Farms that have lost power after the most recent storm and are milking cows will be looking for supplies to be restored urgently.

If you have or can borrow a generator, milking times should not be too adversely affected. Milking once a day until power returns is one option.

Remember, you don’t just need power for milking, it is needed for milk cooling too so factor this in when using a generator.

For those without power and without access to a generator who have cows to milk, don’t panic. Research from New Zealand on cows in mid-lactation that weren’t milked for up to a week (to mimic what could happen in an earthquake scenario) went back to near full production very quickly after milking resumed.

The big downside was that SCC rose very high and the longer cows went without milking the higher it went and the longer it took to fall.

The big lesson is that for those who milk over the winter, a generator is an essential piece of kit.

Be careful when assessing buildings and trees for storm damage. If damage has been done, contact your insurance company. Some farmers use an assessor to handle the claim on their behalf.

Dairy management: rotavirus vaccination

Dairy management: importance of a profit monitor

Dairy management: storm damage

This week Aidan Brennan looks at assessing damage caused by the most recent storm, what to look at in the profit monitor and says now is the time to give the rota virus vaccine.