They say never ask for rain in this country, as when it starts it generally forgets when to stop, but for the majority of people, rain was very much needed.

The majority of farms were in an ok position, with no supplementation having to go in to stock, but had it continued on much longer, grass supply and quality was going to be an issue.

As it stands, there are plenty of paddocks across farms that are less than ideal quality wise. This is a mixture of paddocks stemming out due to moisture stress, heavy covers that would ordinarily be baled having been held for fear of a drought and finally the natural lifecycle of grasses.

With the weather now providing plenty of moisture and growth holding or increasing, whipping these paddocks out at the first opportunity should be on the cards.

Second cut silage

With the good weather came ideal silage making conditions, and in the last week or so there have been ideal slurry and fertiliser conditions for much of the country, with drizzly rain and showers washing both in to the soil nicely.

Slurry still needs to be diluted down, especially where LESS equipment is used, but the rainfall we are seeing should be of good help.

Slurry can be applied at a rate of 2,500 gallons dilute slurry/acre and topped up as necessary. Protected urea and sulphur should suffice where soil indexes are good and slurry quality is high, but if either are lacking, than 0-7-30 or the likes might need to also be applied.

The aim for second cut is to apply 70-80 units N/acre, with 2,500 gallons of slurry equating to about 10-13 units N. A week to 10 days should be left before following up with chemical fertiliser.

Peter Doyle – Derrypatrick Herd, Co Meath

We’ve had 28mm of rainfall since Friday last which was welcomed. Paddocks that were recently grazed were very slow to come back, but this has changed now and fertiliser has been washed in to the soil.

We have some strong paddocks that we did not mow out in case of a drought that will be baled to control quality. Clover that was oversown in mid-May has germinated with the rain.

Red clover silage swards have received 2,500 gallons/acre of cattle slurry to replace nutrient offtakes in first-cut, with grass swards receiving this along with 1.25 bags/acre of protected urea. Calves were weighed last week and have a daily liveweight gain of 1.28/kg/day, with an average date of birth of 1 March.

System Suckler to beef

Soil Type Free draining

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 764

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 58

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 74

Willie Treacy – Hackballscross, Co Louth

While we were running a little tight on grass before now, we never had to supplement stock, and now we are looking at having a surplus of grass and taking out paddocks.

First-cut silage was harvested last week in ideal conditions, with no effluent from the pit without grass being too dry, while the sward had plenty of leaf in it. We cut on the 20 and lifted on the 21 and 22 May.

Slurry is now going back out on to these fields for second-cut, and the drizzly rain is washing it in to the ground nicely. The tanks of slurry are quite thick, so it’s taking a bit of time diluting them down and mixing them.

Once slurry is finished, I’ll be topping up some paddocks with fertiliser as they are looking hungry.

System Suckler to beef

Soil Type Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 1,136

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 61

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 77

Stephen Frend – Newford Herd, Co Roscommon

Grass silage was pitted last Saturday week with 2,500 gallons of slurry spread in ideal weather. Soils in Index 3 will receive 38N + 7S, while lower index fields will also receive a bag/acre of 18-6-12. We spread 30 units/acre ahead of the rainfall on non-clover grazing paddocks.

Breeding has gone well, with all served bar one cow who had enlarged follicles and has received a PRID. This is week five of breeding and we have a repeat rate of 18%, while in the heifers we have an expected conception to synchronisation of 65-70%.

Yearlings were weighed recently, with bullocks averaging 472kg and 1.3kg of a DLWG (daily liveweight gain) in the last four weeks, while heifers are averaging 440kg and 1.05kg or a DLWG.

System Suckler to beef

Soil Type Variable

Farm cover (kg/DM/ha) 768

Growth (kg/DM/ha/day) 43

Demand (kg/DM/ha/day) 49