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Factsheets for Suckler Farmers

Calf Management | Suckler Cow Management | Nutrition & Feed Management | Weather Management | Breeding Management | Preparation for Calving Webinars 2025 | Calving the Suckler Cow Videos

Calf Management

Suckler Cow Management

Nutrition & Feed Management

Weather Management

Breeding Management

Preparation for Calving Webinars 2025

1. Webinar Insights: Essential Pre-Calving Preparations for Suckler Farmers

The first webinar focused on key pre-calving preparations to ensure a successful calving season. A healthy, live calf is critical for every productive suckler herd, and the session provided actionable tips to achieve this goal through:

  • Body Condition Scoring (BCS): Maintaining cows in optimal body condition at calving reduces calving difficulties and improves fertility, helping cows return to heat faster.
  • Pre-Calving Minerals: Supplementing cows with the right minerals pre-calving ensures lively calves at birth that are quick to stand, nurse, and gain essential immunity from colostrum.
  • Pre-Calving Vaccines: Using vaccines can significantly lower the risk of calf scour and respiratory diseases after birth. This helps reduce calf mortality rates, saves time, and minimizes costs for suckler farmers. Featuring the new cryptosporidium vaccine.

By focusing on these steps, farmers can improve calf survival rates and the overall efficiency of their suckler operations. It featured Prof. David Kenny (Teagasc), Emma Sargent (MSD) and Ed Curtin (Future Beef farmer).

You can watch it back here:

2. Webinar Highlights: Calving and Post-Calving Management for Suckler Cows

The second webinar provided essential guidance on calving management and the post-calving care of both suckler cows and calves. Key topics included knowing when to intervene during calving, managing newborn calves to reduce illness, and ensuring cows are ready to conceive again for a 365-day calving interval. Highlights included:

  • Calving the Suckler Cow:
    • Recognizing when and how to intervene during difficult calvings.
    • Identifying signs of calving complications and preparing the calving shed with essential equipment.
    • Managing cows after a hard calving to ensure recovery and productivity.
  • Calf Care and Health:
    • Reducing the risk of common illnesses such as scour and navel ill in newborn calves.
    • Tips for handling sick calves, including proper hydration and the use of effective products to minimize the impact of illness.
  • Getting the Cow Back in Calf:
    • Strategies for achieving a 365-day calving interval, including post-calving nutrition, breeding decisions, and fertility management.
    • Exploring synchronisation options, with insights from Michael Biggins' hands-on experience.

By implementing these best practices, suckler farmers can improve herd health, reduce calf mortality, and enhance the profitability of their operations. It featured John Donlon (Teagasc), Dr. Doreen Corridon (NCBC) and Michael Biggins (Future Beef farmer).

You can watch it back here:

Calving the Suckler Cow Videos

Key Tips for Calving: When to Intervene, Managing Difficult Calvings, and Calf Resuscitation

Understanding the calving process is crucial for suckler farmers aiming to ensure healthy deliveries and reduce calf mortality. By mastering some essential skills, farmers can improve survival rates and support healthier outcomes for both cows and calves. These videos focus on:

1. The Calving Process and When to Intervene:
Recognizing the normal stages of labour and identifying the key signs that intervention may be necessary to assist the cow and calf during delivery. Watch here: 

2. Managing a Difficult Calving:
Practical steps for handling challenging calving situations, including equipment preparation, reducing stress on the cow, and ensuring her recovery post-calving. Watch here: 

3. Calf Resuscitation:
Proven techniques for reviving a newborn calf that is struggling to breathe, including proper handling, clearing airways, and stimulating breathing effectively. Watch here: 

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