The cows are playing their part in the winter milk plans. I have passed 80% calved this weekend with most of the last 19 springing.

The workload may be high for the start of the season but it makes life so much easier for the future. Cows will be ready to breed in time, the calves will be a nice even bunch at grass, and of course heifers will/should hit 24 months of age at calving.

I know that with two calving blocks I have the luxury of recycling between seasons. This also gives me the luxury of shorter breeding seasons. I kept the straw thawer plugged in for nine and a half weeks but saw very little action towards the end.

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Those most likely to hold in calf will always cycle at the start, the stragglers are usually problem breeders anyway. If the problem is genetic, age or chronic medical there is no point wasting time with them. If the problem was a short term knock then time is better than any medical intervention and they will be set up for the start of the next season.

That means for me that there are no excuses when it comes to tight calving.

Pennies

Feeding the herd will be a balancing act this winter. Carbery’s milk price may be better than most but it still means watching the pennies is more important than ever. I had opted to grow maize again this year having lost a long term leased silage/grazing field.

The 12ac were grown through one of my partnership members on a cost of production rather than a per tonne basis. The cobs were small but with well filled grains and knowing the lack of sunshine on the south coast this year I wasn’t expecting a huge yield.

From five miles away, Tony O’Mahony contracting had it done and dusted in 2.5 hours. I have estimated only around 14t/ac, or 1.25t/day day till St. Patrick's day. Not the result I needed in a low price year.

I will allow the pit to cook for 10 days. After that there’s no point in dwelling on the cost, just focus on getting the most from it.