Ground conditions have deteriorated in the past week due to the rain
Picture: Linehan Farmer His Caherconlish, Meter At Dan Limerick A Grass Co Ciaran Farm Using Bartley On
I have about 70 weanlings still out grazing and will have grass for them until around Christmas I estimate.
Ground conditions have deteriorated in the past week, with more normal levels of rainfall, but I’ll manage okay as stock out are light and once I keep them moved every few days I won’t be too concerned with grazing residuals.
It is more important to graze down the heaviest of covers now rather than leaving a dead butt of grass rotting into the spring which will be hard to graze out and will hit regrowth periods.
My grass demand at turnout in the spring is about 14 kg DM/ha, which is about what I would expect grass growth to average up to late March or early April. I needn’t put all stock out in the one day in spring if conditions are not suitable and can drip feed cattle out once ground is dry from late February or early March onwards.
I also have my trailing shoe slurry spreader for the first spring next year, which will allow me to spread early in the year onto grass covers which I intend to graze first. I did not have that flexibility before with the splash plate.
The last of my grass cattle will be killed this week. They are eating 6kg of meal at grass since late July. I held back these 10 cattle as they did not have adequate fat score when the main bunch went before Halloween. They were weighed last week and have achieved 1kg per day since September.
Inside, I have 60 finishing cattle weighing about 550 kg and 100 weanlings. The 60 finishing cattle are eating 7kg of meal per day, along with 69 DMD silage, while the weanlings are eating 1.5kg of meal per day along with silage.
I will soon look at purchasing milk replacer and fertiliser for next year. I’m not in any panic as the prices for inputs such as fertilizer do not seem to be moving much. I still like to have a stock in the yard early in the new year.
I am currently moving ahead with plans for a new slatted shed to house 100 finishing cattle. Once TAMS approval is sorted, I hope to start digging in the new year once ground conditions allow.
It will be a great comfort to have extra slurry storage and feed space in the event of years like 2023 happening again.
