Spring has sprung, the grass has ris

It’s officially Spring, but be careful to not get carried away. Hopefully the wet season has ended and stock can start to enjoy some sunshine. Pastures are your main concern this month – remember it doesn’t grow for free. In fact growing pasture is your major cost on the farm.

If you are short of pasture and you are the only person in the district with the problem and it’s not just a weather problem, then you are either overstocked or soil fertility is too low and in trouble, as you can’t make pasture grow faster. You’ll have to make up the feed deficit with supplements such as silage or hay.

Don’t expect to throw on fertilizer and get instant feed. Many people think nitrogen will save their bacon. Well it can to some extent but conditions must be right in terms of warm soil temperatures and no shortage of phosphorus and potassium, and it can take a couple of weeks to see any effect.

If you can’t feed them you’ll have to de-stock and face the financial result. Store cattle will be in good demand this spring and so should ewes with lambs at foot.

Spring pasture is not a balanced feed – it can be too high in protein, which is difficutl to digest. Hay can be valuable in providing some much-needed fibre to help rumen digestion.

Weeds, especially thistles and ragwort, are starting to grow so learn to identify them correctly and get advice on what should be done and do it.  Sooner rather than later.

The bulk of lambing should be over and early lambs docked, allowing you to check flock performance. 

Vaccinations against pulpy kidney and tetanus are critical so talk to your vet about a programme for ewes before lambing and a booster for the lambs afterwards. 

Docking is a good time to check any ewes that have udder problems e.g. large pendulous swollen teats that lambs are clearly not sucking. This may be mastitis, which will need treating with an antibiotic injection.

Don’t drench lambs at docking – leave this decision to weaning. Don’t drench ewes at any time.  If in doubt, ask your vet.

Feed heavy-milking ewes well, especially those suckling multiples. Run triplets with the twins rather than on their own or with singles. Ewes and lambs need plenty of good clean water, and cover troughs with mesh to prevent lambs drowning as they race around to celebrate the arrival of spring!  

Calving should be well through and there will be plenty of cheaper calves available to rear at more sensible prices than the early ones. 

Dehorn all calves using the hot iron and an anaesthetic before they are six weeks old. Consult your vet and don’t use caustic paste.

Calves sucking cows should be growing well. Keep their mothers on good feed with good quality supplements if feed is short in the second round of grazing. 

It’s time to sort out what bulls you may need and where to get them. If you intend to use AI, then this needs to be planned with your AI service provider now.

Make sure stock have a good supply of good quality water – and keep the troughs clean. Don’t treat any cattle for worms before talking to your vet.

When that is done, make sure you dust off your camera and are ready for Ag Day just around the corner - you don’t want to miss this year’s photo competition.