Grazing
Grazing conditions have deteriorated on heavy farms across the country, especially in the north and northwest. Some farmers in Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan this week, have chosen to house to avoid excessive damage.
Autumn-calving cows are probably the most suitable stock to house. Although showers are forecast to be less frequent over the next few days, management is key to avoiding excessive damage. Be very careful if housing cows and calves and try to house on a dry day if possible. Keep a close watch on calves that are housed for signs of pneumonia and make sure there is adequate ventilation in the shed. Keep doors open if you have to. Avoid stressing cattle too much during these periods of poor grazing conditions as stress could bring on issues like pneumonia or tetany.
Where cows need to be housed, keep calves grazing if you can via a creep gate in shed or paddock around the yard. If cows and calves have to be housed, try to offer the calves meal in creep areas. Allocating a fresh strip for grazing on a 12-hour or 24-hour basis during wet weather and moving cattle on before damage occurs is the best approach.
Where ground is not grazed off properly, these areas can be re-grazed if the weather improves in the coming weeks. Where creep-feeding of calves or feeding finishing cattle is taking place, moving troughs daily is essential to reduce poaching around feeding points. Putting up a back fence will also help reduce damage. Standing off cows on roadways for a few hours may also be an option on some farms.
Tetany
There was a case of tetany in a March-calving cow on Tullamore Farm this week. Speaking to a few vets, the recent wet weather seems to have brought a spike in cases. Suckler cows have a poor capability of storing magnesium in their bodies and need a daily supply to prevent deficiency. It is common with suckler cows when they are grazing very bare, as well as lush pastures. This grass is frequently low in Mg due to quick growth and heavy slurry spreading, which is high in potassium and can have a negative effect on Mg uptake. It can be associated with stress like transport, wet weather, cows in heat or changes in diet or pasture. Ways of controlling or preventing grass tetany include:
Feeding high Mg concentrates.The addition of Mg to the drinking water (this can be questionable in periods of wet weather).Buffer feeding with hay or straw.Giving free access to high-Mg minerals, either by way of powder mineral or mineral licks.The use of magnesium bullets — at least two bullets/boluses should be used per cow which will release Mg at a controlled rate each day for four to six weeks.Cattle handling and safety
With cattle being handled a lot over the next two months for dosing, weighing and weaning, take care around the yard. Make sure facilities are up to standard and you have an escape route planned out of the yard and crush area if anything happens. Try to cull any repeat offenders. One wild animal can make a group of cattle very nervous.
Grazing
Grazing conditions have deteriorated on heavy farms across the country, especially in the north and northwest. Some farmers in Cavan, Leitrim and Monaghan this week, have chosen to house to avoid excessive damage.
Autumn-calving cows are probably the most suitable stock to house. Although showers are forecast to be less frequent over the next few days, management is key to avoiding excessive damage. Be very careful if housing cows and calves and try to house on a dry day if possible. Keep a close watch on calves that are housed for signs of pneumonia and make sure there is adequate ventilation in the shed. Keep doors open if you have to. Avoid stressing cattle too much during these periods of poor grazing conditions as stress could bring on issues like pneumonia or tetany.
Where cows need to be housed, keep calves grazing if you can via a creep gate in shed or paddock around the yard. If cows and calves have to be housed, try to offer the calves meal in creep areas. Allocating a fresh strip for grazing on a 12-hour or 24-hour basis during wet weather and moving cattle on before damage occurs is the best approach.
Where ground is not grazed off properly, these areas can be re-grazed if the weather improves in the coming weeks. Where creep-feeding of calves or feeding finishing cattle is taking place, moving troughs daily is essential to reduce poaching around feeding points. Putting up a back fence will also help reduce damage. Standing off cows on roadways for a few hours may also be an option on some farms.
Tetany
There was a case of tetany in a March-calving cow on Tullamore Farm this week. Speaking to a few vets, the recent wet weather seems to have brought a spike in cases. Suckler cows have a poor capability of storing magnesium in their bodies and need a daily supply to prevent deficiency. It is common with suckler cows when they are grazing very bare, as well as lush pastures. This grass is frequently low in Mg due to quick growth and heavy slurry spreading, which is high in potassium and can have a negative effect on Mg uptake. It can be associated with stress like transport, wet weather, cows in heat or changes in diet or pasture. Ways of controlling or preventing grass tetany include:
Feeding high Mg concentrates.The addition of Mg to the drinking water (this can be questionable in periods of wet weather).Buffer feeding with hay or straw.Giving free access to high-Mg minerals, either by way of powder mineral or mineral licks.The use of magnesium bullets — at least two bullets/boluses should be used per cow which will release Mg at a controlled rate each day for four to six weeks.Cattle handling and safety
With cattle being handled a lot over the next two months for dosing, weighing and weaning, take care around the yard. Make sure facilities are up to standard and you have an escape route planned out of the yard and crush area if anything happens. Try to cull any repeat offenders. One wild animal can make a group of cattle very nervous.
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