It’s been a rough couple of weeks in terms of the weather, with many farmers forced to house stock for the winter last month.
On-off grazing is being widely used on dairy farms across the country, with cows spending more time in the sheds, as the wet weather plays havoc on ground conditions.
Many will be hoping to keep cows out for a bit longer, while others have housed for good for the winter.
For many, weanling heifers are still out on grass, as they are likely to do the least damage in comparison to heavy stock. However, housing is not far away and consideration needs to be given to these cattle over the coming months.
Winter management of replacement heifers is crucial to weight gain achieved. A liveweight gain of at least 0.5kg/day and 0.7kg/day are required for on-target and lighter heifers over the winter period.
It is recommended – once housed – that heifers should be fed according to the quality of the silage being offered and also their liveweight.
So, if you are feeding silage of 67% dry matter digestibility (DMD) it is advised to feed lighter heifers 1.5kg to 2kg of concentrates; but reduce this by 1kg/day if silage is 5% higher in DMD and if heifers are on, or above, target weight.
Teagasc also recommends that 0.3m (1ft) of feeding space be afforded per heifer – especially for lighter heifers – as performance will be reduced otherwise. Furthermore, they should be treated for parasites shortly after housing.
Lastly, when the time comes next spring, plan to turn the lighter heifers out to grass in early February. Heifers will gain 1kg/day on spring grass alone, or on a combination of grass and meals if grass is scarce.