Signpost: Baling, topping, or pre-mowing grass surplus — decisions for Dermot

Dermot Walsh in his New Holland tractor on his farm at Currihy, Lisevane, Timoleague, Co Cork.  Picture: David Creedon

I was tight with grass for the middle of July. I took out a few heavy covers for surplus bales. I was in two minds as to whether bale, top, or pre-mow the paddock. 

I went with the baling option, and I am delighted that I went with this option. Grass has now returned to top quality, and with the bit of rain we got last week, growth has taken off again. 

I had to feed bales for a week as grass was tight, but there is no silage being fed at present. The cows are back on grass full time with 3kg of a 14% concentrate. I did a farm walk on Friday, August 25.

I had a cover of 196kg DM/LU and a farm cover of 686kg DM/ha after this walk. As of today, I reckon this has increased as growth has really taken off here this week. I cut 11 acres of second-cut last week too. This will now return to the grazing platform, as I hope to build covers for the autumn. 

I also have six acres of red clover silage to cut in a week or two. I am delighted with how the red clover silage is coming along. It is just starting to go to flower. I hope to have it cut sometime this month before I go on holiday.

The only issue I have had this summer is flies with the cows. I have treated the cows a number of times as it was causing issues with mastitis, and I hope it is now cured. The weather has been very muggy lately, and I think that may have been the cause of the problem.

I soil sampled my whole farm back in January. My soil sample results came back with a very small lime requirement of only about 10 tonnes, but I will probably spread around 40-60t of lime between reseeded ground and grazing ground.

From these soil sample results, I have identified a few grazing paddocks that are low for lime. I hope to get lime spread on these paddocks sometime soon, but it must fit in around grazing. 

I put out around 60t of lime last year on my silage ground. These paddocks won’t be getting any lime this year as they tested high for pH in the soil samples.

I am following the cows with 18 units/acre of 29-0-14. Any paddock that was low for P and K in the soil samples, I am spreading one bag/acre of 18-6-12. The second cut has now been cut and I will spread this ground with slurry at a rate of 2,000 gallons/acre with LESS and then about a bag/acre of 29-0-14.

Fodder stocks are very healthy as we head into the autumn. Last winter was relatively dry and short, which means I have a good bit of silage left over from last year. 

I am happy with the amount of silage I currently have in my yard, and as I said previously, I still have the red clover silage field to cut once, if not twice, hopefully.

Dermot and Linda Walsh are farming in Lislevane, Bandon, with their children Tadgh, Aoife, Maebh, and Eoin. They milk 84 cows and supply Barryroe Co-op