This year’s tail paint colour is a red that a neighbour decided against using when it didn’t match their carpet. It does however make a good contrast with black and white. It has taken three attempts to achieve a good coat as heavy showers conspired against me. Breeding has been steady although I’m not happy with numbers in the first week. Maybe they are holding off for finer weather.

I don’t have numbers in the heifers but the bull does seem to have a constant smile on his face.

Grazing covers have been holding up well at around 1,600kg. I measured the wedge on the milking platform on Thursday and estimated a growth of 67kg dm/ha. This would appear higher due to the fact that there was a 14-day gap between measurements.

Demand is still at 75kg/ha, resulting in a drop in cover per cow from 179kg on 15 April and 162kg on 23 April to 145kg now. Rotation length is stretched to 24 days to help cope with the continuing cold wet weather.

The paddocks for the next six days are on target, but there is a hole then in grass supply. I am not too worried as this time of year growth can jump overnight if conditions improve. There are still high quality bales available from last May’s growth burst if I need to up the buffer.

I would normally be finished buffer feeding by now and giving the Keenan a rest. Beet is finished as of this Friday so I will continue with my three-way mix of soya hulls, rolled barley and maize meal. It works out at €202 per tonne plus Cal Mag. The standard rate will be 2.3kg for the next week, with a little straw and baled silage. The rate will be altered depending on the paddock and weather.

The next decision I need to make is regarding breeding on cow number 63. She is a 173EBI second calver. She milks well, is fertile and not oversized, good feet and looks well. Unfortunately I seem to spend a bit too much time looking at her in the parlour. The straw choice seems to be coming down to AA, or maybe ABP next spring.

Listen to Harold Kingston's interview on this week's Irish Farmers Journal podcast