Farmers should plan ahead after poor growing and harvesting conditions this year have left fodder in short supply, Northern Ireland’s Chief Veterinary Officer has urged.
Waterlogged fields have forced many farmers to keep cattle indoors through the worst of the summer weather and that grass intended for ensilage could not be cut across much of the country.
Many dairy farmers are readying themselves for a fodder shortage on the back of cows being housed early, depleted silage stocks and later cut silage with negligible nutrient content.
Consequently, more farmers have conserved their feed than normal. To minimise livestock feed problems in the winter and spring time, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) urges farmers to assess their conserved feed stores now and to ensure they have sufficient provisions for all the stock they intend to overwinter.
In doing this, the department said it is important to assess both the quantity and the quality of the feed available to prevent later problems associated with poor diet.
'Increased risk'
Chief Veterinary Officer Robert Huey said it’s "very important" that farmers plan ahead in a year like this.
“Taking hard decisions to remove less productive stock early in the winter will help conserve fodder, improve the efficiency of the farm business and ensure that good standards of animal welfare are maintained,” he said.
“The wet conditions will also have increased the risk, for example, of liver fluke, clostridial disease, pneumonia, lameness and general ill-thrift. Preventative measures can decrease these risks.”
The Chief Veterinary Officer added that farmers should contact a Private Veterinary Practitioner (PVP) if livestock have specific veterinary issues or signs of animal health problems.
“Your PVP will provide advice to help you to protect your stock from malnutrition and distress. They will be able, for example, to carry out pregnancy testing of animals which will help in determining their individual nutritional needs or inform a decision to sell them," Mr Huey added.
