Herd Management [DA.HM]

MMN March 2025 – Husbandry of Dairy Calves

When rearing calves there is a lot to think about from to the day of birth right through to getting that calf to enter the milking herd. Husbandry is important…

MMN January 2025 – Outwintering Dairy Heifers

Outwintering dairy heifers can make significant savings on bedding and labour and with good planning and nutrition, growth performance should not be compromised. There are a number of things to…

MMN January 2025 – Should You be Using Genomic Testing?

Genomics uses a young animal’s DNA to estimate their genetic potential and aims to provide dairy farmers with the information and the confidence to make informed breeding decisions with their…

Green Bedding for the Dairy Herd

With the rising costs of sawdust and straw, it is worth considering alternative sources of bedding, one of which is recycled manure solids (RMS), also known as green bedding. Green…

MMN November 2024 – The Benefits of Good Ventilation

Many businesses have housed dairy cattle earlier this winter due to extended periods of wet weather, poached fields, limited grazing and variable (but often mild) temperatures. Protecting the herd…

MMN November 2024 – Should You Feed Silage to Weaned Calves?

There is a lot of debate around whether weaned dairy calves can be fed on a grass silage-based ration. Standard industry guidance for years has been to feed weaned calves…

MMN July 2024 – Why Won’t a Calf Suckle?

There are many reasons why some calves struggle to suckle from a teat. One of the main causes is an acidotic calf at birth and this condition is most likely…

Ventilation in Calf Housing through Summer

As the weather warms steps need to be taken to prevent disease outbreaks in calves. Calf sheds should be well-ventilated to ensure cool fresh air is flowing through. Air capacity…

Practical Assessment of Nutrition in the Milking Herd

Nutrition of the milking herd is usually seen as the responsibility of the farm’s nutritionist. However, there are many ways a herd manager or stockperson can assess whether nutrition is…

Nutritional Guidance for the Milking Herd

Nutrition in dairy cattle is a complex area, and many farmers rely on their nutritionist to ensure that the ration for the milking herd is correctly formulated to optimise herd…

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