Scanning day is easily one of the most nerve-racking days of the year for farmers – it can set you up for an exciting spring, or it can leave you deflated and asking what went wrong.

Thankfully for Shaun, it was the former. Of the 85 cows sent to the bull, 78 were scanned in calf - an in-calf rate of over 92%. The seven that were scanned empty were a mixture of ages and there was no real pattern or common reason for this result.

Shaun said: “They had all been bred during the season. There were two second calvers and one older cow – the rest were between three and seven years old. They are heading for the cull pen now anyway. The plan is to wean them slightly earlier and put them to the best grass available, although looking at them, they are all in fairly good condition already.”

They will join a batch of nine cull cows that had been marked for culling since spring for a variety of reasons, mostly age.

Ground conditions

Ground conditions have really taken a hit over the past week, with the wetter part of the farm particularly affected. It is making it difficult to achieve sufficient graze-outs, especially where stock are entering heavier covers of grass.

This year's replacement Texel x Mule ewe lambs have been selected on a combination of their own performance and taking relevant background data into account.

“There are a couple of heavier covers on the farm, 2,600 being the heaviest. If conditions were right, you would be pulling that out for bales, but currently that is not an option so it may have to be grazed,” Shaun said.

Grass growth this week was recorded at 48kg DM/ha/day and the overall farm cover is 946kg DM/ha.

“We spread a half bag per acre of protected urea about 10 days ago on half of the farm. It has just been too wet since to get any more out. Hopefully we will get the remainder of the ground covered in the coming week, if the weather settles, as we look to build covers for autumn.”

Breeding rams

It was a busy day last Saturday for the sheep enterprise, with a trip to the Sheep Ireland sale in Kilkenny Mart. Shaun purchased two rams on the day and is very pleased with what he came home with.

If conditions were right, you would be pulling that out for bales, but currently that is not an option

“We bought a really nice Texel, lot 199, from William Hutchinson from Kells, Co Kilkenny, for €790. He is five star on both Terminal and Replacement indexes and has is -16.94 for Days to Slaughter. Physically he is all there as well – we have high hopes for him, if he is lucky.”

“We also purchased a Charollais ram, lot 141, from Sinead and Eoin Brophy from Kellistown, Co Carlow, for €600. He’s a really nice animal as well – five star Terminal and four star Replacement. Again, he’s -16 days for Days to Slaughter.”

Last Saturday, a pen of 10 Mule ewe lambs were purchased at the Mayo Mule and Greyface sale in Ballinrobe Mart from Oliver Cawley, Westport, Co Mayo, at €140. Shaun already has 40 ewe lambs picked out for breeding this year and he hopes to add another 20 to 30 in the coming days, with a trip to the Donegal Mule Group sale in Stranorlar on the cards for Friday evening.