In the last week, growth rates have really started to kick on.
The cold breeze that had kept growth low in the week previous has lifted and the combination of strong sunshine plus heat has resulted in a much-needed bounce.
Things can change very quickly at this time of year and farms who were facing a grass deficit 10 days ago, could now be facing a problem with grass surpluses unless decision-making is on the ball.
The first port of call is reducing supplement feeding on farms where growth is above demand.
After a tough spring, meal feeding levels for the period are above average on farms.
Now is the opportunity to make some savings and get back on target. Unless the farm is very highly stocked, farms should be looking to cut back to a maximum of 2kg of meal or less.
If there’s enough grass there, cows’ condition won’t suffer as grass quality is high at this time of year.
Target a pre-grazing yield of 1,400kg DM/ha or lower to try and stay on top of grass quality.
A cover above 1,500kg DM/ha at this time of year will be getting harder to clean out and higher residuals will be left behind.
This grass will be poorer quality in the next round and making cows graze it down will impact on production.
Taking out a couple of heavier covers now as bales will help correct round length and help prevent a drop in grass quality.
If taking out paddocks, avoid letting average farm cover drop below 170kg DM/cow or 600kg DM/ha.
Use this figure as a guide for management in the coming weeks.
Fertiliser
The target for this time of year is 80 units of N/acre. If that isn’t out, ground needs to be made up in the week ahead.
Out and about on farms, it seems clover is starting to get going in paddocks.
For paddocks with ‘good clover’ levels this is probably the last couple of weeks to spread a full rate application of N.
From mid-May on, good clover paddocks will need to see nitrogen application drop to half rate or parlour washings only.
Swardwatch
Grass can get out of hand at this time of year. Walk weekly and make decisions based off the data.Taking out heavier covers can correct the grass wedge and round length.Drop supplement feeding levels right down where growth is above demand.Target 80 units N/acre over the next week. Sulphur is also needed at this time of year.Bandon, Co Cork
We’re just a couple of days from finishing the second round now and cows are performing very well. Majority of the farm has gotten 80 units N/acre so far. The last round spread was protected urea plus sulphur. We’ll be cutting back nitrogen to half-rate from now on in the good clover paddocks which accounts for a third of the milking platform.
Breeding started on 28 April and we had a couple of weeks of pre-breeding done. The cows are cycling well and in good condition.
Stocking rate (LU/ha): 3.36Growth (kg/ha): 80Average farm cover (kg/ha): 690Yield (l/cow): 27.7Fat (%): 4.55Protein (%): 3.7Milk solids (kg/cow): 2.35Concentrates (kg/cow): 3Grenagh, Co Cork
Grass is really getting going here this week. We have 18 acres taken out for reseeding which has just been seeded so the stocking rate and demand has jumped on the rest of the platform. There’s 80 units of N/acre out across the platform and some of that was spread as compound with sulphur.
Breeding started 13 days ago and we’ve just under 50% of the herd served so far. They’re getting a mix of sexed and conventional dairy straws at the
moment.
Stocking rate (LU/ha): 3.29Growth (kg/ha): 60Average farm cover (kg/ha): 700Yield (l/cow): 32Fat (%): 4.1Protein (%): 3.57Milk solids (kg/cow): 2.52Concentrates (kg/cow): 4Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
We started the second round last week and we’re mixing with a small bit of first round initially, but that’s finished now. We’re going into covers of 1,400kg DM/ha and have just taken out two paddocks for silage. The clover is starting to take off now.
Breeding will start 12 May with cows and the heifers a week after. We have done a pre-breeding scan on any cows that haven’t cycled and BCS everything. The average BCS of the herd is three.
Stocking rate (LU/ha): 2.4Growth (kg/ha): 57Average farm cover (kg/ha): 682Yield (l/cow): 27Fat (%): 4.73Protein (%) : 3.47Milk solids (kg/cow): 2.24Concentrates (kg/cow): 2
In the last week, growth rates have really started to kick on.
The cold breeze that had kept growth low in the week previous has lifted and the combination of strong sunshine plus heat has resulted in a much-needed bounce.
Things can change very quickly at this time of year and farms who were facing a grass deficit 10 days ago, could now be facing a problem with grass surpluses unless decision-making is on the ball.
The first port of call is reducing supplement feeding on farms where growth is above demand.
After a tough spring, meal feeding levels for the period are above average on farms.
Now is the opportunity to make some savings and get back on target. Unless the farm is very highly stocked, farms should be looking to cut back to a maximum of 2kg of meal or less.
If there’s enough grass there, cows’ condition won’t suffer as grass quality is high at this time of year.
Target a pre-grazing yield of 1,400kg DM/ha or lower to try and stay on top of grass quality.
A cover above 1,500kg DM/ha at this time of year will be getting harder to clean out and higher residuals will be left behind.
This grass will be poorer quality in the next round and making cows graze it down will impact on production.
Taking out a couple of heavier covers now as bales will help correct round length and help prevent a drop in grass quality.
If taking out paddocks, avoid letting average farm cover drop below 170kg DM/cow or 600kg DM/ha.
Use this figure as a guide for management in the coming weeks.
Fertiliser
The target for this time of year is 80 units of N/acre. If that isn’t out, ground needs to be made up in the week ahead.
Out and about on farms, it seems clover is starting to get going in paddocks.
For paddocks with ‘good clover’ levels this is probably the last couple of weeks to spread a full rate application of N.
From mid-May on, good clover paddocks will need to see nitrogen application drop to half rate or parlour washings only.
Swardwatch
Grass can get out of hand at this time of year. Walk weekly and make decisions based off the data.Taking out heavier covers can correct the grass wedge and round length.Drop supplement feeding levels right down where growth is above demand.Target 80 units N/acre over the next week. Sulphur is also needed at this time of year.Bandon, Co Cork
We’re just a couple of days from finishing the second round now and cows are performing very well. Majority of the farm has gotten 80 units N/acre so far. The last round spread was protected urea plus sulphur. We’ll be cutting back nitrogen to half-rate from now on in the good clover paddocks which accounts for a third of the milking platform.
Breeding started on 28 April and we had a couple of weeks of pre-breeding done. The cows are cycling well and in good condition.
Stocking rate (LU/ha): 3.36Growth (kg/ha): 80Average farm cover (kg/ha): 690Yield (l/cow): 27.7Fat (%): 4.55Protein (%): 3.7Milk solids (kg/cow): 2.35Concentrates (kg/cow): 3Grenagh, Co Cork
Grass is really getting going here this week. We have 18 acres taken out for reseeding which has just been seeded so the stocking rate and demand has jumped on the rest of the platform. There’s 80 units of N/acre out across the platform and some of that was spread as compound with sulphur.
Breeding started 13 days ago and we’ve just under 50% of the herd served so far. They’re getting a mix of sexed and conventional dairy straws at the
moment.
Stocking rate (LU/ha): 3.29Growth (kg/ha): 60Average farm cover (kg/ha): 700Yield (l/cow): 32Fat (%): 4.1Protein (%): 3.57Milk solids (kg/cow): 2.52Concentrates (kg/cow): 4Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
We started the second round last week and we’re mixing with a small bit of first round initially, but that’s finished now. We’re going into covers of 1,400kg DM/ha and have just taken out two paddocks for silage. The clover is starting to take off now.
Breeding will start 12 May with cows and the heifers a week after. We have done a pre-breeding scan on any cows that haven’t cycled and BCS everything. The average BCS of the herd is three.
Stocking rate (LU/ha): 2.4Growth (kg/ha): 57Average farm cover (kg/ha): 682Yield (l/cow): 27Fat (%): 4.73Protein (%) : 3.47Milk solids (kg/cow): 2.24Concentrates (kg/cow): 2 
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