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42


It is a family team behind the success of the Killywhan herd with John, Margaret and Stuart all playing their part.


Calves are housed in an air controlled shed which regulates the temperature.


DCAD ration made up of 10kg of second cut silage, 4kg of wheat straw, 2kg of hay, 2kg of dry cow nuts, 1.25kg of maize, 1kg of blend and 0.22kg of calcium chloride.


Helping with health


management of the herd are visits every 10 days from Roddy Dunse of Dunmuir Vet Group for routine checks. Post natal cows are checked between 14 and 24 days, PD checks are done at 35 and 60 days and any cows not served by 100 days are checked.


“Having routine checks helps to prevent any problems snow


Heifers are housed in cubicles on mattresses and fed on a grass silage based TMR


balling. We also check the temperature and ketones of cows three or four days after calving. Cows are calved on a sand bedded court and then given 40 litres of a post calving drink with the calves taken away immediately. Fresh calved cows are then kept in a small group for up to three days after calving.


Calves are given the best start possible in an air controlled shed, they are fed on Volac machines in four pens and weaned at 10 weeks old. Calves are then housed in straw yards and fed on straw and


concentrates up to five months old.


From five months of age they are moved in to cubicles in a suspended shed built two years ago and are fed a TMR of grass silage, blend and cereals and are then served according to size with the current herd average age at calving being 23.9 months.


Previously the average age of heifers calving was 27 months and John prefers calving younger so they aren’t as tall and mature when they join the herd, he finds them easier to get in-calf and calve down and


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