Topless cubicles: On page 22 we feature two spring calving farmers who have recently installed topless cubicles. Many will see them as a stage in between a full shed or a kennel-type shed. Most farmers who are installing them are converting woodchip stand-off pads, so they already have large-volume slurry storage in place. Umbilical spreading systems are almost essential if collecting large volumes of water and slurry. You will collect a lot more water during the winter months, but when there are no cows in the topless cubicles you can divert the rainwater to the clean drain. Such a cubicle might suit those with short winters who want to minimise expenditure on housing.

Conference season: Two national dairy conferences are scheduled for early 2014. The Irish Grassland Association are holding their annual dairy conference in Kilkenny on 7 January. Book online or at 087-9626483. The Positive Farmers conference is scheduled for 15 and 16 January in Clonmel this year. Book online or at 087-6070150.

Herd health Dosing: Are cows in four weeks or more? Do they need a dose for liver fluke and worms and have they been done for lice? No point in using your good silage to feed the worms. Remember, there are now two products licensed for dairy cows that kill all stages of liver fluke: Fasinex 240 and Endofluke. The best farmers use a ‘gun drencher’ with a long hook to dose the cows. Watch your withdrawal dates on products as some spring herds will start calving in two to three weeks and some products have 28-day milk withdrawals. If you have a weighing scales, weigh a few cows to get your eye trained – under dosing for weight happens on a lot of farms.

Watch condition score: the correct score at calving has a serious effect on the risk of milk fever and ease of calving. Over-conditioned cows can be two or three times more likely to develop milk fever. Batch cows if possible on condition score. Don’t just look at them from the feed passage – run your hand over cows in a crush or in cubicles to see what fat cover is over the long ribs, across the short ribs and around the tail head.

Financial health check: As soon as you can, complete the profit monitor or equivalent financial review of 2013. Get that job done before the cows start calving. Gather up all your receipts and have your figures ready to punch into the program. I know two groups who have already completed the profit monitor meeting in December. Both are going to hold another financial review meeting in early January and the plan at the January meeting is that farmers must come up with solutions and plans for high costs etc. The same way it is necessary to look back, it is important to look forward and plan. Five-year plans tie in with profit monitor reviews. The profit monitor establishes where you are. Even if you have no plans to expand, you should plan where your business will be in five years time.

Seasons greetings and safe farming for 2014.