Grass: Grass growth rates took another jump this week and the expectation is that they will move forward again for the coming week.
At this stage there is no stopping nature, even if there is a cold wind present on many days. The big risk now, as I see it, is that there will be too much grass on farms unless action is taken.
OK, farmers will be taking out fields for silage but there is a limit as to how much can be skipped over silage. Having surplus grass in early April (over and above what will be closed for normal silage) is a bad position to be in. This is because the grazing area could get too small too quickly and April is a volatile month for grass growth.
If we get a cold and wet week, growth rates and utilisation could drop. Therefore, match grass demand with grass growth as much as possible to prevent these big surpluses developing. That means reducing supplement such as silage from the diet and reducing meal feeding rates also.
Every farm is different so the key thing is to walk paddocks regularly and make decisions based on what you see. Sleep-walking into high grass covers in April will knock milk yield and protein per cent and cost a lot to rectify.
Breeding: Those that calve in mid-to-late January will be starting the breeding season shortly. There are just over three weeks to go before the main breeding season commences at the end of April so now is the time to start pre-breeding heat detection.
A lot of farmers don’t bother with this, but it is a major help at compressing the breeding season as it means problem cows are identified much earlier than they would otherwise.
Rather than waiting for the first three weeks to be over, problem cows and non-cycling cows can be handled and treated in the first days of the breeding season.
Those with automated heat detection aids will have more information on non-cycling cows but it’s only any good if something is done about it. If planning fixed time AI programmes, make sure and liaise with the AI technician first to make sure the date and time of AI don’t clash with another farmer.
Minerals: Staying with breeding, some farmers have been asking about minerals to both milking cows and heifers. In previous Teagasc research, it was found that grass alone is deficient in many of the key minerals required by dairy cows so some level of mineral supplementation is required.
Most of this will be supplied in the ration, but just watch out for inclusion rates.
Obviously, magnesium is a key mineral to prevent grass tetany, but if the inclusion rate is for a 4kg feed rate but only 2kg is being fed then the cow could be short in magnesium and in the other minerals and vitamins also.
So spec the dairy nut for the desired feeding rate. Where there is a history of mineral deficiency, a bolus can work well but make sure it has what the herd needs, as the type and quantity of minerals in a bolus is limited.
Best policy is to get a sample of cows blood tested for minerals, but remember that blood tests are historic and a reflection of past, not current feeding.
Grass: Grass growth rates took another jump this week and the expectation is that they will move forward again for the coming week.
At this stage there is no stopping nature, even if there is a cold wind present on many days. The big risk now, as I see it, is that there will be too much grass on farms unless action is taken.
OK, farmers will be taking out fields for silage but there is a limit as to how much can be skipped over silage. Having surplus grass in early April (over and above what will be closed for normal silage) is a bad position to be in. This is because the grazing area could get too small too quickly and April is a volatile month for grass growth.
If we get a cold and wet week, growth rates and utilisation could drop. Therefore, match grass demand with grass growth as much as possible to prevent these big surpluses developing. That means reducing supplement such as silage from the diet and reducing meal feeding rates also.
Every farm is different so the key thing is to walk paddocks regularly and make decisions based on what you see. Sleep-walking into high grass covers in April will knock milk yield and protein per cent and cost a lot to rectify.
Breeding: Those that calve in mid-to-late January will be starting the breeding season shortly. There are just over three weeks to go before the main breeding season commences at the end of April so now is the time to start pre-breeding heat detection.
A lot of farmers don’t bother with this, but it is a major help at compressing the breeding season as it means problem cows are identified much earlier than they would otherwise.
Rather than waiting for the first three weeks to be over, problem cows and non-cycling cows can be handled and treated in the first days of the breeding season.
Those with automated heat detection aids will have more information on non-cycling cows but it’s only any good if something is done about it. If planning fixed time AI programmes, make sure and liaise with the AI technician first to make sure the date and time of AI don’t clash with another farmer.
Minerals: Staying with breeding, some farmers have been asking about minerals to both milking cows and heifers. In previous Teagasc research, it was found that grass alone is deficient in many of the key minerals required by dairy cows so some level of mineral supplementation is required.
Most of this will be supplied in the ration, but just watch out for inclusion rates.
Obviously, magnesium is a key mineral to prevent grass tetany, but if the inclusion rate is for a 4kg feed rate but only 2kg is being fed then the cow could be short in magnesium and in the other minerals and vitamins also.
So spec the dairy nut for the desired feeding rate. Where there is a history of mineral deficiency, a bolus can work well but make sure it has what the herd needs, as the type and quantity of minerals in a bolus is limited.
Best policy is to get a sample of cows blood tested for minerals, but remember that blood tests are historic and a reflection of past, not current feeding.
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