Last weekend’s rainfall was welcome for the most part, especially for those on dry farms, as a lack of moisture was likely going to affect grass growth negatively if we didn’t receive any.

However, a combination of this rain causing poorer utilisation combined with farms moving on to lush, leafy grass in the second rotation means that cattle are travelling through covers at a rapid rate.

It’s generally the case when it comes to the second round that cattle mow through it, but it can still catch you by surprise.

Spring calving sucklers are the priority stock, as breeding has commenced or will commence in the coming weeks, so any pinch in energy intake will have a negative impact on submission and conception rates. Keeping fertiliser applications topped up to maximise growth and possibly supplementing cattle at grass with silage should suffice.

Growth is predicted to rise next week, and more settled weather should see higher utilisation rates return.

Stephen Frend – Newford Herd, Co Roscommon

We synchronised 30 maiden heifers this year and AI’d last Friday. Breeding for the mature cows began on Monday, with 16 cows submitted for AI in the first three days.

We have cattle in four mobs; two cow/calf mobs, one beef bullock and heifer mob and one replacement heifer mob.

We harvested 65 acres of silage about two weeks ago, a mix of red clover and ryegrass swards for our finishing unit, with the grass harvested in excellent conditions. Red clover swards received 2,000 gallons slurry/acre, with the ryegrass swards topped up with 60 units N as well as slurry. The grazing block has received 70 units N/acre to date, and we are following cows now with 28-30 units N.

System Suckler to beef

Soil Type Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 935

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 26

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 44

Peter Doyle – Derrypatrick Herd, Co Meath

Demand is ahead of growth, but we are lucky we have a high farm cover to get by on until growth matches or exceeds demand. Grazing conditions and utilisation have decreased a little with the recent rainfall but not significantly.

We are currently stitching white clover in to paddocks, as the moisture that is there combined with the forecast warm weather make for ideal conditions.

We have gone with the second round of fertiliser on the grazing platform, while clover paddocks have received a bag/acre of 18-6-12, with non-clover paddocks receiving 1.5 bags/acre. Bullocks and heifers were recently weighed, weighing 480kg and 445 kg respectively.

System Suckler to beef

Soil Type Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 1,085

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 34

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 69

Ger McSweeney – Millstreet, Co Cork

I’m supplementing with silage at the moment as cows are flying through the second round.

Growth has picked up a lot, with growth going from the mid 20s to the mid 40s in the space of a week or 10 days, with supplementation aiding this.

I want to keep as much grass in the diet as possible as I am now a month in to breeding. This has gone well, with just some of the later calvers yet to be submitted for AI and low numbers of repeats so far.

Silage ground has been topped up with a bag/acre of protected urea, while cows are being followed with 18-6-12 to maintain soil indexes. Ground is a bit sticky after the weekend, with 48mm of rain falling.

System Suckler to weanling

Soil Type Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 723

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 42

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 50