Newford Farm continues to struggle with poor grass growth rates and diminishing winter fodder reserves. A decision to sell the 45 2017-born heifers to reduce feed demand will hopefully provide more options and put the farm in a better position to get back on track when grass growth rates improve.

The heifers were moved off the farm last week to a Dawn Meats feedlot, with prices based on market values and in line with those analysed through the Irish Farmers Journal MartWatch price analysis. The heifers weighed 460kg on average and at an average price of €2.25/kg realised a sale value of €1,035 each. The earlier sale date will hit 2018 output levels but with no scope to finish animals off grass and a fodder budget that is growing in deficit there was no option but to reduce feed demand.

The sale also allows farm manager Matthew Murphy to make a few immediate adjustments. The 61 remaining steers have now been split into two groups on the Gort na Habhainn and Tuohy’s land blocks, with the smaller numbers facilitating concentrate supplementation to take the place of silage supplementation.

The move from silage to concentrates also allows the 80 remaining bales of silage to be prioritised for the two batches of cows and calves

The 106 cattle were previously receiving over three bales of silage daily with an allocation of grass. This has now being replaced by a daily allocation of grass and 4kg concentrates per head.

The move from silage to concentrates also allows the 80 remaining bales of silage to be prioritised for the two batches of cows and calves. Each group continues to receive two bales daily along with an allocation of grass. Calves are also being offered creep under a raised wire in the adjoining paddock.

Grass growth rates improved only marginally after the farm received about 20mm of rain last weekend. While growth rates have not responded significantly, swards have freshened up and should hopefully respond much quicker if forecast rain falls towards the end of next week.

With swards showing a bit more life, the Newford block received a blanket application of 20 units of nitrogen in recent days and this should hopefully help to reduce pressure on the sward and reduce recovery time when rain does fall.

Forecast

Conditions will continue to be monitored closely over the next week. If rain does not fall as forecast and grass growth rates remain poor then there may be no option but to consider housing a batch of steers to free up grazing for a portion of cows from the Newford block.

The cows currently under the most pressure are first-calvers, which will struggle to perform if feeding is increasingly based on silage supplementation and they have to compete with mature cows.