Grazing: To describe February weather as a challenge is an understatement. Those in the southern part of the country on drier land should have 30% of the farm grazed by the end of the month, but the reality is most have little to none of the farm grazed because land is just too wet. That’s the reality and there’s not a lot we can do about the weather.
What we can do is react when it does change. While the forecast for the next few days is for a continuation of the wet weather, early next week is looking a bit better. Continue to walk paddocks and make decisions in the field not in the yard.
However, it will take more than a few dry days for those on heavy land to get cows out. In this case, cows will need to be fed good quality silage and 4 or 5kg of a high enough spec meal. The following is some advice for farmers that are attempting to keep cows out:
Don’t get too disheartened by bad weather – it will change as it always does.Do what’s right for you and your farm. Don’t be driven by what others are doing, whether they have cows in or out.Target dry paddocks with lower covers first. Use spur roads and on/off grazing to minimise the amount of damage being done.Make sure cows have an appetite when they do go out. If they’re not hungry they’ll do as children do and play with their food. If they are hungry they will keep their heads down and graze.It’s a good idea to graze two paddocks at once: one at night and the other at day. This means that wires for the next break can be set up during the day, outside of milking times.Maiden heifers: Many farmers would have expected to have maiden heifers out grazing by now. With the bad weather, this has not been possible in most cases. With so much else going on, there is a risk that this group of stock could be left behind. While the best place for them is out the field, they are a group of stock that can do a lot of damage in wet weather as they don’t stop walking. Some farmers will split them up into smaller groups and run them over larger areas and then tighten them up again when weather improves. For the moment, they should be on good quality silage and 1-2kg of meal, even if they are on target for liveweight. If you can be certain they will go to grass soon, then they can be cut off meal to get compensatory growth when they do go out.
Calves: Demand for calves seems to be holding up well, despite an increase in numbers offered for sale and a few days last week where ships couldn’t sail due to high winds. As the season progresses and calf sheds begin to fill up, the risk of disease increases. Don’t overstock sheds, keep beds clean and dry, and keep feeding utensils clean. Changing the rate or the type of milk (whole v milk replacer) or how calves are fed, eg computerised feeders, should be handled carefully. Stressed or underfed calves will be more predisposed to scours.
Read more
No stop to grazing in the southeast
Grass+: storm stalls strong start to the grazing season
Grazing: To describe February weather as a challenge is an understatement. Those in the southern part of the country on drier land should have 30% of the farm grazed by the end of the month, but the reality is most have little to none of the farm grazed because land is just too wet. That’s the reality and there’s not a lot we can do about the weather.
What we can do is react when it does change. While the forecast for the next few days is for a continuation of the wet weather, early next week is looking a bit better. Continue to walk paddocks and make decisions in the field not in the yard.
However, it will take more than a few dry days for those on heavy land to get cows out. In this case, cows will need to be fed good quality silage and 4 or 5kg of a high enough spec meal. The following is some advice for farmers that are attempting to keep cows out:
Don’t get too disheartened by bad weather – it will change as it always does.Do what’s right for you and your farm. Don’t be driven by what others are doing, whether they have cows in or out.Target dry paddocks with lower covers first. Use spur roads and on/off grazing to minimise the amount of damage being done.Make sure cows have an appetite when they do go out. If they’re not hungry they’ll do as children do and play with their food. If they are hungry they will keep their heads down and graze.It’s a good idea to graze two paddocks at once: one at night and the other at day. This means that wires for the next break can be set up during the day, outside of milking times.Maiden heifers: Many farmers would have expected to have maiden heifers out grazing by now. With the bad weather, this has not been possible in most cases. With so much else going on, there is a risk that this group of stock could be left behind. While the best place for them is out the field, they are a group of stock that can do a lot of damage in wet weather as they don’t stop walking. Some farmers will split them up into smaller groups and run them over larger areas and then tighten them up again when weather improves. For the moment, they should be on good quality silage and 1-2kg of meal, even if they are on target for liveweight. If you can be certain they will go to grass soon, then they can be cut off meal to get compensatory growth when they do go out.
Calves: Demand for calves seems to be holding up well, despite an increase in numbers offered for sale and a few days last week where ships couldn’t sail due to high winds. As the season progresses and calf sheds begin to fill up, the risk of disease increases. Don’t overstock sheds, keep beds clean and dry, and keep feeding utensils clean. Changing the rate or the type of milk (whole v milk replacer) or how calves are fed, eg computerised feeders, should be handled carefully. Stressed or underfed calves will be more predisposed to scours.
Read more
No stop to grazing in the southeast
Grass+: storm stalls strong start to the grazing season
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