Archive Article: 2000/08/04
Stephen Brandon
Stephen Brandon farms
100ha (250 acres) at New
Buildings Farm, Stafford,
with another 30ha (73
acres) of grazing taken
annually. He has 170
pedigree Holstein Friesians
and 110 replacements.
Recently he took on a
contract farming agreement
involving a further 160 cows
on 80ha (200 acres)
AT last it looks as if we may be getting some settled weather with sunshine forecast for a whole week. Grass has been growing extremely well in recent weeks with above average growth rates.
I am not sure that the quality has been as good as we would like, sugar levels may be low with a lack of sunshine in early July. Cows have been eating large quantities of superb looking grass on silage aftermaths, but milk proteins are not rising as I would have expected and have been lower in early July than through May and June.
As and when the sun shines we have been mowing some paddocks pre-grazing and with a 12 to 24 hour wilt cows have cleaned out some paddocks extremely well. Wilted grass is usually alternated with silage aftermaths so cows have one feed of each a day.
With stocking rates currently running at 3.2 cows/ha, I am reluctant to stop spreading fertiliser in case growth rates decline. However, recent showers and excess growth have meant taking out the occasional paddock for round bales. A small amount of fertiliser is spread after most grazings; at 44kg/ha (35 units/acre) of nitrogen this is less than the 50kg/ha (40 units/acre) that we had been using. On paddocks which we miss a dose of fertiliser growth rates soon decline and grass quality never looks as good, with more stem than leaf.
Two months ago I mentioned we were experiencing problems with stray voltage in the new parlour which was unsettling cows during milking. A few weeks ago the milk pump began throwing the trip out, on investigation the solenoid valve supplying mains water to the plate cooler was faulty and shorting out. Since it has been replaced milking has been smoother and cows much quieter. We can only assume this has been our problem and every time the milk pump switched on cows were given an electric shock.
The last load of cake ran out on about June 20 and since then the only other feed cows are getting, apart from grass, is a bag of minerals spread out down the feed fence twice a week. Quite a few cows have a lick when they come in for milking, whether they really need it I am not sure. *