Grass: Grass growth and grazing conditions are excellent, and the forecast over the weekend and heading into next week is mostly good. This presents a fierce temptation to keep grazing while conditions are good. While I can understand the logic, it’s a short-sighted approach. Grass is far more valuable next spring than it is now. Its feed value is way higher and the yield benefits of getting grass into cows at the start of lactation is massive, both in terms of milk volume and fat and protein percentages, which carry on into lactation. It also has huge cost benefits, as it is by far the cheapest high-energy and high-protein feed available. Feeding this grass now to late-lactation cows at the expense of having grass on the farm next spring doesn’t make sense, so avoid the temptation to close the farm at a cover less than 600kg to 700kg, and don’t go back grazing paddocks that were closed in early October. Some farmers on very heavy land will say they can’t be sure they will get the chance to graze next spring if the weather is poor. Generally speaking, some opportunities to graze always pop up, whether that’s in February or March. The trick is to be ready to graze when the opportunities come, but if the grass isn’t there they definitely won’t be able to graze.

Winter housing: At this stage the sheds should be ready for animals. Do a final check to make sure the slats are OK, water drinkers aren’t leaking, gates are hanging and cubicle mats are fixed in place. Manhole covers are particularly dangerous – I frequently hear stories now about manhole covers giving way and animals falling into tanks. A lot of the tanks that have internal agitation points with steel covers were installed more than 20 years ago and have since rusted. There is a TAMS II grant available to replace these – but only if the agitation point is moved outdoors.

The next step is to purchase doses and dry cow tubes and teat sealers. Work out how much you need, bundle them together and shop around for the best price. Dry cow minerals could be added to the shopping list also. The best farmers at managing cash will reduce their trips to the merchants by working out what they need for the month and ordering it ahead. This takes discipline, but everyone seems to agree that each time you visit a farm shop you come home with something you don’t really need.

Costs: Speaking of cash and costs, the next two months will be the peak for filling in Profit Monitors. While the Profit Monitor is by no means perfect, it is reasonably OK for comparison purposes, so every farmer should be doing it as part of his/her discussion group or individually. However, the Profit Monitor does need updating; I would like to see a value put in for own/family labour and allocate full costs for heifer rearing against the dairy enterprise. As it stands, some costs fall between the cracks when allocated to different enterprises and not all cash costs are accounted for, which may give a false impression of how a business is performing. It needs to be realistic and comparable.