Redstart delivering winter weight
Farming in Mourneabbey near Mallow, FutureBeef and Signpost Programme participant Kay O’Sullivan has farmed organically for the past 16 years, operating a mix of suckler beef, sheep and occasionally tillage enterprises. In this update, Kay focuses on the grazing management of a redstart crop, preparations for calving and animal performance.
The year started how it finished with a lot of rain falling so far. I have recorded rainfall for the past number of years, and January was a very wet month with 208ml falling, following 220ml of rainfall for the month of December. I am waiting for the weather to dry up to complete the last of my EIP (European Innovation Partnership) actions for improving water quality on the farm.
Forage crop grazing
The annual herd test took place on the farm in mid-January and thankfully the herd tested clear for another 12 months. The weanlings were weighed before being moved onto the redstart crop which is a cross between kale and rape. The weanlings were given a bolus high in iodine, copper, selenium and cobalt as the redstart is low in trace elements.
Cattle are gradually introduced to the redstart to avoid any digestive upset and have access to clean fresh water and a dry grass lie back of 40% of the redstart grazing area.
The weanlings also have access to red clover silage, which was tested at 75% DMD and a crude protein of 17%, and to multi species silage which tested at 76% DMD and a crude protein of 18%. No ration is fed to the animals on the farm at any stage.
The cattle will be weighed coming off the redstart in March and their performance will be assessed by regular weighings throughout the year.
The redstart is not fed during frosty weather, as it can cause nitrogen poisoning and again not fed in mid-March when it flowers, as it is poisonous – but over the last number of years I have my redstart grazed out by then.
I have been growing redstart for the past four years and the cattle have gained on average 1.15 kg per day while on it.
Last year’s cattle finished at 18 months with no meal fed.
Redstart seed cannot be got organically therefore I had to get a derogation from my certification body The Organic Trust to use conventional seed. Once approved, I can purchase the redstart seed which is sown in early July. There was a very good crop of redstart this year and hopefully we will see it on the weighing scales in March.
Calving and grass
The cows are due to calve from the end of February. They are currently on a low DMD silage of 69% with a crude protein of 10% and have access to a pre calving mineral. It’s always nice to see the cows calving as it’s a reminder of the longer spring days ahead and we get the chance to evaluate new genetics used on the farm.
I did the opening grass walk on January 13th, which was recorded on PastureBase. The farm has an opening cover of 822kg DM per ha. This grass will sustain the animals until the start of the second round in early April when growth rates will normally have risen to meet demand.
This article first appeared in the Farming Examiner as part of a Signpost Programme update.