Lack of grass growth

red bull

Is this the worst year ever for grass growth ?

tim04750

Its brutal alright, had all the cows n' calves in for past couple of weeks and had a good walk around yesterday morning looking for a bit of grass to let them out but alas there is sweet f all coming , I let out half of them anyway and gonna let out the rest today , ground conditions have improved and hopefully a bit of nitrogen and them grazing might stimulate the grass a bit. Any ground thats damaged is very slow but second cut silage ground did ok considering.

blue5000

red bull wrote: »

Is this the worst year ever for grass growth ?

As carlsberg would say 'Probably' '85 and '86 were possibly as bad though.

reilig

red bull wrote: »

Is this the worst year ever for grass growth ?

Around here, grass growth is not too far behind normal, however, we have had treble the normal rainfall which has saturated ground. This means that when cattle go into fresh grass they just walk it into the ground and it is wasted. Couple that with the fact that it has been too wet to do any topping - this means that any regrowth of grass isn't as clean as it should be. Wastage is the biggest problem around here as opposed to lack of growth,.

sh1tstirrer

blue5000 wrote: »

As carlsberg would say 'Probably' '85 and '86 were possibly as bad though.

Are you sure it wasn't 89? 85 was a wash out and we got an indian summer in Sept Oct. 89 was a very dry summer some farmers around me were spreading water with slurry tankers on grass trying to make it grow. I don't remember 86 as being a bad year for grass.

whelan1

had cows in at night for over 3 weeks , have them out now to eat strong grass that we cannot get in to to be topped.... dry cows going back out today- 35 of them to eat up after cows... thursday is to be ****e

Dont be daft

Worst year I can ever remember. Dunno if its actual growth thats the real issue or the sheer impossibility to get in to graze, cut silage, slurry and manure.
Grassland rep was saying it was their worst year for fertiliser ever.

Havent had one good silage week yet. Only got our silage in last night. Down drying the last 2 days but scattered showers were droppin on it constantly. Still dry enough but took way to long to get in at it. Was ready to cut 3 weeks ago. Fair sickening

vanderbadger

terrible year for grass around me, hard to keep the cattle going nad once you fall behind in grass its very hard to catch up
must be a very bad year for contractors, silage season is so broken up

bbam

Its a feast and a famine for us...
Our lower lying ground is swimming and has a good grass covering but is near impossibe to graze.. Drier ground is bare and not regrowing.. We've been letting them in on wetter ground for 24 hours and then back up onto drier ground..

Or contractor was in Friday night and he was saying they were tortured getting stuff saved.. He won't wilt for anyone due to the risk of weather, cut/bale/wrap.

red bull

In the 80s there were no bales of silage on a large scale just pit silage or hay. This year is much worse for 2 reasons farmers are finding it very difficult to save winter fodder even with the advances in farm machinery. Regrowth on silage ground that was cut in June are very bad, I cut my silage on 7 June put out 70 units of N to get a 2nd cut at this stage 8 weeks later its a very poor crop

Suckler

red bull wrote: »

In the 80s there were no bales of silage on a large scale just pit silage or hay. This year is much worse for 2 reasons farmers are finding it very difficult to save winter fodder even with the advances in farm machinery. Regrowth on silage ground that was cut in June are very bad, I cut my silage on 7 June put out 70 units of N to get a 2nd cut at this stage 8 weeks later its a very poor crop

Was up towards Claremorris a gfew days back, saw two lads on 135's with buckrakes taking silage out of a field and forking it in to the baler in the yard.

kevthegaff

growth aint too bad here in tipp, but fields are wet. havent been able to top in 2 months some fields. quality isnt good:( tho

whelan1

kevthegaff wrote: »

growth aint too bad here in tipp, but fields are wet. havent been able to top in 2 months some fields. quality isnt good:( tho

shud help your superlevy situation:rolleyes:

reilig

red bull wrote: »

In the 80s there were no bales of silage on a large scale just pit silage or hay. This year is much worse for 2 reasons farmers are finding it very difficult to save winter fodder even with the advances in farm machinery. Regrowth on silage ground that was cut in June are very bad, I cut my silage on 7 June put out 70 units of N to get a 2nd cut at this stage 8 weeks later its a very poor crop

I said in in a thread yesterday that in 1985 we made small pits of silage in the corners of the fields - picking it up with a 20 diesel and a buckrake. I was talking to the old man about it yesterday - he said that it was the 28th of August before we cut the first of the meadows that year. The last meadow wasn't pitted until the 26th of September and this was the first pit to be opened in mid october.


There was no regrowth that year, and no chance of it. At least now, with the advances in farm machinery, wide flotation wheels, round balers etc, people have got some of their fodder!!

zetorman

Why have all the makers of machinery abandoned the small farmer and those farmers on wet land. ?? Every new machine on the market is bigger and heavier than the previous generation.

SUGGESTION: In weather like this especially on small farms everthing should be based around the MF135 with double wheels with newer lighter machines to match. Can we have a bale about the size and weight of a 40 gallon drum. ???????????

If these weather conditions continue it seems the only way out.

rancher

zetorman wrote: »

Why have all the makers of machinery abandoned the small farmer and those farmers on wet land. ?? Every new machine on the market is bigger and heavier than the previous generation.

SUGGESTION: In weather like this especially on small farms everthing should be based around the MF135 with double wheels with newer lighter machines to match. Can we have a bale about the size and weight of a 40 gallon drum. ???????????

If these weather conditions continue it seems the only way out.

try this.....lots of them out there
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=-ZUqh-kZSUA#t=17s

Atilathehun

zetorman wrote: »

Why have all the makers of machinery abandoned the small farmer and those farmers on wet land. ?? Every new machine on the market is bigger and heavier than the previous generation.

SUGGESTION: In weather like this especially on small farms everthing should be based around the MF135 with double wheels with newer lighter machines to match. Can we have a bale about the size and weight of a 40 gallon drum. ???????????

If these weather conditions continue it seems the only way out.

And an empty one at that:D

reilig

Think its time to go back to putting up cocks of hay. It will be added hardship for most, but not for a neighbour of mine who never stopped. He even cuts up the backs of the ditches with the scythe. He has all of his hay saved now and over the next couple of weeks, he will bring it home. Unfortunately some of his land is low lieing close to the Shannon and yesterday as i passed his land, I could see at least half his hay under water. I met him further up the road and stopped for a chat, expecting him to be annoyed about the wet hay. He wasn't a bit annoyed. He just said, "sure they're not like bales, they will dry out at some stage!!"

Tipp Man

For the first time ever we got beaten by the cows - we had to house them for 7 nights

A combination of first cut aftergrass not being ready and 30 acres flooded under water on and off for 6 weeks

Definately been the worst year ever - heat and a mad bust of growth in Feb/Mar, freezing cold in April early May with no growth, couple of good weeks end of May and then rain and cold with no growth for the entire June and July

August would want to be a hell of a lot better but i'm not holding my breath

Manoffeeling

reilig wrote: »

Think its time to go back to putting up cocks of hay. It will be added hardship for most, but not for a neighbour of mine who never stopped. He even cuts up the backs of the ditches with the scythe. He has all of his hay saved now and over the next couple of weeks, he will bring it home. Unfortunately some of his land is low lieing close to the Shannon and yesterday as i passed his land, I could see at least half his hay under water. I met him further up the road and stopped for a chat, expecting him to be annoyed about the wet hay. He wasn't a bit annoyed. He just said, "sure they're not like bales, they will dry out at some stage!!"

A bit extreme, but there seems to be a shift to more traditional farming. I was on a farm walk last week where only a quarter of the fertiliser is being bought. He is heading away from big continental cows to aa and hr with good ai. He has nice butchers heifers for sale with no meal, no poaching and a healthy herd. I think it might be t he way to go..

godanicus

I have 4 acres for 2 horses in carlow and am new to land management. The grass seems to be brown in my field compared to neighbours field which is green. Why would this be and how can i get back the leafy green grass i had. Thanks in advance.

Dont be daft

godanicus wrote: »

I have 4 acres for 2 horses in carlow and am new to land management. The grass seems to be brown in my field compared to neighbours field which is green. Why would this be and how can i get back the leafy green grass i had. Thanks in advance.

The grass is always greener on the otherside.

Ah, seriously though, its probably because of a nitrogen defeciency.

Have you spread any fertiliser, dung or slurry on it this year?

freedominacup

Suckler wrote: »

Was up towards Claremorris a gfew days back, saw two lads on 135's with buckrakes taking silage out of a field and forking it in to the baler in the yard.

Oh Fcuk

Hay_man

This is the first year I have done no topping at all.

Land has been to wet to go in with topper after the cows as the land has been poached to bits, when the cows are done with the feild.

Pacoa

Was up towards Claremorris a gfew days back, saw two lads on 135's with buckrakes taking silage out of a field and forking it in to the baler in the yard.

Wonder what you'd call this? Zero baleing

flugh

I've never seen so many yellow fields with no grass growing. Been an organic farmer for almost 20 years but opted out last year. What fertz would you put on fields now for late summer ????????? / autumn growth ? 'Up here in north Donegal with some good arable fields.

GERMAN ROCKS

flugh wrote: »

I've never seen so many yellow fields with no grass growing. Been an organic farmer for almost 20 years but opted out last year. What fertz would you put on fields now for late summer ????????? / autumn growth ? 'Up here in north Donegal with some good arable fields.

pasture sward (27-2.5-5)? or how are your p+k levels if they are ok then maybe sulphercan?

1chippy

Topped three fields that were reseeded in the spring today. No issue travelling any of our ground just absolutaly no growth on older pastures. anything on the flat round here seems to be waterlogged but dries off quickly. definately worst year for growth round here.

flugh

GERMAN ROCKS wrote: »

pasture sward (27-2.5-5)? or how are your p+k levels if they are ok then maybe sulphercan?

Thanks German Rocks - p+k always been a problem here. It's now or never before the rains really start up here!

GERMAN ROCKS

flugh wrote: »

Thanks German Rocks - p+k always been a problem here. It's now or never before the rains really start up here!

ya so i would either go with a bag of 27/2.5/5 or else 18.6.12+sulpher

sh1tstirrer

There is a new method of zero grazing this year. Cows out in the field with zero grass to graze.

bob charles

How are you lads getting on up in the north east where the grass never stops growing going by on here. Are you's getting a taste of our medicine at the moment. I think my theory of much high levels of phosphite need for all crops has rung through again this year

whelan1

bob charles wrote: »

How are you lads getting on up in the north east where the grass never stops growing going by on here. Are you's getting a taste of our medicine at the moment. I think my theory of much high levels of phosphite need for all crops has rung through again this year

walked farm last week.... i am only stocked at 2lu/ha... still tight, 6 acres ungrazable since june.... cows eating paddocks that where not topped.... protein ok at 3.3 and fat at 3.86... have 38 dry cows going around cleaning up after cows before i top... hope to get second cut done this week... cows where in at night for 3 weeks and dry cows where in for a month in jily

kevthegaff

the weather looks good for the nxt couple of days, going with pasture sward after the cows, get the silage in and some slurry out! Optimism?