Beef grazing 2024

Bass Reeves

Real struggle this year. Never had so many cattle in so late. We had about 25 out since early March although some had to go into a scarfice area until the middle of last week. Since then we have moved on.

Left 13 out last Thursday, 10 more on Saturday, another 9 yesterday and about 20 odd today. They are shattered all over the place anywhere that is dry.

Spread 3 big bags of Urea yesterday and will put out another bag in the next week, again anywhere that is dry enough to take it.

It's time to be getting on with it. Hopefully fortune favours the brave.

mr.stonewall

Struggle is an understatement of the current situation. Its a battle between in and out. Have one group of yearling heifers who went out for the 3rd time on Thursday. All stock were stood off for most of last week.

No fert out at all but hope to hit some spots this week with urea.

Store bullocks, finishing bullocks and cows are still in. With the weather i sorted thru bullocks and picked out 4 more that were destined for grass only to switch them to finish out of the shed.

A tough winter and spring is an understatement for what has gone on since late june.

Danzy

Can't see anything out here for another 10 days.

weatherbyfoxer

All cattle going out here in the next 2 days,..ground seems OK today

Conversations 3

7 animals out, suckler cows and calf's grazing off the silage ground.

The other 60 in the sheds, I'll have to let the lightest out this weekend.

Not a sniff of fertilizer or slurry out, tanks are nearly at the slats.

Dozer1

21 heifers out Saturday for the 2nd time the handful of sucklers calving go out as they calve. Ground is just about OK but it'll take s good rub of the Harrow to level later.

Aim to let off autumn calvers tomorrow and weanlings out by Saturday. Gave up putting out weanlings first as they just keep bloody walking when the weather is unsettled

Siamsa Sessions

2 groups out here and 1 back into sacrifice paddock this evening. All yearlings apart from 3 x 24-month heifers.

Spread 1 bag CAN/acre on 10 acres grazed earlier today. Not too much damage done to them after on-off grazing all along but not much regrowth either. There’s a purple tinge to the grass from the wind we’re getting.

Very few cattle out around me. Apparently here in the south-east has got more rain than everywhere else over the past 12 months. Lashing here again now

50HX

Heaviest are out on v dry but rocky 5 acres, plenty of grass on it but they are mowing thru it.…all water

The remainder are still in, down to the last week of feed...back end last year caught me

Can't see stock thriving til 3rd week of month at earliest now so I've gotten a good rate for silage ground to rent it out

Will keep stock numbers at present rate & bale up excess grass at 6-8weeks weather permitting.

kk.man

Passed the Ballon area of Co Carlow this evening. Finest tillage ground in the county and nothing ploughed. Stubble fields lying in water in places. A total disaster of a spring.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121967902#Comment_121967902

We're they on restricted silage for 2 weeks before turning out and hungry before going out. As well into what sort of covers did they go.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121967984#Comment_121967984

I can feed back and front of some pens so any cattle going out are only given a restricted allowance, prob6about 50-60% of what they would normally consume. It means they are hungry going out.

Ideally leave them.out in a fairly bare paddock for first 2-3 days that mea s they have to work to get a full belly. They then lie down to chew the cud and do not do half the walking, rooting or tearing.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121967062#Comment_121967062

Do you mean a chain harrow or disk harrow? I might have to do something similar here and don't really want to use a roller.

Dozer1

I've a Palatine tine harrow, (long term will put an air seeder on it) a few runs in the right conditions should help

ESetter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121967984#Comment_121967984

Same as here, midwest, never seen dry land so waterlogged, all going in again tonight before the floods that are promised, have 25 bales of hay on standby. Cattle in since mid october, normally we get a 4 mth winter

dohc turbo2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121969057#Comment_121969057

I have one too, mighty job, I have the seeder fitter , I'd say it will get plenty use this year

nhg

Had an airseeder fitted to our Rakeman 3000 but sold the airseeder and replaced it with a guttler seeder - no comparison…..

Serious money but we’ll worth it.

Seadin

I have no cattle out yet. I have about 14 bales of silage left. Using around 3 bales a week with strong weanlings. Normally let the cattle out early April but will be a good bit later this year as the land is still wet and hasn't dried enough with all the bad weather.

Conversations 3

Let some out this morning to take the pressure off the slurry tank for a day or two.

Have to see how this storm goes over the weekend. 🫣

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121972726#Comment_121972726

Tomorrow and early Saturday the worst of it. Monday tricky as well but a high pressure starting to push up from the South Wednesday. If that comes up it might clear.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121973098#Comment_121973098

Last week, I nearly cried when a fella said in a WhatsApp group that the weather wouldn't settle until the new moon on 8-April.

Now, I'd be delighted if that's the case!

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121973202#Comment_121973202

My biggest fear is it will not settle with the new moon. Its dose not bear thinking about

White Clover

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121973252#Comment_121973252

That is the danger and there is no guarantee that it will clear. People should start putting plans in place to deal with worst case scenario. The plan hopefully may never be implemented but it will give clarity on the next steps required.

endainoz

Looks to be settling towards the middle of the month. Wait and see, there will probably be drought talk in this thread in about six or eight weeks 😂.

Ground seems decent at the moment, growth probably behind due to the recent cold spell but will always catch up.

endainoz

Just to add to the weather issues 🙈

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121973348#Comment_121973348

Kathleen is going giving us a blow job?

893bet

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121973419#Comment_121973419

yes. A wet one.

Dozer1

Gave up this evening and all back in bar the calved cows as they have a dry ly and shelter. Bucketing down in limerick last few hours on top of last evenings rain. Ah well could always be worse.

Siamsa Sessions

I’m posting the same message and link here as I just did in the dairy chit-chat since it might be relevant for people here too.

There’s a few links, phone numbers, and ideas here on boards if you’re not feeling the best:  https://www.boards.ie/categories/safety-and-off-season

Mind yourselves. And keep talking.

memorystick

Place in scutter. Middling ground showing its true worth this year. Middle of April and the only ploughing done is by cattle!

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122024687#Comment_122024687

Sadly it’s all ground this year

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122024863#Comment_122024863

Ground curing fast though. Have 80% of the cattle out over two weeks now. Rest going out today and tomorrow.

Dunedin

no cattle out here yet. Or actually none out at rhr minute as I had all out at one stage but all back in. Will need a good week in order to get anything out for Saturday.

Water still lying in places.

ESetter

Land here is drying out fast enough, got all blks out yesterday, almost 6 months to the day they went in, hope it stays dry now.

Conversations 3

Have a bunch out, heavier lad in until Thursday and hopefully weather stays right.

Had to gun some slurry out a few weeks ago and some is caked on the grass.

Will the cattle eat around it or should I fence it off?

Will probably have to chain harrow it or top that section.

endainoz

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122025616#Comment_122025616

Cattle won't go near it anyway, might be no harm to chain Harrow when it drys out a bit more.

Robson99

Wouldnt panic with cattle going out if sufficient silage and storage. Penny wise pound foolish come to mind…..

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122025827#Comment_122025827

It’s the middle of April, not January, if there’s grass there and the ground can carry them leaving them in the shed would be the penny wise and pound foolish move.

Robson99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122026356#Comment_122026356

The big problem is that the ground cant carry them and lads panic letting them out and then the land left in a mess

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122026474#Comment_122026474

From what I see most lads are too conservative about turnout. Land will recover fast enough after minor damage, it usually looks a lot worse than it actually is

Danzy

Teagasc lad saying close ground for silage.

No problem boss. I have the entire place closed since Oct.

Thankfully a few light going out today but most of the place is still too wet but drying quickly.

In fairness to the Teagasc lad, he was very aware of the reality for many.

endainoz

Any damage to ground at this point would recover pretty quickly, seriously drying today already. I think a lot of the time lads are afraid of their life of a bit of poaching. I'd prefer to hang on to the bales to use them in November would make far more financial sense.

amacca

depends on the type of ground you have…..some fields I have here they'd sink to their oxters and turn it into a soup of shite in no time, others it would be very light poaching even with heavy two year olds

Dozer1

Left off a good few today great drying out. They'll do a bit of damage but it'll heal quick enough. It was good for the head to see tails in the air as they took off.

For some of them it's the 3rd time being let out and hopefully the last.

I'm down to last 4 bales will get the rest out Saturday all going well.

Anto_Meath

If ground is pouched I fine a bit of hayseed mixed in with the fertiliser and then roll the field is a great job... gets fresh grass into the swart especially if you can get a high clover mix.

Sami23

I'm hoping to let my yearlings out at the weekend. They will be going to rented land until they are sold in the autumn. There is no crush on the land. Going to give them a shot of Multimin but just wondering should I give them any other dose that would help them for the grazing season ?

Thanks

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032877#Comment_122032877

If they were dosed at housing there is no other dose required at present. You shoukd get yourself a portable crush and a bitbof a portable penning. It's grant aided. Fairly generous allowance as well.

Hard Knocks

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032877#Comment_122032877

I’d not give the multi min the day you’re moving as the stress of been moved could counter act. I’d give it today

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122032907#Comment_122032907

They were dosed with Dectomax 3 weeks before housing and dosed with Fluconix around christmas. That's all they got.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122033341#Comment_122033341

There is no point in in giving them any dose IMO

funkey_monkey

Grass is starting to bubble up here now. A bit of decent weather to dry things up a bit and then we can start thinking about letting some stock out.

Dunedin

my ground still way too soft to think of letting anything out.

Have cows and calves in a sacrifice field Calf with pneumonia yesterday evening so had to bring in the pair and had to bring them in through the other fields. The cow was leaving some tracks behind her.