifers were housed on Wednesday at an average weight of 485 kg, having gained just under 1 kg liveweight/day at grass since turnout last April.
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They are eating excellent quality baled silage at the moment and will be built up to 5 kg of concentrate, with the aim of slaughter them in late November.
The steers were weighed this week and had an average weight of 555 kg, having gained on average of 1.05 kg/day since turnout. The plan is to keep these outdoors on grass until mid-October, when they will then be housed and finished early in the New Year.
The dry weather has allowed us to do some reseeding; 4 ha was ploughed last week and was tilled and sown on Monday in ideal conditions, lime was applied after ploughing, and seed was sown at a rate of 35 kg seed/ha.
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Title: Derrypatrick update: Heifers housed for finishing
Liam McWeeney of Teagasc provides an update of the Derrypatrick suckler herd at Grange, an initiative aimed at researching optimal sustainable suckler beef systems.
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Grass growth for the past week was 55 kg DM/ha/day, average farm cover is 810 kg DM/ha. The aim at the moment is to build up the farm cover grass supply coming into the autumn.
We should achieve this as grass utilisation continues to be excellent. Grass growth rates are good and 20 ha of silage ground which was cut in early August is coming back into the grazing ground.
Paddocks also receiving nitrogen after grazing and there is reduced demand as finishing heifers are being housed for finishing. The finishing heifers were housed on Wednesday at an average weight of 485 kg, having gained just under 1 kg liveweight/day at grass since turnout last April.
They are eating excellent quality baled silage at the moment and will be built up to 5 kg of concentrate, with the aim of slaughter them in late November.
The steers were weighed this week and had an average weight of 555 kg, having gained on average of 1.05 kg/day since turnout. The plan is to keep these outdoors on grass until mid-October, when they will then be housed and finished early in the New Year.
The dry weather has allowed us to do some reseeding; 4 ha was ploughed last week and was tilled and sown on Monday in ideal conditions, lime was applied after ploughing, and seed was sown at a rate of 35 kg seed/ha.
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