DAIRY 101 SPRINGER COWS
Cows tuck in silage dusted with magnesium this winter.
Spotting the Springer Story and photos by: Karen Trebilcock
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ollowing the Government’s Winter Grazing Taskforce report, extra care needs to be taken this spring to make sure cows aren’t calving in mud. Of course, the easiest way to do this is to make sure none of your cows are standing in any mud during winter and early spring but it’s far easier said than done. And although there may be dry areas in the paddock, cows like to go off by themselves to calve and, if all of the dry spaces are taken up by lounging cows, they may choose the wet corner instead. The best thing to do is to separate calving cows from the rest of the herd so you can give them the best treatment. So how do you know if a cow is about to calve? The easiest way is through a 12-week pregnancy scan. This scan not only shows
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empties but gives the approximate date of birth for the calf. However, January is long gone and you can’t go back in time so if the scan wasn’t done book it in for next year and start looking at your AI records.
Closer to calving, look for cows that are keeping by themselves and are not interested in eating. The last AI date for the cow should be accurate enough to predict the calving date although some cows will have held to an earlier insemination or have slipped that foetus and ended up getting it on with the bull in the paddock late summer. And if your tags and records aren’t great
then none of it will be much help. It’s now up to the cows to tell you. Up to a month before calving, udders will become swollen and the milk vein under the cow’s belly will show. Milk can drip from teats and there can be a mucus string from the vulva. Closer to calving, look for cows that are keeping by themselves and are not interested in eating. Their vulvas will now look swollen and flabby and there will be a dip between the tail head and the pin bones. They will not look happy and will be restless, their tails swishing from side to side. Their backs will be arched and they will be kicking and nosing their sides. When things are getting really close the water bag will be protruding. With heifers, all of these signs can be seen a day or so before calving: with cows it can be only hours or minutes, so
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | July 2020
