Dairy Newsletter - April 2022

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In this month's edition:

• Plan ahead for feed security
  Dairy farmers face another year of huge uncertainty due to the current geopolitical situation. While predictions on prices and availability of inputs are dominating conversations, it is very important that individuals take whatever steps are feasible for their own farm, to improve the security of their feed stocks for the coming season and next winter.
• A successful second grazing rotation
  Managing the second grazing rotation during April is crucial as cows on many spring-calving herds approach their peak, both in terms of grass intake and milk production. You should begin your second rotation when you have three to four paddocks in the region of 1,100-1,200kg DM/ha and a “steps of the stairs” supply of grass in the following paddocks.
• Beefing up your 2023 calf crop
  Many farms have settled at optimum cow numbers post expansion and are now refining their breeding plans to improve margins from a given herd size. With the increased availability of sexed semen, a greater opportunity now exists to breed ‘the best to the best’ to produce the cows of the future.
• CellCheck tip of the month
  To get the best value from milk recording, the first milk recording should be done within two months of calving, so it’s important to get started if you haven’t already done so. Milk recording your cows at least six times per lactation allows you to easily identify both problem cows and top performers in the herd. It is also the most reliable way of collecting the individual cow information required if a prescription for dry cow antibiotics is needed. Following each recording, a CellCheck summary report is provided along with individual cow information.