UK Dairy Day How to revise grassland strategy


following dry summer • Avoid the temptation to overgraze


• Skip nitrogen applications until rain


• Assess feed requirements for winter


D


airy farmers are being urged to revise grass- land strategies following exceptionally dry summer weath- er on the back of an extended win- ter and a slow wet spring. With another month of high temperatures and minimal rain- fall across much of the country, farmers are having to revisit their grassland management in an ef- fort to ensure adequate grazing and forage production for the coming winter. “Having been through a num- ber of droughts in New Zealand, there are some very effective strategies that should be consid- ered under the current challeng- es,” says Sean Chubb, a Pasture for Profit consultant for farm- er-owned co-operative LIC. First and foremost, farmers


should know your feed require- ments, says Mr Chubb. This should include how much feed is on hand, how much is required


Effective management strategies can make the most of limited grazing “


This is an ideal time to clear out any unproductive animals


to fill the deficit, and what will be needed for winter requirements.


How to manage feed “Work on some best and worst- case scenarios over the long term to give an indication of the short- fall for winter requirements,” he says. “You must know what you need before you can decide on how to best produce it. “It’s advisable to break your feed plan into manageable time frames of 10-15 days and keep reassessing thereafter. A lot can change within the space of a few


days so don’t try and plan for the unknown – work within a realis- tic timeline.” Feed demand can be reduced by selling any known culls, says Mr Chubb. “This is an ideal time to clear out any unproductive animals, maximising the forage availability for your profitable an- imals. This also applies to young- stock.”


Looking at pasture manage-


ment, producers should aim to get the rotation out to 30 or 40 days. Ryegrass leaf emergence slows due to the moisture deficit so the longer the recovery period between grazings the better, Mr Chubb explains. “Avoid the temptation to over-


graze. If the sward is grazed be- low 4cm it will deplete the plant energy stores and slow down re- covery when the rain comes. If overgrazing is becoming an is- sue, move cows onto a sacrifice paddock.”


The recovery period between grazings should be as long as possible 70 ANGLIA FARMER • AUGUST 2018


Water and moisture The practice of leaving higher covers to retain moisture in the soil is often contemplated at times of low rainfall. But Mr Chubb says this will have little or even no ef- fect on retaining moisture with- in the soil profile. In fact, it could have detrimen- tal effects when rain does come because if the grass has died or gone brown it will start to rot and cows will not eat this. “Farmers should also skip nitrogen fertil-


iser applications until rain is fore- cast. It will be ineffective and a waste of money.”


Mr Chubb also advises consid-


ering changing milking frequen- cy, so for example look at milking every 16 hours – or three milk- ings every two days. This will take the pressure of the cows to pro- duce milk and will result in less walking to the parlour and reduce staffing requirements. Once a day milking is also an option in extreme circumstanc- es he adds. Water availability is impor- tant year-round but growers should pay particular attention when supplies are limited. “Cows can drink up to 100 litres on hot days, so if your system is strug- gling to keep up look at ways to offer additional sources.”


Watch farm cashflow Current conditions will undoubt- edly affect fertility and many farm business cashflows. “Your herd management during this time could have significant con- sequences on its productivity and fertility so focus on its needs and how best to address them. “Update your financial budg- ets reflecting lower milk produc- tion income and increased feed costs and communicate with the bank on your working capital re- quirements. Act quickly on this so you know exactly where you stand from a financial perspec- tive.”


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76