Dairy farmers ready for calving
Stewart says as milk is not worth so much, some dairy farmers will keep calves and raise them to be sold for beef in the future.
He says this is a busy period for dairy farmers and staff, as they deal with calving cows, colostrum, calves, feeding calves twice each day, and milking cows as they calve. ‘‘We go from one extreme to the other. In winter the pressure is off. Then in late winter and early spring, it is really busy.’’
Nonetheless, Stewart is looking forward to the new season.
‘‘I think most of us were well over last season. Now it is a brand new season. And that’s what we are thinking about.’’
Many farmers have a ratio of one staff member to 200 cows.
Stewart says many people in town don’t realise how often farmers and staff check cows when calves are due.
‘‘There is an early morning check, usually about 5am, then another one when it is light at 7.30am, one about midday, one later during the day and one last thing at night, we would check them. Farmers usually check their cows at least four times a day.’’
He says farmers are sorting out cows soon to calve to bring them closer to the dairy shed and nearby for checking often. Cows due in about a month, according to their udders and calving dates, are being put in a paddock further away.
‘‘It is a busy time for all of us. We’d usually have one calf an hour during the busy time.’’
Farmers have the knack of knowing when a cow is in difficulty. A cow should take about two hours to calve, and there should be a nose and two feet poking out. If there isn’t this is a sign that a cow needs help.
‘‘There might be a leg back, or something like that. The position is what we watch for. We would bring a cow we thought was having problems to the shed.’’
Stewart said most farmers had the skills to deal with that.
He says farm owners or managers have to make sure that their staff are sleeping and eating well.
‘‘If they aren’t, then that’s a