We are nearing the end of December, meaning it won’t be long until the calving season kicks off all over again, and farmers needs to get equipment and facilities ready.
Preparing in advance will relieve stress on both the farmer and the cows, allowing for an easy, clean and relaxed calving.
Farmers should not wait for the arrival of calves to start getting the sheds ready, as all calf and calving sheds should now be washed and disinfected.
Ensuring calf facilities are in good order is one thing, but the dry cow sheds need to well kept and well maintained, making sure scrapers are going six times a day and that cubicle mats are brushed and limed twice a day.
Calving season
Farmers should make sure that their calving facilities are clean, well-bedded, well-lit and have an adequate supply of clean water prior to the calving season.
Space for the calves is crucial as not giving a calf space is going to leave her stressed and uncomfortable which will limit the calves chances of thriving.
Calves under three weeks of age need a minimum of 1.5m2 and once they reach about 70kg, they should be allocated a minimum of 1.7m2 but should be nearer to 2m2 with loads of air space of at least 7m3.
Ideally, calving pens should be equipped with a self-locking restraining gate and should not be used to accommodate sick cattle.
Moving cows that are close to calving to these calving pens should be done well in advance, to ensure the cow is not stressed.
All calvings should be somewhat observed without intruding and disturbing the animal, as it will add to her uneasiness. Farmers should make sure that their calving cameras are working well prior to calving.
Equipment
It is important to be well equipped for the coming calving season and this will mean ensuring that you have enough supplies to see you through the season.
Farmers need to have a look at what supplies they already have in the yard and put together a list of things that they will need to order or purchase.
Below is a list of materials that should be stocked and ready to go before calving gets underway:
- Disposable plastic gloves (long and short);
- Gel and paper towels;
- Calving ropes (minimum of two pairs);
- Calving jack;
- Oxytocin, calcium bottles or boluses and magnesium;
- Disinfectant for navel;
- Brix refractometer to test colostrum;
- Stomach tubes – have a minimum of two to have a separate one for electrolytes/sick calves and another for feeding colostrum to calves;
- Calf tags, notebook or a phone app to record calving information;
- Infrared lamp for sick calves;
- Footbaths with disinfectant.
Farmers should make sure they have all the supplies required at hand during the calving season to have them there when, or if they are required, rather than having to run to the local store to purchase them.
While getting these supplies together is essential, it is also important to check that the calving jack and ropes are in good order.
Remember that the start of the calving season is less than a month away, which means that everything on the farm needs to be in order to prevent added stress to the busiest time of the year on any dairy farm.
