Mid-June always brings the same issue of maintaining grass quality as grass begins to head out. This year, this period has been combined with a burst of growth, which has made managing quality all the more difficult.

While having plenty of grass on farm is a nice complaint to have, in order to maintain cattle performance over the next few weeks, steps need to be taken to manage the quality of the sward being offered to grazing cattle.

On the Thrive demonstration farm, farmer John Hally has taken some surplus grass out as baled silage, while some topping is also taking place post-grazing to improve the quality of the regrowth for the next rotation.

The most important thing is that farmers take necessary actions to address grass quality now, so that in a fortnight’s time you are not still faced with grazing heavy covers of headed out grass.

In this week’s Irish Farmers Journal, we look at options for farmers in terms of managing this period of high grass growth rates and steps to take to maximise the quality of pasture offered to stock in the coming weeks.

Thrive: managing grass quality

Declan Marren provides an update from the Thrive demonstration farm, where steps are being taken to manage grass quality as seed heads emerge across the farm.