Grazing conditions have started to deteriorate as we enter into the last few weeks of grazing. Heavy rain over the past two weeks has seen some heavier ground become difficult to manage.
Average growth rates are currently in the low 30s, with predictions for next week below 25kg DM/ha. Soil temperatures have dropped to 9°C in most areas, and the majority of soils have started to reach saturation point. There is noticeably less sunlight each day, another key determinant of growth.
In wet conditions, 12-hour blocks are the best option to utilise grass. Smaller areas will mean less walking, less grass wasted and better clean outs. Hitting residuals of 4cm are key at this time of year to ensure there’s a good leafy sward back in the spring.
As we’re now at the end of October, a farm can asses how they compare to the autumn rotation targets. On dry ground there should be approximately 55-60% of the farm closed to date. This should be higher on wetter farms at 70-80%.
The remaining percentage of the rotation can be stretched out as long as possible now to keep grass in the diet if conditions allow.
Grass is a higher protein feed than silage, so any amount of grass in the diet will improve milk production at this time of year.
This may mean housing cows by night or operating an on/off grazing system.
If using either technique, ensure the cows are going out to the paddock with an appetite. This will improve clean outs and grass utilisation.
Average farm covers should be between 750-850kg DM/ha at this stage. If the farm is dropping below this, reduce grass demand per hectare below growth rates to hold cover.
Drier farms should have close to 60% of the farm closed to date. On heavier land types this should be closer to 75%.Hold average farm cover above 700kg DM/ha by reducing demand below growth.Extend the remaining area of the farm by supplementing if necessary to keep grass in the diet.Ensure that cows have an appetite when going out to graze, to improve clean outs and grass utilisation.Bronwyn Fitzpatrick – Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Ground conditions are back in decent order. We have cows out full time on grass and meal only. We sold the cull cows last week and this has reduced our stocking rate.
We have 65% of the farm closed up and are planning to be fully housed around the mid-November.
The cows are on 12-hour blocks and clean outs have been very good throughout the last rotation. There is good infrastructure and accessibility to paddocks here, with spur roads and multiple entry/exit points to paddocks, so that makes management easier.
We will have one more milk recording shortly before we start drying off any animals.
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 2.1
Growth (kg/ha) 36
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 786
Yield (l/cow) 16.1
Fat (%) 5.14
Protein (%) 4.23
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.55
Concentrates (kg/cow) 4
John McNamara – Hospital, Co Limerick
The cows are out day and night here, and we’ve no silage in the diet for now. It’s been a good year in terms of grass production, with 14.9t DM/ha grown to date.
The growth was excellent throughout October, and this is the first week it’s dropped below 40kg/ha. To try and get through this cover we’ve kept our demand up at 45kg DM/ha, and this will continue for another couple of weeks.
The clean outs have been excellent throughout the autumn, and there’s really good quality grass coming back. There is just under 50% of the farm closed to date and we’ll have 60% closed by next Monday in line with target.
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 2.5
Growth (kg/ha) 37
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 942
Yield (l/cow) 17
Fat (%) 5.78
Protein (%) 4.48
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.8
Concentrates (kg/cow) 2
Brian McCracken – Newtownards, Co Down
We had a lot of rain the last two weeks. The paddocks are grazeable but with caution. We have the cows in by night and out by day. They are getting around 6kg/DM of silage each night after milking.
They are typically finished the silage by midnight, so they’re going out to the paddock with an appetite after morning milking.
The clean outs have been good as a result and the cows are content. We’ve been closing up paddocks since 10 October and we’ve about 55% closed to date.
This is a heavy farm, so we’ll be fully housed by the middle of November and we’d be aiming for a farm cover of 600kg DM/ha at that stage.
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 2.49
Growth (kg/ha) 25
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 750
Yield (l/cow) 17
Fat (%) 5.66
Protein (%) 4.3
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.74
Concentrates (kg/cow) 43
Mark Maxwell – Ballinagore, Co Westmeath
Autumn calvers are still out with their calves, with calves having received their booster shot for pneumonia ahead of housing. The stuck bull has been running with these for a few weeks, and I hope to get one cycle of breeding done before housing.
Cattle are slowly trickling in to the shed. Our spring born weanlings were turned out post weaning, with their dams cleaning up paddocks after them, with the weanlings hopefully left out as long as conditions hold.
We have no heavy covers, with weanlings and autumn calvers mainly on 1,200-1,300kg DM/ha of pre-grazing yields. We will have 60% of the farm closed by the weekend. Forward store cattle have been housed for a number of weeks now.
System Suckler to beef
Soil Type Variable
Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 639
Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 18
Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 50
Niall O’Meara – Killimor, Co Galway
All stock remain at grass full time, but they do have access to the shed and silage, which is reducing demand.
There are two heavy paddocks of covers around 2,000kg DM/ha, which I want to get grazed off before housing at the weekend.
Cattle had been doing very little damage up until heavy rain last week, but drier weather over the last few days has seen ground conditions improve.
The first paddock to be grazed by the calves has a cover of 2,000kg DM/ha on it. It’s a bit high; usually it is 1,200-1,400kg DM/ha but it just shows the strong growth this back end.
I’ve grown 9.5 t DM/ha to date with 48kg N/ha, which is about 38 units/acre, which I put down to clover on farm.
System Suckler to weanling
Soil Type Variable
Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 546
Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 15
Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 25
Shane McGuinness – Newford Herd, Co Roscommon
We will be housing 50 of the suckler cows to help hold grass for our weanlings.
We have 11 cull cows housed in the last two weeks, while the store bullocks were housed last Friday as well after we drafted the first load of heifers.
We had 13 home-bred heifers at an average age of just under 20 months and a liveweight of 580kg killed out at 306kg R= 3+ to give a 53% kill out.
Weanlings are on some heavy covers of 2,000kg DM/ha at the minute simply because these paddocks are close to the yard for feeding concentrates to them, with calves receiving 1.5kg/head/day.
Some in-calf cows and replacement heifers are on the out block, and bull weanlings will be moved here over the weekend.
System Suckler to beef
Soil Type Variable
Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 1,044
Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 29
Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 31
Grazing conditions have started to deteriorate as we enter into the last few weeks of grazing. Heavy rain over the past two weeks has seen some heavier ground become difficult to manage.
Average growth rates are currently in the low 30s, with predictions for next week below 25kg DM/ha. Soil temperatures have dropped to 9°C in most areas, and the majority of soils have started to reach saturation point. There is noticeably less sunlight each day, another key determinant of growth.
In wet conditions, 12-hour blocks are the best option to utilise grass. Smaller areas will mean less walking, less grass wasted and better clean outs. Hitting residuals of 4cm are key at this time of year to ensure there’s a good leafy sward back in the spring.
As we’re now at the end of October, a farm can asses how they compare to the autumn rotation targets. On dry ground there should be approximately 55-60% of the farm closed to date. This should be higher on wetter farms at 70-80%.
The remaining percentage of the rotation can be stretched out as long as possible now to keep grass in the diet if conditions allow.
Grass is a higher protein feed than silage, so any amount of grass in the diet will improve milk production at this time of year.
This may mean housing cows by night or operating an on/off grazing system.
If using either technique, ensure the cows are going out to the paddock with an appetite. This will improve clean outs and grass utilisation.
Average farm covers should be between 750-850kg DM/ha at this stage. If the farm is dropping below this, reduce grass demand per hectare below growth rates to hold cover.
Drier farms should have close to 60% of the farm closed to date. On heavier land types this should be closer to 75%.Hold average farm cover above 700kg DM/ha by reducing demand below growth.Extend the remaining area of the farm by supplementing if necessary to keep grass in the diet.Ensure that cows have an appetite when going out to graze, to improve clean outs and grass utilisation.Bronwyn Fitzpatrick – Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Ground conditions are back in decent order. We have cows out full time on grass and meal only. We sold the cull cows last week and this has reduced our stocking rate.
We have 65% of the farm closed up and are planning to be fully housed around the mid-November.
The cows are on 12-hour blocks and clean outs have been very good throughout the last rotation. There is good infrastructure and accessibility to paddocks here, with spur roads and multiple entry/exit points to paddocks, so that makes management easier.
We will have one more milk recording shortly before we start drying off any animals.
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 2.1
Growth (kg/ha) 36
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 786
Yield (l/cow) 16.1
Fat (%) 5.14
Protein (%) 4.23
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.55
Concentrates (kg/cow) 4
John McNamara – Hospital, Co Limerick
The cows are out day and night here, and we’ve no silage in the diet for now. It’s been a good year in terms of grass production, with 14.9t DM/ha grown to date.
The growth was excellent throughout October, and this is the first week it’s dropped below 40kg/ha. To try and get through this cover we’ve kept our demand up at 45kg DM/ha, and this will continue for another couple of weeks.
The clean outs have been excellent throughout the autumn, and there’s really good quality grass coming back. There is just under 50% of the farm closed to date and we’ll have 60% closed by next Monday in line with target.
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 2.5
Growth (kg/ha) 37
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 942
Yield (l/cow) 17
Fat (%) 5.78
Protein (%) 4.48
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.8
Concentrates (kg/cow) 2
Brian McCracken – Newtownards, Co Down
We had a lot of rain the last two weeks. The paddocks are grazeable but with caution. We have the cows in by night and out by day. They are getting around 6kg/DM of silage each night after milking.
They are typically finished the silage by midnight, so they’re going out to the paddock with an appetite after morning milking.
The clean outs have been good as a result and the cows are content. We’ve been closing up paddocks since 10 October and we’ve about 55% closed to date.
This is a heavy farm, so we’ll be fully housed by the middle of November and we’d be aiming for a farm cover of 600kg DM/ha at that stage.
Stocking rate (LU/ha) 2.49
Growth (kg/ha) 25
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 750
Yield (l/cow) 17
Fat (%) 5.66
Protein (%) 4.3
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.74
Concentrates (kg/cow) 43
Mark Maxwell – Ballinagore, Co Westmeath
Autumn calvers are still out with their calves, with calves having received their booster shot for pneumonia ahead of housing. The stuck bull has been running with these for a few weeks, and I hope to get one cycle of breeding done before housing.
Cattle are slowly trickling in to the shed. Our spring born weanlings were turned out post weaning, with their dams cleaning up paddocks after them, with the weanlings hopefully left out as long as conditions hold.
We have no heavy covers, with weanlings and autumn calvers mainly on 1,200-1,300kg DM/ha of pre-grazing yields. We will have 60% of the farm closed by the weekend. Forward store cattle have been housed for a number of weeks now.
System Suckler to beef
Soil Type Variable
Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 639
Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 18
Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 50
Niall O’Meara – Killimor, Co Galway
All stock remain at grass full time, but they do have access to the shed and silage, which is reducing demand.
There are two heavy paddocks of covers around 2,000kg DM/ha, which I want to get grazed off before housing at the weekend.
Cattle had been doing very little damage up until heavy rain last week, but drier weather over the last few days has seen ground conditions improve.
The first paddock to be grazed by the calves has a cover of 2,000kg DM/ha on it. It’s a bit high; usually it is 1,200-1,400kg DM/ha but it just shows the strong growth this back end.
I’ve grown 9.5 t DM/ha to date with 48kg N/ha, which is about 38 units/acre, which I put down to clover on farm.
System Suckler to weanling
Soil Type Variable
Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 546
Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 15
Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 25
Shane McGuinness – Newford Herd, Co Roscommon
We will be housing 50 of the suckler cows to help hold grass for our weanlings.
We have 11 cull cows housed in the last two weeks, while the store bullocks were housed last Friday as well after we drafted the first load of heifers.
We had 13 home-bred heifers at an average age of just under 20 months and a liveweight of 580kg killed out at 306kg R= 3+ to give a 53% kill out.
Weanlings are on some heavy covers of 2,000kg DM/ha at the minute simply because these paddocks are close to the yard for feeding concentrates to them, with calves receiving 1.5kg/head/day.
Some in-calf cows and replacement heifers are on the out block, and bull weanlings will be moved here over the weekend.
System Suckler to beef
Soil Type Variable
Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 1,044
Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 29
Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 31
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