Most Irish dairy cows moved to sheds in March – survey

The majority of Irish dairy farmers have returned their cattle to sheds in some form due to the wet weather experienced recently, a new survey has found. This is based on the latest Calving Insights Survey conducted by FRS Co-Op for the month of March. The survey found that, despite some spells of dry weather […] The post Most Irish dairy cows moved to sheds in March – survey appeared first on Agriland.ie .

7 April 2026 at 10:40 am

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The majority of Irish dairy farmers have returned their cattle to sheds in some form due to the wet weather experienced recently, according to a new survey. This finding is based on the latest Calving Insights Survey conducted by FRS Co-Op for the month of March. The survey revealed that, despite some spells of dry weather throughout March, Irish farms needed to take their cattle off the grazing platform before the end of the month. This trend was particularly noticeable on dairy farms where milking cattle were “cutting up the grass,” as reported in the March Calving Insights survey.

To address this situation, some farmers have adopted on-off grazing practices, returning their cattle to sheds at night or in some cases completely. FRS Managers and team leads working closely with farmers noted that many slurry storage issues were alleviated during the dry periods. However, farmers in wetter areas of the country are still grappling with slurry capacity challenges.

The survey also highlighted increased production costs for farmers this year. Respondents reported higher-than-expected expenses due to extra buffer feeding (such as silage and maize), additional meal being fed in the milking parlour, and more lime required for bedding in sheds. These costs were further compounded by higher-than-normal labour costs, as many farmers sought additional farmyard support during the prolonged period of adverse weather conditions.

With cattle spending more time indoors this spring, 23% of farms have experienced animal health issues. Pneumonia and milk scour have been identified as the two main health concerns on farms this season, but there has also been a rise in reported cases of milk fever and mastitis. In addition, more farmers have begun vaccinating for Bluetongue (BTV-3) due to growing industry-wide concerns about the viral disease.

The March Spring Calving survey from FRS Co-Op also showed that, on average, 85% of cows had now calved on farms by the end of March. Furthermore, approximately 98% of farms across the country had started calving by the end of the month. These findings underscore the challenges faced by Irish dairy farmers as they navigate the unique conditions of the current season, balancing the need to manage their herds while addressing both environmental and economic pressures.

Source: Agriland.ie

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