Getting grazing back on track: With drier conditions coming, farmers who have high average farm covers should be aiming to hit the ground running and turn out more stock to grass once ground conditions allow. In contrast, those in drier areas who are running very tight at grass should consider supplementing with silage at grass to stretch the rotation and allow grass covers to build. Grass growth is starting to pick up.

However, continued low temperatures may slow the increase. In some cases, farmers who are tight on grass should delay closing silage ground until they can afford to do so. Another option where farmers are closing ground is to apply a split application of nitrogen to allow the ground to be grazed again, if required. If closing is delayed and you want to harvest on the usual date to prioritise quality, consider the option of applying less nitrogen than normal, so fields that are late closed can be cut with other areas in the end of May or early June.

Gearing up for breeding: It is worthwhile taking note of cows showing signs of oestrus before breeding. Keeping note of those that are cycling will help identify problem cows. A pre-breeding scan will also be a benefit to highlight cows needing attention before breeding, this will help in tightening the calving pattern. Once breeding commences, it is vital that accurate records continue to be kept to highlight any repeats or bull fertility issues.

Your stock bull should already have received his NCT. Having a bull fertility test carried out can give a good indication to his fertility status, but it will not guarantee that he will be fertile during breeding. Bulls should be in fit condition to serve cows. Lameness can result in an inability to serve cows, or sub-fertility in some cases. Stock bulls should have feet and lameness problems addressed at least four to six weeks prior to the onset of the breeding season.

When purchasing a young bull, introduce him gradually. A young, 18-month bull should serve no more than 15-18 cows in his first season. A mature bull should be able to cater for up to 40 cows. Where there are two bulls on farm, it may be worthwhile swapping bulls between groups of cows every few weeks. This will help avoid losses due to one bull becoming sub-fertile or infertile.

Take note of fields to reseed: Reseeding is far from farmers’ minds, given the bad weather in the last few weeks. However, for farmers who do not record grass growth, the poor growing conditions over spring have highlighted fields with fertility issues and those that need reseeding. Fields low in P and K or in need of lime will have been looking poorly in the last month or so. You should take note of these fields and paddocks now, with a view to addressing the issue. Those that have not responded to nitrogen should also be noted. The first step should be to improve soil fertility, with the first step being lime, then P and K. If reseeding is necessary, this can be completed later in the year.