The longest day of the year has now come and gone and. after largely positive farming weather conditions since early spring, winter fodder may be far from many farmers’ minds.
Farms in most parts of the country had more fodder than usual left over last winter, due to the favourable weather conditions generally arriving early this year.
As farmers will know all too well, not every spring will be as kind as spring 2025, and preparations should always be made to endure additional fodder is available in the event of a late spring.
With first-cut silage saved and most ground for second cuts now closed, now is the perfect time to check the farm fodder budget to ensure there is enough paddocks put aside for silage.
Conversations with farmers around the country would suggest that, generally speaking, first cut yields this year are lower than previous years.
A quick calculation of the amount of fodder required in a normal winter, plus a 20% buffer minus the amount of fodder already secured, will identify the recommend amount of fodder needed in the yard ahead of this winter.
Planning carefully now will help avoid unforeseen feed shortages and reduce pressure on farmers in the lead-up to winter housing.
Farmers know all too well that it is better to have a little extra silage than to run short when it counts. As the old saying goes: ‘It’s better looking at it than looking for it’.
Now is the time to do a fodder budget and if farmers feel they may be short of feed for this winter, they should consider their options.
Plans could be made for a third cut if there is enough of a fertiliser allowance and the weather conditions are favourable.
Alternatively, farmers could look into sourcing silage off-farm or explore alternative feeds to fill the gap.
