Ad-lib feeding: With the feeding value in grass declining rapidly, forward bulls should be brought indoors if not already housed. Increasing meal supplementation at grass can help underpin performance and lead to a smoother transition from grazing to ad-lib feeding. However, there are also health and safety concerns in supplementing bulls at grass. Where starting from a low base, animals should be built up to ad-lib feeding over a period of three weeks. Ensure that they have access to a fibre source and a good water supply. Trough management is critical to achieving high levels of animal performance. Once built onto ad-lib feeding, the volume of feed offered should be targeted slightly above average intake levels to prevent feed going stale. For bulls approaching slaughter, monitor liveweight of animals to avoid issues with overweight carcases.

Farmyard Manure deadline: The deadline for applying slurry has now passed and the deadline for spreading farmyard manure is 1 November. With ground conditions firm in most parts, now is the window for spreading any farmyard manure. Target fields that have been grazed bare by livestock and which will be closed for the winter to allow the manure to rot. Bear in mind that manure cannot be stored outside on fields during the closed period. In zone A this is from 1 November to 12 January, in zone B from 1 November until 15 January and in zone C from 1 November until 31 January. For more, see www.agriculture.gov.ie

Quality Assurance: Pages 56 and 57 cover advice for farmers preparing for the quality assurance scheme. Over 95% of applicants successfully pass the quality assurance audit, with the most issues at failed audits stemming from animal remedy purchases and administration records. For farmers with cattle approaching slaughter and coming close to their audit, it is important to carry out the necessary preparations. As well as losing out on the 12c/kg QPS bonus, most plants are also much more active for QA cattle.

Shed ventilation: With most sheds still empty, now is the time to test ventilation in the house. Respiratory illness is worsened where ventilation is poor and this can increase the risk of pneumonia or IBR outbreaks. Tell-tale signs of poor ventilation are dripping water from the roof caused by excess condensation, blackened roof timbers and excessive cobwebs. In many cases, poor ventilation is caused by too little inlet or outlet ventilation. When a smoke bomb test is conducted inside a shed, the smoke should dissipate in a few minutes, if it lingers for a prolonged time then action is required. According to Department specifications, in a shed under 15m wide, a minimum ridge opening of 450mm is required – the inlet areas at the sides should be twice the outlet area. Increasing the inlet openings can correct the problem. Issues may also be made worse due to close by trees or sheds, which can affect airflow.