Silage

The next week or so will see the start of the main first cut of silage across the country. While crops were back a lot earlier on, they have caught up. By right, cutting date shouldn’t change too much compared with other years. Even if yields are back, delaying the cutting date will just reduce quality. While it might bulk up more, it’s a bit of a loss leader because recovery time after cutting will be slower. So what you gain on one hand, you lose on the other. In a year like this, where every extra blade of grass will be needed to feed stock next winter, any reduction in growth must be avoided.

A big second cut will be essential and some farmers are talking about closing up ground for a third cut. There will be the option of grazing all or part of this third cut if growth rate is poor in autumn. For now, the most important thing is to get the first cut in on time and in good conditions. The long-term forecast is a bit mixed, but there will be windows of opportunity.

Many were late spreading fertiliser so high nitrate levels in silage may be more of an issue this year. Nitrogen is normally used up at a rate of two units per day, but because growth has been variable it mightn’t all have been taken up this year. If in doubt you can get grass samples tested prior to cutting. Achieving a good wilt will overcome any nitrate issues, but you need good weather for this. Silage additives are usually not required unless grass sugars are very low and weather is very wet.

Reseeding

It’s been a slow start to reseeding this year, but the good weather over the last fortnight has seen some farmers take the plunge and reseed. Nearly every farm has surplus grass now, so it’s a good time to take out a paddock or two for reseeding. Remember the golden rules: spray off with Roundup and graze or cut for silage five or six days later. If you’re not ploughing, as much of the vegetation needs to be removed as possible. Pick a high-performing variety or the best mix available locally. Spread 2t/ac of lime and three bags/acre of 10:10:20 at sowing. Top up with a bag of sulCAN or equivalent three weeks after emergence and spray for weeds then too. Graze with the cows as soon as you can pluck the grass without bringing the roots up with it.

System

Lynaire Ryan gives New short courses for dairy farmers good advice for farmers scratching their heads after a tough spring. Even though the weather was bad, some farmers have drifted into risky systems, where the individual workload is high, feed supply is tight and facilities are inadequate. Basically, some were under too much pressure and the system wasn’t resilient enough to cope.

Everyone needs to take lessons from 2018 – those that were under pressure and those that fared well – to avoid it happening to them in the future. For me, the critical things are to have 20% more feed than normally needed in reserve, have a contingency plan in place for adverse events and have calving, calf rearing, milking and feeding streamlined to be as labour-efficient as possible.