It is now time to start looking at the sheds that will be used for housing livestock over the winter months to ensure they are ready.
The heavy rain over the last numbers of weeks almost forced some farmers to house cows, while for others cow were housed for a short period.
But it also shifts your mind towards when cows will have to be housed and ensuring that you are ready for when this happens.
Cubicles
A vital component of a dairy farm is the winter accommodation, it can have a major impact on the quality of milk delivered the following lactation.
It is important that prior to housing that all the cubicles within the shed are inspected to ensure that none are damaged or broken.
Any matts that are damaged or cracked should be replaced, these cracks can harbour bacteria that can then cause mastitis.
You should also be inspecting any of the steel cubicles to look for damage, if they are damaged you need to repair or replace them.
A damaged cubicle will be much harder to repair when cows are in the shed or it could possible injure a cow.
Water
Before housing you should also be checking the water troughs to ensure that they are firstly all still working and secondly to see if they need to be cleaned before cows go in.
Again any repairs that need to be made should be done before cows enter the shed.
You should also be checking the feed barriers and gate to make sure that none of them are damaged and that they are working properly.
Any upgrades should also be completed in the coming weeks, such as rubber matting or replacement of water troughs.
Sheds
The heavy rain over the recent days may have also shown any issues that there may be with the roof of the cubicle shed.
Holes in the roof could increase the moisture level in the shed or on the cubicle matt and help with the spread of bacteria.
Blocked or damaged gutter could also cause a similar issue, so you should be looking to make an necessary repairs prior to housing.
If roof repairs are need you should insure that is done using the correct safety equipment and only when someone else is present.
For these jobs it may be better to call in someone that does repairs rather than taking the risk yourself.