Article summary: Irish pasture-based dairy systems popularised a simple autumn rule of thumb: have most of your grazing platform “closed” early enough to grow a bank of grass for the first spring rotation. This article explains the Teagasc targets behind the “60% closed by Nov 1” idea, then shows how to translate the principle to ANZ, EU, and anywhere else you graze, with a practical walkthrough for rotation length, cover per cow, and weekly farm walk discipline.
If you’ve ever heard someone say “60% closed by Nov 1”, it can sound oddly specific. It is. It comes from Ireland’s grass-based dairy playbook.
But the date is not the point.
The point is a universal principle: spring grass is more valuable than autumn grass, because it sets up your whole season. The farms that win spring usually “pay” for it in autumn by deliberately building a pasture bank, instead of grazing everything as long as possible.
What “60% closed by Nov 1” actually means
In Ireland, Teagasc (the national advisory and research body) pushes autumn planning because the paddocks you graze (and then rest) in October are the ones that feed you in February and March. Their autumn rotation guidance is built around starting to close paddocks in October and having a big chunk rested by early November so there’s time for regrowth before winter growth rates collapse.
So, “60% closed by Nov 1” is really shorthand for:
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Start your final rotation early enough
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Close paddocks in a planned sequence
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Make sure the first half to two-thirds of your farm gets a long rest
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Protect spring supply, even if it means feeding a bit more now
The core Teagasc targets (Ireland) in plain English
Here are the key Teagasc-style targets that sit behind the phrase:
1) Start closing paddocks from around 10 October
Teagasc guidance commonly starts closing from about 10 October (earlier in wetter areas).
2) Aim for ~60% closed by early November
Their rule of thumb is to have ~60% of the farm closed by the end of the first week of November (again, earlier in wetter areas).
3) Heavier soils or higher stocking rates need earlier progress
On heavy land, or where stocking rate is high, the milestones move forward. Teagasc Grass10 has published targets like 40–60% closed by 21 October and 80% by 1 November for heavier land/high stocking rate situations.
4) Close with enough “average farm cover” for spring, not maximum days in autumn
They often reference leaving an adequate closing cover, for example ~550–600 kg DM/ha at housing for dairy in their autumn grazing notes.
And they tie closing cover targets to stocking rate (higher stocking rate, higher closing cover) in seasonal guidance tables.
5) Graze clean residuals on the way out
A consistent message is to finish paddocks properly (avoid carrying dead material into spring), with autumn residuals commonly referenced around 4–4.5 cm.
6) Clover paddocks usually go later in the closing order
For grass-clover swards, Teagasc guidance highlights closing high clover paddocks (>30% clover) towards the end of the final rotation (late October to early November), with low post-grazing heights to keep light at the base of the sward.
Why spring grass is “worth more” than autumn grass
Spring grass is where grazing systems make (or lose) momentum:
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Higher animal response: early-lactation milk response (or liveweight gain) is typically strongest when animals are fresh, demand is high, and grass quality is excellent.
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Budget leverage: each extra day at grass early reduces costly feed, labour, and muck handling.
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Rotation control: a decent pasture bank makes it easier to hit the first rotation targets, which then sets up the second rotation, and so on.
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Pasture quality: clean autumn grazing helps you avoid stemmy, dead carryover that drags utilisation down in spring.
Put simply: spring is where you convert grass into performance most efficiently, so it’s worth engineering.
How to translate the idea to your region
The Irish dates do not translate directly (especially if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere where Nov 1 is late spring). What translates is the logic.
Step 1: Define your “spring demand spike”
Pick the point where grass matters most:
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Dairy: calving to peak (and the first 30–60 days in milk)
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Beef: turnout and rapid liveweight gain window
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Sheep: lambing to peak lactation
Step 2: Decide your target “first grazing window”
When do you realistically expect to start your first rotation, given soil temperature, rainfall, and trafficability?
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EU/UK/Ireland: often Feb–Mar (weather dependent)
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ANZ temperate: often late winter to early spring (Jul–Sep)
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Sub-tropical/high altitude: often tied to rainfall onset or temperature break
Step 3: Count backwards to set your closing start and milestone dates
A simple planning shortcut:
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Rest period target: 90–120 days for the paddocks you want first in spring (adjust for winter growth, soil temp, and how hard your winters bite)
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Closing start: spring turnout date minus that rest period
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60% milestone: roughly halfway through your closing period (earlier on heavy soils)
That gets you your own “Nov 1”, without pretending every farm lives in Ireland.
Step 4: Adjust for soil type and stocking rate
Soil and trafficability
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Heavy/wet soils: close earlier, avoid poaching, use on/off grazing, and protect gateways and laneways.
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Light/free-draining soils: you can often run later, but still need a plan so you do not steal from spring.
Stocking rate and demand
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Higher stocking rate means higher spring demand. That usually implies:
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earlier closing progress
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higher closing cover targets
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more disciplined supplementation to stay on plan
Teagasc’s closing cover targets explicitly vary by stocking rate for this reason.
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A practical mini-walkthrough you can run next week
This is the “do it on your own farm” version. Keep it simple and repeatable.
1) Set your rotation length for the final rotation
The whole point of the final rotation is to slow down grazing and build cover without letting covers get too heavy to graze cleanly.
A common Teagasc approach is to progressively lengthen the rotation through late season (for example, moving from around mid-season rotations up to a longer final rotation). Their 60:40 planner notes a build-up in rotation length heading into the last rotation.
Practical rule of thumb:
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If you keep racing around the farm late season, you will not build a pasture bank.
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If you let covers get too heavy, you will not graze residuals well and you will carry junk into spring.
2) Track “cover per cow” (or per livestock unit)
This is a simple way to feel whether you’re building a bank or eating it.
From the Teagasc 60:40 plan, the basic calculation is:
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Stocking rate = number of cows (or LU) ÷ grazing hectares
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Cover per cow = average farm cover ÷ stocking rate
Why it helps:
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It links pasture supply to demand in one number.
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It makes supplementation decisions easier (feed now to protect spring, rather than graze your bank).
3) Pick your closing milestones (area-based)
Even if you do not love rules, the area targets force discipline.
Use three milestones:
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Early milestone: ~25–30% closed
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Main milestone: ~60% closed
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Finish: 100% closed (or your “platform closed” date)
Teagasc publish these kinds of area milestones through their autumn rotation planner resources.
4) Commit to a weekly farm walk (non-negotiable)
This is where most closing plans fail: you only notice you’re behind when it’s too late.
Your weekly walk rhythm:
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Measure covers (even roughly, but consistently)
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Record grazings
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Check:
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% area closed versus plan
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average farm cover trend
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rotation length (are you speeding up or slowing down?)
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Make one decision immediately:
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If you’re behind: speed up the rotation and introduce supplement early (it’s cheaper than losing spring).
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If you’re ahead: slow down and tidy heavier covers first so residual quality stays high.
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Pasture.io tie-in: this is where your records pay off. If your grazings are logged and your pasture picture is current, it’s much easier to see which paddocks are now “closed”, how fast you’re moving, and whether your pasture bank is building or shrinking.
Clover paddocks: don’t treat them like grass-only paddocks
If you’re running grass-clover, plan their place in the closing order deliberately.
Teagasc guidance for clover swards suggests:
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close the farm in rotation from early October
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keep post-grazing height tight (around 3.5–4.0 cm)
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close high clover paddocks later in the final rotation (late Oct to early Nov) to support clover persistence
Translated: don’t leave clover paddocks sitting under heavy covers for long periods if that risks shading and weakening clover.
Graphic suggestion: simple “closing timeline” visual
A clean timeline graphic works well here (one line, milestones marked). Suggested labels:
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Start of last rotation (for Ireland, often early Oct; for ANZ, shift the months to match your spring turnout)
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25–30% closed checkpoint
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60% closed checkpoint (the “Nov 1” idea)
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Clover paddocks later in the sequence (late Oct/early Nov in the Irish template)
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Finish closing / housing / platform closed
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Expected first spring grazing date (your payoff point)
The takeaway
“60% closed by Nov 1” is not a magic date. It’s a reminder that autumn is when you buy your spring.
If you do three things well:
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set a closing sequence,
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lengthen the final rotation without letting covers get ungrazeable,
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and walk the farm weekly,
…you give yourself a genuine pasture bank that makes spring simpler, cheaper, and more productive.
- The Dedicated Team of Pasture.io, 2025-10-16