Early February is a good time to scan autumn-calving cows served from October to December.

Cows can be accurately scanned from 40 days post-service. Scanning now will allow you to separate out the cows which are empty and consider your options.

Assuming 95% of cows are settled in-calf, taking an example of 50 cows means that five animals are empty. The normal advice, given the current economics in suckler production, would be to sell all empty cows after weaning or as a cow-and-calf outfit, depending on quality.

Decisions

But there are instances when a cow is empty through no fault of her own, for example a sub-fertile stock bull or being a missed heat and late insemination.

In this case, a blanket cull is not a reality. However, you should still go through all cows that scanned empty and assess your options.

Young cows that are milking well, rearing a good calf, of moderate body size and good temperament can be kept for another year or possibly moved to the spring herd so they come back in production sooner.

Older cows with a history of problems, such as bad quarters or feet, should be culled. The cull value can be used to source in-calf heifers at a special breeding sale later this year.

Feeding cows

Isolate the animals to be culled for additional feeding and to wean calves a few weeks earlier than normal.

Feeding these animals will improve body condition and, ultimately, the animal’s cull value.

For example, after weaning, feeding cows 8kg/day of rolled barley at €180/t over a 30-day period will cost €43/head.

Assuming the improved body condition increases the sale price from €1.50/kg to €1.70/kg on a 700kg cow, the increase in cull value is €140, which more than covers the feeding cost.

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