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Herd Update 07.05.18

General Detail

  • 101 cows and 106 calves at grass on the home farm.
  • 74% of the herd has now been AI (74 Cows) within 18 days of the breeding season commencing on the 23rd April (100% AI on Newford Farm this year).
  • Once a day AI used, cows are being inseminated at midday each day.
  • 18 Replacement heifers bred to AI on the contract rearing farm in Tuam at the moment out of 25 heifers. AI also started on the 23rd of April with the replacement heifers
  • 2 cull cows were slaughter on the 30th of April. The  average carcase weight was 240 Kg and the average paid  price was € 767
  • Mineral buckets are out in the paddocks with the cows to prevent grass tetany
  • The last group of calves were treated for their second Clostridial  vaccination on Thursday the 10th May
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Grassland Details

  • Grass cover taken last Monday the 7th of May.
  • Weather conditions are improving. But some paddocks are still very wet, with the result of some poaching and poor utilisation. Especially on the GortnaHabhainn farm.
  • The below table shows the amount of rainfall from January to March this year
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  • 25 units of N is been spread after each paddock which has been grazed.
  • The below diagram shows how difficult spring grass growth this year is, as compared to 2017.
  • 2018 grass growth is the green line.
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Key recommendations for this week

  1. Monitor all cows regularly for heat detection
  2. Watch out for Grass Tetany and keep mineral buckets  topped up
  3. Power wash sheds
  4. Keep the teaser bull’s   chin ball harness topped up with paint
  5. Monitor grass growth closely
  6. Watch out for pneumonia.