General Detail
• The first calf has been born on Newford Farm for 2020. The calf arrived 2 weeks earlier and need vet assistance but both calf and mother are doing fine. The next calf is not due until the 4th of February
• All the calving sheds and holding pen have now been wash, lime and disinfected. First of the expecting mothers have been move into the holding pen.
• All the calving material and equipment has been set up alongside the calving pens
- All slats and sheds are being treated with lime and this has proven to be a very successful exercised to keep infections under control at this time of the year
- Meal feeding to the low body score cows has ceased , as all cows now have sufficient body condition pre calving
- All the weanlings are performing well at the moment. They are still on 2 Kgs of concentrates at 18% protein along with 70- 74% DMD round bales of silage.
- All the weanlings have been weighted in recent days. The yearling bullocks are doing ADG of 0.65 Kgs per day and the heifers are achieving an ADG of 0.58 Kgs per day since housing (9th Nov). Summary of the weights in the below table
- A close eye needs to be kept on all animals as air temperature has increase in all sheds which could lead to pneumonia, especially with the yearlings. These yearlings were producing a lot of body steam due to the sudden mild condition in recent days
- One of the heaviest yearling males weighted on Wednesday the 22nd of January
- Sire : FSZ
- Born : 19th February 2018
- Weight : 507 Kgs ( 22nd January)
- ADG from birth 1.33 Kgs
- ADG since housing 0.85 Kgs ( 9th Nov housing date )
Key recommendations for this week
- Monitor all cows closely on the slats as their calving due date approaches
- Watch the housed weanlings closely for pneumonia and keep fresh silage under their heads
- Checked and clean out all water troughs when necessary
- Carried out a grass measurement