When it comes to grazing, you know your land better than anyone else
A lot of damage is being done by animals out around the country.
Many spring jobs around the farm are now well overdue.
After the recent bad weather, neither machine or animal can travel the vast majority of farmland.
Most have little or no fertiliser out.
Fencing repairs are yet to be done.
Slurry tanks are filling up.
It is important that you minimise damage to land.
You know your land better than anyone else. If you feel it’s fit to graze, then let stock out.
On the other side, if you feel it is not fit to graze, then don’t, no matter what others may say.
Forage production for 2017
Many are now making plans for what crops to sow for the coming season.
This winter may not be over yet, but planning for winter 2017-2018 must start now.
After a challenging 2016, where most crops were disappointing, many beef and dairy producers are re-assessing their options for feed next winter.
Before we look forward, we should make sure that we have accurate information about the previous year’s forage production.
Many are talking about poor cereal and grass crops in 2016.
I have been using a mobile NIR to analyse my customers’ forage over the last 10 months or so.
It has proved to be an excellent tool for helping me advise my clients.
It helps provide more accurate diet plans and to guide clients on producing better forages.
Grass silages have in general been average.
But almost all maize silages tested have been excellent.
These facts have encouraged many to look at increased maize acreage for the coming year.
The addition of a second forage source along with grass silage to a beef finisher diet will increase forage dry matter intake by between 10 and 15%.
This will result in reduced concentrate inputs being required.
Crops such as maize silage and whole-crop cereals provide high dry matter and starch diet contents for beef farms.
Beet is also an excellent sugar energy sources for finishing beef cattle.
A viable option for some farmers who do not have suitable land to grow alternative forages may be to source them locally from specialised tillage producers.
Many tillage farmers see this as a very good alternative to continuing with traditional cereal production.
Most will be open to an approach to discuss growing maize or whole crop on contract.
The best time of the year to do this is March, before crops are planted.
