Short of Fodder?

v Do your fodder budget now and establish if there is a deficit before housing

vIf you have a deficit:

- Set up grass for early turnout – make sure to close up 60% of the farm by

the 1st November to ensure you have Spring grass - Buy silage (if available) / meals to fill the gap - Take action from the beginning of the winter - Budget the silage being fed and feed additional meals early in the winter - Consider selling non-productive animals

- Do the budget again in early January SOIL FERTILITY

Lime

Lime can be bought and spread for around €23 / tonne. Lime is the first step in correcting soil fertility on farms. Farmers should be targeting a pH of 6.2– 6.5. This will release unavailable P and K to the ryegrass plant in our soils. Slurry

Slurry should follow livestock on the grazing platform as paddocks are being closed off up until the deadline. The deadline has been extended to the end of October. Potassium

Products like Muriate of Potash (straight K) can be spread on paddocks in index 1 or 2 for K to build Potassium index