Ken Gill's plans for grazing and fodder management
Ken is firmly focused on catching up on field work since the weather has improved. He has spring oats, a pea/wheat combination crop mix and grass seed to sow across 47 acres on the farm. However, he has been planning for next winter’s feed since early spring.
The autumn-born calves grazed the silage fields in spring and these have been closed since early March. Some of the fields were spread with 2,500 gallons/acre of cattle slurry using a low-emission slurry spreading (LESS) umbilical system, as Ken wanted to avoid damaging the fields with a much heavier tanker. Other fields were too wet to spread slurry and grass covers are now too heavy, so they will receive 2,500 gallons of cattle slurry/acre after cutting.
Ken tries to avoid cutting fields more than once per year in his organic system to avoid removing excess nutrients; therefore, his fodder plan is as follows:
• cut 31 acres of designated first-cut silage in mid to late May;
• cut 25 acres of red clover silage (three cuts and mulched);
• take out heavy paddocks of grass where possible – Ken is using PastureBase Ireland (PBI) to make decisions on this;
• sow 30 acres of turnips, rape and kale for the store cattle; and,
• harvest 17 acres of the pea/wheat combination crop bales for feeding to cows after weaning.
A full symbol organic producer, Ken operates a suckler to beef system with 70 Autumn calving suckler cows. All progeny are brought to beef with the aim to finish them at 24 months. 100% A.I. is used to avail of the best genetics available.
Ken's farm has a WFSR of 110 Kgs/Ha and a GSR of 133 Kgs/Ha.
Being organic means that crop rotation is vital to ensure the continued health of the soil and to aid weed suppression in new swards. Oats are grown for sale into the organic breakfast market. Red clover for quality silage and Winter fodder crops are also sown in certain areas of the farm. The farm is 95 hectares in one large block all of which is owned. Soil type on the farm is grey brown podzolic and soil texture is silty clay loam.
Grass measuring took place as part of the Better Beef programme. A number of additional paddocks were added at this time also. This has improved both the quantity and quality of the forrage available, especially for the weanlings/stores.
Ken's farm has a mix of older buildings and some recently converted housing, ample slurry and FYM storage.
There is currently 22 Ha of forestry on his farm. 12.5 Ha of semi-natural woodland that was under planted with oak, 4.85 Ha of oak planted in 1998, 3.3 Ha under the Native Woodland Scheme and some native woodland under the ESB power lines. There is also 4.8 Ha of short rotation coppice willow used to supply the nearby power station.
His Teagasc Advisor is Paul Gibney.
Breeding Performance
No. of cows: 70
Cow replacement index: 108
Heifer replacement index: 113
Calves per cow per year: 1.03
Ken's Plan
The plans for the future are: to continue to improve the quality of the cows using 100% AI; to improve the grass swards by both reseeding as part of the rotation and by using an Einbock grass harrow to stitch in grass/clover mixtures on the old pastures. The only change to the current system may be a slight reduction in cow numbers and some additional tillage.