Drying off suckler cows

Irish Beef

That time of year again and I'm interested to hear peoples routines regarding drying off the cows, do you restrict grass for a few days before hand as well as after and for how long. Are dry cow tubes used in milky cows. what ever you do to get cows dry with out any mastitis or losing any quarters and without too much hassle. All my calves are eating a nice bit of meal and are creep grazing all summer so I'm not worried about them.

TITANIUM.

I try to do it gradually if I can.
Leave the transferable fence abit higher in places so the calves forward graze adeah of the cows and then into an adjacent paddock. The cow's normally go to the shed then for a few days on hay and straw.
That being said I've had to abruptly wean at times with cows straight to shed and leave calf's with the group.
No tubes here anyway unless I've a problem.

Irish Beef

TITANIUM. wrote: »

I try to do it gradually if I can.
Leave the transferable fence abit higher in places so the calves forward graze adeah of the cows and then into an adjacent paddock. The cow's normally go to the shed then for a few days on hay and straw.
That being said I've had to abruptly wean at times with cows straight to shed and leave calf's with the group.
No tubes here anyway unless I've a problem.

If you don't mind me asking, are the cows on straw beds or Cubicles or just on slats, just regarding infection would you not think they might be cleaner in a field, or do you feel they dry off better away from grass altogether on a hay diet?

TITANIUM.

Irish Beef wrote: »

TITANIUM. wrote: »

I try to do it gradually if I can.
Leave the transferable fence abit higher in places so the calves forward graze adeah of the cows and then into an adjacent paddock. The cow's normally go to the shed then for a few days on hay and straw.
That being said I've had to abruptly wean at times with cows straight to shed and leave calf's with the group.
No tubes here anyway unless I've a problem.

If you don't mind me asking, are the cows on straw beds or Cubicles or just on slats, just regarding infection would you not think they might be cleaner in a field, or do you feel they dry off better away from grass altogether on a hay diet?

There on cubicles. But Some of um just lay out on the slats anyway.
They'll dry up far quicker when you have 100% control of their diet yourself. And you don't have to worry about cows breaking going looking for calf's.
If there is a problem which there rarely is its easy to spot and deal with as there under your eye in the shed.

_Brian

Cut back grass for a few days.
Then into yard/shed on straw for 3-5 days.

whelan2

Does anyone actually tube them?

50HX

calves forward graze as much as possible during the grazing season anyway

into the house

cows at one side - calves at the other

cows on hay - the min for the first 24- 48hours

calves have the option to out to the field if they want and back into shed whenever

close access to shed from morning to evening after day 4

calves then generally don't look to come back to shed after day 7/8

never tubed and all cows on slats

jfh

find drying off in a bare field better than putting them in ,less chance of mastitus anyway.

we take away the cows from the strongest calves & put at other side of fence, leave their calves witht the group, after a week of so, take those calves away & on meal then, i'd prefer if they were onmeal before weaning but doesn't suit us

High bike

Just split em here,cows on bare paddock on straw for 4 days and calves in yard for a week to get em eating meal.Its fairly noisey for a few days but doesn't last long

Who2

Split here cows onto slats and try to put weanlings close but it doesn't always work that way. I try five or six every so often, prolongs the bawling but better better than a heap getting excited at the one time. Don't usually have bother with mastitis and a suckler that's been rearing a calf since last February with no meal isn't going to exactly be much of a threat to oversupply.

Irish Beef

Most people seem to be doing a lot of the same things, like keeping them on hay and straw for 3-5 days, main difference is some seem to keep them indoors while others prefer them out at grass, so far nobody seems to be tubing, my vet reckoned it be no harm to tube the milky ones, but then he's selling the tubes, course he'll do ok anyway if they end up with mastitis. My plan was to tube the milky ones as I got a little bit of trouble with a couple last year.

High bike

Irish Beef wrote: »

Most people seem to be doing a lot of the same things, like keeping them on hay and straw for 3-5 days, main difference is some seem to keep them indoors while others prefer them out at grass, so far nobody seems to be tubing, my vet reckoned it be no harm to tube the milky ones, but then he's selling the tubes, course he'll do ok anyway if they end up with mastitis. My plan was to tube the milky ones as I got a little bit of trouble with a couple last year.

wouldnt imagine they'r producing too much milk at this time of year

Never wrestle with pigs

Tube and seal them all. It's better than getting one start and f-ing around with her for a few evenings or getting blind spins. I think the tube helps to heal the udder after 9/10 months of hard work.

Straw for a few days after indoors or they would cut the place up looking for their calvs.

Who2

Never wrestle with pigs wrote: »

Tube and seal them all. It's better than getting one start and f-ing around with her for a few evenings or getting blind spins. I think the tube helps to heal the udder after 9/10 months of hard work.

Straw for a few days after indoors or they would cut the place up looking for their calvs.

Is rather deal with one start than try and tube fifty recently weaned sucklers. I've yet to get a start on a cow after weaning. I think your putting an unnecessary hardship and expense on yourself.

Never wrestle with pigs

Who2 wrote: »

Is rather deal with one start than try and tube fifty recently weaned sucklers. I've yet to get a start on a cow after weaning. I think your putting an unnecessary hardship and expense on yourself.

Do you just go straight to feeding straw for a few days and let them soak up? How do the milky ones go? I'd have a good few milky ones that would still be producing a good bit, calved since dec/jan

blue5000

whelan2 wrote: »

Does anyone actually tube them?

No, but mine are all spring calving, but they might be used more if calving in the autumn.
I prefer to dry them off outside with straw for a week after weaning.

High bike

blue5000 wrote: »

No, but mine are all spring calving, but they might be used more if calving in the autumn.
I prefer to dry them off outside with straw for a week after weaning.

do you restrict water intake at all?

blue5000

High bike wrote: »

do you restrict water intake at all?

No, I don't think there's any point if they're on straw.

High bike

blue5000 wrote: »

No, I don't think there's any point if they're on straw.

theres a lad near me who does for a few days don't do it myself either and never had a problem

cacs

Irish Beef wrote: »

That time of year again and I'm interested to hear peoples routines regarding drying off the cows, do you restrict grass for a few days before hand as well as after and for how long. Are dry cow tubes used in milky cows. what ever you do to get cows dry with out any mastitis or losing any quarters and without too much hassle. All my calves are eating a nice bit of meal and are creep grazing all summer so I'm not worried about them.

We dry them straight off . Into the slatted shed, reduce there feed no more never had any instance of mastitis

Muckit

_Brian wrote: »

Cut back grass for a few days.
Then into yard/shed on straw for 3-5 days.

I thought you were all drystock _brian?

_Brian

Muckit wrote: »

I thought you were all drystock _brian?

We are. Ow but had sucklers before that.