Forage for Knowledge

After a long dry spell, it is often the second rainfall that drives growth. Reported growth from contributors across the country ranges from 8 to 85 kg DM/day.

Growth is driven by moisture, warmth, nutrients, and light. While we mostly have the first three, light is decreasing, so while there is still some growth potential, we are on a downward trend.

Last year, on 15 September, the national growth average was 48 kg DM/day, and the 2017–2023 average was 46 kg DM/day, giving us some idea of potential.

If you have had rain, a small dose of nitrogen will boost growth. Bear in mind that this is being published on 13 September, and if you are in an NVZ, the closing date for nitrogen application is 15 September.

A small dose of nitrogen can also help ward off rust in grass, particularly if rust is a common issue for you.

Average covers are reasonably low for this time of year, largely due to the lack of moisture. There has been a bit of discussion in the groups I work with about raising average covers for the final grazing round.

For spring calvers, the target—depending on stocking rate—should be 2,800 kg DM/ha average cover at the start of the last round on 1 October.

For autumn calvers, it depends on when you plan to bring cows in. If cows are kept out well into November and into the breeding season, your average cover should be between 2,500 kg DM/ha and 2,800 kg DM/ha, with 2,800 kg DM/ha being on the higher end.

However, if cows are brought in before breeding, there is less need for such high covers. The key target is an average cover of 2,200–2,300 kg DM/ha for autumn calvers by the end of November, and maybe 100 kg lower for spring calvers.

Work back from these figures to plan your final round of grazing. The key is not to let your average cover drop too low; falling below 2000 kg DM/ha will leave you short in the early part of the year.

If you're trying to build cover, it’s best to feed a little now to promote growth above demand, allowing you to graze until your target date. Grass quality is better than silage, and it’s cheaper to graze than to incur early housing costs.

Cull prices are good at the moment, so consider selling culls early at a good price to reduce demand and maximise the use of grass in the late season. Time to get the calculator out…

How is body condition in your spring and autumn calvers? For spring cows with low cover, do some need to be dried off early? Check body condition scores (BCS) and due dates.

For autumns with suboptimal BCS, review drying-off strategies and dry period management, as well as early lactation plans.

On a farm visit yesterday, there was a discussion about when to start feeding silage to an autumn herd. The conclusion was not yet—there is plenty of grass on this farm, and the grass is at least 1 MJ ME/kg DM better than silage, meaning silage could actually limit production.

Weighing heifers: all the figures are based on a percentage of mature herd weight, and the figure is a minimum, not an average. How are they doing?

How is your maize? It seems to have caught up somewhat, but will you have the quantity and maturity you need? It might be worth doing a feed budget to ensure you have enough and that it will be of the quality you require.

On maize, have you planned a cover crop for the stubble? In my area, the EA is becoming hotter on bare stubble.