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blanket spread vs rotational spreading

  • 29-04-2014 06:57AM
    #1
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭


    Which is better?
    Do ye muss out on growth with rotational spreading?


Comments

  • #2
    kevthegaff
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,084 ✭✭✭kevthegaff


    at the moment im rotational spreading as im up the walls, but i prefer blanket spreading when the weather permits!


  • #3
    satstheway
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 832 ✭✭✭satstheway


    When you blanket spread do you miss the one the cows are in.?


  • #4
    trixi2011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,536 ✭✭✭trixi2011


    Greengrass1 wrote: »
    Which is better?
    Do ye muss out on growth with rotational spreading?
    Do you not miss out on growth more with blanket spreading ????


  • #5
    RightTurnClyde
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,141 ✭✭✭RightTurnClyde


    Blanket spread here. Used to spread after the cows, but it meant a tractor tied up on the spreader and every few days it was taking too much time.
    Bigger spreader on tractor now, takes 1 day every 20-22 days( this time of year). Job done. I don't see any real drop in growth, your able to pick your day weather wise and do the whole place.
    The paddock with the cows in it get done that evening driving in the cows, or the next morning before the spreader is taken off.


  • #6
    Gillespy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,524 ✭✭✭Gillespy


    Blanket spread the farm twice, bag of urea and then two bags of cut sward. Following the cows now with two bags of 18-6-12, got it in small bags so it makes it easier. Doesn't sit well with me having fert in the yard when there's such growth and fields to spread.


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  • #7
    Milked out
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,433 ✭✭✭Milked out


    Follow the cows here, always have bar the first application maybe. Advisor is adamant excess nitrogen in grass when consumed can cause embryo mortality, neighbour doesn't think its a big issue but i'm winter as wwell so cows are being turned out incalf whereas he is all spring. Dunno if any research was done on it


  • #8
    frazzledhome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,278 ✭✭✭frazzledhome


    Blanket here, do cow paddock while in parlour

    My view is you'll grow more grass


  • #9
    f140
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 875 ✭✭✭f140


    do ye spread in paddocks that cows will be in the day after? is that not bad for them


  • #10
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,603 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    frazzledhome wrote: »
    Blanket here, do cow paddock while in parlour

    My view is you'll grow more grass

    Dose thischave any affect on milk urea?????.i ask this as my milk urea is struggling to get over 18 at moment ,solids and yields are very good and cows are on a hi energy hi maize 16% nut .thecurea results are telling me cows aren't getting enough protein which I know is incorrect.anyway I blanket spread up to early to mud April and from now to late sumner I follow cows.spread no more than twice a week


  • #11
    sheebadog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,246 ✭✭✭sheebadog


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Dose thischave any affect on milk urea?????.i ask this as my milk urea is struggling to get over 18 at moment ,solids and yields are very good and cows are on a hi energy hi maize 16% nut .thecurea results are telling me cows aren't getting enough protein which I know is incorrect.anyway I blanket spread up to early to mud April and from now to late sumner I follow cows.spread no more than twice a week

    I live by it Mahoney! If milk urea is low they are NOT getting enough protein.
    Try them with a couple of Kg's of soya and see production go through the roof!
    Careful though as too much milk urea WILL cause embryo mortality.
    On grass urea should be circa 30 to 34.


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  • #12
    Viewtodiefor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,217 ✭✭✭Viewtodiefor


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Dose thischave any affect on milk urea?????.i ask this as my milk urea is struggling to get over 18 at moment ,solids and yields are very good and cows are on a hi energy hi maize 16% nut .thecurea results are telling me cows aren't getting enough protein which I know is incorrect.anyway I blanket spread up to early to mud April and from now to late sumner I follow cows.spread no more than twice a week

    Have seen this with a few lads locally including myself, even though they have plenty to eat urea struggling to get up to mid twenties . Don't know why


  • #13
    Viewtodiefor
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,217 ✭✭✭Viewtodiefor


    Viewtodiefor wrote: »
    Have seen this with a few lads locally including myself, even though they have plenty to eat urea struggling to get up to mid twenties . Don't know why

    Ps. I'm wondering is it the nitrogen in lush grass causing it?


  • #14
    Milked out
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,433 ✭✭✭Milked out


    f140 wrote: »
    do ye spread in paddocks that cows will be in the day after? is that not bad for them

    Once conditions are dry that the fert won't actually stick to the grass it should be fine I'd say, if its damp when spreading the granules may stick and that may cause an issue alrite


  • #15
    Milked out
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,433 ✭✭✭Milked out


    Viewtodiefor wrote: »
    Ps. I'm wondering is it the nitrogen in lush grass causing it?

    We don't get urea tests here yet, but would the n in the gras not cause the urea figure to go up?


  • #16
    frazzledhome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,278 ✭✭✭frazzledhome


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Dose thischave any affect on milk urea?????.i ask this as my milk urea is struggling to get over 18 at moment ,solids and yields are very good and cows are on a hi energy hi maize 16% nut .thecurea results are telling me cows aren't getting enough protein which I know is incorrect.anyway I blanket spread up to early to mud April and from now to late sumner I follow cows.spread no more than twice a week

    Good question. Mine is between 30 and 34 go last 6 collections, telling me all is well from a pro point of view. We are feeding 12% nut at 2 kg. Mahoney try blanket for one round I don't know if it'll help but it grows more grass as higher covers really explode immediately after spreading

    Sheeba, too much p at breeding while it pushes out milk can have a very dramatic and quick affect on BCS. While I want cows to peak well I don't want to knock BCS in any way.

    Don't worry about cows I've spread 10 mins before they came to a paddock and no bother in fact at our heifer place I'd be spreading with cattle in the paddocks


  • #17
    Gillespy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,524 ✭✭✭Gillespy


    Milked out wrote: »
    Once conditions are dry that the fert won't actually stick to the grass it should be fine I'd say, if its damp when spreading the granules may stick and that may cause an issue alrite
    It's not actual ingestion of the fertilizer that's the issue, it's when it makes its way into the grass I believe.


  • #18
    trixi2011
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,536 ✭✭✭trixi2011


    Let say you blanket spread and one of paddocks has 1000 4 days later the cover is 1350 and you graze it . The majority of the n after 4 days will be in the leaf so once you graze it is gone. The protein of the grass will be more than she needs so any excess n gets pissed out


  • #19
    sheebadog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,246 ✭✭✭sheebadog


    My milk urea was 19 two weeks ago so instead of adding soya I gave them 80gms per head of urea. Output of milk rose 2.3l/head instantly!
    Frazzle your urea is perfect so you're bang on. If bcs is an issue then there is not enough energy in the diet. It's a common mistake as grass now is high on protein and lowish on energy. In May the good grass will be even higher in protein and better on energy.
    I work on intakes to be above 97ufl and balance protein according to milk urea.
    Cows eating nitrogen from the leaf has no real effect on milk urea, cows eating nitrogen in the leaf which has the real effect.


  • #20
    Milked out
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,433 ✭✭✭Milked out


    sheebadog wrote: »
    My milk urea was 19 two weeks ago so instead of adding soya I gave them 80gms per head of urea. Output of milk rose 2.3l/head instantly!
    Frazzle your urea is perfect so you're bang on. If bcs is an issue then there is not enough energy in the diet. It's a common mistake as grass now is high on protein and lowish on energy. In May the good grass will be even higher in protein and better on energy.
    I work on intakes to be above 97ufl and balance protein according to milk urea.
    Cows eating nitrogen from the leaf has no real effect on milk urea, cows eating nitrogen in the leaf which has the real effect.

    So if you were grazing full time Sheeba would you follow the cows with fert so the n would be out of the plant by the time they get back around or would you blanket spread


  • #21
    sheebadog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,246 ✭✭✭sheebadog


    Milked out wrote: »
    So if you were grazing full time Sheeba would you follow the cows with fert so the n would be out of the plant by the time they get back around or would you blanket spread

    Blanket spread. More grass.Nothing grows grass like grass IYKWIM.
    When you spread on goodish covers you get a good bang for buck.
    I've no other choice here as you only spread when rain comes!
    I've done a little experiment here where we applied 25 units of urea 2 weeks before cutting silage to try and push protein to the max.


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  • #22
    longgonesilver
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 734 ✭✭✭longgonesilver


    There was a farmer here locally 30 years ago who came up with the idea of spreading the fertilizer for the second cut before cutting the first cut as it was much easier to see the tracks than on the bare ground.
    He seemed to get away with it and several neighbours coppied him for a few years. However one year as happens sometimes in Ireland, the weather turned wet and the firstcut was delayed for a week. The nithrogen had been taken up by the grass and the silage was a black greasy mess that the cows were very reluctant to eat, and the practise was abandoned.


  • #23
    sheebadog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,246 ✭✭✭sheebadog


    longgonesilver wrote: »
    There was a farmer here locally 30 years ago who came up with the idea of spreading the fertilizer for the second cut before cutting the first cut as it was much easier to see the tracks than on the bare ground.
    He seemed to get away with it and several neighbours coppied him for a few years. However one year as happens sometimes in Ireland, the weather turned wet and the firstcut was delayed for a week. The nithrogen had been taken up by the grass and the silage was a black greasy mess that the cows were very reluctant to eat, and the practise was abandoned.

    Ya it rotted in the pit, too much nitrogen in the leaf.


  • #24
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,603 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    sheebadog wrote: »
    I live by it Mahoney! If milk urea is low they are NOT getting enough protein.
    Try them with a couple of Kg's of soya and see production go through the roof!
    Careful though as too much milk urea WILL cause embryo mortality.
    On grass urea should be circa 30 to 34.

    Cows currently milking north of 32 Ltrs Sheba and in excellent bcs,had a milk urea there now of 12.8!.if I feed more protein it will only put pressure on cows to milk more and solids will drop.i feel thecurea test Arrabawn have started is flawed as there only at it a few weeks.talked to lab this am and one guy told me that in the whole coop there is only a handful of suppliers over 25 with most well under 20.i feel my current diet is correct and test is not yet perfected ,I may get an independent test done and split sample.


  • #25
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,603 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    trixi2011 wrote: »
    Let say you blanket spread and one of paddocks has 1000 4 days later the cover is 1350 and you graze it . The majority of the n after 4 days will be in the leaf so once you graze it is gone. The protein of the grass will be more than she needs so any excess n gets pissed out

    That would also be my opinion


  • #26
    sheebadog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,246 ✭✭✭sheebadog


    trixi2011 wrote: »
    Let say you blanket spread and one of paddocks has 1000 4 days later the cover is 1350 and you graze it . The majority of the n after 4 days will be in the leaf so once you graze it is gone. The protein of the grass will be more than she needs so any excess n gets pissed out

    Wouldn't agree completely. If grass is hungry then maybe, just maybe, it will take all the nitrogen up. Nitrogen is a macro element and not as transient as you make out.
    Back in the day when urea was as cheap as chips I used to be throwing it about like snuff at a wake. The cows pi*s used to burn the grass!


  • #27
    frazzledhome
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,278 ✭✭✭frazzledhome


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Cows currently milking north of 32 Ltrs Sheba and in excellent bcs,had a milk urea there now of 12.8!.if I feed more protein it will only put pressure on cows to milk more and solids will drop.i feel thecurea test Arrabawn have started is flawed as there only at it a few weeks.talked to lab this am and one guy told me that in the whole coop there is only a handful of suppliers over 25 with most well under 20.i feel my current diet is correct and test is not yet perfected ,I may get an independent test done and split sample.

    I'd say you on the ball


  • #28
    sheebadog
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,246 ✭✭✭sheebadog


    Trying out a new product on milkers and I'm really pleased. Cal-mag, bicarbonate is soda, clay (CaO), yucca etc.
    Cows not shooting the moon and digestion is really settled. Costs 30 cent/cow/day.


  • #29
    Gillespy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,524 ✭✭✭Gillespy


    sheebadog wrote: »
    Trying out a new product on milkers and I'm really pleased. Cal-mag, bicarbonate is soda, clay (CaO), yucca etc.
    Etcetera comes in really handy at times.:pac: What's it called, wonder is it available here or the equivalent?


  • #30
    Greengrass1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9,493 ✭✭✭Greengrass1


    Over at heifer ground and the two fields that didn't get phisolith are slow to grow.. Heifers spending 7 days plus now in a field.
    Peaty type soil and is really pushing grass up. Going with another round of pasture sward over there soon


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  • #31
    Mulumpy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 817 ✭✭✭Mulumpy


    mahoney_j wrote: »
    Cows currently milking north of 32 Ltrs Sheba and in excellent bcs,had a milk urea there now of 12.8!.if I feed more protein it will only put pressure on cows to milk more and solids will drop.i feel thecurea test Arrabawn have started is flawed as there only at it a few weeks.talked to lab this am and one guy told me that in the whole coop there is only a handful of suppliers over 25 with most well under 20.i feel my current diet is correct and test is not yet perfected ,I may get an independent test done and split sample.

    Using the same nut as yourself Mahoney and urea at 16. Wouldn't get too hung up over it. If your cows are performing thats the main thing.


  • #32
    Panch18
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,471 ✭✭✭Panch18


    Couple of people saying blanket spreading will grow more grass - is there a reason for that??


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