Average grass growth this week is 24kg/day. While this is up a good bit on last week’s figures, it is well below the long-term average for this time of 76kg/day. On top of this, exceptional heavy rain on Monday night has saturated ground, with over 50mm falling in many places.
The good news is that the weather is to get warmer from Thursday on. However, it’s not going to be altogether dry, with some rain in the forecast for next week too.
We should see a lift in growth by this time next week, but we really need about three or four weeks of exceptionally high growth rates for cumulative growth rates to catch up on where they would normally be. We have seen this happen after cold springs before so there is no need to panic about silage fields looking bare just yet. The important thing is to get silage fertiliser out as soon as possible, if you haven’t done so yet.
There is still a huge amount of supplement being fed on farms at the moment. These are a poor substitute for grass, as evidenced by the lift in performance when cows go out full-time. Therefore, taking out silage and reducing meal from the diet as soon as possible is essential.
The time when you can remove supplement all depends on the grass situation. Walk the farm and measure grass. The three most important figures are average farm cover per cow, growth rate and demand. Ideally, cover per cow would be between 150kg and 180kg, with growth rate the same as demand with only 1kg or 2kg of meal in the diet. If cover per cow is higher (many farms have around 250kg/cow) then they can afford to reduce supplement even if demand is higher than growth rate.
There is a lot of grass available on many farms, but the challenge is to graze it. Don’t delay making decisions to reduce supplement. It’s been a long winter/spring – don’t prolong it any further.
Grass growth rates have increased, but still only about one third of normal rates.Warmer air temperatures should see a lift in growth rates this week.Walk the farm to assess your own position. 
Teagasc Curtins Farm, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.76
Growth rate (kg/day) 25
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 36
Yield (l/cow/day) 25.2
Fat % 4.38
Protein % 3.46
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.0
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2.0
We started the second rotation on Wednesday. Grazing conditions are tender but we have adequate grass and in real terms we will be closing off paddocks for silage over the next week as I expect growth rates to increase further.
The cows are in good form and bulling activity is good in advance of the start of breeding. We are no longer feeding silage and meal is back to 2kg per cow. Things are more or less back to normal.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.35
Growth rate (kg/day) 39
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 181
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.28
Fat % 5.02
Protein % 3.29
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.99
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Growth rate jumped this week to 40kg/day so we closed 20% of the farm for silage as demand with 3kg of meal in is 44kg. I think growth will be higher for this week as the farm is green and vibrant looking. We had gone to 24-hour allocations but the rain on Tuesday made ground wet so we’re back to 12-hour breaks for the moment. We’re spreading 30 units/acre of nitrogen everywhere this week. The silage ground will get topped up with three bags/acre of Leafy Start. We tail-painted cows last Friday and have already seen a lot of cows bulling.
Athea, Co Limerick
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3
Growth rate (kg/day) 22
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 242
Yield (l/cow/day) 27.4
Fat % 4.44
Protein % 3.29
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.18
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
We got 25mm of rain on Monday night and Tuesday morning, and while it wasn’t as high as other places it was enough to set us back. We have about 70% of the first round grazed and are due to start the second round in 10 days’ time. We have never been out for more than three hours at a time, which is tough going. I have enough silage and never fed any more than 4kg of meal. We often get springs like this so it’s not too unusual. The difference this year is that I’ll probably end up grazing all my first round whereas normally I would be baling the last of it.
Bandon, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.6
Growth rate (kg/day) 54
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 210
Yield (l/cow/day) 27.3
Fat % 4.40
Protein % 3.43
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.20
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
We got 47mm of rain here on Monday night. Cows stayed in Monday evening but went back out again on Tuesday morning. We all have enough of the weather now but all we can do is keep our chin up and hope it changes soon. We started the second round on 10 April, but grazed the first round by night to keep some fibre in the diet. Growth has turned the corner.
Between slurry and urea we have 128 units of nitrogen spread. The plan now is to play the wedge and reduce meal to 2 or 3kg as soon as the wedge allows.
Read more
Be prepared for the glut
Average grass growth this week is 24kg/day. While this is up a good bit on last week’s figures, it is well below the long-term average for this time of 76kg/day. On top of this, exceptional heavy rain on Monday night has saturated ground, with over 50mm falling in many places.
The good news is that the weather is to get warmer from Thursday on. However, it’s not going to be altogether dry, with some rain in the forecast for next week too.
We should see a lift in growth by this time next week, but we really need about three or four weeks of exceptionally high growth rates for cumulative growth rates to catch up on where they would normally be. We have seen this happen after cold springs before so there is no need to panic about silage fields looking bare just yet. The important thing is to get silage fertiliser out as soon as possible, if you haven’t done so yet.
There is still a huge amount of supplement being fed on farms at the moment. These are a poor substitute for grass, as evidenced by the lift in performance when cows go out full-time. Therefore, taking out silage and reducing meal from the diet as soon as possible is essential.
The time when you can remove supplement all depends on the grass situation. Walk the farm and measure grass. The three most important figures are average farm cover per cow, growth rate and demand. Ideally, cover per cow would be between 150kg and 180kg, with growth rate the same as demand with only 1kg or 2kg of meal in the diet. If cover per cow is higher (many farms have around 250kg/cow) then they can afford to reduce supplement even if demand is higher than growth rate.
There is a lot of grass available on many farms, but the challenge is to graze it. Don’t delay making decisions to reduce supplement. It’s been a long winter/spring – don’t prolong it any further.
Grass growth rates have increased, but still only about one third of normal rates.Warmer air temperatures should see a lift in growth rates this week.Walk the farm to assess your own position.
Teagasc Curtins Farm, Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 2.76
Growth rate (kg/day) 25
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 36
Yield (l/cow/day) 25.2
Fat % 4.38
Protein % 3.46
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.0
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 2.0
We started the second rotation on Wednesday. Grazing conditions are tender but we have adequate grass and in real terms we will be closing off paddocks for silage over the next week as I expect growth rates to increase further.
The cows are in good form and bulling activity is good in advance of the start of breeding. We are no longer feeding silage and meal is back to 2kg per cow. Things are more or less back to normal.
Teagasc Ballyhaise, Cavan
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.35
Growth rate (kg/day) 39
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 181
Yield (l/cow/day) 23.28
Fat % 5.02
Protein % 3.29
Milk solids (kg/cow) 1.99
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 3
Growth rate jumped this week to 40kg/day so we closed 20% of the farm for silage as demand with 3kg of meal in is 44kg. I think growth will be higher for this week as the farm is green and vibrant looking. We had gone to 24-hour allocations but the rain on Tuesday made ground wet so we’re back to 12-hour breaks for the moment. We’re spreading 30 units/acre of nitrogen everywhere this week. The silage ground will get topped up with three bags/acre of Leafy Start. We tail-painted cows last Friday and have already seen a lot of cows bulling.
Athea, Co Limerick
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3
Growth rate (kg/day) 22
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 242
Yield (l/cow/day) 27.4
Fat % 4.44
Protein % 3.29
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.18
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
We got 25mm of rain on Monday night and Tuesday morning, and while it wasn’t as high as other places it was enough to set us back. We have about 70% of the first round grazed and are due to start the second round in 10 days’ time. We have never been out for more than three hours at a time, which is tough going. I have enough silage and never fed any more than 4kg of meal. We often get springs like this so it’s not too unusual. The difference this year is that I’ll probably end up grazing all my first round whereas normally I would be baling the last of it.
Bandon, Co Cork
Stocking rate (cows/ha) 3.6
Growth rate (kg/day) 54
Average farm cover (kg/cow) 210
Yield (l/cow/day) 27.3
Fat % 4.40
Protein % 3.43
Milk solids (kg/cow) 2.20
Supplement fed (kg/cow/day) 4
We got 47mm of rain here on Monday night. Cows stayed in Monday evening but went back out again on Tuesday morning. We all have enough of the weather now but all we can do is keep our chin up and hope it changes soon. We started the second round on 10 April, but grazed the first round by night to keep some fibre in the diet. Growth has turned the corner.
Between slurry and urea we have 128 units of nitrogen spread. The plan now is to play the wedge and reduce meal to 2 or 3kg as soon as the wedge allows.
Read more
Be prepared for the glut
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