It has been another very wet week for most parts of the country, but things are forecast to change for the better over the weekend and into next week.

The rain is set to ease off from Saturday and temperatures are forecast to hit the low-20s.

The heavy rainfall has made grazing conditions very challenging in parts of the country.

Walk the farm

On farms where animals have been housed, it is important to walk the farm over the weekend to reassess grass availability and ground conditions.

When suitable, a return to on-off grazing, the use of a backing fence or temporary spur roadways will help get grass back in the diet while minimising damage.

With a big improvement in weather conditions on the horizon, it’s clear that grass growth rates are only going to go one way and that’s up.

During our grass group meetings this week, the increased growth rates across most farms were starting to become more evident.

Covers

Pre-grazing covers have started to creep past the target of 1,300kg to 1,500kg DM/ha and, when combined with poor weather conditions, residuals have suffered.

Increased cover per livestock unit (C/LU) and days ahead for dairy and beef farms is a clear indication of the surplus grass starting to build.

Target a C/LU of 160kg to 180kg DM/LU on dairy farms and between 12 to 15 days ahead on beef farms.

In order to maintain quality grass in the diet, it will be important to remove surplus grass from the wedge as soon as weather allows in order to have those paddocks back in for the next rotation.