With good ground conditions in many places this week, it can be tempting to graze one or two extra paddocks to extend the grazing season.
There are still some high covers (above 1,500kgDM/ha) on some paddocks and, in an ideal world, these would be cleaned off now in the good conditions, as some of this grass will decay during winter.
But what if this brings the overall farm cover too low?
Growth rates have now dropped below normal mid-November levels (5 -15kg DM/day). Dropping average farm cover too low now is likely to lead to inadequate grass on the farm into next spring, as lower overall average farm cover will also reduce over winter growth.
The target closing cover is 750kgDM/ha on 20 November so that, with normal daily winter growth rates (3kgDM/ha), 950kgDM/ha will be on the farm at the start of calving in early February. This is sacrosanct for compact calving herds.
While the last 10 days have been near ideal conditions to extend autumn grazing, most herds are now indoors at night to stretch grass supply.
Even though keeping grazed grass in the diet improves herd performance and reduces workload around the farm, protecting the overall farm cover and having extra grass on the farm will be far more beneficial in the diet of the freshly calved herd next spring.
While we have been experiencing better over-winter growth rates in recent years with warm wet winters, there is no certainty that this will happen this winter.
As grass growth rates are lower than normal this week, it is unlikely that growth for the next month will exceed long-term average values, so sticking to the budget is critical.
Good quality
If the farm is now at 750kgDM/ha but there are still some paddocks with covers of more than 1,500kgDM/ha, these heavy covers should be left for next spring.
While these paddocks will grow little between now and when they are grazed next March, the grass they do have will still be good quality and will set the herd up next spring.
I often find that when we get into the shorter, colder November days, the number of farmers completing weekly grass walks reduces considerably. It's so important to finish with the right closing farm cover and a lot of grass can disappear in a few days, so weekly farm walks are really important.
Walk the farm early this week and stick to the targets. Stop grazing when you get to an average cover of 750kgDM/ha.
You will thank yourself next February.
