On some farms the housed period has already begun, but for others cows are still grazing and will hopefully be for a few weeks yet.
But housing of stock is getting close for everyone, and farmers need to be prepared for the complete housing of cows in the coming days and weeks.
Getting prepared now means that you are ahead of the game and when stock do have to be housed it should be a smooth transition.
Farm safety
As the night begins to close in and stock start to enter sheds, the workload on many farms is going to increase.
Much of the work on farms will now be completed when it is dark or when visibility is poor, so it is vital to check that lights in the sheds, milking parlours and around yards are all working and in good order.
Having light is important to ensure that work is completed in a safe manner on farms.
Any machinery that will be used for feeding stock should also be checked to ensure it is safe to operate and that there are lights working on it.
Housed period
Most dairy cows will be housed on cubicles during the winter period, and ensuring the bacterial load on these cubicles is low is vital.
Lime is an effective product to control bacteria on cubicles by increasing the pH of the cubicle-bed surface, which suppresses bacterial growth.
The recommended level of hydrated lime/cubicle is 170g twice daily.
You should also ensure that you have a hand scraper on hand; things can often go missing during the summer months so ensure that you have everything you need.
Many cows have already been in the shed due to recent weather conditions, but ensuring that hygiene standards are high is vital.
Cubicle shed
Dairy cows are going to be spending a number of months in cubicles over the winter months so it is important that it is a good environment.
Check that all the cubicle beds are in good order. Any that are damaged or worn should be repaired – as cows may not lie on them and if they did, cracks in the matts could be harbouring bacteria.
A final inspection of your scrapers should also be completed ahead of housing. If they are not functioning correctly there could be an increase in mastitis cases and or lameness issues.
Slurry is full of different bacteria and has the potential to cause a number of different types of mastitis along with issues with hoofs such as mortellaro.
Water supplies need to also be checked ahead of housing to ensure that cows have access to fresh clean water at all times.
Any other final repairs to feed barriers and gates should also be made over the coming days.