After a busy few months, Tullamore Farm is settling into the autumn lull.

The stock bull has been removed from the cows for a number of weeks now and farm manager Shaun Diver plans on scanning both the cows and heifers in the next few weeks to identify any empties.

Breeding has gone well across both groups and it is hoped this will flow through into scanning results.

After the scanning, Shaun will be identifying which heifers will be retained on the farm and which will go through the ring at our annual Tullamore Farm in-calf heifer sale.

Sheep

Sticking with the breeding side, preparation will soon be under way for the sheep breeding season.

Cull ewes have been drafted from the main flock, with the mature breeding ewes and any dry hoggets being grazed tight before flushing.

Homebred ewe lambs selected for breeding have been shorn, with foot bathing and mineral drenching also completed on them.

September will bring with it a high demand for grass, with store lambs, breeding ewes, in-calf heifers and all the farm’s weanlings all requiring quality swards.

Fertiliser

Shaun has spread fertiliser on the second-cut silage ground, as well as topping up some of the grazing ground with protected urea.

Farm cover is currently at 958kg DM/ha, with a growth rate of 59kg DM/ha and a demand of 32kg DM/ha.

No paddocks will be baled or topped to prevent a setback in growth. The more settled weather over the past week has resulted in better grazing conditions as well.

Shaun is also making efforts to secure some straw for the bedding requirements for winter 2023 amid a forecast scarcity of straw due to poor harvesting conditions.