Grass growth rates continue to bomb on at 66kg/ha/day on average across our Grass+ farms. To put this in context, the 10-year average for the same week is 50kg/day.
The weather is warm and clammy with humidity during the days at between 85% and 95%.
These are ideal conditions for growth and the effect of shortening daylight hours is being negated by the warm and humid weather and this is set to continue.
Wet weather and heavy ground
However, the weather is also exceptionally wet and any farmer on heavy land would gladly accept a lower growth rate if the weather was drier.
The fact is that on many heavy farms grass utilisation is poor and any extra growth is being lost because it is being walked into the ground.
The other big problem on heavy land is that past experience has shown that grass growth will decrease when soils become waterlogged.
But for the moment, growth rates are good and it is too much grass that is causing headaches on farms.
Whether or not to take out surplus at this stage in the year really depends on the stocking rate. It’s only farmers with a low stocking rate and a very high average farm cover (greater than 1,100kg/ha) today that should be considering taking out bales.
All other farmers should have enough demand to get through the grass that they have.
Saving on supplements
The way I see it, for most farms the extra grass now should mean less supplement later.
While grass quality won’t be as good in high covers, it will be every bit as good as feeding pit silage and better than having to buy meal. I’m comfortable with being above target average farm cover now if you were expecting to be feeding supplement later on or having to sell culls early, etc, to reduce demand.
Average grass growth rates are excellent at 66kg/day.Heavy rain has made grazing difficult in many parts.Average farm cover shouldn’t go over 1,200kg/ha in mid-September.Being above target now should mean less supplement later.
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.39
Growth rate (kg/day) 65
Avg farm cover (kg/ha) 939
Yield (l/cow/day) 16.3
Fat % 5.05
Protein % 3.94
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.51
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
We got a nice bit of rain over the week but ground conditions are good and cows are fairly content, even though grass dry matter was only 12% here on Monday.
Growth rates are well up so we are skipping over two paddocks for silage which we cut on Tuesday evening. We reduced meal down to almost zero last week when we knew growth was going to be up.
We sprayed the reseeds with Clovex last week and the plan is to graze them next week if conditions are good. There is a cover of about 750kg on them today.
Templeboy, Co Sligo
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.50
Growth rate (kg/day) 54
Avg farm cover (kg/ha) 962
Yield (l/cow/day) 17.5
Fat % 4.31
Protein % 3.62
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.43
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
It’s been a great grass-growing year here in the northwest. While we did suffer a bit with heavy rain two weeks ago, since then it has been OK with drying between the showers. We are using the 12-hour wire and clean-out is good.
We are on target for grass. The plan is to be at 1,150kg/ha by the middle of the month and after that all we can do is hope that the weather will be good for us to graze it. I’m currently spreading 30 units/acre of SulCAN and will blanket-spread the rest of the ground next week.
Kells, Co Kilkenny
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.0
Growth rate (kg/day) 111
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 931
Yield (l/cow/day) 20.5
Fat % 4.31
Protein % 3.82
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.71
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Grass growth has been phenomenal over the past few weeks and we are well on track towards hitting our autumn closing targets. I don’t like building an average cover higher than 1,100kg/ha because it just gets too hard to graze cover greater than 2,200kg/ha. Rotation length is 25 days, pre-grazing yield is 2,000 and cows are getting full paddocks which last between two and three grazings depending on its size. I’m spreading 20 units/acre of CAN after grazing.
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.06
Growth rate (kg/day) 83
Avg farm cover (kg/ha) 986
Yield (l/cow/day) 15.2
Fat % 4.89
Protein % 3.94
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.38
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
The weekend wasn’t too bad weather wise but we got a lot of rain on Sunday and Monday. Conditions are just about OK. We did manage to cut two paddocks for silage last week so at least we got that done.
We still have one paddock to cut. I’m sorry I didn’t do it last week too. With that paddock in, the farm cover is 1,100kg/ha. I think growth is going to slow soon as mornings are gone colder. I’m going to blanket spread 18 to 20 units/acre of urea across the farm next week. We are now feeding 2kg of meal.
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Grass growth rates continue to bomb on at 66kg/ha/day on average across our Grass+ farms. To put this in context, the 10-year average for the same week is 50kg/day.
The weather is warm and clammy with humidity during the days at between 85% and 95%.
These are ideal conditions for growth and the effect of shortening daylight hours is being negated by the warm and humid weather and this is set to continue.
Wet weather and heavy ground
However, the weather is also exceptionally wet and any farmer on heavy land would gladly accept a lower growth rate if the weather was drier.
The fact is that on many heavy farms grass utilisation is poor and any extra growth is being lost because it is being walked into the ground.
The other big problem on heavy land is that past experience has shown that grass growth will decrease when soils become waterlogged.
But for the moment, growth rates are good and it is too much grass that is causing headaches on farms.
Whether or not to take out surplus at this stage in the year really depends on the stocking rate. It’s only farmers with a low stocking rate and a very high average farm cover (greater than 1,100kg/ha) today that should be considering taking out bales.
All other farmers should have enough demand to get through the grass that they have.
Saving on supplements
The way I see it, for most farms the extra grass now should mean less supplement later.
While grass quality won’t be as good in high covers, it will be every bit as good as feeding pit silage and better than having to buy meal. I’m comfortable with being above target average farm cover now if you were expecting to be feeding supplement later on or having to sell culls early, etc, to reduce demand.
Average grass growth rates are excellent at 66kg/day.Heavy rain has made grazing difficult in many parts.Average farm cover shouldn’t go over 1,200kg/ha in mid-September.Being above target now should mean less supplement later.
Teagasc Curtins Farm
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.39
Growth rate (kg/day) 65
Avg farm cover (kg/ha) 939
Yield (l/cow/day) 16.3
Fat % 5.05
Protein % 3.94
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.51
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 0.2
We got a nice bit of rain over the week but ground conditions are good and cows are fairly content, even though grass dry matter was only 12% here on Monday.
Growth rates are well up so we are skipping over two paddocks for silage which we cut on Tuesday evening. We reduced meal down to almost zero last week when we knew growth was going to be up.
We sprayed the reseeds with Clovex last week and the plan is to graze them next week if conditions are good. There is a cover of about 750kg on them today.
Templeboy, Co Sligo
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.50
Growth rate (kg/day) 54
Avg farm cover (kg/ha) 962
Yield (l/cow/day) 17.5
Fat % 4.31
Protein % 3.62
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.43
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
It’s been a great grass-growing year here in the northwest. While we did suffer a bit with heavy rain two weeks ago, since then it has been OK with drying between the showers. We are using the 12-hour wire and clean-out is good.
We are on target for grass. The plan is to be at 1,150kg/ha by the middle of the month and after that all we can do is hope that the weather will be good for us to graze it. I’m currently spreading 30 units/acre of SulCAN and will blanket-spread the rest of the ground next week.
Kells, Co Kilkenny
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.0
Growth rate (kg/day) 111
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 931
Yield (l/cow/day) 20.5
Fat % 4.31
Protein % 3.82
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.71
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
Grass growth has been phenomenal over the past few weeks and we are well on track towards hitting our autumn closing targets. I don’t like building an average cover higher than 1,100kg/ha because it just gets too hard to graze cover greater than 2,200kg/ha. Rotation length is 25 days, pre-grazing yield is 2,000 and cows are getting full paddocks which last between two and three grazings depending on its size. I’m spreading 20 units/acre of CAN after grazing.
Teagasc Ballyhaise
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.06
Growth rate (kg/day) 83
Avg farm cover (kg/ha) 986
Yield (l/cow/day) 15.2
Fat % 4.89
Protein % 3.94
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.38
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2
The weekend wasn’t too bad weather wise but we got a lot of rain on Sunday and Monday. Conditions are just about OK. We did manage to cut two paddocks for silage last week so at least we got that done.
We still have one paddock to cut. I’m sorry I didn’t do it last week too. With that paddock in, the farm cover is 1,100kg/ha. I think growth is going to slow soon as mornings are gone colder. I’m going to blanket spread 18 to 20 units/acre of urea across the farm next week. We are now feeding 2kg of meal.
Read More
Above-average growth but soft ground for some
Butter prices rise 3.8% at Global Dairy Trade
New Zealand set for new water taxes
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