While calving has been underway in many yards for a few weeks, it’s moving closer to the horizon here. Moving the calving start date to the end of February or early March is a decision I don’t regret at all.

The TB test won’t be read until Friday morning and I’m hoping the start of calving will hold off until that’s in the rearview mirror.

There’s nothing like a run through the crush to upset settled cows near their due date, so it will be a pleasant surprise if there’s no new arrivals before then.

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After having our annual herd test in October, this latest one was unexpected. It’s a small mercy, but almost everything is housed so it’s just the inconvenience of running all stock through the yard when it wasn’t planned is the awkward bit.

Change in plans

It’s also forced a change in the summer grazing plans. After getting into a good groove with it in recent years and prioritising cows and calves heading to the out-farm and holding young stock at home, it might be better to alter plans just in case we end up with regular tests.

To reach the yard involves bringing stock on the road and the thought of doing that when there are young calves around doesn’t appeal.

They’re a bit tougher later in summer but are more likely to baulk at a gate or remain hidden behind a bush and hold up the whole show.

Perhaps with the exception of a few pedigree heifers, all the 2025-born stock will be going to the out-farm this spring.

It also means that no matter how the heifer synching goes it won’t be an option for them this year, so one of the young pedigree bulls will be held back and sent with them instead.

The most important thing then will be to take him out from the heifers after one month’s breeding or close to it.

Synced

Hopefully by the next time I’m writing, I’ll know how the test will have gone, but I should also have a handle on what it was like to calve all the heifers in one go.

They were synced last May so I’ll find out shortly if that was either a brilliant idea or not.

It all hinges on the availability of space and whether heifers take to their calves or not. I’ve been lucky most years but all you want is one or two that don’t accept their calves and all of a sudden that pair sucks up time and space when it’s at a premium.

As a group, they are very settled and they have size on their side as well so hopefully, all works out.

Most of the cows shouldn’t be starting until closer to St Patrick’s Day and hopefully sheds will be freeing up by then and the yard work easing back a small bit.

Slurry

I’ll have to try and get a bit more slurry out when I get a chance and it’s looking like it will be one of the latest springs ever in terms of getting slurry and fertiliser out on many farms.

There’s no real let up in rain and while the northerly gales from last Friday would cut the fingers off you, they showed just how much drying can be done in a short period of time.

Two or three days like that with rain moving to drizzle rather than downpours will go a long way to sorting ground out. The longer days will help, too, so long as they bring a bit of sunlight.

Sometimes all we need is the small things to go in our favour.