With the latest TB test passed, I gave the green light to the 2022 grazing season. The mild winter left an abundance of grass, so a plan was put in place to get some grazed in order to get slurry out in a few weeks’ times.

To streamline things, a decision was made not to send any stock to the out farm until the next round of TB testing in late March.

The smallest of the replacement heifers have gone out and unless there’s monsoon rains for a fortnight or a 2018-style blizzard, they won’t be housed again until next winter.

Solidarity is their motto. If one goes, they all want to go

They got a small bit of ration when I was feeding the bulls in order to train them to come into the yard for the first week, but they’re on grass only now.

There’s a major training operation underway with the heifers that won’t be kept for breeding.

Solidarity is their motto. If one goes, they all want to go. They’d remind you of an under-eight GAA blitz where everyone chases the ball.

I wasn’t looking forward to what destruction they might get up to when they went to grass in their first run of freedom, so a plan was hatched

Ahead of the test, I let them mix with the in-calf heifers and this had a bit of a calming effect on them. It made them easier to work with in the yard, but they were still a combination of dangerous and embarrassing.

Thankfully, as a proportion of the herd, their number is small.

I wasn’t looking forward to what destruction they might get up to when they went to grass in their first run of freedom, so a plan was hatched – divide and conquer. The quietest ones were selected and let out in a field near the shed before being enticed in by ration in the yard every evening.

To prevent a free-for-all, I added two to the group each day until all were gone out. Those out longest were more intent on eating than testing the wires. On-off grazing will continue with them until such time as there are calves on the ground that need to go out.

Normally, I’d have worked out the form of individual animals by now, but these made it difficult

Key to making them easier to manage in summer is ensuring there are no bad experiences when they come into yard now.

Normally, I’d have worked out the form of individual animals by now, but these made it difficult. It’s funny now that they have gone out I’m getting a better handle on them.

With all their ducking and diving, I was sure there were six that had developed full horns.

One of the downsides in converting a herd to polled is you miss a share of calves that develop horns late. Such was their speed and willingness to stick together over the winter that it wasn’t until this week that I realised there were only three.

What the trouble makers have in common appears to be the same sire

As a group, they have given me food for thought regarding the future direction of the herd. Breeding cattle that create more work doesn’t make sense.

What the trouble makers have in common appears to be the same sire. That bull, one of our own breeding, has since been culled and AI from his sire won’t be used here again either. There’s one more crop of calves due from him, so they will have to be managed very carefully.

The in-calf heifers have taken up residence in the calving shed, so the focus will now fall on them. They’re a very relaxed bunch and a much more pleasent group to deal with.