Slurry

The slurry season opens up again next week in Zones A and B. Zone A opens up on Saturday, 13 January, Zone B opens up on Tuesday, 16 January and Zone C, which includes counties Donegal, Leitrim, Cavan and Monaghan, doesn’t open up until Thursday 1 February.

Under cross compliance rules, if land is waterlogged or heavy rain is forecast slurry can’t be spread. Aim slurry for silage fields and fields that are low in P and K – don’t keep spreading it on the field closest to the yard.

Mix tanks well, don’t be tempted to just take the water. Aim to agitate tanks on a windy day and try to make sure sheds have no cattle in them when agitating. Keep safety to the front of your mind when working with slurry. Never enter a shed while agitating.

Cold weather management

With very cold temperatures this week and more heavy frost forecast for the weekend, it’s important to be prepared for no water in yards. It’s critical that animals being fed ad-lib meal have access to sufficient water supplies.

A good idea is to fill a few barrels or IBC tanks with water in advance of frost so you can use them if the yard freezes up.

Make sure all the farm vehicles have antifreeze in them and take care for any slips or falls around yard areas on frosty mornings. Those feeding forage crops need to be very careful during the cold snap.

Frost causes higher nitrate levels in the plant, and this can lead to poisoning if animals are allowed graze frozen crops. The best way to avoid this happening is to move the fence when frost has cleared at midday or afternoon.

If the frost lingers all day you will have no option but to remove access to crop and feed hay or silage for a few days until frost lifts. See this week’s beef page for more tips and advice on dealing with the bad weather.

Castration

I have had a few queries about castrating dairy beef bull calves. One question was whether to do them in a shed or leave them until they are turned out. Exercise is important after castration to help alleviate the swelling, so I would say leave them until turnout at this stage.

Lying on slats after castration isn’t the best option. The younger they are done the better. Where castration is to be carried out on-farm without an anaesthetic, it needs to be completed before the animal reaches six months of age.

Vets are now recommending the use of a painkiller for a procedure like this. It will help reduce pain and stress.

If you are planning to castrate male animals in the next couple of weeks, one of the first steps is to ensure that they have received a clostridial vaccine, and that it covers tetanus.

The primary course and booster vaccine should be given four to six weeks apart. If using a burdizzo, it is advisable to crush the spermatic cord twice, one below the other for 10 seconds each time.

Completing this job well in advance of weaning will also decrease the amount of stress put on the animal at the same time. Monitor animals after castration for signs of swelling, and watch for animals lying on their own and not eating.