Average grass growth this week is 15kg per day, which is still good but as the map tells, the number of our Grass+ farmers measuring grass has decreased as the season comes to a close.
Most farmers either have their herds housed full-time, or can count the number of days of grass left on their fingers. Decisions around housing should be based on average farm covers and ground conditions. Target closing covers should be around 600 to 700kg/ha by the end of this month. Growth rates have been higher than normal over the past two months, which is helping farmers to reach closing cover targets.
While the weather hasn’t been too bad over the past week, ground conditions are best described as sticky and it’s easy to do damage. With widespread rain forecast for Thursday and Friday, even the driest of farms will be at risk of poaching.
When there’s only a fixed amount of days grazing left, I wouldn’t hesitate to house cows fully over the next few days, and let them back out again in a few days’ time when the weather and ground conditions improve. Damaging ground at this time of year is catastrophic to overwinter growth and trafficability next spring.
Some animals are just out by day and in on silage at night. Again, when the weather is bad this makes grazing more difficult. Effectively, if in by night you are allowing the cows seven grazings in the week. Best policy is to allocate grass when ground is good and house the herd when ground isn’t good.
On covers, some of the first closed paddocks have covers in excess of 1,200kg/ha. When closing average farm cover is 600 to 700kg, it is inevitable that some covers will run high. While not ideal, once targeted on relatively dry paddocks and with good access points they should be OK.
Many herds are now housed full-time.Forecast is bad so prevent damage by keeping cows in if necessary and leave them back out when conditions improve.Close the farm with an average cover of 600 to 700kg/ha.
Shane Leane
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 26
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 626
Yield (l/cow/day) 1.3
Fat % 5.4
Protein % 4.52
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.33
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 7s2m
We have about five days of grass left and we are only grazing by day now with the cows in on silage by night. The herd continues to milk well even though meal is still only at 2kg per day. Considering where average farm cover is, we should be closing up now but we want to graze out one paddock that has a high cover of 1,600kg then we will house fully. About 35% of the herd is dry and the empty cows are being sold next week. We are on 12-hour breaks and ground conditions are OK.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.78
Growth rate (kg/day) 11
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 575
Yield (l/cow/day) 10.2
Fat % 5.3
Protein % 3.97
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Cows are all in since 7 November. We were out full-time up to then. We didn’t do a grass walk this week but we plan to do the final walk next week. Cows are on good-quality bale silage and 3kg of meal in the shed. We will keep them on bales for another week before moving to pit silage. I want to keep about 1.5 bales of silage per cow for the spring as they might be needed more then. We have 10% of the herd dried off and will dry off another 15 or 20% next week. Somatic cell count is 129,000.
Richard Starrett
Lifford, Co Donegal
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.75
Growth rate (kg/day) 10
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 500
Yield (l/cow/day) 14.5
Fat % 5.02
Protein % 4.11
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.37
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4.5
Cows are in fully since last Friday as average farm cover dropped. The weather over the last six weeks has been excellent, and it has helped to make up for a very bad September. Average farm cover at the moment is around 500kg but I think grass is growing over 10kg/day so I expect that by end of the month it should be up around 600kg/ha. Cows are in on 74% DMD silage. I’m drying off 31 cows this weekend and the rest will get between eight and 10 weeks dry but the heifers will get longer.
Fergal Coughlan
Teagasc Clonakilty
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.75
Growth rate (kg/day) 21
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 666
Yield (l/cow/day) 15
Fat % 5.4
Protein % 4.49
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.47
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Cows are housed fully since last Saturday. We closed up with an average farm cover of 666kg/ha. By the end of the month, it should be well over 700kg. The reason we closed when we did is because 100% of the cows are due to calve in four weeks next year, so demand for grass will be high. The figures above are for the cows on the grass and clover treatment. They have produced about 50kg more milk solids to date at 496kg. All cows are now in on bale silage and 3kg of meal.
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Heavy rain brings grazing to a close
Average grass growth this week is 15kg per day, which is still good but as the map tells, the number of our Grass+ farmers measuring grass has decreased as the season comes to a close.
Most farmers either have their herds housed full-time, or can count the number of days of grass left on their fingers. Decisions around housing should be based on average farm covers and ground conditions. Target closing covers should be around 600 to 700kg/ha by the end of this month. Growth rates have been higher than normal over the past two months, which is helping farmers to reach closing cover targets.
While the weather hasn’t been too bad over the past week, ground conditions are best described as sticky and it’s easy to do damage. With widespread rain forecast for Thursday and Friday, even the driest of farms will be at risk of poaching.
When there’s only a fixed amount of days grazing left, I wouldn’t hesitate to house cows fully over the next few days, and let them back out again in a few days’ time when the weather and ground conditions improve. Damaging ground at this time of year is catastrophic to overwinter growth and trafficability next spring.
Some animals are just out by day and in on silage at night. Again, when the weather is bad this makes grazing more difficult. Effectively, if in by night you are allowing the cows seven grazings in the week. Best policy is to allocate grass when ground is good and house the herd when ground isn’t good.
On covers, some of the first closed paddocks have covers in excess of 1,200kg/ha. When closing average farm cover is 600 to 700kg, it is inevitable that some covers will run high. While not ideal, once targeted on relatively dry paddocks and with good access points they should be OK.
Many herds are now housed full-time.Forecast is bad so prevent damage by keeping cows in if necessary and leave them back out when conditions improve.Close the farm with an average cover of 600 to 700kg/ha.
Shane Leane
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 26
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 626
Yield (l/cow/day) 1.3
Fat % 5.4
Protein % 4.52
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.33
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 7s2m
We have about five days of grass left and we are only grazing by day now with the cows in on silage by night. The herd continues to milk well even though meal is still only at 2kg per day. Considering where average farm cover is, we should be closing up now but we want to graze out one paddock that has a high cover of 1,600kg then we will house fully. About 35% of the herd is dry and the empty cows are being sold next week. We are on 12-hour breaks and ground conditions are OK.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.78
Growth rate (kg/day) 11
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 575
Yield (l/cow/day) 10.2
Fat % 5.3
Protein % 3.97
Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Cows are all in since 7 November. We were out full-time up to then. We didn’t do a grass walk this week but we plan to do the final walk next week. Cows are on good-quality bale silage and 3kg of meal in the shed. We will keep them on bales for another week before moving to pit silage. I want to keep about 1.5 bales of silage per cow for the spring as they might be needed more then. We have 10% of the herd dried off and will dry off another 15 or 20% next week. Somatic cell count is 129,000.
Richard Starrett
Lifford, Co Donegal
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.75
Growth rate (kg/day) 10
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 500
Yield (l/cow/day) 14.5
Fat % 5.02
Protein % 4.11
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.37
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4.5
Cows are in fully since last Friday as average farm cover dropped. The weather over the last six weeks has been excellent, and it has helped to make up for a very bad September. Average farm cover at the moment is around 500kg but I think grass is growing over 10kg/day so I expect that by end of the month it should be up around 600kg/ha. Cows are in on 74% DMD silage. I’m drying off 31 cows this weekend and the rest will get between eight and 10 weeks dry but the heifers will get longer.
Fergal Coughlan
Teagasc Clonakilty
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.75
Growth rate (kg/day) 21
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 666
Yield (l/cow/day) 15
Fat % 5.4
Protein % 4.49
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.47
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Cows are housed fully since last Saturday. We closed up with an average farm cover of 666kg/ha. By the end of the month, it should be well over 700kg. The reason we closed when we did is because 100% of the cows are due to calve in four weeks next year, so demand for grass will be high. The figures above are for the cows on the grass and clover treatment. They have produced about 50kg more milk solids to date at 496kg. All cows are now in on bale silage and 3kg of meal.
Read more
Heavy rain brings grazing to a close
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