Dairy
With growth rates taking off and cows thriving, it may be time to consider reducing the amount of concentrates fed in the diet.
A lot of heifer calves will be approaching 10-12 weeks-of-age, meaning that they should be strong enough to be completely weaned off milk.
January and early February-born calves may be ready to switch from starter ration to concentrates, but how to best manage the transition?
Calves should be introduced to starter ration or concentrates from around three days-of-age to aid rumen development.
It is important to ensure you have enough supplies to keep the herd going over the Christmas period...
With the majority of calves now on the ground for winter milking herds, calibrating the feeders in the parlour should be a priority.
With winter milking being a costly system, ensuring you formulate the appropriate diet is essential in boosting margins.
As grass growth rates take off, averaging at around 70kg of dry matter (DM)/ha/day, overfeeding is costly and slowing up the rotation.
Many calves will be approaching eight weeks of age in the coming days and weeks, which means their gradual weaning will be set to commence.
Grass growth is gradually improving with milder and damper conditions in store, but many farmers...
N.Ireland
At this time of year, the question often arises as to what percentage of crude protein should be in the dairy nuts you are using?
January is an important time to assess remaining winter feed stocks, and particularly following the...
For many dairy herds across the country, the summer has been challenging to say the least, as...
Most dairy farms are now well into calving. With a good number of cows calved, an important job to...
There is now growing concern on many dairy farms across Northern Ireland that silage stocks are...
Rumen development is a vital part of the development of young calves, and should begin from day one. Young calves are born without a function
Mycotoxins are natural substances produced by moulds and fungi. They cannot be seen with the naked eye, and they cannot be tasted
Sheep
As farmers move towards bought-in concentrates over the winter, sheep farmers should take a closer look at the growth of their lambs.
Having good feed efficiency is key to achieving profitable milk production during the winter period from autumn-calving cows.
