Grass measuring amd why ?

The part time boy

Anyone here measure grass?

If so how often do you do it .

Apart from knowing how much grass your growing what benfit is it ?

I half thinking of giving it a go next year (not sure how I get the time) but I am thinking what will change for the better if I measure .

I have never measered grass but I know when I am short and I know when I have too much

Keepgrowing

The part time boy wrote: »

Anyone here measure grass?

If so how often do you do it .

Apart from knowing how much grass your growing what benfit is it ?

I half thinking of giving it a go next year (not sure how I get the time) but I am thinking what will change for the better if I measure .

I have never measered grass but I know when I am short and I know when I have too much

Measuring will let you know well in advance of deficit or surplus

GrasstoMilk

You'll realise how far you can actually push your farm and which paddocks need reseeding.
Measuring grass has become more important to me than checking the milk docket, if I get it wrong I see it in the milk tank

patsy_mccabe

Which method do you use to measure?

The part time boy

How are ye lads measuring ?

Eye ball plate meter or weighting .

Grasshopper plate meter looks handy

Sam Kade

patsy_mccabe wrote: »

Which method do you use to measure?

I thought most farmers learn to eyeball after using the quadrant method a few times.

alps

Most people eyeballing overestimate low covers and very much underestimate heavy covers.

It's worth while taking the time to be accurate, by cut 'n weigh or plating

Sam Kade

alps wrote: »

Most people eyeballing overestimate low covers and very much underestimate heavy covers.

It's worth while taking the time to be accurate, by cut 'n weigh or plating

Would you use a microwave to get the dm with cut and weigh or just estimate the dm?

Siamsa Sessions

Think I read that grass measuring equipment might be eligible for TAMS soon too

Farmer_3650

I don't see why anyone would bother cutting and weighing grass. In my opinion it is a waste of time. The best way to measure grass and the quickest way to measure grass is to measure the height of grass in a few different spots around the field and find the average height from that. Then take away the amount that should be left after grazing which should be around 4cm. And multiply it by 250 in cattle paddocks or 300 in sheep paddocks.

Example of how to measure cattle paddock:
Average height before grazing (10cm) - after grazing height (4cm)= 6cm x 250=1500 kg DM/hectare.

alps

Sam Kade wrote: »

Would you use a microwave to get the dm with cut and weigh or just estimate the dm?

Use a platemeter here....the drymatter is a difficult variable to deal with, messy and smelly using hour microwave, so you're probably better off following pasture base here on that figure.

When I said most underestimate heavier covers, this is very appearant at discssion group walks, where often covers of 1600 are often taken as ideal and estimated at 1300...this over 10 rotations leads to an underestimation of 3tonnes for the year.

There may be far more operators hitting 14 tonnes+ than we give credit for..

mahoney_j

I have the kit ,shears ,quadrant ,scales .i walk paddocks once per week and during April/may/June maby longer I could walk them
2/3 times as growth would be high and quick decisions need to be made
I don't always put a figure on it ,I just use a simple equation in my head ,I'd judge a 1600 kg cover decent enough ,anything over that too strong to graze and is bales assp how many to pull out is judged on weather rainfall /drought and days grass ahead of cows .ill cut and weigh now and again to train eye

kowtow

Farmer_3650 wrote: »

I don't see why anyone would bother cutting and weighing grass. In my opinion it is a waste of time. The best way to measure grass and the quickest way to measure grass is to measure the height of grass in a few different spots around the field and find the average height from that. Then take away the amount that should be left after grazing which should be around 4cm. And multiply it by 250 in cattle paddocks or 300 in sheep paddocks.

Example of how to measure cattle paddock:
Average height before grazing (10cm) - after grazing height (4cm)= 6cm x 250=1500 kg DM/hectare.

How does that relate to the 500kg per fistful they were talking about at Moore Park on Tuesday?

I'm sure he said go into covers at 3 fistfuls (or perhaps between 2 and 3?) and a fist would have to be 10cm?

FeelTheBern

Does measuring really only work well for newer or even swards? I tried doing it few years ago but I've mainly old pastures where grass could be strong one part of a field and light on another - found it very hard to know how if I was getting accurate reflection and kind of gave up on it! Would be great to have the confidence to make decisions in knowledge of what's coming though.

Farmer_3650

kowtow wrote: »

How does that relate to the 500kg per fistful they were talking about at Moore Park on Tuesday?

I'm sure he said go into covers at 3 fistfuls (or perhaps between 2 and 3?) and a fist would have to be 10cm?

Measuring grass by the amount of fistfuls from it? I was not at Moore park on Tuesday so I don't know what you mean by that.The way I said is the way I've been measuring grass for years.

pms7

Doing it properly few years now, eyeballing, but would cut and weigh a few every walk. No need to be 100% accurate.
Means I dont run out of grass, or more likely issue, have grass gone too strong without you copping it until half the farm is gone wild!
To be honest, if have same stock and acres, walking it is most important part, measuring is just an extra reassurance, or useful if change stock/ land area. Would walk every 5 days if high growth rate.
When compare your growth rate and tons grown against your discussion group, it can be a wake up call to show that you need more reseeding and major improvement in soil fertility. Speaking from personal experience!!

Who2

The whole principle is based on knowing what you have. I don't believe it's critical to be accurate in the amount but I believe it's critical to be consistant in what way your working it so you know what's ahead of you and the management as such.