TIPS FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2014
01 Aug 20141. Scan your cows after the last AI or the bulls have been removed.
2. Check health status in your herd; IBR, Johnes’ disease, Liver & Stomach fluke, worms.
3. Ensure your weanling and maiden heifers are achieving target weights. Late calves may need to be isolated to get supplementary feeding if they are to be fit for breeding next year.
4. Watch your quota situation. Breeding programmes for grass based Spring calving are now complete. Identify empty cows by scanning and remove from the herd if over quota. Identify pregnant cows which are in poor condition score and those cows carrying twins. Dry these cows off early to enable build of BCS and reduce superlevy risk.
5. Plan your future expansion in dairy carefully. Will farm fragmentation, labour, cost of investment be limiting factors?