Dairying

Do you have a heap of individual pens for them or just have all the cows and calves in 1 big pen?
have 2 individual pens for the first the first night and after that groups of up to 4 cows in a pen, bear in mind i,ve a small herd of 60 or so and its a split calving season between autumn and winter so more of a spread on calving, it would be harder in a very big herd but i,ve never had scour here for over 40 yrs so i,m either very very lucky or a genius
 
Feed whole milk here so all cows vaccinate and calves then get it. Noticed a big improvement with the vaccine. May have to move some calves to another yard this year for space if so they will be on milk replacer then but will likely be over 2 weeks old then.
Anyone know where you'd get a smoke bomb to check ventilation?
 
Feed whole milk here so all cows vaccinate and calves then get it. Noticed a big improvement with the vaccine. May have to move some calves to another yard this year for space if so they will be on milk replacer then but will likely be over 2 weeks old then.
Anyone know where you'd get a smoke bomb to check ventilation?
Fork full of dampish straw would do the job assuming there is nothing else flammable in the shed!
 
We feed the dams milk for first 4/5days. Pooled biestings goes to bull calves, heifers swithes to milk replacer.
Do any of ye pool the biestings from the off for all calves or do ye give only the calf's mother's biestings for the first feed? In the bigger herds, would it be common for pooled biestings to be fed from the off?
 
Do any of ye pool the biestings from the off for all calves or do ye give only the calf's mother's biestings for the first feed? In the bigger herds, would it be common for pooled biestings to be fed from the off?
Animal health Ireland and vet's advice against pooling colostrum for the prevention of johnes disease being spread.
case of drs differ, patient dies ...
 
Do any of ye pool the biestings from the off for all calves or do ye give only the calf's mother's biestings for the first feed? In the bigger herds, would it be common for pooled biestings to be fed from the off?
We would always give the calf the dams milk for the 1st 3 feeds. Then they go on hole milk for another week or so excluding any cows that were been treated for mastitis or illness then onto milk replacer.
 
We would always give the calf the dams milk for the 1st 3 feeds. Then they go on hole milk for another week or so excluding any cows that were been treated for mastitis or illness then onto milk replacer.
Animal health Ireland and vet's advice against pooling colostrum for the prevention of johnes disease being spread.
case of drs differ, patient dies ...
Ya, that is what I was always led to believe re the transmission of Johnes, but I'm told that some of the larger herds would simply be feeding pooled colostrum from 1st milk, I presume this is for handiness sake.
 
Ya, that is what I was always led to believe re the transmission of Johnes, but I'm told that some of the larger herds would simply be feeding pooled colostrum from 1st milk, I presume this is for handiness sake.
We are in the Jones scheme. We were told the 1st three feeds and a clean environment are utmost important but milk has to from the dam. They said if you were having problems with johnes to go straight onto milk replacer after the three feeds. Probably ya for handiest sake but does it pay in the long run?
 
We are in the Jones scheme. We were told the 1st three feeds and a clean environment are utmost important but milk has to from the dam. They said if you were having problems with johnes to go straight onto milk replacer after the three feeds. Probably ya for handiest sake but does it pay in the long run?
I don't know to be honest, that's why I was asking.
 
Ya, that is what I was always led to believe re the transmission of Johnes, but I'm told that some of the larger herds would simply be feeding pooled colostrum from 1st milk, I presume this is for handiness sake.
Generally feed replacement heifers direct from their mother for 2 or 3 feeds, all the rest would get pooled colostrum or transition milk for the first few days, depending on what's available.

There shouldn't be a big problem feeding pooled transition milk as long as you would be pretty certain you don't have Johnes in the herd.

We showed 2 positive last spring for Johnes but dungs tested clear. We were going to cull them but both went down with TB on the first test, one skin, one bloods.
 
is any of yee out to grass yet with the cows down the country yet.ground should be in good order and lots of grass
 
1st feb planned start of calving so will be no cows out till second week of Feb anyway. Debating about yearlings, have extra ground but don't like putting em out only to bring em back in again, will wait till end of month and reassess
 
Anyone else considering collars for cows this year or got them in recent years? Something im highly considering looking into SCR allflex collars and working out just over 350/month i think over 3 years for a 100 cow herd which isnt savage id be thinking? 350x12=4200€ If it saved 1 cow with ecoli or got 10 more cows back in calf earlier or just back in calf itd have itself covered? I dont know maybe im just trying to justify it but its not sounding bad and anyone that has them are delighted with them
 
Anyone else considering collars for cows this year or got them in recent years? Something im highly considering looking into SCR allflex collars and working out just over 350/month i think over 3 years for a 100 cow herd which isnt savage id be thinking? 350x12=4200€ If it saved 1 cow with ecoli or got 10 more cows back in calf earlier or just back in calf itd have itself covered? I dont know maybe im just trying to justify it but its not sounding bad and anyone that has them are delighted with them
Good mate of mine bought them, 350 cow herd, cant remember what he told me he paid for them, empty rate of 8% this year, reckons they work extremely well and is probably as good as another labour unit for the 12 weeks of breeding plus there's no need of bulls
 
Anyone else considering collars for cows this year or got them in recent years? Something im highly considering looking into SCR allflex collars and working out just over 350/month i think over 3 years for a 100 cow herd which isnt savage id be thinking? 350x12=4200€ If it saved 1 cow with ecoli or got 10 more cows back in calf earlier or just back in calf itd have itself covered? I dont know maybe im just trying to justify it but its not sounding bad and anyone that has them are delighted with them
Have the sense hub collars here. I find them great. Wouldn't be without them now. Have it in 4 yrs now and has saved a couple of cows in that space. It's the ease around breeding here now is great. No looking at cows scratching your head wondering what is bulling. Saving on straws aswell don't forget.
 
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