Spring calving is well under way across the country, but the weather is proving to be far from ideal for slipping cows and calves out to grass in most regions.

Where turnout is delayed, stocking density in sheds will be increasing and space will be at a premium.

This means shed hygiene is crucial to avoid problems such as scour and coccidiosis.

Outlined are five tips for managing cows and newborn calves until animals can get out to grass.

1. Provide a clean, dry bedded creep area

Good shed hygiene is crucial to keep calves healthy.

Creep areas should be regularly bedded with straw to provide a dry lying space. This goes a long way to cutting down problems such as scour.

Calves should also have access to clean water, fodder and some concentrate in the creep pen to help with rumen development.

Having access to feed and water in the creep pen reduces the chance of calves being trampled by cows as they try to access fodder at the same feed barrier.

2. Cow hygiene

Shed hygiene is also important for cows. Keep slatted pens or straw bedded pens as clean and dry as possible.

Once cows move on to ad-lib high-quality silage, dung can become much looser and bedding is soiled at a faster rate.

For slats, running a hand scraper over pens daily can help prevent udders coming in contact with slurry, cutting the risk of mastitis.

Spreading hydrated lime in pens is also a good idea to improve hygiene, especially after cleaning out soiled bedding.

3. Restricting calves to twice-daily suckling

Restricting calves to sucking their dam twice daily helps cow fertility. But it also has a positive effect in reducing cow maintenance.

This means cows are more likely to maintain body condition post-calving. Silage intake tends to be reduced, helping to stretch fodder suppliers.

Over a short two- to three-week period, there is no negative impact on milk yield or calf performance when restricting calves to twice-a-day sucking.

Once cows go to grass, calves can be allowed to suck cows unrestricted.

Give calves access to the cows for an hour in the morning and again in the evening, before locking calves in the creep pens in between each feed.

4. Concentrates

Freshly calved cows have a growing requirement for energy, so supplementary concentrates should be offered to prevent a rapid loss of body condition and drive milk yield.

Offer cows on good silage around 2kg/day, rising to 3kg/day on average-quality fodder.

Once cows go to grass, meal can be removed from the diet.

5. Offer good-quality silage daily

By late March, reserves of good-quality silage will be running low.

As far as possible, only feed above-average- to good-quality silage (68 to 72 DMD) to freshly calved cows to drive milk production.

Silage should be offered daily to keep intakes high. Any rejected silage can be removed and offered to stores or dry cows on the point of calving.

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