Fodder crops: As the grain harvest gets under way, there is an opportunity to sow a fodder crop on this land. At this stage, it is too late to sow kale, but timing is ideal for sowing hybrid rape/kale. If sown now, this crop will be fit for grazing from October onwards at an expected yield of around 6t DM/ha. The importance of sowing date for yield cannot be overestimated. One day of growth in July is worth one week’s growth in August and is worth the full month’s growth in September.

As I see it, the only real advantage of sowing a crop like this on grassland is that it transfers high-quality feed to a time of the year where high-quality, grazeable feed is scarce. Sowing it on a tillage farm makes more sense from a total feed point of view. Seed, sowing and fertiliser costs usually come in at around €150/ac. If a land charge of €100/ac was applied and if the crop yielded 6t DM/ha with 80% of this utilised, then the cost per kilo of dry matter eaten is 13c, which represents good value. Crops should be grazed in-situ, as this reduces costs for the farmer who owns the stock and returns a high percentage of the nutrient value of the crop back into the land.

The fertiliser requirement depends on soil fertility. Most will spread two or three bags of 10:10:20 at sowing and top up with another 50 units/ac of nitrogen after emergence. Heavy rolling after sowing is critical from a germination and pest control point of view. Pests and weeds are generally not a problem when the crop gets off to a good start. A fast-growing crop will outcompete both.

Bulls: Cows served this weekend will not calve until 7 May 2021, presuming a 286-day gestation length. In my view, this is too late, as days in milk at grass will be too short for the majority of farmers to generate enough income from these cows to cover their costs. The best policy is to stop breeding now and if empty rates are higher, then so be it. Some farmers will sell their empty cows early in order to reduce the demand for grass for the remaining animals. If you are doing this, you need to budget for lower milk sales in autumn, as there will be fewer cows about. There seems to be a good demand for all types of cows now, particularly those in milk. The in-calf heifer trade hasn’t really started yet, but as soon as herds start to scan, heifers will begin to move. If buying heifers, make sure you buy good ones. Probably the biggest mistake made by new entrants is to buy middling to poor stock. For most, it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, so make sure you get it right.

Fodder budget: It’s that time of the year when you should be doing a fodder budget to see what feed you have in the yard and what you need for the winter. Generally speaking, there is lots of fodder about, so it won’t be an issue in most yards. If the price of silage and/or hay is lower than normal, it could be a good time to buy. Work out the costs on a kilo of dry matter basis. In my view, anything less than 13c or 14c/kg DM represents good value.

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