Breeding: With just weeks to go before the breeding season proper gets underway, there are a number of tasks that need to be done now. Firstly, order AI straws now, so that they will be in the farm flask if doing DIY AI or the technician’s flask if using that service.

I’m hearing there is big demand for sexed semen which is not surprising given that a lot more high EBI bulls are available sexed this year. If picking sexed bulls make sure to use a team of sexed bulls because conception rates to certain bulls can be more variable after being sexed.

Secondly, if planning to carry out a synchrony programme on cows or heifers make sure you inform your AI technician well in advance so that they can plan for it and get extra help in if necessary.

This is absolutely critical as the timing of AI is so important in synchronisation programmes, particularly if using sexed semen. Finally, use the next few weeks to really work on the cows and get them in the best shape possible before breeding starts.

This involves putting them on a rising plane of nutrition, which is a fancy way of saying they should get more and better quality grass tomorrow than they got today. Put any thin cows, late calving cows or cows under pressure on to once a day milking. Use pre-breeding heat detection to identify non-cycling cows.

Fertiliser: To get the best response to nitrogen, apply it now to boost grass growth for late April and May when grass is growing at its fastest. Obviously supplies are tight and it’s very expensive, but it still represents good value relative to other ways of providing feed on the farm.

In my view it makes business sense for the typical, reasonably well stocked dairy farm to spread more or less similar rates of nitrogen as other years. Drastically cutting back on nitrogen is a bigger risk to the business than having a very high fertiliser bill. The exception to this is where clover is present or where more nitrogen is being provided through slurry.

Silage ground should be closed and fertilised by next weekend in order to get a good crop ready for harvest by the end of May. The advice is to spread 80 units/acre of nitrogen in one or two splits.

Deduct what nitrogen was already applied in slurry. Two thirds of the nitrogen applied in slurry or fertiliser back in January or early February will have been used up by now.

Calves: I’m hearing of more problems with calves than normal over the last few weeks. It could be weather related but usually it’s just a build-up of disease and maybe standards are slipping a bit after a busy few months of calf rearing.

Diseases like crypto, and to a lesser extent rotavirus, can ravage through young calves leaving high mortality rates. If this is posing a problem now, I’d be inclined to move calf rearing outdoors where there is less disease pressure, provided the weather is reasonably good and that young calves have shelter. Older calves should definitely be turned out to grass – it’s healthier and they can get acclimatised to grass before being weaned off milk.