Grass measuring 2015

stanflt

Well I did my first cover today and have a farm cover of 891

Or 486 per current milker


Serious covers everywhere


Will need to have cows out by the end of the month( weather permitting) to control covers

Ground very hard under foot except the odd paddock which have a few soft spots

Greengrass1

stanflt wrote: »

Well I did my first cover today and have a farm cover of 891

Or 486 per current milker


Serious covers everywhere


Will need to have cows out by the end of the month( weather permitting) to control covers

Ground very hard under foot except the odd paddock which have a few soft spots

What did ye close at?

tanko

Can you explain what you mean by a farm cover of 891. Is it kgs grass/acre?

mahoney_j

stanflt wrote: »

Well I did my first cover today and have a farm cover of 891

Or 486 per current milker


Serious covers everywhere


Will need to have cows out by the end of the month( weather permitting) to control covers

Ground very hard under foot except the odd paddock which have a few soft spots

Closed here in late November at 740,havnt measures since but from looking around growth of say was averaging close to 15 a day since then.will do one up in next few days.contractor with trailing shoe booked to cover anything with covers over 1000 and rest with splash plate once season opens.hopefully we'll be able to utilise all of it now

freedominacup

Haven't done a cover but we brought heifers and cows in a week earlier than planned. Those covers are still there. Ground conditions excellent more than one neighbour mildly fractured slurry regs in the past week. None of them would be short of storage but grass growing strongly atm. You wouldn't see any tracking where they spread. Will turnout milkers as soon as calving starts.

frazzledhome

tanko wrote: »

Can you explain what you mean by a farm cover of 891. Is it kgs grass/acre?

Yes, it's an average of 891 kgs dm per ha on farm

stanflt

tanko wrote: »

Can you explain what you mean by a farm cover of 891. Is it kgs grass/acre?

Kg of dm of grass per hectare

stanflt

Greengrass1 wrote: »

What did ye close at?

4-500 didn't do a closing cover

Growth at 12 I reckon on avg since closing

stanflt

Mid summer or jan 1

Greengrass1

stanflt wrote: »

4-500 didn't do a closing cover

Growth at 12 I reckon on avg since closing

Closed at 500 here. I'll get out during week and measure

trixi2011

What Dm are you using?

mahoney_j

First measuring of the year done Friday,grass Is hopping for time of year.last measured on 11 December and closed at an afc of 735farm cover of just u der 1000 now .gr of 12 a day since.urea on the way this week and slurry opening coming up.will hold off with manure till late jan and go cover all milk block with slurry soon as season opens with trailing shoe and splash plate depending on covers.cows will be hitting the paddocks once calving starts around 27/28 jan weather permitting

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

First measuring of the year done Friday,grass Is hopping for time of year.last measured on 11 December and closed at an afc of 735farm cover of just u der 1000 now .gr of 12 a day since.urea on the way this week and slurry opening coming up.will hold off with manure till late jan and go cover all milk block with slurry soon as season opens with trailing shoe and splash plate depending on covers.cows will be hitting the paddocks once calving starts around 27/28 jan weather permitting

No rot? Ye must have a fair few at 2k plus?

onyerbikepat

Just out of interest, how do ye all measure cover? Platemeters?

Greengrass1

onyerbikepat wrote: »

Just out of interest, how do ye all measure cover? Platemeters?

Using cut and weigh here. Go the odd time with the eye if I don't feel like cutting. I'll cut all this yr aswell

td5man

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Using cut and weigh here. Go the odd time with the eye if I don't feel like cutting. I'll cut all this yr aswell

Same here.

Greengrass1

td5man wrote: »

Same here.

Hope to leave topper sitting in yard this yr. If there's no surplus but grass getting bit strong I'll pre mow.

Deepsouthwest

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Using cut and weigh here. Go the odd time with the eye if I don't feel like cutting. I'll cut all this yr aswell

Surely at this stage u should be able to eyeball GG? Or do u find eyeballing v inaccurate?

trixi2011

Would any of ye consider using a plate metre for measuring residuals ?? Trying to convert a few guy who think 300 is 0

Greengrass1

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Surely at this stage u should be able to eyeball GG? Or do u find eyeballing v inaccurate?

No faith in myself yet I didn't measure full time last yrs but this yrs I'm making sure I will. I'll prob end up eyeballing 90% and weighing 10% every week

frazzledhome

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Surely at this stage u should be able to eyeball GG? Or do u find eyeballing v inaccurate?

DSW, we eyeball here and thought we were doing well. I think we under estimated our heavier covers, silage completely.

Will continute to eyeball day to day but if it passes 1500 will cut an weigh

I think we may have been 2 tonne out. We were correct on cows grazing area because the residuals will tell if you were correct or not

Wont be bothering with plate meter, I think we have the graze out sussed;)

blue5000

I noticed a few feckin dandelions have there cheeky yellow heads up today, didn't notice them yesterday. Hope it's an early spring.

Greengrass1

See the buds of daffodils up here last week. Never up Here this early ever

Deepsouthwest

frazzledhome wrote: »

DSW, we eyeball here and thought we were doing well. I think we under estimated our heavier covers, silage completely.

Will continute to eyeball day to day but if it passes 1500 will cut an weigh

I think we may have been 2 tonne out. We were correct on cows grazing area because the residuals will tell if you were correct or not

Wont be bothering with plate meter, I think we have the graze out sussed;)

I'd totally agree with that, at our group meetings, the grass would sometimes be cut and weighed the day before and we'd fly around the group and ask guys what cover they think is on it, a good few of us would normally underestimate. As for covers over 2000, there's way too much room for error there. By right we should buy a group metre which we share between all of us throughout the yr, I must bring that up at new yr meeting!

Greengrass1

Going to cut and weigh farm today.
What DM ? 20?

trixi2011

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Going to cut and weigh farm today.
What DM ? 20?

you would probably be as well zap it in the microwave to get an accurate dm. Weather must be a lot better were you are, paddocks covered in snow here

Greengrass1

trixi2011 wrote: »

you would probably be as well zap it in the microwave to get an accurate dm. Weather must be a lot better were you are, paddocks covered in snow here

Ye very little snow here at all bit if frost thus am and some rain now

Greengrass1

Farm cover 944
Closed at 498
Gr of 7kgs per day since 16 november
Lots of covers around 1000

frazzledhome

Opening cover 741
Grew .6kg per day since closing.

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

Opening cover 741
Grew .6kg per day since closing.

What did you close at?
The hybrid here grew 10 per day over winter and italian 8kg.

frazzledhome

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Farm cover 944
Closed at 498
Gr of 7kgs per day since 16 november
Lots of covers around 1000

Did you cut and weigh at closing and opening?

Cow Porter

What dm are people using? Anyone measure soil temp lately

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

Did you cut and weigh at closing and opening?

I did.
Weighed at 18% DM today

Greengrass1

Trying to get a rotation planner going here.
Has the farm grazed by 25th of march.
And 150% by 6th of April can't get it to bring me to 5th april

trixi2011

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Trying to get a rotation planner going here.
Has the farm grazed by 25th of march.
And 150% by 6th of April can't get it to bring me to 5th april

If you had some more feed you souls surly get to early April

Greengrass1

trixi2011 wrote: »

If you had some more feed you souls surly get to early April

Yeh but its giving too much area per day and farm will be grazed by 26th march

Brown Podzol

This was printed in Today's Farm twelve months ago. Anyone know what progress has been made or if any grass growth info is avalaible online.



"Spatial Analysis laboratory in Teagasc, with partners in the Depart- ment of Geography, UCC, is develop- ing new tools to estimate grass growth in Ireland using satellite imaging. The aim is to be able, within a few years, to give very local measurements of growth rates and, more importantly, predictions for growth over the coming few days, or even weeks.
Having developed complex computer- based crop models, the scientists are able to compare current growth, as seen by satellites passing overhead each day, with the model. They can then calculate whether the growth is on target or lagging behind where it would normally be in a particular area.
Later this year, Teagasc aims to offer an online service which will allow users to select their townland and see how growth is doing compared with an average year. “Ultimately, we hope to offer grass growth forecasts which will be available in much the same way as weather forecasts are,” says Teagasc Ashtown researcher Stuart Green."

kowtow

Brown Podzol wrote: »

This was printed in Today's Farm twelve months ago. Anyone know what progress has been made or if any grass growth info is avalaible online.



"Spatial Analysis laboratory in Teagasc, with partners in the Depart- ment of Geography, UCC, is develop- ing new tools to estimate grass growth in Ireland using satellite imaging. The aim is to be able, within a few years, to give very local measurements of growth rates and, more importantly, predictions for growth over the coming few days, or even weeks.
Having developed complex computer- based crop models, the scientists are able to compare current growth, as seen by satellites passing overhead each day, with the model. They can then calculate whether the growth is on target or lagging behind where it would normally be in a particular area.
Later this year, Teagasc aims to offer an online service which will allow users to select their townland and see how growth is doing compared with an average year. “Ultimately, we hope to offer grass growth forecasts which will be available in much the same way as weather forecasts are,” says Teagasc Ashtown researcher Stuart Green."

Yeh I saw that as well and wondered what was happening with it. It might have been a little premature... I looked at a few technologies for measuring grass growth via imaging, NIIRS etc. a while ago and have to say it seems difficult to get results of sufficient granularity which are consistent and accurate...

Would be great if they could get it going, at the field level.

einn32

kowtow wrote:

Yeh I saw that as well and wondered what was happening with it. It might have been a little premature... I looked at a few technologies for measuring grass growth via imaging, NIIRS etc. a while ago and have to say it seems difficult to get results of sufficient granularity which are consistent and accurate...

kowtow wrote:

Would be great if they could get it going, at the field level.

This would be pretty powerful technology if it proved reliable. I have read about satellite imaging being used to calculate severity of disease on tillage crops which can be used to determine the need for treatment. But this would probably need serious accuracy to work.

kowtow

einn32 wrote: »

This would be pretty powerful technology if it proved reliable. I have read about satellite imaging being used to calculate severity of disease on tillage crops which can be used to determine the need for treatment. But this would probably need serious accuracy to work.

I agree.

Seems easy enough to identify "grassland" - even the stage of growth or basic % of ground cover is quite reliable to resolve, but estimates of dry matter with the kind of accuracy which would replace weekly measuring, when the ground is already fully covered with a healthy crop, are a bit more tricky. Huge variety of grass colours, shapes (standing, flattened) and angles of light at play..

freedominacup

Farm cover on Friday 669. No gr as no housing weighing.

Greengrass1

Would ye be happy with that clean out?
Its an old ley 20+ yrs at a guess

Deepsouthwest

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Would ye be happy with that clean out?
Its an old ley 20+ yrs at a guess

To be honest no, there's def more to be got off that. Plus the fact it's so dry, no fear of poaching either when forcing them down on it. I'd move the fence and give them a tiny fresh bit of grass to satisfy them when they go in, and then they'll go back over yesterday's allocation and clean it out right.

Greengrass1

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

To be honest no, there's def more to be got off that. Plus the fact it's so dry, no fear of poaching either when forcing them down on it. I'd move the fence and give them a tiny fresh bit of grass to satisfy them when they go in, and then they'll go back over yesterday's allocation and clean it out right.

Hmm bit late now I gave then a fresh patch already.
Was sleeting and snowing on Wednesday when they were on that and I took them in early

Timmaay

GG plenty more grazing on that, esp your JEs, they will have no bothers going alot tighter! I don't mind abit of poaching this time of the year at all also, it's well gone by the 2nd round, cleaning paddocks out tight early in the year probably is the single most important bit of grassland management you can do all year, it sets you up for lovely clean leafy growth all year.

trixi2011

to be honest there looks to be quite a left on it gg. Would the dm be higher than you think and putting your allocations off ? not to late to go back and graze it out

Greengrass1

trixi2011 wrote: »

to be honest there looks to be quite a left on it gg. Would the dm be higher than you think and putting your allocations off ? not to late to go back and graze it out

The tramps pushed down pigtails today when I was off at other farm.
Think I'll put them back to regraze again.
Bit of regrowth there already.
Only allocating 7kg. They'd surely be able to eat that?

trixi2011

Greengrass1 wrote: »

The tramps pushed down pigtails today when I was off at other farm.
Think I'll put them back to regraze again.
Bit of regrowth there already.
Only allocating 7kg. They'd surely be able to eat that?

Depends on how much they are getting inside, need to let them out with abit of a hunger to get them to utilize it.

mahoney_j

Greengrass1 wrote: »

The tramps pushed down pigtails today when I was off at other farm.
Think I'll put them back to regraze again.
Bit of regrowth there already.
Only allocating 7kg. They'd surely be able to eat that?

Are they hungry enough going out gg??.try standing them off in yard for an hour after milking.if cover is heavy u could also be overestimating the dm

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

Are they hungry enough going out gg??.try standing them off in yard for an hour after milking.if cover is heavy u could also be overestimating the dm

Possibly not Mj. There's silage infront of them when I go out in morning and then there getting 3kg in parlour. They were all milked by 8 this morning and let out just after 9 when I had calves fed and wire up.
35 went out this morning and I gave them 1200square meters of the 1700 cover.
Not finished coz they got out

frazzledhome

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Possibly not Mj. There's silage infront of them when I go out in morning and then there getting 3kg in parlour. They were all milked by 8 this morning and let out just after 9 when I had calves fed and wire up.
35 went out this morning and I gave them 1200square meters of the 1700 cover.
Not finished coz they got out

There's 7 grazings on that ha if allocating 7kg. Need to be out of silage by midnight to get clean out. If they're finished grazing at 12 you can bring in if you wish.

Must hit targets and graze out to have quality for season