Dairy
Over the next few weeks it is important to continually assess your dry cow management to ensure cows down at the correct BCS.
Body condition scoring (BCS) the herd now and over the winter is crucial for a successful dry period and a smooth calving next spring.
Farmers need to remember that an inadequate pre-calving diet during the dry period can have a drastic impact on calf health.
With November slipping through our fingers we will not feel it until the breeding season begins, meaning good BCS should be a priority.
Despite a lot of animals already housed for the winter, farmers should consider weighing young stock before fully housing the entire herd.
Over the coming weeks, farmers will using milk recording data to decided which cows to need to be dried off first.
As we approach the winter housing period, farmers must make spring calving heifers a priority to achieve the correct target weights.
As winter milking herds head into to the midst of calving, managing energy levels in freshly calved cows is crucial.
Beef
BCS is a vital aspect of today's farming, ensuring cows are meeting correct weight targets and getting sufficient energy levels.
Autumn calving may already have kicked off on some farms, but preparation will now be well underway...
At this stage of the lactation, as things quieten down, body condition scoring your herd should begin to commence.
With drying off for autumn calving herds set to take place in the next couple of weeks, the body condition score (BCS) of your herd will...
The use of a stock bull on dairy farms has died down substantially in recent years with the growth in artificial insemination (AI) year...
We are now into the middle of April which means cows are getting close to their peak milk production and grass intake can be put under...
Breeding season for herds calving down in late January is only a few weeks away and for many, they will be aiming for that first week of Feb..
Hopefully, for many farms, the end of the calving season is in their sights with a few late-calving cows yet to calve...
Now is the time to start your pre-breeding checks, as we are just four to five weeks away from the mating start date.
It is easy for farmers to take their eye off the ball in balancing their herd's diet and subsequently the herd's body condition score (BCS).
Negative energy balance (NEB) in freshly calved cows can be a concern as we are now only a matter of days away from the calving season....
The calving season is only a matter of weeks away and the risk of milk fever (hypocalcemia) and other metabolic issues will arise...
It can be argued that lameness is one of the main animal health and welfare issues on dairy farms and now that the busy calving season is...
With the calving season only a matter of weeks away, the preparation for ensuring the calf receives quality colostrum should start now...
As we enter into January and into a new year, the transition period for your cows will need to be managed as cows are going to be...
