Autumn calving fallen stock collection is something every block-calving herd should plan for before the first cow calves, not after the first loss. Across the dairy country of Cheshire and Lancashire, and on suckler farms that calve in the autumn to sell heavier stores the following year, September to November concentrates a large share of the year’s calvings into a few weeks. Even well-run herds will lose some calves and the occasional cow. Martlands is a family-run, DEFRA approved collector based in Burscough, Lancashire, providing fallen stock and ABP collection across the North West.
This guide covers why losses happen at this time of year, how calves and cows are categorised, what paperwork follows a death and how to store carcasses without compromising the calving shed.
Planning Autumn Calving Fallen Stock Collection Around the Calving Block
Farmers have a duty of care to arrange collection of fallen stock promptly, ideally within 24 hours of discovery. In a tight calving block that can mean several collections in a fortnight, so it pays to have the arrangements in place beforehand. Our farm and fallen stock collection service offers same-day availability, bookings are managed through the KoLeCt system, and every collection comes with a Commercial Document and a Waste Transfer Note for your records. The official guidance on fallen stock and safe disposal of dead animals sets out the legal duties in full.
Why Autumn Calving Brings Its Own Losses
Autumn calving avoids some spring problems but brings others. A wet September and October in the North West means calves born outdoors in suckler herds can be dropped onto sodden ground in driving rain, and hypothermia can kill a newborn within hours if it does not get up and suck. Housed dairy calves face a different risk as pens fill quickly and hygiene slips during the busiest weeks, allowing calf scours caused by rotavirus, cryptosporidium and E. coli to build up. Our guide to calf mortality and fallen stock collection looks at these losses in more detail.
Cows are at risk too. Dry cows that have been on lush late-summer grass can calve over-fat, raising the risk of difficult calvings, retained cleansings and metabolic problems. Milk fever around calving remains a common cause of downer cows in dairy herds, and a cow that goes down after a hard calving and cannot be got up again may have to be euthanased by your vet. Stillbirths and calving difficulties, particularly in heifers, round out the picture. On the dairy farms of the Fylde, the Ribble Valley and the Cheshire plain, where many herds have moved to autumn block calving, these losses tend to arrive in clusters rather than one at a time, which is exactly when a reliable Lancashire fallen stock collection arrangement earns its keep.
Calf or Cow – Getting the Category Right
The age of the animal determines how it is classified. Cattle over 12 months contain specified risk material and are handled through our Category 1 ABP collection. That covers every cow and heifer lost at calving. Stillborn calves and young calves do not carry SRM in the same way and are typically Category 2, collected through our Category 2 ABP collection. If calves and cows are presented together in the same collection, the load is treated at the highest-risk category present, so keep them clearly separated and tell us what you have when you book. The government also publishes detailed guidance on animal by-product categories and disposal.
BSE Testing for Older Cows
Any fallen bovine over 48 months must be BSE tested. In a mature dairy herd, most cows lost around calving will be in that bracket. Martlands is a DEFRA approved sampling facility, so testing is arranged as part of the collection and you do not need to organise anything separately. Make sure the cow’s ear tags are intact and the passport is to hand, because the sample has to be matched to the correct animal. Our page on BSE testing of fallen cattle explains the process.
Passports, BCMS and Abortion Reporting
Every cattle death must be reported to BCMS within 7 days and the passport returned. During a busy calving block this is easily forgotten, so do it when you book the collection rather than leaving it for the weekend. For calves that die before their birth has been registered, check current BCMS guidance on what needs to be reported.
There is one important exception to booking a collection straight away. A calf born before 271 days of gestation that is born dead or dies within 24 hours counts as an abortion, and bovine abortions must be reported to APHA as part of brucellosis surveillance. Keep the calf and the cleansing, isolate the cow, and wait for APHA’s advice before the carcass is moved. The same applies to any suspicion of notifiable disease.
Storing Carcasses Near Calving Pens
Calving pens are the most vulnerable part of the farm for disease spread, and a dead calf or cow left nearby undoes a lot of good hygiene work. Move carcasses out of the shed as soon as possible to a dedicated collection point on hard standing, ideally at the edge of the yard where our vehicle can load without crossing calving areas, feed passages or routes used by the milk tanker. Cover carcasses to keep off birds, foxes, rats and dogs, and keep them away from drains and watercourses. Our guide to fallen stock collection for dairy farms covers yard layout in more depth.
Wash and disinfect the trailer, loader bucket or calf barrow used to move the carcass, and the boots and overalls of whoever handled it, before going back into the calving area.
Autumn Calving Fallen Stock Collection Records That Stand Up at Audit
Autumn losses feed straight into your herd health plan. Recording the date, animal identity, likely cause and outcome for every death gives your vet useful information when reviewing colostrum management, dry cow nutrition or scour vaccination. Keep each Commercial Document with your herd register. Red Tractor and milk buyer audits will expect to see that fallen stock went through a licensed collector, and our Animal By-Products Licence APB/CCN21/373/8002 and Waste Carrier Licence CB/QE5406MT are stated on the paperwork. For herds in the county, see our Cheshire fallen stock collection page.
To set up collection before your autumn calving block starts, call Martlands on 01704 776977.
