Grazing 2023

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.

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?

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.

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.

It's a pure swamp here...no chance of drying at all. There's not a four legged beast out for miles around.

The only concession is if we do get a bit of dry weather ground will dry quickly.

Not much point in having grass and you can't utilise it.

This morning I let out some light cattle that I would like to clean off and improve on grass before selling on,

going is definitely soft though so it'll need a weeks drying before the cows see the grass

Yea today some contrast to yesterday. That northern wind was blowing in on lambing shed yesterday and it was feeezing. Letting lambs out today and it’s lovely and mild

Years back I ploughed two fields here to reseed. With one of them I think it has significantly reduced it performance. Now I would not have a great dept of top soil. The rest of the farm was just disced. I will never have a plough inside the gate again

Yea some difference in 24 hours. Fantastic morning out

Week ahead isn't promised great, turning cold again. There's no going back in but it would make grass management harder. Serious amount of flowers out now on the grass, anyone with hayfever like myself is suffering these days with all the pollen

Summer???? We haven’t had Spring yet.

Noticed some growth 2 days ago as the grass in the hedges came out well

Thankfully we didn't get the rain forecasted for yesterday got a group of maiden heifers out this morning