The grazing season

Blackwater boy said:
It’s just impossible to keep cows full and happy these days with grass so wet and soft, never saw it so bad at this time of the year, heaps of grass being wasted. It’s been a hoor of a few Weeks no matter what enterprise your at.
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They are drinking most of their feed atm
 
Blackwater boy said:
It’s just impossible to keep cows full and happy these days with grass so wet and soft, never saw it so bad at this time of the year, heaps of grass being wasted. It’s been a hoor of a few Weeks no matter what enterprise your at.
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Is it possible for a cow to eat enough dry matter to support her milk at the moment..
 
Grazing has somewhat come back on track this last 2 weeks around here. Ground has dried up and cattle are able to get a lot more out of it. An extra day's grazing has been added to some fields, and even this week we have seen 5 days out of one paddock that only saw 3 days on the previous 2 rounds. It all counts when we get to this time of year. We are just beginning our last round of grazing in these parts. If we get strong regrowth, we will wean calves in mid October and leave the cows in while the calves may get to graze into November.
 
Growth is actually ahead of where I thought it would be at moment. High temperatures probably driving that this week anyways. Ground is in good enough order too. Hopefully stays that way.
 
I've still have enough grass to keep the cattle grazing out until early November. This will be the first year in my farming career that I haven't had to feed silage to cattle in April or October.
 
Pulled the high yielding cows in for the night last night they will stay in now and out during the day. The low yielders are still out full time but I'd say next week could bring alot of stock in. Tonight, Mon and Tue not great but of a break for wed and thur looks wet again.
 
Last day out today.what can be described as a great start to the year to finish up as a tramp of a 2nd half.
 
Have over half the live weight of the land a few weeks, more off today hopefully, and the rest of them will hopefully be out for another 3 weeks
 
Good year for grass here too.

I noticed that lads that are very heavily stocked are always in trouble when it rains or doesn't rain.
A few less is easier managed. Bit of room for manouver.
 
Mf240 said:
Good year for grass here too.

I noticed that lads that are very heavily stocked are always in trouble when it rains or doesn't rain.
A few less is easier managed. Bit of room for manouver.
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Couldnt agree more, many farmers dont understand the term optimum numbers. With beef cattle growing during the season, demand increases when supply is dropping, whereas with cows, demand drops with supply
 
Massive difference between heavily stocked farms and over stocked farms. Lots of heavily stocked operators out there that have very few issues and lightly stocked farmers who are always in bother. All comes down to an ability to match grass growth and demand.
 
Last of the finishers housed this morning
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Before the deluge came. Wet land here is closed for the year now. I've a few acres of dry ground left and have a few light year and a half bullocks eating that off for another fortnight or so.
 
nashmach said:
Last of the finishers housed this morningView attachment 84020

Before the deluge came. Wet land here is closed for the year now. I've a few acres of dry ground left and have a few light year and a half bullocks eating that off for another fortnight or so.
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That would be the dry ground there?
You should see some wet ground ....

Nice set of pallet forks . Handy as a small pot . I got a set made about 3 years ago . In use most days .
Did @Skimmer make that up ?
 
jf 850 said:
That would be the dry ground there?
You should see some wet ground ....

Nice set of pallet forks . Handy as a small pot . I got a set made about 3 years ago . In use most days .
Did @Skimmer make that up ?
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That's dry ground or at least it was this morning, its after raining an ocean here since dinner time today and still at it.

I've seen where I have winter cereals sown and that was enough... wet ground here was squelchy underfoot on Friday evening and is surely much worse after the weekend.....

I walked some ground I'm reclaiming at the moment last night, it was pretty dry 3 weeks ago but you dare go near it now other than on foot...

Skimmer did indeed make up the back plate for them, exceptionally useful tools they are, something to do with them every week here.
 
nashmach said:
That's dry ground or at least it was this morning, its after raining an ocean here since dinner time today and still at it.

I've seen where I have winter cereals sown and that was enough... wet ground here was squelchy underfoot on Friday evening and is surely much worse after the weekend.....

I walked some ground I'm reclaiming at the moment last night, it was pretty dry 3 weeks ago but you dare go near it now other than on foot...

Skimmer did indeed make up the back plate for them, exceptionally useful tools they are, something to do with them every week here.
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By god you got them in just in the nick of time.
 
Random question more specific to the dairy farmers here, But how would you allocate grass s as a ratio of night grazing to day grazing? I was under the impression they'd eat more between evening milking and morning milking but a man disagreed with me recently and now I'm unsure
 
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