General Details
- Calving started on 14th February with 56/98 (30%) cows calved by Thursday 24th March and 54 live calves on the ground
- Farm is now closed to all visitors until 1st May 2016, this is to ensure good disease control
- 112 weanlings and 35 cows and calves currently grazing
Grassland Details
- Average farm cover 793kg DM/day on 8th March
- Average growth rate 9kg/dm
- Soil temperatures in Athenry currently 7.6 degrees
- Plan to have 40% of the farm grazed by 20th March, we currently have 48% of paddocks grazed on 24th March
- Plan to be finished first rotation by 12th April
- Plan to close silage fields in first week of April
- 23 units/Acre UREA spread across 40% of the farm on 25th February
- 35 units UREA/acre spread across 70% of the farm on the 23rd March
- Will spread slurry on silage fields at 2500 gallons/acre next week, weather permitting
Housing/Nutrition details
- All cows receiving pre-calving minerals at rate of 100 grams/head/day
- Pre calving cows on restricted diet with straw included
- Plan to feed 56 grams calmag in 1kg meal per cow over the coming weekend to prevent tetany in cold and wet conditions
Key recommendations for this week
- Ensure calving pens are bedded regularly
- Check calves regularly for scour and pneumonia that are outdoors
- Currently cows penned according to BCS and feed is being restricted to cows over 4 BCS
- Pre calving cows being fed straw 3 days each week