It wasn’t a simple week for grazing that’s for sure. Most herds were housed during the worst of the weather last weekend and it’s fair to say many won’t see grass at all this week due to waterlogged fields.
With colder but drier weather on the way we should see more herds back out grazing.
Drying conditions have been reasonably good and where dry fields can be picked damage can be limited, but only on free-draining farms.
Demand for grass is picking up as more cows calve and as the balance between mature cows versus first calving heifers tips in favour of mature cows.
Intake per cow is increasing by about 1kg per cow per week so total intake is probably around 12kg to 13kg per cow in the herd.
When you subtract what is being fed in the form of meal and any silage, grass allowance should be in the order of 8kg to 10kg per cow per day.
As most farms are way behind target in terms of area grazed, it’s important to graze as much as possible when conditions allow to try and catch up.
It always amazes me that farmers may be happy to leave cows out by day, but not by night. Are cows afraid of the dark?
To increase the amount of area grazed target low covers for the next two weeks and get these clipped and back growing.
The objective here is to get as much area grazed and back growing to have enough grass for the second rotation.
Swardwatch
Ground conditions are extremely challenging in many parts after very heavy rain but cows have been able to resume grazing on free draining soils. Increase the area being allocated per day by removing silage from the diet and keeping meal feeding levels to moderate rates such as 3kg or 4kg per cow per day where grass is in the diet. Heavier soils farmers will be restricted to grazing dry fields but try and graze low covers if at all possible to increase the area being grazed per day. If it’s possible to graze by day, it should be possible to graze by night. Barry Reilly – Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha): 2.5
Growth rate (kg/day): 4
Average farm cover (kg/ha): 1,050
Yield (l/cow/day): -
Fat %: 5.10
Protein %: 3.59
Milk solids (kg/cow): -
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day): 3
Land here is very wet. The river that flows through the farm is flooded and all the fields alongside it are under water so they’re out of action for at least a month.
Thankfully we were able to skin them well in the autumn so haven’t lost much grass. Despite this, we’ve only missed two grazings over the last while. Cows are out all day but come in at night, usually around 7.30pm and they get a bit of silage in the shed. Total intake is set at 16kg per cow per day which seems high but that’s what we’re at. That means they’re getting 3kg of meal and 13kg of grass each day. We’ve 15% of the farm grazed and no nitrogen spread.
Brian Ronayne – Dungourney, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha): -
Growth rate (kg/day): 6
Average farm cover (kg/ha): 800
Yield (l/cow/day): -
Fat %: 5.56
Protein %: 3.69
Milk solids (kg/cow): -
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day): 3
We’re getting the cows out to grass at every opportunity. They were in for a day or so at the weekend but have been back out day and night since. Sometimes we’ll hold them in the yard if it’s wet and then let them out.
Despite this I’m still behind on target in terms of area grazed, with about 15% grazed to date. They’re grazing covers of about 1,000kg/ha and were grazing lower covers at the start. About 15% of the farm got slurry in January and we’re spreading 2,500gals/acre after grazing. I’ve no nitrogen out yet but plan to go with 23 units/ac of urea as soon as conditions allow. We have just under 50% calved so far.
Denis Lahart – Kells, Co Kilkenny
Stocking rate (cows/ha): 3.76
Growth rate (kg/day): 11
Average farm cover (kg/ha): 1,012
Yield (l/cow/day): -
Fat %: 4.44
Protein %: 3.34
Milk solids (kg/cow): -
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day): 5
Grazing is going well and we have 31% grazed to date so we’re going well. When the weather was good we were able to graze some of the flatter land that had low covers so we got through a lot of ground quickly. We missed a few grazings last weekend but have been out day and night since.
I use a spur road to get access to the back of paddocks and find that the grass is back to normal after a few months. About 80% of the farm got urea at the end of January. I did intend waiting until mid-February to spread it but when conditions were good I said I’d apply it. The rest got slurry and the outfarm got slurry too.
Diarmuid Murray – Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon
System: Suckler to beef
Soil type: Variable
Farm cover (kg DM/ha): 672
Growth (kg DM/ha/day): 7
Demand (kg DM/ha/day): 2
I stopped meal feeding to the yearling heifers in preparation for turnout to grass. However, recent storms and heavy rainfall will delay them getting to grass for another week or 10 days.
There is no fertiliser spread as of yet. Conditions were just looking favourable when the weather broke. We couldn’t take the risk of going out early with nitrogen this year as the cost implications if we did not get a response would be too great.
Calving is progressing nicely, it is steady without any major burst of cows calving which really suits given the weather. We are not under pressure for space for cows and calves just yet and we did get 30 acres of ground spread with slurry earlier in the month so slurry storage is OK as well.
Ger McSweeney – Millstreet, Co Cork
System: Suckler to beef
Soil type: Variable
Farm cover (kg DM/ha): 861
Growth (kg DM/ha/day): 6
Demand (kg DM/ha/day): 6
In dry conditions I let 14 yearling heifers out by day and in by night from 23 January.
However, they have been in full-time for the last 10 days. They were out again on Wednesday of this week for a few hours ahead of rainfall forecast for the evening. It works well with my farm setup and it has been great to get some of the farm grazed early.
When they come in at night I feed them a little silage but the key is to let them out with an appetite so that they get their heads straight down to graze. They are currently grazing covers of around 1,200kgDM/ha which is ideal. The weather isn’t perfect but it’s about making the most of the opportunity to graze when it is there.
Shaun Diver – Tullamore Farm, Co Offaly
System: Suckler to beef
Soil type: Variable
Farm cover (kg DM/ha): 672
Growth (kg DM/ha/day): 7
Demand (kg DM/ha/day): 2
I stopped meal feeding to the yearling heifers in preparation for turnout to grass. However, recent storms and heavy rainfall will delay them getting to grass for another week or 10 days.
There is no fertiliser spread as of yet. Conditions were just looking favourable when the weather broke. We couldn’t take the risk of going out early with nitrogen this year as the cost implications if we did not get a response would be too great.
Calving is progressing nicely, it is steady without any major burst of cows calving which really suits given the weather. We are not under pressure for space for cows and calves just yet and we did get 30 acres of ground spread with slurry earlier in the month so slurry storage is OK as well.
It wasn’t a simple week for grazing that’s for sure. Most herds were housed during the worst of the weather last weekend and it’s fair to say many won’t see grass at all this week due to waterlogged fields.
With colder but drier weather on the way we should see more herds back out grazing.
Drying conditions have been reasonably good and where dry fields can be picked damage can be limited, but only on free-draining farms.
Demand for grass is picking up as more cows calve and as the balance between mature cows versus first calving heifers tips in favour of mature cows.
Intake per cow is increasing by about 1kg per cow per week so total intake is probably around 12kg to 13kg per cow in the herd.
When you subtract what is being fed in the form of meal and any silage, grass allowance should be in the order of 8kg to 10kg per cow per day.
As most farms are way behind target in terms of area grazed, it’s important to graze as much as possible when conditions allow to try and catch up.
It always amazes me that farmers may be happy to leave cows out by day, but not by night. Are cows afraid of the dark?
To increase the amount of area grazed target low covers for the next two weeks and get these clipped and back growing.
The objective here is to get as much area grazed and back growing to have enough grass for the second rotation.
Swardwatch
Ground conditions are extremely challenging in many parts after very heavy rain but cows have been able to resume grazing on free draining soils. Increase the area being allocated per day by removing silage from the diet and keeping meal feeding levels to moderate rates such as 3kg or 4kg per cow per day where grass is in the diet. Heavier soils farmers will be restricted to grazing dry fields but try and graze low covers if at all possible to increase the area being grazed per day. If it’s possible to graze by day, it should be possible to graze by night. Barry Reilly – Teagasc Ballyhaise, Co Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha): 2.5
Growth rate (kg/day): 4
Average farm cover (kg/ha): 1,050
Yield (l/cow/day): -
Fat %: 5.10
Protein %: 3.59
Milk solids (kg/cow): -
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day): 3
Land here is very wet. The river that flows through the farm is flooded and all the fields alongside it are under water so they’re out of action for at least a month.
Thankfully we were able to skin them well in the autumn so haven’t lost much grass. Despite this, we’ve only missed two grazings over the last while. Cows are out all day but come in at night, usually around 7.30pm and they get a bit of silage in the shed. Total intake is set at 16kg per cow per day which seems high but that’s what we’re at. That means they’re getting 3kg of meal and 13kg of grass each day. We’ve 15% of the farm grazed and no nitrogen spread.
Brian Ronayne – Dungourney, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha): -
Growth rate (kg/day): 6
Average farm cover (kg/ha): 800
Yield (l/cow/day): -
Fat %: 5.56
Protein %: 3.69
Milk solids (kg/cow): -
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day): 3
We’re getting the cows out to grass at every opportunity. They were in for a day or so at the weekend but have been back out day and night since. Sometimes we’ll hold them in the yard if it’s wet and then let them out.
Despite this I’m still behind on target in terms of area grazed, with about 15% grazed to date. They’re grazing covers of about 1,000kg/ha and were grazing lower covers at the start. About 15% of the farm got slurry in January and we’re spreading 2,500gals/acre after grazing. I’ve no nitrogen out yet but plan to go with 23 units/ac of urea as soon as conditions allow. We have just under 50% calved so far.
Denis Lahart – Kells, Co Kilkenny
Stocking rate (cows/ha): 3.76
Growth rate (kg/day): 11
Average farm cover (kg/ha): 1,012
Yield (l/cow/day): -
Fat %: 4.44
Protein %: 3.34
Milk solids (kg/cow): -
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day): 5
Grazing is going well and we have 31% grazed to date so we’re going well. When the weather was good we were able to graze some of the flatter land that had low covers so we got through a lot of ground quickly. We missed a few grazings last weekend but have been out day and night since.
I use a spur road to get access to the back of paddocks and find that the grass is back to normal after a few months. About 80% of the farm got urea at the end of January. I did intend waiting until mid-February to spread it but when conditions were good I said I’d apply it. The rest got slurry and the outfarm got slurry too.
Diarmuid Murray – Knockcroghery, Co Roscommon
System: Suckler to beef
Soil type: Variable
Farm cover (kg DM/ha): 672
Growth (kg DM/ha/day): 7
Demand (kg DM/ha/day): 2
I stopped meal feeding to the yearling heifers in preparation for turnout to grass. However, recent storms and heavy rainfall will delay them getting to grass for another week or 10 days.
There is no fertiliser spread as of yet. Conditions were just looking favourable when the weather broke. We couldn’t take the risk of going out early with nitrogen this year as the cost implications if we did not get a response would be too great.
Calving is progressing nicely, it is steady without any major burst of cows calving which really suits given the weather. We are not under pressure for space for cows and calves just yet and we did get 30 acres of ground spread with slurry earlier in the month so slurry storage is OK as well.
Ger McSweeney – Millstreet, Co Cork
System: Suckler to beef
Soil type: Variable
Farm cover (kg DM/ha): 861
Growth (kg DM/ha/day): 6
Demand (kg DM/ha/day): 6
In dry conditions I let 14 yearling heifers out by day and in by night from 23 January.
However, they have been in full-time for the last 10 days. They were out again on Wednesday of this week for a few hours ahead of rainfall forecast for the evening. It works well with my farm setup and it has been great to get some of the farm grazed early.
When they come in at night I feed them a little silage but the key is to let them out with an appetite so that they get their heads straight down to graze. They are currently grazing covers of around 1,200kgDM/ha which is ideal. The weather isn’t perfect but it’s about making the most of the opportunity to graze when it is there.
Shaun Diver – Tullamore Farm, Co Offaly
System: Suckler to beef
Soil type: Variable
Farm cover (kg DM/ha): 672
Growth (kg DM/ha/day): 7
Demand (kg DM/ha/day): 2
I stopped meal feeding to the yearling heifers in preparation for turnout to grass. However, recent storms and heavy rainfall will delay them getting to grass for another week or 10 days.
There is no fertiliser spread as of yet. Conditions were just looking favourable when the weather broke. We couldn’t take the risk of going out early with nitrogen this year as the cost implications if we did not get a response would be too great.
Calving is progressing nicely, it is steady without any major burst of cows calving which really suits given the weather. We are not under pressure for space for cows and calves just yet and we did get 30 acres of ground spread with slurry earlier in the month so slurry storage is OK as well.
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