The end of June and beginning of July on most spring-calving dairy farms is a quiet time of year.
Although there are always jobs to be done, there is often a lull in workload, with the breeding season nearly over.
This offers farmers a chance to get some jobs done ahead of housing this winter.
June to-do list
Some jobs to get ticked off the to-do list include power washing the cubicles and other housing areas for the cows.
It is important that the cubicle shed is cleaned ahead of the housing to reduce the amount of bacteria that is present.
A high level of hygiene is key during the housed period, in order to reduce the number of mastitis infections that are picked up by cows.
While cleaning the shed it is also a good idea to replace any damaged cubicle mats or any damaged cubicles.
It is always a good idea to get these jobs done now, well ahead of time, to prevent a last minute rush.
The drinkers should also be inspected and cleaned; they should remain clean until they are needed.
By being clean, this should stop any wildlife from using them and from possibly introducing a disease.
Infrastructure
Now is also a good time to look at making some improvements to infrastructure on the farm.
Although many will have placed large investments on hold due to increased costs, it is important that improvements are made.
These could include small upgrades to the milking parlour, fencing or roadways on farms.
Straw
It is never too early to begin planning for calving next spring, so now might be a good time to make contact with the tillage farmer you buy straw from too.
Although it may seem too early to start thinking about that yet, similar to livestock farmers, tillage farmers get busy during harvest – so making contact early will help with the acquisition of bales later in the year.