An improvement in weather is allowing cows and calves and cattle to be turned back outdoors in Newford Farm, the 100-cow suckler-to-beef herd in Athenry Co Galway.

A batch of 36 cows and calves were turned back outdoors at the start of the week, with further batches released in small numbers since then. Utilisation is being helped by splitting paddocks and grazing some drier paddocks.

Steers have also been turned back outdoors on Tuohy’s block. They were weighed on 15 March and averaged 380kg, which is approximately 35kg behind the same period in 2018.

Turnout is a month earlier than in 2019, however, so steers should hopefully get back on track quickly.

Priority

There are some heavy covers that will be prioritised for grazing and temporary fencing will be used where required to split paddocks and improve utilisation.

Heifers are working their way through grazing in Cones block of land which is set to join the project in 2019.

This will replace the Raheen Woods block which was lost last year due to a new school being built and will allow stock numbers to remain at current levels.

Heifers have about a week’s grazing remaining and will then return to the Gort naHabhainn land block. The loss of land in 2018 meant heifers were retained indoors until late May and then sold off the farm in June.