Growth rates remained variable again this week, with areas in the east and north Munster still looking for rain.

While the dry weather may be ideal for those attending the National Ploughing Championships, it’s less favourable for farmers hoping for rain.

No significant rainfall is expected in the coming week. The average growth rate for the week was 47kg DM/ha, which is 11kg DM/ha behind the five-year average. On the positive side, whatever grass you do have you should see up to 85-90% utilisation.

Utilisation

Good weather conditions have meant it has been possible to achieve target residuals of 4cm even on heavy covers. Reintroducing the stripwire and going back to 12-hour grazing will also help to hit residuals. It is important to get good graze-outs in autumn, especially while conditions are good.

Having a clean sward for the last grazing will ensure quality grass remains in the diet, but will also help ensure no trash is carried over the winter. This will result in high-quality grass being available next spring.

Fodder budget

Many farmers are eating into their winter fodder due to the lower-than-average growth rates over the last four to six weeks. Completing or reassessing your winter fodder budget should be done.

Identifying a fodder shortfall now will give you time to react and rectify the situation. Average farm covers on affected farms are currently 250-300kg DM/ha below the mid-September target of 1,050kg DM/ha for farms stocked at 3 LU/ha.

As a result, the need for supplemental fodder will continue without any reprieve. A cow will eat 0.4 t/DM per month, a 1–2-year-old will eat 0.33 t/DM per month and a 0–1-year-old will eat 0.18 t/DM per month.

If you will be housing 100 cows, 25 in-calf heifers (1–2-year-olds) and 25 weanlings (0–1-year-olds), the amount of silage required for a 5-month winter would be 263.75t/DM ((100 cows x 0.4 x 5 months) + (25 x 0.33 x 5 months) + (25 x 0.18 x 5 months).

Swardwatch

  • Take advantage of good weather to mow your third or fourth cut.
  • For farms that received enough rain, remove surplus grass quickly to aid recovery while growth is strong. Avoid peaking AFC too early, as it can hinder target graze-outs in the final rotation.
  • If you’re behind the AFC target, stick to a 35-day rotation and supplement cows with silage/meal to maintain milk production while milk prices are high.

    • Farmers

    Sean Roberts – Old Ross, Co Wexford

    Cows are milking over 19 litres on average, so we need to keep them going now. We don’t really want to build up huge covers.

    Our plan is to start our final rotation on 1 October and stretch it with supplement for 40 days.

    Last week, we applied our final round of fertiliser. We went with 35 units of straight urea across the platform.

    The good weather has also provided a great window to take our third cut, which we’ll mow on Friday and collect over the weekend.

    The salmonella vaccine is ready to go, and I expect to get the cows vaccinated by the end of the week.

    Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 3.72

    Growth Rate (kg/day) 43

    Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 235

    Yield (l/cow) 19.3

    Fat% 5.18

    Protein% 4.18

    Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.86

    Concentrates 4

    Simon Breen – Emly, Co Tipperary

    We’re slightly behind target, but we generally avoid building covers too high to prevent issues with grazing if the weather turns wet later on. This year, we’ve applied 160kg/ha of chemical fertiliser, following the cows throughout the season.

    For the final round, we blanket spread 25 units of 46% protected urea. Our empty rate was 10% in the cows and 3% in the heifers, with 55% of the heifers holding to the sexed straw from the FTAI programme.

    We’re cutting our third cut this week. Our red clover silage so far has yielded 18 bales per acre, having received 9,000 gallons of slurry and some chemical P, K and S.

    Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 2.9

    Growth Rate (kg/day) 61

    Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 287

    Yield (l/cow) 16.5

    Fat% 5.36

    Protein% 4.25

    Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.63

    Concentrates 3

    Aidan McCarthy – Schull, Co Cork

    We were tight on grass all summer, but the rain in early August gave growth a real boost, and it’s been motoring since. The quality of the grass is excellent, likely due to the tight conditions earlier in the season.

    We mowed the third cut on Tuesday and baled it on Wednesday, which should give us 20% more silage than last year. Hopefully enough to meet our needs.

    The cows were scanned last week, with a 7% empty rate, and only one heifer came up empty. The heifers have already received both doses of the salmonella vaccine, and the cows are scheduled for their booster next week.

    Stocking Rate (cow/ha) 3.4

    Growth Rate (kg/day) 67

    Average Farm Cover (kg/cow) 265

    Yield (l/cow) 15.5

    Fat% 5.06

    Protein% 4.25

    Milk Solids (kg/cow) 1.49

    Concentrates 3