Brian Reidy: Animal health issues in cattle this December

For calves, I put a layer of dry wood chip up to the level of the pallets and straw on top of that.

We have experienced a pretty mild spell of weather recently, apart from Storm Darragh that is. 

While we have had some cold nights, the days have been pleasant up to the beginning of this week when the cold air has appeared. The significant change in temperatures when animals are housed always proves challenging. When this occurs there is generally an increase in reports of respiratory issues in all ages of cattle. It is so hard to get ventilation right in sheds. It is so dependent on the direction of the wind on any given day along with shelter from surrounding buildings etc. Too much shelter and you end up with stale air causing issues and too little shelter and you have a draught causing issues.