Cows, calves and veterinary

This herd consists of 45 heifers due to have their first calf over the next few months and 18 dry cows, mainly expecting their second calf, who were under condition score 4.5 at dry-off. They're not quite at a score 5 yet, but getting there - the heifers, of course, are mostly well over 5.5. They get fed slightly better than the older, fatter cows, and are expected to leave a few clumps behind. The magnesium dusting is clearly visible - they're standing in grass that is about a 3100 kg DM cover, and was grazed by milking/suckling cows through May.

The very long, lodged grass seen swirling here would have barely had the tip nipped off it on the last grazing rotation. This is the effect of lax grazing - the centre of the clump will be brown and unpalatable, and the plant itself losing grass to rot as fast as it grows - so no net growth. The shorter plants around it would have been grazed down to 3 or 4 cm.

Dry cows have lower energy needs, and are ideal for restoring unpalatable, lazly grazed pastures back to a high quality, good growing condition. Both herds are getting extra hay (and a vastly increased area of ground) to compensate for the reduction in the length of grass offered - energy content of the feed isn't a great concern at this stage.