DARD Farm Management Note for November 2006

by DARD

01st Nov 2006

The mild weather during October has encouraged rapid weed growth in early drilled crops. Aim to apply a residual herbicide to wheat and barley crops while weeds are small. Annual meadow grass, in particular, will be difficult to control once it has begun tillering. The choice of herbicide treatment may be influenced by the weed species present, but a broad-spectrum product based on either isoproturon + diflufenican (Panther), or isoproturon + pendimethalin (Encore), is likely to be suitable. Where a wild oat problem is anticipated, chlorotoluron may be preferable to isoproturon, but check first that your variety is chlorotoluron-tolerant.

Wheat is much more tolerant of later sowing than barley or oats. However, seed rates should be increased to combat the effects of lower soil temperatures, cloddy seedbeds and pest attack which combine to reduce the percentage plant establishment as sowing is delayed. Seed rates of between 400-500 seeds/m2 would be appropriate for sowings in November with the higher seed rates being used in more difficult conditions and as sowing is further delayed. This would translate to seed rates in the range of 180-225kg/ha (11.5-14 st/ac).

It is now past the optimum sowing date for winter barley. Even with increased seed rates, crops drilled from November onwards rarely produce high enough yields to justify sowing winter barley in preference to waiting for 4-5 months and sowing a spring variety as early as soil conditions allow.

Spray an approved aphicide at the end of migration (usually around the end of October, but later in mild autumns) to prevent spread BYDV within the crop by the wingless offspring of winged migratory aphids. Monitor all crops throughout the winter, including those already treated, on warm sunny days for aphids and spray if they are readily found.

·Check soil temperatures and avoid harvesting in cold conditions. Potatoes are much more susceptible to damage below 10oC.

·Handle potatoes as gently as possible. Check that the harvester is correctly set and that any parts of the harvester that could cause damage are attended to.

·Use the minimum agitation necessary and maintain a soil cushion as far up the primary harvester web as possible.

·Minimise the drop between the harvester cart elevator and the bulk trailer or box. Fall breakers or padded landing areas should be used to reduce impacts.

·Assess levels of damage regularly for both external damage and bruising. ‘Hot-boxing’ by placing tubers under high humidity and temperature gives an early indication of bruising problems.

With potatoes likely to be coming into store wet, drying is essential to help maintain crop health and quality. A number of systems can provide forced ventilation needed for effective drying. Systems such as the Wedderspoon tent or Pirie Boxer are suitable for boxes, while a number of systems can dry bulk piles such as below pile ducts and pedestals.

The wound-healing period should be kept to a minimum of two weeks. Humid air in the store should be changed by ventilating on dry afternoons. Crops that contain more than 1% blight or soft rots should not be cured but marketed as soon as possible as there is a high risk of widespread rotting during storage. Following curing, store temperature should be reduced slowly by approximately 0.5oC/day to the desired holding temperature. If possible continue to ventilate periodically throughout the storage period as a precaution against rots, or at least regularly inspect the store and remove any problem material immediately.

Are you taking advantage of good quality silage to improve returns this winter? For most producers there is an opportunity to reap the benefits of having high silage quality to increase yields or reduce meal feeding levels. Silage intake potential is very good with high energy levels (11.0 – 12.0 ME) and dry matters (30%+DM) common. Crude protein (CP) levels are generally higher than recent years at 12–15 % but with less concentrates required to achieve the same level of production as last year, there will be little scope to reduce the protein level of the concentrate.

Early checks on the intakes of fresh calving groups of cows on farm confirm that high forage intakes of 11-13 kgs dry matter are being achieved. A 35 litre cow eating 40 kgs of a 30%DM (=12 Kgs DM) of 11.3 ME, 13% CP silage, will need 10 kgs of a 21% concentrate to support production.

For producers with access to weighing facilities (diet feeders or weighbridges) and feed analysis, a spot check now could be used now to ensure cows are not being over/under fed. Contact your local CAFRE Dairying Development Adviser or feed firm nutritionist to discuss the feed requirements of your herd.

Loss of body condition in freshly calved cows and heifers

Cows reach peak yield at around 6–8 weeks post calving. However, they do not reach maximum dietary intake until 8–10 weeks. This results in a period of weeks where energy intake is not meeting production demands. Cows losing excess condition in early lactation:

·take longer to regain a normal oestrous cycle.

·have poorer conception rates.

·are more susceptible to nutritional disorders such as ketosis.

·have reduced milk, fat and protein production.

A number of steps can be taken to reduce this period of energy gap:

·Dry cows should be fed a small amount of the lactating ration for 3 weeks prior to calving to enhance rumen function and ease the transition into lactation. Start at 1 kg /day and build up by 1 kg/week to 3 kgs in the week before calving. Access to an out-of-parlour feeder at this stage would minimize the need to separate cows into several groups.

·Build up concentrate feeding gradually in the 2 weeks after calving (an extra 0.5 kg/day) for cows fed 8-10 kgs per day

·Check condition score of cows regularly. Pay particular attention to freshly calved cows and heifers.

·Feed high quality silage, preferably offering the best to fresh calving cows.

·Provide adequate feeding space per cow.

·Heifers will perform much better if they can be grouped separately from the main herd.

Grassland – Do you need to apply fertilisers containing phosphates?

The Nitrates Action Plan is due to be implemented on 1st January 2007. Farmers wanting to use phosphate fertilisers in future will have to prove there is a crop requirement to do so. Are soil reserves low? Can slurry application not meet crop requirement for additional phosphate?

Soil analysis carried out through an approved laboratory will be required to provide an accurate assessment of soil status. Sampling will have to be carried out every 4 years. If you have soil sampled in the past 4 years and the soil has low P status these results can be used to justify the need to apply fertilizer containing P.

Sampling must be carried out at least 3 months after the last phosphate application (slurry, farm-yard manure or fertiliser). November/December is therefore a good time for sampling. Always use an auger for sampling – these can be obtained from your local DARD office. Take 40 cores at random across the field. Avoid dung patches and areas around gateways, water troughs and headlands where fertility may be abnormally high to ensure you achieve a representative soil sample. If you require further details on soil sampling technique or interpretation of the soil analysis contact your local CAFRE Development Adviser.

Ewe condition at tupping is the most critical factor in determining the flock performance and financial returns. Maintaining optimum ewe condition during the tupping period and for 4 weeks after conception should be the objective once the rams are out. If ewe condition drops during this period embryo loss and re-absorption will greatly reduce lamb numbers. Where grass supply is inadequate, or where ewes are in poorer condition, feeding a small amount of a cereal based ration (0.25kg/head/day) during the tupping period for 4-6 weeks will maintain or improve body condition. A stress free period during the tupping period and 4 weeks after conception will ensure maximum embryo survival.

Although grass growth slows down in the autumn months, if there is “green leaf cover” it will continue to grow. A well managed rotational grazing system at this time of year which allows swards a recovery period will encourage grass growth and more effective grass utilisation. The stocking rate should be at 8 ewes/Ha with, if possible, a sward recovery period of around 30 days. Initially sward covers should have been built up for the tupping period without allowing them to go above 4000KgDM/Ha. Leaving a good grass cover on swards after grazing (1800 – 1900 KgDM/Hectare) will ensure that growth will continue.

A fatal mistake that many sheep farmers make is to graze swards too bare during the autumn period. With good rotational management, grazing can be extended well into late November or early December on young leafy grass swards

During the second and third month of pregnancy ewes in good condition can naturally lose condition (0.5 Condition Score). However it is crucial during this period that ewes do not gain or lose too much condition. With severe weather and poor grass conditions ewes can rapidly lose condition during this period. It is important to plan ahead to provide enough autumn grazing that will last well into late November or December. Sward covers should be maintained at around 2000-2200KgDM/Ha (5-6cm) for the mid pregnancy stage of early lambers.

Farmers now need to look carefully at silage quality and carry out silage analysis to determine feeding values and expected performance. A silage analysis will provide analytical information on protein, fibre, dry matter, ph and ammonia. It will also provide essential information on intake, digestibility and metabolizable energy. From this information, performance can be predicted for different classes of animals. For suckler cows and breeding ewes the concentrate feeding levels required at different stages to sustain body weight will be provided.

The liveweight gain at different feed levels can be predicted for store and finishing animals at 300 and 500kgs.

Farmers need to use silage analysis to determine how much performance to expect from silage and then plan cost effective use of concentrate feeding.

This service is provided by AFBI (Hillsborough) at a basic costs of £12.50 + Vat for the silage analysis including one livestock feeding report. Additional feed reports for other livestock classes will cost £2.00 per report.

Now is a good time to refocus on silage quality and feeding costs and silage analysis is an essential starting point. Contact your local Beef/Sheep adviser or your local Agricultural Development Centre for sample bags and information on how to take a sample.

A mild climate and plentiful supply of autumn grass has ensured that this year most cows are in good condition approaching housing time. The target is to aim to have spring calving cows at condition score 2.5 at calving.

Overfeeding high quality silage to dry suckler cows can result in excessive condition gain throughout the winter period, unnecessarily high feed costs and potential calving difficulties. At the other extreme underfeeding using poor quality silage will result in excessive condition loss and poor fertility. Both scenarios have a negative impact on profitability.

If at all possible, batch cows according to their condition score at housing. If cows are housed at condition score 3.0, then they can afford to lose 0.5 Condition Score (approx. 35-40kg) over the winter and their silage intake may be restricted by up to 20% depending on silage quality. Remember that cows are gaining weight associated with pregnancy (calf and associated tissues and fluids) so if weight is maintained or there is a slight reduction coming up to calving, feeding level is about right for animals in good condition now.

Cows in low body condition (2or less) should be fed to gain at least 35-40kg body weight in addition to the weight associated with pregnancy. Feeding moderate silage ad lib, or restricted silage plus 1-2kg concentrate, should achieve this. These thinner cows should be well fed until Christmas, so that their condition can be easily managed from then to calving. If body condition is increased rapidly during late pregnancy, extra fat is deposited around the birth canal, which can lead to calving difficulties.

Remember, if silage is to be restricted, allow sufficient feeding space for all cows to eat at once to prevent injury and protect shy feeders from bullying.

Dirty cattle will not be accepted for slaughter. It is the responsibility of the farmer to ensure that cattle are clean when presented for slaughter. A number of steps can be taken to avoid the build up of dirt on hides.

Adequate ventilation is essential, cattle will be cleaner and drier in well-ventilated sheds.

·Avoid under-stocking on slats.

Where cattle are bedded adequate quantities of straw should be used.

Avoid low dry matter feeds such as wet silage especially in the period prior to slaughter. Including straw in the diet can increase the dry matter content of the manure. Any changes to the diet should be made gradually to avoid digestive upsets.

Avoid mixing stock from different batches if possible and ensure that cattle are transported in clean, well maintained vehicles.

Grass swards should be grazed down to (5-6cm) before being closed off for the winter. Grazing heavy stock in wet conditions at this time of year should be avoided. Heavy cattle should be housed first and swards grazed down with light cattle in small groups or with sheep. It is better to get cattle housed early before causing too much damage is done to the swards and get them out earlier in the spring when the grass has higher feeding value.

Light grazing of autumn reseeds with sheep will encourage tillering and help thicken the sward. Ewes should be stocked at 8 ewes/hectare and the stocking rate reduced as sward cover decreases. Remove stock if any poaching occurs and leave some grass cover on the sward.