Now that we are into April, there is a sense of satisfaction that the season has gone well. Just two cows left to calve. We’d prefer if there were no April calves. Still, it is a great result on the back of a 10-week breeding season. The cows began calving in the first week of February. We were impatient to get going.

Slowly, the momentum built up and we got into our stride. We had two calves born dead, negated by two sets of twins. We received 140 calves into the shed. Between sexed semen and first lactation animals, we have 54 heifers on hand. We hoped for 60. For a few weeks, I had 58.

Two turned out to be Aberdeen Angus crosses identified in the genotyping process. It is a very valuable scheme. We lost two heifers at six weeks old, bringing the number back to 54 – one to unknown causes and the other to bloat. I’m not happy about this blot on my calf-rearing copybook.

Automatic feeder

We are looking at the next tranche of Aberdeen Angus crosses that are approaching marketing age. For us, that is around a month old. They are well established on the automatic feeder and are hardy and healthy.

The market for calves has been great and the prices for good calves are holding well. It is a dream to send them off out of the shed, freeing up space for the growing heifers and also knowing that a good cheque will be on the way to the bank. Meanwhile, the price of milk is also good.

We are working with one negative in the system in that the spring is very late. The buds on the trees are only just starting to come. Up to last weekend, the daytime temperatures were low. We’ve had a constant northerly wind here, keeping the air very cold. Grass growth is depressed.

Nevertheless, the grazing conditions are good and the paddocks are in perfect condition. Grazing just had to be supplemented or we would have no grass in the coming month. This week is hopefully the turning point as grass growth is picking up in response to higher temperatures.

Here, the cows were on grass, silage, ration and palm kernel. The silage has been stopped. The cows are producing well.

It is quite unprecedented that farmers in most sectors are happy with the returns from the business. Beef farmers are talking of €3,000 plus for heavy bullocks.

It is nice for farmers to be in a positive mood. We’re trying not to think of the challenges that the Trump tariffs might bring.

I think it is also important that we do not overplay the hard work that is required in the springtime. Yes, we are challenged, but it is of our own making for productivity and profitability. We want a tight calving pattern to optimise the cows’ lactations.

Calves the same age are also much easier to manage, leading to a consistent group that meets its targets through the summer and winter in preparation for breeding next year.

This year, breeding will begin around 1 May. Tim tells me that he has the bull selection completed. Reseeding is also underway.

Pressure off

We have started to creep back to our real lives and resume the things we enjoy. The working day isn’t quite so long and I am getting a full night’s sleep again.

Last Thursday, my brother Phil and I visited Julie in west Cork. We collected Ricky from school. The little boy was thrilled to see us. It seemed ages since I was there. Meetings have started to resume and farmers are finding their voices again.

There is positivity around. The weather is warming up, and we can start thinking about a worthwhile break in the weeks ahead.