This week, the Irish Farmers Journal caught up with farm manager Shaun Diver on Tullamore Farm on how the difficult spring is hampering turnout and first-cut silage.

As the poor weather continues, there is 60 acres of silage ground taken out for first-cut silage, with an additional 13 acres for spring barley and three acres for wholecrop.

The silage ground has received 3,000gls/acre of slurry. However, no fertiliser has been spread due to on ongoing poor conditions, with Shaun intending on covering the silage ground with cut-sward on Monday.

There are nine acres ploughed for spring barley, with Shaun intending on sowing this coming week if conditions allow.

As there is a full pit of 2025 first-cut silage at 73 DMD still in the yard, Shaun is intending to go for a bulk cut of silage this year to provide dry cow silage over the winter and hopefully no second cut will be needed.

Last of the cows and calves awaiting a hopeful turnout over the coming weekend on Tullamore Farm. \ Claire Nash

The farm has a current cover of 783kg DM/ha, with a demand of 28kg DM/ha and a growth of 24kg DM/ha.

The poor weather has hampered turnout, but over the coming weekend, Shaun intends on getting another 15 cows to grass if the weather is dry.

Good growth needed

The farm needs good growth for May, with silage ground taken out alongside the land for spring barley. There is a projected demand of 44kg DM/ha.

Lambing for 2026 is drawing to a close, with only 15 ewe lambs left to lamb.

During the week, lambs received a dose for coccidiosis alongside a clostridial vaccination, as well as a footbath. Ewes are due to receive their bluetongue vaccination over the coming weekend.

Thirty-nine heifers were served with AI on 17 April, with 24 getting conventional and the remaining 15 getting sexed straws. \ Donal O'Leary

The 2026 crop of breeding heifers were AI’d using a fixed time programme on 17 April, with a total of 39 heifers served.

Conventional semen was used on 24 of the heifers, with the remaining 15 receiving sexed semen. The sires used were LM5443, LM9655, LM8929, LM7416 and SA2189.

There are 28 bulls still housed, with the heaviest 20 intended for under-16-month bull beef and are receiving 9kg of concentrates.

The 2026-born calves have now received their first clostridial vaccination during the week, alongside a dose for coccidiosis. Following a clinical case in one calf, it was decided to blanket treat all calves.