Forage for Knowledge

Taking this into account, it looks like the growth curve is tracking the 2017–2022 average.

It may be worth looking back at your historical data to find which year had similar weather conditions. This can help predict with some accuracy where your growth is going.

This would allow you to make small changes early on and determine where your growth is going and consequently, what you are going to do about round length so you can maintain average cover, entry cover and thus residual, which is key for quality going forward.

For spring reseeds with clover, aim for an entry cover of 2,600–2,700 kg DM/ha to allow for light to get into the base to encourage clover growth – if you would like to find out more about clover sward management search 'AHDB Curious about clover'.

For reseeds without clover, aim for similar entry covers to encourage tillers. High entry covers in a reseed will suppress tillering and clover survival.

Even if growth is slowing down, it is still essential to walk and plate the farm weekly. If you do not, you will not have an accurate growth curve for your farm.

You will not know which paddocks perform better in the drier summer months. Walking, plating, and looking lets you know the quantity and quality going forward and enables you to make subtle, gradual changes as opposed to big changes.

Cows and plants respond to slow changes far better than big changes. Every year I get a phone call with a variation on a theme, I have run short of grass and the wedge is flat what do I do? – My answer is plate, walk and change gradually and avoid boom and bust.

Body condition – For spring calving, take a walk around and check for any thinner cows than you would like, make a note, and recheck them in six weeks to monitor their condition.

Bulls are working now, have you enough? Are they working effectively? What are their feet like, are they able to work?

Now is the time to look at your tracks – do they need any work? It is much better to plan now and carry it out, otherwise it will be October and raining and probably too late.

Can you walk on them in your socks? if so, then they are very comfortable for cows, if not, then a risk factor for lameness problems later in the year. Consider getting a vibrating roller and flatten out any lumps, bumps and protruding stones.

Knock out the build-up of dirt at the sides of the tracks so the water has somewhere to drain off. Ensure you have enough bungies in the track fencing to allow on-off grazing in a wet autumn.

Autumn calvers – before calving starts, weigh heifers to ensure they are on track. Weighing at or near 12 months old gives you three months to service. If they are behind, then it is time to push them on. Aim to hit at least 60% of mature weight at service.

With weighing in mind, mid-lactation is the time to weigh cows so that you can match up kg milk solids production with live weight to find the most productive cows in your herd. July is a good time to weigh spring-calving cows.

The target is 1 kg MS for 1 kg of live weight (without buying it via concentrate). Some cows in your herd may already be doing this.