Farm Management Tips for January

 By Daniel Hession – Nutritionist & Technical Manager

 1. Dairy 

• Complete a cash flow forecast for the next four to six months.
• It’s time to prepare for calving – replenish the calving kit with essential supplies (ropes etc). stock up on gloves, calving gel, iodine, stomach tube etc.
• Test your milking machine.
• Organise extra help for spring now, don’t wait until the cows start calving to go looking for help.
• Feed the best quality silage to weanling heifers. Heifers need 72+ DMD silage plus 1 kg high quality meal to meet growth targets. If silage is lower quality, 2kg/day of meal will be required. Group lighter heifers for extra feeding.

 2. Beef 

• Ensure suckler cows are supplemented with a good quality pre-calver mineral for at least 6 weeks pre-calving. Feed at the recommended rate, usually 120g/cow/day. Spread half in the morning and half in the evening on top of the silage. Ensure cows have adequate feed space.
• Finishing cattle – supplement based on silage quality and target daily live weight gain. For continental steers on medium quality silage (68 DMD), 7kg of meal is required to achieve 1kg of live weight gain per day.
• Ensure finishing cattle have adequate feed space, lying space and access to fresh clean water.
• Faecal sampling now can help to determine if dosing undertaken at or shortly after housing was effective and if additional treatment for fluke or worms is required.

3. Sheep

• Monitor ewe body condition. Thinner and older ewes may require concentrate supplementation earlier.
• House ewes on a dry day if possible. Don’t over stock the pens and ensure there is enough feed space and lying space.
• Feed concentrates from 6 weeks pre-lambing for ewes carrying twins. Group ewes according to scan results and feed accordingly. Start ewes on 0.2 kg/head/day and increase gradually.
• Don’t forget to complete and submit your annual sheep census return.