Average grass growth this week is down to 13kg/day, which is still very good for the time of year, being over twice the norm.
However, the mild and damp weather experienced earlier in the week has been replaced with cold and rain so we can expect growth rates to decline sharply.
There were still some herds out grazing up to Tuesday night’s rain, but most are now fully housed. Farmers with cows out grazing must be careful not to get greedy and pinch grass from next spring, when it will be much more valuable.
Closing covers
Closing covers should be 600 to 700kg/ha now. Going below this cover means that there will be insufficient grass next spring for early turnout.
It’s good to do a grass walk now to see how much grass you have and to measure overwinter growth between now and your next measurement in late December or January. The expected range of growth is between zero and 5kg/ha.
This will help to inform decisions about appropriate closing covers in future years.
Overall, 2017 has been a very good year for grass growth, with most farms recording higher than normal growth rates.
These are predominately dry farms that would regularly suffer from summer droughts but experienced excellent growth this summer.
On the flip side, some heavier farms in high rainfall areas grew similar or less than previous years as a good spring and summer was negated by a very wet autumn which saw growth rates and grass utilisation plummet.
Measuring grass
Those measuring grass should count the cumulative growth on each paddock over the year to identify the poor-performing paddocks.
Those that aren’t routinely measuring should count the number of grazings per paddock and use that as a gauge for measuring. Investigate why a paddock is performing poorly. Is it drainage, grass varieties or soil fertility that is causing poor performance?
Average grass growth rates are still good at 13kg/day.Most herds are fully housed and grazing has ceased.Analyse each paddock’s performance over 2017.
Teagasc Curtins Farm, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2
Growth rate (kg/day) 11
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 465
Yield (l/cow/day) 10
Fat % 5.96
Protein % 4.67
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.09
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We are now finished grazing and cows are inside on ad-lib silage and 3kg of 15% protein meal. We grazed for a day or two longer than we should have with this treatment but we did so because it’s part of a trial on different average farm covers and we need to generate differences.
We have 25% of the herd dried off and will dry off the rest in batches over the coming weeks. We will sell about 440kg of milk solids per cow this year.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.75
Growth rate (kg/day) 5
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 588
Yield (l/cow/day) 10.5
Fat % 5.47
Protein % 4.09
Milk solids (kg/cow) 0.96
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Cows are in full-time for the past week. Closing average farm cover is a bit lower than we’d like but I think it’ll be OK. We are feeding 3kg of meal and ad-lib silage. Fat and protein have dropped a bit since we came in and SCC has risen to 165,000.
We have grown 15t/ha of grass and the cows will sell between 410kg and 420kg of milk solids before the year is out.
At the moment, we have 460kg of meal fed so will probably end up feeding 530kg over the year.
Cashel, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.84
Growth rate (kg/day) 16
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 872
Yield (l/cow/day) 13
Fat % 4.95
Protein % 4.09
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.21
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We are currently grazing the last paddock and after that the herd will go in full-time. When this paddock is grazed the average farm cover will be around 800kg/ha, which is what I need to be at for my high stocking. Cows have been in at night since 11 November but silage was fed in August and September depending on covers and growth rate.
It’s been a great year for grass, with 16.75t/ha grown to date. I will dry off cows in batches based on calving date and body condition score. I try to give the first calvers 12 weeks dry.
Kilworth, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.97
Growth rate (kg/day) 11.5
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 589
Yield (l/cow/day) 11
Fat % 5.15
Protein % 4.2
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.06
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We finished up grazing last week and nearly all of the stock are in now. The closing cover was recorded last week and it’s a bit lower than I would have liked but growth has been good so I expect it to be up around 750kg/ha by end of the month.
We’ve just switched to milking once a day and cows will be dried off in batches and we hope to be all dry by 20 December. It’s been a good year with growth rates well up. I might spread a third of the farm with lime in January if the weather is good.
Read more
Grass+ beef: preventing pneumonia in housed cattle
Average grass growth this week is down to 13kg/day, which is still very good for the time of year, being over twice the norm.
However, the mild and damp weather experienced earlier in the week has been replaced with cold and rain so we can expect growth rates to decline sharply.
There were still some herds out grazing up to Tuesday night’s rain, but most are now fully housed. Farmers with cows out grazing must be careful not to get greedy and pinch grass from next spring, when it will be much more valuable.
Closing covers
Closing covers should be 600 to 700kg/ha now. Going below this cover means that there will be insufficient grass next spring for early turnout.
It’s good to do a grass walk now to see how much grass you have and to measure overwinter growth between now and your next measurement in late December or January. The expected range of growth is between zero and 5kg/ha.
This will help to inform decisions about appropriate closing covers in future years.
Overall, 2017 has been a very good year for grass growth, with most farms recording higher than normal growth rates.
These are predominately dry farms that would regularly suffer from summer droughts but experienced excellent growth this summer.
On the flip side, some heavier farms in high rainfall areas grew similar or less than previous years as a good spring and summer was negated by a very wet autumn which saw growth rates and grass utilisation plummet.
Measuring grass
Those measuring grass should count the cumulative growth on each paddock over the year to identify the poor-performing paddocks.
Those that aren’t routinely measuring should count the number of grazings per paddock and use that as a gauge for measuring. Investigate why a paddock is performing poorly. Is it drainage, grass varieties or soil fertility that is causing poor performance?
Average grass growth rates are still good at 13kg/day.Most herds are fully housed and grazing has ceased.Analyse each paddock’s performance over 2017.
Teagasc Curtins Farm, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2
Growth rate (kg/day) 11
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 465
Yield (l/cow/day) 10
Fat % 5.96
Protein % 4.67
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.09
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We are now finished grazing and cows are inside on ad-lib silage and 3kg of 15% protein meal. We grazed for a day or two longer than we should have with this treatment but we did so because it’s part of a trial on different average farm covers and we need to generate differences.
We have 25% of the herd dried off and will dry off the rest in batches over the coming weeks. We will sell about 440kg of milk solids per cow this year.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.75
Growth rate (kg/day) 5
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 588
Yield (l/cow/day) 10.5
Fat % 5.47
Protein % 4.09
Milk solids (kg/cow) 0.96
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Cows are in full-time for the past week. Closing average farm cover is a bit lower than we’d like but I think it’ll be OK. We are feeding 3kg of meal and ad-lib silage. Fat and protein have dropped a bit since we came in and SCC has risen to 165,000.
We have grown 15t/ha of grass and the cows will sell between 410kg and 420kg of milk solids before the year is out.
At the moment, we have 460kg of meal fed so will probably end up feeding 530kg over the year.
Cashel, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.84
Growth rate (kg/day) 16
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 872
Yield (l/cow/day) 13
Fat % 4.95
Protein % 4.09
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.21
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We are currently grazing the last paddock and after that the herd will go in full-time. When this paddock is grazed the average farm cover will be around 800kg/ha, which is what I need to be at for my high stocking. Cows have been in at night since 11 November but silage was fed in August and September depending on covers and growth rate.
It’s been a great year for grass, with 16.75t/ha grown to date. I will dry off cows in batches based on calving date and body condition score. I try to give the first calvers 12 weeks dry.
Kilworth, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.97
Growth rate (kg/day) 11.5
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 589
Yield (l/cow/day) 11
Fat % 5.15
Protein % 4.2
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.06
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
We finished up grazing last week and nearly all of the stock are in now. The closing cover was recorded last week and it’s a bit lower than I would have liked but growth has been good so I expect it to be up around 750kg/ha by end of the month.
We’ve just switched to milking once a day and cows will be dried off in batches and we hope to be all dry by 20 December. It’s been a good year with growth rates well up. I might spread a third of the farm with lime in January if the weather is good.
Read more
Grass+ beef: preventing pneumonia in housed cattle
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