JULY: TIME TO ORGANISE QUALITY GRASS

• Rapid growth periods over last few weeks have resulted in poor-condition grass heading into the period where we must extend the rotation.
• July 1 is midpoint in the grass-growing year, so it is appropriate to review grass yield on the pasture profit index (PPI), and all the reasons affecting that yield.
  • Look through reports on the following and compare with 2025 and 2024: annual tonnage, farm cover, farm summary, fertiliser usage, and the number of grazings.
• The following are the mid-season targets:
  • Average farm cover (AVC) must be greater than 600kg dry matter (DM) per hectare (ha) or 170kg DM/ha.
  • Or drystock farms should have 12-15 days’ reserve ahead of them.
  • Rotation length: 21-25 days.
  • Pre-grazing cover (PGC) must be in the 1,200-1,450kg DM/ha range depending on stocking rate (SR).
• Based on PastureBase data over the last number of years, many dairy farmers are operating with covers far higher than these targets.
  • The consequences are:
    • Loss of milk yield and reduced percentage protein;
    • Reduced grass yield during the remainder of the year due to poorer tillering; and
    • Reduced grass quality.
  • Dairy farmers must be allocating 18-20kg DM/cow/day, depending on cow size.
• As we are only one or two rotations from growing autumn grass, it is essential that swards are free of stem and ‘dead butt’.
• As soon as possible, let the target for AFC, PGC and rotation length revert to the targets above.
• You should take out ‘strong’ paddocks for baled silage if over the targets – use PastureBase to guide you.
• Of course, if you are under the targets, you must take steps to rectify that quickly:
  • Reduce the demand by reducing the stocking rate (SR) and/or feeding extra meal (although this is very hard to justify), or silage;
  • Graze silage fields if cover is less than 2,500kg DM/ha.
• These solutions may need to be applied if your farm is affected by some level of drought.
• As you do the grass measurements, assess each paddock for stem, dungpads, trash, clover content, varieties of grass in sward, weeds and graze-out.
• If stem, dungpads and post grazing heights (PGH) are too high, then you will have to:
  • Identify some paddocks for silage cutting on next rotation, or top some paddocks post grazing; but
  • Do not take all these remedial actions at the same time or it could result in slower growth rates.
• Identify paddocks/fields for reseeding as you walk through them and with the help of PastureBase.
  • Begin the reseeding process in late July to get at least one grazing before winter.
• Weed in pastures eat up fertiliser and reduce grass yield; they must be sprayed now. Docks, in particular, are very problematic in clover. They must be sprayed at least once this year in fields earmarked for clover seeding next year.
• The following are the nitrogen (protected urea) recommendations for July (two rotations) grass based on clover content:

* = Soiled water.
** = Chemical N fertiliser can be increased to 230kg N/ha/year in paddocks with
no clover as long as the whole farm N does not exceed 212kg N/ha/year.

• Because of outside parcels of land being understocked, more N than specified here should be applied on the milking platform (MP); but stay within the overall farm nitrogen limit of 212kg N/ha.
• On sulphur deficient farms you will get a response of 10-50% more grass by spreading five to10 units/acre of sulphur in July.
• Apply a compound with P and K so as to improve/maintain soil fertility, particularly in paddocks where grass was managed by taking surplus bales.
  • If you have no P allowance, apply K by way of 29:0:14 compound.
  • Soiled water must be used in paddocks where P and K are low, as well as on clover swards.
  • Now is a good time to apply lime, particularly, after silage cuts.

AUTUMN BUILD-UP OF GRASS

• This year, because of increased cost, it will be more important than ever to build grass so as to be able to extend grazing on your farm by 15-20 days:
  • It will be worth over €2/cow/day in extra profit.
• Start to build up autumn grass from July 20-26 either by:
  • Reducing stocking rate.
    • Because of the winterfeed situation, this must be a high priority. Start now by selling off poor yielder, high SCC cows and cows not in calf.
  • Increasing nitrogen.
  • Closing up for a third cut to graze on July 20-26 is the best option.
    • Stock cows on the grazing area at 3.2-3.6 cows/ha; apply two bags 0:7:30 and 50-60 units N per acre after the second cut.
    • If, with this plan, you find yourself tight with grazed grass, you can always go and graze some of this ‘closed-up’ area.
  • Slowing down rotation length to 26-30 days.
  • As first cuts were taken early, it is important to cut second cuts six weeks after the first cut. Yield will not improve and the quality, usually low, will deteriorate fast.
  • It may be necessary to feed one to two kilogrammes of extra meal to reduce daily grazing demand during this ‘build-up’ period.
• If you are using grazing ground for this purpose, give it the following attention:
  • Post grazing, top it very tightly in July.
  • Apply 40-50 units per acre and do not graze for five to six weeks, probably September 10-14.

TARGET: JULY 12-15 END TO BREEDING!

• May calvers have no part to play in profitable dairying!
  • The cut-off date for no May calvers is July 20 but target a cut-off date of July 12-15.
  • Don’t stop bulling until mid-July, even if you think you have enough replacements. But you must have enough acres for them.
  • However, if you are tight on the number of replacements because disease, mastitis or lameness issues, you should keep bulling cows with Jersey/Fr until late July.
  • All cows now being bulled should get an AI Jersey bull (sexed), or very short gestation beef bull, such as Aberdeen Angus or Hereford.
  • But remember, cows bulling late in the season indicate a fertility problem.
• There are two to three weeks left in the bulling season.
  • Make use of that time.
  • Use a short gestation bull.
• Stay focused on heat detection and you will save a lot of money.
  • Every cull cow will cost €1,000-€2,500, depending on her age and EBI.
  • Every 5% culling over the Moorepark optimum rate of 18% results in a cost of €50 for every cow in your herd.
• All farmers should scan all cows now (even though a bit late).
  • You will know cows that are not in-calf.
  • It will identify weak pregnancies.
  • Remedial action, based on veterinary advice, should be undertaken.
  • Use fresh semen from a bull with a calving interval of minus 6-10 days, or a Jersey, because the calves will ‘pop’ out and the cow will jump up immediately after calving and come bulling quicker.
  • Using a stock bull now is bad business as you don’t know his gestation length and he may be infertile now after a busy season.

DO WINTER FEED BUDGET NOW!

• A long winter and light first cuts may leave some farmers very short of winter fodder.
• You must address this question for your farm now so that you can take remedial steps.
  • Do the sums on a dry matter basis.
• Next winter, each cow needs 11kg DM per day. Weanlings need 4.7kg DM per day and in-calf heifers/store animals need 8.5kg DM per day.
  • Discount for any meal feeding planned.
  • Also, decide on the length of your winter, adding on another two to three weeks, to be sure.
• Measure your pit(s) in feet and do the following calculation:

Length x width x average height, then divide by 45 (45ft3 contains one tonne [t])

• If the quantity of silage in the pit is 300t (300,000kg), that equals 60,000kg DM (300 x 1,000 x 0.20), if the silage is 20% dry matter.
  • The first cuts will be 15-25% DM, while bales will be 35-45% DM this year.
• You will now be able to make plans for making up the deficit.
• Options available:
  • Sell off livestock, buy meal, straw, fodder beet/kale, rent ground for late second cut silage, rent silage pit and housing for the winter.
  • To see which option is the least expensive, cost all options out and use various combinations to make up the deficit.
  • Some farmers sell off cull cows in late July/August to allow more autumn grass, which will be used to extend the grazing season to late November.
• It is still not too late to plan and take a late second cut – this will probably be the cheapest of all options.
  • The yield will be 5-6t/acre of fresh silage.

DON’T NEGLECT REPLACEMENT HEIFERS.

• Weigh both R1s and R2s now to establish their weights relative to targets for July 1?
  • Calves should be 27% of mature weight = 150kg (for 550kg herd).
  • In-calf heifers: 67% of mature weight = 370kg.
• Therefore, give special management treatment to all animals below the target weight.
• Research has shown that moderate calves on July 1 can make good weanlings on November 1 if grazing management is top drawer.
  • It is all about feeding high quality grass to calves and heifers.
  • If you have them on good grass, they will gain 0.8kg per day (100kg in 125 days).
• Practice the leader-follower system.
  • Calves graze in front of the heifers or cows.
  • Calves will do really well with no adverse effect on the heifers.
  • Parasites will have no effect on the calves as they will be diluted, therefore, little or no dosing,
• Or let the calves graze some of the cow paddocks.
  • Let them into covers of 900-1,100kg DM.
  • Let them graze out the area in three to four days and then move on to next area.
  • Some baling may have to be done on these paddocks next time round.
• All farms have late ‘weak’ calves.
  • Let these graze in front of the main bunch of calves on the very best of grass or if that isn’t possible, give them fresh grass in front of cows or heifers.
  • 1-2kg of meal could be justified but don’t keep them near the house in a calf paddock to feed meals because parasites will prevent thrive.
  • You could adopt the ‘buddy-buddy’ system where two small calves are put in each cow paddock and are left there, even as cows come to the paddock. They will thrive really well and no meal or dosing is needed.
  • It is essential to give best quality grass and no meal rather than poor quality grass with meal.
• Strong calves should not be fed meal.
  • The response is poor, requiring 8kg of meal to give 1kg weight gain.
• To prevent stomach worms with minimum dosing, keep calves on aftergrass as long as possible.
  • Give a white or yellow dose in early July and move to aftergrass.
• Under target weight R2s (they should all be in-calf now) should be grazed in front of main bunch or run with the calves so as to get best grass.
• It is absolutely essential to get the weights as described above from the contract rearer.
  • You don’t want any animals underweight or any excessively over target weights.
• The use of excessive quantities of dosing in calves, as distinct from grazing management to control parasites, will result in young and old cows with low immunity and they will have to be dosed regularly as cows.

SPRAY FOR WEEDS

• At a time when farmers need to grow as much grass as possible (16t+ DM/ha), it doesn’t make sense to have weeds growing where grass should grow.
• With the need to promote more clover on our farms we need to embark on a serious attack on perennial weeds this year in fields into which we intend sowing clover next year.
• Weeds and docks are costing farmers serious money, probably €10- €25 per acre in lost grass production.
• Docks are a major economic cost to farmers because one dock (big one) every 35m² reduces grass growth by1% per acre.
  • As a rough guide, every big dock in that area causes losses of €10- €15.
  • Decide on the spray to use; a decision mainly based on clover content of pasture.
  • Any serious economical-minded dairy farmer must protect clover if they have it.
  • Best results are achieved by spraying three to four weeks after cutting silage.
  • Grass growth is slow relative to the growth of the dock.
  • Grass ground cover is low resulting in lower loss of grass yield.
  • Spray in July or August when there is great heat in the ground.
  • Spray on warm, sultry days.
  • Give serious consideration to spot spraying where docks are not too plentiful.
• Where weed infestation is low, we should spot-spray to minimise cost. This will be more effective and will be a lot better environmentally.
• The best time to spray for ragwort is December-January with Forefront T.

TB TESTING & CATTLE MOVEMENT RULES

• With TB, a stressful and costly disease for some farmers, the DAFM has issued the following rules:
  1. 12-month TB test
     • Cattle under 36 months:
       • Can be treated as normal.
       • Must be within a 12-month TB test.
       • Applies to all herds, both dairy and suckler.
  2. Six-month TB test
     • Suckler cows over 36-months:
       • Must be within a six-month TB test.
       • Individual/private test on animal must be completed within the last 30-days.
       • Required for breeding herds.
  3. Only for controlled finishing units (CFUs)
     • Cattle outside six-month but within 12-month test can be sold.
  4. Dairy females over 36-months
     • Require a 30-day pre-movement TB test when being purchased by another dairy farmer.

FINALLY

• After the drought, and with the advent of rain grass will ‘fly’ but nitrogen and sulphur will be required seven to 10 days after rain comes to drive on growth so that you are in a position to extend the grazing rotation in August.
• At 2,000 milkings, liners should be changed.
• It should be possible for all farmers to organise a one-to-two-week holiday in August. If not, you have some serious questions to answer!
  • A 16:8 hour milking interval, allows you a respectable working day.
  • Milk 13 times per week – no effect on yield but gives you another afternoon off.
  • Take every second weekend off by using relief milkers – build up a reserve of young people for that task.
• Castrate all male calves.
• Deal with cow lameness by doing a locomotive test and taking lame/ish cows from main herd and after treatment put them in a paddock near the parlour.
• Empty all slurry tanks fully, now, preferably with trailed and shoe system to avoid soil compaction.
• Have you taken any action since last month’s advice to do a financial budget? No? Well you can’t say in November that you weren’t warned!
• Dock growth is best controlled three weeks after cutting silage or topping paddocks – they are actively growing then

JULY: IMPORTANT DATES

• Area Monitoring System (AMS): Notifications relating to the AMS commenced on June 24 2026, for a minority of farmers. The first round of AMS notifications is for the potential presence of artificial surfaces, for example: buildings, farmyard extensions and farm roadways, in land parcel(s). Further rounds of AMS notifications will issue from July 2026 onwards.
• Fodder brassica/fodder root crop: Must be established using non-inversion techniques (ploughing is not permitted) on the designated field before July 31.
• Late meadow bonus payment: ACRES participants have the opportunity to apply for a late meadow bonus payment (of €50 per hectare) on meadows cut between July 1 and August 31.

Quote of the month

“Sometimes when you are unlucky you may be lucky, and sometimes when you are lucky you may be unlucky.” My friend, Ned English’s perspective on life!