Settled weather over the past week has helped to improve ground conditions on a lot of farms. With this in mind, farmers should be making every effort to get slurry tanks emptied before the closed period comes into effect on 15 October.

Do not delay slurry spreading if it can be carried out over the next week. Delaying slurry spreading runs the risk of it not being carried out in time should wet weather materialise in October.

This may put storage capacity under pressure and the farmer under severe mental stress. Therefore, take every weather window as it comes and use it to get slurry out.

Target fields

Ideally, target slurry spreading to grazed paddocks, or paddocks with low to medium covers first, as there is likely to be a longer recovery period before the next grazing on these swards. There has also been a flurry of silage activity in the past week and slurry should also be targeted to these fields.

Safety

When mixing and working with slurry, always have safety in mind. Make sure shed doors are open, with sheds are clear of people and stock when mixing. Make sure tank openings are covered when unattended. Finally, keep children and farm pets well away from mixing points and moving tankers.

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Beef management: time to get slurry tanks emptied

The dry weather over the past week has helped ground conditions. Where possible, farmers should be thinking about getting slurry tanks emptied before the close period.