Cows loose on grass/rotation grazing ?

Andrew1983

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Black Isle
A percentage of my sucklers are very skittery since the last 3weeks or so. I sent a sample to vets to get tested and it has come back negative for fluke or worms. We normally put straw out in rings from end of August onwards to buffer the remaining grass growth of the year and I’m sure this will help dry up the cows assuming it’s just lush grass that’s causing the problem.

My question is what do people using rotational grazing do at this time of year, do you feed straw or not need it..... it’s something that’s always been done by my previous generations and also done by others in the area, I’m interested to know what happens in other areas where straw is a lot less plentiful than here too.
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
I have some set stocked and some getting a shift roughly weekly depending on field size, 66 cows and calves on 72 acre split in 4, 35 on 40 acre set stocked. Various other set ups. Will split up more fields for next year I think
Ahh, I see, I'd be aiming for about 40-60 days from when they leave to when they come back at this time of the season. It may just be a bit too lush/immature if you've had a good dry summer and then a dump of rain?
 

czechmate

Member
Mixed Farmer
A percentage of my sucklers are very skittery since the last 3weeks or so. I sent a sample to vets to get tested and it has come back negative for fluke or worms. We normally put straw out in rings from end of August onwards to buffer the remaining grass growth of the year and I’m sure this will help dry up the cows assuming it’s just lush grass that’s causing the problem.

My question is what do people using rotational grazing do at this time of year, do you feed straw or not need it..... it’s something that’s always been done by my previous generations and also done by others in the area, I’m interested to know what happens in other areas where straw is a lot less plentiful than here too.


Do they eat straw in ring feeders if they have lush grass. Mine don’t even look at top quality hay
 
I take it this is for dairy cows?
With the lush pasture would it be better to have a longer rotation in the future so it goes a bit more mature rather than adding extra cost by feeding other things?
Yes dairy cows. If you let your ryegrass go over a 3 leaf stage you start wasting resources and time. Try and eat ryegrass between 2.5-3 leaf stage. So we go more on the plant than day rotation. Work out your leaf emerging rate and base rotation on that. So some parts of the year, for us July to Oct, we add some roughage. It helps with the stomachs and helps the solids from not dropping to much because of production increase
 

Kiwi Pete

Member
Livestock Farmer
I take it this is for dairy cows?
With the lush pasture would it be better to have a longer rotation in the future so it goes a bit more mature rather than adding extra cost by feeding other things?
+1
or, if topping/mowing grazing fields, leave the outside round, then you save money and time in two directions.
We topped the east half of fields on the second round, west sides on the 4th round, and only spread urea on the mown part.

Guess which the cows preferred?

Mow the whole paddock, they pushed through the fences to graze the rank old roadside grass ahead of the "nice grass", and when the roadside was skint they'd then fill up on the nice grass.

Obviously the cows hadn't read the "fact sheets" from DairyNZ :rolleyes:
 

nails

Member
Location
East Dorset
Do they eat straw in ring feeders if they have lush grass. Mine don’t even look at top quality hay

Yes they will pick a bit which is all they need to balance the lush grass, bit of molasses helps. They will eat straw over good hay at grass, don,t know why but that is what they choose.
 

nails

Member
Location
East Dorset
+1
or, if topping/mowing grazing fields, leave the outside round, then you save money and time in two directions.
We topped the east half of fields on the second round, west sides on the 4th round, and only spread urea on the mown part.

Guess which the cows preferred?

Mow the whole paddock, they pushed through the fences to graze the rank old roadside grass ahead of the "nice grass", and when the roadside was skint they'd then fill up on the nice grass.

Obviously the cows hadn't read the "fact sheets" from DairyNZ :rolleyes:

Using a topper in New Zealand?o_O:playful:
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

  • 0 %

    Votes: 77 43.5%
  • Up to 25%

    Votes: 62 35.0%
  • 25-50%

    Votes: 28 15.8%
  • 50-75%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 75-100%

    Votes: 3 1.7%
  • 100% I’ve had enough of farming!

    Votes: 4 2.3%

Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

  • 1,285
  • 1
As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
Top