Herd Tasks: Your weekly farming checklist
Stress Consider Reducing Caused It Stock To Housing Really Helps Pneumonia Heat And At The Incidence Of All The Of Clipping By Can Reduce Backs Aid
- Most stock are housed at this stage or will be very soon, so why not discuss the correct dosing and vaccination protocol for your herd with your vet? Ensure adequate ventilation to avoid sweating after housing. Avoid housing animals when they are wet if possible.
- If you haven’t got your silage tested do so ASAP. Silage quality is very variable from what I have tested.
- Consider clipping the backs of all stock at housing. It really helps to reduce stress caused by heat and can aid reducing the incidence of pneumonia. It is still really mild, so clipping backs and tails will be well worth the effort. It will also help if you are using a pour-on to dose the stock.
- Driving intake in fresh autumn-calvers must be your priority to boost milk and fertility performance. Fresh cows should be indoors full-time at this point, regardless of grass availability. It offers very little to fresh cows at this point. Consistent feeding indoors is the way to achieve this as we are now heading into November and AI season for Autumn 2025 calving will begin soon.
- Spring calvers with still 40 to 50 days of milking to do will also benefit from being in by night. It will mean they can stay out by the day for longer into the winter, where the grass is available and weather permits.
- If necessary, group spring calving dry cows according to Body Condition at housing and feed accordingly. Adjust condition soon after drying off and not as they are close to calving.
- Plan for scour vaccination for early calvers soon.
- Don’t stock pens too heavily to avoid bullying of fresh cows and injury to young calves. Keep newborn and their mothers in individual pens for as long as possible before introducing them to groups.
- Establish your silage quality for these animals and supplement sufficient protein to maintain growth targets. Many are behind target after a year of poor grass growth and will need to be pushed on once indoors.
