Managing grass effectively in the autumn will ensure optimum grass covers are available on the farm for grazing next spring.

Often heavy cattle are left out at grass for longer than optimum, which can lead to poaching and a loss in performance.

In the same way, when grass covers are left too strong over the winter, this can lead to a lower-quality sward for grazing next spring.

Some drystock farmers run a store lamb system on their farms over the winter months to clear off surplus grass and ensure there is a fresh sward coming for the following spring.

With heavy rain arriving in places after the dry summer, ground conditions are deteriorating in places. In such cases, heavier cattle should be housed first.

Where farmers want to implement an autumn grazing rotation plan, the Teagasc advice is to target 60% of the grazing area closed by November 7, with the first paddocks closed from October 10 onwards.

These target dates are two weeks earlier for farms on heavier-type land.

In order to have 60% of the grazing area closed by November 7, the guide is to close 15%/week for four weeks.

The advice is to graze the remaining 40% with younger, lighter stock, which are more suited to achieving desired graze-outs on these swards and should perform well provided conditions are workable and concentrates are also in the diet.

Thought should be given to the order in which paddocks are closed this autumn.

According to Teagasc, the ideal starter paddocks for grazing next spring will have covers of 800-1,200kg Dm/Ha which is a medium cover to allow animals to settle back into grazing. These will be the paddocks closed in the second half of the 60% area closed.

Paddocks first closed in the autumn will have heavier covers and should be targeted for grazing in early March.

Careful spring grazing management will help build a reserve of grass, allowing sufficient time for first-grazed paddocks next spring to recover before the second rotation.