Teagasc
Advisory
Newsletter
DAIRY
October 2016
October is the most
important grazing month
Decisions that you take during
October will influence your closing
cover, closing date and the amount
of grass on your farm next spring.
So it is vital that you get the last
rotation right. This means starting
between the October 1 and 10 (the
earlier date for farms on heavier
soils) and getting at least 60% (up
to 70% on higher stocked farms)
of the farm grazed by the end of
the month.
Every one-week delay in starting the
last rotation will reduce grass supply
in spring by 100kg DM/ha.
All paddocks must be grazed out
well so as to encourage tillering
over the winter. Poaching must be
avoided – back fences and offgrazing should be employed under
difficult grazing conditions.
Because of excellent growth during
September, there is a lot of grass on
farms as we head into October, so
you will have to be ‘on top of your
game’ to get the most from
autumn grass. The tactics you used
earlier this year for spring grazing
are equally applicable now,
especially on heavier soils.
Edited by
Tom O’Dwyer,
Head of Dairy
Knowledge Transfer
In this issue
n October is the
most important
grazing month
n It is a key month
for managing cow
body condition
score
n It is an ideal time
to take soil
samples
Graze out paddocks to encourage tillering.
DAIRY
October is a key month for managing cow body
condition score
Having cows in the correct body condition score
(BCS) at calving is essential to ensure troublefree calving, good milk yields and good
subsequent fertility performance next year. This
is much more valuable than squeezing a few
extra litres from thin cows milked into
December. Grouping and feeding dry cows
based on BCS is not always practical.
Consequently, it may be easier to meet BCS
targets by management in late lactation. The
sooner you put a plan in place to deal with thin
cows, the more options you have. Acting in
October will allow you to use the option of an
extended dry period for early-calving cows.
Act early to have cows in correct BCS
next spring:
n assess quality and quantity of feed available;
n record the BCS of each cow in the herd –
each cow must be handled to accurately
assess individual BCS;
n write down expected calving date for each
cow to calculate dry period length; and,
n assign each cow to a management plan to
meet target BCS at calving.
Cow at BCS 3.25.
Table 1 outlines some guideline changes in BCS
due to silage and management. For example,
dry cows on 62% DMD silage for eight weeks
would be expected to lose BCS (-0.15), while
those on 68% DMD silage would gain around
0.20 BCS units. Thin cows (less than 2.5) will
require extra days dry, once a day milking, extra
dry period feeding, or a combination of
measures to make the targets. Develop a simple
cow-by-cow plan for your herd and discuss with
your adviser or discussion group.
Table 1: Effect of silage quality and management options on BCS change
Eight-week dry period
UFL intake for 0kg bodyweight gain
Daily UFL balance
BCS change
62%
7.1
-0.60
-0.15
Silage DMD
68%
7.1
0.90
0.20
72%
7.1
1.90
0.50
Management options for BCS
Extra six-week dry period
Once a day milking for seven weeks
2kg hulls/pulp to dry cow for six weeks
+0.20
+0.18
+0.30
BCS effect
+0.45
+0.18
+0.25
+0.55
+0.18
+0.20
OCTOBER 2016
October is an ideal time to take soil samples
A dairy farm stocked at 2.5LU/ha, producing 5,000
litres/cow (12,500 litres/ha) will remove 13kg of
phosphorus (P)/ha and 19kg of potassium (K)/ha
per year in milk. Our high rainfall results in between
250 and 625kg lime/ha being washed from our soils
each year. So it is vital that dairy farmers check their
soil pH and P and K status at least every three to five
years – and more frequently on highly-stocked
milking platforms. October is an ideal month to soil
sample your farm. To ensure that the samples taken
give you accurate information, you should:
n prepare a soil sampling map showing defined
sampling areas;
n use a suitable soil corer capable of taking
samples to 10cm depth;
n take a representative selection of soil cores (a
minimum of 20 is recommended); and,
n allow three months after the last application of P
and K fertiliser or slurry/manure.
Contact your local Teagasc adviser to arrange for a
trained soil sampler to visit your farm.
Drying off cows
Many farmers will start to dry off spring-calving
cows during October. Some farmers struggle with
this job, resulting in poor cure rates during the
dry period and cows calving down with a higher
cell count than at drying off.
Poor dry off procedures will increase both the
number of cows with elevated cell counts at
calving and the number of cows developing
mastitis in the first 30 days next spring. Yield will
be reduced and both treatment costs and
workload will be increased as a result.
It pays to implement a correct drying off
procedure. Don Crowley of Teagasc recommends
these steps to drying off.
1. Dry off in batches of 10. Remember if using a
teat sealer with the dry cow tube, 80 tubes will
be applied to these 10 cows. If drying greater
numbers, then you need to get additional
help. Plan for the time and labour that drying
off takes.
2. Draft out a group of cows, and leave until the
end of milking.
3. Clean out parlour and organise tubes,
methylated spirits plus cotton wool. Make sure
to keep the tubes sterile – do not remove the
cap until ready to use.
4. Go and have some breakfast.
5. Get a new set of gloves for drying off.
6. Completely disinfect the end of each teat. Start
with front teats and clean with cotton wool
and methylated spirits.
7. Treat the teats nearest you first, followed by
treatment of more distant teats.
8. Teat dip or spray all teats immediately after
treatment.
9. Mark each cow dried off with spray marker,
take note of number and dry off date.
10.Keep cows standing for at least two hours after
treatment – don’t allow cows to lie down in
dirty yards, roadways, fields or housing.
Take time this autumn to dry off cows correctly.
For more information, see CellCheck
Management Note D or watch the practical video
at www.animalhealthireland.ie.
DAIRY
Prohibition on tail docking of bovines
The Department of Agriculture, Food and the
Marine (DAFM) wishes to remind dairy farmers
that legislation bans the non-medical tail
docking of cattle, including cows. Docking
your cow’s tail could result in penalties being
applied to your Basic Payment Scheme, and
other area-based schemes, under crosscompliance rules.
+
Tail docking is prohibited.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Improve farm safety with TAMS II funding
Trying to do too much, rushing and tiredness lead
to many farm accidents. TAMS II provides funding
for many safety improvements on farms. Grant
aid is available for livestock facilities, slurry
aeration, access manholes, slat replacement,
safety rails, sliding doors and electrical and
lighting installations. Attendance at a half-day
safety code of practice training course or
completion of the Certificate in Agriculture in the
last five years is a requirement to draw down
TAMS II funding. See the enclosed health and
safety newsletter for further information on safety
training courses.
TAMS II covers livestock facilities.
Dates for your diary
Autumn grazing farm walks – see enclosed leaflet for details.
For further information on any issues raised in this newsletter, or to access other
enterprise newsletters, please contact your local Teagasc adviser or see www.teagasc.ie.
Produced by Think Media.
Teagasc National Dairy Conference, Rochestown Park Hotel, Cork, December 6, 2016.