Forage for Knowledge

The range is 25 to 78 kg DM/ha, and the average cover is 2,382 kg DM/ha, which seems low on the surface but is probably about where it should be for autumn and light for spring.

Quality is good, with 12.6 ME and 30% CP. Dry matter is low at 12%, which is not surprising due to the rain. However, most of this "wet" is moisture on the plant.

In the action of eating the grass, the cow will knock some water off as it wraps its tongue around, so what the cow is actually eating is closer to 15% dry matter.

For most of us, the last grazing round is upon us or just about to start. How we finish this round influences next spring. Grass may still be the main feed source or a smaller part of the overall feed, but finishing well is very important.

Someone recently said to me, “Cows are hardly eating any grass now, so I don’t care.” I was a little bemused by this comment.

Good grass/grazing management is about harvesting quality grass and converting it into milk and profit. Every time you graze, you're harvesting and banking profit.

But the biggest part of it is investing in the next round, whether that's in 21 days or three months’ time.

Finishing your last round well sets up the 2025 grazing season, so your efforts now are setting the potential for next year. We don’t know what the weather will bring, but we can put ourselves in the best position to reap the rewards.

The key KPIs are hitting average cover targets for the start of grazing in 2025, and as such, closing average cover in 2024. Also, clear out paddocks as well as possible—this should have been done in the drier months of August and early September.

Make a list of paddocks that weren’t cleared out well, so they can get special attention in spring when weather allows. Start planning now which paddocks you are going to graze in spring. For example, graze the wettest paddocks you can during autumn.

This way, you leave the drier land for grazing if it continues raining, ensuring you have somewhere to graze later. This approach was limited last spring due to extreme conditions, but hopefully, this spring will be different.

Don’t forget you can adjust your grazing wedge in spring to help.

If you are trying to increase clover in your swards, now is the time to help and encourage its development.

Clover needs light during the winter and spring months, so graze paddocks where you are encouraging clover later in the last round—late October to early November—to reduce shading from grass. This will help clover persistence and its role in the sward.

Autumn cows are about a month away from breeding, so they should be painted or stickered to identify non-cycling cows before the start of breeding. If you have activity systems such as collars, the data will be available to help.

For spring cows, assess if you have any with below-par body condition. If so, now is the time to plan for once-a-day milking or early drying off.

Thin cows are generally the first and second lactation animals, as they are still growing. Drying them off early will help them stay in better condition, perform well in the next lactation, reduce the risk of lameness, and improve their overall survivability.

Finally, as autumn progresses and the environment becomes wetter, tracks can suffer. With continual wet conditions, cows’ hooves soften, increasing the risk of lameness. Thinner animals are more prone as they have less of a fat cushion in the hoof.

Let cows walk at their own pace—don’t push them. I know this can be difficult with late-lactation cows that are not eager to move, but preventing lameness is more important than saving five minutes.

Also, take note of any track areas holding water or in need of an upgrade so you can address them in the drier months.