Beef grazing 2024

mr.stonewall

Completely turned for the better especially over the past 3 days. Heat is in the ground now after a bit of sunshine. Grass is starting to bomb

funkey_monkey

Is everyone fully out yet?

Thinking about getting some out here in next few weeks. Very little stock on fields yet. How are things out west?

Jb1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122135145#Comment_122135145

Yes out. Not good your only heading out now. Is land still not trafficable?

funkey_monkey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122135165#Comment_122135165

Managed to get the silage fert spread, but there has been little growth in the grazing fields.

In next week or so they'll have to go out.

Conversations 3

Mine are all out, in briefly last week but out again.

Silage ready to go this week, then pressure off for a while I hope.

Spreading 25 units of 29-0-14+S on grazed fields this week so should see grass flying up.

Bass Reeves

Wish I had a flow like this

20240515_194700.jpg

Solar pump up and working

20240515_193651.jpg

Sillycave

what would be a good ration to fatten cattle at grass?

Robson99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151408#Comment_122151408

Work a nut ..they wont waste as much at the trough…12-13% protein with high qty of maize

DBK1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151408#Comment_122151408

A dry 3 or 4 way mix with plenty of maize. I use a mix from a local merchant, maize, barley, soya hulls, citrus and a bit of minerals added in. Get great results with it and it’s well priced. Barley and maize make up near 3/4’s of the mix so plenty of power in it.

50HX

Is it worth goin straight 50/50 mix maize barley?

cute geoge

How do lads find the 2nd round growth coming .I got them out the 15th April marking a small bit the 1st week on my driest field and still looks like I will have to keep grazing 1st round grass for another week at least ,growth is dismell .I went with about 30 units of Urea after graing which was skint at the time and after 3 weeks now and its not much with more then green .Is it just that bit too cold yet as I am going North as well just no flush of growth yet on old ground as well .Are the rest of ye happy with the 2nd round growth and have ye much of it grazed

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122152221#Comment_122152221

I think much of the country is similar.

Ground is still saturated even if it’s dry on the surface and we’ve been getting downpours randomly to keep it wet. I put on the spinner to spread sulcan on paddocks on Thursday but said I’d check them on the off chance they were still soft after the rain. It was trafficable but there was still some patches where I’d have marked the ground so I took the spinner off again. That’ll affect regrowth for the next round.

The temp has been up and down too and I’m guessing grass doesn’t like growing in cold wet water, even if there is fertiliser gone out.

I’m doing weekly grass walks and things are improving but the lads in the paper are not as reflective of the whole country as the paper implies.

morphy87

how are people finding there ground conditions? I have fields that would be considered dry and I grazed them first and they are saturated still, and still holding water, ground must be soaking underneath

Dozer1

Same as that, right or wrong chanced rolling 2 badly poached paddocks today water splashing in placed ahead of the roller. Regrowth very slow.

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122151698#Comment_122151698

What type of nut/ration would be good for yearlings out at grass that I will be selling in October as stores.

Would a 16% nut be good enough. Just want something to keep them tipping away and keep them quiet also for getting into the pen later in year.

Gave them Multimin going out and will give a few lick buckets to them over the summer also. Don't plan on dosing them.

Silverdream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160869#Comment_122160869

Dosing is cheaper than nuts/ration, a cheap Albendazole drench is good enough along with rotational grazing. Otherwise you could be throwing away money on ration.

A 16% nut is is ideal, no need to over feed them if they've grass

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122154828#Comment_122154828

Had to roll some of my ground as I'd cattle out since February. Rolling definitely sets the ground back but had to be done

Robson99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160869#Comment_122160869

I would leave them till the 1st August and then go with 3kg / head / day. Yes 16% fine

50HX

If you only want to keep them quiet & easier for moving the cheapest nut goin will do.

Wouldn't invest in ration/nut unless you want to put on weight but you spending .money for the nxt buyer.

If they had top quality silage this winter I wouldn't give them ration over the winter

jfh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122160869#Comment_122160869

Would you give everything multimin or just the poorer animals, expensive stuff

Cavanjack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122161537#Comment_122161537

Agree, no need to be feeding meal to stores this time of the year.
No need for the multi min either unless there is a known vitamin issue.

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122162536#Comment_122162536

Yeah I gave it to all the yearlings but small numbers here so not that much of a cost.

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122161229#Comment_122161229

When would you recommend dosing them with the Albendazole. They are out since middle if April.

When I say I'm giving them the 16% nut they wouldn't be getting that much. Just enough to make it easy to move them around the fields after me and they might only get the nuts every second day most of the time.

Like I said it's really to keep them quiet as the pen on this rented land where they are is quite small so hard enough get them into it so find best way is to have the trough in there when they used to it so can close gate behind them.

Thanks everyone for the replies and advice and if they were at home with better facilities I probably wouldn't feed them over the summer either.

Silverdream

The best way is try to get past 8 weeks after turnout then if you hear them coughing or notice them very loose dung or dirty backsides then its time to dose. Repeat dose again 6 weeks after and try to keep a 3 week grass rotation if you can

funkey_monkey

Anyone still doing strip grazing or has it fallen out of favour?

Conversations 3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122164227#Comment_122164227

I still do it, bit more work moving the fences but a better chance to view the animals, and grass growth also less topping so less diesel used.

kk.man

No matter what grazing is being carried out so far in 2024, the whole thing is a disaster. Monsoon type rain here atm even in the worst of this winters rain is no comparison to what has fallen in the last hour. Fields are going to be in serious bother now, no silage cut and this land is termed dry. Anyway folks keep her lit.

Siamsa Sessions

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122165830#Comment_122165830

Dry farm here too and some fields are still soft after the latest rain. The cattle aren't content either when their dinner is wet and soggy most of the time.

Cavanjack

We seem to be escaping most of the rain and have only had half an inch in May. Small shower just fell now but brightening up again.

Are ye going out with much fertilizer on grazing ground yet? Everything here got 23 units of urea after the first round of grazing. Heading into the 3rd now and growth doesn’t seem hectic. Looks like I may go again to keep it ahead of them till silage is cut. Would usually have very little spread at this time of the year.

kk.man

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122166355#Comment_122166355

A bag to the acre on one third of the grazing platform..silage ground is fertilised… a lot of fertiliser in the shed.

Talking to one of the biggest agricultural contractors in the se over the weekend..I asked him if they were busy.. very very quiet was his reply.

Dunedin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122165830#Comment_122165830

I feel your pain. I’m in paddock system here. Always seem to end moving cattle to the wettest paddocks to coincide with the heaviest rain.