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Problem Grass Weeds – July 2020

It is still worth keeping an eye out for problem grass weeds to limit any seed return and issues in following crops. Black-grass and brome both shed significant numbers of…

Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus: forward planning – July 2020

Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) has been seen in several winter and spring cereals this season. Aphids are slowly building up numbers on crops and volunteers. There is a risk…

a black slug gliding across winter grass

Forward Planning for Slugs – July 2020

The wet weather has encouraged slugs to make an appearance and many can be seen feeding on the ears of wheat. The wet weather will improve the survival of slugs…

Ewes: Looking After The Next Generation

Whether breeding as ewe lambs or as gimmers, looking after these young ewes will positively affect the flock performance for the next year and improve their lifetime productivity. The ewe that lambs down well in her first year will stand a greater chance of lambing down well in future years. The first step is focusing on their nutrition to get them to target mating weights.

Watch Condition of Autumn Calving Cows

While it is ideal to manage cow condition throughout the year, this is often easier said than done. Cows on good quality grass will put on condition rapidly. Having over fat cows at calving time can cause issues with calving difficulty, fat cows also have a higher risk of metabolic issues around calving time.

Magnesium For Autumn Calving Herds

When we think about magnesium deficiency, we automatically think about grass staggers. Many suckler herds do not experience problems with staggers in the spring and it tends to be in the autumn that staggers is more common, due to changeable and stormy weather conditions and a high passage rate of lush, wet grass through the digestive tract. For autumn calving cows, the risk of staggers is lower pre-calving compared to lactating cows at this time as they have a lower requirement for magnesium. However low magnesium pre-calving can cause metabolic issues around calving time such as subclinical milk fever or slow calving syndrome.

Watch Your Water

Both water availability and quality are important considerations for cattle at grass, particularly during periods of hot weather. Although rare, cases of blue-green algae (or cyanobacteria) toxicity have been occasionally diagnosed in cattle by SRUC Veterinary Services and sheep can also be affected. This condition should be considered in cases of otherwise undiagnosed sudden death, particularly in cattle at grass depending on their water supply.