Getting ready for autumn calving dairy and suckler herds
A cow in the dry period is like an athlete in pre-season, and you must prepare the system for the season ahead, writes ruminant nutritionist Brian Reidy.
As we head for the end of July and into August, autumn-calving beef and dairy herds are gearing up for having calves on the ground soon.Â
Obviously, both systems will have slightly different management around this time, but the principles of both are still broadly similar. We need a healthy calf following an uneventful birth, a healthy cow that avoids metabolic issues and, above all, produces the required milk post-calving while going in calf again easily.
