I now have two grass measurements under my belt for the grazing season. One last week and one a couple of days go. Two measurements, of course, gives me my first growth figure and, to my amazement, the farm grew 91kg DM/hectare last week.

If I wasn’t using the plate meter then there is no way I would have estimated such a high growth figure. Average farm cover is 1,207kg/ha and at the minute I have approximately 21 days’ grass ahead of me.

This seems high but regrowth on grazed paddocks is slow, so these figures can change very quickly. I had grazed some silage ground later than I would have liked which, with the ample amount of grass now on farm, was probably a mistake. I rolled my silage ground paddock by paddock as I grazed it, mainly to get rid of tracks caused by early slurry and nitrogen applications.

Ground conditions

Ground conditions were far from ideal when the first slurry was spread, but tanks were full and it had to go out.

By the time I got round to the last paddocks closed, the ground was too hard for the roller. I waited until after the rain we got last week, in the hope things would soften a little but things are still too hard, I’m rolling them anyway but I not sure I’m doing much good. I’ll feel better having done it if nothing else.

I’m rolling them anyway but I not sure I’m doing much good

In fairness, the ground being too hard is a problem I can live with.

All lambs are now gone off the farm. I had previously just sold them back through the mart, but in the current situation I had no choice but to kill them and I have to say I was delighted with the results. The last batch killed averaged €140 per head.

I was lucky with my timing as the price had just risen, but I don’t think anyone could complain with that. However, it would take a lot of lambs to cover the shortfall I’m having to endure with my under-16-month bulls, but the least said about that the better.

I only have four bulls left. Two to go towards the end of May under 16 months and the other two are over 16 months and will probably be killed in June or July.

They won’t be 24 months until December so there is no real panic. Hopefully things may improve a little before then but I’d say that’s just wishful thinking.

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