Calving Update
It has been a busy spring on Newford farm with one cow remaining to calve.
Herd Performance
- 89 cows to calve
- Calving commenced 27th January
- 6 week calving rate - 90%
- 5 cases of mortality - 1 abortion - (post-mortem result: inconclusive), 1 still birth, 2 died during calving and a 5 day old calf died due to a twisted gut).
- 73% of cowshave calved unassisted and average calf birth weight is 43kgs.
Calves have -
- Received RSV–Pi3 intranasal vaccine ✔
- Dehorned ✔
- Initial clostridia vaccine ✔
- Received coccidia drench at 30 days old ✔
Grassland Management
- Rainfall received in Athenry for the month of March has exceeded 175mm and all livestock
have been rehoused as grazing conditions have deteriorated.
- Cows are receiving ad-lib 75% DMD silage and calves have access to a straw bedded
creep area.
Once ground and weather conditions permit, yearling beef heifers and steers will recommence grazing Out Farm 1 - located 12km from Newford farm yard.
The grazing platform will receive 20 units/ac of protected urea, 30 acres will be closed for first cut silage and receive 2,500 gallons of cattle slurry followed by 70 units of protected urea 7 days later.
Farm Cover
2025 Replacement Heifers
- 10 angus and 10 hereford heifer calves were purchased mid-March and will be reared
on Newford farm. - These heifers will calve down in spring 2025 and are currently
receiving 3 litres of milk morning/evening and have access to ad-lib
concentrates and straw for roughage. - The table below outlines the level of performance
required to ensure that these heifers are suitable for breeding in April
2024.
Replacment Heifer Target Weights
Environmental Sustainability
- The Eddy Covariance Flux Tower has been set up in the heart of Newford home farm as
part of the farms sustainability initiatives. This will help Newford farm see how much carbon can be stored in soil and how soil carbon storage capacity varies by land use and soil type. - The Eddy Covariance Flux Tower will measure atmospheric gas concentrations and this technique will be using high –resolution gas analysers to measure the instantaneous carbon dioxide concentration from the air.
