Organise a milk recording ahead of drying off was the advice for farmers issued by Joris Somers, Tirlán’s veterinary advisor.
The three-day event, the National Ploughing Championships, is officially underway after a two-year absence due to theCovid-19 pandemic.
Crowds have been flocking to the Co. Laois site to see some of the latest developments in the agricultural sector.
Milk recording
Ahead of drying off cows on farms, Joris Somers has advised farmers to organise a milk recording for their herds.
With the new regulations now in place, farmers need to prove that an antibiotic is needed by cows.
Offering some advice to dairy farmers, Joris said: “We need evidence that a cow has mastitis or a high cell count to issue a prescription for antibiotics.
“The best thing farmers can do is book in a milk recording, if you haven’t completed one already.
“If you are routinely milk recording you have plenty of data there, but make sure you have another recording organised within 30 days of drying off.
“If the data is older than 30 days it loses its value,” he added.
Joris also advised farmers that have not been carrying out routine milk recording to organise one before the end of lactation, as this will give vets the information to justify a prescription for cows that require one.
He also said that this will set dairy farmers up well for continuing with milk recording next year, and will help track how good their dry-cow management has been.
Winter planning
Some other advice that Joris offered farmers was to ensure that they have all their winter accommodation ready for cows.
Check that your winter housing is clean and ready for cows he said, and that you have enough cubicle space for all cows.
Lameness was another area that Joris advised farmers to look at ahead of housing on farms.
Issues with lameness in the cubicle shed are often more difficult to deal with and can result in cows requiring a longer time to recover.