Grass growth has slowed down over the last number of weeks and for many farmers, the final rotation of the grazing year should be on the mind.
Needless to say, if the weather stays dry and decent grass growth continues, farmers should try and keep the cows out for as long as possible without hindering covers for next spring.
If farmers feel they are going too tight this rotation, they should consider bringing the cows in part-time, or feeding more silage or meal, as we need flush covers next spring.
Next spring is when you want to see good, flush and leafy covers, as it is at that time of the year that you are going to see the biggest response to grass in terms of milk production, cow condition and welfare.
During the month of October, farmers need to be mindful of that – to not push their ground, soil and grass too hard.
Grass growth
Grass growth on Irish farms is now equal or less than what is being eaten and as per PastureBase Ireland (PBI), the average farm cover (AFC) is starting to reduce to 781kg dry matter (DM)/ha.
A plan needs to be put in place to close off paddocks on your farm as spring grass is a priority and a cover of over 700kg DM/ha should be the aim for December 1.
Every week you delay in closing, will reduce your spring grass supply by over 100kg DM/ha and your paddock choice is going to be critical in setting up the farm for spring grazing next year.
Farmers should continue to aim for a 40-day rotation, meaning that a farmer with 40ha milking platform should be grazing 1ha/day.
According to PBI, over 50% of farmers in the country have an AFC of over 800kg DM/ha, and for these farmers, they need to ensure they hold that AFC for the next four to five weeks.
Final rotation
Closing off paddocks at this time of the year is generally influenced by ground and weather conditions, but your paddock choice during closing off is going to be crucial for grazing next spring.
In order to have a good start to grazing next spring, the drier paddocks with good grazing infrastructure and good roadways with plenty of access points need to be targeted.
These paddocks will have to be closed off by mid-October to ensure that there are decent covers of 800-1,200kg DM/ha to start of the grazing season next spring.
With the weather looking somewhat promising for grazing over the next few days, farmers should try and graze off some of the more difficult, heavier soil type paddocks on the farm.
Your autumn rotation plan should be as follows:
- 40% grazed by October 20 – paddocks that are dry with good access and further from the yard;
- Another 30% grazed by November – Dry, good access paddocks that are close to the yard;
- Final 30% during November – awkward, further from yard, and poorer infrastructure paddocks.
By following this final rotation plan, farmers will be giving their paddocks the best possible chance to provide enough grass for the following spring.