11 November 2024

5 top tips for November

Dr Joe Patton, Head of Dairy Knowledge Transfer at Teagasc, shares five top tips for November, highlighting important elements such as drying off, grassland management, establishing a winter work routine and monitoring animal performance.

1). Drying off

Start drying off heifers in early November. Heifers are still growing and require more days in the dry period. Give heifers a minimum of 12 weeks dry. Discuss selective dry cow therapy options with your vet.

2). Planning grazing

Plan grazing based on spring demand. It’s tempting to keep going if ground conditions are dry, but grass will be more valuable when cows are freshly calved.

3). Labour

Calving is less than 90 days away! Organise who is going to help you in spring. Who might be interested locally? If you only have one person and this person gets sick, injured or does not work out, you are on your own. Word of mouth is important, so ask around.

4). Winter work routine

Establish a good winter work routine early. Can you simplify jobs like cleaning cubicles? Are lights, drinkers and scrapers all in good working order, etc.? With cows in late lactation in spring herds, can you milk an hour earlier in the evening? There will be enough long days in spring.

5). Livestock performance

Weigh young stock before housing. If you don’t have a scales you can hire one from your local mart. Don’t assume they are on target. Many farmers have got caught out by thinking they are when some of them are not. Group and feed based on weight.

The above first appear in the November Teagasc Dairy Advisory newsletter. For more insights on grazing targets, drying off procedures and winter feed plans, access the full Dairy newsletter here