Slurry safety

With lots of slurry on the move this week after silage has been cut on farms, it’s important to be vigilant to the dangers around slurry spreading and handling. Always use outdoor agitation points where possible and never enter a shed when slurry is being agitated. Open all doors and outlets to achieve a draft. One lungful of slurry gas can kill. Let someone know that you are agitating and keep children out of the yard when slurry is being agitated and spread. Make sure that all tanks are closed after slurry spreading and the yard is left safe.

Grass Quality

Grazing fields have started to head out on many farms around the country and grass has become stemmy. This grass has a much lower feeding value and will just keep animals full and they won’t put on weight. Topping will be necessary to get these fields back into quality grazing. Make sure to cut low enough. A disc mower is the ideal machine for the job. Topping too high will only increase the amount of stem in the sward and will serve no purpose. Spreading nitrogen will help maintain leaf in the sward. If grass is getting ahead of stock, close up more ground for silage to replenish supplies from last year. Get slurry out on any fields where silage has been removed to replace P and K offtake.

Fly activity

Watch out for cases of summer mastitis over the coming weeks. If the problem is detected early and if treatment is given in time, it can be treated quite successfully, but it can be easily missed as these stock groups often do not get the same attention as spring cows or growing cattle.

Summer mastitis is less common in spring-calving cows as the calf is sucking the cow regularly but can occur in late-calving cows where calves are unable to suck all four quarters and mastitis develops. Particularly high-risk areas are those with trees, those close to water or those with plenty of shelter from hedges, as this will attract flies. Prevention is better than cure.

Treating cows with a pour-on insecticide can help prevent the problem, but the cover period varies with different products. As the peak risk period is normally in late July and August, cows may need a second treatment. Applying tar can work, but that’s less practical as it needs to be reapplied every three to four days.

Cows with summer mastitis will have a swollen udder and flies around the teat. The swollen udder causes discomfort to the animal, which results in stiffness and lameness when walking. Cows generally develop a temperature, become isolated and dull in appearance.

When drawing a quarter, the characteristic thick, clotted secretion is present. If an antibiotic tube is being used to treat an infected quarter, make sure you clean the teat and use a glove. Good hygiene and preventing further infection is very important.