Mechcanical Manipulation

[Kiss]

Pre mow half a paddock, go back to it in 2/3 rounds time you’ll soon realise it’s pointless!

Yes they eat more but it’s lower ME,
No financial gain at all just to make it look pretty IMO Lincoln studies show this to m

Sell the mower, sell the topper you’ll soon think twice

 

[Beef farmer]

Pre mow half a paddock, go back to it in 2/3 rounds time you’ll soon realise it’s pointless!

Yes they eat more but it’s lower ME,
No financial gain at all just to make it look pretty IMO Lincoln studies show this to m

Sell the mower, sell the topper you’ll soon think twice

So no pre mowing? Just keep em eating it? This will be the 1st year in 3 we have pre mowed any significant acres, probably because last 2 years grass hasnt actually grown

 

[Kiss]

So no pre mowing? Just keep em eating it? This will be the 1st year in 3 we have pre mowed any significant acres, probably because last 2 years grass hasnt actually grown

No mower owned here! Yes we take surplus for silage so can target paddocks that way!

And we have picked up the phone and had 3 paddocks partly topped

 

[Kiss]

Pre-graze mowing

Mowing before grazing (pre-graze mowing) is a management strategy sometimes used to achieve target pasture residuals when there is a surplus of pasture.

www.dairynz.co.nz

 

[Cows 'n grass]

We would aim to take 20% of the platform for first cut, a different 15% for secondary cut and run over the rest once with a mower some time between mid May and mid July.

We don't run a Lincoln type sterile farm, we have plenty of docks and thistles and hitting them now stops them seeding.

 

[Agrifool]

Its easy to say you dont need to pre mow or top, but a lot depends on your stocking rate, very heavy stocking rate means you will be grazing cows tighter and with more dung pats per acre to contend with, pre mowing works well for me, and with a slight wilt it improves DM intakes, and better grass utilization.

 

[betweenthelines]

Pre mowing? Topping every third round?

Have you no proper work to do?

 

[Farmer Keith]

Its easy to say you dont need to pre mow or top, but a lot depends on your stocking rate, very heavy stocking rate means you will be grazing cows tighter and with more dung pats per acre to contend with, pre mowing works well for me, and with a slight wilt it improves DM intakes, and better grass utilization.

Also when you farm on a slope they dung in the same places every time they’re in the paddock.

 

[Farmer Keith]

Pre mowing? Topping every third round?

Have you no proper work to do?

If making sure your herd has the best possible grass in-front of them isn’t proper work then I don’t know what is.

 

[Cuthbert]

We pre mow every other round. I know it’s not as cheap as just grazing but
1. It grows more grass
2. We get more intake
3. It keeps the weeds from seeding ( never had to spray grazing since pre mow)
4. Cheaper than buffer feeding 8500 litre cows.

 

[ollie989898]

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.

I agree pre-mowing seems a far better bet than topping after the fact but topper has a place if you haven't been able to keep up with them.

 

[Farmer Keith]

I agree pre-mowing seems a far better bet than topping after the fact but topper has a place if you haven't been able to keep up with them.

I’d still argue even if post mowing it would be better done with the mower, a topper simply doesn’t cut low enough to take out all that stem and reset the pasture.

 

[thewalrus]

I’d still argue even if post mowing it would be better done with the mower, a topper simply doesn’t cut low enough to take out all that stem and reset the pasture.

a big problem with lowering a topper too much is you start cutting the new growth.

 

[lazy farmer]

a big problem with lowering a topper too much is you start cutting the new growth.

If topping straight after the cows there is no regrowth ?
Unless cows are spending too long in a paddock which is a much bigger issue.

 

[Beef farmer]

If topping straight after the cows there is no regrowth ?
Unless cows are spending too long in a paddock which is a much bigger issue.

Within 12 hours there is 25mm of new shoot at the moment.

We have to pre mow, brother doesnt like topping because the fresh cow pats get his mower and tractor dirty.

 

[lazy farmer]

Within 12 hours there is 25mm of new shoot at the moment.

We have to pre mow, brother doesnt like topping because the fresh cow pats get his mower and tractor dirty.

Miracle vale has gotten too dry for that sort of growth. ( still growing well though)

 

[Beef farmer]

Miracle vale has gotten too dry for that sort of growth. ( still growing well though)

Just cut a load of paddocks as surplus, now talk of rain tomorrow afternoon. ?

 

[thewalrus]

If topping straight after the cows there is no regrowth ?
Unless cows are spending too long in a paddock which is a much bigger issue.

I wouldnt top after pm milking or at the weekends cause there’s more to life.
I think you can see regrowth coming through the next day after grazing so getting on quick enough is a problem

 

[jerseycowsman]

@jackrussell101 have a look through this more up to date thread