January has brought a welcome change from the prolonged rainfall which dominated the weather conditions of 2023.
Met Éireann’s outlook on the weather forecast predicts conditions to remain “very cold for the short-to-medium outlook”. However, the forecast also notes that “mixed weather” can be expected.
The wet conditions last autumn resulted in many farmers having to house cattle earlier than anticipated, and heavy covers of grass from last autumn remains in areas of many farms.
The earlier housing dates for cattle in many cases last autumn has also put slurry storage facilities under pressure on some farms.
Where farmers are hoping to get slurry out over the coming weeks, lighter stock could be let out to graze off drier parts of the farm, leaving paddocks more suitable for slurry applications.
Some farmers use sheep to graze off these covers over the winter, leaving bare ground to spread slurry on when the season opens.
It is still very early in the year, and as farmers will know all too well, the first quarter of the year can bring all sorts of weather conditions, but taking the decision to graze off heavy covers of grass in January could be a feasible option in some cases.
Letting younger stock out to graze off grass covers now could also help to alleviate fodder concerns in cases where farmers are concerned about their fodder supplies.
Grazing
Farmers have no control over the weather forecast, and can only use the prevailing conditions to their advantage when they turn favourable.
While ground conditions may be drying out now, conditions could well take a turn later in the spring, so where farmers are hoping to graze off paddocks early, now could be as good of a time as any.
However, if conditions do take a turn for the worst, rehousing might be the only option.
The decision to avail of the current dry conditions to graze off paddocks will be made on a case-by-case basis, but could be a feasible option where ground conditions are dry enough.
If conditions take a turn for the worst over the next fortnight, farmers will have at least some heavy covers grazed off, allowing for better-quality spring grass to grow for the next grazing.