Our dry cow/in calf heifer shed, all in calf to our easy calving Angus bull, all heifers are in calf to him, only introduced to the black & white into the 1st lactation.
Our maternity wing, all in calf heifers / cows come into here up to two weeks before calving, they receive the same feed ration as the milking herd to ease the transaction into the cubical shed once calved.
A few of our dairy cows making there way into the parlour, milking is twice a day, we feed in the parlour also as we feel this gives us first hand monitoring to heard health and warns of any early signs of ill health.
Our young heifer shed ( pre bulling ) on a very straight forward diet of home grown ad lib haylage.
British blue cross calves, milk fed up to the age of 7/8 weeks on a dry Alf Alfa mix from week 1 & ad lib water & hay.
X3 of our recently sold British Friesian bull calves on milk up to 6/7 weeks & a dry Alf Alfa mix , & ad lib water & hay from week 1.
Our dairy heard settling in for the night, we try to get kicked out by late April and usually turn back in by sept/oct, we like to let the sheds breath over summer once all roofs are volume washed down and a full hot power wash is done throughout. No buffer feeding is done unless we really have to due to adverse weather.
Taking our 1st of 2 cuts, we usually cut end of May early June going for bulk, we use no additive except the big orange thing in the sky, we test prior to cutting for nitrogen traces, 130 acres 1st cut, 60/70 acres 2nd, 15/20 acres haylage for youngstock, 10 acres of young calf hay, up to 50 acres of winter & Spring barley combined.
Pre 1st cut servicing for a hopefully trouble free season !
Top dressing grazing fields, Yara Prill ferterlizer, Npk.
Fabricating our cattle handling system, big & sturdy enough to handle our 2 stock Bulls & our cows / heifers with a stress free environment.
4.66 butterfat
3.36 protein
Average yield 8900 l per cow