Grass
In a lot of cases, reducing the meal is not possible as silage stocks are very low and grass growth is behind target
Dairy
2017 is drawing to a close and - for spring-calving herds - the majority of cows are now dried off.
Although weather has got a lot cooler, ground conditions have improved greatly - allowing cows to return to grass by day.
Increasing average farm cover (AFC) is now on most of our minds, as we plan for extending the grazing season.
The nights are getting slightly longer as we have passed summer's peak. However, grass growth rates are excellent on most farms due to the recent rain or steady, mild weather.
With the sun on your back - and on the cows'- dairy farming has to be one of the best professions to be in.
The first round of breeding kicked off to a flying start, with excellent weather over the past number of weeks.
Warm weather forecast for next week is going to drive up grass growth rates, which is much needed on some farms
It's mid-April and the sun is shining. Temperatures are varying quite a bit throughout the country but farms that got the target area grazed In February are reaping the rewards.
The spring rotation planner is useful to help us stretch out the remaining area left to graze but I think the grass budget is even more important.
How do farmers on heavier soils maximise grass intake and grass utilisation without damaging soil structure?
There has been plenty of discussion around fertiliser application in January and it is not a once size fits all decision.
North of the border most herds are now fully housed or on their last few days at grass.
As we enter into the second week of closing, the effect of grazing heavier covers becomes apparent; cows are working harder and milk production is beginning to fluctuating.
Ground conditions in the north and west of the country has made grazing extremely difficult over the past two weeks.
As autumn draws in, there is plenty of planning to do for the remainder of the grazing season and indeed the wintering period.
From January 16 on farms in the Republic of Ireland or on February 1 (Northern Irealnd) or slurry goes from being a nuisance to a resource.
Early October is upon us and closing up grass for spring 2016 has begun on some farms.
Building grass for autumn is now well underway; however ground conditions are deteriorating after prolonged heavy rainfall in many areas.
Deciding which fertiliser to use at this time of the year will depend on soil fertility and previous fertiliser used this year.
Grass management in August has a huge impact on financial performance during the autumn period.
Constant rain showers have led to great difficulty in getting first cut silage harvested, while grass growth in many areas is needing attention
Spring milk producers wanting to maximise milk from grazed grass, must also maximise silage quality
Despite cold weather grass growth rates have improved slightly this week, depending on farm fertility and location.
