cows at grass

smashing heifers stan

Walked the farm after milking this evening can't believe how dry some of my worst paddocks are already.

these paddocks got no fert since july but will prob be dry enough to travel end of week would u guys chance a bit of can on them and if so how much.

Definitley get the CAN out. I was at it here today. I went with a bag to the acre but if Your paddocks got nothing since July I'd be inclined to go with 40 units.
 
Definitley get the CAN out. I was at it here today. I went with a bag to the acre but if Your paddocks got nothing since July I'd be inclined to go with 40 units.

went with a bag and a half of 18-6-12 on the moors hadn't been dressed for a while, their hungry looking after all the rain.do you think they need more N then that?
 
went with a bag and a half of 18-6-12 on the moors hadn't been dressed for a while, their hungry looking after all the rain.do you think they need more N then that?

It depends on what you plan to do with the fields or moors. Where I put the N today wont be grazed for 25 to 30 days so the grass should be able to use all the N. If your continously grazing the ground then there is no point putting out too much as it will probably be wasted. I hane often heard it said that it takes grass to grow grass.
 
did my weekly walk- farm cover 815 growth 54. cover per lu 243 demand 51. cows getting 14kg grass 3silage and 3.5meal. doing 22.93lt 3.91f and 3.51p
conditions as good as they have been all year- following cows with 30units can and 4000gals watery slurry
 
Was at our discussion group meeting today. Biggest message was to do whatever it takes to make this rotation last 30 days. Feed meal and silage if necessary.
 
Moved some stock today to our wettest field - despite a bag of Sweetgrass about 4 weeks ago, it is very poor quality - seems P&K is sucked out of the ground with the wet.
 
Wow. Wish I had that kind of growth here:whistling:

Are you in at night all the time?
I have plenty grass but tis very short:whistling:
Yea still in at night and i think they will stay in for good at this stage.
If this weather held we might have some chance but if it breaks again for next week that could be it for this year.
Giving serious consideration to going OAD as yields have collapsed under 15 ltrs. I usually milk well into December but will be lucky to get into October this year.
Did you get them out at night again?
 
No, still in and like you, will probably remain in.

imo, OAD is a bad way of drying off cows:whistling:
I would always milk the last month OAD never had too many problems with it,A low Scc is essential though.
Waterlogged paddocks and no grass is a great way to dry cows too.
 
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as the tread suggests- cows at grass
black cow is an s447 roumare and heifer is an flt

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By stanflt at 2012-09-06
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By stanflt at 2012-09-06
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By stanflt at 2012-09-06
 
cows where in a paddock last night and every other time they where in it this year it rained, so its a first for them actually to be dry in it:thumbup2:
 
this cow calved today for the fourth time and she is still only 4years of age! 5next week
a ex90 oman and has given 26500lt at 4.28fat and 3.44protein in her first 3lactations
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By stanflt at 2012-09-15
 
Put the cows back on silage after the morning milking today. The grass seemed to be running through them. Also lactose has dropped to 4.47%.
 
What is your rotation now? mine is 25 days despite them being in at night. But as you say, grass has no real substance from now on.
 
Also lactose has dropped to 4.47%.

Actually what is the Lactose limit now? Mine has dropped back to as low as 4.38%, and Glanbia sent me a text saying to keep an eye on it. We calf all year round and I've never had problems with lactose before!
 
What is your rotation now? mine is 25 days despite them being in at night. But as you say, grass has no real substance from now on.

With the silage it will be about 35 days.

Actually what is the Lactose limit now? Mine has dropped back to as low as 4.38%, and Glanbia sent me a text saying to keep an eye on it. We calf all year round and I've never had problems with lactose before!


AFAIK Connacht Gold penalise if it goes below 4.2%
 
With the silage it will be about 35 days.




AFAIK Connacht Gold penalise if it goes below 4.2%

i have30 freshcalved cows now, lactose went down to 4.3o:sweatdrop: protein at 3.3 and bf at 4.14 .... also got that text feck sake, its enough to be keeping an eye on everything else not to mind lactose:sad:
 
I don't think any of the buyers in NI pay on lactose, I haven't seen a test result for ours since the late 80's or early 90's. The milk is going to the same products so why the difference?
 
Low lactose is from either low yields or underfeeding, so it is a good indication of feeding.

I thought lactose is very important in manufacturing milk, maybe it isn't an issue for NI farmers.
 
There was a group of farmers in co. Meath believe who followed the advice of a breed advisor who said lactose didn't matter resulting in a average lactose of less than 4.0, some as low as 3.5! They all ended up fined and had to desperately back track (think some started breeding british frs after it)
 
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