Heavy rain at the weekend resulted in farmers keeping cattle indoors a bit longer and bringing dairy cows and dry cattle that had been let out, back in.
Farmers are holding off putting fertiliser out on grass. Sowing of spring barley is held up. The forecast is for another week of broken weather. There will be heavy showers on most days in many areas.
More rain ahead
There will be more serious rain on Sunday and Monday but – unlike last week – the southwest, west and midlands should get the best of the weather.
Even where ground is free draining, grass is very slow to grow due to low soil temperatures. We are likely to see just a slow rise in soil temperatures over the coming week.
Livestock farmers are now counting the days of fodder they have left. Shortages of silage are starting to develop in some areas.
There is a lot of hay and silage selling but, given that it is plentiful and that we are into April, prices have not lifted significantly. Farmers are buying feed and most mills are busy.
Winter work is being prolonged. Farmers waiting to put cattle out on out farms face an anxious wait.
They do not want to have the trouble of carting them back to the home yard again.
Suckler farmers with cows coming into heat indoors are paying for AI, rather than using the bull and risking injuries.
SHARING OPTIONS