Mechcanical Manipulation

[Fergieman]

What do the grazers do between rounds as far as anything mechanical to the grass, harrow, top etc?

Our fields at this time of year end up with green cicles that the cows will not touch which is where the sh*t has landed in previous grazing rounds. The fields are getting topped behind the cows this time. Would a grass harrow be an advantage to spread out the cow pats?

 

[Beef farmer]

Grass harrow will contaminate 5hit to the whole paddock.
Pre now 1x year and in an ideal world remove surplus 1x year.

 

[coomoo]

Starve them ?

 

[jerseycowsman]

Wait a couple of weeks then pre mow it, they’ll eat it all then.

 

[ploughman1963]

Pre-mow 24 hours ahead of grazing and the dark green grass becomes far more palatable

 

[Homesy]

I'm really old fashioned. I use a topper. In a normal year I try to do it every third round. I don't graze as tight as some but find if I do I lose milk especially when it is wet. Tried pre-mowing years ago. Ok in the dry but a bloody mess in wet. Best way is to big bale every field in rotation but not really feasible without your own kit.

 

[Lewis]

I'm really old fashioned. I use a topper. In a normal year I try to do it every third round. I don't graze as tight as some but find if I do I lose milk especially when it is wet. Tried pre-mowing years ago. Ok in the dry but a bloody mess in wet. Best way is to big bale every field in rotation but not really feasible without your own kit.

This is what we do. As we have somebody local who is happy to come bale a few acres at a time. And bales work well for buffer feeding or for dry cows. Than field is reset then.

Never tried pre mowing but can see our cows turning there noses up at it straigh away and with robots unhappy cows mean standing in sheds waiting for what they want!

Have been over a few pieces this week with the flail topper( with roller so spreads pat's out) to tidy them up after the 3rd round. I think a dedicated plain disc mower would do a cleaner job over the flail and have better regrowth.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Put all pasture toppers back in the bushes, far better get the mower and pre now it as low as you can, that’s as far as they’ll graze down to next rotation.

 

[organicguy]

We are pre mowing everything at the moment as we only have seed heads with a few dark green spots!
We only mow 3 hours in front, if we miss judge they will clear up next day.
It would all need topping afterwards any way and now it is all nicely re set.
We find rooks will spread the dung pats by next round but one.
Have not chain harrowed since will stored slurry and manure rather than winter spreading on a frost.

 

[Tarw Coch]

Pre mowing works well here but only if it’s bone dry

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Tried pre mowing a few years ago, didn't go overly well. Too many wet days I think and it's an extra daily job.

Generally post mow after 3rd round when the cows are covering the ground quickly and give them an extra day to clean up.

 

[Farmer Keith]

and it's an extra daily job.

It’s a job i often end up doing after evening milking to, fine in 2020 when there’s little else going on but it can be a fight to fit it in, always cut 24hrs worth at a time here. Started cutting at the end of last week and they’re doing a lovely job right now.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

It’s a job i often end up doing after evening milking to, fine in 2020 when there’s little else going on but it can be a fight to fit it in, always cut 24hrs worth at a time here. Started cutting at the end of last week and they’re doing a lovely job right now.

Definitely a me thing then. Parlour door shuts and that's me done?

 

[jerseycowsman]

We are pre mowing everything at the moment as we only have seed heads with a few dark green spots!
We only mow 3 hours in front, if we miss judge they will clear up next day.
It would all need topping afterwards any way and now it is all nicely re set.
We find rooks will spread the dung pats by next round but one.
Have not chain harrowed since will stored slurry and manure rather than winter spreading on a frost.

We mow up to 4 days ahead, especially if wet weather is predicted. Get it mown in the dry and they will eat it if it gets rained on after mowing. We find no yield loss or we wouldn’t do it.
I’m not fannying around putting the mower on and off everyday, try it

 

[Tirglas]

I try not to cut at all and its highly likely the cows will eat more of the dungpats grass next round when it's less sour, and leave the fresh ones.

So far I've topped one (docks run to seed) and baled one paddock this year (out of 15) used dry cows and youngstock to increase grazing pressure on the platform when growth took off. Getting good clean outs now considering it's very wet.

Will shift youngstock off to off lying aftermath soon and drys off to older grass growth slowing a little bit.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Yesterday’s paddock

 

[Manney]

A combination of pre mowing or post mowing depending on how much grass is there. Do a complete round atleast once a year, sometimes twice. Anything really heavy will get cut and baled.

I dont roll and rarely use the grass harrows.

 

[jimmer]

As a rule I will premow after 3 grazings, 4 if the third is a clean graze
Those that say they won't eat it are just giving them too much, remember your usually giving them high covers and not allowing for rejection sites that wouldn't be grazed any way

 

[jerseycowsman]

As a rule I will premow after 3 grazings, 4 if the third is a clean graze
Those that say they won't eat it are just giving them too much, remember your usually giving them high covers and not allowing for rejection sites that wouldn't be grazed any way

I always measure first, my jerseys will eat 17 kgs of grass DM a day, 10 by day and 7 by night. Work out the amount of grass DM, the area and the number of cows and put the fence in the right place. Usually eat at least 95% of it.
Far better job than topping with less waste

 

[jimmer]