- Location
- Pembrokeshire
Mower should be scalping it
Grass growth?
- Thread starter jerseycowsman
- Start date
- Location
- South Molton
When your short of grass in a drought utilising every bit is important.
If we hadn't of pre mown we would've been short as it was it was perfect
Kiss
Member
- Location
- North west
Cows will graze tighter than we ever mow
- Location
- somerset
3 dry summers altered that view, longer residuals meant more grass, sounds wrong, but it worked, we had our doubts before trying it, now converted, we were willing to try anything, as fodder/grass desperately short, that one worked. Grass this year, is plentiful, but the longer residuals, seem to have 'protected' the sward from the worst of the wet, and poaching. We all get onto a system, and think it's the best one, we had to try 'something' else, and have realised other systems can work as well, if you don't try them, you never know.
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Weve tried the longer residuals, on the autumns we found we lost quality and then milk in the back end as the cows where happy to be fat and lazy. And when growth is as it is now, the whole farm is a cover off 4000. Cows go in, plain some bits to the deck and leave any dung sites. Longer residuals I find are harder to manage. I doff my cap to those that can
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
Then you use cake and buffer silage to keep the milk up, grass gets longer vicious circle
I used to run a dry farm ,get silage of early feet /slurry back on then start pushing rotation length early
As the heat comes on ,the grass dry matter goes up so cows seem more content with less
Clover at 30% of the award will last along time into a drought
The day it rains silage was fed because cows got miserable as sin
I used to run a dry farm ,get silage of early feet /slurry back on then start pushing rotation length early
As the heat comes on ,the grass dry matter goes up so cows seem more content with less
Clover at 30% of the award will last along time into a drought
The day it rains silage was fed because cows got miserable as sin
- Location
- somerset
well we had to do something, it definitely is more difficult to 'judge', the cows seem to like it as well, or perhaps they have realised there is nothing in the yard, for them, half bale of wheat straw when really bad. Someone told us, our cutting grass, was just perfect for multi-cut silage, if it's quality for cows in the pit, it's got to be good in the cow at grass, not a lot of difference between the cutting, and grazing grass, at the moment.
Water Wheel
Member
I agree. If we set it at a tight grazing height the cows leave a lot. Look at what you are cutting off, will they eat it ?
If you get it right they eat every bit without any impact on milk.
Farmer Keith
Member
- Location
- North Cumbria
the primary goal of pre mowing is to reset the grass not to make them eat it all... if they won’t eat it all without hammering milk production you’ve left it too late to do it and probably need a baler. Cutting it high is a total waste of time and diesel as far as I’m concerned.
- Location
- Derbyshire
Forage for Knowledge | AHDB
The latest research and advice on grass, forage and soil management to help improve grassland productivity on livestock farms
ahdb.org.uk
Worth checking out forage for knowledge. It gives weekly grass growth figures
Sparkymark
Member
I don’t top anymore. Better to mow and bale up the stale grass.
The regrowth is better quality and young stock love the bales.
The regrowth is better quality and young stock love the bales.
- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
James Daniel from Precision Grazing said during an open day, don't top, as the topper rips the grass instead of cutting it (blades are usually blunt) and this slows down grass regrowth, where as a mower has sharp blades and this does not check regrowth.
True, but a topper doesn't cut as low as a mower and cows would be lower again.
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
Agriland.co.uk is better and growth I measure weekly myselfForage for Knowledge | AHDB
The latest research and advice on grass, forage and soil management to help improve grassland productivity on livestock farms
Worth checking out forage for knowledge. It gives weekly grass growth figures
Tirglas
Member
- Location
- West wales
Idea is cut below all developing seed heads to remove the reproductive phase and return the grass to vegetative state
- Location
- South Molton
Of course cows have blades don't they
Cows rip grass just like a topper
Does he suggest that cows should be housed so as not to check regrowth?
Skintagain
Member
- Location
- Perched on the Pennines