Weaning of cows and calves began in Newford Farm last Thursday week.A batch of 21 cows and calves containing some first calves and thinner cows that will benefit from a period of grazing before housing for the winter were the first animals weaned.
Weaning of cows and calves began in Newford Farm last Thursday week.
A batch of 21 cows and calves containing some first calves and thinner cows that will benefit from a period of grazing before housing for the winter were the first animals weaned.
Indoors
Another batch of 22 cows rearing the strongest calves were housed last Thursday and are now close to being weaned.
Calves were receiving 1kg concentrates and creep grazing ahead of cows prior to weaning.
A batch will be brought indoors each week until the 100 cows are weaned.
The process is the same as in recent years, with cows and calves brought into the main slatted shed and separated into adjoining pens.
The cows with the oldest calves (pictured) and thin cows requiring preferential traetment have now been weaned.
Cows are offered straw and a small allocation of silage, while calves are offered ad-lib silage plus 2kg concentrates fed in troughs in the pen.
Farm manager Iarlaith Collins says weaning is going well
Animals housed on a Thursday are released to a holding yard two days later on Saturday morning and, after a final suck, are separated to two different sheds.
Cows have been offered straw ad-lib and an allocation of silage during weaning.
Calves remain indoors for another couple of days before being released back out to grass.
Farm manager Iarlaith Collins says weaning is going well, with cows and calves housed in dry conditions and calves settling quickly with no signs of any sickness.
Calves received a worm and fluke dose and pneumonia vaccine three weeks in advance of weaning, while the health risk of mastitis in cows is reduced by scraping down slats daily and applying a dusting of lime.
Finishing cattle
The 32 beef heifers housed a fortnight ago are on ad-lib silage and 5kg concentrates.
A draft will be drawn from these as soon as plants return to normal processing.
The 51 steers have returned to the Newford block to facilitate concentrate supplementation at grass.
They are currently receiving 3kg concentrates and, depending on weather and grass availability, may be built up to 5kg concentrates.
Grass growth has slipped to 38kg DM/ha on the Newford block and is marginally ahead of demand of 36kg DM/ha.
The final application of nitrogen (N) has taken place, with 1.5t of protected urea applied at a rate of 25 units N to ground earmarked for early grazing next spring.
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