All set for next serving round
The final article of the year coincides with the end of calving – with eight left to go.
We have another four to calve in November, but will be selling them fresh at market as I will struggle to get them into next year’s block.
The focus is now firmly on fertility, with the cows bulling well and pre-service heats being observed. The vet looked at the “none seen bullers” today and treated less than 10% of the eligible cows (calved over a month). This is a pleasing result and hopefully puts us in good stead for serving, which will start on 29 October. We have an AI man coming every day at 9am to serve what we have pulled out for him – this worked well last year and lets us focus on spotting cows in heat.
The feedstocks for this year are looking OK. We have just done the maize and the pit is two bays less than last year.The crop is very dry, but it was more than we had thought we would get. We held over maize from last year to introduce into the diet a month before serving, which has worked well. It will also give time for the new maize to ferment. The first cut has analysed well and we are feeding the brewers’ grains we bought at the start of the year, along with potatoes, so the cows have a nice varied ration. They are milking well enough on it, but not filling the tank yet. Having said that, I would prefer to get them all in-calf than fill the tank if I had the choice.
We have a busy few months ahead with a project that I look forward to telling you about next year. It certainly won’t be a boring winter, that’s for sure.
Ian Ratcliffe, 27, took on the family farm in Cheshire, comprising 121ha on 1 April 2011. He aims to calve 230 in an autumn block averaging 7,000-8,000 litres a cow a year, maximising milk from forage.