It may be time for dairy farmers to complete a fodder budget to determine how their winter feed supplies are holding up.
A large part of the country has been affected by drought-like conditions, and has experienced significant soil moisture deficits which have led to poor grass growth.
The reduced growth rates have resulted in many farmers having to supplement cows, by increasing concentrates and/or silage, meaning a number of farms have used a large amount of fodder that was due to be fed over the winter months.
Fodder budget
For farms that have used silage bales to supplement cows and or even opened silage pits, it is especially important to now complete a fodder budget.
Although the good growth rates in the early part of the year allowed farmers to make plenty of silage, some of this has now been eaten by cows.
If the weather was to break in the coming days and rain arrived it would still take a number of weeks before grass growth got to a stage where supplementary feeding wasn’t required.
Because of this, a fodder budget is needed to ensure there will be enough fodder for the winter months. Farmers should also take into account at least four to six-weeks of supplementary feed.
This will hopefully be overkill, but it is better to be safe than sorry and to have too much rather than too little.
Short fall
If after completing a fodder budget a farm is short, it is a good idea to begin sourcing fodder now.
Silage may be required by a large number of farmers this winter, so the earlier you can source fodder the better.
Fodder has been a concern for many this year, with fertiliser prices being so high, but in general there appears to have been plenty of fodder made.
Farmers in the east may need to look west for fodder, with purchasing of hay an option if silage is not attainable.
This can be then be fed to dry cows over the winter alongside silage.