Protect mid-season grass
The recent cold snap together with heavy rain has slowed grass growth in many areas of the UK leading to concern about poaching and regrowth.
This time last year, soil temperatures were about 12C, whereas recent frosts have seen it drop to 7C and it is only slowly climbing back up, says grazing consultant Tom Phillips.
“Growth rates have dropped below average in the past two weeks – particularly in Cheshire – and covers are below 1900kg DM/ha. I would like to see them at 2000kg DM/ha,” says Mr Phillips.
Grazing is tight for herds which have been out since February and early March. “Heavy rain has forced some cows back inside, although when paddocks are grazed just once a bit of hoof damage isn”t a problem,” he adds.
“Problems occur when farms have inadequate tracks and cows are going in and out several times. Multiple walking over paddocks does the damage.”
Reducing stocking rates and grazing time can prevent poaching, although Mr Phillips believes damage in spring repairs quickly.
Despite heavy rainfall, Andrew Dale of the Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland”s Grass Check predicts 91kg DM/ha a day grass growth in Northern Ireland this week. “Soil temperatures are above average creating high levels of growth. But ground conditions have delayed grazing.”
Mr Dale suggests restricting grazing to just 12 hours until ground conditions improve, housing cows at night and buffer feeding silage.
“Managing swards now has a big impact on regrowth in mid-season either through poaching or lax grazing. Mistakes now could lead to stemmy material and poor use through May and June, which are the best grazing times.”
The recent surge in grass growth means some farms will need to shut up paddocks and take them out of the rotation. “The end of a 21-day rotation will take us to May, so the last 2-3 days’ grazing could go in the silage clamp instead.”
Herds that have turned out late are going into high covers, but quality is deteriorating, warns Mr Phillips. “There is dead leaf at the bottom and farms taking samples report less than 11MJ/kg of metabolisable energy, whereas samples from second rotation grazing are above 12.”
A similar picture is reported in south-west Wales. Producers are concerned whether grazed fields will come back into the rotation soon enough due to the lack of regrowth, says Carmarthen-based independent consultant Cled Richards.
“High yielding herds have held back from turning out, or are buffer feeding more,” says Mr Richards.
In Scotland early spring-calving beef cows are already out with calves. Where they have had plenty of shelter, they seem to be doing fine, reports SAC beef consultant Gavin Hill.
“Grass growth was good until two weeks ago, but regrowth has stopped. We have seen everything from torrential rain to 1in of snow last weekend in the Borders.”
Most lowland sheep flocks have finished lambing, but poor regrowth where ewes and lambs are grazing is putting pressure on fields destined for cattle, adds Mr Hill.