Dairy
Results of a grazing experiment completed in Teagasc showed a good milk and BCS response to feeding 3kg of concentrate in early spring.
Cryptosporidiosis is the leading cause of scour in young calves and its prevalence is becoming more common on Irish dairy farms.
With milder conditions in store for this week, farmers should consider turning out some older calves to grass.
Make sure that the lightest replacement heifers have priority access to the best grass, as they have the most ground to make up.
Currently calf registration are 44,166 ahead of last year's figure, with a total of 996,574 calves registered since the start of 2021.
Examining your spreader, and ensuring it is set-up correctly, will mean that fertiliser is spread as effectively and efficiently as possible.
Infected calves excrete large amounts of eggs which, in turn, contaminate the environment and lead to the rapid spread of the disease.
Dairy calf exports have fallen significantly behind this year in comparison to the same period last year, according to Bord Bia.
Dairy calf exports are significantly ahead this year in comparison to the same period as last year, according to Bord Bia figures.
The weather seen in early February mean the vast majority of farmers did not manage to reach the target of 30% of the farm grazed by March 1.
On a recent Teagasc webinar, Donal Patton a dairy research technologist, based in Teagasc Ballyhaise outlined the practicalities of spring grazing.
Beef
The recent heavy rainfalls and reduced lengthy dry spells has left land that more challenging for farmers to start grazing cows or weanlings.
The busy spring period increases the workload for farmers and this increases the likely hood of an accident on the farm.
BCS loss is due to cows entering a negative energy balance post-calving; as a cow’s dry matter intake fails to meet her energy requirements.
This year’s calves will be your future milk producers of your herd; so it is paramount that heifers get the best start in life.
Dr. Milnes outlines the benefits of ensuring calves are fed adequate amounts of milk during the pre-weaning stage.
For Irish dairy farmers, grazing grass represents our greatest advantage in livestock and milk production.
The half a million mark has been broken, with a total of 536,278 calves being registered since the beginning of the year.
Not only does colostrum provide nutrition to the calf, it’s also a source of maternal antibodies that protect the calf against infections.
With the number of calves on dairy farms across the country beginning to grow, so does the risk of a scour outbreak.
If you suspect any cows have been milked into the bulk tank by mistake, notify your processor immediately.
The transition period post-calving is when animals are most susceptible to metabolic disorders such as grass tetany/hypomagnesaemia.
As farms get busier, sick/weak calves can slip through the cracks and are only picked up on when it is too late.
