Winter preparations are well underway on farms to ensure that the housed period is successful.
To ensure the housed period is successful on farms, some supplies are needed, and management practices need to implemented.
With many herds using selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) for the first time this year, hygiene standards need to be better than ever before.
Lime
The majority of cows will be housed on cubicles over the winter months, so lime is going to be very important on farms.
Lime is an effective product to control bacteria on the cubicles by increasing the pH of the cubicle bed surface, which suppresses bacterial growth.
The recommended level of hydrated lime/cubicle is 170g twice daily.
You should also ensure that you have a hand scraper on hand; things can often go missing during the summer months so ensure that you have everything you need.
Winter preparations
You should also make the final checks around the shed to ensure that all repairs have been made.
Check that all the troughs have been cleaned out and are working too.
Most farmers will have a supply of spare parts on hand, but it may be a good idea to look at what parts are needed and purchase anything that you may be missing.
You should also check all the cow mats again and that all the automatic scrapers are working.
Anything that needs work done should be completed before cows are housed, as it will be far easier without cows being in the shed.
Dry cow tubes
The drying-off of cows is approaching so farmers should be discussing drying-off protocol with their vets.
Many of the cows that selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) can be used on should already have been selected at this stage.
Cows that require an antibiotic should also have been selected, and cows with clinical cases of mastitis should have samples taken so the bacteria which is at fault can be identified.
This means that the antibiotics that works best against the bacteria can be used to treat the cow.
So now maybe be a good time to sit down with your vet and develop a plan of which cows require certain treatments in the coming weeks.
It may also be a good time to order or source wipes and other supplies that are needed for drying off cows.
One handy piece of equipment that farmers may need is a headlamp, which can be very useful when drying off cows.