Depending on what day you take as the finish day (day 21 and 24) between 88% and 90% of the cows have been submitted, just shy of 300 cows.

All eyes for the next three weeks will be on how many come back in heat and how many stay in calf.

The new reseeds emerged with one variety in one of the paddocks slightly behind the other in terms of emergence. Abergain is slightly behind Aberchoice in terms of peeping above the soil level but a few days and this difference should be negligible.

Weeds and pests

Weeds are also beginning to emerge given the wet and warm weather but are not yet well established enough to be sprayed, however, will be watched closely over coming week.

Another possible threat with the wet and warm weather are leatherjackets and the absence of a spray to control these could be a challenge. Perhaps the roller might have to be brought out to a patch if damage was significant.

Farm cover

Feed and silage is out of the diet and grass is really moving hitting an average of 80kg per day for the last seven days.

The farm cover has moved from a very low cover 460kg DM/ha to 730 kg DM/ha (180kg/cow) over the last two weeks. The farm is stocked at just over four cows/ha so ideally it needs a growth rate of 65kg to 70kg to meet herd demand.

Cows are now going into grass covers of 1,400kg and the farm is flying. Proteins took a hammering during the dry spell when silage and meal was introduced.

Proteins dropped from 3.75% down to 3.66% but are expected to rise again now that full-grazed grass is back in the diet. Fat percentage lifted slightly from 4.52% up to 4.86%.

Read more

In pictures: grass cover recovers at Greenfield

Map: where do Irish milk prices rank on the world stage?