Tomorrow is September 1, which means cows are entering the final third of their lactation on spring-calving farms, and it is also an important date for building grass supplies on-farm.

Grazing management has been challenging this year and with growth rates remaining steady, it is important to make the most of it.

Every extra day at grass saves you money and the management of cows is a lot easier when grazing rather than when they’re in the cubicle shed.

The weather for the week ahead is similar to last week, with very little rainfall expected and temperatures are expected to range between 17° and 21° degrees.

Steady as she goes

Growth rates are remaining steady for the week ahead with growth in the mid-60s to the low 70s – this is similar to last week’s growth rates.

According to PastureBase Ireland, for the coming week growth rates are expected to reach 67kg dry matter [DM]/ha in Leinster, 64kg DM/ha in Munster, 66kg DM/ha in Connacht and 71kg DM/ha in Ulster.

The predicted growth rates remain lower than what some would of been hoping for but have been consistent over the last number of weeks.

Growth rates would usually be slower at this time of the year as summer turns to autumn and soil temperatures begin to decrease.

Grass measuring

It is important that you continue walking your farm every five to seven days. This is the only way that you can properly manage grass on your farm.

Your rotation length should now be between 25 to 30 days as your focus is now on continuing to build your average farm cover (AFC).

This can be achieved by reducing the stocking rate on the milking platform. The best way to achieve this is by adding your silage ground into the rotation or removing now milking/empty cows from the platform.