October is one of the most important months of year for a grazing herd; farmers are starting their final rotation for the year while also setting the farm up for spring 2022.
The grazing decision made in October, will impact the closing date on the farm and the availability of grass next spring.
October
Depending on soil type you should be starting the final rotation of the year between October 1 and 10.
The aim is to graze between 60-70% of the farm this month, depending on stocking rate. High stock farms should be grazing closer to 70%, while lower stock farms should aim for 60%.
All paddocks on the farm need to be grazed out well to encourage tillering over the winter and ensure that good quality grass is available come spring.
Avoid the poaching of paddocks and use back fences to protect ground conditions.
The good growth rates in September have meant there is a lot of grass on most farms, so farmers need to ensure that this grass is not wasted and is grazed out properly.
Paddock selection
The order in which paddocks are closed is also important to ensure that grass is available in the correct paddocks in the spring of next year.
The first 30% of paddocks closed this autumn should be the paddocks you are planning on grazing between March 1 and March 17, next spring.
These paddocks will be the wetter paddocks, that do not have brilliant access and are ideally a little further away from the yard.
The second 30% of paddocks to close this autumn should be grazed between October 20, and November 1.
These paddocks will be grazed first in the spring, and so should be the driest paddocks, with multiple access points.
The final 40% of paddocks to be closed this autumn are the paddocks that will be grazed last in the spring. These paddocks will have the poorest grazing infrastructure and/or be the silage ground.