Proactive management during spring sets the stage for a successful year on your farm. By concentrating your efforts on essential tasks, you can reduce costs and boost profit. Prioritise activities like grazing management, mating preparation, team-wellbeing, treatment plans for non-cycling cows, managing mastitis, and maintaining good biosecurity practices, to ensure your farm thrives throughout spring and into the next season.
Spring grazing tip
Did you know, using leaf stage of a ryegrass plant in spring to decide when to graze, along with the optimum rotation length and grazing residual, affects the amount and quality of pasture grown later in the season? Grazing before 3 leaf stage will reduce pasture growth rates, potentially increasing the requirements for supplements before balance date. Good grazing management now allows more plants to reach 3 leaf stage and avoids the need for supplementary feed, keeping costs down.
Pros and cons of once-a-day milking in early lactation
Have you thought about reducing your milking frequency to ease the pressure on you and your team during peak workload? A short period of once-a-day (OAD) milking during early lactation can provide benefits that outweigh a small reduction in milk production at this busy time of the year. Advantages include:
- More time: You’ll have more time to complete other tasks or take a break.
- Improved work hours: Your team can start later every second day, reducing the likelihood of burnout.
- Better energy status for cows: Cows can maintain a better energy balance.
- Cost-savings: you can save on costs related to the shed and labour, especially if needing extra staff during the peak.
Upskill your team on heat detection
Proper heat detection ensures high conception rates and maximises 6-week in-calf rates, improving your herd’s reproductive success. Using our heat detection tool and Incalf reproduction gap calculator can help determine if heat detection is an issue for you and a cost to your business. Before mating season starts, review your heat detection strategy, and ensure your team is ready to go. Providing training to upskill your farm team can help less experienced members learn from experienced ones, ensuring accurate heat detection for a successful mating season.
Safeguard your farm with strong biosecurity measures
With more visitors expected on your farm in the coming months, there is a higher risk of unwanted pests, weeds, or diseases coming along for the ride. Stock truck drivers, vets, and AI technicians can pose some of the biggest risks. Protect your people, animals and land – your greatest assets - by having robust biosecurity policies and procedures in place.
Recharge after calving
Your team’s well-being matters. One way to ensure you’re all rested and refreshed after a busy calving period is to take meal and rest breaks throughout the day. When we’re rested, we’re more resilient, make less mistakes, and better decisions - improving focus on pasture management, animal health and heat detection. And don’t forget to plan a few consecutive days off and away from the farm entirely after the hustle of calving – it’s essential for recharging and resilience.
Read our top tips on staying well and seek support if you need it
Reduce the risk of BVD infection
Increased animal movement at this time of year, especially bulls onto dairy platforms, raises the risk of Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) spread. BVD can lead to reproductive losses, more disease in general, reduced growth rates, and lower milk production. The good news is that controlling BVD at farm level is achievable and cost-effective.
Plan ahead: spot non-cycling cows early
Too many non-cyclers can drastically impact your herd’s reproductive performance. However good pre-mating heat detection practices can identify non-cyclers early, allowing time to plan treatment. Research shows that treating non-cycling cows is more cost-effective than not treating them. Investing in treatment provides worthwhile returns, so talk to your vet about treatment options.
Manage mastitis to minimise its impact
Mastitis affects cow welfare, takes time and energy to treat, and can be costly if it spreads from cow to cow. Staphylococcus aureus (Staph. aureus) is a common cause of mastitis affecting udder health and most herds will have some cows with this type of infection. However, with good management, these bacteria can have minimal impact on farm productivity. Work with your vet and farm team to create a management and prevention plan for your herd.
Additional tools and resources for spring
Explore more tools and resources to help you navigate through a successful spring.
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Spring Survival Guide
The Spring Survival Guide is designed to help you get through the physically and mentally challenging time of calving.
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Feeding Cows in Spring
Answers to the frequently asked questions about feeding dairy cows in spring.
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Early spring pasture management
A guide to using the Spring Rotation Planner which aids in pasture management after calving.
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Wet weather management
Strategies and guidance for managing the impact of prolonged wet weather.