Thankfully, there is plenty of silage in the pit, as there is still no sign of spring kicking into action.

Yearling heifers are usually the first batch of stock that I let out to grass.

However, this year, due to the requirements of the BEAM scheme, all yearling heifers except those retained for breeding have been sold earlier than normal, which leaves only cows and calves left for grazing.

Seven cows and calves are all I have managed to get out of the shed full-time, along with the rest of the calves being out by day.

I was hoping to get more stock out last Saturday, but after the third snow shower of the morning, I decided to park the idea.

Unsettled

As the weather is extremely unsettled, I am a little concerned about grass tetany.

I have plenty of high-magnesium buckets in the field and am just hoping for the best after that.

Unsettled weather and all, cows are usually found each morning lying in the sleet-covered grass, chewing their cud, an unusual sight indeed!

I have undertaken my first grass walk. Farm cover is low at 467kg dry matter per hectare, but I have been here before and am not overly worried.

Covers

All fields have a cover of grass and have had either slurry and/or urea applied. So as soon as the temperature rises, grass should come quickly.

Ground conditions are surprisingly not terrible. That statement probably does not make for good English, but it does make for a good description of the current situation!

Silage ground

All silage ground on this farm is normally grazed before closing. The 10th of April is the traditional date aimed for to at least start to close up.

As we slip further into April, I have very little ground grazed and apart from the initial dose of slurry and urea, no land has received any extra fertiliser.

Most of my silage ground, apart from the bit that the cows are now grazing, was grazed by lambs over the winter and does not have overly heavy covers.

So, I find myself wondering if I should forget about trying to graze it and just close it up straight away and go for an earlier than normal fist cut, a plan which should help silage quality for next winter.

Weather conditions over the next week will undoubtedly help make my decision - either way it’s time the new fertiliser spreader got tested.