With most Irish dairy herds calving in the months of February and March, now is a very important time to apply some key practices that will influence the 2020 lactation.
The key influencers of a productive and profitable 2020 lactation are:
- Body condition score
- Udder health
- Stress free drying off
BODY CONDITION SCORE
Body condition score (BCS) is the foundation for a successful start to the cow’s lactation. The ideal BCS score range is 3.0 to 3.25 in most herds. Cows calving down in this range experience less metabolic issues in early lactation e.g. milk fever, metritis, displaced abomasums.
A simple system to manage BCS for the dry period is to divide cows into three groups:
Group 1: Cows in the 3.0 to 3.25 range. This group should be stocked at one cow per cubicle and fed silage to maintain body condition, e.g. 12 kg of silage to provide 6 UFL/ day.
Group 2: Cows in this group are under 3.0 BCS. This group should be stocked at 90% of a shed’s capacity. This reduces competition for feed space and promotes a more relaxed environment that will encourage live-weight gain in the cow. This group should receive high quality silage or meal to provide 8+ UFL/day.
Group 3: Cows in this group are over 3.25 BCS. This group need to either maintain BCS or lose some body weight. This group should be stocked at a slightly higher shed stocking rate e.g. 110% of a shed’s capacity, which will create a little more competition within the group for feed and space. This group should be on a restricted silage diet to provide less than 5.5 UFL/day. However, additional roughage should be provided to ensure the cow achieves optimum rumen fill.
Note:
• It is important that all groups are monitored regularly to ensure they reach the optimum BCS of 3.0 to 3.25. Cows should be moved from their groups if they are moving outside this range.
• It is critical that a dry cow mineral is provided to each of the above groups. A dry cow should receive a minimum of 6 kg of dry cow minerals in advance of calving in order to ensure that she is adequately replenished and prepared for calving and next year’s lactation. Click here to view our Welmin Mineral Range.
• It is essential to provide fresh clean water adlib.
• All cows should be moved from their groups 14 days pre-calving to a transition group where they are introduced to an increased energy and protein diet.
UDDER HEALTH
With an increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic use in the dry period, shed hygiene is becoming ever more important during the dry period. Factors which promote a hygienic environment include:
1) Adequate lying space (1 cubicle per cow).
2) Adequate feed space.
3) Adequate ventilation.
4) Adlib fresh clean water.
In addition to this, most Irish dairy farms use a bedding conditioner on cubicles. A good bedding conditioner should meet the following criteria:
• Highly absorbent to control bacteria growth.
• Be kind on both the farmer and animal’s skin.
• Absorbs ammonia odours to help air quality and reduce stress on the animal’s lungs.
• Easy to apply in a low volume per square meter.
• Contains effective antibacterial properties.
A good example is Sanitise Bedding Conditioner, which is designed to promote a dry hygienic environment in the bedding of all livestock. This product goes above and beyond traditional methods due to its low application rate as well as the inclusion of high quality essential oils, antibacterial properties, and a unique hoof conditioner. Click here to view our Sanitise Bedding Conditioner.
For further advice on any of the above areas discussed, contact your local Agritech distributor or sales representative.
Your point of view caught my eye and was very interesting. Thanks. I have a question for you.
Wow, incredible weblog format! How long have you ever been blogging for?
you make blogging glance easy. The whole look of your website is wonderful, as neatly as the content!
You can see similar here ecommerce
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
Your article helped me a lot, is there any more related content? Thanks!
Thanks for sharing. I read many of your blog posts, cool, your blog is very good.
Great article and right to the point. I don’t know
if this is really the best place to ask but do you people have any thoughts on where to employ some
professional writers? Thank you 🙂 Najlepsze escape roomy
Very interesting topic, regards for posting.!
mexican rx online: cmq pharma – mexico pharmacy
mexican mail order pharmacies
https://cmqpharma.com/# buying prescription drugs in mexico
buying prescription drugs in mexico
mexican rx online mexico drug stores pharmacies medication from mexico pharmacy
indian pharmacy: india pharmacy mail order – Online medicine home delivery
https://canadapharmast.com/# reddit canadian pharmacy
mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa: mexico drug stores pharmacies – mexico drug stores pharmacies
mexico pharmacies prescription drugs: pharmacies in mexico that ship to usa – mexican drugstore online
legitimate canadian mail order pharmacy canada pharmacy reviews legit canadian pharmacy online
cheap canadian pharmacy: reputable canadian online pharmacies – canadianpharmacymeds
cheap canadian pharmacy: cheapest pharmacy canada – canadian pharmacy price checker
https://foruspharma.com/# mexican drugstore online
india pharmacy: best online pharmacy india – Online medicine home delivery
mexican border pharmacies shipping to usa medication from mexico pharmacy buying prescription drugs in mexico
mexico drug stores pharmacies: mexico drug stores pharmacies – mexico pharmacy
buying from online mexican pharmacy: best online pharmacies in mexico – п»їbest mexican online pharmacies
canadapharmacyonline: cheapest pharmacy canada – canadian pharmacy 24h com
https://indiapharmast.com/# indian pharmacy paypal
I blog frequently and I seriously appreciate your content. The article has really peaked my interest. I will take a note of your blog and keep checking for new information about once a week. I opted in for your Feed too.
canadian pharmacy uk delivery: canada drugstore pharmacy rx – ed drugs online from canada
buying from online mexican pharmacy: mexico pharmacies prescription drugs – buying from online mexican pharmacy
It’s difficult to find educated people in this particular subject, but you seem like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
http://paxloviddelivery.pro/# paxlovid price
doxycycline prescription canada: price of doxycycline 100mg – where can i buy doxycycline over the counter
Hello! I could have sworn I’ve been to this website before but after browsing through a few of the articles I realized it’s new to me. Anyhow, I’m definitely pleased I stumbled upon it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently.
https://paxloviddelivery.pro/# Paxlovid buy online
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post! It is the little changes that make the most significant changes. Many thanks for sharing!
cipro online no prescription in the usa: buy cipro online canada – cipro
https://doxycyclinedelivery.pro/# doxycycline hydrochloride 100mg
Hi, I do believe this is an excellent site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I may return once again since I bookmarked it. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.
https://ciprodelivery.pro/# ciprofloxacin
buy cipro without rx: ciprofloxacin over the counter – п»їcipro generic
Very good info. Lucky me I recently found your blog by accident (stumbleupon). I have saved it for later.
https://doxycyclinedelivery.pro/# buy doxycycline monohydrate
I blog quite often and I really appreciate your content. Your article has really peaked my interest. I will take a note of your blog and keep checking for new information about once per week. I subscribed to your Feed as well.
Having read this I thought it was really enlightening. I appreciate you finding the time and energy to put this short article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile.
where can i buy doxycycline online: doxycycline capsule 100mg price – doxycycline cream over the counter
http://ciprodelivery.pro/# buy cipro cheap
I want to to thank you for this very good read!! I certainly loved every bit of it. I’ve got you saved as a favorite to check out new things you post…
https://clomiddelivery.pro/# buying cheap clomid online
order cheap clomid without a prescription: cost of clomid pill – where can i buy cheap clomid price
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It is the little changes which will make the largest changes. Thanks for sharing!
http://amoxildelivery.pro/# generic amoxicillin 500mg
price doxycycline 100mg without prescription: doxycycline medication pills – how to get doxycycline 100mg
cipro pharmacy: cipro online no prescription in the usa – buy cipro cheap
Hi, I do think this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to come back yet again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to help others.
Everything is very open with a precise explanation of the issues. It was really informative. Your website is extremely helpful. Many thanks for sharing!
Everything is very open with a precise clarification of the challenges. It was truly informative. Your site is useful. Thanks for sharing.
Hi, I do think this is a great site. I stumbledupon it 😉 I’m going to return yet again since I saved as a favorite it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide other people.