Protect Body Condition

The team is now having numerous conversations about keeping milk on cows and eking forage stocks out until grazing.  Cashflow, locally available feeds, and capacity to handle different feeds on farm all come into play – meaning there is no single answer.  But please do get in contact with your local consultant and nutritionist.

Amidst the late nights of the calving and lambing routine, keep the chin up.  Watch and protect cow body condition.  For the most part, too much milk is not a problem – if your cows don’t peak well, calves will be up against it (even more so) for the rest of the season.  If cows are losing significant body condition, they will have poorer submission and conception rates.  The cost of this spring will then roll into next year through poorer calving rates.

Written by Robert Logan, for more information contact Robert.Ramsay@sac.co.uk