On-off grazing urged to limit poaching damage

LAST week, Teagasc advised dairy farmers trying to cope with bad weather to minimise poaching damage by practicing on-off grazing, and to feed up to 6 kilos of concentrates per cow where necessary.

In more extreme situations, cows might have to graze silage ground or be fed pit silage.

On suckler beef farms, said Teagasc cattle programme manager Bernard Smyth, grazing priority should be given to spring-calving cows, to maintain milk yield. On-off grazing should be considered, where there was access to a suitable stand-off area, and supplementary feed might be required. Lighter stock could remain at grass if ground conditions permitted.

Concentrates plus minimum roughage might be an option for indoor feeding where stock had to be housed, which would allow grass covers improve, and ensure that grass was available when ground conditions permitted grazing.

Where silage swards had gone too strong, attempting to graze them might result in poor utilisation, while undermining next winter’s fodder supply.

Grazing swards recently closed for silage could help farmers over short-term difficulties.