Compact Calving

Sue85 · 01-01-2011 08:13PM #1

I would like to know your opinons/experience of compact calving. We are thinking about preparing to do this next year (spring) Any info would be appreciated

irishh_bob · 02-01-2011 03:51PM

Sue85 wrote: »

I would like to know your opinons/experience of compact calving. We are thinking about preparing to do this next year (spring) Any info would be appreciated

can you provide some details

are you in dairying or suckling
size of herd etc

dar31 · 02-01-2011 04:20PM

yea a bit more detail would help a lot
what is the current calving pattern
dairy or suck as bob said
do you have the facilities to handle compact calving
have you enough labour to cope,
herd size
when will you turn out to grass
any disease problems currently on farm

a compact calving pattern will not happen over night, there is just to many factors that come in to play.
but it is worth the effort

5live · 03-01-2011 12:40PM

Compact calving is brilliant when it works but you need everything right before you start ie calving pens calf pens feeders etc. Vaccinations for scour(as discussed in another thread) is helpful too. The demand on labour is huge while calving is going on but only for a relatively short time. You can focus on one thing at a time ie calving then turnout then conception rather than all together which can simplify management. But it takes time to achieve and even longer to maintain. Best of luck:)

John_F · 03-01-2011 01:13PM

5live wrote: »

Compact calving is brilliant when it works but you need everything right before you start ie calving pens calf pens feeders etc. Vaccinations for scour(as discussed in another thread) is helpful too. The demand on labour is huge while calving is going on but only for a relatively short time. You can focus on one thing at a time ie calving then turnout then conception rather than all together which can simplify management. But it takes time to achieve and even longer to maintain. Best of luck:)

+1, need to have adequate pens in order to have time to clean and disinfect between. It is suggested that you have 25% more individual pens at your peak calving inn order that you dont run out of clean space. I saw a photo once of an ibc tank converted to a calf pen, the cage was takenn apart and put up against the side of the tank and side of each cut, and the cover of the ibc taken off for air, v simple and cheap. similar to the jfc hutches.

compacting the calving means it is easier to manage the whole lot, as its alot easier to manage large groups at similar stages of lactation with feed, medicines etc etc

if ya think of the above image but an ibc and the steel part bring the cage

Sue85 · 03-01-2011 01:41PM

Thanks for your replys

The following are our details:
Currently calving pattern - Jan - May
Dairy
Pens and Space - Yes
Herd Size - 45
Turn out to grass - Mid March
No disease/sicknness

irishh_bob · 03-01-2011 03:02PM

Sue85 wrote: »

Thanks for your replys

The following are our details:
Currently calving pattern - Jan - May
Dairy
Pens and Space - Yes
Herd Size - 45
Turn out to grass - Mid March
No disease/sicknness

sounds like your well set up in terms of infrastructure and stock

what exactly do you mean you refer to compact calving

are you hoping to calve half the herd in the 1st three weeks
are you hoping to calve 90% of the herd inside six weeks

those are the goals which the top men set for themselves although only a minority of farmers manage to achieve them

a key part of achieving a compact calving pattern is to have a well managed breeding plan which starts over nine months before , in order to calve your cows in a compact fashion , you need to inseminate ( no bull ) them in as tight a period as possible , this involves having a tightly managed heat detection programme , you need to monitor the cows and it will be nescessery to use heat detection aids like tail paint and a vasectomised bull

Shauny2010 · 03-01-2011 06:27PM

I think my system is a bit of an embarrassment !! The cows are calfing at any time of the year, it gone totally out of sync.
The worst of it is I bring the weanlens to the mart in dribs and drabs, i end up going about 6 times!!

Sue85 · 03-01-2011 07:37PM

We are hoping to calve 90% in six weeks.
How long do you use AI insemination for? Do you then let the stock bull off? Thanks so much for all the info.

irishh_bob · 03-01-2011 09:16PM

Sue85 wrote: »

We are hoping to calve 90% in six weeks.
How long do you use AI insemination for? Do you then let the stock bull off? Thanks so much for all the info.

i take it your completley new to dairying ?????

you can inseminate for as long as you like but the optimum length of time is around nine weeks A.I and perhaps another month or six weeks with a bull cleaning up , thier will always be a few hangers on who end up calving over a period of nearly two months from the end of march to perhaps the middle of may , you cant simply just breed for six weeks and then quit , you could end up with only half your herd in calf

dar31 · 03-01-2011 10:40PM

Sue85 wrote: »

Thanks for your replys

The following are our details:
Currently calving pattern - Jan - May
Dairy
Pens and Space - Yes
Herd Size - 45
Turn out to grass - Mid March
No disease/sicknness

really the main benifit to a tight calving pattern, get out to grass early, and make the greatest use of grass.

mid march is very late, there is no excuse for not getting out towards the end of feb. for even a few hours. ideally 1st feb to the 10th.
even if you tried to knock a week off turn out each year, set a target for start of march.

in order to get ready for breeding you should start now, and condition score dry cow, group and feed accordingly.
bcs will play the biggest role in how well they go in calf.
fat and thin cows will cause you trouble.

irishh_bob · 04-01-2011 05:22PM

dar31 wrote: »

really the main benifit to a tight calving pattern, get out to grass early, and make the greatest use of grass.

mid march is very late, there is no excuse for not getting out towards the end of feb. for even a few hours. ideally 1st feb to the 10th.
even if you tried to knock a week off turn out each year, set a target for start of march.

in order to get ready for breeding you should start now, and condition score dry cow, group and feed accordingly.
bcs will play the biggest role in how well they go in calf.
fat and thin cows will cause you trouble.

its one thing getting out to grass the 1st of febuary in cork or the south in general , you would be doing very well going out the 1st of march in the likes of cavan or monaghan , IMO , you can go to grass in the northern half the country by day around the 3rd week in febuary and would be happy to head out full time between paddys day and the 1st of april

that said , last year , most cows were still in the shed the 2nd week of april

Sue85 · 06-01-2011 10:56AM

Yes we are new to all this (Its very obvious isnt it

) But all your replys are extremely helpful.

Compact Calving

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