Autumn Closing Strategy

John McCabe, Teagasc Aurivo Joint Programme Group Facilitator and Monitor Farm Advisor, joins Stuart Childs on the latest episode of the Dairy Edge podcast to discuss how Autumn grass build-up has gone this year as well as the Autumn closing strategy.

John explains that if farms want to build cover, it is imperative that they use some supplement in August to actively build cover and that good growth through September has baled many out of a scenario where they would have a lot less grass on the farm under more normal conditions. 

John also says that farms in the west have started to close up paddocks now but that the actual closing date will be driven by the average farm cover later in the rotation. Farms in the region are targeting 60-70% grazed in October and possibly even 80% on some of the trickier soil types where November grazing is often a bonus.

Finally, John encourages people to target to graze paddocks that they will be able to access in February next year from the 20th of October to have the cover correct on those paddocks to facilitate good graze out and also facilitate getting through area next spring which will be critical to having sufficient grass available at the start of the 2nd round next April.

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