The year to date is proving to be by far the kindest since the Newford Farm project began in 2015.

Low rainfall levels and good grass growth over winter months has provided an opportunity to get cows and calves outdoors.

There are currently 62 cows and their calves at grass, with over 10 more recently calved cows indoors on straw bedding. These are being given time to bond with calves and a decision to turn these cows out will depend on how ground conditions hold up after forecast rainfall.

Good grazing

Grazing conditions up to now have been excellent for the time of year and even if some cows and calves need to be turned back indoors in the coming weeks it has still given a boost to calf health, reduced straw usage and feed while getting some heavy covers grazed and growing.

Some paddocks are being split with electric wire temporarily to improve grass utilisation.

The Newford block also received a blanket application of 35 units of urea last week. Some of this area previously received slurry applied with a trailing show umbilical system. This has worked excellently, with cows grazing these paddocks just a few weeks after slurry was applied.

There are currently 62 cows and their calves at grass.

Yearlings

The two batches of yearlings were also turned out to grass in the last week. The batch of 51 steers are grazing on Tuohy’s farm while the batch of 53 heifers have been moved to an out-farm that is likely to join the Newford project in 2019.

This is an area of about 30ac which has been identified to replace the land lost in 2018 due to the building of a new school in Athenry.

It is permanent pasture that was also used to conserve winter forage in 2018 and has a heavy cover of grass that needs grazing. It is generally drier in nature and should hold heifers outdoors, even if ground conditions deteriorate elsewhere.

Health treatments

Later-calving cows received their scour vaccination in the last week while yearling cattle received a clostridial disease vaccine on turnout. There has unfortunately been one mortality last week, with a cow dying from a suspected heart attack.

Personnel changes

Matthew Murphy has now moved into a new position in Dawn Meats and has been replaced by Aidan Heavey. Matthew will continue to work closely with the project and will sit on the management team while also providing support to Aidan.