Weather and ground conditions remain very challenging across the country, which is delaying cattle being turned out to grass.

On farms operating on drier land that have managed to return lighter animals to grazing, many are now having to supplement cattle with concentrates and silage due to low grass growth.

Where cattle remain housed, there is mounting pressure on already limited silage reserves after what has effectively been a seven-month winter.

Housing space is also at a premium as spring calving moves into a period of peak activity.

As cows calve, their silage demand increases significantly. Where cows could be restricted to 25kg to 30kg per day of silage in the weeks prior to calving, after calving, offering silage to appetite will increase intakes to as much as 40kg to 50kg per day.

Additional silage can be purchased to boost fodder reserves. Over the last few weeks, pit silage (collected) has generally been selling for £22/t to £30/t depending on quality, quantity being purchased and whether or not delivery is included.

Round bales (collected) have been making £18 to £24 per bale. Volumes being sold are increasing due to the late spring. Some reports also suggest prices are rising.

Buying silage is a straightforward option to meet feed demand, but there are other steps that can be taken to stretch fodder supplies until turnout.

1 Increase meal levels to cows

Concentrates are a relatively consistent feed in comparison to silage, which can vary greatly in terms of feed value.

Therefore, it may be more cost-effective to offer calved cows meals to stretch existing silage reserves, rather than purchasing low-quality forage.

Calved cows should be a priority group on farm as they have a high requirement for energy in early lactation.

Feeding concentrates can replace silage from the diet, with every 1kg of meal fed replacing 4kg to 7kg of fodder, depending on its feed value.

Offering cows 2kg to 3kg per day of concentrates along with average- to good-quality silage will maintain milk production and body condition in early lactation.

Where cows are on lower-quality silage, feeding up to 4kg/day will ensure cows are getting sufficient energy and protein during early lactation.

Reduce cows from a high level to a lower level of concentrates prior to turnout. Meal can then be removed from the diet once cows are settled at grass.

2 Restricting silage

Where higher levels of meals are being fed to cows, you can restrict silage intakes for a short period of two to three weeks after calving.

However, only restrict forage intake by 10% to 20% as cows are ruminants and, as such, they need fodder to maintain healthy rumen function.

Also, only restrict silage if there is sufficient space for all cows to feed at the same time, otherwise the dominant cows in the group will over-feed, leaving shy cows underfed.

Dry cows in good body condition that are calving in late April or May can still be restricted to 25kg to 30kg of average to good quality silage daily.

In all instances, make sure that you offer pre-calving minerals to dry cows at least 40 days before calving.

3 Utilising body condition

Where suckler cows calve down in good condition, there is the option to utilise body condition as an energy source to support milk production in early lactation.

However, this option requires a higher level of herd management to avoid issues such as milk fever.

To utilise body condition, cows can be placed on restricted silage and 2kg/day of concentrate for the first three weeks of lactation.

However, to avoid any negative impact on cow fertility during the upcoming breeding period, cows need to be moved back to ad-lib silage, or grass, after the three-week period.

4 Finish cattle ad-lib concentrates

Where steers and heifers are within 40 to 60 days from reaching their target slaughter weight, they can be moved onto ad-lib concentrates and straw to save on silage. For bulls, they can be moved on to ad-lib concentrates around 100 to 120 days from slaughter.

Moving a 620kg steer on to ad-lib concentrates could save as much as 15kg to 20kg of silage daily. Therefore, for a group of 20 steers, there is a saving of 2.8t of silage weekly, which is the equivalent of three to four round bales.

Cattle should be moved on to ad-lib concentrates gradually over a period of 10 to 14 days. Increase concentrate levels by 1kg every third day and ensure fresh straw is offered daily. Cattle should also have access to clean drinking water at all times.

5 Selling forward stores

If the herd is not under movement restrictions, and both housing space and fodder is limited, consider the merits of selling cattle that are well-fleshed.

The mart trade is currently strong, with store cattle in demand from specialist finishers.

Stores weighing 400kg to 470kg have been returning exceptionally strong prices, especially for continental types.

6 Weaning autumn cows

Autumn cows on farm can now be weaned if calves weigh 250kg or more and are eating meals. Weaning will reduce silage intakes in cows by 10kg to 15kg daily. Therefore, for every 10 cows, there is a potential saving of 1t of silage weekly.

7 Sell off empty autumn cows

Scan the autumn herd and cows that are not in-calf should be sold. Cows that are in lower body condition will benefit from a short period of meal feeding to increase fat cover, making the animal more valuable in the sale ring.

Do not be tempted to hold empty cows for bulling this spring. On most farms, this is not a year to be carrying passengers, and once the weather does pick up, the onus should be on re-building depleted silage stocks.

8 Restrict suckling for spring calves

For spring-calving cows, by restricting the calf to suckling the cow in the morning and evening only, this will also reduce silage intakes.

For calves from two weeks of age, restricted suckling has no negative impact on weight gain. But it does have a positive effect on the cow as both body condition and fertility are normally improved.

9 Sell in-calf cows

Cows that calve late in the spring herd are a drain on management and time. Where a herd is predominantly March- and April-calving, cows due to calve in late May will most likely remain housed and require silage until they calve.

For some farmers, these animals account for a small percentage of the total breeding herd. Selling off these animals can free up housing space now and reduce silage demand. It will also simplify the grazing system over summer.

Save on bedding

Where cows are on straw bedding, feeding a higher dry matter diet will reduce the level of soiling. Offering cows silage mixed with hay or straw will keep dung tighter.

In sheds with a slatted floor and straw lie-back, pen cows forward onto the slats in the morning. Hold cows on slats until late evening, before allowing them to access the straw lie-back to slow the rate of soiling in bedding.