This week Andrew Gammie has turned out 20 of his bulling heifers, between six and eight weeks earlier than he previously would have.

Under previous policy, all cattle would be housed until mid-May in an average year.

This year, after the encouragement of his Farm Profit Programme advisers, it was decided to push the envelope and see just how early turnout could come. After a couple of weather-related false starts, the heifers went to an older ley on Monday.

On Sunday, the day before turnout, feed rate was reduced to make sure that the heifers were a little hungry going in to the grass. On Monday morning, they were moved to the outdoor handling pens for a couple of hours to let the worst of the turnout exuberance to leave them and mid-morning, the gates were opened and they were off to the field.

After a circuit of the field, they were settled and started eating. There are four paddocks in this block of older ley and they will be rotated through them, staying for between three and four days in each paddock.

It is important to graze out paddocks early in the season to remove any dead material that has accumulated over the winter to stimulate new growth and improve sward quality for subsequent grazings.

Contingency plan

Due to the heavy, sticky nature of the land at Drumforber, it is quite unforgiving in wet weather and if conditions look to be deteriorating, heifers will be brought back inside to save from damaging the ground for the season.

If this is to happen this will not be seen as a failure. Once labour and winter feed and bedding costs are accounted for, every day the group remain at grass is a saving of around £1.50/head to Andrew.

With turnout being six to eight weeks ahead of schedule, Andrew is looking at a potential saving of £1,260 to £1,680.

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