It is hard to believe that calving on Tullamore Farm is only six weeks away. Thinking back to when the first calf dropped last spring, it certainly has been a roller coaster year with the weather throwing everything it had at the farm.

As Christmas and New Years approach, it won't be long until cows are due to start calving on 1 February.

With this in mind, farm manager Shaun Diver already started his preparations. This is possible the farm is probably in its quietest period, with cattle well settled into the sheds and breeding finished in the ewe flock.

Preparations

Last week, six cows with low body condition scores (BCS) were pulled out into a separate slatted pen for preferential treatment to build up BCS prior to calving. They are getting 1kg rolled barley and good quality silage to achieve this.

Furthermore, next week, the plan is to put a layer of peat in the calving shed and put the first 25 cows for calving in on this. They will walk back to the slats to feed. Peat will be used for one month (until 15 January) in this shed and will then be cleaned out and replaced with straw before the cows start calving.

This week, pre-calving minerals will be introduced to all dry cows. Silage results showed up low magnesium content so this will be compensated for with minerals. On 1 January the plan is to introduce 0.5kg/head/day soya, as well as the minerals, to the cows before calving. Soya is a very high protein feed which can help to boost colostrum quality.

The farm had very good results using this prior to calving for the last two years and so this exercise will be continued in 2019.

Yard

Some yard modifications are also under way to help streamline the calving process and to increase shed capacity in case turnout is delayed next February. The meal shed, which is situated adjacent to a slatted shed, is being converted into a creep area which will house a large number of newborn calves if needs be. Two 6t meals bins are being purchased to make up for the loss of the meal store.

Weanlings

Elsewhere, bull weanlings remain on 4kg/head/day of a 15% weanling ration while weanling heifers are continuing to get through the redstart, with management proving very straightforward so far.

Sheep

In last week’s report it was highlighted that breeding was finished in the ewe flock. Rams came in in good condition, so they will not need meal during the off-season. Excellent grass covers were more than likely the reason for that.

Lame ewes which were footbathed and injected last week have since made a good recovery and will return to the main flock in the coming weeks.