Now that Christmas is over and children are back in school the realisation is dawning on dairy farmers that the first of the calves are only a few weeks away. Those farming in the south will be calving a little bit earlier than those calving further north, where early to mid-February is the usual start time.
Now that Christmas is over and children are back in school the realisation is dawning on dairy farmers that the first of the calves are only a few weeks away.
Those farming in the south will be calving a little bit earlier than those calving further north, where early to mid-February is the usual start time.
A question for those that have already started calving is why? These cows are unlikely to see grass for at least another month meaning they’re already in a high-cost system.
Other than delivering a strong calf and milk in the tank, there’s little else of value to be got from calving this early.
Back to preparation, the following is a list of jobs that farmers will do as they get ready for the calving season;
Herds that are vaccinated for rota virus scour in calves should get cows vaccinated around three weeks before calving. Make sure that all calf-feeding utensils are clean and disinfected. Teats should be changed and buckets and feeders should be left to soak in water and disinfectant. Cows closest to calving should be grouped together, in a shed or part of the shed that is close to the calving facilities and where drafting cows is easy. Assess the yard and handling facilities for efficiency. Are there extra gates that could be erected to make moving and separating cows easier?Clean out water troughs and drinkers in the calf shed. Calves need access to clean water supplies. Assess roofs and shoots for leaks on a wet day. Go into the calf shed and calving shed on a wet day and looks for leaks in the roof. It’s amazing how wet one small hole in a roof will make a pen. Wet straw will lead to sick calves. Some farmers will use some of the downtime now to have pens bedded in all calf pens so there is one less job to do in February. Do as much farm administration now as possible. Tasks such as cash flow budgets and gathering information for the nitrates derogation and BISS applications can all be done in January. Now is a good time to pick both dairy and beef bulls for the 2024 breeding season. Do an opening grass walk and come up with a plan for where slurry is going to be spread. Adjust cow feeding times to a time that suits the farm, such as after breakfast or early afternoon. Try and get into a programme of feeding every two or three days, if possible.
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