Spring Grass

By Ciara Collins, B&T Drystock Adviser, Teagasc, Galway/Clare

Now is a good month for you, the farmer, to determine whether a paddock is suitable for grazing or how much grass is present is by walking your farm. Decisions on grazing and grass management must be made in the field, not the farmyard!

Starting the Grazing Process:

• As you walk your farm, assess the condition of both the ground and the amount of grass in each paddock. (Record on Pasture Base Ireland (PBI)) Contact your adviser if you have not registered with PBI yet)
• By the beginning of March, aim to graze 30% of the farm or milking platform.
• Find the driest paddocks with low cover (800–1000 KgDM/Ha), with several access points.
• Graze the heavier covers when the weather begins to improve. (These should ideally be grazed after the 30% grazing target has been accomplished.)
• On dairy farms after every milking, do your best to get the cows out in these paddocks for two to three hours to strip graze or back-fence.
• When the weather is uncertain ‘on/ off grazing’ is the best method for supplying grass to the cows and cattle. Have several stakes and reel sets available.

Grazing Goals to Achieve:

The spring rotation planner takes the uncertainty out of grazing management by grazing a specific area each day.

Taking a 100 ha dry farm area as an example, the goal is 30 ha (30%) by March 1st, 60 ha (60%) by St. Patrick's Day, and whole farm 100% by April 5^th. To get to these targets first, aim to graze the lower covers.

An extra day a cow spends on grass is worth €2.70 per cow and €2 per LU of dry stock

A Season of New Life:
For many farmers, spring is a time of new beginnings, with the season of lambing and calving at a start.

Calves' Care:
It is essential to remember the guidelines for feeding colostrum; 1, 2, and 3, when the calving season gets underway:

1. Colostrum should be the calf's first food source.
2. Given within two hours of birth.
3. Receive at least 3 litres (or 8.5% of its body weight) of colostrum.

Ideal constituents for milk replacer administered to calves are:

• 23–26% crude protein
• 16 – 20% fat/oil
• <8.5% ASH
• <15% Crude fibre

It is advised to feed 6 litres (L) of milk replacer comprising 12.5–15% solids per day. Use 125g of powder in 875 ml of water that is less than 40℃ to create one litre of milk with 12.5% solids. It is important to remember that choosing a protein derived from milk is preferable because it tends to be better for the calf's digestive system.

Calves will thrive more and are less likely to get sick when they receive adequate colostrum. In addition to whole milk or milk replacer it is critical for the calf to have easy access to clean water. The key is having fresh starter coarse concentration on hand and feed straw rather than hay. The preferable option is straw because excessive hay feeding can result in hay/pot bellies and a lack of appetite for concentrate meals.

Make sure the calf has dry clean bedding made of straw. In a well-provided pen you should be able to kneel down without your knees getting wet.

Care for Lambs:

Farmers spend 20–25% of their working year on the demanding and important spring lambing season in order to give their lambs the care and nutrition they need to thrive.

The facilities, cleanliness and supervision are main areas of importance.

Facilities include individual pens for fostering, group pens with 2-3 groups per 100 ewes, 8–10 lambing pens for every 100 ewes and 1-3 fostering pens for every 50 ewes. Provide short troughs or 25 buckets per 100 sheep for concentrates and water. Make sure the ewes' facilities have straw or hay for consumption, lime for disinfection and access to water.

Use plenty of lime and straw for bedding, keep pens clean and dry, and remove any contaminated bedding. Have all the equipment clean and hygienic, including the buckets, bottles, jugs, lambing ropes, and mixing whisks.

Colostrum management is essential; every lamb has to receive some ewe colostrum in the first feed for passive immunity. In the first feed, it is 5% of body weight and in the first 24 hours, it is 20%. For example, a 5 kg lamb will receive 250 mL for first feed.

By following the best practices for lambing management farmers can ensure that their lambs have a good start in life.