Lice Control: The past week has seen a flurry of farmers housing stock around the country. As a result of housing, cattle come in greater contact with each other and lice numbers will grow rapidly. At this stage, cattle will show little signs of lice activity. The life cycle of lice is about three to four weeks and all stages in the life cycle take place on the host. If untreated, lice numbers will increase rapidly, impacting on animal comfort and thrive due to excessive irritation and licking.

There are two types of lice: biting lice and suckling lice. When choosing a product to control the problem, pay particular attention to the types of lice it controls. For example, avermectin-based injections are effective at controlling lice, but they will only control suckling lice as the active ingredient is circulated in the animal’s blood. All treatments will only kill lice and not lice eggs. For this reason, where the lice challenge is high, a second course of treatment may be required approximately a month after the first treatment.

Withdrawal dates: With many farmers opting to dose for fluke and treat for lice, particular heed should be paid to withdrawal dates of the products used. Accurate records of the tag numbers of animals treated and the date of treatment should be kept. The withdrawal dates of the products used should also be recorded.

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Condition Score cows: Dry cows should be penned according to Body Condition Score (BCS) at this stage. Ideally, spring-calving cows should be divided into three groups: thin cows, cows in good condition and over-fat cows. Spring-calving cows should have a BCS of 2.5 at calving and ideally be a BCS of three at weaning. Dropping a cow’s BCS over the winter period by one BCS can be done by restricting or diluting the cow’s silage intake. Over the winter period this will give a €35 to €40 feed cost saving per cow.

Alterations in the cow’s condition should be done gradually over the winter period. On moderate (64-68DMD) quality silage, typical on suckler farms, feed cows ad-lib up to calving. On good quality (>70DMD) dilute or restrict (30kg), a good option here is to feed silage for two days ad-lib then feed straw on the third day. Cows in poor condition (under BCS of 2) need care or fertility performance will be impacted next spring. Separate thin cows and feed to their requirement. On average, give quality silage supplement at a rate of 1.5- 2kg concentrates per day. On good-quality silage, offer ab-lib access. Condition score should be back in line in three months, then rehouse with the main herd. The aim should be to achieve the target BCS approximately six to eight weeks prior to calving, so early action is essential.

First-calf heifers are priority stock and have higher feed requirement and need additional care and management. They should have the same feeding regime as a thin cow up to calving. Remember, also ensure a good-quality pre- and post-calving mineral mix is available six weeks prior to calving and for a month post-calving.