With an ever-greater focus from milk processors to flatten their milk profile through additional bonuses for autumn & winter milk the effective management of cows calving in the weeks ahead has never been more important. The over-arching objective is to get cows achieving optimal milk output as soon as possible after calving whilst maintaining high […]
Category: Dry Cow
The autumn of 2023 is just around the corner
Recent years have seen a growing number of dairy farmers in Northern Ireland focus on a more compact autumn/early winter calving season with a significant proportion of their herds. The theory behind this approach is a simple one. A greater proportion of the milk produced is eligible for the winter milk bonuses on offer from […]
Pre-calver technical notes
Managing the dry period correctly lays a strong foundation for a successful lactation. Follow our traffic light system for management and feeding tips depending on when your cows are due to calve. For more information read our Pre-Calver guide or contact your local adviser
Fertility management kicks-in when the cow is dried-off
According to United Feeds’ nutritionist Andrew Fyffe, effective dry cow management has a crucial bearing on two fundamental aspects of dairying performance: the ability of the cow to have a successful lactation after calving and her subsequent fertility performance. Body Condition Score is the key driver in both cases. From a management point of view, […]
Effective grassland management is now a year-round commitment
By Alan Boyd – Ruminant Nutrition Adviser For the most part, autumn calving cows were dried off in good condition this year. This meant that milk producers had little trouble in making sure cows were holding at a body condition score of between 2.75 and 3.0 prior to calving. Post calving, however, a significant number […]
Preparing for a new period of autumn calving
Antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance are key concerns at the present time. With good pre-calving management, I believe we can significantly reduce the need for antibiotics this winter in both the milking herd, particularly in the first 100 days of lactation, and in the rearing of their calves. Before we start we need to analyse […]