Grazing 2023

memorystick

I went walking the fields at the weekend. Not for the faint-hearted! I was surprised to see good covers on some of the fields even though ground is saturated. They got slurry at the end of the season last year and it really shows. Plenty of flowers on the furze and buds starting to appear. There's a certain teaser spring in the air.

Siamsa Sessions

Everything soaked here too but some decent covers as well. Foggy today but mild.

I'm aiming to have weanlings out by day and in by night from around 10-Feb.

memorystick

Land drying well. Was down in Wexford yesterday. A few milkers out and lads ploughing. Only a week and a half of silage left. Fingers crossed.

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120178113#Comment_120178113

Midlands here and I let weanlings off to grass yesterday. Strong covers on a lot of my silage ground as cattle were off it earlier than expected due to the wet back end so I’ll get that all grazed first before getting slurry on it. The weather for the next week or 10 days looks reasonably dry so it seemed like a good opportunity to get them out. If the weather turns and they’ve to come back to the shed in a few weeks that wouldn’t bother me and won’t do them any harm either.

smallbeef

Walked the farm this afternoon as was tempted to leave out 18 or so stores. Ground is in good nick but disappointed with my covers. Will reassess in a month.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120178313#Comment_120178313

exact same here. Have 14 weanlings put a week now. Going grand and will keep them out of the weather holds and no big deal if I have to bring them in.

Siamsa Sessions

I'm guessing there's no slowdown in thrive if/when they have to come back into the shed again?

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120181562#Comment_120181562

There will be a slow down in thrive if they’ve to come back in but it’ll only slow down to what it would have been anyway if they were kept in all the time but you’d be after having the benefit of the time on grass before that. Ideally if they could be out by day and in by night it gives the best of both worlds but that’s not possible for me with a fragmented farm.

It also kick starts the grass and you’ll have far better quality re growth, better utilisation of slurry as you won’t be putting it on stagnant overwintered grass and you’ll be able to start your second rotation earlier and with far higher quality grass than you’d have by keeping the stock in until March or April.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120181665#Comment_120181665

Thanks for that.

I'm lucky here in that I can put them out by day and in by night. I just need to decide where "in by night" means. They have been outwintered and there's no more bales outside in the field so I'd have to draw the bales out to them if that field was their "in by night" option. It's only about 100 yards from the shed so not a big draw.

The other "in by night" option is to put them into a straw-bed shed and feed them silage there. This might be easier than drawing bales out to the field but it'll use more straw and for some reason I'm afraid it might soften them up or make them more prone to pneumonia after spending the winter outside.

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120182447#Comment_120182447

I'd keep the out if you can more for the potential pneumonia issue. I'd be reluctant to house them in if they were mine.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120183932#Comment_120183932

That’s kinda what I’m leaning towards. Thanks

Base price

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120184350#Comment_120184350

If the weather was to turn really nasty (East wind and driving rain) over a prolonged period and they don't have any shelter/hedges than you will probably have to house them. If so then house them in the best ventilated shed that you have but fence off a sacrifice paddock that they can come and go too at their will.

memorystick

I let out almost half of the bullocks yesterday. Very happy out. Only a week of bales left. A nice cover on some of the fields. Trying to remain positive

893bet

At least a 6 week winter left here…..! Heavy land is heavy. End of March on an excellent year.

Expect 1st week April best case this year without a magic bag.

tanko

What happened to having half your fodder left on February 1st. It’s a long time to the first of May.

Finty Lemon

Let off Angus/Fr/Hereford weanlings this day two weeks and they are flying. Farm is in bone dry condition even though soil type is moderate heavy. If you wouldn't let stock out this Feb then then you never will I reckon.

Is the rehousing pneumonia issue that big? Is it from experience or hearsay? I'm asking out-of naivety because only 3rd year at this type of stock.

If it snows in March and I have to rehouse would a shot of RSV PI3 up the nose be beneficial? If I get 6 weeks of grass extra and that works, it will be a cheap option compared to meal and silage fed in the meantime?

mr.stonewall

I had a bunch of 20 yearling heifers grazing what would be summer grazing/hay meadow this week. A few strip wires and very little damage. Ground amazed me at the condition. Its a mind set thing, and being flexible. Once you try getting out small numbers of stock early it will convert you. If you are grazing ground now that is not for meadows, it will have cover on it in early to mid April and that's even without the bag of sprinkles. Grazing grass grows grass. Last year I snuck 10 days of grazing in late Jan, but was housed up for most of Feb.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120229127#Comment_120229127

Heavy land here too. Cows out by day, amazed how dry the ground is. Grazing the wetter parts of the farm first. Im under no illusions though. Cows will be back in full time soon enough. Let 5 suckler cows and their calves out on outfarm. They have a creep feeder and a bale of silage in a rack in the field.

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120229997#Comment_120229997

Still on first pit of silage here

memorystick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120229997#Comment_120229997

I bought too many and have some in since the middle of October. That month earlier really screwed me.

Hershall

Normally get some blks out early to mid March they're about 600 kg so have to spread them out well I hope the weather is like this in a month's time.......

Siamsa Sessions

Two groups of weanlings out by day and in by night here. They're on what can be wet ground but it's dry now so motoring thru it.

I just need to make sure they don't graze too much now. Aiming to get around 1/3 grazed by 1-March.

memorystick

Great response to fertiliser. Put out superNet last monday. Well greened up

Conversations 3

Got slurry out to most grazing paddocks 3 week's ago.

I'm waiting on soil results to see what fertilizer to spread on top.

If I graze cattle on silage ground now, when is best time to add slurry/fert and close off for June silage?

Jb1989

How yous grazing now? Right rain today and for the week ahead. Snow has left fields wringing wet today. Will probably have to rehouse some suckler and newborns and maybe the weanlings and stores after that.

ESetter

Heavy fr stores went out on 27/2 but back in again yesterday, place is soaked after the snow. Yearlings still out but does not look good for next week. They are only walking grass into the ground.

Siamsa Sessions

In and out with yearling cattle here. Week ahead looks messy so will decide on the morning if it’s worth letting them out or not for that day.

One positive thou is the increased temp which is helping to green up grazed paddocks

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120264328#Comment_120264328

Rule of thumb allow for 2 units of nitrogen per day before cutting so if you shook 100 units of n then you can cut in 50 days (7 weeks). So if you want a mid June cut, fert could go on 1May and you’d be grand and slurry at least a week beforehand.

all of the above depends on the growing conditions.

Gone brutal now. Cows out full time but I don’t know how long more I can keep them out. Worst march in 5 years easily.

memorystick

Ground very wet and tank full. Sucked out 5 load of water already (it holds 23). Plenty of grass on some of the paddocks.

Siamsa Sessions

Grass starting to really come here now but they’ll need canoes to get to it!

The only saving grace is that the ground seems to dry out faster this time of year