Teagasc advise in maximising grass for cows in Autumn
It is vitally important to keep grass in the milking cows� diet for as long as possible this autumn. It will save on scarce silage and it will reduce the level of expensive meals that need to be fed. Start closing paddocks from the 10th October onwards (1-2 weeks earlier in wet areas) and aim to have 60% of the farm closed by the end of the first week of November (1-2 weeks earlier in wet areas). This is important in order to ensure that you will have sufficient build up of grass over the winter in to let the cows out early in spring.

Autumn grazing Planner

Allocate a portion of the farm for grazing each day. There are 21 days between October 10 and November 1. Calculate 60% of the total grazing area available and divide this by 21. This is the area of grass to be allocated daily. E.g. if the milking platform is 30 ha, 60% or 18 ha must be closed by November first. 18 ha divided by 21days is and allocation of .86ha (2.1acs) per day. The other 40% (12 ha) will be closed off from November 1st to housing. This will leave the grazing platform with an �adequate grass cover� when the cows are housed. If the daily allocation of grass is insufficient to meet the requirements of the cows then the deficit will have to be made up with good quality baled silage and/or meals. If you are unsure how to calculate the daily allocation your Teagasc adviser will calculate an autumn grass plan for your farm.

Rotation length

Rotation length must be 45 days by the start of the last rotation and grass covers should peak at 450 kg DM/cow or 1150kg/DM/ha by late September. If necessary slow down the rotation by reducing stocking rate and/or introducing supplementary feeding. Do not build up too much grass as heavy covers are difficult to graze under wet conditions and will delay the achievement of the 60% target.

Autumn grazing - guidelines - -Graze paddocks to 3.5-4 cm to encourage winter tillering of the grass plant. Do not regraze fields that have been closed. Feed supplements if there is insufficient grass in the daily allocation. Skip heavier paddocks and graze paddocks with ideal covers to meet 60% target if necessary. Use wet weather grazing techniques if ground conditions deteriorate. Dairy tips for October - 13 times a week milking works on farms where the bulk milk SCC level is less than 200,000 cells per ml.