Grass Growth and Quality results up to 13th October and prediction to 27th October 2008
3 Week Growth ending
Grass sward (281 kg N/ha/yr)
Dry Matter (%)
ME Content (MJ/Kg DM)
Crude Protein (% DM)
Sugars (% DM)
06 October(Actual)
13
16
11.5
22
12
13 October(Predicted)
10
20 October(Predicted)
8
The late season decline in growth is clearly evident across the six sites, with only Portaferry having above average growth for the time of year.
With October rainfall already in excess of 3 inches in some areas, opportunities for further grazing are limited. Since the majority of dairy cows throughout Northern Ireland are now housed, using young stock or sheep to graze out heavy covers is now really the only option.
