The grazing season

Grazing days getting numbered here now. Has been a difficult Autumn, one very heavy wet field I have with a lot of grass on but not looking good for getting it Grazed. Cows on OAD since weekend. Empties went yesterday. Dried off high SCC cows and cows poor on locomotion, along with a few with shyte yields.
 
I have a ryegrass field that was for grazing but didn't get too it.
All stock in now
There is a strong cover,3 or 4 bales per acre on it should I get someone to zero graze it or would it be ok to graze in late January or Feb?
 
I have a ryegrass field that was for grazing but didn't get too it.
All stock in now
There is a strong cover,3 or 4 bales per acre on it should I get someone to zero graze it or would it be ok to graze in late January or Feb?
Graze next suitable weather window, do not zero graze
 
Graze next suitable weather window, do not zero graze
Why do you say dont zero graze?
If I do it would be to have the field grown again in spring though it's gone late now I know, it would have been either grazed or zero grazed a while back if weather allowed
 
Why do you say dont zero graze?
If I do it would be to have the field grown again in spring though it's gone late now I know, it would have been either grazed or zero grazed a while back if weather allowed
zero grazing is serious hard on land even returning the nutrients, worse again if its the last grazing. I can still see an area in a field that was zero grazed late in the year about 4 yrs ago, and its not as if it hasnt had enough organic fertiliser since
 
Why do you say dont zero graze?
If I do it would be to have the field grown again in spring though it's gone late now I know, it would have been either grazed or zero grazed a while back if weather allowed
If your ground is dry it will be fine, I'm gone back zero grazing for a few lads this week I'll put up a few pictures later. Ryegrass leaves the ground very open as it's almost like stubble so clay sticking to the wheels is the biggest issue, I've not seen ground suffer long term damage from zero grazing yet, I'd cut it while the weather is as good as it is and have it cleared, putting cattle on it if the weather breaks will mean it'll be half grazed and then poached, I can't see how Ozzy reckons this is a way better alternative although sometimes I do wonder :rolleyes2: you'd also have some nice ground to spread slurry on early next year.
 
Id just put a few light cattle on it, makes more sense than bedding and feeding and paying for a zero grazer and then drawing the shite back out.

If you do leave some grass behind it will help stop tracking with a tanker
 
If your ground is dry it will be fine, I'm gone back zero grazing for a few lads this week I'll put up a few pictures later. Ryegrass leaves the ground very open as it's almost like stubble so clay sticking to the wheels is the biggest issue, I've not seen ground suffer long term damage from zero grazing yet, I'd cut it while the weather is as good as it is and have it cleared, putting cattle on it if the weather breaks will mean it'll be half grazed and then poached, I can't see how Ozzy reckons this is a way better alternative although sometimes I do wonder :rolleyes2: you'd also have some nice ground to spread slurry on early next year.

two very important points i highlighted. if anyone wants to have a bit of fun, go take a photo of a open sward in the nighttime during winter and look at the picture and come back with a % of soil visible vs grass/leaf. Then think how a plant converts light into energy

Compaction is an absolutely huge issue in all grasslands (well 95%) in Ireland, and its having a serious effect on soils ability to structure and soil biology to function properly. Ask a grower about the crops performance following say a crop of Peas that put a serious amount of H and O2 into soils.

Swards are at their most vulnerable at this time of winter before they take their rest period to get up and going for the season ahead, they also have to rejuvenate

Graze at the right time, with the right animals wont cause poaching. an animal will never do as much damage as a machine...... unless farmer doesnt operate under GAP

****these are only my observations, so take with a pinch of salt
 
No one mentioned the wooly monsters yet...:Whistle2:
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This is today in a field of ryegrass, it got too wet a month ago to cut it so had to be left until now. Zero grazer is full when the pictures are taken.
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The amount of root pull is worrying, what has being your fert up to now.

Big difference zero grazing 7 weeks ago and doing it today.
Root pull? You're not on about the thistles that are growing on the side that was grazed or the dead matter by the wire which would have been brought in when it was under water recently. Well you did say animals will always do less damage than a machine :scratchhead: Pictures above are today, no idea what fertiliser plan was as it's not my field.
 
Root pull? You're not on about the thistles that are growing on the side that was grazed or the dead matter by the wire which would have been brought in when it was under water recently. Well you did say animals will always do less damage than a machine :scratchhead: Pictures above are today, no idea what fertiliser plan was as it's not my field.

Looks like root pull to me, but considering it was flooded that as different matter. Hope where your zero grazing wasnt flooded, as I'm would be think mycotoxinn if that's the case.

I wont comment on the pictures of zero grazing as my thinking is ott on soil
 
Looks like root pull to me, but considering it was flooded that as different matter. Hope where your zero grazing wasnt flooded, as I'm would be think mycotoxinn if that's the case.

I wont comment on the pictures of zero grazing as my thinking is ott on soil
No it wasn't flooded, too wet as in couldn't travel it until now, I'll take a picture for you again in the Spring, it was the same this time last year, made no differenc. That ryegrass just comes through again, if there was that much soil visible in a normal grazing mix there'd be damage done.
 
Not being smart.
I'm sure that all of ye have seen the posts on twitter from dairy farmers that are early grazers. One lad this morning has opened up extra gaps to get cows into fields. Other lads post videos of cows ploughing to their knees as they enter and leave the field.

Is it actually worth it to have such costs or do so much damage to ground to get cows out for a couple of hours of grass?
 
Not being smart.
I'm sure that all of ye have seen the posts on twitter from dairy farmers that are early grazers. One lad this morning has opened up extra gaps to get cows into fields. Other lads post videos of cows ploughing to their knees as they enter and leave the field.

Is it actually worth it to have such costs or do so much damage to ground to get cows out for a couple of hours of grass?
That's hardship for man and beast. Can't be good for either and it's not doing the ground or farmers image any good.
 
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