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GrassWatch 2012

GrassWatch Archive

This is an archive of our GrassWatch results. Read the latest report here >

March 2012

View the full set of GrassWatch results for March 2012 Update (PDF, 53KB)

See our archive of GrassWatch Reports >

DRY MATTER

DM has started the year well coming in at 19.4%. There are 2 reasons for this we have had a relatively dry time and also there is more winter grown grass because of the dry mild winter and this older material tends to have a higher DM. It is always DMI that is important so having a higher DM means it’s easier to hit the intake targets we need.

ENERGY LEVEL

ME is quite low and the lowest we have recorded in the last 4 years, this is again because of the winter grown grass out there as a result of the mild winter. This old material is of a lower quality, but it has to be removed to allow the new young growth to come through. Grazing fields need that old material grazed off now.

PROTEIN

The protein level has again come in lower than the last 4 years also highlighting the lower quality material that is there. This situation won’t get better, particularly lower in the sward, until this is removed so get it grazed off quickly to allow the new higher protein growth to come through.

FIBRE

The NDF level has come in way above the last 4 years at 42.1% which again highlights the older material that is out there to graze currently. It also helps to demonstrate the need to get this grass grazed off and allow the new growth to come through. Failure to do this now will mean the quality of grazing potentially though the whole season will be lower with the consequent effect on performance.

SUGAR

The sugar level has come in at around the average for March at 9% which is quite good given the overall quality of grass at the moment. This should help with palatability of the grass even if the grass itself is older.

OIL

The oil level is consistent with the previous 3 years for March and shouldn’t present any problems for us at first grazing. The oil type in grazed grass is less saturated than silage or supplementary feeds, but this does present more problems in maintaining butterfats as it’s more rumen available. The risk should be no higher than any normal year.

COVERS

The oil level is consistent with the previous 3 years for March and shouldn’t present any problems for us at first grazing. The oil type in grazed grass is less saturated than silage or supplementary feeds, but this does present more problems in maintaining butterfats as it’s more rumen available. The risk should be no higher than any normal year.

GROWTH RATE

The current cover growth rate has come in at the same level as the last couple of years at 24kgDM/ha/day, but it is from a limited number of recordings and I think the overall current growth rate will be increasing again highlighting the need to be looking at grazing and getting cows out there.

M+ POTENTIAL

At this early point in the grazing season it’s difficult to assess potential milk from grazing and safer to under-estimate than to over estimate.

GRAZING ROTATIONS

Again rotation length won’t really feature until we get to growth rates of 50- 60kgDM/ha/day, for now just graze the highest cover fields to get the new growth going.

GrassWatch 2012 Nitrates

GrassWatch 2011

September 2011

View the full set of GrassWatch results for September 2011 Update (PDF, 50KB)

See our archive of GrassWatch reports.

We are approaching the end of the grazing season now and grazed grass is showing the signs of a difﬁ cult season. Also, with the recent wet weather, grass DM has dropped signiﬁ cantly. Care should be taken to not overestimate the value of late season grazing, but for the right cows there is still the opportunity to get some cheap efﬁcient milk from grazing, particularly late lactation staler cows.

Oil is an energy source just like the sugar in grass, but isn’t quite as readily available. The oil type is in the form of unsaturated fatty acids, made available in the rumen. However, rumen fermentation does not work well with higher levels of fats/oils, as it inhibits ﬁbre digestion and the overall production of microbial protein and volatile fatty acids, which actually feed the cow. It also has the effect oflowering butterfat % because of the reduced ﬁbre digestion and lower acetate production.

High oil levels are not a good thing in terms of butterfat and rumen function, but that said, there are some beneﬁ ts to the particular oil in grazed grass. It has been proven to be higher in Omega 3 oils, which is good for cow and human health. It also helps cow fertility, particularly in the crucial egg implantation stage, as well as lessening the effect of SARA (sub acute ruminal acidosis) because of the slower fermentation rate.

The graph shows we are running at a higher overall oil content this year compared to last and this could cause butterfat levels to be lower, where most milk production is coming from grazed grass,but would also suggest fertility should be better than last year.

Interestingly, the oil content in September has dropped markedly from the rest of the season. Some of the total oil content is contained in the waxy leaf coating on the grass and with all the wet weather, some of this coating could have been lost, lowering the total oil content measured.

Oil Content in September

The overall message is, don’t be unduly worried about higher oil levels in your grazed grass, but be aware of the possible effect it can have, We will be to monitoring the levels over the coming years to see where the trend goes and what different feeding strategies we need to follow to utilise grass oil content better.
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We are very grateful and thank our members on the GrassWatch farms, as without their help and support we could not provide this service ... and we do seem to ask a bit more of them each year! Look out for the GrassWatch Reports each month and you can always contact your local Feed Specialist/Agri Business Development Manager who will be able to tailor a GrassWatch programme for your farm.

August 2011

View the full set of GrassWatch results for August 2011 Update (PDF, 54KB)

See our archive of GrassWatch reports.

Grass growth through the end of July and into August has been tremendous, more like a spring flush, and has meant that grass has got away from us and become less nutritious with cows becoming much more selective in their grazing habit. This means more topping to remove rejected grazing, or the better option is to take paddocks/fields out and cut them.

The grazed grass analysis statistic I am going to look at this month is oil. Now oil isn’t one we consider too carefully and we have only really been monitoring it for the last two years so we haven’t got a longer term trend to compare to, but is still worth evaluating the information we have. Oil is an energy source just like the sugar in grass, but isn’t quite as readily available as sugar. It will be more available than the cellulose fibres, particularly if the grass has become more mature. The oil type is in the form of unsaturated fatty acids and will be available in the rumen, but rumen fermentation does not work well with higher levels of fats/oils as this inhibits fibre digestion and the overall production of microbial protein and volatile fatty acids from the rumen and is these nutrients that actually feed the cow. It also has an effect of lower butterfat % because of the reduced fibre digestion and lower acetate production.

High levels of oil is not a good thing in terms of butterfat and rumen function, but that said there are some benefits to the particular oils in grazed grass as they have proven to be higher Omega 3 oil content which is good for both cow and human health. The Omega 3’s also help cow fertility particularly in the crucial egg implantation stage. It can also lessen the effect of SARA (sub acute ruminal acidosis) because of the slower fermentation rate.

The graph shows we are running at a higher overall oil content this year compared to last and would mean butterfat levels will be lower where most production is coming from grazed grass, but would also suggest fertility should be better than last year.

The overall message is be aware of the oil levels in your grazed grass and the effect is can have, but don’t be unduly worried about higher levels. It will be interesting to monitor the levels over the coming years to see where the trend goes and what different feeding strategies we need to follow to utilise grass oil better.

GrassWatch August 2011 Energy Level Protein

July 2011

View the full set of GrassWatch results for June 2011 Update (PDF, 50KB)

See our archive of GrassWatch reports.

We are still in the grips of a dry summer with many eastern areas really beginning to suffer, some first cut were 30-35% lower than normal with very little prospect of a good second cut, this will put pressure on later season growth to make up the shortfall. Plans and actions should be put in place now to work a way out of the situation and these should include:

Calculate forage stocks
Budget forage use
Consider planting forage crops (kale, stubble turnips)
Buy in moist feeds/forage extender feeds
Selling stock

These won’t be easy decisions to make, but without a plan even more drastic actions will have to be taken when crunch time arrives next winter.

The GrassWatch focus element this month is NDF (Neutral Detergent Fibre) which is very important to consider when thinking about ruminant feeding and maintaining rumen health. We focus very strongly on energy and protein, quite rightly so as they drive production, but if we are not mindful of the effects on the rumen then the full benefit of energy and protein won’t be achieved.

Firstly what is NDF?

Well as already said it stands for Neutral Detergent Fibre and is a chemical lab analysis of the fibre content of all feeds. Fresh grass will vary from 25% - 45% and in grass silage it will be 30% - 60%. Many bought in concentrate feeds, compounds or straights, have a low NDF, but some such as soya hulls, palm kernel, sugar beet and citrus pulp have a high NDF above that of many types of forage. Compounds or blends containing high levels of these ingredients would be classed as HDF, high digestible fibre, products. We are looking for a level in the total diet of milking cows to be around 35-40% NDF, at that level rumen function will be OK as long as there is sufficient fibre structure, I’ll come back to this, and the oil content is controlled.

Without sufficient fibre, NDF, then rumen function starts to suffer, not enough acetate is produced and butterfat will drop. The rumen has evolved to ferment forages to extract energy and protein from the cellulose fibres, so we have to ensure that process can happen. Upsetting the ratio of forage to concentrate will cause the rumen to be less efficient and vital nutrients will be lost.

The NDF content of the diet is only a chemical analysis figure and tells use nothing of the structure of that fibre, if the individual ingredients have been finely chopped or ground then the full effect of their NDF values won’t be realised as they will still ferment too quickly. Maintaining the physical structure means it encourages the cow to cud and the cudding activity is vital in maintaining a stable rumen pH and efficiency.

So the message here is ‘don’t just think that because the diet has a high NDF then rumen function and butterfat production will be good, you also have to consider the fibre structure of the diet’.

As can be seen from the graph showing our GrassWatch NDF recordings over the last four years it has been very variable, one of the most variable factors we’ve had. This, as already stated, isn’t good for stable rumen function as the rumen fermentation requires consistency. Added to this is the difference in stem to leaf ratio and the effect this has on fibre structure. When these factors are considered together with grazed grass DM it’s easy to see that consistent butterfat production is going to be difficult to achieve. It is always worrying when butterfat drops, and warning notes appear on your quality statements, but the only way to raise it (without using expensive C16 fats) is to ensure there is enough physical fibre in the diet that the cows are actually eating it, as they will prefer to eat the young lush grass rather than the high fibre/straw forage you put out for them.

Consistent fibre provision is the only real answer, but this has to weighed against the practical and financial constraints on each individual farm.

May 2011

View the full set of GrassWatch results for May 2011 Update (PDF, 49KB)

Last month we had an abundance of grass, however this month, grass is already getting short, in many areas. The season has been earlier and with first cut silage done sooner than usual, this has also put pressure on grass availability, particularly in the eastern areas. Grazing rotations need to be extended now to take account of the slower grass growth.

The nutrition focus this month is protein, which along with DM has been the most variable nutritional factor through the spring. Over the last few years this situation has changed as we have become more strategic in the use of fertilizer AN, we are now getting more use out of the applied AN and controlling grass protein content as a result.

Grazed grass always has an oversupply of protein relative to energy, and if this protein can’t be utilised, it will be excreted out the backend, which is why cows go loose at grass. Protein in grass is basically nitrogen that is available for the rumen bacteria to feed, and what they don’t use becomes free ammonia in the rumen. This is toxic to the animal and needs to be made safe, which means transporting it quickly through the bloodstream to the liver, where it is converted into urea and excreted in the urine and in the milk. This is why milk urea rises at grass, particularly if that grass is high in protein. The added problem in this equation is that it takes energy to convert the ammonia, which is not then available for production. It is rarely milk yield that suffers here, but fertility and is a situation that needs careful monitoring. Again, through the better use of AN fertilizer, we don’t see the high spikes of urea in the milk which we used to at grass indicating increased protein utilisation.

The graph below shows the protein recordings over the last 4 years and, other than last year, shows a striking similarity. Last year was exceptional, as the prolonged cold spell through the spring meant fertilizer AN had a slow uptake by the plant, but when it warmed up, uptake happened very quickly. Most rations that are formulated at grass, still overfeed protein, as with high grass protein levels, we don’t need a concentrate supplement of more than 14-16% if most of the diet is grazed grass. These compounds are usually as expensive, and sometimes more than an 18% and it’s difficult to pay more for something that is seemingly less, but nutritionally it is the right thing to do and cow health and fertility will be helped because of it.

An added bonus is that milk protein % usually rises when cows go to grass and this is due, in part, to the oversupply of protein fed, it would not be economic, in most circumstances, to do this in the winter, but as it comes from the grass it has much lower cost. The problem for cheese makers is that this ‘extra’ protein isn’t true protein its urea protein, and as such, doesn’t produce more cheese. Therefore, extra money is paid for the additional total protein, but isn’t re-cooped as more cheese. Those who also have a casein recording report, can see this as their total protein will be higher, but the casein % (true protein) is often equal or lower than the winter level.

The Mole Valley Feed Solutions GrassLink range of compounds are designed to match these different situations and to give feeding options, let us help you get the most from your grazing.

See our archive of GrassWatch reports.

April 2011 Update

View the full set of GrassWatch results for April 2011 (PDF, 53KB)

GrassWatch Reports April 2011 Grass DM is still very good this month and above the seasonal norm. This is a good thing as it means we are more likely to achieve the grazing intake needs as a fresh intake of 74kg would give us 15kg DMI. This situation can soon change, as with last year in April, if we have a wet spell so remain vigilant and respond with more concentrate if and when grass DM drops.

ME levels continue to be lower than our 4 year average, but similar to last year and as can be seen ME levels later in the season were higher than average so if we can maintain this level then there is enough to meet the need and it’s not wasted. Also the energy source is higher in sugar which is beneficial to rumen bacteria.

This years protein readings are following the trend of 2008 and 09, but as protein in grazed grass is never the limiting factor it is better for cow health to have lower protein grass, there is more than enough to meet the production needs.

NDF levels are following the same trend as last year and as we know butterfats came under pressure and this is due to the lack of structural fibre. When we are trying to get the most from grazing and not buffering with silage it’s difficult to combat this effect, but HDF compounds will help.

Grass sugar levels are very good so although the headline ME may be lower the higher than average readily available sugar means utilisable energy is good and production potential is good as energy:protein balance is better maintained.

Grass oil content has dropped sharply this month, although the recording scale is quite small. The energy content of oil is high so this drop could account for some of the difference in ME. Lower oil contents will have a beneficial effect on fibre digestion so the lower NDF will be less likely to depress butterfats.

Grazing covers are again following last years trend, but this is a good thing as we are better able to stay on top of grazing covers and utilise grazed grass better. Daily cover growth is now taking off with 100kgDM/ha/day being recorded widely, grass can soon get away at this rate if not carefully managed through shorter rotations or smaller paddock sizes.

As mentioned above grass growth rate is now taking off so we need to watch this situation. At recording time we were at 48kgDM/ha/day, but we are now twice that in many areas. Be ready to take paddocks out of the rotation to be able to keep grazing at it’s best and to keep grass growing right through the season.

With good DM% and improving energy levels the M+ potential is rising, but we need to monitoring intakes to be sure this potential can be achieved.

As already mentioned grass growht has taken off now so adjusting grazing rotation length is one way to help stay on top of grass growth. Going from 50-80kgDM/ha/day can shorten the rotation length by 10 days.

April 2011

Grass growth has been rather patchy to date with many covers still low, but in the west, with milder conditions, these are now progressing well.

Dry Matter Under the Spotlight

At this time of year, it’s grass dry matter (DM) that is the problem, especially if you’re looking to get the largest proportion of production from grazing. Grass DM this month is 18.3%, which is lower than March last year, but higher than the 5 year average of 17.5%.

At 18.3%, if cows are out full time and you are expecting them to consume 15kg DM/day, they will need to eat 82kg of fresh grass daily. That’s everyday, not just 1 in 4. This is a lot of grass, which needs to be readily available and palatable, as they only have a finite time to graze.

In a 24 hour day, five will be lost during the milking process, 10-12 spent lying down and ruminating, this leaves just nine for grazing! So to eat 15kg DM, they need to be consuming 1.66kg DM/hour (9kg fresh), which is possible, but is a big ask if grazing isn’t ideal and easy.

Typical bite size per cow is 0.6g DM so cows need to have 45 bites per minute for those 9 hours grazing time to hit our target of 15kg DM per day. It’s worth checking how many bites per minute your cows take to get some idea where you are.

March 2011

We are up and running with our GrassWatch service, which will help give information and advice about grazing quality, quantity and utilisation as we go through the season.

It is essential to get off to a good start and control grazing from there, don’t let it control you. Many members comment that they find the information useful as they look to utilise grazed grass better and this will be even more important this year.

We will be looking to feature our GrassWatch farmers’ comments this year to get their impressions as to how grazing management is going on their farms. This may well reflect what you’re experiencing, so if our comments and advice can address these issues, then we can all get more from the service through the season.

Nutritional grazing analyses are notoriously variable as all fields are different - the age and composition of the ley, the growth stage when sampled and the fertiliser applications given. However, any analysis is better than none and we can interpret it to give us a clearer idea as to the current grazing quality. As well as knowing the quality of the grass, we also need to know the quantity, which is why we report the grazing covers and the amount of grazed grass available to the cows on our GrassWatch farms.

This shows again the variability which reflects in the differences on farms across our trading area. Once known, the covers and the rate of cover growth per day, will help inform us as to what our current rotation length should be. This can vary by as much as three weeks, dependent on grass growth. A table like the one shown below, will help give a guide as to grazing rotation length.

We will, as usual, publish the full results table each month but will focus attention on one area i.e. DM, or ME for that month, just to give a more in-depth view as to the effects this parameter can have in terms of future grass growth or animal performance. We can also use the data from our six years of GrassWatch analysis to project trends and possible outcomes to help us stay ahead of the game.

Grazing Rotation Table
Growth rate kg DM/ha/day	Post graze kg DM/ha	Pre graze target kg DM/ha	Grazing rotation days target
40	1500	2800	33
50	1500	2800	26
60	1500	2800	22
70	1500	2800	19
80	1500	2800	16
90	1500	2800	14

Key: April/May target

Two versions of the GrassWatch monitor calculator, a paper calculator and one in electronic format, will be available from your local specialist/agri business development manager. With these we can predict more accurately the potential milk output from grazed forage and suggest ways in which grazing management can be improved to maximise its potential and reduce costs. They can also be used to target concentrate use more specifically and to make the most of your investment in feed.

View the full set of GrassWatch results for March 2011 (PDF, 50KB).

October 2010

Grass growth over the last month has been good, with many members reporting they have the best grass they have had all year. The problem, as always at this time of year is Dry Matter, the grass is very lush and heavy dews, which last way into the day, mean DMI is often low and fails to meet requirement. As we always say, great care should be taken with fresh calved cows to not over estimate the value of grazing at this time of year and ideally, we would advise keeping fresh calved cows in. On the flip side, for cows in later lactation and back in calf these are the cows that can be challenged to give more from grass and to target the potential from grazing of M+14 litres, whilst being mindful of the fresh intakes required to achieve this.

With the lush grazing available, butterfat % could still come under threat, especially if the majority of milk production is expected from grazing.

Grass DM has fallen further back this month to 18.1%, on average, but with the range from 14.1% to 23.1% that means a difference of over 40kg/cow/day fresh grass intake to achieve the same DMI of 15kg/hd/day. Energy levels have stabilised at 11.1ME, and the range has tightened which means it’s more consistent, as long as DMI can be maintained. The ‘D’ value has stabilised to at 70.7. Protein levels have risen again slightly to 24.6%, which will help maintain yields from grazing, but again there is a very wide range which could be linked to later nitrogen application uptake taking effect. NDF fibre levels have dropped back to 40.1% which is again a reflection of the lush grass growth and will put pressure on butterfat %. Sugar levels are still good at 10.4%, but not as good as earlier season grass and is a reason behind the lower ME. As said earlier, it is the problem of maintaining DMI that is most pressing at this time of year.

The GrassWatch monitor table shows that with covers averaging 2861kgDM/ha and if cows are still consuming 15kg DM of grazed grass, then M+17.5 litres can be achieved. I don’t think this is realistic in practise now and that13kg DM is the best we can hope for, this will give us M+14 litres. Cows will still need to be consuming 73kg of fresh grass per day on average to meet this target and this is quite an ask, as most grazing fields/paddocks will be getting tired.

Grazing M+ Potential

Grazing covers have risen to 2861kgDM/Ha, which means they have been maintained well. Overall, we have stayed on top of grazing covers throughout the season, this has been influenced by the weather, but also demonstrates good pasture management by our GrassWatch farms, well done. The grass cover growth has risen, with the better growing conditions, to 70kgDM/Ha/day on average, and this is now much more consistent across the area. Keep your daily cover measurements going, just to give you an idea how well this can be maintained into the autumn and to help with grazing wedge planning for next spring.

Most dairy producers, if they haven’t already done so, will be moving to an 18% protein concentrate and whilst grass is still a large part of the diet, this does still need to be HDF based, although with the lower grass sugar levels and therefore less rumen fermentable carbohydrate, concentrates with a higher starch inclusion should also be considered. Your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances and help with grazing management advice.

September 10

Grass growth is still very variable with some areas beginning to struggle to stay on top of their grazing and in others daily cover growth is only at 10kgDM/ha per day and really creating problems around availability. It is not as simple as an East West split anymore either as within these larger areas there are little pockets of excess or deficit so it is knowing where you are in your own grazing management system that is of importance to you, so no change there then!

Butterfats are still a concern as outlined last month, but we are beginning to improve the situation through careful ration manipulation and making sure there is adequate structural fibre in the diet.

Overall it is forage stock situation that is of most concern so looking at all the options that are applicable to you and deciding on the best one for you then committing to it early will be key, your Mole Valley Farmers feed specialist has advice and tools that can be used to help you make these decisions.

Grass DM has fallen back slightly from last month to 19.7%, and the range has widened again reflecting the changable weather everywhere. Energy levels have dropped again to 11ME, and again the range has widened which will make it more difficult to ration for. The ‘D’ value measurements have dropped to 70.1 reflecting the slightly older grass available now. Protein levels have risen again to 23.7%, which probably means the delayed nitrogen uptake is taking effect, and the range of protein levels is now quite wide. NDF fibre levels are higher at 42.8% which is almost 4% higher than last month and will help to improve the butterfat situation especially as it will have more structure at this time of year. The sugar levels have dropped again to 10.1%, further proof of greater grass maturity and also a factor in the lower ME and ‘D’ value this month. After last months consistency variability is back this month so careful interpretation of these results in relationship to your own situation is key.

The GrassWatch monitor table shows that with covers averaging 2560kgDM/ha and if cows are still consuming 15kg DM of grazed grass then M+17.5 litres can be achieved. With this level of grass cover then 1.9Ha/day would be required for 100 cows. This is quite a rise (0.6Ha/day) on last month so if you are on the same size paddocks in your rotation then only 14 litres/day is possible as there won’t be as much grass there. With the grass DM lower then cows would need to be eating 81.4kg of fresh grass per day, which is 10kg per more than last month and why grazing areas need to be increased. As always it is the careful monitoring of post graze covers and the amount of grass being left behind that is important if good grazing utilisation is to be maintained into the late summer/autumn period.

Grazing covers having dropped to 2560kgDM/Ha, means that overall we have stayed on top of grazing covers, but as mentioned earlier there is a large variability in this. There is also a need to maintain the consistency in these covers and not have large rejected areas or ‘stringy’ growth areas. Keep the covers at this level and we will maintain good grazing utilisation and keep grazing quality, but it will mean topping the stringy bits to keep the quality. The grass cover growth has slowed to just 45kgDM/Ha/day on average, but there is still a wide range as you move east one reading in Devon is at 100kgDM/Ha/day and the E Sussex now daily cover growth was just 5kgDM/Ha/day!. This is why it is so crucial to know what your daily cover growth is to be able to take steps to maintain current grazing rotations or to take paddocks out where growth is faster.

Grazing M+ Potential

Feeding 16 or 18% protein concentrates is advisable now where grazing is the main forage as grass protein degradability changes in the later summer period, and feeding 7kg/hd/day to maintain 30 litre yield. Your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances and help with grazing management advice.

August 10

We have still continued with our very dry summer which is putting extreme pressure on grass growth in some areas. This has meant keeping on top of grazing and utilising grass well is not such a problem, although where we are into 3rd, 4th and 5th grazing rotations rejected areas are getting larger even if topped as there has been no moisture to take dung pat soiling away. Butterfats have dropped over the last few weeks and this is a combination of lower forage intakes in the hot weather, reduced cudding and as a result not producing as much saliva and therefore rumen pH will be lower reducing acetate production. The other factor is the waxy layer on the outside of grass leaves becomes slightly thicker in hot weather as the grass plant tries to retain it’s own moisture for growth this then increases the oil/fat content in the rumen preventing optimal fibre fermentation, as a result it is butterfat that suffers. It is difficult to combat this in a year where conserved forage is already short and there will be a reluctance to buffer feed any more, and if grass is still to be the main forage the problem within the rumen will still be there. Bringing cows in before milking in the afternoon a couple of hours earlier is an option so that they don’t spend so long out in the field with lower rumen and forage fill.

Grass DM has risen slightly from last month to 21.2%, and the range has tightened reflecting the drier weather everywhere. Energy levels have dropped slightly to 11.4ME, and again the range has tightened which will give more consistency. The ‘D’ value measurements have dropped to 72.8 reflecting the slightly older grass available now. Protein levels have risen again to 21.9%, but they are still not as high as in previous years and does allow us to make better use of that protein. NDF fibre levels are higher at 38.5% again reflecting the older grass available and should, theoretically, help butterfat, but for the reasons stated above this isn’t the case. The sugar levels have dropped again to 13.6%, further proof of greater grass maturity. There is far less variability this month, but it is the overall grass availability that is the greater problem and some areas will need significant rainfall soon if we are to get back on track.

The GrassWatch monitor table shows that if cows are still consuming 15kg DM of grazed grass then M+19 litres can be achieved, and with the maintained grass covers then 1.3Ha/day would be required for 100 cows. The reason for this is the changed growth habit of grass in later summer and only grazing covers down to 1800kgDM/Ha. With the grass DM higher again cows would need to be eating only 71.6kg of fresh grass per day. This doesn’t seem particularly high intakes to achieve, but if hot weather persists, grazing quality after 4-5 rotations decreases and cows find it more difficult to find the grass they want then intakes, and potential yield from grazing, soon drop so again making sure post grazing covers are monitored is important.

Grazing M+ Potential

Grazing covers have been maintained at 2924kgDM/Ha, and is still where we want to be meaning utilisation of grazing will be good, although some grazing is getting a bit ‘stringy’. Keep the covers at this level and we will maintain good grazing utilisation and keep grazing quality, but it will mean topping the stringy bits to keep the quality. The grass cover growth has slowed to 56kgDM/Ha/day on average, but there is a widening range as you move east one reading in Devon at 98kgDM/Ha/day and the E Sussex reading at 30kgDM/Ha/day. This is why it is so crucial to know what your daily cover growth is to be able to take steps to maintain current grazing rotations or to take paddocks out where growth is faster.

Feeding 16 or 18% protein concentrates is advisable now where grazing is the main forage as grass protein degradability changes in the later summer period, and feeding 7kg/hd/day to maintain 30 litre yield. Your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances and help with grazing management advice.

July 2010

There is now a definite East West split in grass growth with the West fairing quite well, but the East grass growth is slow, rain is needed to boost this situation. On the whole we are managing to stay on top of grazing, but this is becoming more difficult in the West.

Grass DM has remained almost static from last month at 20.7%, but the range has widened slightly again. Energy levels have remained the same at 11.7ME, but here to there is a wider range. The ‘D’ value measurements have also remained the same at 74.5, but again a wider range. Protein levels have risen slightly to 20.7%, but as with other parameters the range has widened and it’s interesting that the lowest protein figures have the highest ME and sugar readings, this should mean that grazed grass protein utilisation on these farms will be excellent, not something we can normally say. NDF fibre levels are higher at 36.8% and here there is more consistency which is a good thing there may still need to be some structural fibre supplementation to maintain good rumen function and to maintain butterfat. The sugar levels have dropped back slightly to 16.7%, which is still good but again there is a big range and as mentioned the highest are recorded with the lowest protein. I think the watch word from these results is ‘variable’ with the exception of NDF all other parameters have widened in their range of results and again highlights the difficulty of rationing grazed grass as just taking ME the difference between the highest and lowest is 1.4MJ or 21MJ on 15kg DMI, this is equivalent to 4 litres of milk!

The GrassWatch monitor table shows that if cows are still consuming 15kg DM of grazed grass then M+20 litres can be achieved, and with the increased grass covers then 1Ha/day would be required for 100 cows. With the grass DM higher cows would need to be eating only 73.5kg of fresh grass per day. I have added another table just to highlight how quickly that potential M+ figure drops if the targeted 15kg DMI isn’t met and why it’s so crucial to have some idea what grazing intakes are. This is not only affected by grass DM, but also sward density, weed ingress and bare patches all having an impact.

Grazing M+ Potential

Grazing covers have improved further to 2935kgDM/ha, and is still good meaning utilisation of grazing will also be good and with lower milk ureas this year means protein utilisation is good which is much better for rumen and cow health. Keep the covers at this level and we will maintain good grazing utilisation and keep grazing quality. The grass cover growth is still at 78kgDM/Ha/day, which is helping us to stay on top of the covers, but may cause some to be a bit twitchy about having enough grass if it remains dry.

It is still right to be feeding 14 or 16% protein concentrates where grazing is the main forage and feeding 7kg/hd/day to maintain 30 litre yield. Your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances and help with grazing management advice.

Grazing Report from our South Devon GrassWatch Farm

I'd heard it takes until the third season to train cows to graze properly and I'd agree with that. Grass utilisation has improved tenfold this year. Turning the low yielders out onto low covers (1800-2000kgDM/ha) in mid March certainly taught them to graze down to a 1300-1400kgDM/ha residual which should be keeping our grass quality high, but judging by our May grass analysis the re-growth is pretty average (Protein 20.7, ME 11.2, DM 16.9, Sugar 16.5).

We're halfway through the second grazing round now and the cows are gradually trying to become more wasteful, so it's becoming increasingly important to calculate my paddock sizes accurately.

The good news is that the litres in the tank have stayed constant right the way through transition to grazing so the advice from Nikki has been spot on.

June 2010

The last month has been a difficult time for grass growth, because of the cold, and this has kept growth in check. It has meant there has been a complete change in protein levels, but I’ll explain more later. We have been able to keep on top of grass growth and it has not got away from us as so often happens in the spring, but some would argue we are keeping cows short of grass. I would say that the quality of grazing, on the whole, is better and utilisation of that grazing is definitely better with much less waste. I don’t see it as a bad thing and I think grazing quality can be maintained further in to the grazing season because of it, and I still stand by the statement of last month that this could be an excellent grazing season.

Grass DM has improved from last month to 20.2%, with a tighter range and this will help with grazing utilisation. Energy levels have improved very slightly by 0.1MJ to 11.7ME still a little disappointing, but probably a reflection of the growing conditions. I have included the ‘D’ value measurements this month as we often talk of the optimum ‘D’ value and we would be expecting it to be 75-78 at this time of year, but at 74.4 it is a little low. As mentioned above it is the protein levels that have changed most dramatically. Last month we were reporting the highest ever average of 31.2%, this month it is 18.8%! This is a huge drop and difficult to explain other than the affect of the cold growing conditions, but this variability makes it difficult for the rumen bugs to adjust to, although this lower overall level is better for rumen function. NDF fibre levels are lower again at 34.9% which is still good as an average, but with two results below 30% these need structural fibre supplementation to maintain good rumen function and to maintain butterfat. The sugar levels are exceptional at 18.5%, and very good across the board, this again is difficult to explain as given the cooler conditions sugar levels would be expected to be lower. There may well be a grass species answer, ie more high sugar grass leys, to account for this, but needs further investigation to establish.

The GrassWatch monitor table shows that if cows are now out day and night and consuming 15kg DM of grazed grass then M+20 litres can be achieved, and with the increased grass covers then 1.1Ha/day would be required for 100 cows. Also with the higher DM cows would need to be eating only 76kg of fresh grass per day, which is 13kg less than last month, or 1300kg/day for the 100 cows. This means that even if there doesn’t appear to be as much grass in front of them, in DM terms there is, and their DM requirement is being met.

Grazing covers have improved to 2843kgDM/ha, and is spot on where we want to be, which as said is unusual for this time of year as grass is often getting away from us by now. Keep the covers at this level and we will maintain good grazing utilisation and keep grazing quality. The grass cover growth has improved to 78kgDM/Ha/day, this could rise rapidly if the temperature improves, and with some warm rain we could see cover growths of way in excess of 100kgDM/Da/day and this becomes difficult to manage.

Use HDF based concentrates to help manage grass utilisation and support higher milk yields and even with the current grass protein levels there is no need to be feeding concentrates higher than 14% protein where grass is the major forage. The Mole Valley Feed Solutions GrassLink range is designed to do just this and for a 30 litre cow 6kg/day would maintain her yield well into lactation providing grazing management is good. Your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances and help with management advice.

May 2010

Grass is now beginning to really motor as the weather has improved, and the quality of this growth is very good. Cows need to be making the very best use of this grass now and keeping covers in check to ensure grazing quality is maintained further into the season. This could be an excellent grazing season and all measures possible should be taken to ensure grass utilisation is maximised.

Grass DM has dropped slightly from last month to 17.1%, but there is a much wider range of DM’s this month. Energy levels have improved to 11.6ME still a little disappointing considering the level of new growth and leaf that has been sampled and not at the level I would have expected. Protein levels are exceptionally high at 31.2% and although there is a wider range than last month all samples are high, even the organic sample so it can’t all be attributed to fertiliser applications, but does show the value of this young leafy growth. The highest reading of 36.2% is the highest we have ever recorded. NDF fibre levels are lower at 35.5% which is still good given the amount of new leaf growth and the relatively low level of stem. The sugar levels have remained good at 10.2%, but still show a wide range indicating that sugars aren’t consistent yet and there is a big difference in the grass species being sampled with the older leys showing lower sugar concentrations.

The GrassWatch monitor table shows that if cows are now out day and night and consuming 15kg DM of grazed grass then M+20 litres can be achieved, but with the lower grass covers at the moment then 1.8Ha/day would be required for 100 cows. Also cows would need to be eating 89kg of fresh grass per day at current DM.

Grazing covers are still low at 2324kgDM/ha, but this will be increasing rapidly now and need to be monitored very closely. It is not be a bad thing as it will allow the opportunity to keep on top of early spring growth and give the chance to optimise grazed grass potential as you really don’t want grass getting away from you at this time of year. The grass growth at the moment is only 45kgDM/Ha/day, but again rising rapidly as we approach peak grass growth. Adjust your grazing rotations to match this rise in growth rate and keep grass of the right quality in front of cows all the time.

Use HDF based concentrates to help manage grass utilisation and support higher milk yields and with the current grass protein levels there certainly no need to be feeding concentrates higher than 14% protein where grass is the major forage. The Mole Valley Feed Solutions GrassLink range is designed to just this and for a 30 litre cow 6kg/day would maintain her yield well into lactation providing grazing management is good. Your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances and help with management advice.

April 2010

We are up and running with GrassWatch 2010 and our samplers have been out analysing and measuring the grass on our selected farms. With the weather we have had there isn’t a lot of grass there, but the quality of grass is good, perhaps concentrated into much less. It does mean that when grass growth gets going, as it will now soon, the quality of grass will be good, being all spring grown, and we will have a great opportunity to utilise grazing more efficiently as we won’t be on the back foot from the start. Get the cows out and keep on top of the grass early and it will keep growing and producing quality grass.

Grass DM is good at 20.3% and is consistent across the area with a much tighter range than we have seen in other years. Energy levels are a little disappointing at 11.2ME and perhaps indicates that the new growth is not there yet and there is a greater proportion of dead material. Protein levels are high at 26.2% and again very consistent across the area, and it maybe that the protein is concentrated in less leaf giving a higher reading as there hasn’t been a lot of fertiliser applied yet. The highest reading of 30.9% is from a farm where the first application of fertiliser has been made. NDF fibre levels are 38.3% which is good and again shows new growth is slow as there is a greater proportion of stem being analysed. The sugar levels are surprising at 10.7% and high for the time of year, but there is a wider range in the sugar recordings indicating that sugars aren’t consistent yet and there is no correlation with lower grass covers being higher in sugar which would indicate a concentration of sugar in less leaf so it is an interesting result.

The GrassWatch monitor is available and will help to advise members on how much milk is potentially available from grazed grass if it is utilised as described, and is based on the analysis figures and the grazing cover measurements. A paper version is available to members/customers to use, or an electronic spreadsheet is available. Please contact your specialist or Farm Sales Co-ordinator who will be able to help.

Grazing covers are very low at 1916kgDM/ha as a result of the much colder winter and slow growing conditions. As already said this is not be a bad thing as it will allow the opportunity to keep on top of early spring growth and give the chance to optimise grazed grass potential as you really don’t want grass getting away from you at this time of year. The grass growth at the moment is only 15-25kgDM/Ha/day, but it will soon take off and needs to be measured to ensure effective utilisation.

Turn cows out for a short period, 2 – 3 hours, earlier and the grass DM intake will be on top of their inside feed and can provide welcomed additional yield. Targeting 5kgsDMI/day from grazed grass gives a potential for 1.5-2lts of additional yield or an equivalent saving in silage fed.

At this time of year concentrates should be changed towards high HDF type, if grazed grass is to form a large part of the diet as they are formulated to compliment the grazed grass, promote good rumen fermentation by keeping the rumen microbes happier and therefore better able to utilise the nutrients from grass. Also the new GrassLink dairy range is designed to do this and to optimise protein utilisation so that less is wasted. Your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances.

GrassWatch 2010

by Peter Isaac, Dairy Feed Product Manager

It is vital, if you are looking to optimise performance from grazed grass, that you know what that grass is nutritionally capable of providing, and how much there is to be grazed, that’s where GrassWatch will help. Our GrassWatch service will again be run to help give information and advice about grazing quality, quantity and utilisation as we go through the season. It is essential to get off to a good start and control grazing from there, don’t let it control you.

A nutritional test on one field on one particular day is specific to that field’s grass ley and growth stage, it will give a good guide to the grazing quality of other fields through which the herd moves at the same growth stage during the month. Making sure that grazed grass is as consistent as possible by grazing at the optimal growth stage is key to success. It is why we encourage at least weekly, and ideally twice a week, grass growth measurements to keep track of growth rates and to adjust grazing rotations accordingly.

The table below shows how much your grazing rotation length should change dependant on grass growth, and we will publish this updated table each month. Grazing quality is determined by the weather and your pasture management. The weather principally affects the grass DM and, together with fertilising and grazing practice, its growth rate through the season. The biggest concern is always the grass DM as this impacts on the amount of grass the cows can consume.

In no month through the 2009 season did the DM get above 20% from our GrassWatch farms’ average. As you can see from the table below, that means cows had to consume a tremendous amount of fresh grass to approach the 15kgs+ DM intakes we would normally target. If these DM targets aren’t met then all nutrients (with the exception of protein) will be short and production will suffer, although this will usually affect fertility and milk quality before yield. Last year’s table also shows, as do previous years’, that most of the grass being analysed has an ME of below 12 (with the exception of April) which indicates that most farmers are either going into grazing fields too late or not grazing down tight enough, leaving dead material and stubble behind. This has an ME of only 8, compared to leaf with an ME of 12+. The more stem they have to graze in longer grass or paddocks with dead bottoms, the lower the ME. Stem and dead leaf are also less palatable so animals spend more time walking around trying to find more palatable ‘fresh’ grass and this also lessens the actual grazing time, again limiting DM intakes. If animals do consume this lower quality material, it has the effect of making the animal feel full before she has eaten her potential fill of 17kg DM of high energy grass, then only eating about 15 kg DM of lower energy material. That could be a lost intake of 23 MJ, enough for an additional 6 litres of milk production through not grazing early enough.

We will again provide the two versions of the GrassWatch monitor calculator, both which are available from your local specialist or agri business development manager. With these we can predict more accurately the potential milk output from grazed forage and suggest ways in which grazing management can be improved to maximise its potential and reduce costs. They may also be used to target concentrate use more specifically and to make the most from your purchased feed.

To make full use of this service will entail regular walking of your pasture fields and will help to improve on farm knowledge of the correct pre and post grazing heights required to achieve maximum milk from grazed grass. Once you have your ‘eye in’ it won’t take a lot of time, 2-3 hours/week will cover it. As with most things it doesn’t just happen, a lot of work and close monitoring is required, together with the ability to adapt grazing strategies to the changing conditions. This will improve the chance of success in getting the best financial return from this cheapest of feed materials.

Contact your local feed specialist/ agri business development manager who will be able to tailor a GrassWatch programme for your farm.

Month	DM	ME	Protein	NDF	Sugar	kg/day fresh grass for 15kg DMI	Pre grazing grass cover
March	17.3	11.5	28.2	37.0	7.7	86.7	2355.0
April	19.4	12.0	23.5	31.7	16.8	81.3	3219.0
May	17.4	11.6	21.6	37.2	13.7	86.2	3647.0
June	18.1	11.4	22.1	37.9	12.5	85.4	3468.0
July	18.4	11.3	22.8	40.1	11.6	83.7	3172.0
August	14.0	10.9	24.2.	38.5	8.0	107.1	3314.0
September	16.7	10.7	22.9	40.5	8.1	95.0	3145.0
Averages	17.3	11.3	23.6	37.6	11.2	89.3	3188.6

Seasons's Average 2009

Growth rate kgDM/ha/day	Post graze kgDM/ha	Pre graze target kgDM/ha	Grazing rotation days target
40	1500	3000	38
50	1500	3000	30
60	1500	3000	25
70	1500	3000	21 April/May target
80	1500	3000	19
90	1500	3000	17

Grazing Rotation Table

GrassWatch Round Up - 2009

We are now at the end of another grazing season, which had a good start, a poor middle and a good end in most areas. Grazing utilisation has been good for the most part of the season with just the July/August period proving difficult.

Grass growth this year has stayed more in control without getting too badly ahead of optimum grazing quality or requirements. Grass DM through the season has been at a more realistic level with only August proving difficult at 14%DM, challenging cows in terms of overall DM intakes. Cover growth has been below normal for most of the season and only peaked at 86kg/day in June which allowed us to manage grass covers much better.

With grass quality at a more consistent level it is much easier to keep cows milking steadily and the results on the GrassWatch monitor prove this; but we have used the average figures for this calculation and of course behind these lay a very wide range with some big differences in all nutrient parameters. As always it is where your individual results stand in this spectrum that matters and you can have performance ‘blips’ if your grass quality suddenly drops and you have been unaware of this happening.

Hopefully through the GrassWatch service you have been able to at least understand what has been happening with grass growth and quality and that you have been able to adapt and make best use of your grazing as a result.

With the best spring calving herds achieving over 4,000 litres from grazing and the national average for milk from grass at about 1,200 litres, there is a considerable opportunity for many dairy farmers to improve their margins and profitability through improvements to grassland management and utilisation. Grasswatch is in place to create interest and help our members get more production from their grazing. One factor which stands out clearly, is that a paddock grazing system gives greater control over grass management, its quality, its utilisation and margin over purchased feed.

We would again like to thank our GrassWatch farms, and to our forage services colleagues, for allowing us to carry out this service for the benefit of all members. Without their help and support it just wouldn’t happen and we hope you all find the information useful. If you have any comments, good or bad, about the GrassWatch service please let us know by contacting the FeedLine number on 01278 444829.

October 2009

We have had a really good spell of weather through September and this has meant grass growing conditions have been good, cows have been enjoying the improvement, but we have to be careful not to overestimate the value of this late season grass and be tempted to keep high yielding or fresh calved cows out grazing for too long. Lower yielding and later lactation cows can really optimise the grass and perform well on it.

Let’s hope it continues well into the autumn to help keep feed costs down and cows happier. Also it will soon be time to start destocking the grazing land that you want to graze earliest next spring. As lactating cows should not be forced to graze too tightly dry cows are ideal, the milkers can take grazing down to 5/6cms, about 1800kgDM/ha, on those selected fields that will be grazed first next spring. Start closing up these fields from 10th October onwards and however tempting it is to graze the fresh greenery in late autumn – do not do so! It is the cover on these fields before Christmas that, with some early nitrogen (30u), pushes spring growth to provide grazing in early/mid March. This spring grass will have almost twice the nutrient value of late autumn grazing, is milk stimulating. Every kilo consumed saves a kilo of expensive winter feed, improves margins and gives the milkers a more gradual change to full grazing.

In grass quality terms the results have generally improved, but not energy values, ME levels are 10.7 on average, 0.2 less than last month, but without the low ME result the ME would have been the same as last month. The range of ME’s across the area is also interesting going from 8.3 – 11.7ME a full ME wider spread. DM’s are well up on last month at 16.7%, that’s 2.7% higher which will help cows to maintain a higher DMI, total fresh intakes for 15kg DMI is now a back at a more achievable, for a good grazing type cow, 95kg per day. There is wider range from 12 – 25.6%, which highlights the difficulty in assessing from day to day what the grass DM is. Protein average has dropped slightly to 22.9% and still providing more than enough protein to support good yields of milk., but the range has tightened from 14.8 – 29.9% this month. Fibre levels have increased to, 40.5% NDF, which is good, but the problem at this time of year is that there is a lower structural fibre value to this grass and it therefore ferments very quickly. Sugar levels are the same as last month at 8.1%, but still more than adequate to meet the needs of the cows even producing good yields.

Pre-grazing covers have decreased over last month to 3145 kgDM/Ha, which is a good sign as we’re getting back on top of covers again, but grass will need to be grazed well to ensure we don’t go into the winter with covers above 2800kgDM/Ha. Residual covers are higher at 1945 and will need to be kept here from now on.

The grass cover growth has increased this month to 48kgDM/Ha/day on average, with the range being 25kgDM/Ha/day and the highest at 67kgDM/Ha/day, reflecting the better growing conditions. Knowing your own grass growth rate is the key to effective grazing rotation lengths to ensure grass is always at the right grazing stage.

Grazing of the quality and quantity has the potential to provide M+14 litres as long as the more realistic target at this time of year of 13kgDM/day is achieved, with grass DM playing the biggest part in determining if this is possible or not. As said before this is best done with lower yielding late lactation cows now, and for yields above 14 litres from these cows an 18% quality compound is now likely to be fed for the cows that are now housed.

As we come towards the winter period it is a difficult time for feeding cows and the mistakes we make now live on with us well into the winter. If you would like help in working out the best feeding strategy for you then please contact your local feed specialist or Business Development Manager who will be glad to help.

September 2009

The weather has really been a challenge again through the end of July and early Aug and many cows have been in yet again. The affect this has on grass utilisation is that much of the grass that is on offer is getting trampled in as cows are less contented and overall DMI again suffer. Any freshly calved cows will be most seriously affected and should really now be in if higher yields are expected.

Grass quality results have changed markedly from last month, energy levels are 10.9ME, just 0.4 less than last month. The range of ME’s across the area is also interesting going from 9.3 – 11.7ME, if we assume cows are only now consuming 13kg DMI from grazing then the drop in ME equates to a 1 litre/day yield loss if not compensated for. DM’s are well down on last month at 14%, that’s 4.4% less which means cows will have to consume over 25kg more fresh grass to achieve the same DMI, total fresh intakes for 15kg DMI is now a whopping 107.1kg per day. There is still a large range 12 – 20.3%, which is a tighter still than last month, but very low overall. Protein average is up again on last month at 24.2% and still providing more than enough protein to support high yields of milk., but there is a huge range 8.5 – 34.7% this month, almost as big as last months record, and there is still no way of knowing where your grass is without sampling. Fibre levels have dropped to, 38.5% NDF, this is as a result of the wet growing conditions. Sugar levels have dropped substantially to 8.0% and this will be as a result of less sun and lower temperatures, but still more than adequate to meet the needs of the cows even producing high yields.

Pre-grazing covers have increased over last month to 3314 kgDM/Ha, but grass hasn’t really got away that month demonstrating that grass covers aren’t growing that quickly. With residual covers lower at 1714 our sample farms are managing to keep on top of their covers which is quite an achievement, given the conditions we’ve had.

The grass growth has dropped back further this month to 34kgDM/Ha/day on average, with the range being 22kgDM/Ha/day and the highest at 48kgDM/Ha/day, again reflecting the challenging growing conditions, and is a reason why we have been able to get back on top of the grazing covers. This situation needs to be monitored carefully as I think grass growth will increase again into the autumn flush period. Knowing your own grass growth rate is the key to effective grazing rotation lengths to ensure grass is always at the right grazing stage.

Grazing of the quality and quantity has the potential to provide M+14 litres as long as the more realistic target at this time of year of 13kgDM/day is achieved, with grass DM playing the biggest part in determining if this is possible or not, if it is then a 35l cow will need 9.5kg of a quality 16% compound to maintain yield and quality.

Our GrassLink dairy range is designed to do just this and provide the right level of HDF energy and quality protein, your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances.

August 2009

After a lovely June the weather has been more changeable in early July and this has had an effect on grass growth and quality, but on the whole grazing quality has still been good, although milk butterfat % has come under pressure which I think is as a result of grass growth going from warm to cool, dry to moist effective fibre digestion has been affected.

We still seem to be keeping on top of the grazing covers as the level is at a respectable 1843kgDM/ha which is reasonable for the time of year.

The grass quality results are again much the same as last month, energy levels are 11.3ME, just 0.1 less than last month. The range of ME’s across the area is also interesting going from 9.5 – 12.2ME, slightly higher than last month, but means more samples are towards the bottom end to give us the average of 0.1ME less. DM’s are 0.3% higher at 18.4%, meaning to achieve the 15kg DMI as fresh, intakes fall to 83.7kg. There is still a large range 14.1 – 25.5%, which is a tighter range than last month, but the difficulty is still to assess where you are in relation to this range. Protein average is up on last month at 22.8% and again is better to ration against still providing more than enough protein to support high yields of milk., but there is a huge range 6.2 – 32.7% this month, the biggest we have ever recorded which indicates a very wide range of growing conditions across the area, and there is no way of knowing where your grass is without sampling. Fibre levels have risen again to, 40.1% NDF, demonstrating again that the grass growth habit is changing and also reflecting the challenging growing conditions. Sugar levels remain high, but slightly lower again at 11.6% more than adequate to meet the needs of the cows even producing high yields.

Pre-grazing covers have reduced over the last month to 3172 kgDM/Ha, highlighting that with slower grass growth it’s been possible to get back on top of grazing covers, and there is a tighter range from 1900kgDM/Ha up to 3865kgDM/Ha, which is good. The post grazing cover measurement is 1843kgDM/ha against the target of around 1800kgDM/ha, so pretty much spot on which is very good.

The grass growth has dropped back sharply this month to 38kgDM/Ha/day on average, with the range being 28kgDM/Ha/day and the highest at 54kgDM/Ha/day, again reflecting the challenging growing conditions, and is a reason why we have been able to get back on top of the grazing covers. If this continues we will get into a grazing deficit situation if more grass is not made available or if grass growth does increase. This situation needs to be monitored carefully. Knowing your own grass growth rate is the key to effective grazing rotation lengths to ensure grass is always at the right grazing stage.

Grazing of the quality and quantity has the potential to provide M+16 litres as long as the more realistic target at this time of year of 13kgDM/day is achieved, with grass DM playing the biggest part in determining if this is possible or not, if it is then a 35l cow will need 8.5kg of a quality 16% compound to maintain yield and quality.

Our GrassLink dairy range is designed to do just this and provide the right level of HDF energy and quality protein, your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances.

July 2009

The weather over the last month has been very variable, particularly in terms of temperature, over the last month. On the whole it has been quite dry, but there has been significant rainfall in certain areas if you have happened to catch the rain. The affect of all this has been to check grass growth and for grass to not achieve the overall production levels we would like.

Despite this we still have to be keeping on top of the grazing covers and in the table below I have introduced the residual cover (the cover remaining after grazing) as another monitoring measure.

The grass quality results are good, with almost all measurements remaining virtually the same as last month, but energy levels having slipped further to 11.4ME, it means that compared to last month the reduction of 0.2ME on a cow consuming 15kgDM/day 0.5 litre/cow less milk will be produced. The range of ME’s across the area is also interesting going from 9.1 – 12.1ME, 3MJ, this again means a cow consuming 15kg DMI from grazing will potentially produce 8 litres more milk on the 12.1ME grass again demonstrating the importance of quality. DM’s have risen to 18.1%, meaning it will be easier to achieve the 15kg DMI as fresh intake drops to 85.4kg. There is an even larger range 12 – 26.7%, which is the difficulty as you have to assess where you are in relation to this range. Protein average is up on last month at 22.1% and again is better to ration against still providing more than enough protein to support high yields of milk., but again there is a big range 16.7 – 30.1% and there is no way of knowing where your grass is without sampling. Fibre levels have risen again to, 37.9% NDF, demonstrating that the grass is getting older and stemmier in growth. Sugar levels remain high, but slightly lower at 12.5% more than adequate to meet the needs of the cows even producing high yields.

Grazing covers have increased further over last month at 3468 kgDM/Ha, again highlighting that grass is getting away from us, but there is a large range from 2200kgDM/Ha up to 5666 kgDM/Ha. As mentioned earlier I have introduced the post grazing cover measurement which this month is 2059kgDM/ha against a target of around 1800kgDM/ha showing that grazing utilisation is not as good as could be, but with pre-grazing covers being as high as they are this is inevitable.

The grass growth has dropped back this month to 64kgDM/Ha/day on average, with the range being 43kgDM/Ha/day and the highest at 84kgDM/Ha/day. Knowing your own grass growth rate is the key to effective grazing rotation lengths to ensure grass is always at the right grazing stage.

Grazing of the quality and quantity shown still has the potential to provide M+20 litres as long as the target of 15kgDM/day is achieved, with grass DM playing the biggest part in determining if this is possible or not, if it is then a 35l cow will need 7kg of a quality 16% compound to maintain yield and quality.

One final point milk ureas seem to be analysing much lower this year than most and is causing concern for some producers. This usually means there is potentially a need for more protein in the diet as energy levels are good, but if other indicators show that milk yield is good and dung consistency is good then don’t add more protein. Only do this if you are not happy with milk yields and the dung is on the ‘stiffer’ side. It could just be that we have a better balance of energy and protein utilising more protein, which is a good thing as high ureas mean more unused protein is being excreted.

Again contact your local feed specialist if you have concerns.

June 2009

Overall in the last month the weather has been good and cows are grazing well by day and night, but grass growth still seems quite inconsistent and means close monitoring is needed. Growth overall hasn’t been as fast as might be expected, but it has been quite ‘chilly’ at times which has held grass growth back.

We have been able to keep on top of grass growth and utilising it well on the whole, but in some areas it is beginning to get away and some fields/paddocks have been taken out to cut to help keep on top of growth. This means the quality of the grazing will be good and will potentially continue to provide excellent grazing performance.

The grass quality results remain good, but energy levels having slipped slightly to 11.6ME, this is as a result of the grass just beginning to get away from us, it also means that compared to last month the reduction of 0.4ME on a cow consuming 15kgDM/day 1 litre/cow less milk will be produced. DM’s have also slipped back to 17.4% and this means it will be slightly more difficult for cows to achieve the desired 15kgDMI+ as they will have to consume more fresh grass, as shown 86.2kg against 77.3kg last month, almost 10kg of fresh grass more. There is still a large range 13 – 21.5%, but much closer than last month and this helps to ration more accurately. Protein average is again lower than last month at 21.6% and again is better to ration against still providing more than enough protein to support high yields of milk., but again there is a big range 9.5 – 31.8% and there is no way of knowing where your grass is without sampling. If you would like to know your grazing quality contact your local specialist who will be happy to sample your grazing. Fibre levels have risen to, 37.2% NDF, again demonstrating that the grass is getting away from us with more ‘stemmier’ growth and, whilst better for rumen function and butterfat, could reduce yield potential. Sugar levels remain high at 13.7% more than adequate to meet the needs of the cows even producing high yields.

Grazing covers have increased further over last month at 3647 kgDM/Ha, again highlighting that grass is beginning to get away from us, but there is a large range from 2200kgDM/Ha up to 5951 kgDM/Ha. There is no way cows will efficiently graze grass at over 4000kgDM/Ha, and some would argue less than that at 3500kgDM/Ha, and fields that are at these levels should be left to cut in 2-3 weeks if at all possible. As a whole grass covers will need to be kept on top of now to prevent them getting away and I re-emphasise the point made last month with grass quality good – excellent now it would be a shame to spoil it by letting it get away.

The grass growth at the moment has risen to 86kgDM/Ha/day on average, but the range is still wide at 52kgDM/Ha/day and the highest at 115kgDM/Ha/day. Knowing your own grass growth rate is the key to effective grazing rotation lengths to ensure grass is always at the right grazing stage, and grass growth rate is still speeding up.

Grazing of the quality and quantity shown has the potential to provide M+20 litres as long as the target of 15kgDM/day is achieved, and as highlighted above the grass DM will play a big part in determining if that is possible or not, if it is then a 35l cow will need 7kg of a quality 16% compound to maintain yield and quality.

May 2009

The weather has been very kind to us over the last month and many cows have gone out at least by day, but this has happened rather more slowly in some areas than others as grass growth has been quite slow.

The result of this means we are keeping on top of grass growth and utilising it well to this point, it also means the quality of the grazing, as we move into the real growth period, will be good and will potentially provide excellent grazing performance, particularly if the weather remains kind to us.

The grass quality results look good with energy levels having improved to 12ME, meaning grass is good young leafy growth with plenty of production potential. DM’s have also improved reflecting the drier growing conditions generally to 19.4%, but there is still a large range 12.7 – 28.4%, which is a huge difference and means cows eating the lowest DM grass will have to consume over twice as much fresh grass as the ones on the highest DM. Protein average is lower than last month at 23.5% perhaps having taken up the fertiliser put on in the last month, but again there is a big range 15.5 – 32.7% and there is no way of knowing where your grass is at without sampling. If you would like to know your grazing quality contact your local specialist who will be happy to sample your grazing. Fibre levels, 31.7% NDF, are lower again than last month, which could present a problem in maintaining BF% especially if the rumen isn’t given sufficient time to adjust to this change, and it may mean buffering with higher fibre forage for a time (see article on buffer feeding).

Grazing covers have increased greatly over last month at 3219 kgDM/Ha, but there is a large range from 4335kgDM/Ha down to 2350 kgDM/Ha. As a whole grass covers will need to be kept on top of now to prevent them getting away and that may mean taking an odd paddock or field out of the rotation and cutting it with the first cut. With grass quality good – excellent now it would be a shame to spoil it by letting it get away.

The grass growth at the moment is still only 50kgDM/Ha/day on average, but the range seems to be widening with the lowest at 20kgDM/Ha/day and the highest at 70kgDM/Ha/day. Knowing your own grass growth rate is the key to effective grazing rotation lengths to ensure grass is always at the right grazing stage, and grass will soon take off so be ready to change as needed.

Grazing of the quality and quantity shown has the potential to provide M+21 litres as long as the target of 15kgDM/day is achieved, and as highlighted above the grass DM will play a big part in determining if that is possible or not, if it is then a 35l cow will need 6.5kg of a quality 16% compound to maintain yield and quality.

Dairy compounds should now be high HDF type, as grazed grass will form the bulk of the diet, and they are formulated to compliment the grazed grass, promote good rumen fermentation by keeping the rumen microbes happier and therefore better able to utilise the nutrients from grass. This should continue for the early part of the summer if not all summer, and also keep an eye on protein levels as it isn’t necessary to stay on 18%, a 16% compound will be quite sufficient, again especially in early summer.

The new GrassLink dairy range is designed to do just this and provide the right level of HDF energy and quality protein, your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances.

April 2009

GrassWatch started again in early March when our samplers went out analysing and measuring the grass on selected farms. As usual there is a very mixed bag of results, but I will come back to them.

We have enlisted the help of our Mole Valley Forage Services colleagues and will be sampling around 30 farms monthly. As this will be too many to display in the newsletter each month, we will table 12 individual farms to show their figures, but the averages will be of all 30. The full list will be available on the website or from your MVF/MVFS specialist.

The GrassWatch monitor, as mentioned last month is available and will help to advise members on how much milk is potentially available from grazed grass if it is utilised as described, and is based on the analysis figures and the grazing cover measurements. A paper version available to members/customers to use, or an electronic spreadsheet is available. Please contact you specialist or Farm Sales Co-ordinator who will be able to help.

As an average the results look good with energy levels a little low at 11.5ME, but is still much better than many of the forages fed this winter and will give a significant boost in yield when cows are grazed, and the ME is quite consistent across the board. DM and protein again provide the biggest challenges as, on average, they look good at 17.3% DM (18%DM and above is the ideal) and 28.2% protein, but once you look at the range (13.4% - 24% DM & 25% - 34.5% protein) you can see that for some rationing for low DM and high protein this will be difficult. If you would like to know your grazing quality contact your local specialist who will be happy to sample your grazing. Fibre levels, 37% NDF, are relatively low, for the forage part of the diet, but as most cows are still going to be fed a large part of their winter diet this shouldn’t be a problem. For those who have cows out for most of the day then making sure some longer fibre is available will help, otherwise high HDF concentrates should be fed to compliment this grass.

Grazing covers are relatively low as a result of the colder winter and late spring keeping grass growth in check. This may not be a bad thing as it will allow the opportunity to keep on top of early spring growth and give the chance to optimise grazed grass potential as you really don’t want grass getting away from you at this time of year. The grass growth at the moment is only 45-50kgDM/Ha/day, but it will soon take off and needs to be measured to ensure effective utilisation.

It is possible to turn cows out for a short period earlier and the grass DM intake will be on top of their inside feed and can provide welcomed additional yield. Targeting 5kgsDMI/day from grazed grass gives a potential for 1.5-2lts of additional yield or an equivalent saving in silage fed.

At this time of year concentrates should be changed towards high HDF type, if grazed grass is to form a large part of the diet as they are formulated to compliment the grazed grass, promote good rumen fermentation by keeping the rumen microbes happier and therefore better able to utilise the nutrients from grass. Also the new GrassLink dairy range is designed to do this and your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances.

Click here to download your own copy of the GrassWatch Milk Monitor basic spreadsheet (XLS, 27KB). It is an Excel spreadsheet, which you can use to calculate your own potential milk from grazing.

Click here to download guidance about completing the spreadsheet (PDF, 29KB).

GrassWatch Spring Report

We have enlisted the help of our Mole Valley Forage Services colleagues and will be sampling around 30 farms monthly. As this will be too many to display in the newsletter each month, we will table 12 individual farms to show their figures, but the averages will be of all 30. The full list is available from your Mole Valley Farmers or Mole Valley Forage Services specialist.

The GrassWatch monitor is available and will help to advise members on how much milk may be obtained from grazed grass if it is utilised as described, based on the analysis figures and the grazing cover measurements. A paper version is available to members/customers to use, as well as an electronic spreadsheet if preferred. Please contact your specialist or Farm Sales Co-ordinator who will be able to help or see the regular GrassWatch reports for further information.

As an average the results look good with energy levels a little low at 11.5ME, but is still much better than many of the forages fed this winter and will give a significant boost in yield when cows are grazed. The ME is quite consistent across the board. DM and protein again provide the biggest challenges as, on average, they look good at 17.3% DM (18%DM and above is the ideal) and 28.2% protein, but once you look at the range (13.4% - 24% DM & 25% - 34.5% protein) you can see that for some, rationing for low DM and high protein will be difficult. If you would like to know your grazing quality contact your local specialist who will be happy to sample your grazing. Fibre levels at 37% NDF, are relatively low for the forage part of the diet, but as most cows are still going to be fed a large part of their winter diet this shouldn’t be a problem. For those who have cows out for most of the day then making sure some longer fibre is available will help, otherwise high HDF concentrates should be fed to complement this grass.

Grazing covers are relatively low as a result of the colder winter and early spring keeping grass growth in check. This may not be a bad thing as it will allow the opportunity to keep on top of early spring growth and give the chance to optimise grazed grass potential as you really don’t want grass growing away from the cows at this time of year. The grass growth at the moment is only 45-50kgDM/Ha/day, but it will soon take off and needs to be measured to ensure effective utilisation.

It is possible to turn cows out for a short period earlier when the grass DM intake will be on top of their inside feed and can provide welcomed additional yield. Targeting 5kgsDMI/day from grazed grass gives a potential for 1.5-2lts of additional yield or an equivalent saving in silage fed. At this time of year concentrates should be changed towards high HDF type if grass is to form a large part of the diet as they are formulated to compliment the grazed grass, promote good rumen fermentation by keeping the rumen microbes happier and therefore better able to utilise the nutrients from grass.

The new GrassLink dairy range is designed to do this and your local feed specialist can give you more details on the best concentrate option for your circumstances.

Area	DM	ME	Protein	NDF	Sugar	Pre grazing grass cover
W Cornwall	14.9	11.6	28.2	35.7	5.6	2245
N Cornwall	14.9	11.6	34.5	33.8	3.4	1640
W Devon	15.3	12.0	30.1	34.7	9.0	2146
N Devon	18.9	10.9	28.3	40.6	9.1	2340
W Somerset	18.0	11.2	28.3	42.8	4.1	1940
E Devon	18.5	11.6	25.7	37.4	11.2	2145
N Somerset	17.8	10.6	26.4	42.4	5.1	2980
Dorset	21.2	11.3	27.0	38.3	8.7	2320
Gloucester	17.8	11.3	28.4	39.1	10.4	2135
Monmouth	22.2	11.5	25.6	37.4	11.2	2360
Llanharry	21.1	12.6	27.5	22.8	17.3	1985
Pembroke	15.3	11.9	30.2	35.0	6.2	2526
Ave 20 sites	17.3	11.5	28.2	37.0	7.7	2355.0

GrassWatch Round Up for 2008

We have come to the end of another grazing season for most members, and it has proved once more to be a challenging one!

The early season started with very slow grass growth and it was difficult to get cows turned out, but where it was possible early season grass utilisation was good.

In May and June grass growth really took off and we recorded daily “grazing cover” growth rates in excess of 120kg DM/Ha which was quite phenomenal. Keeping on top of grazing under those conditions was another challenge and grass got away from some of us.

The mid-late season grazing period mirrored last year’s, although starting a bit later and lasting longer. The sustained period of wet weather meant that many herds were housed and fed almost full winter rations. Quality of grazing crashed, but it was not only quality that was the problem; because of the wet weather, cow DM intakes were far below expectations and performance suffered, if not in milk then in milk quality. Late season, grazing quality returned and there was a chance to get lower yielding herds and staler cows back out to get a performance boost from grazing.

Looking at the complete season’s figures, it is plain to see the biggest problem all year has been the grass DM with no month above 20%. As I have been banging on about all season the difficulty this presents cows in physically consuming enough fresh grass to meet targeted DMI levels expected from grazing has been almost impossible and to highlight this I have added the column of expected fresh grass consumption to achieve 15kg DMI to the table. These are large amounts of fresh grass that need to be consumed each and every day and they increase further on the really wet days when cows do not feel like eating anyway.

You can see from the figures below that the quality of grazing and the potential milk from grazed grass can be charted against the weather pattern. This clearly illustrates we can’t fight nature and need to be able to adapt when weather factors hit us and change feeding strategies accordingly.

We would again like to thank our GrassWatch farmers for allowing us to measure their grass and implement this service for the benefit of all members. Without their help and support it couldn’t happen and we hope you all find the information useful. If you have any comments, good or bad, about the GrassWatch service please let us know by contacting the FeedLine on 01278 444829.

GrassWatch Monitor Summary

GrassWatch Summary Table

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by Peter Isaac, Dairy Feed Product Manager

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GrassWatch Spring Report

GrassWatch Round Up for 2008

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