February 1, is a key date in the farming calendar. Traditionally it marks the first day of spring, and up here in Monaghan it is the opening of the slurry spreading season, which runs until September 30 this year.
hat gives us eight months to spread, with at least 50pc of it to be spread by mid-June.
The slurry tanks on our farm are filling up but I will be able to hold off spreading for a few weeks yet until soil temperatures rise a wee bit.
The silage ground on the out-farm is bare since the last of the lambs were sold on January 19.
Overall the sheep venture was a success as: they cleaned up the main silage ground and left a well-grazed sward; all the lambs I bought left the farm (there were no deaths); and they left a modest profit per lamb.
All the slurry will be piped using LESS.
The calving season began on January 20. Thankfully everything was in place and ready to go. So far cows and heifers have been calving more or less on their serve date.
In my opinion good records, spacious, well-lit calving pens and a good camera system are key to a successful calving season for farmer and animal.
Nobody should be without a calving camera nowadays, linked to their phone where possible. They are relatively cheap for the comfort and confidence they bring.
I got my second clear TB test in early January so that has de-restricted me for three months until I test again.
Moving all surplus calves will be priority for the next three months. There has been very little talk about the export of Friesian bull calves. I am hoping to have a lot fewer of them this year, as I should reap the benefits of sexed semen.
The number of ‘to-do’ jobs has steadily grown. This week grass measuring begins again, with an opening farm cover to be calculated.
The annual lepto vaccine is due, along with the bi-annual IBR vaccine.
The farm partnership paperwork is getting done and has a deadline of February 10. The derogation paperwork is being prepared by Teagasc.
My own filing system was tested as lime invoices since 2019 had to be provided. The farmyard plan had to be updated and all slurry storage tanks and bedded areas accurately measured.
My soil sampling is up to date as I have been soil-sampling a section of the farm each year. It now works into a three-year cycle.
The milking platform and the main silage block are for sampling this week.
A few weeks back Bord Bia sent me my reminder about their audit taking place in April. My last audit was online, in December 2020.
Recording and reconciling the animal medicines book will take a bit of time as withdrawal times have to strictly adhered to.
Also, we are intending to carry out some building work on the farm. It has been very difficult to get anyone to assist us with plans.
There seems to be a lot of building work being planned for on farms, especially on dairy farms, and agricultural consultants can’t cope with all the requests.
And building contractors, are hampered by a serious scarcity of labour. It’s heading the way of booking a builder before drawing up plans.
The degree in agriculture I have been doing since September started the second semester on January 23.
The first semester involved mainly science — physics, chemistry, biology — along with maths and soil science & sustainable farming.
In early January we sat two two-hour written exams, in biology & chemistry and soil science. That was another shock to the system.
The other subjects are examined through assignments and continuous assessment, and this term they are more agriculture themed: agricultural biochemistry & nutrition, crop & forage science and pig & poultry production systems.
Gerard Sherlock farms at Tydavnet, Co Monaghan