NEWCALVERMISERYUNNECESSARY
NEWCALVERMISERYUNNECESSARY
MORE thought needs to be given to the way newly calved heifers are introduced into the housed herd. The pressure and stress that a newly calved heifer is suffering is hugely underestimated, says Helen Costello.
"She has just calved for the first time, shes understandably feeling pretty ropey and shes got a very sore and swollen udder. So what do we do? We milk her and make her even more sore. We take her calf away and then we open the door of the cubicle house and push her in to a crowd of cows shes never met before. Now thats a traumatic experience for any animal.
"There are so many areas where big improvements can be made to provide an acceptable environment in which to house and manage dairy cows. Not only will the pay-off be happy, healthy cows, but ultimately a more profitable herd, says Mrs Costello. *
Happy or stressed? Living cheek by jowl through winter could be causing stress and reducing herd performance, says Helen Costello.