Recent scanning results, as well as ongoing client discussions, teach us it’s important to monitor the progress of your youngstock frequently. It’s not, however, always easy to do this, especially if they’re grazing off-farm and there are a lot of other jobs requiring your attention (scanning, body condition scoring, drying off, harvesting maize silage or calving (autumn herds)).
Having a youngstock plan in place that has been discussed between you and those looking after your stock can be a big step towards ensuring the best care for them. If you are looking after them yourself, it serves as a reminder of what’s coming up and needs to be sorted.

What does this plan look like:

• It’s set up as a monthly calendar
• Itemized by different categories eg vaccinations, drenching, weight targets, trace elements and other
• You can pre book vet procedures and set up reminders for yourself for routine jobs you or the person looking after the stock can do

What would be on the calendar this month for example:

• Worm drenching or faecal egg counting
• B12/Selenium injection
• Target weight if weighing
• Weighing results: take stock of available feed; are there any stock that need preferential feeding? Dry matter intake requirements.
• zinc supplementation rates and methods
• lepto vaccination for autumn R2s
• pregnancy testing R2s

As the future of your herd and with the frequently sub-optimal pregnancy rate of first calvers in mind, focus on the young stock needs to be all year round.

If you weigh your young stock or have them weighed, but don’t know what to do with the results, please get in touch with your vet. You have the data in your hand to make a difference and we’re happy to help you get there.

Date Added: Tuesday, 9th February 2021