While growth has improved on farms over the last couple of weeks, many remain tight for grass.
However, with further rain and grass-growing conditions, it does appear that these farms are turning the corner and moving into a better position.
Grass growth
The latest figures from PastureBase Ireland show current growth rates of 56kg of dry matter (DM)/ha for Leinster, 60kg of DM/ha for Munster, 61kg of DM/ha for Connacht and 62kg of DM/ha for Ulster.
The good grass-growing conditions mean that a further increase in growth rates are predicted over the coming days.
There are predicted growth rates of 71kg of DM/ha forecast for Leinster, 73kg of DM/ha for Munster, 77kg of DM/ha for Connacht and 73kg of DM/ha for Ulster.
Sward quality
Although the growth has returned, the quality of the grass in many swards is quite poor and this is a concern for many farmers.
Ideally, to improve the quality of swards, farmers would mow and bale – but over a large area this is not going to be practical.
Topping or pre-mowing paddocks are also options, but these both also have negatives too.
Although there will be some low-quality grass in the sward, there is also going to be high-quality grass present, so grazing remains to be a solid option.
Cows are unlikely to eat the stemmy grass, but they will eat around it. Farmers can then select the worst paddocks to correct first.
A certain level of stem in the swards will have to be accepted and bit by bit, these paddocks can be corrected when growth allows and surpluses are present.
Topping should be avoided as it wastes grass and leads to a reduction in growth – while pre-mowing removes the cows’ option to selectively graze.
Both of these methods could hamper production and thus should be avoided where possible.