Calving has slowed a bit in the last few days but with between 59 and 69% of the individual herds having calved, there is definitely no shortage of work for the team.
Fine-tuning our supplementary feed management has been a focus of the team this week as feeding at this time of year can have a large impact on successfully setting up the lactation. It is a fine balance between making sure cows are not underfed, causing pasture damage and limiting production, but also wanting to achieve acceptable grazing residuals to ensure good quality, milking feed for the next round.
Key actions this week:
- increase supplementary feeding to all herds to fill the current pasture deficit with the current area allocation
- book the contractors to lift the early lactation fodder beet as soon as weather conditions allow
- offer kale to the springers for 1 hour/day to help eat the remaining crop which is in the early stages of stem elongation and flowering
- reduce the utilisation of the kale stem by the dries as it has become very fibrous
- booked the R2's in for transport to the grazier next week
- making a plan for some pasture remediation in areas of paddocks damaged when grazing in wet conditions.
General notes
- BCS is looking good across all herds although there is a tail of lighter cows in most of them
- season to date milk production summaries show all herds ahead of the same time last year. Interestingly the LIFB herd has currently produced similar milksolids to the two higher-stocked standard herd.
- we continue to provide phosphorus supplementation to the fodder beet dries and springers and the mixed colostrum mob. Magnesium is being dusted to springers, colostrum and milkers and limeflour to the colostrums and milkers.
- the grazing plan is taking on a life of its own as we try to make it as simple as possible for the farm team to keep track of where cows are going and what supplement they require.
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