Many farmers have remarked how just a few short weeks ago they were feeding silage due to poor grazing conditions, while now they are mowing the start of first cut, as well as some surplus paddocks.

Going by Pasturebase data, both dairy and drystock farmers are guilty of grazing too high of covers, with pre-grazing yields of 1,650kg DM/ha and 1,750kg DM/ha respectively.

With projected grass growth still high and yet to peak, there is no reason to continue grazing these overly heavy paddocks instead of baling them.

Limitations

While there might be physical limitations to baling out paddocks that are just gone ahead of stock, a simpler solution might be to close up a percentage of the farm in medium- or long-term silage. This should artificially increase the stocking rate and shorten the rotation.

The danger with this method is taking out too much and leaving yourself tight for grass, so err on the side of caution.

If the worst comes to the worst, you might have to graze some of a strong paddock and achieve a poor graze-out that will require correcting.

Mild weekend

Looking ahead, the weekend is set to be mild, cloudy and slightly cooler than we’ve been experiencing lately, which will likely put a pause on mowers hitting fields temporarily.

High pressure and higher temperatures are set to return early next week, so walk paddocks now and plan ahead (along with your contractor) about taking out some surplus if required.