On some farms which are later calving, especially in the west, cows have been housed a number of months now. I was on a farm last week where cows have put on a lot of condition on ad-lib silage over the past four months indoors. Cows which are too tight in a slatted pen get very little exercise before calving and this can lead to calving issues. If these cows could have access to an open yard or loose shed before calving, it might help around calving time. Take note of the condition of your cows and incorporate some straw or hay into the diet if you think they are too fat.

Read more

How to conduct body condition scoring on suckler cows

Feeding the suckler cow for maximum breeding efficency

Beef managment: slurry values

Beef management: lime and fertiliser