Grass measuring has a vital role to play on the majority of Irish farms, especially dairy farms, as it ensuring that cows are eating the best possible feed.
Although the weather has been a little tricky over the last number of weeks, many farms are entering, or have already entered, their second rotation.
As the second rotation gets underway it is time to get back into the habit of measuring grass once a week.
Grass measuring
As we head into the summer months the grass situation can change quite rapidly so it is important to continually measure grass on the farm.
The importance of grass to Irish dairy farmers – and Irish livestock farmers in general – cannot be underestimated.
There are two main methods used for measuring grass on farms, although farmers that are more used to measuring can often eyeball their grass cover.
The first method is using a plate meter; using the plate meter, a farmer will make a number of drops in a paddock, usually in an ‘X’ or ‘W’ pattern.
The farmer will then take the post-grazing height – or residual – from the average height of grass in the paddock. This figure should then be multiplied by 250kg of dry matter (DM), as there is 250kg of DM in 1cm.
The second option to farmers is the ‘cut and weigh’ method. For this, a farmer needs a quadrant, shears, a plastic bag and a scale.
The quadrant should be placed in an area that is representative of the paddock. The grass is then cut to a high of 4cm using the shears.
The grass is then collected and weighed and a simple calculation is then used to determine the paddock’s cover.
Back in the habit
The growth rates of grass should start to increase over the coming weeks, so it is important to monitor the grass situation on farms.
To obtain the best production levels from cows it is important that grass quality is maintained, and this can only be achieved when grass is being monitored.
Grass measuring brings numerous other benefits, including: Maximising pasture growth rates; extending the grazing season; maintaining and improving pasture growth rates; increasing the proportion of grazed grass in the diet; and reducing costs.
As we move into April it is a good idea for farmers to get back in the habit of walking the farm once a week.
During the peak growth months this may need to be increased to twice a week, but the important thing is to get back out there and get an understanding of what is happening on your farm.