As dry weather continues to impact many counties, particularly in the east and southeast, a lot of farms are now feeding cows inside, either before or after milking. This causes issues such as fighting, slippages and mastitis cases.

It’s hard to avoid these problems unless there is a way of feeding cows in the field. There are some farms doing so, but it’s labour-intensive unless there is a diet feeder or some other form of machinery on the farm to do it.

Talking to farmers, mastitis and cell count still seem to be issues, even on those farms feeding in the field. Cows are lying up on any feed that’s not eaten and lying in areas that have been dirtied at feeding.

All that can be done over the next couple of weeks is to ensure there is plenty of feed space and that cows are well sprayed leaving the parlour after milking. Feeding before milking is probably the best option if space allows, as the cows teats are closed and the risk of bacteria getting into the teat canal is lower.

If cell count is rising, identify the problem animals as soon as possible which probably means stripping the herd. E.Coli is also very prevalent at the moment so, sick cows will require immediate treatment.

Worms

Another big issue at the moment is stomach and lungworm. The risk period for worms is greatest in late July and early August and has been exacerbated by the recent warm weather, followed by bouts of rain.

Youngstock in particular are at risk as they have no immunity built up yet. If animals are coughing, there is already a worm issue and they should be dosed ASAP.

When cattle are dosed for lungworm, the rapid death of worms can cause inflammation in the cattle’s lungs and as a result, the condition of those cattle can worsen before it starts to improve.

This in-between period leaves animals exposed to secondary infections like pneumonia.

Watch animals carefully after dosing and get the vet to intervene if they are getting worse.

Workload

There’s no doubt that farmers in certain parts of the country are running out of patience and energy. The weather, and the extra workload it creates, is taking its toll and it’s not being helped by milk price.

If possible, get a few days away from the farm to try to break the cycle of negativity and avoid mental burn-out.

The resilience and efforts of all farmers at the moment are to be commended. Hopefully the rain is not too far away for those who need it and fingers crossed we’ll be set for a more positive back end.