Pre calving management

Heifers should be examined two months before calving in terms of bodyweight and body condition score. Target condition score at calving is 3.0. Growth rates at this stage should be no more than 0.50 kg per heifer per day. This can be achieved by:

Heifers should also be given dry cow minerals during the last six to eight weeks before calving.

Introducing heifers to the milking regime two to three weeks before calving is also recommended as it reduces stress early in the lactation. This policy is carried out at Greenmount Campus, where heifers are brought into the milking parlour before calving and given a small amount of the early lactation concentrates.

Heifers on bare pasture close to calving