General Details
- Newford farm is into its 9th week of the calving period.
- 95 % of the suckler herd has now calved down
- 105 cows calved with 103 calves ( 4 sets of Twins)
- First calf born on the 30th January
- All cows and calves are very healthy
- No calving difficulty to report on the farm at the moment.
- The average calf birth weight is 41 Kgs
- Calving scored for the herd so far is 1.29
- 97 cows and 98 calves are now at grass. Weather conditions are very good at the moment and all stock is thriving outside. Mineral buckets have been placed in the paddocks with the cows to prevent Grass Tetany
- One calf got pneumonia at grass and was treated.
- All cows are to received their copper bolus and Leptospirosis vaccination next week
- All 104 yearling steers and heifers are now at grass.
The steers went to grass on the 23rd of March @ 382 Kgs and the heifers went to grass on the 27th February @ 357 Kgs. The heifers were housed for 107 days and the steers for 131 days over the winter period before turnout.
- Grass measurement taken on the 29th of March
- This year’s grass growth is in green and the growth is much ahead, as compared too this time last year.
- To allow Newford, to start the 2nd rotation earlier after those wet weeks in March, when the cows had to be rehoused, it has been decided to skip some paddocks and close them for medium term silage.
- These paddock had received Urea and as soon as the Urea has been used up, those paddocks will be cut for silage ( round bales) at the end of April on the Newford and Gort na Habhainn farms
- 10 acres of silage ground (3 paddocks) has been closed on Tuohy’s farm.
- These paddocks have received 2000 gals of slurry per acre this week
- Follow by one and half bags of urea per acre next week
- 70 units of Urea per acre have been spread on the Newford and Gort na Habhainn farms and Tuohy’s farm will get another 35 units this week. So all 3 farms will have then received 70 units.
- 1600 gals of water down cattle slurry per acre has been spread on selected paddocks on Newford (Trailing shoe) this week.
Trailing Shoe Thursday the 4th April
- Newford Farm is now closed to groups / visitors until the calving period is finished.
Key recommendations for this week
- Prepared for disbudding calves as they come of age.
- Watch out for any health issues with the cows , especially Grass Tetany
- Check new born calves health each morning and evening.
- Keep all paper work up to date
- Order in all copper bolus and Lepto vacations
- Identify and agreed possible breeding sires for 2019
- Keep mineral buckets out in paddocks with the cows