The fodder outlook for the coming winter is generally very positive on farms across the country, according to Teagasc.

This follows two years where many farmers struggled to produce and procure enough feed for their livestock, with various fodder support schemes in place to assist farmers during this time.

This view from Teagasc is based on its recently updated national fodder survey, which shows that 90% of farms expect to have sufficient feed in place for the winter ahead.

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However, the data from approximately 300 dairy and drystock farms nationwide shows that roughly 5% expect to face fodder deficits of 20% or greater.

Additionally, approximately 20% of farms had to purchase additional feed this spring.

Good position

The advisory and research body said compared with the previous two years, the spring of 2025 facilitated an earlier turnout, which put farms nationally in a good position.

Some 54% of respondents had completed first-cut silage by the end of May and a further 37% in early June.

PastureBase Ireland data trends suggest an additional 0.7t DM/ha above the previous five-year average has been grown to date on farms.

However, on approximately 10% to 15% of PastureBase farms, drought conditions have been experienced. This may result in compromised winter feed reserves in these regions, Teagasc said.

Only 40% of respondents had completed a winter fodder budget to date, with Teagasc advising that budgeting is critical, particularly where reserves may be reduced, but it may also identify significant surpluses on some farms and allow those individuals to sell feed.

Only 40% of respondents had completed a winter fodder budget to date

Outlining this latest data, Teagasc noted that it can prove challenging to secure high-quality feed for freshly calved and growing animals, which require silage quality of at least 70 dry matter digestibility (DMD) to support performance.

It also highlights the importance of having sufficient pasture on farm for spring grazing, as this is where many farms were reliant on supplementary feed to fill feed deficits, it added.

Given that the majority of farms have sufficient reserves in place for the winter months, Teagasc said the focus should now move to building up grass for the autumn through a closing rotation that will maximise spring grass availability.

Silage analysis

Commenting on results, Dr Aisling Claffey of Teagasc said that while many have built up fodder reserves, only 30% of those surveyed intend to analyse silage quality.

“Feed quality has huge implications for animal performance over the winter months and a greater focus is required on producing silage of sufficient quality for all livestock categories,” she added.

Thomas Curran of Teagasc said it is encouraging to see healthy hay and silage stocks on the majority of farms across the country.

“It is very important to analyse silage before the winter to determine the quality, as this will have a major impact on the performance of animals and the cost of overwintering stock.

“All farmers need to complete a fodder budget annually to assess the quantity of fodder required and this can be easily done on the PastureBase Ireland app or with the help of your adviser,” he added.