GRASS MANAGEMENT – REACT TO CIRCUMSTANCES!

• March is a crucial grassland-management month! Badly done, it will make for a challenging grazing-management year, resulting in:
  • April being a very tough month for grass and, consequently, requiring more meals to be fed (three times the cost of grass).
  • Silage ground may be closed up late or smaller first cuts may be taken, resulting in more expensive silage for winter feed.
  • Cows, potentially, having to go back on a diet dominated by silage and meals in April with adverse consequences for breeding and milk.
  • You could end up ‘chasing your tail’ for the remainder of the year, that means constantly grazing low pre-grazing covers (PGC).
• The key targets for dry land, late/wettish land would be 10-14 days later, and include:
  • Having at least 30 per cent of the milking platform (MP) grazed by March 1 and 60 per cent grazed by March 17.
  • The consequences of not meeting those targets will be:
    • The amount of grass available in the second rotation will be a serious issue because the length of time from first grazing to ‘would-be’ second grazing will be too short – it needs to be 55-60 days – that’s why those two grazing date targets are so critical.
    • For every 1 per cent a farm is below the March 1 target, the farm will have 14kg DM/ha less grass in April over the whole farm.
    • Grazing off old grass stimulates growth; therefore, you grow more grass.
    • The first rotation is likely to end later than usual, thereby reducing the number of grazings in the year. For each extra grazing achieved, the target is 10, will result in an extra 1.3 tonne (t) grass DM/ha being grown.
• From now, farmers must be very proactive in achieving target covers on the key dates. The following is standard advice:
  • Every chance you get, you must graze larger areas of ground than previously planned.
    • Ground conditions may seem poor, but it is only by walking fields yourself that you will really know.
  • The early grazed (February) paddocks need 60 days to recover (this year they will only have less than 50 days).
  • The March paddocks will have 30-35 days before the next grazing, and they need that.
  • Readjust your management if you have zero grazed by the March 1 target:
    • Plan to have 33 per cent grazed by March 17, 66 per cent grazed by April 1, and 100 per cent grazed by April 15-20, from when the second rotation will start.
  • If you have 15-20 per cent grazed by March 1, plan to achieve 50 per cent by March 17 and the remainder by April 10.
• If you have not achieved the March 1 grazed percentages, you can rectify this. Some or all of the following options must be considered:
  • Graze off light covers in early March so that you can graze some areas faster, because it takes longer to graze high covers.
  • Let cows out full-time, if not out already, only feed 1-2kg meal and definitely, no silage for a few weeks in early March so as to graze more area.
  • Keep the meal for feeding in late March or early April because there is a strong possibility that, with most cows calved, grass will be tight in the last two weeks of March.
• The first rotation should end on April 1-15 (later date on wet farms or northern farms).
• You will not run out of grass if you follow the spring rotation planner.
  • This is a fantastic tool to manage grass in springtime.
  • It is available on PastureBase or through your adviser.
• As you only give a certain proportion (specific area) of the farm each day regardless of the amount of grass on it, you have to read the signs to make the correct decisions:
  • If there is a lot of grass on that area and cows are not grazing it out well, let cows out full-time and reduce the meals – don’t be afraid to only feed 1kg/day.
  • If they are ‘skinning’ the area and look empty or discontented, you must increase the meals or feed some high-quality silage as a last resort for a few days.
• Cows must be brought in off the field after 2-2.5 hours grazing.
• Cows, when eating more than 8kg DM/hd/day, should be out twice per day.
  • Plan the day as follows: At 7am, milk and feed 1-2kg meal, let them out for two hours, bring them in at 11.30am to 12 midday, and leave them in cubicle shed with no feed, milk again at 2pm. With 1-2kg meal, leave out on grass from 4pm-6pm, bring into cubicle shed for the remainder of night with a small amount of silage available, must be eaten by midnight.
  • If doing on-off grazing, all cows must be let out at same time (don’t let out directly from milking) otherwise some cows, particularly heifers, high yielders and shy feeders will not be able to eat enough.
• If we get rain, uncommitted grass-grazing farmers will think grass can’t be grazed until April; the rewards are too great to think like that:
  • Fields with good grass covers dry out fast with a few fine days.
  • Pick the driest field and start now.
  • Alternatively, graze the front of paddocks, off the roadway.
  • Using the spring planner there is a weekly target area to be grazed, this can be achieved by grazing for two hrs every day, if weather is fine, or it can be grazed by leaving cows out full-time for three to four fine days per week and not letting them out at all when wet.
• A quick reminder of the important grazing techniques necessary in wet weather.
  • You can’t afford serious poaching (you must do everything to avoid) because it results in soil compaction, which results in poor grass yields for the remainder of the year.
  • Feed no silage where you have high grass covers.
  • Feed grass and meals only – adequate grass on its own will sustain 25-27L/cow/day.
  • This adds a ‘sharpness’ to their appetites when they go to grass in the morning at 11am.
  • Grazing from the back of paddocks, either using cow walks or walking over the ‘good’ grass is vitally important (a practice not used often enough).
  • Let cows into paddocks through several entrances.
  • Regrowth and grazed ground must be protected at all costs from animals walking back over it.
  • Under no circumstances should you leave animals on paddocks when it is raining (most Irish farmers ignore this advice).
• Some farms have lowish covers. Many farm covers reduced by 200kg DM in January. What can you do now to have adequate grass in April?
  • Because grazing stimulates grass to grow it is essential to achieve the target listed above.
  • You will then have to slow down, probably grazing only once per day for two to three hours, feeding 4-5kg meal and quality silage.
• No question about it, silage ground on MP should be grazed twice on most farms before closing for silage, except on very wet or late grass-growing farms.
  • The silage yield will only be slightly reduced but this can be made up by delaying cutting for two to three days.
  • But more grass will have grown on a grazed silage field by early June than on a non-grazed silage field.
  • First-cut silage quality will be two to three DMD units higher and will be easier to preserve.
  • As silage ground away from MP will give greatest season yield (two-cuts), that ground must be closed off by March 24-25.
  • Due to good winter growth, some of these fields have good covers but also a lot of dead material – they should be grazed off by R2s in early March.
• All this advice is to get you to the second rotation (as early as April 5) with 1,200kg cover on the first three to four paddocks to be grazed. You must now be measuring every week and acting promptly. Those paddocks must have (at March 15) at least 800kg DM/ha.
  • Based on past growths, growth rate in early April should be 10-20kg DM/day – let’s plan on 15kg.
    • If you only have 700kg DM/ha on these paddocks – 100 below target –then you will need to delay the second rotation by six days (100/15).
  • If below the 800kg DM, slow down the cows, give them less area per day, to get an extra six days on the remaining first rotation paddocks.

NITROGEN: ALL THE FARM MUST GET SOME!

• It is a waste of money using nitrogen (N) to grow grass on farms that are deficient in lime, potassium (P), or phosphorous (K).
• Table 1 outlines Teagasc’s recommendations for March.

Table 1: Nitrogen strategy based on April clover content in paddocks.
Source: Teagasc.

• Establish your stocking rate (organic N) and stay within recommended N limits:
  • Many farmers have no N applied in February, so some of the N due in February should be added to the March recommendations.
  • It is also worth recording, even if too late now, that the earlier in February that N is applied, the better the N response in March and April.
  • Responses could be halved if no N applied in February!
• Protected urea must be the product of choice all year. Research work in Teagasc, Johnstown Castle (2015-2021), has shown:

Fields on no N grow 60% less grass.

• Protected urea grew 13% more grass than urea (except 2018 – a drought year).
• CAN grew 9% more grass than urea.

• Once-per-month spreading must be practised because it is the only way you can apply and justify the lower N application rates. This saves labour and there is no confusion over which paddocks got N the last day you spread.
• We must maximise the nutrients in slurry.
  • Slurry must go on soils that are low in P and K – rarely spread on MP (we will never improve water quality if we keep doing that!):
    • Contractors are now equipped to carry 20,000-30,000 gallons of slurry and spread on out-farms with the umbilical system at small extra cost.
  • Spread 2,000-2,500 gallons/acre post-grazing in March and empty tanks in late March/April onto silage ground.
  • This approach will reduce N requirements.
  • Low-stocked farms need no bagged N on grazing area when 3,000 gallons of slurry per acre is applied in March. This saves money!
• Silage fields should get 2,500 gallons of slurry and 70 units of protected urea per acre.
  • Allow one week between slurry and N applications.
  • Apply extra P and K as required based on soil tests.
• If the P and K are low, apply two to three bags of 18:6:12 per acre now on all the grazing area.
• Apply sulphur (S) in late March at a rate of 1:10 ratio of S to N.

SEXED SEMEN & FERTILITY MANAGEMENT QUESTIONS:

• Stephen Butler, Teagasc Moorepark, answered some questions on the topics of sexed semen and fertility management during a recent Zoom meeting. I outline the questions and answers below.
• Question: What is the risk of the bull panel becoming very small with the increased use of sexed semen on the best cows? What can the farmer do?
  • Stephen Butler: This will happen, but the industry is planning to risk-manage the possibility by:
    • Contract mating.
    • In-vitro produced (IVP) embryo transfers.
    • Both of these are being done in other countries at present.
• Question: Should I selectively mate my very best cows with best bulls to see if I could get a bull into an AI station?
  • Stephen Butler: You should do this anyway to improve your herd’s genetic merit.
    • Getting a bull to an AI station would be a bonus!
    • But this is not a wise plan on most farms.
• Question: What is the maximum lactation cow number you would be willing to use sexed semen on?
  • Stephen Butler: Focus on the cows’ EBI, because most EBI cows that are suitable for sexed semen will be heifers and be on lactations one to four.
• Question: On a black and white (B&W) herd, is there a case to be made for using no sexed semen as male B&W calves easily sold this year?
  • Stephen Butler: If calves are easily sold, maybe! However, it foregoes some advantages:
    • Herd dairy genetic gain.
    • All heifers will be born at the start of the calving season and hence will easily achieve weight targets.
    • Potential for higher CBV beef calves – will be important as export markets dry up.
• Question: Can you comment on the importance of minerals before and during breeding?
  • Stephen Butler: Minerals are important at every stage of a replacement’s life, but P, copper (Cu), selenium (Se), and iodine (I) are most critical during that period.
    • Take a grass sample, every day, from the first week grazing of the second rotation – definitely not from first-rotation grass.
• Question: To get 80 dairy heifer calves on the ground how many sexed semen straws should I order and how many different bulls?
  • Stephen Butler: For 80 heifer calves you require 140 sexed straws.
    • That means you must have 400 cows; ICBF recommends 14 bulls.
      • That farmer must use a minimum of 10 sexed bulls. Why?
      • Big genetic risk, because of EBI reliability.
      • Fertility risk associated with the sorting process.
• Question: What are the fertility targets (€) that we should aim for in B&W and Jersey X calves?
  • Stephen Butler: Donagh Berry, confirmed that my targets were ok, even with the present high kg MS/cow being achieved:
    • B&W cows’ fertility target: €110+.
    • Jersey x cows’ fertility target: €65+.
• Question: Could you go through the management care of an R2 from being let out on February 1 to June, when she is pregnant?
  • Stephen Butler: Good nutrition to meet body weight targets is essential.
    • Minerals, as above.
    • Vaccinations – none in the three to four weeks prior to AI.
    • Be on the third cycle before mating.
    • Use a synchronisation programme, preferably fixed time AI (FTAI).
• Question: Is FTAI justified on whole herd or selectively?
  • Stephen Butler: It is mostly used on targeted cows:
    • Best fertility cows for sexed semen,
    • Late calvers, anoestrous cows to accelerate breeding.
    • And, of course, heifers.
• Question: Does the ‘why wait’ programme cover up for bad fertility management?
  • Stephen Butler: Even if it does, it has merit.
    • It advances submission rate.
    • Helps to achieve earlier pregnancy.
  • If your MSD (mating start date) is April 25, then you must start recording pre-service heats from April 3 – start making plans!
• Stephen complimented farmers on the speedy adoption of sexed AI, now nearly 30% of dairy AI.
• In his summary, Stepen said:
  • Sexed semen is a key technology for the Irish dairy industry and all should use it. He added:
    • It is a fragile product, requiring very careful handling.
    • We will have fewer dairy male calves.
    • Better EBI replacement heifers.
    • Better DBI non-replacement calves.
    • Improved sustainability metrics.
    • Order sexed semen straws early, so that you have the best choice.
• I have compiled my own ‘ideal’ B&W and Jersey X list of AI bulls – please contact me if you would like details.

Commercial beef value – the future

• What type of calf does the beef-calf buyer want?
  • A healthy calf.
  • Well-fed, strong calf.
  • And now, very importantly, with good beef genetics, as defined by CBV.
• The third point is achieved by using high Dairy Beef Index (DBI) AI bulls from the active bull list.
  • There has been great ‘buy-in’ by dairy farmers to using high DBI bulls and over the last two years the prices achieved has justified their usage.
  • Farmers must use a beef bull that is:
    • At least 3* (3 Star) on the DBI.
    • At least 3* on the beef sub-index of DBI.
    • These stars are ‘within breed type’.
• Siobhan Ring, ICBF, summarises as follows:
  • Use the DBI to identify suitable beef AI bulls.
  • Easy calving bulls with short gestation and high beef merit are available.
  • New scheme launched to financially incentivise use of superior beef bulls.
  • Trading is now influenced by CBV on mart boards.
  • A catalogue can be generated for the calves being sold.
  • Steps to achieving the best beef bulls for your herd and maximise CBV of calves:
    • Choose from the DBI active bull list.
    • Choose an acceptable calving difficulty range for the right cow, other than first calvers.
    • Maximise the beef sub-index of the DBI.
• Discussion groups can now get, from ICBF, the following for members:
  • The average DBI beef sub-index of bulls; group data ranged from -€40 to €131.
  • Average cow calving difficulty PTA; group data ranged from 2.06 to 5.02.
  • Average gestation length PTA; group data ranged from -3.16 to +0.72 days.
  • The average CBV of the dairy beef calves was €86, ranging from €23 to €117.

Bits and pieces:

• Prevent tiredness, irritability/impatience, farm accidents by getting adequate sleep, rest and social outings.
• Prevent tetany, because magnesium deficiency results in cow deaths, sub-clinical situations results in milk yield being reduced by over 20% for whole herd:
  • Feed the equivalent of 2oz/cow/day in meal (very convenient system) where meal is being fed. Co-ops should provide this level in 1.5-2kg meal.
  • Feed it through the water either, automatic system or 5-gallon drum with a special dispenser.
  • Dust the pastures with magnesium at the rate of 5-6 oz/cow/day. This works well and can be done while you are assessing farm cover in the paddock.
• As calves at grass will thrive as well as those indoors and will have a lot fewer health problems while being easier to manage, let them out:
  • Why farmers don’t adopt this practice I’ll never understand.
  • Try to have fresh grass for them every three to five days by rotating them round small blocks of grass.
  • Feed hay or straw while at grass, as they need fibre (essential).
  • If the weather is wet and cold, farmer’s favour letting calves run back into a house but this can be dangerous unless it is well ventilated like a hay barn.
  • All they need outdoors is a dry lie and ground shelter because they spend a lot of time lying down.
  • There are several, cheap outdoor type shelter systems available.
  • Because calves are remaining longer on farms this year and health risks are greater this practice should be adopted.
• Lameness: It must be addressed now because it will adversely affect:
  • Milk yield and peak determines the annual yield.
  • Body condition – cows will loose weight.
  • Submission rates and conception rates – a disaster!
  • The cow’s longevity in the herd.
  • Get the Farm Relief Service to examine your herd.
• Bulling heifers (R2s):
  • Weigh them. They must NOW be 53% of your mature cows’ weight.
  • Let them out to grass soon, feed some meal if under target.
• Mastitis/high SCC:
  • Chronic cows should be culled – they will infect the whole herd.
  • Make sure your milking machine and milking routine are up to scratch.
  • Record on ICBF all cases of clinical mastitis.
  • Mastitis adversely affects fertility.
  • Get your vet involved early to sort things out.
• Milk recording is an essential management tool – no excuses, do it:
  • You will know your high SCC cows.
  • You will be able to identify your best cows for breeding to dairy, others for beef AI, and others for culling (should be done now).

Thought for the month

The day you mate a dairy cow with a beef bull is the day you sell that calf.