Grass measuring 2015

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

30 gr
Afc 523
186 per cow
Looks like we'll get out under the wire with no silage. 2nd round starting tomorrow but farm looks to be taking off

Alot of low covers here.
Going to stretch 1st round for another ten days.

frazzledhome

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Alot of low covers here.
Going to stretch 1st round for another ten days.

How?

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

How?

Silage
milked by 8.30 silage till ten.
up at 3 for silage milk at 5.
on it for last 2 days and yeild holding okay. Will see about solids in a few days

trixi2011

Ye are making me jealous with your growth rates.
Afc 410
Growth 6
Cover per cow 158
Half cows in day half in at night

Greengrass1

Think this yr we will spread every week or ten days on what was grazed.
should get more even growth and not peaks and troughs that you might get with blanket spreading

Greengrass1

Think this yr we will spread every week or ten days on what was grazed.
should get more even growth and not peaks and troughs that you might get with blanket spreading

freedominacup

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Think this yr we will spread every week or ten days on what was grazed.
should get more even growth and not peaks and troughs that you might get with blanket spreading

I'm sticking with the blanket spreading for the moment. Bag of urea today and bag and a half of can on limed ground. I was in every paddock on the farm today. Well over 1000 on most of the paddocks earmarked for start of next rotation middle of next week. Could increase buffer if needs be. Plenty of wholecrop in pit. Solids falling a bit. 3.5 & 4.3 atm. Pr back from 3.7 ten days ago. Lot of cows calved in the meantime.

frazzledhome

We're moving away from blanket spreading, more for logistical reasons than anything else. Plan is to spread 33% of farm each week rather than the big pressure to spread all together

Greengrass1

Would be vert humid thus morning if the wind wasn't as high.

Timmaay

Haven't measured here since 2wks ago, but eyeballed the few early grazed paddocks today decent growth on them, we'll be well on for round 2 the middle of next week. More nitrogen needed tho, my dad taking his time getting around to do it so I'm thinking of getting in the contractor to blanket spread and do all the silage ground also! He'd be alot more accurate than with our old wagtail also ha.

Greengrass1

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Farm cover 442
cover per cow 299
gr 5
Might as well say no growth here.
even on reseeds that got 2 bags of 15 10 10
ten days ago. Hardly got washed away with those 3/4 days heavy rain we had?

Gr 16
Farm cover 435
Cover pet cow 275
cows getting 6/7 kg silage 4 kg meal and about 4 grass. 2nd round will start on Sunday.
First paddock at 1120 1000 and 960
down to 500s aft er that

Timmaay

Magic day abit away yet!

trixi2011

afc 375
growth 7
cows on 6 grass 5 meal and 6 silage/potatoes

Greengrass1

trixi2011 wrote: »

afc 375
growth 7
cows on 6 grass 5 meal and 6 silage/potatoes

Do you think your afc is very low?
I'd like to get mine up to 500 before I start the second rotation

ellewood

Farm cover 738
per Lu 294
Gr 20
D 24

Dissapointed with Gr and this harsh wind wont help either

Was going to let off another bunch today but leave off half of them tomorrow once finished 2nd round of fert

trixi2011

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Do you think your afc is very low?
I'd like to get mine up to 500 before I start the second rotation

yip its to low but its going to go lower wont be starting 2nd rotation for another 2 weeks if we keep cows to only 6kg of grass we should have enough area till then. A lot of lads in dg down to 250 need some good weather to get growth going, soil temp back to 5 today

Greengrass1

trixi2011 wrote: »

yip its to low but its going to go lower wont be starting 2nd rotation for another 2 weeks if we keep cows to only 6kg of grass we should have enough area till then. A lot of lads in dg down to 250 need some good weather to get growth going, soil temp back to 5 today

I left my thermometer in a field today on way to get cows. Can't find it niw

Timmaay

trixi2011 wrote: »

yip its to low but its going to go lower wont be starting 2nd rotation for another 2 weeks if we keep cows to only 6kg of grass we should have enough area till then. A lot of lads in dg down to 250 need some good weather to get growth going, soil temp back to 5 today

Grazing down to a AFC of 250 this time of the year not utter suicide?, It will take weeks to recover back to anything worth grazing again!! I'd have taken the hit afew weeks ago and carefully budgeted out the grass to stretch it if AFCs heading that low. What do all of yous have to plug the large hole now? Please dont say grass silage!!

mahoney_j

34 gr
570 afc
196 per ow

I'm happy enough with those figures,grass really starting to move.second round starting Friday and have a nice wedge of wholecrop and heap of bales and 40 acres of 76 Dmd silage in pit.cows eating 3 kg of wholecrop at night once grass is finished.going to have all silage ground out next week and Sr. Going up to 4.2.need a few mild days but well covered

trixi2011

Timmaay wrote: »

Grazing down to a AFC of 250 this time of the year not utter suicide?, It will take weeks to recover back to anything worth grazing again!! I'd have taken the hit afew weeks ago and carefully budgeted out the grass to stretch it if AFCs heading that low. What do all of yous have to plug the large hole now? Please dont say grass silage!!

We are at 350/360 at the moment and shouldn't drop much lower few lads in dg down at 250 tho . Have been feeding since the middle of feb one herd in during day and one in at night. Feeding 6 kg of a silage/vita gold and potatoes mix and 5 kg of meal in the parlour and 6kg of grass. situation is totally down to the lack of growth with paddocks that were grazed in early feb as low as 100. highest cover for second rotation is 450

freedominacup

trixi2011 wrote: »

We are at 350/360 at the moment and shouldn't drop much lower few lads in dg down at 250 tho . Have been feeding since the middle of feb one herd in during day and one in at night. Feeding 6 kg of a silage/vita gold and potatoes mix and 5 kg of meal in the parlour and 6kg of grass. situation is totally down to the lack of growth with paddocks that were grazed in early feb as low as 100. highest cover for second rotation is 450

I think most of us have been there at some point trixi. You'll just have to supplement until growth comes. Shows the limitations that far north.

trixi2011

freedominacup wrote: »

I think most of us have been there at some point trixi. You'll just have to supplement until growth comes. Shows the limitations that far north.

Defiantly some limitations this far north alright, plenty of feed going to have to go in for the next few weeks and hope that there's going to be an explosion of growth very soon

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

34 gr
570 afc
196 per ow

I'm happy enough with those figures,grass really starting to move.second round starting Friday and have a nice wedge of wholecrop and heap of bales and 40 acres of 76 Dmd silage in pit.cows eating 3 kg of wholecrop at night once grass is finished.going to have all silage ground out next week and Sr. Going up to 4.2.need a few mild days but well covered

Don't cone in here bragging like that.
depress us all

mahoney_j

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Don't cone in here bragging like that.
depress us all

Figures look good but demand is high and going to get higher.luckily I have lots of good options to fill any gaps.a spell of mild weather would be welcome and place would transform as loads of fertiliser out ,reseeded ground and place peeled on first round

Greengrass1

mahoney_j wrote: »

Figures look good but demand is high and going to get higher.luckily I have lots of good options to fill any gaps.a spell of mild weather would be welcome and place would transform as loads of fertiliser out ,reseeded ground and place peeled on first round

Ive 30 bales left here at home. Hope I don't have to start drawing from out farm

Timmaay

About 20ft left in the milkers pit (1st cut silage and maize), hardly worth keeping so I'll buffer feed on the maize and give the silage to the dries. Almost a full pit of grass silage in the outfarm also still!

whelan2

everywhere is very wet, let cows back in there an hour ago, will take a fair bit of drying to get back on track, plenty of silage left

Greengrass1

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Gr 16
Farm cover 435
Cover pet cow 275
cows getting 6/7 kg silage 4 kg meal and about 4 grass. 2nd round will start on Sunday.
First paddock at 1120 1000 and 960
down to 500s aft er that

Some turn around in 6 days

Farm cover 627
cover per cow 380
GR 49.
No more silage will cut meal down to 3 kgs

Greengrass1

Silage ground locked up
SR 2.55
Grazing ground now at 786 afc
cover per cow at 308
gr 60

Midfield9

10 Days since last measure
Growth 34.8
AFC 700
Cover L/U 180
LU/HA 3.87
Cow on 6.5kg Maize/Beet + 6kg meal
Have a poor paddock taken out for silage in that too. Will be sprayed and reseeded. 4/4.5 days till start of second round. New to this measuring but fairly comfotrable i think. 2 weeks maize and 10 days beet left

frazzledhome

Midfield9 wrote: »

10 Days since last measure
Growth 34.8
AFC 700
Cover L/U 180
LU/HA 3.87
Cow on 6.5kg Maize/Beet + 6kg meal
Have a poor paddock taken out for silage in that too. Will be sprayed and reseeded. 4/4.5 days till start of second round. New to this measuring but fairly comfotrable i think. 2 weeks maize and 10 days beet left

I'm estimating 8 kg fed and 9 from grass giving you a demand of 34.8 so your spot on matching gr and demand. You'd want to keep a good eye on gr and reduce extra feed as you go

frazzledhome

200 per cow
606 Afc
40 gr
1.7 tonne grown to date, cant beat lagoon slurry and lashings of N
Next paddock 1400
Grass walking out of the ground. 100 units of N out with bag of Asn this week going out. Silage getting topped up with Asn this week also

Brown Podzol

Are you still following the cows with dilute slurry?

freedominacup

frazzledhome wrote: »

200 per cow
606 Afc
40 gr
1.7 tonne grown to date, cant beat lagoon slurry and lashings of N
Next paddock 1400
Grass walking out of the ground. 100 units of N out with bag of Asn this week going out. Silage getting topped up with Asn this week also

70 gone out here so far. Bag and a half of ASN ordered for this week. Only 25 acres stopped so far but looks like another 23-25 will be out this week. Ground for wholecropbeing grazed this week. Sr on grazing will be heading over 4 at that stage so unlikely too much more will be stopped.

Greengrass1

frazzledhome wrote: »

200 per cow
606 Afc
40 gr
1.7 tonne grown to date, cant beat lagoon slurry and lashings of N
Next paddock 1400
Grass walking out of the ground. 100 units of N out with bag of Asn this week going out. Silage getting topped up with Asn this week also

Is that 1.7 Inc what grass was there on first round?
If so I've 1.9 grown.
pasture base giving me a figure of 936 grown since paddocks were grazed

trixi2011

afc 515
gr 33
cover per cow 180
grass is flying it here now and the geese have fecked off back to the artic so no more paddocks of grass disappearing

frazzledhome

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Is that 1.7 Inc what grass was there on first round?
If so I've 1.9 grown.
pasture base giving me a figure of 936 grown since paddocks were grazed

Since first measure of 15

Midfield9

frazzledhome wrote: »

I'm estimating 8 kg fed and 9 from grass giving you a demand of 34.8 so your spot on matching gr and demand. You'd want to keep a good eye on gr and reduce extra feed as you go

Thanks, but that's 6.5kg DM of maize/beet. Ive a fairly big holstein type cow. Ive put 11 kg DM of grass into the wedge to give a demand of 42. I don't really know to be honest, just throwing figures at it trying to get to grips with actually putting figures on it. Just under half autumn calvers too.
Need to use the last of the maize as there is no point in closing what's left as it will just end up as a pile of dung.

Timmaay

GR 19 (from 11th March to now)
AFC 778
CC 250
Demand 50

40% of the farm out for 1st cut at the minute, leaving the SR at 3.1, If growth kicks off bigtime this will hopefully rise to 4.5. Not enough N out yet though! Cows still getting a buffer of maize, only 15ft left in the pit, so we'll use it all up. Cut back the nuts according, decent few cows knocking out 35l+ so at least the maize isn't going to waste. Fty gone for the minute with the new parlour also!

whelan2

putting out fertiliser on silage ground today, 21-2-10 with 2 sulphur going at 4 bags to the acre. serious growth this last couple of day, hope to have cows out at night at the end of the week

browned

Growth 25.3
Farm cover. 695
Lu/ha. 2.5
Demand. 41.4
Cover/lu. 278

Cows out day and night as calve feb 1st
1-2 repl out full time feb 15th
0-1 repl out since mar 1st

All stock bar calves on grass only. They'll hopefully graze through the surplus by the time growth catches up and will be taking paddocks out for reseeding from next week onwards.

Deepsouthwest

browned wrote: »

Growth 25.3
Farm cover. 695
Lu/ha. 2.5
Demand. 41.4
Cover/lu. 278

Cows out day and night as calve feb 1st
1-2 repl out full time feb 15th
0-1 repl out since mar 1st

All stock bar calves on grass only. They'll hopefully graze through the surplus by the time growth catches up and will be taking paddocks out for reseeding from next week onwards.

Was chatting to an advisor today who had what we'll call a reliable source who was adamant his long range forecast was showing a major drop in temps for mid to late April, with the 17th being the lowest at 4 degrees, culminating in v tight grass supply in late april. We'll have to wait and see!

Timmaay

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Was chatting to an advisor today who had what we'll call a reliable source who was adamant his long range forecast was showing a major drop in temps for mid to late April, with the 17th being the lowest at 4 degrees, culminating in v tight grass supply in late april. We'll have to wait and see!

Reliable, and "long range forecast" should not be in the same sentence.

Greengrass1

Is 3 days too long in the one paddock for cows?
should I be splitting them into 36/48 hr blocks?

freedominacup

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Is 3 days too long in the one paddock for cows?
should I be splitting them into 36/48 hr blocks?

In one block yes. Taking out a good few divisions here this year. Too inflexible. Use backfence.

Greengrass1

freedominacup wrote: »

In one block yes. Taking out a good few divisions here this year. Too inflexible. Use backfence.

few fields here perfect size fir 130 cows but with cow numbers atm they will be staying in 3 days
would I be hitting much regrowth grazing whole field for 3 days

freedominacup

Greengrass1 wrote: »

few fields here perfect size fir 130 cows but with cow numbers atm they will be staying in 3 days
would I be hitting much regrowth grazing whole field for 3 days

Similar problem here in places. Running strip fence to water. You end up with some odd shaped strips. Plenty of entrances to most problem blocks so backfencing is straightforward. If they're not going back on previously grazed stuff probably not worth the effort of worrying about it.

Greengrass1

freedominacup wrote: »

Similar problem here in places. Running strip fence to water. You end up with some odd shaped strips. Plenty of entrances to most problem blocks so backfencing is straightforward. If they're not going back on previously grazed stuff probably not worth the effort of worrying about it.

Split up first paddock cows in 3 days and still have a bit of grazing left on it this morning.
The regrowth on first half they grazed is massive and thus field of grass could be 30 yrs old

browned

Deepsouthwest wrote: »

Was chatting to an advisor today who had what we'll call a reliable source who was adamant his long range forecast was showing a major drop in temps for mid to late April, with the 17th being the lowest at 4 degrees, culminating in v tight grass supply in late april. We'll have to wait and see!

Could easily be right, it's very early in the month to be getting too excited yet. given I don't have any out farms I stagger both reseeding and silage. Will plough up 2/30 paddocks at any one date and take out only 3/30 paddocks for silage at any one date. Gives me more options I. Tge long run

Deepsouthwest

Timmaay wrote: »

Reliable, and "long range forecast" should not be in the same sentence.

Ur right I should prob have put reliable in inverted commas!