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Nice milking of the second cut
By mowing the first cut of grass, you lay the foundation for a high nutritional value of the second cut. The cutting height, fertilization and grass stock are decisive here.
Pay attention to the cutting height!
The cutting height is important for the regrowth and quality of the crop to be harvested. Perennial ryegrass, and especially tetraploid ryegrass, should be cut to 7 inches of stubble. After harvesting, the grass starts to grow again after 2 to 3 days. Mowing shorter gives extra "regrowth delay" and thus costs unnecessary feed value yield.
Suppose you can gain 5 days of growth in 2 mowing cuts, you still have 10 days extra feed production. Grass that has grown quickly always milks well. This is due to the palatability of young grass, but also due to a higher nutritional value.
Light mowing cut? Fertilize less
Match the fertilizer for the second cut of grass to the yield of the first cut. With a heavy mowing cut (above 4.000 kilos of DM/ha) you need to fertilize 10 to 15 kilos of N extra. After a light mowing cut (up to 2.500 kilos of DM/ha) you can save just 10-15 kilos of N for the second cut! The soil then usually contains sufficient nutrients to be able to deliver.
Appropriate fertilization is essential for a good feed value of the second cut and prevents premature overshoot of grass due to stress. Often no slurry is available on the dairy farm for the second cut of grass. With a full fertilizer application, also take into account the potassium supply of the grass.
1,4 kilos of extra milk from the second cut
In 2014 Schothorst Feed Research compared the second cut of grass from existing grassland (6 years old BG 4) with that from newly sown grass (LG Havera 4 High Productivity).
With an equal DM intake of 23 kilos, the group of high-yielding cows gave no less than 1,4 liters per cow per day more milk from the new Havera meadow. A cow does not lie! This feeding trial once again showed that a good grass stock pays for itself very quickly
For more grassland advice, visit our website or ask the LG roughage specialist in your region for advice.
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