Have Your Cows got the Winter blues?

Wednesday 22nd January 2009

It's every dairy farmers goal at this stage of the year to prepare his herd sufficiently so that milk quality is maintained through the last weeks of winter and the herd is keen to enjoy the benefits of the first spring grass when it arrives. There's nothing more disappointing that seeing the herd shuffle towards those fresh, grass fields in a lazy manner when they should have a spring in their step at the joys of being out in the open air once again.

Cows tend to get a bit depressed at this time of the year on account of being kept in for the winter, and while they are resilient they can become a bit fed up with it all. It's if they have an attack of the winter blues. Milk quality can suffer as a result, so it makes good sense to keep an eye on fat and protein levels, as well as the cow's general health, and make feed adjustments that can put the situation back on track.

"It's a delicate time of the year but there's always something than can be done to help the cows along, as well as helping the farmer by improving milk yields and quality to get the most out of these last few indoor weeks," says Tom Mann, Duchy Blends Manager for Cornwall Farmers.

"Sometimes there can be no logical reason for the mood of the herd. You can be doing everything right and the figures all add up, but the cows just aren't happy. Or the high yielding cows might be doing fine, but the rest are below par. It's good to know that a few small adjustments can actually bring the herd round to a much better frame of mind."

Changes in feed balances are just one way to enhance the general well-being of the herd. Cornwall Farmers' Duchy Blends can be fine tuned to the requirements of each farm and provided in quantities that will see the farm through nicely through to the beginning of spring. But other issues can also be a factor, such as comfort and cubicle allocation, issues which are well worth looking at now with a view to planning for next winter's housing.

"The bottom line for this year, is feed adjustments can still make a very important contribution to the well-being of the herd and the quality and quantity of their output," says Tom Mann. "By calling one of our local team, a farmer is giving himself a chance to make the most of what is left of the winter season and making sure his cows are going to be in tip-top condition for the spring."

To discuss these issues and for further information from Cornwall Farmers, contact Tom Mann on 07901 854477; Robin Hawkey on 07770 816581 or Andy Hawken on 07901 854463.