Grass growth has really taken off in the last couple of weeks, with many farmers moving to harvest first-cut silage crops.
This boost in growth rate will be welcomed by farmers as we move further into May and the breeding season gets underway on farms.
Although the growth rate is positive, the ground condition in some areas remains a challenge and with further rain forecast over the weekend, it could continue to be a challenge.
We have had one of the best January/February periods on record, which was then followed by the wettest March and a wet April.
This made grazing difficult on many farms, while many cows had to be returned to the shed full-time. It often resulted in silage stocks being used up on many farms.
But for now, most farms have been able to eliminate silage from the diet, which is more than welcome as we move into the second third of the year.
Grass growth
The latest figures from PastureBase Ireland are showing current growth rates of 53kg of dry matter (DM)/ha for Leinster, 51kg of DM/ha for Munster, 52kg of DM/ha for Connacht and 47kg of DM/ha for Ulster.
Grass growth is predicted to increase over the coming days, with 73kg of DM/ha forecast for Leinster, 67kg of DM/ha for Munster, 57kg of DM/ha for Connacht and 64kg of DM/ha for Ulster.
These growth rates should see more farms moving into a surplus and the potential need to start removing excess covers in the form of bale silage.
As growth rates are set to increase over the coming days, it is important that you closely monitor your silage crops.
The aim should be to harvest a high quality first-cut silage, that is of good enough quality to milk cows off.
With a boost in growth, there is a chance that the quality of the crop could decrease quickly and this should be avoided where possible.