How the FarmElevate Lighthouse Farmers plan to stretch their winter fodder supplies by 40 days
As winter feed stocks are lower than normal, Seamus Kearney outlines the winter feed position of the eight Lighthouse Farms for 2026/2027, the measures they are taking to stretch their supplies, and how many additional days of feed each measure could provide.
FarmElevate is a joint Knowledge Transfer programme between Teagasc and Tirlán designed to showcase progressive, high-performing dairy farms through a network of eight Lighthouse Farms across Ireland. These farms are within the areas that were most affected by drought this summer.
With grass growth hampered, these farmers made less silage during the summer and in turn ended up feeding some of their winter silage stock as well as high levels of meal for much of July and August 2026.
Getting to November 1st while preserving winter feed
To limit the amount of silage fed to cows before November 1st the Lighthouse Farmers plan to feed extra meal and ration the grass available on their farms.
For September, the farmers plan to graze approximately 1/35 of the farm per day (35-day rotation) and to continue feeding meal at 5 kg per day. Any gaps will be filled with silage.
For October, the farmers plan to graze approximately 1/40 of the farm per day (40-day rotation) and to continue feeding meal at 5 to 6 kg per day. Any gaps will be filled with silage.
These actions should reduce the amount of silage needed for September and October.
Preparing from November 1st onwards
During the last days of August 2026, the eight Lighthouse Farms completed a fodder budget on PastureBase Ireland. The Winter Fodder Budget Summary covers the period from November 1st 2026 to Springtime 2027 as shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1. Farms Winter Feed Position V Required Feed Position from November 1st
| Farm | County | Days Feed Required | Current Days Feed Available | % Winter Feed Requirements Available |
| John & Brian Buckley | Cork | 165 | 136 | 82% |
| Linda O’Neill | Waterford | 150 | 96 | 64% |
| Patrick Fortune | Wexford | 150 | 163 | 109% |
| Michael & Joe Murphy | Kilkenny | 150 | 99 | 66% |
| John Dwyer | Tipperary | 150 | 136 | 91% |
| Joseph & Harry Lalor | Laois | 150 | 103 | 69% |
| Declan & Tina Bollard | Wicklow | 150 | 99 | 66% |
| Alan Meade | Meath | 165 | 178 | 108% |
| Average | 154 Days | 126 Days | 82% |
Having completed their feed budgets, the eight Lighthouse Farms are, on average, short almost 20% of their winter feed (28 days feed).
On average they have 82% of their winter feed requirements, ranging from a high of 109% to a low of 64%.
Completing the fodder budgets has allowed the farmers to identify their shortfalls and take action to address them.
Table 2 shows the measures being implemented by the eight Lighthouse Farms to stretch their winter feed stocks.
Table 2. Options Undertaken by the Eight Lighthouse Farms
| Options | Scenario | % of Farms Doing Each Action |
| Option 1 | Feeding Straw to Dry Cows | 88% |
| Option 2 | Selling Cull/Empty Cows by November 1st | 88% |
| Option 3 | Feeding Extra Meal to Dry Cows During Winter Period | 75% |
| Option 4 | Feeding Hay to Dry Cows | 63% |
| Option 5 | Making late 3rd/4th Cut Silage | 38% |
| Option 6 | Purchasing Silage Bales | 25% |
| Option 7 | Purchasing Fodder Beet | 25% |
| Option 8 | Feeding Extra Meal to In Calf Heifers | 13% |
| Option 9 | Feeding Extra Meal to Yearlings | 13% |
The most popular measure was adding straw to the diet, 88% of the farms adopted this approach.
This was followed by selling cull/empty cows by 1 November (88%), feeding extra meal to dry cows to ration silage (75%), and including hay in the dry cow diet (63%). Other measures included making a late third or fourth cut of silage (38%), purchasing silage bales or fodder beet (25%), and feeding extra meal to yearlings or in-calf heifers (13%).
The key message from Table 2 is that the Lighthouse Farms are using about nine different options to stretch winter feed.
The number of days that each option will extend feed supply by is outlined in table 3 below.
Table 3. How Many Additional Days of Winter Feed Is Each Option Worth?
| Options | Scenario | Lighthouse Farmers Feed Days | My Farm |
| Starting Point | Group Average Current Feed in the Yard | 126 Days Feed | |
| Option 1 | Feeding Extra Meal to Dry Cows During Winter Period | + 8 Days of Feed | |
| Option 2 | Selling Cull/Empty Cows by November 1st | + 9 Days of Feed | |
| Option 3 | Feeding Hay to Dry Cows | + 7 Days of Feed | |
| Option 4 | Feeding Straw to Dry Cows | + 6 Days of Feed | |
| Option 5 | Making late 3rd/4th Cut Silage | + 6 Days of Feed | |
| Option 6 | Purchasing Fodder Beet | + 2 Days of Feed | |
| Option 7 | Purchasing Silage Bales | + 1 Day of Feed | |
| Option 8 | Feeding Extra Meal to In Calf Heifers | + 0.5 Days of Feed | |
| Option 9 | Feeding Extra Meal to Yearlings | + 0.5 Days of Feed | |
| Totals | 166 Days of Feed |
Feeding extra meal to dry cows is stretching the winter feed by 8 days, selling cull/empty cows by November 1st is adding 9 days, feeding some hay adds 7 days, feeding some straw adds 6 days, making a late third/fourth cut of silage adds six days. Implementing all of these measures extends the available winter feed supply by 40 days.
For the eight Lighthouse Farmers all available options will have to be utilised. The farmers have sourced hay, straw, silage bales, and fodder beet. Most are also planning on moving cull cows by early November this year to save on winter feed and reduce pressure on feed supplies for the remaining cows in 2027.
Across the eight Lighthouse Farms, the cost of extending winter feed supplies from November 1st is estimated at around €96 per cow for the cows that will be milked during the 2027 season.
What you can do now
- Complete a fodder budget for your farm.
- Act now to source additional fodder where available.
- Put a plan in place to ensure you have enough winter feed in your yard.