Over a quarter (27%) of dairy farmers do not have adequate winter feed supplies, results of the latest Irish Farmers Journal reader survey shows.

It comes as Teagasc recently reported at a meeting of the national fodder and food security committee that an average of 4.3 months of conserved feed is available on farms, according to current PastureBase fodder budgets from 595 farms.

Just over half (57%) of the 247 dairy respondents reported that they do have adequate fodder supplies for the winter while 18% said they did not know how much fodder they had on hand.

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More than one third (37%) of dairy farmers short of fodder said they have culled some surplus animals during the previous month.

Among 320 suckler farmers, 16% said they did not have adequate winter feed supplies and a further 19% stated that they did not know.

Some 14% of 207 cattle finishers reported that they lacked enough fodder for the winter while 10% said they did not know what was on hand.

Of the finishers short of winter feed, 45% culled surplus animals during the last month.

Some 16% of sheep farmers reported that they have adequate winter fodder supplies while 11% said they did not know and 73% said they have adequate supplies.

Among the sheep farmers who are short of winter fodder, 35% have culled some surplus animals in the last month.