Research shows that valuable energy consumed by a calf can be lost through environmental factors.
When temperatures fall below 15 Deg C, energy will be used by the calves to keep warm leading to cold stress. New born calves have only 3% body fat which leaves them heavily dependent on nutritional energy sources for heat production.
This means if producers do not offer calves more feed (energy), the feed consumed will be used to keep warm instead of used for growth. Calves not fed enough in cold conditions will not grow and will most likely start losing weight. The Cosy Calf Jacket maintains the animals body temperature regardless of fluctuating temperatures.
FOOTBATH:
We have been stocking the Paxton footbath for some time and farmer response has been very positive. Unlike traditional footbaths with grooves and rough corners the PAXTON footbath has a smooth floor with dimples for extra grip. The flat bottom reduces the nervousness of the animal as she doesn’t step on a hard groove particularly when she is lame and increasing her discomfort. The PAXTON footbaths are available in two sizes. See in store for further details.
FOOTBATH SOLUTION
We are having great success with our footbath solution in particular with cases of digital dermatitis. Obviously as we move to grass this will again be a major issue. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if this is relevant to your herd.
WORMS, FLUKE & LICE
As many cows have been housed for more than 5 weeks, all fluke will be at adult stage and easier to control before cows go to grass. Tramazole has a short milk withdrawal of just 60 hours and also covers worms. We now have a 1LT pack of Tramazole free with every 5LT pack purchased.
Dectospot has no milk withdrawal and covers all biting and sucking lice which may become a problem during housing.
ACIDKLENE is now available at The Farm Store. This is a non-chlorine cleaner which is now being requested by all milk producers due to TCMs being recorded in the milk.
WHICH MILK REPLACER SHOULD I USE?
Many farmers are back feeding milk replacer for the first time since the introduction of milk quotas. There is a lot of confusion between brands, protein, oil content, fibre, skim and whey. Higher protein leads to higher growth rates which are ideal for the replacement heifers. These milk replacers tend to have lower oil content to encourage concentration intake while the calf is still on milk. Lower protein powder is more suitable for beef animals and tends to have higher oil content and therefore more energy.
In a healthy situation there is no growth advantage between skim and whey, however when a calf’s immunity is challenged skim powder has the advantage because it forms a clot in the abomasum and breaks down over a longer period reducing the incidence of scour.
Whet breaks down much faster so where there is a veterinary challenge on farm such as crypto for example, skim based powder should be used.
ONCE OR TWICE A DAY?
Animal Health Ireland do not recommend any calf under the age of 4 weeks being fed once a day. From that point on almost any milk powder can be fed once a day. What is required when changing from once to twice a day is to increase the concentration of powder to 20% giving 600gm of powder with 2.4lt of milk. We would recommend a skim based powder for once a day feeding.
Fibre % indicates the level of vegetable protein in the powder. Virtually all milk replacers contain veg protein which contributes to amino acid development such as lysine and muscle definition. Soya protein has a high % of fibre compared to hydrolysed wheat gluten which has almost zero fibre concentration.
Milk powders that contain NUSTART have high levels of PROBIOTICS. This is where good bacteria are introduced into the abomasum with the milk. NUSTART also contains probiotics which feed the gut flora while adding antiviral properties and essential oils.
CALFHAGE will be familiar to most at this stage and is an excellent rumen developer for calves.Calfhage should be introduced as soon as 4 days old and fresh water should be available. Calf muesli and calf nuts also in stock
SEED BARLEY
PLANET is the highest yielding barley on the 2017 department list at 105, however it rates poorly for straw which should be addressed during the growing season. Seed for this variety is limited so book early.
Orders for all other varieties of barley, wheat and oats noe being taken
Disinfection of calf housing is essential. (we recommend OMNICIDE) Ensure all feeding equipment is clean and hygienic. CALFHAGE can be offered from day 3. Regular feeding intervals for milk replacer and consistent mixing method and concentration are essential to reduce stomach upsets. Fresh clean water should be available at all times.
BEDDING CALVES:
Deep dry bedding is essential for calf comfort and hygiene. Straw is scarce but FIBRE BED is widely available in Bulk or in bags. FIBRE BED is coarser than PEAT BED and has excellent absorption capacity and keeps calves spotlessly clean. SAWDUST is also available in 30kg bags.
MILKREPLACER
We stock milk replacer from VOLAC, INTERCHEM, PROVIMI and TROUW.
The PROVIMI range has a milk replacer to suit all animal types with protein ranging from 20% to 26%. Highly palatable and easy to mix and will suit bucket or machine rearing.
Contains PROVIOX 50 which contains natural antioxidants to boost immunity.
All PROVIMI milk replacers also contain NUSTART which is a gut conditioner containing prebiotics, probiotics and natural antioxidants to accelerate gut development, reduce digestive upsets, increase solid feed intake and promote extra growth.
OMNICIDE:
A Very powerful disinfectant with a very wide spectrum kill including Coccidiosis,
Cryptosporidium, Ringworm and Tuberculosis.
OMNICIDE is not adversely affected by hard water; it is not corrosive used at the dilution rates recommended and is biodegradable.
DOSING
Calving is an excellent time to dose cows for fluke & Worms that haven’t received any treatment to date. TRAMAZOLE controls all adult fluke and all stages of stomach worms, lung worms and tapeworms
There is only a 60 hour milk withdrawal.
WISHING ALL OUR CUSTOMERS A HAPPY AND PROPEROUS 2017
For anyone who hasn’t tried peat bed at this stage where have you been, it’s rare we see a product to exceed expectations as this product has, excellent absorption, clean stock, no dust, easily spread.
GUY COTTON
The world’s most popular fisherman’s rain wear is proving exceptionally popular at the farm store,
Durable, comfortable, breathable also in the range are milking aprons and gowns.
Now that the deadline is passed, the Department now state that any sprayer not tested must do so before it is used again. The test takes approximately 1 hour and is done in your yard.
Contact Sean on 0871272334 to arrange your test today.
WELLIE WARMERS:
Looking to keep your toes warm this winter then look no further than his or hers neoprene wellie warmers, the ideal stocking filler.
New from BIMEDA this is a single spot treatment for sucking and biting lice and flies.
Zero milk withdrawal and 18 day meat withdrawal.
Available in 500ml ,1Lt and 2.5LT animal pack sizes, very competitively priced see in store for details.
OMNICIDE FARM DISINFECTANT:
Following the removal from the market of iosan farm disinfectant we are delighted to find a replacement in OMNICIDE. It is packed in 5lt and is registered with the department of agriculture for TB.
BARRIER DIP
Barrier dips are proving increasingly popular at this time of year due to the increased bacteria risk indoors
SENSO DIP is applied post milking and seals the teat canal until the next milking eliminating the risk of infection while on cubicles. It also has very high levels of emollients leaving teats supple and in excellent condition.
WET DISTILLERS
Direct from the Middleton distillery MAIZE DISTILLERS is a high DM, high protein feed suitable for supplementing silage and feed
FARMING 2016
Whatever sector of agriculture you are in the last 12 months have been difficult.
Rain fell from October 2015 until late march 2016.
I never remember a season where we sold maize,grass,wheat,oats,beet and barley seed all in the same week when conditions eventually came right late in the spring.
Prices across the board were poor and again the weather broke in the autumn making the harvest exceptionally difficult.
Let’s hope 2017 proves to be a better year with indications to that effect in dairy already.
We would like to thank you for your business throughout the year and from all of us In the FARM STORE wish you all a happy Christmas and prosperous new year.
Contact Sean o Flynn direct to book your sprayer test to ensure you are cross compliant on
087-1272334. Thankfully most sprayers are passing with a little bit of work needed for some. Tests will take up to 1.5hours and is done in the farmer’s yard.
PEAT BED:
Delivered in bulk or in mini-bulk bags
Huge absorption capacity up to 10 times its weight which compares very favourably to sawdust which is down around 2 to 3.
Also contains 15% hydrated lime to enhance disinfection. Excellent compost when discarded to the slurry tank.
Also available is fibre peat bed which is suitable for cattle bedding where straw maybe scarce. Spread on the floor has excellent absorption capacity keeping cattle very clean.it can be shaken up after a month and tends to dry out again.
DOSING:
With such a wet summer fluke is going to be prevalent in cattle. ENDOFLUKE covers all stages of fluke including eggs and is licenced for use in dairy cows.
We have a special bonus pack which gives a 1lt free with every 5lt which will treat 90 cows competitively.
ALL STAGES OF FLUKE IN SHEEP AND BEEF CATTLE
ALBENCARE contains 15% albendazole which will control worms, adult fluke and fluke eggs,
Tends to be used at drying off in cows and again pre calving as it has a very short milk withdrawal of just 60 hours.
Albencare also comes with a free hook drenching gun worth €70.
CHAINSAWS
we are now stocking oleo-mac chainsaws along with all other accessories and clothing, see in store for details.
ALKAFEEDS:
These coarse rations are formulated using alkagrain 150 which enables high levels of cereal to be used removing the risk of acidosis with high inclusion rates.
Typical beef 16% contains 60%maize,barley and wheat and 40% distillers, soya hulls and soya bean meal (no fillers like palm kernel sunflower or rapeseed meal)
MINERALS
Full range of minerals in stock
Also special offer on pre-calver buckets and calf/beef buckets
PeatBed is a new and innovative cattle bedding material that has been specially formulated for use on dairy farms, particularly on cubicles, but can also be used for calf bedding and loose housing for any type of animal.
PeatBed is made from super dry, super fine peat that is blended with a liming agent.
The peat is harvested from bogs using specially designed machinery. The peat is then brought to our factory where it is screened to obtain the optimum particle size (0-3mm) and then mixed with a liming agent.
PeatBed can be delivered in bulk or in semi bulk bags and can be delivered nationwide.
Contact The Farmstore for more info on 023 8841911 or email stores@thefarmstore.ie
Also find out about Fiber bed for use in poultry, horses and cattle bedding.
Why PeatBed?
Keep the animal dry
Of all of the available bedding materials, peat has the highest absorbency factor with the ability to absorb up to 10 times its own weight. The Super Fine particle size of Peat Bed allows for maximum coverage in a cubicle shed thereby keeping the cows dry and comfortable.
Keep the animal clean
Because of its high absorbency, the cows will therefore be cleaner, and this greatly reduces the bacterial count and potential for mastitis.
Maintain a healthy environment
The special formulation of Peat Bed, with a pH above 8, keeps the harmful bacteria count as low as possible. The highly absorbent peat keeps the animal dry and therefore cleaner.
Creature comfort
Cattle spend more than half their lives lying down. A dairy cow lies down and rises around 16 times every day, which means between 5 000 to 7 000 times in a year! The cushioning effect of Peat Bed helps to increase the level of comfort whilst reducing animal injuries and abrasions.
Cost effective
The peat is harvested during the summer months and stored under cover until required. Peat Bed is then manufactured on a large scale using its own dedicated screening, mixing and production line. Producing large volumes is key to reducing the cost per unit. . This makes Peat Bed the most cost effective material.
Safe to use
Peat is a natural product with no toxins or contaminants. There is no risk of any foreign objects getting into the product, which may be harmful to animals. From a farmer’s point of view, the product is very clean, dry and easy to handle and very easy to work with when spreading on cubicles.
Easy to spread on land
Due to its very fine particle size, the peat remains suspended in the slurry when in a tank, therefore it is easy to extract from the tank and to spread on the land. With its high pH and soil conditioning characteristics, the use of Peat Bed adds value to the slurry for spreading on land.
Easily stored
Peat Bed comes in different bag sizes ( 1.0m3 bag, 2.0m3 bag) or in bulk truck loads. These bags are easily stackable on pallets. The product will last for months in storage without any deterioration in quality.
Supply of wet distillers is already getting tight for this winter, we can however take prebooking’s for deliveries later in the season. Wet distillers is easy to store in or outside, high in protein, oil and relatively high in DM at 35%. Contact us for more details.
HOME AND DRY:
Grain harvest is well under way and with an unfortunately low grain price and little or no sign of a drop in compound feed prices many farmers are availing of treating grain direct from the combine.
Grain fill in spring barley has been very satisfactory so starch levels will be very high complemented with the 4.5% protein lift from adding 30kg of HOME & DRY.
Farmers can expect an excellent stable, high starch, increased protein Alkaline feed with a 12 month shelf life.
WINTER BARLEY:
Growers interested in getting wheat or barley seed dressed with REDIGO DETER should let us know ASAP.
This treatment helps control all aphid vectors of BYDV, slug grain-hollowing damage and wireworm.
Only new 2 row variety added to the provisional recommended list is INFINITY
This received 102 for yield in trials with good all-round disease resistance good bushel and straw strength
SPRAYER TESTING:
The deadline for testing your sprayer is fast approaching; the failure rate so far has been low with little being needed to bring sprayers up to speed, contact us for further details and to arrange your test or ring Sean O Flynn directly on 0871272334.
SEPTEMBER SPECIAL OFFERS
BUY ANY 6 PRECALVER, CALF TO BEEF OR HI-MAG MINERAL BUCKET AND GET 1 BUCKET FREE!
INFRARED NIGHT VISION
The Farm Store 