Calving is just around the corner for many farms, while the odd early arrival has landed on some.

A focus on compact calving on both suckler and dairy farms is beneficial in the long run, but there is a short-term pain with it to get so many calves safely on the ground in a short space of time.

Being well prepped ahead of the season will tip the scale in favour of being a success rather than a failure. Listed below are some of the key considerations around housing this spring.

Batching cows

Cows should be batched according to expected calving date, with any body condition score (BCS) issues hopefully rectified at this point.

It’s important to take note that if AI bulls were used as to which cows were served to short- or long-gestation bulls, as the difference could be up to two weeks for cows served on the same day.

Ideally, cows close to calving should be penned in group pens on straw.

Anecdotal evidence would suggest that group penning will result in cows calving in unison, with the sight of calving prompting other cows to begin the process of calving.

Group, as opposed to individual, penning will also reduce labour and straw usage, with individual penning to be used post-calving.

Straw usage

Straw should not be spared when it comes to calving and frequent replenishment of bedding should be carried out.

The worst of wet or soiled straw can be removed daily and, at a minimum, calving pens should be cleaned out after every second cow and ideally after each individual cow.

A feed area can be created at the barrier, which is not bedded, to reduce straw usage. This area can be scraped daily into a tank or carted away.

Using a 9’’ timber bolted or slotted into the ground will keep the feed and bedded areas separate. Where space is tight, a timber slotted into the floor that can be removed is likely a better option.

Disinfecting

Lime is a familiar scene around many farms and remains a farmer favourite when it comes to disinfecting pens and cubicles. Dust masks and gloves should be worn when applying lime for the farmers' health.

Calving pens should be limed after each use. Where pens are not cleaned out in between cows, ample lime and a new layer of straw should be used.

Even where pens have been cleaned out and power washed since last summer, it is worth applying a dusting of lime, as bird faeces can harbour some diseases.

The final checks

Check that water is flowing to water troughs and that floats are correctly set and freely moving.

All gates should be latching securely and swinging freely. Effluent channels should be clean and directed toward a suitable effluent tank.

Any machinery or stored items should be moved out of calving areas and pens limed and bedded up, awaiting the first batch of cows.