Here is your Vetora mid-April - Spring calving e-Update
Lovely to see some rain finally after a record breaking autumn drought! Spore counts are still reasonably high and with the rain may increase, so don’t relax on the zinc just yet – those spores are tough little sods and they don’t break down as quickly as you’d like them to, even with a few cooler nights.
COWS
- Milk quality and RVM consults are well underway. This is a good opportunity to review your milking season, ask us any questions you have on animal health, and to set up your dry-cow plan for this season.
- Drying-off of high SCC cows and your lighter animals. Remember cows need 25-30 days to gain half a body condition score. They won’t put weight on 10 days after dry-off nor 30 days pre-calving, so you need 10 weeks for 0.5 BCS gain, and 14 weeks for 1 BCS gain before calving. Get us to come out and body condition score the herd if you’re unsure, and we’ll help you make decisions about when to dry off each animal based on her calving date.
- If you’d like us to help administer dry cow to the herd, book in now! It’s always a bit tricky to fit everyone in, so the more notice you can give us the better.
- Herd lepto vaccinations are starting now.
- Zinc supplementation should be continuing.
- Liver Mineral checks can be performed on any late culls to check trace minerals going into winter. Let us know if you need a cull cow submission form which is also available on our Vetora App. If you contact Denise Adamson (denise.adamson@vetora.nz) and she will help set you up with our Vetora Members App.
- Keep balancing the maize minerals. Milkers will need calcium, magnesium, salt and DCP added to the maize to avoid becoming deficient. Call us if you need help working out the doses or if cows are going down after starting maize.
- Please order your dry cow, ideally with 24 hours notice, so we can have it ready for you for the time that you want it.
- FREE SEMINAR - Are wearables really for the future? If you use wearables or just thinking about it don’t miss this seminar Kio Kio Hall Tues 29th April 1030am. RSVP Otorohanga clinic on 07 8737089
HEIFERS
- Give them a visit to make sure the feed is adequate for them and they come home big and beautiful and BCS 5.5 for calving. There is still time to get them pregnancy tested if not yet done.
- Don’t forget their Lepto/ Rotavirus boosters.
- Think about their B12/Selenium/Copper requirements.
- Book in Teatsealing.
CALVES
- Worm larvae numbers will be up with autumn rain. Ensure regular drenching to keep on top of this and avoid growth checks.
- Autumn Calves dehorn + 5in1/10in1 vaccinations
- Spring calves 3rd lepto vaccination should be considered if their first and second shots are given before Christmas but the heifers are not usually done until the autumn. The ideal gap between the annual lepto vaccinations is, well, 12 months. Please talk to your vet if you have any questions about this.
- Calf Rearing Workshop - Te Awamutu 6.30pm 26th June. Pop it in your diary
All the best for the last few weeks of the season.
