With mid summer approaching, farmers should be monitoring the prevention of summer mastitis in autumn calving cows and replacement heifers as fly populations begin to increase.

According to CAFRE’s Jack Friar, farmers should watch out for early signs of mastitis, as once you notice a swollen quarter, full recovery is much less likely.

“The main signs are an animal standing on its own which is often lame, dull, anorexic and can have a significantly raised temperature. To minimise the risk of summer mastitis, consider the following:

• Avoid areas of the farm with large fly populations. This can be pastures with sandy soil, tree cover and/or water nearby.

• Watch out for teat lesions.

• Control flies on cattle, especially around teats.

• Identify and isolate cases as soon as possible.

For sheep farmers, warm, damp conditions provide the ideal environment for blueflies and maggot strike.

“Closely monitor ewes, rams and lambs and contact your vet to ensure you choose the prevention and/or treatment strategy best suited to your circumstances.

“Follow product label instructions correctly. Pay particular attention to the length of protection and withdrawal period as some are relatively long and will not suit heavier lambs close to finishing,” advised Jack.

For all farmers, the volatile weather this year has led to difficult grazing conditions, with many farms having to keep stock inside for longer than usual, using up silage reserves.

“If you were fortunate and were able to get stock out, you may have given them access to fields which would usually have been closed off for silage to relieve pressure on grazing ground.

“In either case, a winter fodder budget should be completed after the first cut to help plan requirements from second and potentially third cuts.

“This will also help you determine at an early stage if additional forage needs to be sourced.

“AFBI research shows that extra fertiliser, sown early in the season to increase grass yield, is the most cost-effective way to address a potential shortfall.”