It has been a roller-coaster year for all 25 Teagasc/Irish Farmers Journal BETTER farm beef challenge participants. Hopes of a good spring for early turnout were quickly dashed with the arrival of the infamous beast from the east. By the time stock was eventually turned out, fodder stocks in most yards were at close to zero. Then, as we progressed through the summer, hopes of rejuvenating these stocks and building up surpluses were put on halt when drought conditions hit. Eventually, things turned in August and farmers finally got some respite in the form of perfect autumn and early winter conditions.

While a number of factors were affected by all of the above weather scenarios in some shape or form, grass growth was undoubtedly the one most talked-about. In short, spring and summer provided well below average growth rates but it was somewhat offset by a bumper back end.

As we pull the curtains on the BETTER farm beef challenge for 2018, it seems almost fitting to sign off on what was certainly the number one talking point on programme farms, and indeed dry stock farms across nationally, this year.

Joe Healy

Co Meath

To be honest, we had to knuckle down and concentrate on growing as much grass as we could. We lost 20ac of rented ground from last year but we wanted to stay at the same number of cows. Admittedly, we did sell the heifers live at just under a year old rather than graze them for the summer.

I suppose the key to growing more grass this year was the more effective and targeted use of slurry and fertiliser. In the past, we would always be late in the spring getting tanks emptied but this year we used the umbilical system early in the spring and it set the land up perfectly for the year. Since we are in derogation, the trailing shoe was used for slurry spreading during the summer. In terms of fertiliser, we used a lot more urea as a source of N as opposed to traditional compounds. This was also much more cost-effective, getting more nitrogen for the same price.

During the drought, we did have to feed out 30 or 40 bales of silage but we had made a lot from surplus paddocks before the drought and, thanks to the good back end, we made a fair share again in the autumn. We also had to graze 25ac of silage ground during the worst of the drought. The grass had stalled and was almost reducing if anything. However, as a result, we didn’t run out of grass and, when growth did come back, we got a good cut off this ground once again, which recently came back at 74 DMD.

John McSweeney

Co Cork

When I was looking at the end-of-year figures on PastureBase, I honestly thought I could have been down more tonnes of grass compared to what I actually am. There’s no two ways about it – it was an extremely difficult year down here for grass. The spring didn’t start off too badly and I was able to get a few cows and calves out each day, which kept them happy and healthy.

It was only as soon as I made my first cut that things started to go south. I ended up having to feed the whole thing back to the cows when the drought kicked in. I’ve never seen the place like it before. Any grass that was growing was pure stem and it was no good for anything. Even the bogs burned up in some places. At that stage, it was starting to get scary because I had sold as much surplus stock as I could so there was nowhere really to go.

I did stay going with the fertiliser once every month but I was going with much less, under a bag to the acre, because it simply wasn’t going to have any effect. It did pay off eventually though, as most of it was still in the ground to be used up once growth kicked back in.

I suppose the only saving grace was the good back end. It was exceptional. I ended up getting 400 bales in, 140 I bought and 260 I made from my own and rented ground. I also grew a crop of Redstart, which turned out very well. Cattle are just after finishing that and are now housed and starting into the wrapped silage.

Going forward, I’m definitely going to ease back on buying extra cattle. I bought 100 dairy calves last spring but I’ll have to sit down and rethink this idea. I could even see myself just staying at current stock numbers and stockpiling as many bales as possible, holding off all expansion until 2020. But for now, all that matters is a good spring.

Gareth McCormack

Co Cavan

I’d be very happy with grass this year. In terms of the summer, there was only really one week that you could say the drought slowed things down but that was it. I had to feed out three or four bales but that was more in an effort to slow down the rotation rather than any real shortage of grass. Looking back to the start of the year, it certainly wasn’t ideal. In a normal year, I’d usually get a few cattle out by Valentine’s Day but I think the turnout date this year was close to the end of April. I remember I even started the breeding season indoors, which never happened here before.

From that though, things certainly turned for the better. I spread less fertiliser for the first cut because I wanted to keep my target cutting date of 25 May. The second cut was cut exactly five weeks later at the end of June and silage samples for both of these cuts are very pleasing.

I suppose the most telling factor of the year is the fact that I got to take a third cut. It really came about because of the way grazing was going. There was extra grass growing and it just worked out that enough came to get a good cut of silage off it. This was cut on 30 August and after getting back sample results last week, it’s the best silage in the yard at 75 DMD.

All cattle are obviously housed now but I am yet to open the pit. At this stage, I’d usually be halfway through the pit but it doesn’t look like I’ll be opening it this side of Christmas this year. All in all, if 2019 was as good as this year I certainly wouldn’t be complaining.