Early spring-calving suckler herds are only a few weeks from calving in 2017. Preparation, organisation, planning and good stockmanship are all key management skills needed at calving time.

It is recommended that suckler farms should have at least one calving box per 10 cows. This is why the cow and calf only remain in the box for one to two days. If there is a tight calving spread more calving pens will be needed. The boxes should be at least 3.6m by 4m in area. Having a calving gate greatly eases management and is almost a must if a C-section is needed. Having a hot water supply close to the calving pens is also very useful if needed in a hurry. Calving pens should be thoroughly cleaned, power washed and disinfected before use.

Straw

Don’t skimp on straw around calving time, it’s very important that calves have a clean, dry bed in their first days of life. Check the availability of basic calving equipment. Things like disposable gloves for handling cows, spare calving ropes, iodine solution to treat navels, a clean calving jack that is not worn or liable to slip, lubricant, electrolyte powders for scour treatment and a clean stomach tube. Frozen colostrum is a good insurance policy where there is inadequate supply or for the 4am calving.

Good-quality minerals should be fed to dry cows for a minimum of six weeks pre-calving. Take care with Body Condition Score and avoid having animals too fat at calving. Equally important is the time of restriction – cows shouldn’t be restricted too much coming close to calving. Some farmers have achieved very good results by feeding 0.5kg of soya daily, around two to three weeks before calving. This increases protein level in the diet and ensures a good supply of good-quality colostrum at calving. Clipping cows’ tails before calving is also good practice and reduces the chances of dirty udders and the calf ingesting faecal material.

Read more

New calving unit in Monaghan

Stretching straw supplies this winter