The weather has changed over the past week. Whether or not it has changed for the better depends on your point of view and soil type. It has certainly got wetter, with some rain falling almost everywhere every day over the past week. Rainfall totals are between 20 and 80mm. Farmers in the parts that got the higher amounts are really struggling. It certainly has been a spring to forget.
The good news is that grass growth rates have increased in line with rising soil temperatures. The better news is that air temperatures are due to be in the mid to high teens next week so growth rates will increase further. We are already beginning to see variation in growth rates between farms. Excess moisture will limit growth rates but so too will a lack of nitrogen. The heavy rain has prevented many of those on heavier soils from spreading fertiliser this week. Next week should be better.
Farmers who have less than 50 units/acre of nitrogen spread need to spread 40 or 50 units as soon as they can. Urea is still the preferred product, but if the weather is to be dry then compounds or CAN-based fertilisers could be spread too. Getting nitrogen out soon is critically important.
Farmers who are finishing the first round need to watch the pre-grazing yields on the second round. If less than 800kg, consider feeding first-round grass by day or by night to keep some fibre in the diet.
High concentrate feeding levels and short leafy grass could cause stomach problems. Keeping some silage in the diet might be wise, but if pre-grazing yields are around 1,000kg and rising then there should be no problem.
Now is not the time to take the eye off the ball. Watch growth rates closely and remove supplement when conditions and growth rates allow. It’s been a costly spring; don’t add to costs by delaying decisions.
Magic day is when growth rate exceeds demand.
Growth rates have increased but very heavy rainfall has made grazing very difficult for many farmers.Spread nitrogen as soon as possible. 70 to 80 units/acre should be spread by now.Reduce supplement as soon as cows are at grass full-time.
Teagasc Curtins Farm, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.75
Growth rate (kg/day) 26
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 400
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.5
Fat % 4.62
Protein % 3.34
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.9
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
Growth has taken off at long last and we’ve grown 26kg/day over the last 12 days. As the farm cover was so low two weeks ago, a large part of the farm has covers of 600 to 900kg which means that we need to speed up grazing to re-establish a wedge. We are back full-time grazing with 4kg concentrate for the week ahead. We had planned to stretch the first rotation until next Sunday but given that the re-growths have improved we will be finishing the round on 13 April. Our biggest issue at the moment is weather and I can’t recall these free draining soils being so wet.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 31
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 531
Yield (l/cow/day) 21.34
Fat % 4.65
Protein % 3.34
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.76
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 6m 5s
Growth rate increased a lot this week at long last. Cows are still not on grass fulltime, but we will probably let them out day and night by the weekend. Ground is very sticky but we are managing away. The forecast looks good.
We will tail-paint cows next Monday. We will start breeding after 10 May. I’m happy with body condition score. We have 85% of the farm grazed and will blanket spread 30 units/acre of urea next week across the whole farm and then follow cows after that. SCC is 74,000.
Kells, Co Meath
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.12
Growth rate (kg/day) -
Average farm cover (kg/ha) -
Yield (l/cow/day) 21
Fat % 4.89%
Protein % 3.38%
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.79
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 5
I’m just rationing out what is left in the first round until we start the second round on 16 April. I have six days of grazing left in this round. Cows are in at night still. Land is wet and some damage was done the other day but it seems to be recovering already.
There is a cover of about 1,000kg on the first grazed paddock, but in six days’ time I expect it will be around 1,200kg so I’d be happy enough at that. Cows are definitely back in milk compared to last year. It’s been a tough spring but the forecast is good so I’m positive enough.
Golden, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.16
Growth rate (kg/day) 26
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 682
Yield (l/cow/day) 24.8
Fat % 4.54
Protein % 3.47
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.05
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 5
We’re starting the second round tomorrow (Thursday). The pre-grazing yield is about 1,000kg. We had silage in the diet up to Tuesday but are on grass and meal now. Depending on weather and rain if they need to go back to on/off grazing at the weekend we will feed some silage at night, just for a few hours. We have 76 units of nitrogen spread since late February. The plan is to spread 30 units of CAN plus sulphur after grazing and if paddocks didn’t get slurry they will get 18:6:12+S instead. We’re hosting a Grass 10 farm walk on Wednesday 18 April at 10:30.
The weather has changed over the past week. Whether or not it has changed for the better depends on your point of view and soil type. It has certainly got wetter, with some rain falling almost everywhere every day over the past week. Rainfall totals are between 20 and 80mm. Farmers in the parts that got the higher amounts are really struggling. It certainly has been a spring to forget.
The good news is that grass growth rates have increased in line with rising soil temperatures. The better news is that air temperatures are due to be in the mid to high teens next week so growth rates will increase further. We are already beginning to see variation in growth rates between farms. Excess moisture will limit growth rates but so too will a lack of nitrogen. The heavy rain has prevented many of those on heavier soils from spreading fertiliser this week. Next week should be better.
Farmers who have less than 50 units/acre of nitrogen spread need to spread 40 or 50 units as soon as they can. Urea is still the preferred product, but if the weather is to be dry then compounds or CAN-based fertilisers could be spread too. Getting nitrogen out soon is critically important.
Farmers who are finishing the first round need to watch the pre-grazing yields on the second round. If less than 800kg, consider feeding first-round grass by day or by night to keep some fibre in the diet.
High concentrate feeding levels and short leafy grass could cause stomach problems. Keeping some silage in the diet might be wise, but if pre-grazing yields are around 1,000kg and rising then there should be no problem.
Now is not the time to take the eye off the ball. Watch growth rates closely and remove supplement when conditions and growth rates allow. It’s been a costly spring; don’t add to costs by delaying decisions.
Magic day is when growth rate exceeds demand.
Growth rates have increased but very heavy rainfall has made grazing very difficult for many farmers.Spread nitrogen as soon as possible. 70 to 80 units/acre should be spread by now.Reduce supplement as soon as cows are at grass full-time.
Teagasc Curtins Farm, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.75
Growth rate (kg/day) 26
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 400
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.5
Fat % 4.62
Protein % 3.34
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.9
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
Growth has taken off at long last and we’ve grown 26kg/day over the last 12 days. As the farm cover was so low two weeks ago, a large part of the farm has covers of 600 to 900kg which means that we need to speed up grazing to re-establish a wedge. We are back full-time grazing with 4kg concentrate for the week ahead. We had planned to stretch the first rotation until next Sunday but given that the re-growths have improved we will be finishing the round on 13 April. Our biggest issue at the moment is weather and I can’t recall these free draining soils being so wet.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.9
Growth rate (kg/day) 31
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 531
Yield (l/cow/day) 21.34
Fat % 4.65
Protein % 3.34
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.76
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 6m 5s
Growth rate increased a lot this week at long last. Cows are still not on grass fulltime, but we will probably let them out day and night by the weekend. Ground is very sticky but we are managing away. The forecast looks good.
We will tail-paint cows next Monday. We will start breeding after 10 May. I’m happy with body condition score. We have 85% of the farm grazed and will blanket spread 30 units/acre of urea next week across the whole farm and then follow cows after that. SCC is 74,000.
Kells, Co Meath
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.12
Growth rate (kg/day) -
Average farm cover (kg/ha) -
Yield (l/cow/day) 21
Fat % 4.89%
Protein % 3.38%
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.79
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 5
I’m just rationing out what is left in the first round until we start the second round on 16 April. I have six days of grazing left in this round. Cows are in at night still. Land is wet and some damage was done the other day but it seems to be recovering already.
There is a cover of about 1,000kg on the first grazed paddock, but in six days’ time I expect it will be around 1,200kg so I’d be happy enough at that. Cows are definitely back in milk compared to last year. It’s been a tough spring but the forecast is good so I’m positive enough.
Golden, Co Tipperary
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.16
Growth rate (kg/day) 26
Average farm cover (kg/ha) 682
Yield (l/cow/day) 24.8
Fat % 4.54
Protein % 3.47
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.05
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 5
We’re starting the second round tomorrow (Thursday). The pre-grazing yield is about 1,000kg. We had silage in the diet up to Tuesday but are on grass and meal now. Depending on weather and rain if they need to go back to on/off grazing at the weekend we will feed some silage at night, just for a few hours. We have 76 units of nitrogen spread since late February. The plan is to spread 30 units of CAN plus sulphur after grazing and if paddocks didn’t get slurry they will get 18:6:12+S instead. We’re hosting a Grass 10 farm walk on Wednesday 18 April at 10:30.
This is a subscriber-only article
SHARING OPTIONS: