Grazing after heavy rainfall
Heavy rainfall across parts of the country has made grazing difficult, but there’s still a lot to be gained from autumn grass.
After such a weather event, priorities must balance between keeping animals out grazing, completing the autumn rotation planner and preventing excessive poaching.
The following advice applies to all beef, sheep and dairy farms during this unsettled spell:
- Walk the farm daily to identify dry areas for stock to graze. This may only be certain sections of paddocks.
- Graze paddocks on the farm that have good access and easy exit back onto farm roadways. Spur roadways are great to get cows to the back of paddocks.
- It is important to keep stock moving so return to 12-hour allocations and also to back fence animals so that they do not have access to areas that were previously grazed.
- It may be necessary during longer sustained spells of rain to practice ‘on–off grazing’, allowing cows access to grass for 3 hours morning and evening and then standing them off in the shed to minimise damage in the paddock.
- Cows should be grazing medium covers if possible (1200 – 1500 kg/DM/ha) and 8-10 cm on drystock farms.
For more tips, listen to the weekly Grass10 Update from John Maher below: