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Herd Update 03.04.17

General Details

  • 98 cows with 101 calves have been born  (Four sets of twins and one mortality)
  • The calf with meningitis is making good progress
  • 92% of the Newford herd has now calved in the first 9 weeks - first calf born was on 2nd February. No major problems to report so far.
  • All the replacement heifers (24mths age) have now calved
  • 97 cows and 100 calves are out at grass
  • The average weight of the calves born is 43kg
  • The average calving score is 1.49 and 91% have a calving score between one and two.
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  • 89 yearlings are grazing silage ground since 14th March and this will be  closed next week
  • Calves are receiving their vaccination for Clostrdial disease at 6 weeks – Tribovax T as required.  
  • The replacement heifers  are to received their Leptavoid – H  injection on Thursday 6th
  • 26 replacement calves (16 Hereford, 10 Angus) have been purchased and are being reared on a contract rearing farm until weaning.
  • 46 units /acre (bag urea) was spread on 11ha of the home farm this week and Touhy’s farm      (13ha) will get the same.

Grassland Details

  • Farm Cover : 1073 kg/DM/ha
  • Growth /Ha :  48 kg/DM/ha
  • Farm Demand / Ha ( kg DM/ha/day )   29 Kg
  • Estimated DM : @  17 %
  • Current stocking rate LU / Ha   2.67
  • Starting the second rotation on the home farm on Wednesday 5th April.  100% of the home farm has been grazed off during first rotation.
  • First of the silage fields have now been closed  4.93ha

Suckler Herd

  • Magnesium buckets are  in the paddocks with the cows to prevent grass tetany
  • A  number of cows  are beginning to come into heat
  • Cows and calves are  in 4 main groups for the moment

Key recommendations for this week

  1. Calves will continue to be disbudded at 2 weeks and receive their intranasal IBR vaccination.
  2. Carry out repairs to fencing on the new rented farm.
  3. Follow up on getting in 2 teaser bulls  for the suckler herd
  4. Review sires for the coming breeding season
  5. Record the tag number of cows coming in heat out in the fields.
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