BDGP Extension: 2021 BDGP participants will have received a text last week about applying for the 2022 rollover BDGP scheme.

Farmers who wish to participate in the 2022 scheme need to log in to their agfood account on agfood.ie and follow the three click process to join the scheme for 2022.

The closing date for applications is 20 December 2021.

The scheme requirements are the same as 2021, ie 50% of your reference number of cows must be genotyped 4 or 5 stars on the replacement index on 31 October 2022.

You must also have a genotyped 4 or 5 star bull on the replacement or terminal index in your herd on 30 June 2022. All other conditions around genotyped and recording animal data are the same also.

COVID-19 threat back again: With COVID-19 cases spiralling again, it looks like we are heading for another lockdown.

We all have a role to play in the fight against the virus. Like every other part of society, our guard has slipped in recent weeks.

Farming is deemed an essential service, but this doesn’t mean not sticking to the rules. It’s especially important when out and about at marts or merchant stores that social distance is maintained.

By maintaining social distance, practicing good hand hygiene and wearing masks, you will help to protect you and your family from the disease. At home, have a plan in place as to who will do the jobs if you get the virus.

Write out a plan of yard jobs, including what’s getting meal etc. Make sure there is lots of detail in it, eg writing out ‘a bucket of meal to heifers’ could cause confusion if there are three different types of meal and four sheds with heifers. Talk to somebody other than a family member about backup, as the chances are if someone in the house has COVID-19, everyone could get it.

Silage stocks: With fertiliser prices looking like they are going to remain very high for 2022, its time to sit down and start to plan what you will do. Cutting less silage is an option so that means looking after what you have in 2021. Minimise wastage, make sure it’s being fed appropriately and don’t sell any excess this year. Click here for tips and advice.

Dates for diary: We are partnering with AXA Insurance to roll out a Winter Cattle series across two webinars in November and December. The first webinar will take place on Thursday 25 November at 8pm.

Jack Kennedy, Declan Marren and I will cover all aspects of winter feeding on cattle farms, including silage quality, ration formulation, supplementation rates and target weight gains, including what’s happening this winter on Tullamore Farm.

The second webinar will take place on Thursday 2 December at 8pm. This will cover all aspects of animal health, including fluke and worm dosing, vaccinations and ventilation and lying and feeding space requirements. For more information, visit www.farmersjournal.ie/webinar. You can WhatsApp your questions before the event to 086-836 6465 or email webinar@farmersjournal.ie.