Grassland
- New red clover cut on July 31st with a yield of 34 bales from 1.8ha
- Slurry re-applied to the red clover using LESS
- 520 silage bales now in the yard
- Grass measure for early August
Michael & Niall Biggins July/August 2024
Grassland
The first crop of red clover was cut on July 31st when the weather was good. Michael got a two day wilt and the yield was 8 bales per acre. Michael is happy with the yield for the first cutting. Slurry was applied and he is hoping to get another cut in early September.
Photo: 12th August – the crop was cut on July 31st.
Photo: Red clover silage 13 days re growth
There is now sufficient fodder in the yard with 520 bales. This includes a buffer for 4 weeks. Growth rates over July and early August have averaged 43kgs/DM/ha . While this below average it is ahead of demand at 30kgs/DM/ha. As a result , the days ahead are increasing to 36 days. So there is plenty of grass on the farm. At this stage of the year , Michael does not want to take out surplus paddocks as bales .
Pasturebase Ireland
Grass cover August 12th – AFC is 903kgs/DM/ha
Performance
Michael has separated the heifer weanlings from the bulls. Both groups are forward grazing ahead of the cows . Michael sells the bulls off farm in October and the 30 bulls are currently getting 1kgs of meal/head/day. He will increase this to 2 kg shortly. The heifers are getting 1kg/head/day. The repeat buyer wants the weanlings to be vaccinated and weaned off the cow. Michael has given the first shot of bovipast and the second shot will be given in four weeks. He will wean the calves outdoors in September.
Photo: Creep gates to allow the weanlings to forward graze
Photo: August 12th bulls will be getting 2kgs of meal/head/day
Photo: Michael will wean the calves in September
Breeding
Sexed semen was used on 27 cows and 12 have proved in calf which equates to over 40 per cent. He is a little disappointed with the figure . Michael used a second round of conventional AI on the repeats and another 12 have proved in calf . So 24 out of 27 are in calf to AI so overall he is happy that he will have sufficient high value eurostar heifers for replacements born in 2025.
In addition , he used AI on 11 maiden heifers and 8 have proved in calf –that is a conception rate of 73% to AI.
Photo: 62 to calve next year which is on target for the farm