It’s been a hectic few weeks on Tullamore Farm, as preparations begin for the busiest three months on the farm. The coming year will see 97 suckler cows calve and 250 ewes lambing in February, March and April.

The next three months are basically the farm’s harvest time and a huge amount of work will go into making sure that the maximum number of calves and lambs are turned out to grass in 2020.

A good harvest doesn’t happen by accident and truth be told, preparations for calving 2020 probably started way back in April 2019, with making sure cow body condition score was correct ahead of breeding.

Body condition score and nutrition

Body condition score was monitored from November onwards and a number of cows, including some 2019 first-calving heifers, have been fed the best silage to allow them pick up some condition ahead of calving. Most of the bulls used on the farm are around 5-6% calving difficulty so there generally aren’t calving issues.

The main herd have been fed ad-lib 68DMD silage for the last few months

Cows are around 2.5-3BCS at the moment. If harder-calving sires were used, we would want it closer to 2.5, but on this farm there shouldn’t be an issue. That little extra condition can mean a lot going into breeding in early May. The main herd have been fed ad-lib 68DMD silage for the last few months. Cows started on dry cow minerals in December and started on soya bean meal in January, with ½ kg/head/daily fed to February calving cows.

Once cows calve, they will be fed ad-lib 72DMD silage

This is fed four to six weeks out from calving to boost the protein concentration in the diet and increase the quantity and quality of colostrum production.

Once cows calve, they will be fed ad-lib 72DMD silage, along with 2kg of the weanling ration per head per day until turnout. All cows will get a mineral bolus ahead of breeding in April.

Colostrum

A big emphasis was placed on colostrum last year and it paid off, with very little sickness in calves. If a cow calves unassisted, the calf is monitored closely to see if it sucked.

If a cow needs assistance at calving, the cow is milked and the calf is stomach tubed.

If there is a problem with colostrum, there is a store of frozen colostrum from a local dairy farm (Johnes clear).

Sheds

Cows have been housed on slats all winter with no lie-back area. Thirty cows calving in the first half of February were pulled out last week and are feeding on slats with access to a loose shed, bedded with peat.

This dries up cows’ hides and bellies ahead of calving and also makes it more comfortable for cows coming close to calving.

Right next to this shed is a loose straw-bedded shed where cows will be moved as they calve. In the same shed are four calving pens.

Most of the cows (80%) will calve in the loose area requiring no assistance, but some will calve in calving pens where assistance is required.

Calving camera has been checked out and lights are all working in the calving sheds and yard

Depending on space, cows will spend two to four days in calving pens and then move back to slats where a temporary creep area will be constructed in the centre passage of a three-bay, double-slatted shed. Sheltered paddocks have been closed off early in the autumn to have grass for cows and calves at turnout.

Sheds were powerwashed two weeks ago and disinfected ahead of calving commencing.

Calving camera has been checked out and lights are all working in the calving sheds and yard.

A separate pen is set up in the lambing shed for any sick calves. It’s a warm shed where a light can be set up if needed.

Records

The Beef Expected Calving report is run by ICBF and can be printed from your Herdplus account. It lists all the calving dates based on gestation length and also details what sire each cow is carrying to.

“It’s very useful when batching cows into pens by month of calving. That means we aren’t checking every cow every night and streamlines everything a little. Notes are also kept of any cows that are aggressive around calving and they won’t go back to be bred in 2020,” Shaun said.

The only area where we could slightly improve on is mortality

“Last year’s calving interval was 363 days with a .99 /calves/cow/year figure.

“The only area where we could slightly improve on is mortality. At 5.5% it was just a little over where we would like to be and this year, the aim is to keep it under 5%.”

In brief

  • Feeding 1/2 kg soya/head/daily.
  • Minerals 120g/head/daily.
  • Colostrum back up, frozen/powder.
  • Calf jackets, washed and clean.
  • Red lamp.
  • Iodine.
  • Stomach tube, washed and clean.
  • Calving pens, washed, clean and dry.
  • Calving camera checked.
  • Lights working in calving pens and yard.
  • Calving gate working.
  • Calving jack and a backup if it breaks.
  • New set of calving ropes.
  • Review escape route from calving pens, have a plan.
  • Draw up list of expected calving dates.
  • Order tags.
  • Check straw and bedding supplies.
  • Vet’s mobile number on the wall.