Condition scoring

On farms where silage is scarce, body condition scoring cows and restricting those in very good condition could help to stretch fodder supplies. With weaning taking place across the country, now might be a good opportunity to get spring-calving dry cows scored while they are in the yard. It is a job often left on the long finger but if a significant silage saving is to be made, it should be done from the start. Target BCS for spring-calving cows is 2.5 at calving and 3 at housing. Animals above this can afford to lose some condition over the winter by silage restriction and supplementation with straw.

One important thing to remember when restricting cows is to ensure there is enough feeding space for each animal. Now is time to make any shed adjustments if needed.

Silage sampling

Silage sampling is another factor that has the potential to reduce silage demand. The higher the quality, the less needs to be fed. Silage sampling should take place six weeks after ensiling to ensure full fermentation has occurred. If possible, take a sample that best represents the entire pit (or bales).

To do this, you can take a number of samples and put the collected material into the one sample bag for testing. If you have two silage cuts in the one pit, try to sample them separately. The ideal silage results will be 25%+ DM, 70%+ DMD, a pH of 3.8-4.2, crude protein above 12%, energy (MJ/kg DM) above 10.5 and ammonia N below 10%.

Autumn breeding

With calving drawing to a close in most autumn-calving herds, attention should turn to autumn breeding. The first thing to focus on is nutrition. With cows still at grass after calving, it is important to monitor BCS. At mating, BCS should be 2.5.

With cows suckling, it is also critical to allocate minerals, particularly high magnesium minerals as grass tetany is a major threat. Once housed, feeding should be sufficient to maintain BCS for breeding and suckling a calf.

Another thing to remember is vaccinations. Cows may need boosters for lepto and BVD. Replacement heifers should have received their first vaccination by now but remember to administer the booster shot – the first shot is rendered useless without a booster.

Bloat: There has been a number of cases of bloat in the last week causing fatalities. The biggest risk is grazing clover swards or very lush grass, particularly when wet, because these forages are rapidly digestible. At this time of the year, white clover may contribute over 40% of the DM in some swards. Be cautious about the risk of bloat, especially with cattle not accustomed to clover or lush grass in their diet, such as weanlings. Some preventative measures include feeding stock with hay/straw immediately before putting them on to a clover-rich pasture and, during grazing, using a strip wire will force cows to eat down rather than be selective. Also, try to move at-risk cattle to a high-clover pasture when the herbage is dry rather than wet.