The 2021-22 officially started yesterday with the PSC of the heifers. With already 65 cows in milk, we are off to a good start. APC across the farmlets is good and we have our spring supplement supply on hand. Spring rotation plans and spring feed budgets are now operational. Springer paddocks are not quite at the required pre-graze targets for our 20 m2 daily allocation so we have increased the baleage allocation to fill the deficit DM deficit.
Key Decisions this week:
1. decrease fodder beet allocation to the late calving Std and LI FB cows as they are already above target BCS for calving
2. increase the proportion of crop in the diet of the mid calving cows to reduce the baleage requirements
3. increase baleage allocation to the springers to ensure they are eating 10 kg DM/cow. Working on 1 bale per 40 animals
4. continue springer drafting from the early/mid dries twice per week
5. offer colostrums 100 m2 per cow
6. split calved cows into milkers and colostrums from Monday when we will have at least 100 cows calved
7. schedule a weighing of the R1's late next week just as the kale animals finish their crop.
8. Mineral supplementation to dries and colostrums/milkers remains unchanged
General notes:
• Milkers and dry cows were BCS this week with springers to be done tomorrow. Overall we are happy with the results but will have to manage the lighter and fatter tail enders, with 10% kale and 15% FB cows at BCS 6 or above. Ton average the dries average BCS 5.3-5.4 and the milkers BCS 4.7-4.9.
• Our R1 heifer calves are going well, though this week they have started to leave some kale behind. With only 2 weeks left at the support block before heading to the grazier there is less concern about crop running out.
• Some extra fencing has occurred on the farm including when the septic field has been extended beside one of the houses and alongside the Makarewa Tributary where the buffer zone has been increased in preparation for more riparian planting. With a new map needing to be made to account for a change around in farmlet paddocks, we will also redraw these areas and update the paddock areas following these fence changes.
• Our first bobby calf pickup will be on Tuesday.
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