Storm Lorenzo didn’t pose too many problems for Tullamore Farm this week. Increased rainfall has left grazing a little more difficult though.
Clean-outs have taken a hit, with cows not finishing out paddocks as clean as they were two weeks ago.
This is posing an issue around some of the heavier covers, but the ewe groups have been brought in to deal with these. They seem to be better able to cope with the heavy covers.
Flushing
Ewes have started flushing prior to tipping, so it suits to move them to this good grass.
Grass growth for the past seven days was 51kg DM/ha/day, which is strong for the time of year. Nitrogen spread in early September has really boosted grass growth.
Demand is currently 31kg DM/ha/day, so days ahead and average farm cover continue to build.
Average farm cover is currently at 1,239kg DM/ha, so it's ahead of our target of 1,100kg DM/ha at the moment.
Paddocks grazed from now on will be closed, with a target of closing 60% of the farm by early November.
This QCD heifer is €103 on replacement, +16kg carcass and a serious +8kg on milk, Due the second week of Feb to EBY, sometimes criticized for being "Mousey"... but if you haven’t a frame to hang it on you’ve nothing and this lady was 600kg in July ???? 28th Oct #StandOn pic.twitter.com/m83m1NkwkT
— Shaun Diver (@diver_shaun) October 3, 2019
Weaning
Weaning is continuing, with a few cows being drafted every couple of days out of the bull calf and the heifer calf groups.
Calves continue to graze ahead of the cows via a raised fence and bull calves are currently on 2.5kg/head/day, while heifer calves are on 1kg/head/day.
Calves were weighed this week, with heifer calves coming in at 302kg and bull calves coming in at 322kg.
Bull calves have gained 1.31kg/day since birth, while heifer calves have gained 1.19kg/day since birth.
Finishing
Beef heifers and cull cows continue to be meal-fed at grass. They are currently on 5kg ration/head/day being fed in paddocks.
More heifers will be drafted next week, while cows are still two to three weeks away. If weather conditions continue to deteriorate, these finishing animals will be housed and finished indoors.
With housing spaces tight on the farm, we need to have these animals gone by the time the main cow groups are housed.
??HEIFER SPAM??she has it all, a replacement value of €129.. +22kg on carcass and 5.8kg on milk an eye catcher from birth.. her mother is one of the best cows in the place..Due the first week of Feb to Ulsan, imagine that heifer calf, Tullamore Mart 28th Oct @ajwwoods @FJBeef pic.twitter.com/GFNWM3prFF
— Shaun Diver (@diver_shaun) October 2, 2019
Sale preparation
Preparation continues for our in-calf heifer sale being held in Tullamore Mart on bank holiday Monday 28 October at 6pm.
We have 20 in-calf heifers selected for the sale. All heifers are scanned in-calf to AI or the Salers stock bull.
All heifers have also been genotyped and have been vaccinated for BVD, lepto and pneumonia.
The heifers are all four- or five-star animals, with positive sub-indices on milk and carcase weight.
Save the date folks, some super heifers heading to Tulllamore Mart on 28th October. All bred on Tullamore farm. Sale starts at 6pm. All heifers scanned in calf to easy calving bulls, high herd health status. All grass fed. Wintered on rape last winter. All calving at 2 years old. https://t.co/1vV4aeV8jn
— Adam Woods (@ajwwoods) October 4, 2019
SHARING OPTIONS: