At the MDF, we are lengthening our rotation to prepare for the autumn/winter round. Consequently, milk per cow has fallen a little (1.69 to 1.66 MS/cow) as has grass consumption (35 to 28 kg DM/ha/day) although we are close to target still. We are taking more feeds from paddocks, and using a bit of hay to substitute grass, aiming to maintain and increase the current good quality biomass on the farm. At the moment however, less grass per cow, increased expensive supplements per cow, means higher feed price, and therefore reduced margin.
Paddock 13A is to be grazed soon. It has been rested 30 days, has 2.5 leaves regrown, and 2,900 kg DM per ha total on offer of very good quality, leafy grass, with very little stem and no high residue underneath. It’s expected to be grazed down to 1,800, so grass consumption is 1,100 kg DM per hectare. That is an average consumption rate over the growing period of 37 kg DM per ha per day. The cows get one day in the paddock, it is 1.77 ha, so 7.4 kg DM grass per cow per day. The numbers from the visual assessment of one paddock are close to the “back-calculated from milk” numbers in the table.
The short-term ryegrasses have now stopped flowering and are growing good quality and quantity again.
Soil moisture is excellent after some rain.
The farm was visited while no other person was present, and no surfaces were touched. All gates were electric wires, that were lifted by insulated tools.
(Pick up nothing, except info and photos, leave nothing except quad bike tracks).
