Thomas Murphy

Laois

Although the dry, warm weather has been great to get jobs done with no pressure, grass supply on the other hand is tight here in Durrow.

We have received very little rain in the last four to six weeks and, with our light, free-draining soil, grass is starting to burn up on some paddocks.

Grass growth has dropped off significantly in the last three weeks and my growth for last week was 32kg DM/ha/day.

The average farm cover on my home farm where half my cows and calves and beef heifers are grazing is 623kg DM/ha and is giving me 13 days grazing ahead.

This land is still carrying a high stocking rate at 3.59 Lu/ha (2,393kg liveweight/ha) and my daily demand is 48kg DM/ha/day.

Grass quality has also suffered with a lot of grass gone to seed in the last 10 days due to the drought stress and topping may be required after grazing.

If we don’t get rain by the end of the week I may have to reduce the stocking rate on this block by relocating some cows and calves to an outfarm.

I have spread approximately 100 units of nitrogen per acre on my grazing land to date. I spread 1.25 bags/acre of 18:6:12 after each grazing and spread one bag/acre of CAN with 15% sulphur (Super Net) in the last round about three weeks ago.

Hopefully, if the rain comes, it will help boost growth.

I weighed my 2013 spring-born beef heifers on 12 July and they weighed 501kg. They weighed 390kg at turnout on 12 March. I plan on faecal sampling my 2014 spring calves for worms before dosing them and I will scan my cows in the coming weeks.