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It’s been a difficult spring for Brian Doran, who farms on the outskirts of Carnew.
“It’s all been weather-related,” the suckler farmer said. “I’ve had calves born dead, crypto scour, pneumonia, a calf that got a puck from another cow and have lameness creeping into the cows.”
Brian runs 50 suckler cows on two blocks separated by a quiet road.
Crypto
“I have four left to calve at this moment in time and we got cryptosporidium with 10 cows left. I had it last year and we completely cleaned out and power-washed the shed and used the right disinfectant to try and keep it at bay. I’m am going with Halocur daily as a preventative to any new calves. We have managed to avoid any losses from the crypto, but it adds a huge amount of labour,” Brian said.
Newborn calves had been creeping off slats onto a straw bed but Brian is confident that he will get outdoors this week.
Newborn calves had been creeping off slats on to a straw bed but Brian is confident that he will get outdoors this week.
“I will admit this spring has tested me, as I’m sure it has tested many farmers. There were times that I was almost dreading seeing a waterbag coming when we were in the middle of our bad calving run – ‘what was going to happen this time?’, but we kept going, you have to. Thankfully things look to be drying up next week and I should be able to turn stock out. Everything is in at the moment and the calves are down in themselves,” he added.
Surplus
This winter Brian fed bales made from surplus paddock silage to his growing and finishing stock.
“I made 330 extra bales from my grazing ground and by god was I glad of them this spring. The quality was probably better than my main cuts, which came in at 69% DMD. All you need to do is look at the stores and see how well they’ve done on silage alone. We’re out of those bales now and I have about three weeks of feeding left in the pit,” he told me.
Brian's silage reserves as of late last week.
Brian's silage reserves as of late last week.
Silver lining
“The paddocks have been huge here and I put more effort in this spring. The reels and plastic posts drive you mad sometimes - you can’t beat the permanent fence. It’s very frustrating though. I worked really hard getting the paddocks installed earlier in the year but I can’t get out to them now. I suppose, along with the extra bales we made, the paddocks have been a silver lining this spring. I’m mad to get using them - hopefully this week will see it. We’re gone from having six fields to 24 permanent paddocks that we can split again,” Brian added.
It’s been a difficult spring for Brian Doran, who farms on the outskirts of Carnew.
“It’s all been weather-related,” the suckler farmer said. “I’ve had calves born dead, crypto scour, pneumonia, a calf that got a puck from another cow and have lameness creeping into the cows.”
Brian runs 50 suckler cows on two blocks separated by a quiet road.
Crypto
“I have four left to calve at this moment in time and we got cryptosporidium with 10 cows left. I had it last year and we completely cleaned out and power-washed the shed and used the right disinfectant to try and keep it at bay. I’m am going with Halocur daily as a preventative to any new calves. We have managed to avoid any losses from the crypto, but it adds a huge amount of labour,” Brian said.
Newborn calves had been creeping off slats onto a straw bed but Brian is confident that he will get outdoors this week.
Newborn calves had been creeping off slats on to a straw bed but Brian is confident that he will get outdoors this week.
“I will admit this spring has tested me, as I’m sure it has tested many farmers. There were times that I was almost dreading seeing a waterbag coming when we were in the middle of our bad calving run – ‘what was going to happen this time?’, but we kept going, you have to. Thankfully things look to be drying up next week and I should be able to turn stock out. Everything is in at the moment and the calves are down in themselves,” he added.
Surplus
This winter Brian fed bales made from surplus paddock silage to his growing and finishing stock.
“I made 330 extra bales from my grazing ground and by god was I glad of them this spring. The quality was probably better than my main cuts, which came in at 69% DMD. All you need to do is look at the stores and see how well they’ve done on silage alone. We’re out of those bales now and I have about three weeks of feeding left in the pit,” he told me.
Brian's silage reserves as of late last week.
Brian's silage reserves as of late last week.
Silver lining
“The paddocks have been huge here and I put more effort in this spring. The reels and plastic posts drive you mad sometimes - you can’t beat the permanent fence. It’s very frustrating though. I worked really hard getting the paddocks installed earlier in the year but I can’t get out to them now. I suppose, along with the extra bales we made, the paddocks have been a silver lining this spring. I’m mad to get using them - hopefully this week will see it. We’re gone from having six fields to 24 permanent paddocks that we can split again,” Brian added.
Shanon Kinahan was in Cashel Mart on Saturday for the Irish Aubrac Cattle Breed Society sale.
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