Reseeding: The recent blast of fine weather has many farmers thinking about reseeding. My preference is always for spring reseeding. The big problem with autumn reseeding is that you are taking out a paddock for at least two months at a time when you should be increasing the amount of feed available on the farm. Without question, the long term benefits of reseeding are big, but you must be aware that in the short term, the feed that field would produce needs to be found elsewhere. OK if you are at a low stocking rate or the weather is only suitable for reseeding now as opposed to the spring.

The fact is most farmers will get a better return from spreading lime in the autumn than from reseeding. The notion of spreading 2 or 3t/acre of lime only at reseeding time every 10 or 15 years is pitiful. Around 0.5t/acre of lime is washed away in rainfall every year so at a very minimum this needs to be replaced. I heard a farmer say during the week that he got his whole farm spread with lime in three weeks. Loads of lime were tipped in the yard and the contractor called on twice a week and spread whatever paddocks were grazed since his last visit.

Profit versus cash: Don’t be misleaded into thinking profit equals cash. At the Grassland walk on Tuesday, Conor Creedon’s total costs from Profit Monitor in 2015 were on the board at 26.5c/l. Net margin (gross output minus costs including his own labour) in 2015 was 8.3c/l. But is this different from cash? Conor has his own cashflow planner for the farm and his cash costs in 2015 were actually 35c/l when total drawings, tax and capital repayments are taken into account.

To survive in 2016, he has cut costs by 3c/l (less and lower cost feed and fertiliser, less silage and less electricity usage). His high solids milk from the Jersey crossbred herd are contributing 6c/l in higher milk price and stock sales from surplus cows and calves are contributing a further 4c/l so break even milk price is 22c/l. Any lower than this and Conor is losing cash. How many farmers can say they have the same knowledge of their own business?

Animal Health: Now is the time to be giving the IBR vaccine if on the twice yearly programme. Most of the cows should be well in calf by now so the risk of a vaccine interfering with a pregnancy should be low. Every year we hear reports of a salmonella outbreak causing abortions in cows in autumn.

The general advice from vets is to vaccinate for salmonella in August rather than the more traditional time of September and October. I know some farmers don’t vaccinate for salmonella at all but this a risky strategy as an outbreak can cause serious losses and set herds back a lot. With more warm weather on the way make sure all stock have plenty of access to water. Keep pour-on on heifers and dry cows to keep flies away and keep your own skin topped up with sunscreen.