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You should wait at least four weeks from the date the bulls left the herd or AI finished before scanning cows or heifers.
As many farmers finished breeding in mid-July, they should start organising their scanner over the coming weeks.
Early scanning is better at determining sex of the foetus and whether or not twins are present. While the milk pregnancy test is available and is less invasive than scanning, farmer experience of it seems to be mixed.
Demand for all classes of dairy stock is strong, so knowing your requirements for next year and going to the market early if you need to buy will be important this year. Early indications are that scanning results are mixed.
Despite the good weather before and during the breeding season, and cows being in good body condition score, some farmers had a disappointing year.
Old research showed that even where genetics for fertility are good, cows that go from a low to a high plane of nutrition in advance of breeding have the best results.
Look back at grass intakes and quality in May, and question if improvements could be made.
In pictures: farm brings taste of New Zealand to Staffordshire
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