Livestock farmers need to be completing a fodder budget for their farms to determine their winter feed situation as it is getting increasingly likely that some of the winter feed will be used in the coming days/weeks on some farms.
A ‘strange’ year is the only way to describe how the first half of the year has unfolded for farmers, with it going from dry to wet and back to dry again.
Spring grazing got off to a false start in many areas as cows were grazing on some farms in late January and early February without any issues.
But then the wet weather, that didn’t appear all winter, arrived and forced many farmers back inside with their cows. This resulted in a challenging spring, with on-off grazing becoming very common on many farms.
The spring was hard on cows and farmers, with a large increase is cases of sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA), with the continuous change to diet and the presence of lush leafy grass when cows did get back out, likely contributing to this.
But this also meant that on many farms the fodder supplies were eaten into and on some farms, the back of the pit was reached.
Fodder budget
Nearly every farm will have harvested their first cut silage, but the weather is also hampering plans for second cut.
The dry weather means that spreading of chemical fertiliser is not going to happen, as it will just sit on the surface unused.
Unfortunately if this dry spell continues many farms may have to feed silage and this could lead to further issues.
A fodder budget needs to be completed on farms, to determine what is currently present on farms and what is needed.
This should include bales, remaining silage in the pits from last year and first cut silage if it has been harvested.
If silage has to be fed in the coming days and weeks, you may need to close more area for second cut or look at buying a standing crop.
Unless rain comes in the next week or so, it is also likely that second cut will be delayed and a good portion of your first cut or last year’s leftovers could be gone before you get mowing.
Ideally you want to be building up a reserve on your farm to ensure that during this dry spell or longer, winter fodder is available.