Future Beef farmer Aonghusa Fahy from county Galway discusses preparing for calving, calving the cow and caring for the newborn calf on the latest Beef Edge podcast. 

To ensure he is fully prepared, Aonghusa  will carry out a pre-calving check. He makes sure the calving equipment is all working including calving gates, calving cameras, calving jack etc. 

Also ensure you have calving ropes, gloves, stomach tube, iodine etc. To help with this, Teagasc has a very useful checklist: 

https://www.teagasc.ie/animals/beef/demonstration-farms/future-beef-programme/technical-notes-for-suckler-farmers/calving-checklist/

At the end of January, Aongusa’s cows were moved into the pens adjacent to the calving area for ease of movement. 

As Aonghusa works off- farm, he has two rotating cameras and is also fortunate that his father lives close to the farmyard.

The cows have been treated for lice and received their vaccinations e.g rotavec corona early in January. 

All cows’ backs and tails were clipped which helps keep the udder clean for the newborn calf.

Post calving, the cow is given between 24-48 hrs to bond and Aonghusa ensures that each calf gets colostrum.

Weather permitting,  they are let out to a dry sheltered field adjacent to the yard.  However, in the event of having to stay housed, the cows are given top quality silage and 1kg of meal/head/day.

For more episodes from the Beef Edge podcast, visit the show page at:
https://www.teagasc.ie/thebeefedge 
            
Produced on behalf of Teagasc by LastCastMedia.com