Winter preparation of animals’ housing is not a job most farmers enjoy completing, mainly because it means that animals will be housed soon.
The housed period is fast approaching on farms and now is a relatively quiet time of year for most spring-calving herds.
Similarly, it is quiet on most autumn-calving herds where the calving season has not kicked off yet.
Winter preparation
This time of year gives farmers a good opportunity to prepare the environment in which their cows will spend the housed period.
Good hygiene standards should be maintained throughout the year within the milking parlour and cubicle sheds to prevent the spread of mastitis.
You should complete an assessment of the sheds in which cows will be housed and make a list of repairs/upgrades that may be required.
Dampness entering the shed through a hole in the roof can make it more difficult to keep cubicles clean, which can increase mastitis cases from the dry period.
Checklist
Animal Health Ireland (AHI) has developed a checklist to help get sheds winter-ready:
- Powerwash and disinfect cubicles, calving and feeding areas;
- Have you enough cubicles (at least one per cow)? Can suitable alternative housing arrangements be made? If not, should you be looking for alternative accommodation for some cows?;
- Service automatic scrapers and check if there are areas that may benefit from a new scraper being fitted?;
- Fix any leaking water troughs, broken cubicles, damaged mats or broken gutters;
- Are all drains working? Are new or additional drains needed in areas where water or muck gathers and is not freely getting away;
- Check all lights are working both inside and outside sheds to make it easier and safer to move and monitor cows;
- Maintenance – do you need to replace gates or repair feeding barriers or other areas of the shed? Currently there is a delay in getting building materials, so you may need to plan well ahead;
- Make a list of items that need to be ordered – lime, pre-calving minerals, teat sealer, vaccines – again there may be delays for various reasons so avoid leaving this until the last minute.