Drought

Growth remains very slow on many farms especially towards the south of the country. Heavy ground in the west is holding well with good growth reported on heavier farms. Silage needs to be fed on farms with very low growth levels and creep feed will need to be fed to calves to maintain calf growth rates where grass supply is very scare.

Keep on top of dosing as animals that have been confined to one paddock will have a greater worm exposure via dung areas. Suckler cows being fed average-quality hay will have a drop off in milk yield and this will have a knock-on effect on calf growth rates. Try to feed some good silage to maintain milk yield.

There are reports of cattle being slaughtered under-finished and getting penalised heavily over the past two to three weeks. It is an option to increase meal feeding for a few weeks to make sure you hit the desired fat score on cattle and get all bonuses. A simple three-way mix of barley, maize and soya hulls will suffice for finishing cattle at grass. The alternative is to house and feed ad-lib meal and minimum forage for four to six weeks. Make sure to build up at grass first to avoid digestive upsets.

Bedding

On Tullamore Farm, straw prices have doubled since last year. Last year, 200 4 x 4 bales were purchased at €15/bale, while this year the quotes are €30/bale which increases the straw bill by €3,000. Some straw is needed for feeding while alternatives can be looked at for bedding like peat or woodchips.

Our experience with woodchip wasn’t great in terms of soakage for weanlings but peat worked well and lasted four to six weeks when put in at a depth of 12in. Peat was costing €22/cubic metre last year or €500 to bed a three-bay shed 4.8m wide for four to six weeks. How long it lasts depends on stocking density in the shed but it is a viable alternative on some farms. If the peat lasts for six weeks, it will cost €83/week to bed the shed while using four bales of straw would cost €120/week.

Finance

Managing finances in 2018 isn’t getting any easier. Having funds in place to deal with the current issues on farm is important.

Selling breeding cattle or slaughtering cattle that are not fit to pay bills is a false economy and should be avoided. Sit down and complete a cashflow plan for the next 12 months. Include all the usual bills and expected income, extra fodder purchases, extra meal purchases and any delayed sales. Don’t forget living expenses. See where the dips occur and if they are too big go and talk to your bank or credit union.

All major banks have come out in the past week and announced funds in place to deal with the current conditions. It may be just a case of extending your overdraft for a short period. The message is to talk to them early before any issues occur and go to them well prepared with what your situation is. Having a recently completed set of accounts will help your case.