The first priority when it comes to jobs this weekend is to get up-to-date on fertiliser, especially on silage ground.

This weekend is probably the last real chance to get nitrogen spread and still get silage cut by the end of May or early June.

The Teagasc advice is to get 80 units of nitrogen applied per acre and take into account what nitrogen was applied already this year or in slurry.

The next job to consider is dehorning later-born calves. Most farmers are prompt enough at getting the older calves dehorned at the right time, but it's easy to let things slip as other tasks get in the way.

Sticking with calves, are they up-to-date on vaccines? The key one here is the blackleg vaccine, as this disease can take a healthy animal in a few hours.

In some cases, farmers who have had bad experiences in the past will vaccinate for RSV PI3 pneumonia and maybe also dose calves against coccidiosis, if required. Again, these ailments can ravage healthy calves at any age.

Most farmers are prompt enough at getting the older calves dehorned at the right time, but it's easy to let things slip as other tasks get in the way

Preparing for breeding is another key task. Some farmers will get someone in to milk one of the evenings while they do a body condition score on the cows and put any thin cows on once-a-day.

Similarly, they might get someone in to milk while they tail paint the herd for pre-breeding heat detection.

It's also a good opportunity to do a general spring clean. Standards can slip during the busy month of spring, where bale wrappers can get heaped and empty drums of product thrown in a corner.

Is it too early to start cleaning out feed passages and cubicle sheds? I suppose the answer to this depends on soil type and what the weather is going to bring.

Certainly, cleaning feed passages will not be a wasted task, but I'd perhaps hold off on power washing the cubicles until such time that we can be assured the cows can stay out.