Herd Update 23.04.18

General Detail

• 103 cows and calves at grass on the home farm.
• The breeding season has started last Monday the 23^rd of April on Newford Farm. With 3 cows been AI on the first day. Matthew (Farm Manager) is carrying out the AI on all the cows this year. (100% AI on Newford Farm this year).
• Almost 20 %  ( 20 Cows ) of the herd was been AI in the first 5 days since the breeding season begun
• The majority of Newford cows are in ideally body condition for breeding.
• The fact Newford was able to turn out the first of these cows to grass on the 13^th March , has play a major role in the cows been in good body condition and suitable for breeding now
• All cows have been tail paint green and the teaser bulls are playing a very active role on picking up cows that are on heat each day.
• The herd is been farm in two groups of 52 cows (+/-) and a teaser bull in each group.
• All cows have been tail paint green and after each cow has been AI , the cow  is then tail paint red and will be monitor closely  in 3 weeks’ time

• AI is carried out each day at 12 o ‘clock am.
• If a cow is AI at 12 am o’clock and if she is still showing signs of been in heat again that evening, that same cow will be AI again the next day (12 o’clock am).
• The below table shows the 2018 Sire’s selection which will be used on the Newford herd.

• All the Store bullocks are at grass , average weight @ turnout 431 Kgs and the Store heifers went to grass on Tuesday 24^th April and their average turnout weight is 384 Kgs

Grassland Details

• Grass cover taken last Monday the 23^th
• Newford started its second rotation on the 23^rd of April on the home farm.
• Weather conditions are still poor. This is creating pressure to get paddocks fully grazed off after each grazing
• Mineral buckets are out in the paddocks with the cows to prevent grass tetany
• 25 units of N will be spread after each paddock which has been grazed. When conditions are right
• GortnaHabhainn has 26 grazing days ahead at the moment, but this is very wet ground so this will probably change if the wet weather continuous.

• The below diagram shows how difficult spring grass growth this year is, as compared to 2017.
• 2018 grass growth is the green line.

Key Recommendations for this Week

1. Monitor all cows regularly for heat detection
2. Watch out for Grass Tetany
3. Have tail paint in stock
4. Keep teaser bull’s  paint top up
5. Monitor grass growth closely