Maximising grazed grass on the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farms
Farmers participating in the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme have set their sights on maximising the proportion of grazed grass in the diet of their dairy cows this year.
In a recent update, Sandra Hayes, Co-Ordinator of the Programme, explained that all opening farm covers have been completed over the last two weeks, with winter growth varying from 4kg DM/ha/day to 12kg/ha/day.
“We have completed spring grass budgets for most of the monitor farms and they are all following the Spring Rotation Planner. Those with high opening farm covers will try and get 35-40% grazed in February, if weather conditions allow.
“The high opening covers have allowed a grass budget of just grazed grass and meal, which - if weather allows - will be great for the cows, great for workload reduction for the farmer and a huge saving in silage,” Sandra said.
By completing a spring grass budget, the participating farmers will be able to see weekly progress and to assess whether they are grazing too fast or too slow. These budgets were completed using a combination of the regional growth rates, along with spring grass growth rates over the last two to three years for better accuracy.
On why the participating farmers have re-focused on grass this year, Sandra said: “It is a huge driver of farm profitability. Grazed grass is good for the cow, the farmer and the environment.”
Table 1: Summary of opening farm covers, winter growth rates and pre-grazing yields on Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farms
| Farmer | County | Opening farm cover | Winter growth rate | Pre-grazing yield | Average closing cover | Closing pre-grazing yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tom Murphy | Kilkenny | 1,335 | 10 | 2,000 | 711 | 1,100 |
| Donal Kavanagh | Wicklow | 1,019 | 5 | 2,000 | 716 | 1,800 |
| Francis Nolan | Kilkenny | 1,500 | 11 | 3,000 | 722 | 2,200 |
| Jack Kearney | Cork | 903 | 5 | 1,850 | 695 | 1,700 |
| John Ryan | Tipperary | 1,048 | 5 | 1,700 | 592 | 1,300 |
| Kevin Murphy | Wexford | 1,122 | 9 | 2,000 | 578 | 1,250 |
| Mullen Farm | Meath | 848 | 4 | 1,300 | 568 | 975 |
| Shane Fitzgerald | Waterford | 921 | 7 | 1,500 | 745 | 1,300 |
| Shay Ryan | Wexford | 1,278 | 12 | 2,400 | 615 | 1,300 |
| Steven Fitzgerald | Waterford | 835 | 8 | 1,700 | 655 | 1,300 |
| Tom Fennelly | Laois | 864 | 4 | 1,800 | 621 | 1,500 |
| Average | 1,061 | 7 | 1,932 | 656 | 1,430 |
For more information from the Teagasc/Tirlán Future Farm Programme, click here.
Also read: Assess the quantities of grass on your farm now
Also read: Does the spring rotation planner actually work for all dairy farm soil types?