As April gets under way, spring calving will reach peak activity on suckler farms across the island of Ireland.
Keeping on top of key management tasks will play a big part in getting live calves on the ground. Outlined are five tasks to focus on during the calving period.
1 Hygiene in calving pens
When a calf is born, it has zero immunity, yet it will lie with its navel face down on bedding. If this bedding is wet and heavily soiled, the newborn animal will be exposed to disease straight after birth.
Clean calving pens go a long way to cutting down the transfer of disease to newborn calves, especially during the second half of the calving period.
If time is limited, then cleaning out calving pens after each use is not practical. As a compromise, calving pens should be cleaned out at least once per week.
Once soiled bedding has been removed, apply hydrated lime to the floor, walls and gates if there is no time to wash the pen. Finally, apply plenty of fresh straw.
If pens are not cleaned out at least once weekly, there will be a build-up of disease which can cause problems for calves born later.
2 Apply lime and fresh straw after every use
If pens cannot be cleaned out after every use, then they should at least get plenty of fresh bedding. The next cow to use the pen should always have a dry, clean area to lie in during calving. Applying lime between each use can also help to cut down disease build-up.
3 Minimise time spent in calving pens
To cut down on the amount of soiled bedding building up in calving pens, limit the amount of time cows are permitted in each box.
Cows should be moved to a larger loose pen as soon as you are confident the calf is sucking properly. Ideally, as ground conditions improve during April, turn cows out to a sheltered paddock as soon as possible.
4 Tag calves early and safely
Tagging calves is essential and should always be carried out in a safe manner. Cows can be temperamental just after calving as they look to protect their calf.
When tagging calves, restrain the cow if the calf cannot be safely isolated from its dam.
Record keeping is always easier when completed after each calving. Record all births as early as possible and send BVD tags away for testing.
5 Batch cows going to grass in breeding groups
For suckler farmers running cows in two or more breeding groups, it is a massive time-saving exercise to split cows as they go out to grass in April.
The most fertile cows will be the early calving animals and these make ideal herd replacements. As later-calving cows filter out to grass, they can be directed into a specific breeding group at turnout.
Doing this now saves time, double handling and double transport of cows later in May and June.
Read more
Raise the sheep margin by 18%
500,000 cattle mart movements on hold - €10 million loss in income for marts
As April gets under way, spring calving will reach peak activity on suckler farms across the island of Ireland.
Keeping on top of key management tasks will play a big part in getting live calves on the ground. Outlined are five tasks to focus on during the calving period.
1 Hygiene in calving pens
When a calf is born, it has zero immunity, yet it will lie with its navel face down on bedding. If this bedding is wet and heavily soiled, the newborn animal will be exposed to disease straight after birth.
Clean calving pens go a long way to cutting down the transfer of disease to newborn calves, especially during the second half of the calving period.
If time is limited, then cleaning out calving pens after each use is not practical. As a compromise, calving pens should be cleaned out at least once per week.
Once soiled bedding has been removed, apply hydrated lime to the floor, walls and gates if there is no time to wash the pen. Finally, apply plenty of fresh straw.
If pens are not cleaned out at least once weekly, there will be a build-up of disease which can cause problems for calves born later.
2 Apply lime and fresh straw after every use
If pens cannot be cleaned out after every use, then they should at least get plenty of fresh bedding. The next cow to use the pen should always have a dry, clean area to lie in during calving. Applying lime between each use can also help to cut down disease build-up.
3 Minimise time spent in calving pens
To cut down on the amount of soiled bedding building up in calving pens, limit the amount of time cows are permitted in each box.
Cows should be moved to a larger loose pen as soon as you are confident the calf is sucking properly. Ideally, as ground conditions improve during April, turn cows out to a sheltered paddock as soon as possible.
4 Tag calves early and safely
Tagging calves is essential and should always be carried out in a safe manner. Cows can be temperamental just after calving as they look to protect their calf.
When tagging calves, restrain the cow if the calf cannot be safely isolated from its dam.
Record keeping is always easier when completed after each calving. Record all births as early as possible and send BVD tags away for testing.
5 Batch cows going to grass in breeding groups
For suckler farmers running cows in two or more breeding groups, it is a massive time-saving exercise to split cows as they go out to grass in April.
The most fertile cows will be the early calving animals and these make ideal herd replacements. As later-calving cows filter out to grass, they can be directed into a specific breeding group at turnout.
Doing this now saves time, double handling and double transport of cows later in May and June.
Read more
Raise the sheep margin by 18%
500,000 cattle mart movements on hold - €10 million loss in income for marts
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