Building grass is this month’s focus
August is the month to start building grass for autumn. We have had a slow year in terms of growth but management in the next six weeks will be crucial, as the rate of grass growth (supply) will be less than what is eaten (demand) by mid- September.
Keep grass in the cow’s diet for as long as possible to shorten the winter period and reduce costs. The rotation length must be around 28- 30 days by September 1.
Silage ground can help extend rotation
On many farms, silage area and/or reseeded area comes back into grazing in August, effectively lengthening the rotation. However, not all dairy farms have silage area available to graze on the platform. Highly stocked grazing platforms will therefore struggle to extend the rotation to the same extent, and a shorter grazing season is inevitable.
Farms on very heavy soils will generally build less grass than the standard target due to risk of poor land accessibility later in autumn. Removing non-milking stock from the platform or selling surplus cows will lower feed demand. Additional feed can be introduced to help slow down the rotation. This can be baled silage, meal or a mixture. Increasing grass supply in autumn takes a combination of different actions. The autumn grazing targets for dairy farms are outlined in Table 1.
Table 1: Autumn grazing rotation targets for farms stocked at 3.0LU/ha
| Date |
Average Farm Cover (kg DM/ha) |
Cover/cow (kg DM) |
Rotation length |
|---|---|---|---|
| August 1 | 550 | 180 | 20 days |
| Mid August | 750 | 250 | 25 days |
| September 1 | 990 | 330 | 30 days |
Tight fodder supplies in most areas
- Teagasc surveyed over 500 dairy and drystock clients across the country in July to assess winter fodder stocks, using a representative range of scale and stocking rates.
- The summary outcomes were:
- On average, dairy farms had 60% of winter feed secured relative to a target of 70% for that time of year – the figure for drystock farms was 64% compared to an 80% target;
- Around 30% of dairy farms said they were significantly behind target for the time of year;
- Of those farms short of feed, 50% of dairy farms and 66% of drystock farms had no plan in place at the time to deal with the situation;
- And, 38% of dairy farms expected winter feed to cause a cashflow issue.
Overall, responses to the survey indicate the potential for a winter feed shortage issue. The figures were compiled before second cuts had started, and indications from some farms have been that second cuts are normal or lighter than normal. It is likely therefore that many farms will have to take additional steps to meet winter feed demand. As always, this will involve sourcing extra feed, reducing demand, or a combination of both. Assess your own situation after second cuts are in, and quantify any deficits. Your advisor will help you to develop a plan.
This article was adapted for use on Teagasc Daily from the Teagasc Dairy Advisor Newsletter edited by Dr Joe Patton, Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer at Teagasc.