Compensatory growth: Compensatory growth occurs when animals are moved on to a diet rich in energy, such as spring grass, after a period of restricted intake or growth. The target growth rate for weanlings over the winter is somewhere between 0.5kg/day and 0.7kg/day in order to avail of maximum compensatory growth after turnout. On many farms, weanlings will have been offered 1-2kg of concentrate/head/day over the winter to achieve target growth rates and this supplementation can now stop in advance of turnout.

If weanlings gain too much weight over winter and become fat, it has been shown that they subsequently lose this fat at grass and the extra weight is not carried through to slaughter or sale at the end of the second grazing season. Weanlings should be offered a silage-only diet from now until turnout. The earlier they are turned out, the higher the compensatory growth will be. Have a think about where weanlings could be turned out first and take a quick check at drinkers and fences to make sure you are ready for turnout when the weather picks up.

Lime and fertiliser: I received a query this week on slurry, fertiliser and lime interactions. Where pH is below target, as it is on many farms, there are huge benefits in correcting it in terms of fertiliser efficiency and grass growth. If you are planning to spread some lime this spring, there are some interactions to be aware of. For grassland fertiliser, if lime is applied in spring, you should avoid using urea for three to six months. Similarly, if ground is limed this spring, you should also avoid spreading slurry on these fields for up to three months as there will be lower nitrogen availability from the slurry application following a lime application.

If slurry or urea is applied first in early spring, liming this ground after a few weeks is no problem. While it may seem early to be looking at purchasing fertiliser, prices seem to be on the way up and it may make sense to have a chat with your supplier earlier rather than later for your 2021 requirements.

Spring webinar series: Next week sees the launch of a live webinar series on farmersjournal.ie. The series will cover a wide range of topics across dairy, beef and sheep systems over the next few months and kicks off next Wednesday 3 February at 8pm with Calving the Cow and Care of the Newborn Calf. The Irish Farmers Journal livestock team will take a look at management before calving and the calving process, including malpresentations and difficult calvings. We will then discuss looking after the newborn calf in the first few weeks of life to make sure it gets the best possible start.

The webinars will be as live and interactive as possible, with farmer questions directing the discussion. Participants can log on to farmersjournal.ie next Wednesday at 8pm and questions can be submitted to the speakers via WhatsApp 086-836 6465 or email on iwebinar@farmersjornal.ie. If there are topics you would like to see covered on the night, drop me an email at awoods@farmersjournal.ie .