Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Assess forage stocks to make sure you have enough for the rest of the winter and build in an extra three to four weeks to cater for a bad spring.
- Assess forage stocks to make sure you have enough for the rest of the winter and build in an extra three to four weeks to cater for a bad spring.
- Recent surveys have suggested that up to 33% of farms may be short of forage, so it is no harm to double-check your stocks.
- For Autumn calving Dairy & Suckler herds, breeding continues, and scanning of early-bred cows should be considered to establish if there are any hidden issues before it is too late.
- Dry cows need a targeted diet to prepare them correctly for their working year. A quality dry cow mineral is essential.
- Feed a little concentrate to dry cows to prepare the rumen bugs for the future lactation, but do not feed the milker's diet to cows pre-calving.
- Prepare well for calf-rearing by having your milk powder picked out and decide what concentrate you will be feeding. See this week's Herd Notes for advice on selecting the right one for you.
- A good quality coarse crunch/muesli should be used when introducing calves to concentrates.
- Check that your dry cow mineral is the right one for your farm.
- Get calves off to the best possible start with a good supply of colostrum.
- Lazy drinkers should be stomach-tubed, if necessary, within the first six hours.
- If you have vaccinated cows, then the full benefit will not be transferred to the calves if sufficient colostrum is not consumed.
- Don’t stock pens too heavily to avoid bullying of fresh cows and injury to calves.
- Supplement with sufficient protein to balance available silage all the way to turnout.
- Underfed replacement heifers may not reach puberty in time for breeding.
