What's your AFC

[hendrebc]

Not aware of any threads on here where grass nerds are talking about grass in kg/DM/ha and rotational grazing so thought I'd start one seeing as I'm having a proper go at it this year. Twin ewes go out to grass today off the forage crops ready for lambing at the end of the month. AFC (average farm cover) was 1650kg DM/ha a week ago which is a bit lower than I would have liked but. Still learning so it will only get better should have shut off more ground earlier, never mind. And is still 400kg higher than last year. Grown at a steady 2kg/DM/ha since early January. Not sure what it is now though need to go measure again. If I've done my sums right (and with some luck with the weather) I'll have enough grass to not have to feed any concentrate feed to any ewes this year and should get some cattle out a couple of weeks earlier than normal. So it's been well worth doing

 

[Beef farmer]

That's a very low afc. We would be 2700. Plenty of grub to go at, just need the weather. What are you down to with the ewes?

 

[dairyrow]

Remember magic day will be about the 16th of april. Before you get to be self sufficient. Have you joined farming beef and sheep grazing group? I'm on the dairy precision graze have set up whatsapp groups so you can talk to each other

 

[scholland]

Should be measuring this afternoon if I get to it. Afc will be below yours I would guess, 3 weeks of beet left then ewes will start rotation.
Grass has grown a little in February but we lost a lot in January, Afc would have been down at 1300kg then.

I guess @Beef farmer demand is quite different to ours with our demand not really kicking in for over a month still.

 

[Beef farmer]

Should be measuring this afternoon if I get to it. Afc will be below yours I would guess, 3 weeks of beet left then ewes will start rotation.
Grass has grown a little in February but we lost a lot in January, Afc would have been down at 1300kg then.

I guess @Beef farmer demand is quite different to ours with our demand not really kicking in for over a month still.

Demand here will be 3600kgdm per day. So assuming taking a 3100 to 1500, 2.25ha day from the word go. But for sure will have to buffer for 3 weeks to get settled and get.grass growing.

 

[dairyrow]

Not really. He's using a spring rotation planner to work out how much grass he's got until he gets the grass growth to properly graze the platform. Sheep guys need to stock pile grass for i think ( don't quote me) 120 day rotation over winter. So you don't over graze and got it enough to last.

 

[hendrebc]

That's a very low afc. We would be 2700. Plenty of grub to go at, just need the weather. What are you down to with the ewes?

Yes it is but I didn't know what it should be when I started shutting off fields in November and had no idea what I was doing to be honest. I left a few fields with sheep in until January and a few until early February. Should have shut them off before new year. Next year
There's only 250 twins going over 80ha first round. Am using farmax and it reckons I'll be more than ok even if I put all my ewes out. I think it's a bit optimistic myself but it was bang on over the autumn and winter so I think I need a bit more faith in it. Had a free trial of it for a year with a grazing group that precision grazing are running with farming connect. It's a lot to get your head round but I like it so far. It will save me thousands of it's right and I don't have to feed the ewes. Will just have to see how it goes from today onwards

 

[scholland]

Demand here will be 3600kgdm per day. So assuming taking a 3100 to 1500, 2.25ha day from the word go. But for sure will have to buffer for 3 weeks to get settled and get.grass growing.

Currently no demand on the grazing platform here, will increase in 3 weeks when beet finishes, then again as young cattle go out in a month.
April and into May is when our demand really gets going but supply should meet that ?
We can't stock pile good quality grass over winter here.

 

[unlacedgecko]

AFC not much at all here.

But have another 5-6 weeks of cover crops so no demand till then. Must get a plate meter.

 

[hendrebc]

AFC not much at all here.

But have another 5-6 weeks of cover crops so no demand till then. Must get a plate meter.

Grass should be flying in 5-6 weeks when do they lamb?

 

[ShooTa]

im up in just under 4 wks time - doing a bit of pre lambing rotation - but ive not been around many fields yet with my sward stick.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Grass should be flying in 5-6 weeks when do they lamb?

Fingers crossed cos there's not much there now!

I'm planning on lambing 540 ewes on 16ha, starting end of April.

 

[TexelBen]

I've only measured one field so far, must get around the rest. It's still hellish wet tho!

Remember magic day will be about the 16th of april. Before you get to be self sufficient. Have you joined farming beef and sheep grazing group? I'm on the dairy precision graze have set up whatsapp groups so you can talk to each other

Whats this dairy precision jobbie?
Sounds interesting

 

[dairyrow]

I've only measured one field so far, must get around the rest. It's still hellish wet tho!
Whats this dairy precision jobbie?
Sounds interesting

If your in Wales you can get it on farming connect. I don't know if the English groups they started last year are still going. But you'd have to pay a fee for it. Ask precision graze lot and see what they say.

 

[An ancient git]

On about 2000 at present . Sheep all housed from 1/1 , and won't start to go out post-lambing b4 very late March . Walked fields y'day and wish that I hadn't !! Wet/squelch job here .... But theoretically enough to start a grazing cycle .
Last year grazed a 'mowing' patch lightly until March .... Looked fine , and not chewed off at all hard . What was interesting was that that 7 acre patch produced exactly same no. of BBales as the 5 acres next door , which had been shut up on 1/1 . You wouldn't have guessed it by looking at grass growth ..... Made decision to house ongoing for about 3 full months ; roughly 1/1 > 1/4ish .

 

[johnspeehs]

I know nothing about measuring grass, just to give me an idea what does 1650 kgs ha look like ? 3" 6" decent ryegrass sward I'm talking about.

 

[scholland]

We use farmax for monitoring grass covers, amongst many other things.
First supply vs demand
Secondly actual afc and predicted afc going forward, nicely on track.

 

[sticky]

I too know nothing of measuring and would be interested in knowing what 1650 or 2000 looked like.
I do know that I could tell you what's in most of my fields at this time without a plate meter.

 

[johnspeehs]

I too know nothing of measuring and would be interested in knowing what 1650 or 2000 looked like.
I do know that I could tell you what's in most of my fields without a plate meter at this time.

Me too, I wonder can you get one with a minus facility on it.

 

[johnspeehs]

We use farmax for monitoring grass covers, amongst many other things.
First supply vs demand
Secondly actual afc and predicted afc going forward, nicely on track.

Thanks @scholland ,, I think what Sticky and I are basically asking is, what would you say 2000kgs looks like would it be up to above your ankles? I know all swards are different but in an average decent ryegrass sward.