Growth holding but grazing difficult

More heavy rain in the past few days has meant that housing has started on many farms in the west and northwest.

If young stock are being housed, they need to be monitored closely for a few days for any signs of pneumonia. Grass DM is now low and finishing cattle would be better off housed if grazing conditions are very difficult.

Animals standing at the back of hedges seeking shelter from wind and rain won’t put on weight

Animals that are being fed already at grass will acclimatise better to a diet of silage and meal indoors.

Weaning is also taking place on a lot of farms. In current conditions, it is better to house cows for a few days during the weaning process as weaned cows can cause untold damage to a paddock overnight when ground conditions are difficult.

When weaned, light weanlings are ideal stock to go back out to finish grazing. They will be a lot cheaper to feed outside, will be healthier and will probably put on more weight when compared to weight gain indoors.

These light stock won’t damage paddocks as much either. Growth is holding well on our measuring farms, with growth of 55kg DM/ha being recorded over the past seven days. This is up from 47kg DM/ha the previous week and will help to prolong the grazing season on dryer farms but still shouldn’t alter the closing up plan over the next few weeks.

Plans made to close paddocks

Plans should be in place to start closing paddocks next week on dry farms to ensure that cattle can be turned out early next spring.

Pick some of the driest paddocks to close first, preferably close to the yard so stock can be easily turned out in early spring.

If weather turns bad, stock can be easily turned back inside until weather improves.

Make sure to have magnesium licks out with suckler cows in wet weather and especially around weaning.

Wexford

System Suckler to steer beef

Soil type Heavy clay

Avg farm cover 497kg DM/ha

Grass demand 52

Growth 51

The recent spell of bad weather has left ground conditions wet and as a result it is becoming more difficult to utilise grass. There is a reasonably good supply of grass currently on the farm as I start closing up paddocks for the spring.

All of the ground got over 20 units of nitrogen before the deadline and I have a lot of farmyard manure which will be put out on low-index paddocks as I close them. A group of steers which I am meal-feeding at grass will be housed this week as the dry matter is well reduced in the grass.

I am going to start weaning spring-born calves this week. Cows with calves suckling are currently being supplemented with hay and hi-magnesium licks as a precaution against grass tetany.

I weighed my group of dairy-bred calves last week and they are doing close to 1kg/day since the last weighing and I am very happy with this. All of the weanlings and steers will get a dose this week for lungworm.

Mayo

System suckler to bull beef

Soil type Variable

Avg farm cover 1,441kg DM/ha

Grass demand 28

Growth 39

The weather has most certainly been challenging up here in the northwest over the past few weeks. Luckily, I managed to spread fertiliser on drier ground around the home block before the chemical fertiliser deadline closed earlier this month. I went with a bag of 27-2.5-5/acre as it was left in the yard and the added nitrogen will drive on grass as I plan to extend my grazing season well into November if the weather stays right.

The only stock I have housed at the minute are my bulls which I intend to have finished before Christmas. Autumn-born calves are content outdoors, even with the recent bad spell of weather. I hope to get slurry on paddocks as I close them off for next spring but ground conditions will have to improve considerably.

Teagasc are holding a Grass 10 walk on my farm next Thursday 5 October. Closing up ground for the spring, soil fertility and paddock infrastructure will be the main topics of discussion on the day. All are welcome.

Limerick

System suckler to weaning

Soil type Variable

Avg farm cover 1,101kg DM/ha

Grass demand 21

Growth 50

I have recently weaned 15 cows indoors. Weanlings will be put on 2kg of ration daily until sale. I plan to sell the bulls and keep most of the heifers. The weather is still playing havoc here with low land extremely wet. Fortunately I have nearly 50 acres of dry land that is holding most of my stock. The dairy-bred calves continue to receive 1.5kg of ration at grass. Scanning results showed a number of late-calving cows and some empty cows. I plan to cull all these over the winter and purchase in-calf heifers or second-calved cows. This will result in a 12-week calving spread next year which is important given I am farming part-time. I am happy with the decision to focus on one calving period on the farm as it will help concentrate my labour input. The driest land received pig slurry and nitrogen before the closing date and I have seen good growth since.

I plan to begin closing up paddocks in the next 10-14 days in rotation with 15 acres closed each week.

Tullamore Farm

System Suckler to beef

Soil type mixed

Avg farm cover 1,034kg DM/ha

Demand 31

Growth 55

Growth is holding well on Tullamore Farm, with 55kg/DM/ha being recorded over the past seven days, which is well ahead of demand at 31kg/DM/ha. Average farm cover is 1,034kg/DM/ha and we currently have 33 days ahead.

We weaned a group of cows last week using a nose paddle in the calves which restricted suckling.

Calves stayed with the cows for a few days but couldn’t suck. The next batch of cows and calves are due to be weaned this week.

Calves have received their pneumonia booster vaccine and a dose prior to weaning to make sure lungs are clear around the stress of weaning.

Sheep are arriving on the farm on Thursday and will be dosed and housed for a few days as part of their quarantine period once they arrive on the farm.

The sheep will start grazing the new reseeds once turned back outdoors.

We plan to start closing paddocks on 1 October to ensure we have grass next spring.

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Grass Plus dairy: Rain making grazing very difficult