Mobs of hinds with low average body condition score generally have a higher rate of dries, but it is not always the thin hinds who are dry. The value of scanning is highlighted in these situations.
Getting rid of dry hinds in the current environment is a frustration, but at least if you know who they are you can prioritise feed and animal health inputs into the pregnant ones.
Yearling pregnancy rates have been down on many farms. These girls are so much more sensitive to a feed pinch at mating, even if they were above target weight when the stag went out.
On some farms there are more late-fawning hinds than normal. Identifying these and fawning them as a separate mob or quitting them is a great idea. This makes management of the earlies much more flexible in late spring as you can start opening gates or quietly moving mobs without worrying about mismothering of new fawns.
Talk to your veterinarian about timing for this for next year if you’re not doing it already.
