The prolonged dry spell has started to impact grass growth, but luckily it appears that rain is set to arrive over the next few days.
Grass on many farms has gotten tight and many are now supplementing cows to hold average farm cover.
The weather change set to arrive over the weekend is very much welcomed by the majority of farmers.
However, this does not mean that we are out of the woods just yet.
It will still take a number of days for the growth to improve and soil moisture deficits to decrease.
Grass growth
The latest figures from PastureBase Ireland show current growth rates of 39kg of dry matter (DM)/ha for Leinster, 43kg of DM/ha for Munster, 47kg of DM/ha for Connacht and 50kg of DM/ha for Ulster.
These current growth rates for Leinster mean a further 15kg of DM/ha drop from last week and in total, a 30kg of DM/ha drop in the last two weeks.
The incoming rain is expected to increase growth rates over the coming days, with 55kg of DM/ha forecast for Leinster, 66kg of DM/ha for Munster, 65kg of DM/ha for Connacht and 60kg of DM/ha for Ulster.
But even if these growth rates come, the grass situation on many farms will remain tight for a number of days – if not weeks.
Farm cover
Silage has been reintroduced to diets on many farms as grass growth rates dropped considerably over the last number of weeks.
Unfortunately, it is likely that where feeding has already started, it will need to continue for another while yet.
Farmers should be aiming to hold average farm cover at around 550kg of DM/ha.
Running down grass covers should be avoided as this will only result in silage needing to be fed for a longer period of time.
Silage should only be removed from the diet when grass growth rates are holding and average farm cover has increased and is either holding or rising.