What a difference a dry week makes. With good sunshine and excellent drying conditions most farmers have been able to get stock out. Many are now out fulltime and little or no damage is being done in most cases. Heavier land is still drying out, farmers here are still on/off grazing and this is the right thing to do if it avoids damage.
The important thing is that grass is firmly back in the diet. While growth rates are still lagging behind normal, they are on the rise. At this stage, the excuses for not having fertiliser spread are wearing thin. Where no nitrogen has been spread, less grass will be grown. Some farmers are now spreading their second round of nitrogen.
It is only now, with firmer conditions underfoot that we can even think about discussing grazing residuals. Remove as much grass in the first round as possible, ideally grazing to zero as this will set up the swards for excellent quality re-growths in the next rounds.
With about two weeks to go before the planned start of the second round on most farms, the key measure now is average farm cover. Farms with over 50% grazed have average farm covers in the region on 600kg/ha, while those with less grazed have more grass at 800 to 900kg/ha. You want to have a cover of about 450kg/ha at the start of the second round, with growth rates more or less equal to demand.
If demand is 30kg now, and growth rate is 20kg, then your average farm cover will decrease by 10kg per day so in 15 days’ time your average farm cover will drop by 150kg, presuming demand and growth remain constant over that time. Manage your demand by manipulating supplements and introducing other stock if you need to get through grass.
Super drying conditions over the past six days has allowed cows out fulltime on most farms.Grass needs nitrogen for growth.Aim to start the second round in early April with a cover of around 450kg/haManage your demand by manipulating supplements and using other stock.Steven Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 17
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,024
Yield (l/cow/day) 26
Fat % 5
Protein % 3.34
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.23
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.5
Grazing conditions are now close to ideal and we are worried about our ability to get through all the grass as cover is very high. We have reduced the meal down to 1.5kg and will probably cut it out completely in the next few days. We are still on 12-hour breaks. We have 85% of the herd calved. The whole farm got spread with one bag per acre of urea last week, so 62 units of urea per acre has been spread to date and we think about 10 units per acre of nitrogen has gone out in slurry. At the moment, the plan is to start the second round between 7 and 10 April.
Con Lehane
Ballinagree, Macroom, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.0
Growth rate (kg/day) 2.5
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 981
Yield (l/cow/day) 28
Fat % 4.36
Protein % 3.31
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.16
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
This spring has been tough. The farm is high at between 500ft and 1,000ft, so we got a lot of rain and are in the Heavy Soils Programme. We have 22% of the farm grazed to date but this is increasing the whole time as we are currently grazing off the lighter covers and cows are out full-time. Part of me thinks I should be grazing heavier covers when weather is good but I think it’s more important to get area grazed. We spread fertiliser on about 60% of the farm nearly three weeks ago and I think it made a difference as these fields look more vibrant. The plan is to start the second round on 10 April.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 11
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 686
Yield (l/cow/day) 20.3
Fat % 5.03
Protein % 3.49
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.00
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Grazing is going great at the moment. The farm is getting a good cleanout and even some higher covers in heavier parts of the farm are being grazed. We are switching between grazing high and low covers morning and evening. Very little damage is being done. The whole farm is getting one bag of urea per acre this week. Some of the land has not received any nitrogen yet. There is a cover of about 400kg on the first grazed paddocks. The plan is to start the second round on 10 April. Farm cover is dropping. If we need to put in some feed closer to the end of the first round to stretch it out we will but we’re OK for now.
Sean O’Donnell
Behybeg, Ballina, Co Mayo
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.4
Growth rate (kg/day) 20
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 900
Yield (l/cow/day) 22
Fat % 4.51
Protein % 3.1
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.72
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3.5
We are out grazing day and night since last Saturday and conditions are as good as we could hope for but the spring was very tough. We started grazing on 10 February but it was very haphazard, using on/off grazing and bringing cows in and out. They definitely got more silage than grass anyway. I did manage to spread a full bag of urea across most of the farm two weeks ago and I’m really seeing the benefit of this now. There is a cover of 550 to 600kg back on the first grazed paddocks and I hope to start the second round on 8 April. Protein dropped in the last test but I expect it to rise from now on.
What a difference a dry week makes. With good sunshine and excellent drying conditions most farmers have been able to get stock out. Many are now out fulltime and little or no damage is being done in most cases. Heavier land is still drying out, farmers here are still on/off grazing and this is the right thing to do if it avoids damage.
The important thing is that grass is firmly back in the diet. While growth rates are still lagging behind normal, they are on the rise. At this stage, the excuses for not having fertiliser spread are wearing thin. Where no nitrogen has been spread, less grass will be grown. Some farmers are now spreading their second round of nitrogen.
It is only now, with firmer conditions underfoot that we can even think about discussing grazing residuals. Remove as much grass in the first round as possible, ideally grazing to zero as this will set up the swards for excellent quality re-growths in the next rounds.
With about two weeks to go before the planned start of the second round on most farms, the key measure now is average farm cover. Farms with over 50% grazed have average farm covers in the region on 600kg/ha, while those with less grazed have more grass at 800 to 900kg/ha. You want to have a cover of about 450kg/ha at the start of the second round, with growth rates more or less equal to demand.
If demand is 30kg now, and growth rate is 20kg, then your average farm cover will decrease by 10kg per day so in 15 days’ time your average farm cover will drop by 150kg, presuming demand and growth remain constant over that time. Manage your demand by manipulating supplements and introducing other stock if you need to get through grass.
Super drying conditions over the past six days has allowed cows out fulltime on most farms.Grass needs nitrogen for growth.Aim to start the second round in early April with a cover of around 450kg/haManage your demand by manipulating supplements and using other stock.Steven Fitzgerald
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 17
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 1,024
Yield (l/cow/day) 26
Fat % 5
Protein % 3.34
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.23
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 1.5
Grazing conditions are now close to ideal and we are worried about our ability to get through all the grass as cover is very high. We have reduced the meal down to 1.5kg and will probably cut it out completely in the next few days. We are still on 12-hour breaks. We have 85% of the herd calved. The whole farm got spread with one bag per acre of urea last week, so 62 units of urea per acre has been spread to date and we think about 10 units per acre of nitrogen has gone out in slurry. At the moment, the plan is to start the second round between 7 and 10 April.
Con Lehane
Ballinagree, Macroom, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.0
Growth rate (kg/day) 2.5
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 981
Yield (l/cow/day) 28
Fat % 4.36
Protein % 3.31
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.16
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
This spring has been tough. The farm is high at between 500ft and 1,000ft, so we got a lot of rain and are in the Heavy Soils Programme. We have 22% of the farm grazed to date but this is increasing the whole time as we are currently grazing off the lighter covers and cows are out full-time. Part of me thinks I should be grazing heavier covers when weather is good but I think it’s more important to get area grazed. We spread fertiliser on about 60% of the farm nearly three weeks ago and I think it made a difference as these fields look more vibrant. The plan is to start the second round on 10 April.
Donal Patton
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 11
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 686
Yield (l/cow/day) 20.3
Fat % 5.03
Protein % 3.49
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.00
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Grazing is going great at the moment. The farm is getting a good cleanout and even some higher covers in heavier parts of the farm are being grazed. We are switching between grazing high and low covers morning and evening. Very little damage is being done. The whole farm is getting one bag of urea per acre this week. Some of the land has not received any nitrogen yet. There is a cover of about 400kg on the first grazed paddocks. The plan is to start the second round on 10 April. Farm cover is dropping. If we need to put in some feed closer to the end of the first round to stretch it out we will but we’re OK for now.
Sean O’Donnell
Behybeg, Ballina, Co Mayo
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.4
Growth rate (kg/day) 20
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 900
Yield (l/cow/day) 22
Fat % 4.51
Protein % 3.1
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.72
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3.5
We are out grazing day and night since last Saturday and conditions are as good as we could hope for but the spring was very tough. We started grazing on 10 February but it was very haphazard, using on/off grazing and bringing cows in and out. They definitely got more silage than grass anyway. I did manage to spread a full bag of urea across most of the farm two weeks ago and I’m really seeing the benefit of this now. There is a cover of 550 to 600kg back on the first grazed paddocks and I hope to start the second round on 8 April. Protein dropped in the last test but I expect it to rise from now on.
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