With temperatures on the rise and better weather for the past few days, field operations and grazing have begun across the country after being delayed due to the difficult spring weather conditions encountered this year.
College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) senior dairying advisor, Alan Agnew and senior beef and sheep advisor, Rachel Megarrell have issued some guidance to farmers on actions to take as the weather improves.
Silage management
Planning for the silage season ahead must be the key focus, it is important to take stock of the amount of silage required for the winter period.
The advisors stated that a fodder budget will allow you to calculate the demand from feeding stock through the winter and determine the quantity of silage required this summer to avoid a fodder deficit on farm prior to next winter.
A typical example of the average daily animal silage requirement during the housing period on a fresh weight basis is as follows:
- Dairy cow: 45kg/head/day;
- Suckler cow: 32kg/head/day;
- Ewe: 5kg/head/day.
The advisors suggested avoiding aiming for large bulky cuts at the detriment of silage quality as this will have implications for concentrate feed input throughout the housing period and will slow down sward re-growth.
The ability to cut highly digestible silage allows farmers to maximise the quality of forage fed to priority groups of stock such as young stock, finishing stock and pregnant ewes, and reduces the need to feed supplementary concentrate feed.
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Replenishing forage stocks
Many farmers this spring have been grateful for silage carried over from previous seasons. However, that buffer of ‘surplus’ silage will need to be replenished this year, according to CAFRE.
Dairy farmers should take a close look at livestock numbers on the farm and offload unprofitable or surplus stock so that silage area can be maximised.
On beef and sheep farms, if you predict a silage shortfall for the incoming winter then consider the following options- scan breeding stock and sell unproductive cows; sell cattle as stores before winter; and cull older less productive ewes.
Grazing while weather is good
Grazing areas should be walked each week, this allows you to plan the grazing rotation in advance and help in the decision making.
E.g., if grazing conditions are still poor, you may opt for a period of on/off grazing or grazing a larger area with a smaller number of stock to begin with.
On most dairy farms grass covers are good but this can lead to grazing problems later in the season unless a proper plan is put in place now.
High grass covers can lead to a smaller than necessary platform being established on the first rotation which then leads to a grazing shortfall during the second rotation and before silage aftermath is available.
Grass quality and allocation will be much better over the course of the season if an adequate platform is established now, the advisors said.
Surplus grass should be identified and removed for silage during this first rotation, to create a grass wedge.
Target covers are 3,100kg DM/ha at grazing with a post-grazing cover of 1,600kg DM/ha. Remember that cows will benefit from a gradual transition to grazing over the course of the first week.
Ewes and lambs that have been particularly affected by the prolonged period of wet weather have now seen some respite and when grass growth and quality is sufficient, concentrate supplementation to lactating ewes can be reduced.
Creep feeding of lambs may also be an option to take some of the pressure off certain groups such as first lambing ewes rearing twins.
Ewes and lambs can now begin to be moved into larger mobs for grazing which will allow silage areas to be closed up.
Animal health
With the changeable spring weather, it is important not to forget about the challenge of hypomagnesemia (grass tetany or staggers) which can occur on rapidly growing lush swards.
Access to magnesium minerals will be essential and supplementation can be via free access minerals, licks or boluses. If grass tetany is suspected, then contact your vet immediately.
Within the sheep flock, two concerns with the wetter and milder weather at present are coccidiosis in lambs greater than four-weeks-of-age and nematodirus in lambs over six-weeks-of-age.
In relation to nematodirus, the SCOPS forecast should be kept under weekly review and action taken as appropriate when risk level dictates.
Thinking ahead
CAFRE has said that the establishment of clover into grazing swards has many benefits including fixing nitrogen from the atmosphere, improved animal performance, increased daily liveweight gains, reduction in worm burdens and increased trace element availability.
Clover swards require a high level of management and soil fertility.
However, the benefits are such that farmers can really profit from clover and establishing a small acreage initially is a sound approach, the advisors said.
