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Poor grass growth rates and difficult ground conditions continue to present challenges on Newford Farm in Athenry, Co Galway.
Grass growth on the 26ha Newford block was just 13kg DM/ha last week, while the average farm cover reduced to 327kg DM/ha. With heavy rainfall also reducing utilisation, a decision was taken to remove the batch of 25 cows and their calves and re-house for a few days to give swards a chance to recover and grass covers a chance to build.
Challenges
The batch of 25 cows and their calves remain grazing on the Tuohy’s and Gort naHabhainn land blocks. Grass supplies are much better here but challenges still remain in getting heavy swards grazed out.
Farm manager Matthew Murphy is balancing getting a good cleanout of swards and limiting damage, with cows grazing in 24-hour blocks during wet weather. It is hoped that a forecast lift in temperatures next week will increase growth rates and allow the batch of cows that have been temporarily re-housed and the latest calving batch of 25 cows to be turned outdoors.
Calving all but done
There are just three cows left to calve, with 102 live calves on the ground from 104 cows calved. Unfortunately, there were three calves lost in the last week, bringing total calf mortality to six calves.
The first calf was coming backwards and was dead on arrival.
The second calf initially contracted cryptosporidium scour and, while it was making a good recovery, then died from a suspected twisted gut.
The last calf lost was a few weeks old and had stopped thriving without showing any clinical symptoms of disease. The calf has been sent to the regional veterinary laboratory to determine the cause of death.
Breeding preparations
Breeding is due to begin on 23 April, with preparations under way. Cows will receive their booster for leptospirosis and will also receive a mineral bolus.
Cows have already started to show heat activity and tag numbers of those in heat are being recorded.
Two vasectomised bulls have also arrived on the farm, with bulls working exceptionally well in previous years in identifying cows in heat. Matthew is also assessing bulls that will be used for AI.
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