Countrywide update with Joint Programme Advisors

John McCabe, Seamus Kearney and Sean Callan, Advisors on the Teagasc Aurivo, Teagasc Tirlán and Teagasc Lakeland joint programmes, join Stuart Childs on this episode of the Dairy Edge podcast to give a more countrywide feel for the situation on farms around Ireland currently following the recovery in grass growth in the last few weeks.

The impact of the drought varied significantly by region. The west was generally less affected, while parts of the Lakelands, due to the geography of the catchment, and especially the south and east experienced major reductions in grass growth and farm cover which in turn led to substantial supplementary feeding.

Seamus explains that the winter fodder shortages are the main concern and that, although grass growth and farm covers have recovered, many farms in the Tirlán catchment have used large quantities of silage and meal during the summer.

Fodder budgets have identified shortages of approximately two bales per cow on the Lighthouse farms, making early feed purchasing and planning essential. Meanwhile, some of farms on the Lakeland programme have significant surplus but with wet starts and ends to the year more common, it may well be needed in the future.

Key messages

The key message is to quantify and act early. Farmers should complete fodder budgets, manage the final grazing rotation carefully, assess grazing infrastructure – improve if possible or plan to improve in the future – to maximise opportunities to get cows to grass even in challenging conditions.

Where deficits have been identified, consider options such as buying fodder, using meal to stretch existing supplies, and/or removing underperforming/empty cows earlier to protect winter feed stocks.

Listen in below:

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The Dairy Edge is a co-production with LastCastMedia.com