Fertiliser: On pages 26-27 we have a report on the latest research from Teagasc on nitrogen use efficiency in early spring.

The message is clear, when soil temperatures are above 5.5°C and air temperatures are not forecast to go below 4°C, with no heavy rain forecast, then it is okay to spread early nitrogen. In essence, the weather we are currently experiencing is ideal.

Farmers in Zone A can start spreading nitrogen and slurry from 13 January, farmers in Zone B can spread from 16 January, while it’s 1 February for those in Northern Ireland and Zone C.

The chemical fertiliser product of choice is urea, as this is more stable in the soil, even if weather conditions change.

You must order nitrogen now to have it in the yard for spreading, otherwise you will miss out on valuable extra grass growth this spring.

The recommendation is to go with 30kg/ha (23 units/acre) in the first round.

Nitrogen isn’t the only fertiliser that can be spread now, conditions are ideal for lime and I see lots of farmers taking advantage of the opportunity to spread it around the country.

Calving preparation: Now is the time to give the rotavirus vaccine to cows, if rotavirus scour has been a problem on your farm in the past.

The vaccine should be given between three and 12 weeks before calving, so now is the time for administration if you’re doing the whole herd at once.

Some farmers will only vaccinate some cows to save money.

The thing to remember though is that if the calf doesn’t get colostrum from a cow that has been vaccinated the calf won’t be protected.

Like all vaccines, it gives the animal antibodies to fight the disease in the event of an outbreak.

At a Calf Care event in Limerick on Tuesday, the importance of a good bed of straw and good ventilation for calf health was discussed.

With straw scarce again this year, farmers were told not to skimp on it for young calves, as they need a good bed of dry straw to retain body heat.

This is particularly important in the first three weeks of life, after that the calves are better able to regulate their own heat.

Now is also the time to be giving dry cow minerals to cows and heifers.

If the winter diet has changed this year because of silage shortages, maybe the dry cow mineral also needs to be changed? Bought-in minerals are used to supplement the minerals that are in the diet. The key ingredients are magnesium and phosphorus.

Building: Time is running out for those rushing to get milking parlours and calf sheds finished in time for the start of calving.

If you’ve applied for TAMS funding and haven’t completed the project within the 12-month window from approval, you can seek to have the deadline for completion of work extended.

This must be done before the 12 months elapse.

If under pressure to get everything finished, prioritise what needs to be done. For me, this is being able to milk and feed cows.

If cows have enough feeding space, they will get through a lot. This was a key lesson from last spring when cows were in sheds for much longer than normal.