Grass: A big lift in grass growth rates is expected over the next week on farms across the country when much needed moisture and heat combine to drive grass growth on.
It’s been a really quick turnaround, with some farms going from not enough grass to having too much grass over a two to three week period.
This will bring different challenges now to managing quality. The most important thing is to know how much grass you have. This will be found out ideally by measuring the grass you have in your paddocks or fields but for anybody not in a position to measure, walking the farm to assess what you have is the absolute minimum.
First-cuts have bulked up small on some farms, so this window could be an opportunity to take out some strong paddocks as bales to boost your silage supplies. On lower stocked farms, it’s probably an opportunity to ease back on fertiliser spreading and let growth meet demand. It’s a little harder to maintain quality when you are doing this, so topping paddocks which have gone to seed may be required after grazing to maintain quality.
Bloat: Bloat can sometimes become an issue at this time of year where animals are grazing high clover pasture. Incidence of bloat can increase as the content of clover in pastures gets higher or animals are grazing very lush aftergrass type grazing. Bloat occurs when gas pockets occur in the rumen of the animal and cannot escape. Clover swards and leafy pasture is very easy and quick to digest, and this increases the chances of bloat occurring.
Certain animals tend to be prone to bloat and it is an inheritable trait. If bloat is an issue, consider including some long fibre in the diet like straw or hay in a round feeder in the field they are grazing.
If bloat continues to occur, consider taking the field out for silage. Avoid letting animals into these pastures very hungry, as animals could gorge grass and this will increase the chances of bloat occurring. Bloat oil can be added to the water on a daily basis and this will help reduce the chances of bloat occurring.
Feeding animals at grass: Reports from around the country are that cattle are doing very well on grass. Some farmers who have completed a weighing have been surprised how well cattle have done over the last few weeks, despite grass being in short supply on some farms.
A decent beef price has meant that some farmers are asking whether they should be feeding some meal at grass to push the cattle on for a quicker finish. If you choose to feed, a simple ration will suffice made up of rolled barley, maize and soya hulls.
You don’t need a high protein ration for feeding cattle at grass. Traditionally bred animals may not need any meal to get a finish, but continentals will likely benefit from some meal feeding. On good quality grass with a target kill date of late July or early August, you should be looking at feeding 2-3kg/day over a 40 day period. If you go over 3kg/day, split across two feeds.
Grass: A big lift in grass growth rates is expected over the next week on farms across the country when much needed moisture and heat combine to drive grass growth on.
It’s been a really quick turnaround, with some farms going from not enough grass to having too much grass over a two to three week period.
This will bring different challenges now to managing quality. The most important thing is to know how much grass you have. This will be found out ideally by measuring the grass you have in your paddocks or fields but for anybody not in a position to measure, walking the farm to assess what you have is the absolute minimum.
First-cuts have bulked up small on some farms, so this window could be an opportunity to take out some strong paddocks as bales to boost your silage supplies. On lower stocked farms, it’s probably an opportunity to ease back on fertiliser spreading and let growth meet demand. It’s a little harder to maintain quality when you are doing this, so topping paddocks which have gone to seed may be required after grazing to maintain quality.
Bloat: Bloat can sometimes become an issue at this time of year where animals are grazing high clover pasture. Incidence of bloat can increase as the content of clover in pastures gets higher or animals are grazing very lush aftergrass type grazing. Bloat occurs when gas pockets occur in the rumen of the animal and cannot escape. Clover swards and leafy pasture is very easy and quick to digest, and this increases the chances of bloat occurring.
Certain animals tend to be prone to bloat and it is an inheritable trait. If bloat is an issue, consider including some long fibre in the diet like straw or hay in a round feeder in the field they are grazing.
If bloat continues to occur, consider taking the field out for silage. Avoid letting animals into these pastures very hungry, as animals could gorge grass and this will increase the chances of bloat occurring. Bloat oil can be added to the water on a daily basis and this will help reduce the chances of bloat occurring.
Feeding animals at grass: Reports from around the country are that cattle are doing very well on grass. Some farmers who have completed a weighing have been surprised how well cattle have done over the last few weeks, despite grass being in short supply on some farms.
A decent beef price has meant that some farmers are asking whether they should be feeding some meal at grass to push the cattle on for a quicker finish. If you choose to feed, a simple ration will suffice made up of rolled barley, maize and soya hulls.
You don’t need a high protein ration for feeding cattle at grass. Traditionally bred animals may not need any meal to get a finish, but continentals will likely benefit from some meal feeding. On good quality grass with a target kill date of late July or early August, you should be looking at feeding 2-3kg/day over a 40 day period. If you go over 3kg/day, split across two feeds.
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