“Cows just absolutely love it.” – Derek O’Donoghue
Salesian Agricultural College is one of six private agricultural colleges in Ireland. The college operates a predominantly spring-calving dairy herd of 420 cows. Calving is highly concentrated, with more than half of the herd calved within the first three and a half weeks of the calving period. With a significant number of cows calving over a relatively short timeframe, supporting cow recovery and maintaining an effective post-calving routine are important aspects of herd management.
Inform Nutrition’s Conor Delaney recently visited Salesian Agricultural College to speak with Principal Derek O’Donoghue about his experience using First Drink and the role it plays within the college’s post-calving routine. First Drink is a highly palatable nutritional drink formulated specifically for freshly calved cows, providing essential fluids and nutrients to support rehydration, encourage dry matter intake and aid recovery following calving.
Supporting cows through the immediate post-calving period is particularly important in helping them transition successfully into lactation. First Drink supports fluid and feed intake following calving, helping cows get off to a strong start in lactation while reducing the risk and severity of metabolic challenges, including displaced abomasum.
Before introducing First Drink, Salesian Agricultural College regularly experienced digestive upsets in freshly calved cows, alongside cows that were slower to clean. The college first started using First Drink in spring 2023 and is now in its fourth calving season using the product.
First Drink has since become part of the college’s standard post-calving routine. Once a cow calves, she is moved to an individual pen and offered a 20-litre drink containing the full 700g allocation of First Drink. Derek says the difference has been noticeable, with “cows cleaning that bit quicker, with less retained afterbirth.”
Another key benefit has been how quickly cows return to feeding following calving. “The big benefit we see is that cows return from the calving pen to the transition group and are back eating a lot quicker. They’re more settled in the parlour, and this year there’s been zero health issues.”
Palatability has also been a significant advantage, with cows becoming familiar with the post-calving routine. “Cows just absolutely love it,” Derek says. With more than half of the herd calved at the time of the visit, Derek also reported no cases of displaced abomasum and no veterinary call-outs for cows post-calving this year.
This year, the farm has further developed its routine by introducing a second 20-litre offering approximately 10 to 15 minutes after the first. Derek has seen further benefits
from this approach, explaining, “We’ve seen a big improvement this year since introducing the second 20-litre offering.”
For Salesian Agricultural College, First Drink has become a key part of the post-calving management programme, delivering consistent benefits for cow recovery and overall herd health. Derek credits the importance of getting “that volume of fluid back into the cow post-calving”, adding that “anyone who uses it will see an improvement in the general health of their cows.”
Commenting on Derek’s experience, Conor Delaney of Inform Nutrition said:
“It’s great to see the results that Salesian Agricultural College have experienced with First Drink. Supporting rehydration, dry matter intake and recovery immediately after calving can play an important role in helping cows transition successfully into lactation, and it’s encouraging to see First Drink firmly established within the college’s post-calving routine.”
