Grass swards and soils have taken a real battering over the last nine months

But the fields have taken a real battering on the back of the almost continuous rain that has fallen in this part of the world since last July.

It won’t come as a shock to learn that trace mineral and vitamin levels in grasses are currently well below where they should be. This is a direct consequence of the soil leaching effects, created by the heavy trains. And it will take some time for these micronutrients to re-balance themselves.

But every cloud has a silver lining. This year’s delayed turnout is giving farms that additional opportunity to ensure that store cattle get a much-needed mineral and vitamin boost before they, finally, get out to grass.

Forage stocks have been tight on many farms over the past few weeks, an added challenge given the generally poor quality of the silages made last year across Northern Ireland.

“It’s, therefore, important that store animals make best use of grass as soon as they get out to the fields,” explained Paul Elwood, from HVS Animal Health.

“Grazing paddocks are in an equally challenging state at the present time. It is the mineral and vitamin reserves in grazed grass that help deliver the much heralded compensatory growth achieved by young stock in the weeks directly after turnout.

“But if these nutrients are in short supply, which is the case at the present time, cattle will not thrive.

“However, drenching store animals with Liquid Gold Cattle directly prior to turnout will help to restore this imbalance.”

According to Paul, drenching stock with Liquid Gold Cattle prior to turnout will deliver an extra 9.9kg of live weight over a 54 day period.

He added: “This figure rises to 20.4kg over 104 days. The cost of securing these enhanced growth rates works out at £3.20/head. This is based on a Liquid Gold cattle drench rate of 60ml per animal.”

Paul Elwood continued: “The price of a good quality cattle grower ration is currently in the region of £350/t. So for the price of approximately 9kg of meal, farmers can secure a more significant growth rate bonus by investing in Liquid Gold Cattle.”

Paul confirmed a strong demand for the Liquid Gold range at the present time.

He commented: “Liquid Gold Cattle is the only product of its kind in which essential trace elements, including iron, copper, zinc and manganese, are included solely in their chelated form.

“It also contains nucleotides, which act to increase red blood cell numbers, a key factor in determining animals’ ability to grow.”