Ed Curtin March Update
Prepare nutrient management plan for 2022
- Spread lime on mineral soils where required
- Check Molybdenum status of soil if copper lock up is an issue on the farm
- Keep slurry for silage ground
Measure grass on your farm
- Assess ground conditions for turning out cattle
- Choose suitable fields that are dry and sheltered, particularly for calves
- Calculate your ideal paddock size and fence accordingly
Continue to send cattle to factory as they become fit
Two Angus heifers were slaughtered from the farm on 24th February. They graded U-3+ with a 293 kg carcass weight at 18 months of age. They made an average price of €1478.
Soil Fertility
Soil samples were taken on Ed’s farm and a nutrient management plan has been put in place for the coming year. Over 92% of the land has a pH of less than 6.2 which is quite high. However there are some peaty soils on the farm which are acidic in nature so lime will not be applied to all of them as their target pH is 5.5. There is also another issue with Ed’s rented land and it is suspected that it is high in Molybdenum and if lime is spread on it the copper may be locked up and cause ill thrift in the cattle grazing there. As Ed was accepted into the DAFM Soil Sampling Programme which will be providing macro and micro nutrient analysis, it may be helpful in deciding which fields can get lime.
Over 60% of the farm is in index 3 for phosphorus which is as a result of compound fertilisers being spread on the farm in the past. Only 24% of the farm is in index 3 for potassium (K).
All of Ed’s slurry will be kept for silage ground to replace nutrient offtakes for the two or three cuts. Some of this has been spread already using an umbilical cord and a dribble bar. His main fertiliser for grazing ground should be 18-6-12 as it is well balanced to replace grazing offtakes.
Grassland
Ed completed a grass cover for his rented farm on 16th March. There was a farm cover of 1085 kg DM/ha with a growth rate of 10 kg DM/ha since the previous measurement. The covers ranged from 500 to 1950 kg DM/ha. As ground conditions were quite good in most of the fields, Ed plans to move his in calf heifers over there to start grazing soon. He will then add the dairyX yearlings so there will be approximately 41 cattle aged 1-2 years in the next month. The 2022 born calves will be moved over after they are weaned.
The ideal paddock size in the rented land is 0.3 ha (0.76 acre) for 16 cattle (average group size) at an average weight of 450 kg, where they should get 3 days grazing per paddock.
Performance
Two Angus heifers were slaughtered from the farm on 24th February. They graded U-3+ with a 293 kg carcass weight at 18 months of age. They made an average price of €1478.