We’ve had a hectic few weeks here in Abbeyleix, with the breeding season in full swing and everything else happening at once – as it always does in May.

We’re currently 17 days into the breeding season, and I’m pleased to report that just over 80% of the herd has been served. That’s bang on target for where I want to be at this stage. I’m using all conventional Friesian AI again this year across the cows. I’ve stuck to this system because it’s delivering consistent fertility, solids and longevity. Uniformity in the herd makes management easier too – particularly when it comes to nutrition, calving and breeding decisions.

I’ve eight cows marked for culling and they won’t be served this year. These are a combination of older cows, with over 10 lactations under their belts and a few sixth-lactation cows that have slipped below 550kg of fat and protein.

I think it’s important to stay disciplined on performance, and not be sentimental with cows that have served their time but are now dragging on efficiency. Space in the herd is valuable – and with good heifers coming through, it’s better to move on cows that aren’t pulling their weight.

Speaking of heifers, they were all served last week using sexed semen. Last year we only hit a 50% conception rate. I’m hoping we’ll improve on that figure this time round.

The heifers are in excellent condition – great thrive this spring – and with dry, settled weather in the lead-up, we’ve given them every chance of success. Any repeats will be served again with sexed semen, and then the Friesian stock bull will be turned in to mop up.

On the grass front, growth absolutely ballooned two weeks ago, hitting over 120kg DM/ha. I took advantage of that burst and pulled out 15% of the grazing block for bales.

That gave the rotation a bit of breathing space and helped maintain quality across the remaining paddocks. Growth has slowed a bit since, with last weekend’s figures coming in at around 70kg DM/ha, but cover per cow is still up at 220kg DM/LU.

With the dry spell we’re having, I’d be slow to take out more ground for bales unless we get rain. The grass is still leafy and high-quality, which is ideal for milk, but I don’t want to get caught short next week and have to go feeding again. I’m keeping a close eye on covers and will measure during the week again and may pre-mow an odd paddock up to 1,700kg DM/ha to maintain quality.

Anything pushing over 1,700kg will likely have to be baled. The goal is to keep grass quality spot on to support performance – especially now with cows doing 30l a day at 4.00% fat and 3.65% protein, and somatic cell count (SCC) holding steady around 110,000.

The pit is being prepped for silage this weekend. We had new 4m silage walls delivered and installed during the week, just in the nick of time. They’ll give us increased capacity and greater safety. It’s a solid investment and should serve us well for years to come.

Klara weaned the lambs last week and brought them home from the outblock. All the lambs were genomic tested this week, as she does every year. This information is vital when it comes to selling breeding rams, particularly with the requirements of the Sheep Improvement Scheme, which requires that flocks must include rams rated four or five stars on the genetic index.

It also plays a key role in helping us make better-informed decisions on which lambs to keep as replacements. The ewes have been left back on the outblock for now, where there’s still plenty of clean grass to keep them going.

All in all, a positive few weeks, but we’ll need a bit of moisture soon to keep the system ticking over.

For now, the focus is on breeding, keeping quality in the grass, and getting the pit filled before the next spell of unsettled weather rolls in.