Grazing 2021

I says · 07-03-2021 9:29am

In for another fortnight at least. I’m in no panic grass only coming now. I want them to eat the bales in a part of the yard I’m going putting up a shed. No doubt it’ll be the 1st of may by the time they’ve the bales ate. I got cattle out around this time before but I find if we get any sort of cold nights in late March or early April it stalls regrowth. I’ll sit it out as was said early a fools spring.

endainoz · 07-03-2021 11:55am

Have a heifer, cow and calf out, will let out a couple more calved ones after the rain next week. Weather outlook is decent from a long term point of view.

This "fools spring" craic is a terribly pessimistic view on things too. I prefer to look on the positive side of things. Have decent sheltered fields though so that makes it easier of course.

TooOldBoots · 07-03-2021 12:18pm

A lot of Calendar farmers about. The last 2 weeks have been smashing, cattle out, feed bill reduced, all healthier outside. Lads here talking about cattle in till May!! thats a 6 month winter. ffs if thats the type of farming then they are either overstocked or would be better off trying some other trade

endainoz · 07-03-2021 12:40pm

TooOldBoots wrote: »

A lot of Calendar farmers about. The last 2 weeks have been smashing, cattle out, feed bill reduced, all healthier outside. Lads here talking about cattle in till May!! thats a 6 month winter. ffs if thats the type of farming then they are either overstocked or would be better off trying some other trade

Probably need to try other breeds!

Cavanjack · 07-03-2021 1:11pm

TooOldBoots wrote: »

A lot of Calendar farmers about. The last 2 weeks have been smashing, cattle out, feed bill reduced, all healthier outside. Lads here talking about cattle in till May!! thats a 6 month winter. ffs if thats the type of farming then they are either overstocked or would be better off trying some other trade

Probably the way it is gone with the majority part time. They can only be let out on a Saturday or Sunday and you don’t like letting them out if it’s going to be cold for the week so you need a reasonable week ahead. Then lads will say if they are away all day and it’s still dark in the evening they can’t check them properly until the following Saturday. So this also delays turnout until mid to late March.
At the end of the day for all the money that’s in it for the sake of two or three weeks I wouldn’t get too excited about letting them out. So I wouldn’t knock lads for keeping them in that bit longer.
Saying that I will try and start letting them out next week and do like to have most of them out come the beginning of April.

tanko · 07-03-2021 1:43pm

TooOldBoots wrote: »

A lot of Calendar farmers about. The last 2 weeks have been smashing, cattle out, feed bill reduced, all healthier outside. Lads here talking about cattle in till May!! thats a 6 month winter. ffs if thats the type of farming then they are either overstocked or would be better off trying some other trade[/QUOTE.

Land around here is just too soft and wet to let cattle out yet. Nobody wants to have cattle in for six months but many farmers don't have any choice.
It's nothing to do with being overstocked either.

MIKEKC · 07-03-2021 2:32pm

tanko wrote: »

Surely it's up to them to keep the deer fenced in properly. If they can't be bothered doing this i suppose there isn't much you can do about it.

The deer are classed as wild animals, nobody owns them . When they come onto a road and cause an accident people normally have to rely on their insurance to compensate. I know the local Co Council can de sued but it's like suing when you hit a pothole.

DBK1 · 07-03-2021 2:45pm

endainoz wrote: »

Have a heifer, cow and calf out, will let out a couple more calved ones after the rain next week. Weather outlook is decent from a long term point of view.

This "fools spring" craic is a terribly pessimistic view on things too. I prefer to look on the positive side of things. Have decent sheltered fields though so that makes it easier of course.

I’d have to agree on that. I’d be more thinking it’s a fool that isn’t taking advantage of the “fools spring” we have!

Where my stock are there’s not another neighbouring farmer with stock out as it’s heavy ground and they think I’m mad. But you just have to pick and choose where they go. Over the ditch from where they’re grazing now I was trying to get hedges cut last week before the deadline. I went up in the jeep to open gates and take down wires and sunk the jeep. Water lying on the top of the ground, not a hope of getting the hedge cutter in.

So obviously I won’t be grazing that field but there’s plenty of options on the dryer patches and just stick up a few temporary fences. A small bit extra work but with good reward. Happier healthier and better thriving animals for a fraction of the cost of shed feeding.

whelan2 · 07-03-2021 2:45pm

Was talking to a man at the football pitch this morning. He let out his stock 2 weeks ago and brought them all back in yesterday. No grass left, no growth. April 10th is the normal date to have cows out by night here.

DBK1 · 07-03-2021 3:03pm

Just got a picture from a friend of mine in Kerry and he has a fusion in baling silage today!

whelan2 · 07-03-2021 3:09pm

DBK1 wrote: »

Just got a picture from a friend of mine in Kerry and he has a fusion in baling silage today!

I'm assuming that's what couldn't be baled last backend.

Who2 · 07-03-2021 3:17pm

I let out some cows and calves yesterday, I’ve a fair bit of picking but growth is still slow, I rather letting it kick off properly before letting all out. Hopefully next weekend I’ll be letting out weanlings heifers as I’d usually have them out earlier but to be honest it’s the easiest option for me currently to manage them from the shed for another bit. The joys of part time farming.

DBK1 · 07-03-2021 3:17pm

whelan2 wrote: »

I'm assuming that's what couldn't be baled last backend.

Yea I think so. There’d hardly be great feeding in it but I suppose it’ll have the field cleaned off for a nice regrowth.

Mooooo · 07-03-2021 3:22pm

If ye can let some out to get a rotation going on the grass at least ye wouldn't have a feast or famine scenario on the grass then in a few weeks. Get fert/ slurry out if ye can as well

Reggie. · 07-03-2021 8:16pm

DBK1 wrote: »

Just got a picture from a friend of mine in Kerry and he has a fusion in baling silage today!

Thats messing

Say my name · 07-03-2021 8:51pm

DBK1 wrote: »

Just got a picture from a friend of mine in Kerry and he has a fusion in baling silage today!

There was one going the road up here today too.
I assumed the operator was after buying it or something. They already have a fusion. Your post has me wondering now!
The operator then went on with an agitator and the son the slurry tanker.

Today was a real Sun day..ðŸ˜႒

DBK1 · 07-03-2021 9:22pm

Reggie. wrote: »

Thats messing

It was third or maybe 4th cut that should have been cut last September but weather didn’t allow. Far too heavy for grazing now and a lot of it probably dying off after the winter.

I think he done the right thing, at least when he fertilises it now he’ll have good quality silage around the middle of May. If all this rain comes during the week it could be another few weeks before it’s be dry enough again to get into so at least it’s out of the way now.

jd_12345 · 08-03-2021 12:41am

Cows out full time here. Yearling heifers went out on outblock yesterday. 2 acres/heifer there. Have bullocks still in shed at that farm. They'll go out after magic day. The main thing is to get a small number of cattle out early imo so ground has a chance to recover. Moving away from tight grazing here too. Give them enough area and leave them there till its cleaned off. Small plots are a joke imo. More grass rotavated than eaten

Bass Reeves · 08-03-2021 7:50pm

I says wrote: »

In for another fortnight at least. I’m in no panic grass only coming now. I want them to eat the bales in a part of the yard I’m going putting up a shed. No doubt it’ll be the 1st of may by the time they’ve the bales ate. I got cattle out around this time before but I find if we get any sort of cold nights in late March or early April it stalls regrowth. I’ll sit it out as was said early a fools spring.

Too much grass is as bad as too little. Have good covers on 18-20 of the 25 acres of silage ground. Must graze it off before April. Left another 26 off today I have nearly 40 out now. Two year old bullocks about 4-500 kgs. Forecast is 6mm of rain both Wednesday and Thursday and 10m Friday and Saturday. I opened up the gates between the pens 3 weeks ago and cattle not as lively as normally going out. In very good condition considering that they were on silage only for the winter.

Will bring 6-8 to the field around the house later in the week and let the rest off as well. It was the 26th of March last year at turn out.

Dunedin · 08-03-2021 9:22pm

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Two year old bullocks about 4-500 kgs. Forecast is 6mm of rain both Wednesday and Thursday and 100m Friday and Saturday. .

You must have serious dry land to let out cattle with 100mm rain forecast

Bass Reeves · 08-03-2021 9:23pm

Dunedin wrote: »

You must have serious dry land to let out cattle with 100mm rain forecast

10mm a day sorry

I says · 09-03-2021 12:01am

Bass Reeves wrote: »

Too much grass is as bad as too little. Have good covers on 18-20 of the 25 acres of silage ground. Must graze it off before April. Left another 26 off today I have nearly 40 out now. Two year old bullocks about 4-500 kgs. Forecast is 6mm of rain both Wednesday and Thursday and 10m Friday and Saturday. I opened up the gates between the pens 3 weeks ago and cattle not as lively as normally going out. In very good condition considering that they were on silage only for the winter.

Will bring 6-8 to the field around the house later in the week and let the rest off as well. It was the 26th of March last year at turn out.

The last few years when I let them out this early I work from the ends in by strip grazing and meet in the middle. Grass in coming but I’m in no rush another fortnight will be grand. I never graze the silage ground in the spring I find if I do the cattle don’t thrive on the silage( my own observation).

Good loser · 09-03-2021 12:38am

I says wrote: »

The last few years when I let them out this early I work from the ends in by strip grazing and meet in the middle. Grass in coming but I’m in no rush another fortnight will be grand. I never graze the silage ground in the spring I find if I do the cattle don’t thrive on the silage( my own observation).

Grazing in Spring before stopping for silage is supposed to increase the digestibility of that silage by 3 units. Say from 68 to 71.

Bass Reeves · 09-03-2021 1:04am

I says wrote: »

The last few years when I let them out this early I work from the ends in by strip grazing and meet in the middle. Grass in coming but I’m in no rush another fortnight will be grand. I never graze the silage ground in the spring I find if I do the cattle don’t thrive on the silage( my own observation).

Grazing silage ground should improve quality without severely hitting quantity. I try to avoid strip grazing as it crucifies regrowth. I paddock graze as much as possible. Expect to have silage ground grazed by April 1st and will fertlize with Slurry and N. I try to cut as soon aroubd May 25 th

whelan2 · 09-03-2021 9:51pm

How's the grazing going now? There's a gale blowing here atm and rain

DBK1 · 09-03-2021 11:05pm

whelan2 wrote: »

How's the grazing going now? There's a gale blowing here atm and rain

Still going anyway! Very windy here as well. A bit of heavy rain for about 2 hours this eve. I done the herding in the middle of the rain at about 5 expecting them to be huddled under the ditch and they were all out in the middle of the field grazing away and happy out.

I’ll see how they go over the next few days. If the weather deteriorates too much they can be brought back to the shed.

memorystick · 09-03-2021 11:09pm

Weather to improve after the weekend so out for Paddy’s Day.

Bass Reeves · 09-03-2021 11:15pm

whelan2 wrote: »

How's the grazing going now? There's a gale blowing here atm and rain

It too cold and wet to look at them☺️

lakill Farm · 10-03-2021 1:09pm

what sort of quality would that silage be ?

24 acres of grass offered to me. Got fertiliser and slurry mid march 2020 and never touched then

Its not fenced for sheep and owner doesn't want cattle

Option is take it for silage soon or may hay but run the risk of a second growth coming through it

DBK1 wrote: »

It was third or maybe 4th cut that should have been cut last September but weather didn’t allow. Far too heavy for grazing now and a lot of it probably dying off after the winter.

I think he done the right thing, at least when he fertilises it now he’ll have good quality silage around the middle of May. If all this rain comes during the week it could be another few weeks before it’s be dry enough again to get into so at least it’s out of the way now.

endainoz · 10-03-2021 1:22pm

whelan2 wrote: »

How's the grazing going now? There's a gale blowing here atm and rain

Going grand, cattle are smart enough to find sheltered areas. No animal will be joining them untill next week though.

Grazing 2021

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