This is due to rising temperatures and a rising plane of nutrition. After weaning, cows should be on a restricted diet for two to three weeks to reduce problems. Where these cows are out at grass, take care to restrict intakes and avoid grazing lush pasture with them. They are an ideal group of stock to follow a group of young stock cleaning out paddocks and grazing them bare. Fly activity is low but with warm moist conditions forecast, numbers will quickly grow.

Stockholm tar can be used on cows’ teats but needs to be applied quite often to make it work. Fly tags can be inserted into ears to repel flies and some farmers find garlic licks can help reduce fly activity. Dry cows should be kept away from sheltered areas where there are high concentrations of flies. Any cows showing signs of mastitis should be removed from the group and treated to prevent the spread to other animals in the group.

Summer mastitis: symptoms, treatment and prevention

Weanling series: management of the suckler cow after weaning

Beef management: getting your ANC payment

Beef management: getting ready for silage

Beef management: summer mastitis

Autumn-calving cows which have had calves weaned in recent weeks are at an increased risk of getting summer mastitis.