No two years are the same. This year, first-cut silages should be of better quality than 2024 and second cuts have yielded well. Winter will inevitably arrive, so a little preparation now can help us make informed decisions.

Year-on-year, grass silages can be extremely variable in nutritional qualities. May weather in 2025 allowed many to take their first cut slightly earlier than in recent years. Before the housed period, it will be important to test the silages available in the yard and plan accordingly.

For dry cows, silage quality will dictate the condition of cows at calving, and dilution/corrective feeding may be required.

The target Body Condition Score (BCS) is typically 2.75-3.0 at dry off and 3.0-3.25 at calving. To achieve this, we aim for a maintenance-type diet over the 60-day dry period. Silage with a DMD of 68-70% will generally suffice.

For thin cows, drying off early is the preferred option. If dried off early (e.g., 10-12-week dry period), cows fed average quality silage (68-70% DMD) should have an increase in BCS of approx. 0.5 units before calving.

For youngstock, feeding rates will also be dependent on silage quality results. If we take the same silage used for dry cows above with our youngstock, offering a silage-only diet, a weight gain of only 0.3kg/day can be expected over the winter from a 70% DMD silage. Approximately 1.5-2kg of concentrate would be needed here to achieve target winter growth rates. Is there a higher quality forage available for youngstock?

Target Body Condition Score (BCS) is typically 2.75-3.0 at dry off and 3.0-3.25 at calving.

Fodder Budget

Conducting a quick fodder budget to highlight reserves or deficits is crucial, and the sooner it’s done, the more options there are to bridge the gap. Having surplus silage on farm is a strong position. Housing could come early, or Spring 2026 may be harsh. Removing surplus grass now improves quality and provides more options later.

For further advice, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor here. 

The pleasant and warmer weather experienced during the first half of April finally brought about a welcome increase in grass growth, largely in line with the five-year average for this time of year.

Many paddocks identified for reseeding were sprayer, harrowed and sown at the start of April, with many more earmarked for the coming weeks. As Teagasc has noted, reseeding increases the farm’s overall productivity and allows higher animal output per hectare relative to permanent pasture.

The benefits of reseeding are well established since it represents the fastest on-farm investment return. Reseeding also helps farms to increase Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) by minimising nitrogen losses to water. It also improves yield and quality and helps to reduce the requirement to buy feed.

However, it’s worth re-emphasising several other benefits that arise from reseeding. Research indicates that new leys, when compared to older permanent pasture:

• Are 25% more responsive to applied Nitrogen;
• Results in more available grass in the shoulders of the season;
• Results in faster re-growths and
• Increases total annual production /ha.

Teagasc estimates that a low portion of perennial ryegrass in the sward is costing the average dairy farm up to €300/ha in lost grass production during the growing season.

When planning a reseed, the largest gains will be made by replacing the oldest/least productive swards e.g., your paddocks with the least number of grazings last year.

Where reseeding or sward rejuvenation occurs, clover inclusions cannot be overlooked for obvious reasons due to its nitrogen-fixing abilities. Soil fertility must be centric to the reseeding protocol, especially where we want a successful clover establishment (alongside good management practices in the first 12 months).

Over-sowing clover on grazing paddocks can work well – while the best opportunity to incorporate clover into a sward is always at the point of reseeding.

For further advice, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.

Early autumn reseeding is the preferred option for many to reseed grazing ground due to reduced pressure on grass availability and the increased availability of grazing ground after second cut silage.

After several months of poor grass growth this year, many reseeds were delayed so it’s important to get back on track when the opportunity presents itself.

However, timing is crucial so the earlier you plan on completing reseeding, the more flexibility they’ll have regarding grazing and weed control.

The target turnaround with a reseed should be 50 to 60 days. Therefore if spray-off is completed by mid-August, target first grazing should be approximately the same date in October. Ideally, one more grazing before winter should create a more established sward for the following spring.

Taking the reseeding opportunity earlier will also help with clover establishment. With clover high on the agenda for those reseeding grazing block ground, its important to get the basics correct to aid in its establishment. Clover has a high pH requirement, favouring soils at a pH of 6.5, and index 3-4 for P&K.

Avoid jeopardising your investment in reseeding by skimping on weed control or missing the ideal window. Post-emergence spraying is always your best chance to control weeds, typically applied approximately 5-6 weeks after sowing. Where clover was incorporated in the seed mixture, use a clover-safe spray (take care to use a clover-safe spray at the three-leaf stage).

One of the most common issues seen with reseeds where conventional ploughing has not been used is inadequate rolling of new reseeds/poor firmness.

Rolling is essential to create good soil–to–seed contact and also helps to maintain moisture within the seedbed.

New plants emerge quickest where the tractor tyre marks are, or in the headlands due to greater contact. So roll the seed bed prior to sowing to increase firmness.

For more information contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor. 

It’s vitally important that the next generation of milking cows don’t fall between two stools in the quieter part of the year. Now that breeding season is drawing closer to its completion, the focus should be on the class of 2025 to ensure replacement heifer target weights are achieved over the next number of months.

Hitting target weights at certain milestones is crucial to ensure replacement heifers are on course to achieve the main goal of being 60% of their mature weight when bred at 15 months. Ideally at this point, 2024 born calves will have adjusted to a grass based diet without set-backs and the transition period has gone smoothly.

For many the decision on reducing or removing supplementary concentrates will be made shortly ~ end of June, early July. However, this decision should hinge on current weights relative to target, grass availability/quality and/or their transition to grass and grazing. Abrupt changes should be avoided, and gradual reductions advised.

Weighing scales are by far one of the most underutilised management tools on farm. Timing of weighing can also be beneficial. By weighing mid-season, compared to just at the point of housing, allows farmers to identify heifers that are behind target. The best advice is to group accordingly and make alternative plans for those heifers under target weights.

The threshold figure for 2024 spring born weanling heifers is approximately 200kg in mid-September (33% of an assumed mature weight of 600kg). Heifers that are lighter than this should be separated and given priority access to the highest quality grass and re-introduce concentrates depending on their weight relative to the herds target. Parasite burdens and their control can have a major influence on performance mid-summer for 1st season grazers. A herd health plan for parasite issues/control
should be discussed on a herd-by-herd basis with your veterinary practitioner.

For further advice, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor or visit www.agritech.ie

Another target weight to keep in mind with February and early born March calves is to weigh 180 – 190 kgs by the 1st of September, equating to an average daily gain of 0.7-0.8kg/head/day.

In an ideal world calves would be weighed regularly over their first season at grass to track average daily gains. This will allow for informed decision making regarding decreasing concentrate feeding rates at grass. 2kg of a low protein (<16%), high fibre concentrate should be offered while grazing for the first 3-4 weeks of grazing and only considered to be reduced thereafter, to approx. 1 kg. Where early born (Late Jan/Feb born) calves are on target and adjusted to grazing well, supplementation can be reduced further or removed – but this should not happen until late June; supplementation will need to be reintroduced when grass quality declines (late summer) and/or if targets are not being met.

Within groups, there will always be outliers that should be prioritized, calves failing to achieve the above outlined weights (especially younger born March calves). This lighter group needs to be offered a higher rate of supplementation, supplemented for later into the summer and prioritised for grass availability.

Replacement heifers struggling to achieve target weights in the first season at grass, typically results in a heifer too light at housing, and if not fed appropriately and returned to grass early, results in a heifer too light at the point of bulling – negatively effecting her longevity within the herd as a mature cow. With calf-to-beef situations a poor first season at grass will result in prolonged days to slaughter at a significant cost.

Parasite control

Stomach worms and lungworms (hoose) are the most common parasites of calves at grass – with burdens typically building during May-July (weather dependant). Although burdens may be building, clinical signs/symptoms are not experienced or seen typically until mid-summer onwards and this is when action will be required.

Warm humid conditions followed by heavy rainfall can result in rapid multiplication and a close eye will need to be kept on youngstock at grass over the next number of weeks. A dosing protocol should be discussed on a herd-by-herd basis with your veterinary practitioner, as conditions/grazing management & resistance in herds will vary hugely. Dung sampling is also advised to pinpoint issues. Stomach worms will typically present as scouring, and poor thrive while lungworm will need to be dealt with where husky coughing occurs (especially when being moved). Where poor thrive and loose dung is an issue, dung sampling to rule out coccidiosis is also required. It is important that poor thrive caused by parasites is not to be wrongly self- diagnosed as summer scour syndrome.

For further information, contact your local sales advisor

Hitting target weights at certain milestones is crucial to ensure replacement heifers are on course to achieve the main goal of being 60% of their mature weight when bred at 15 months.

Meal feeding at grass

Transitioning calves from a milk-based diet to a grass-based diet can be tricky. Spring born calves that are weaned and now at grass, should be offered supplementary concentrates in the diet for 4-6 weeks minimum, to ease with the transition onto a grass-based diet.

Where 102kgs concentrate is offered at grass for the first number of weeks, this reduces the total amount of fresh grazed grass in the diet and avoids hungry calves over-indulging on lush low fibre, high N grass; resulting in what is often referred to as ‘summer scour’.

Alongside offering concentrates, fibre sources can also be offered in the diet (e.g., straw/hay/roughage) through this transition, as well as turning calves into slightly heavier covers. We must remember young calves are not fully developed ruminants yet and high quality lush grass may not be the best forage for supporting rumen development.

Target weights

Weighing scales are by far one of the most under-utilised management tools on farm. Timing of weighing can also be beneficial. By weighing in the weeks pre-housing, compared to weighing at the point of housing, allows farmers to identify heifers that are behind target. The best advice is to group accordingly and make alternative plans for those heifers under target weights.

The threshold figure for 2023 spring born weanling heifers is approximately 200kg in mid-September (33% of an assumed mature weight of 600kg). Heifers that are lighter than this should be separated and given priority access to the highest quality grass and re-introduce concentrates depending on their weight relative to the herds target.

Further information: 

For more information, contact your local Sales Advisor.

Firstly, weaning should only ever occur once calves are consuming at least 1.5 kg of concentrate per head per day in group scenarios. Alongside this, gradual weaning is advised to minimise stress levels in young calves and to allow them to increase dry matter intakes over a prolonged period.

During the first grazing season, heifer calves should have a good consistent growth rate of 750g /day or 20kg/month. Calves should always have access to high-quality grass, and depending on target weight gain and grass availability, a quality concentrate supplementation may be required. Typical advice is to feed meal at least 6 weeks post-weaning/turnout and reintroduce meal again in autumn if desired weights are not being met.

Setbacks that occur now or over the first grazing season will result in heifers struggling to meet target weights in the future and can result in these heifers not making it to the parlour.

What is Summer Scour? 

Year on year, in the proceeding weeks after turnout to grass, cases of calves suffering from setbacks are reported, typically described as Summer Scour Syndrome or calf wastage.
Lush grass is very high in oils like CLA (conjugated linoleic acid), sugars and potentially nitrogen, and to a young undeveloped rumen this can be hard to adjust to. In addition, low covers of grass have very little fibre, which is a key substrate for good rumen health.

It’s often asked why Summer Scour Syndrome was not an issue until recent years, and the short answer is that we are victims of our own success. Grassland management has dramatically improved over the past number of years. Calf rearing has also improved, and we are typically weaning calves at 8-10 weeks of age. It is also worth noting that ditches are now typically fenced off to youngstock where historically they would have been used as a source of fibre by calves.

In severe cases or if prolonged, rumen function can be severely impaired and B vitamins may no longer be manufactured by the rumen, resulting in blindness and ‘star-gazing’.

Note: Where poor thrive/scouring is an issue at grass post-turnout, Coccidiosis should be the first port of call to rule out.

Avoiding the issue: 

Ideally, the rumen is developed over the milk feeding period/pre-weaning by offering ad lib access to concentrates (18% Crude protein crunch/nut), and clean fresh straw to reduce your risk of Summer Scour Syndrome.

Below are several management practices that can help combat against the onset of Summer Scour Syndrome symptoms this season, a few which will be farm/system dependent:

1. Offering concentrates in the weeks post-turnout will help to avoid overindulging on rapidly digestible lush grass. Hungry calves are more likely to gorge on lush covers.
2. During periods of rapid growth, avoid letting calves into low covers of grass. Until rumens are well developed and luxury uptake of nitrogen is not a problem, target covers of at least 1,200-1,400 kg DM/ha for 8-10 weeks after turnout.
3. The use of Agritech’s Rumicare in meal pre and post-weaning will help the buffering capacity in the rumen, decrease the risk of acidosis/ruminal upsets during the transition period and promote positive bacteria populations in the rumen (typically included at 2%).
4. Give access to grass and indoor accommodation simultaneously prior to full-time turnout to ease the transition to grass.
5. Offer a fibre source post-turnout. Round feeders are an option to allow access to clean dry straw.
6. Use strip-wire allocations. Strip-wires allow for less selective grazing and force calves to eat stem content along with the leaf.

More Information: 

For more information on reducing the stress of weaning on your calves, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.

As autumn progresses, the weather can change quickly so timing is critical; earlier reseeding allows for more flexibility with grazing and weed control. Remember, an unproductive sward could be losing you 3t of dry matter/ha/year. Swards with a low percentage of perennial ryegrass, that are not producing sufficient levels of grass in the shoulders of the year and have a poor response to N, shouldn’t be tolerated on the grazing platform.

Reseeding Management 

As ever, the target turnaround should be 50-60 days with a reseed. Therefore, complete spray-off by mid-august, target first grazing should be approximately the same date in October. Ideally, aim to graze at least once before closing for the winter to create a more established sward for the following spring.

With late autumn reseeds, avoid jeopardising your investment in reseeding by skimping on weed control or missing the window of opportunity. Post-emergence spraying is always your best chance to control weeds, typically applied approximately 5-6 weeks after sowing. When using a clover safe spray, keep in mind these can only be used until the end of September 2022.

Get the seedbed right

One of the most common issues seen this summer has been the inadequate rolling of new reseeds. Rolling is essential to create good soil-to-seed contact and it also helps maintain moisture within the seedbed.

Often new plants emerge quickly where the tractor tyre marks are, or in the headlands due to greater contact; this is a sign the field has been inadequately rolled. Ensure the seed bed is firm, not fluffy – roll prior to sowing if necessary to firm it up.

For further autumn reseeding advice or to find out more about our Tipperary Grass Seed Range, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor. 

Making one big bulky cut, may appear to get you more silage in the yard, however with delayed/late first cut silage, both quality and quantity are compromised. A delayed heavy first-cut reduces annual yield/ha and can create problems when it comes to salvaging second/third-cut crops later in the year. Alongside this, grass growth rates are typically at their highest over the next few weeks, so delaying first cut means that farmers are not taking full advantage of rapid regrowth.

A general rule of thumb is to target a 50:50 split in quantity in both first and second cut (E.g., 20 tonnes per acre to be achieved in total. Ideally, this is a 10-tonne high quality crop in both cuts. Where first-cut is let go to a 13-tonne crop, the ideal quantity of harvest for second-cut crops may only be approximately 7 tonne).

Farms that routinely take earlier first cuts have higher and better-quality annual silage yields. Not only this, but in years such as 2012/13 or 2018 when farmers faced fodder shortages across the country, having higher quality silage was far more valuable. When high-quality silage is available in the yard, options of stretching supply are endless (e.g., dilution with straw, using cheap alternative straights, restricted intakes where headspace is sufficient). However, from a nutritional point of view, the option with poor quality silage is simple, ad-lib access and more meal.

Completing a fodder budget?

A good starting point is how much silage is leftover this spring. Check the current silage stock on your farm. From there, estimate how long you typically feed for in the winter months and always allow for a 3–4-week safety reserve. Finally, complete an assessment of stock numbers that will be carried over the winter months.

Silage requirements based on animal type: 

Measuring pits on farm

Length x breadth x average height in metres, divided by 1.35 = tonnes of grass silage

Or

Length x breadth x average height in feet, divided by 45 = tonnes of grass silage

Can we get more silage in the pit?

Agritech’s GrasZyme Sugarboost is proven to retain a higher proportion of silage in the pit post-harvesting. Losses on average will be reduced by 6.1%, this would equate to 6.1 tonnes of extra silage in every 100 tonnes ensiled. For example 1,000 tonne silage pit, + 61 tonne more available silage. With current silage costs, this would equate to a return on investment of 2:1, before taking animal performance benefits into account from treated silage.

More Information: 

For more information on assessing current silage stocks, and on GrasZyme Sugarboost, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.

Silage harvesting is a major cost on Irish farms, therefore it is most important that the desired level of quality is achieved.

Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD) indicates the feeding value of a forage crop. In grass silage, it refers to the percentage of grass dry matter that an animal can digest to support their feed requirements. To make high DMD silage, the grass sward needs to contain a high leaf content. DMD is also linked to harvest date, with research showing that a crop harvested on June 2nd versus a harvest date of May 20^th, resulted in a DMD drop of as much as 5%.

Key considerations
Weather will be the main dictating factor with silage harvesting. However, during periods of broken weather, where a window of opportunity appears, avoid delaying harvest. Delaying first cut will cause a large drop in quality and reduce second cut yields significantly.

Grass sugars are the main consideration for crop preservation (Sugar being the food required for fermentation bacteria). The target for good preservation is 3%. Cutting time (early afternoon) and cutting conditions will have the greatest impact on sugar content in grass.

Grass nitrates can affect preservation by increasing buffering capacity. A grass crop will on average use up 2 units of N per day for first cut. Nonetheless, this is only a general rule and should not delay cutting date. Wilting silage to approximately ˃28% will help decrease nitrates.

Wilting is very beneficial to silage preservation where sugars are marginal and/or nitrates remain elevated. The aim should be to increase crop dry matter to 25-30% with pit silage and 30-35% with baled silage. Over wilting can cause issues when feeding out silage, such as heat loss/secondary fermentation.

Using a silage additive

The application of a proven silage additive, such as Agritech’s GrasZyme Sugarboost, at ensiling is a very important part of securing as much of the quality in the winter forage as possible – speeding up preservation and retaining more of the feed value within the pit, alongside less waste/losses.

From a total of 19 independent trials, GrasZyme Sugarboost has proven to deliver:

• + 1 litre of milk per cow per day and .09% milk protein increase
• + 110g daily live-weight gain in beef animals
• 1% reduction in dry matter losses

For further information, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.