Dairy - Grass Watch

It's not often you hear a farmer coming out of a meeting at 11 o' Clock in April and say, 'Thanks be to god it's still raining'. There are two other quotes, which I will share with you that sum up the thoughts many farmers have this week. The first said with the soil temperatures this week "rain is like pouring petrol on a fire''. The other man said, "If Carlsberg did growth rates they would do it like this week.'' Read GrassWatch to see how farmers are managing grass. Some farmers are using the chance of softer ground to roll the silage ground. If you have closed a reseeded paddock or a paddock damaged from grazing then it is advisable to roll it.

Bulling started down south

Bulling has started on many of the farms down south. Try and keep the workload as simple as possible. Bringing the heifers home to a paddock for two weeks should be possible for most farmers now especially as growth rates have taken off. Some farmers will put a bullock or two in with the heifers to liven things up a little.

If they are on outside farm then you can watch for the first six days and then inject PG on day six to try and bring the rest into heat. If you are using a stock bull on heifers make sure he is working. Watch his movements and record dates so that you can see if he is doing the job properly. Tail paint is the key. Keep the cows topped up. Use strong colours like red and blue. Paint will help dispel any doubts. If doubtful present her for AI and the inseminator won't be long about telling you. Use your records to help you make the decision. Put the chart up in the dairy and keep the dates updated. This will help you in three weeks time when you have to start checking what cows have not been served.

Bulling maiden heifers

To try and achieve the best genetic gain for fertility and milk solids then you need to breed your highest merit stock, usually your maiden heifers to the best available easy calving EBI bulls. The two absolute requirements for maiden heifers are easy calving and short gestation. If a heifer starts out calving late it is hard to bring her back. Please don't wait 3-6 weeks so that she is 20-40kg heavier. The chances are that you are actually reducing her chance of survival in the herd.

Milk fever and last cows

Milk fever in last few cows due to calve was a problem for two farmers this week. He had the last 10 cows out in a paddock near the parlour. Dust with Cal Mag dust, lock into a corner of field on silage or hay, or inject with D3 if within 10 days of calving.

Dehorn the calves

Don't let the calves out before dehorning. If you do then it is likely they will come back in and have horns too big for the gas burner. Get them done earlier rather than later. It's much easier all round.

Rolling reseed

You might get a chance to roll reseeds after they have become established if they are strong enough.