Late night foddering and calving

A cow called Daisy

Are any of yous out there restricting silage to cows that are close to calving during the day and then foddering them late evening/night? They say cows that don't come up to feed are sick to calve and you can move them to calving pen.
Did it work for you and what time did you feed the cows

A cow called Daisy

I know i posted this at 2am but i not going out foddering now

Gillespy

Read this study.

I tried it years ago. Waste of time plus I always prefer to get feeding done as early as possible and not be at it at night. Sometimes cows calve during office hours, sometimes they don't. Having everything else right will make getting up at night a lot easier.

sheebadog

A cow called Daisy wrote: »

Are any of yous out there restricting silage to cows that are close to calving during the day and then foddering them late evening/night? They say cows that don't come up to feed are sick to calve and you can move them to calving pen.
Did it work for you and what time did you feed the cows

We bring cows up to speed with high input diet for 3 weeks before calving. They are fed at 11.30 and nobody looks at them after that. I would say that 80% calve during the day.

mahoney_j

Cows near calving can be locked away from silage during day here.i usually let them out to it at 11.30 or 12 before I go to bed and lock them away from it at 10.00 the following morning.they have nothing during day only water and a cubicle bed to lie on.works quite well but there's always the odd one that will calve at night

Farrell

We're part-time/hobby, feeding done at 8pm. Use to give hay, oats & seaweed 6 weeks from calving, now giving oats seaweed, & silage where they're to run out early following day (saw in on here)
Hopefully it works

farmerjj

sheebadog wrote: »

We bring cows up to speed with high input diet for 3 weeks before calving. They are fed at 11.30 and nobody looks at them after that. I would say that 80% calve during the day.

11.30pm????

sheebadog

farmerjj wrote: »

11.30pm????

Yes. Sorry. 11;30pm
No starving involved whatsoever.
I'm a firm believer that it works.

farmerjj

Ha I,m wrapped up in bed at that stage, I usually feed mine in the morning and just get up once during the night to check the monitor haven't had a problem so far this year

Gillespy

Cows leading up the calving have a very reduced intake. Don't restrict them, in fact you should be doing your best to promote intake and reduce stress on her as much as possible.

delaval

All feeding here in am.
Peak calving 4-10 am 6-10 pm

farmerjj

delaval wrote: »

All feeding here in am.
Peak calving 4-10 am 6-10 pm[/QUOTE

wow.:eek:

blue5000

delaval wrote: »

All feeding here in am.
Peak calving 4-10 am 6-10 pm

4-10 am is the latter half of the night for me.

We feed at about 4pm, 80% calve during daylight hours.

delaval

blue5000 wrote: »

4-10 am is the latter half of the night for me.

We feed at about 4pm, 80% calve during daylight hours.

4am if a cow is in bother she'll usually be ok as first person to the yard at 5 will assist. I actually like those times

Greengrass1

delaval wrote: »

4am if a cow is in bother she'll usually be ok as first person to the yard at 5 will assist. I actually like those times

How do you manage if your only getting to sleep from 11.30 to 5? Or do you have time tables?

hugo29

A cow called Daisy wrote: »

Are any of yous out there restricting silage to cows that are close to calving during the day and then foddering them late evening/night? They say cows that don't come up to feed are sick to calve and you can move them to calving pen.
Did it work for you and what time did you feed the cows

Feed here between and 8-9pm, generally cows calve between 3- 10 pm but you get the odd girl in the middle of the night,

6 weeks out, Give them oats for energy and minerals on the silage or blocks depending, and just enough silage to keep condition on

Works well

delaval

Greengrass1 wrote: »

How do you manage if your only getting to sleep from 11.30 to 5? Or do you have time tables?

Rota I do 3 morning off then 3 more. Good diet, exercise and lots of coffee and do office work in the morning

Greengrass1

delaval wrote: »

Rota I do 3 morning off then 3 more. Good diet, exercise and lots of coffee and do office work in the morning

Perks of milking a lot if cows

delaval

Greengrass1 wrote: »

How do you manage if your only getting to sleep from 11.30 to 5? Or do you have time tables?

How do you manage weekends with little or no sleep?

Greengrass1

delaval wrote: »

How do you manage weekends with little or no sleep?

I don't. Sunday is the rest day. We do the bare minimum and leave it at that. That helps alot