1

Stock

One of the first things to look at is the stock you have on the farm over the winter months. There are always options here; selling cull cows earlier, selling weanlings in autumn rather than spring, etc. Be mindful of reducing stock numbers too much, as this could have a knock-on effect on future sales. Hold on to breeding stock and offload non-priority stock if you have to sell something.

2

Measure

Measure what you have. Do a count on bales available in the yard and also measure silage pits (P12) to determine tonnes available. Factor in any straw that is to be fed to stock and also take account of higher dry matter forages made this year. These forages will last a little longer than very wet silage. Also factor in any meals to be fed during the winter and take this off your forage requirements.

3

Meal to weanlings

Feeding meal to weanlings over the winter. Meal is generally fed at a rate of 1kg to 2kg over winter months and weanlings generally struggle to hit target weights when fed average-quality silage. If meal feeding levels were increased, it will reduce forage demand and also have a positive impact on performance.

4

Grass

Maximise grass growth on your farm now - apply fertiliser and remove surplus grass as bales. Once rain returns in high enough quantities, grass growth will get back to normal levels. There may be opportunities to take out surpluses in the next six weeks. It’s also important to stick to your closing-up plan. Having early grass next spring will be vital to get light weanlings out early and reduce forage demand.

5

Silage crop

Is there an opportunity to ask a neighbouring farmer to grow a crop of silage for you? Teagasc has a template drawn up for these agreements to take place between two farmers. The fertiliser and contractor costs are paid by you and the farmer rents the land for six weeks just to take the silage crop off in September. Deals are currently being done between €60 and €100/acre for a six-week rental.

6

Purchase silage

There doesn’t seem to be a lot of silage on the market at the moment, but purchasing may be an option in some areas. Table 1 Feed&Finance: buying silage or buying ration; what’s better value?" target="_blank">here outlines the relative value of silage, hay and straw compared with other feeds. The problem with buying silage is the haulage costs, especially if hauling long distances. Hay could be a better option, but current costs are prohibitive when it comes to buying value.

7

Forage crop

Look at the option of growing a forage crop on your farm. This will not be viable for all farmers. While it’s too late for kale, forage rape or hybrid varieties, such as Redstart, can be sown up until mid-August. Some farmers are looking to tillage farmers to grow some of these crops. However, lack of fencing and water drinkers have to be taken into account.

8

Maize silage

Alternative forages such as maize silage could also be purchased. However, they are likely to be short in supply this year given the demand that’s out there. Dairy farmers in certain areas of the country have moved to secure whole-crop silage from tillage farmers.

9

Extra costs

Factor in the extra costs with purchasing forage into your cashflow budget for the rest of the year. Don’t try to do this out of cashflow (P16), as it will put too much pressure on the system. Talk to your financial institution, as many of them have specific loan funds in place to deal with clients’ fodder shortages.

10

Look after yourself

It’s been a tough year, with no real break going from snow to calving to breeding to drought since the end of February. Make sure to take a break during the summer months to recharge the batteries and spend time with family. If you think it’s all getting too much, help is out there and it’s important to talk about your issues to someone. A problem shared is a problem halved.