Early autumn calves
Robin Hall
Although there are two main calving groups for spring and autumn, having a few cows calving between these periods can help to maintain milk supplies at an adequate level.
With the main autumn calving group all dried off now, Cerys and Gingko calved last week. Cerys (large white cow above) is a Montbeliarde X and is 6 years old. Gingko (cow with eye patch below) has calved for the first time and is currently learning how to come into the parlour for milking. Normally heifers will run with the milking herd for a few weeks prior to calving. This helps them to become familiarised with the routine and they will enter the parlour and experience the strange sounds and smells in there. While this certainly helps when they calve for the first time, it can still take a lot of patience and time before they settle down and will stand quietly for the milking.
