This week we go into detail on the different signs of heat in dairy cows and on the factors that influence good conception rates. Just because you might know the signs of a heat, don’t presume everyone working on the farm does, despite what qualifications they might have.

Now is a good time to do a bit of a refresher on the signs of heat with all staff or family working on the farm. It’s a critical time of year as every missed heat costs €250. Top up the tail paint at least twice a week to keep it fresh. Check bulling cows in the field at milking times, in between milkings and late in the evening and keep accurate records.

Farmers using a technician service should print off the weekly fertility report from ICBF to see how they are performing. Farmers doing DIY AI can do the same if they upload service data regularly. The target is to get 90% submitted in the first 24 days. This means you should be serving 3.75% of the herd per day.

Work out how many cows you should be serving in a week and assess whether you are on target or not. If not, ask yourself why. Are you missing heats or is it low body condition score, not enough time since calving, or poor nutrition?

Plan for breeding maiden heifers

Breeding season kicking off in Cork

Dairy management: minerals

Dairy management: milk urea nitrogen

Dairy management: breeding

This week, Aidan Brennan looks at the factors to consider in advance of the breeding season, milk urea nitrogen and mineral content of grass.