As I write this on 11 April 2026, I currently have no cattle at grass. I read a herd test on Friday, which thankfully was clear.

After the first day of the test on Tuesday, I checked the weather forecast. It was giving Thursday and Friday wet, but weather was looking very good for Saturday and Sunday.

So, I made a plan and conscripted some help for Friday morning, much to the delight of my wife Dawn.

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I was going to vaccinate a batch of 30 store heifers with a clostridial 10-in-one vaccine, as well as an IBR pneumonia vaccine, after we read the test and they would be ready to go to grass on Saturday morning.

But, as is often the case in farming, the weather had the final say.

Forecasts shifted and instead of a window of opportunity, the backend of the week turned cold and wet, with little promise of improvement in the short to medium term.

The cattle remain housed and plans have been put on hold once again.

Grass growth

However, grass growth is encouraging. Fields that received slurry six weeks ago now have a good cover of grass on them.

But Tuesday just gone was the first real opportunity to get fertiliser out, which highlights how tight conditions have been.

Any land that received slurry was topped up with protected urea. Fields that didn’t get slurry were spread with a high P and K compound and the red clover swards were given a light dressing of 10:10:20 to help kickstart growth.

The benefits of reseeding are also very evident this year. Both fields that were reseeded last year are looking particularly strong compared with the older swards.

They have better colour, density and overall performance, which really reinforces the value of investing in reseeding when the opportunity arises.

Despite the positive signs on grass, it’s a challenging time on the financial side. The cost of everything continues to rise, putting pressure on margins and making every decision more critical. It’s something being felt across the farming community at the minute.

Fuel protests

At the same time, it’s hard not to notice the wider issues affecting rural Ireland. There is strong support for the ongoing fuel protests from people across the country, which reflects just how serious the situation has become for ordinary working people.

On the other hand, the response from Government has been disappointing. There seems to be a disconnect between those making decisions and the realities on the ground and it leaves many feeling that their concerns are not being fully understood.

For now, the focus remains on managing what is in front of us. Turnout will happen when conditions allow, not before.

Until then, it’s about keeping cattle right in the shed and hoping for a settled spell of weather that will finally allow things to move forward.