Forage for Knowledge

Across most sampling farms, average covers are where they should be, between 2,100 and 2,200 (plus or minus 50), depending on stocking rate and growth potential.

At the moment, temperature and soil moisture are the main drivers of growth.

Maintaining average cover

Avoid letting average covers drop below 2,100, and certainly not below 2,000.

Focus on maintaining:

• Average cover
• Correct entry covers
• A green sward from top to bottom

This will help maximise both grass quality and regrowth.

Managing surpluses

Where growth is strong and there’s enough soil moisture, be bold in taking out surpluses.

Cutting surplus grass early allows it to regrow faster and keeps future grazing options open.

Managing dry conditions

If conditions are dry, assess soil moisture levels properly:

• Dig a few holes to check moisture in the root zone
• Repeat every few days to track changes

Rain is forecast in some areas, but this could be hit or miss for you. It’s important to understand the likely growth on your own farm and plan accordingly.

If you use Agrinet, run different scenarios and create a plan, or multiple plans.

Cow condition and feeding

The dry spring has led to high grass dry matter, which has supported strong dry matter intakes.

As a result:

• Cow body condition is good
• Some autumn-calving herds may be close to being over-conditioned

Where cows are becoming over–conditioned:

• Reduce concentrate feeding
• Let cows work harder for grass
• In most cases, parlour feeding at low levels is sufficient

Spring calving herds

Body condition in spring calving cows is generally good.

However, there have been some cases of milk fever this spring. For cows that are more than 30 days calved and not seen bulling, carry out checks to identify any underlying issues.

Looking ahead

With luck, we will all get some rain to drive the next round.