Having a Field Day with Grass (Stornoway) – event summary

Event Summary

It was standing room only at the Lewis and Harris Auction Mart on Friday 24
March when crofters, young and old alike, packed in to hear Franz Brulisauer
and Mary McDowell lead a most informative evening on how optimum
nutrition can ensure the maintenance of good stock health during the
important spring months.

This was complemented by a display of products by local agricultural supplier, Lewis Crofters.

Following their presentations the floor was opened up to a Q & A session with many of those present asking a wide range of interesting and topical questions.

To add a fun element to the evening, all those present were asked to ‘Guess the Weight of the Feed Bucket’ with the winner receiving a free soil/silage sample.

The event proved to be a resounding success with all the evaluation forms scoring 3 or 4 (very satisfactory/excellent).

Key Take-Home Messages

Plan ahead:

• Assess condition of your stock early and regularly
• Get your forage analysed – know what you are feeding and make the most of what you have
• Adjust rations for lactation
• Priotitise animals and match what you have to what needs it
• Ensure you are meeting energy and protein requirements for lactation
• Don’t forget about minerals/vitamins
• Don’t be afraid to call out your vet
• Know the weight of your livestock to ensure you are administering the correct volume of drench to your animals
• Ensure that your dosing gun is properly calibrated and giving the correct dosage for your livestock