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BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 1
• Over 60% of mastitis cases can start during the dry period1
• 50% of high yielding cows may fail to develop a complete keratin teat plug, increasing the risk of bacteria entering the udder2
• OrbeSeal is tried and trusted to reduce mastitis by 35% with over 10 years on farm success3
• The silica component of the formulation increases viscosity to create an eff ective barrier against new infection
Don’t take risks during the dry period. Speak to your vet about how OrbeSeal can reduce the cost of mastitis on your farm.
1. Mütze K, et al. The eff ect of dry cow antibiotic with and without an internal teat sealant on udder health during the fi rst 100 days of lactation: a fi eld study with matched pairs. J Dairy Res. 2012 Nov;79(4):477-84 2. Dingwell RT et al. (2004). Association of cow and quarter-level factors at drying-off with new intramammary infections during the dry period. Prev Vet Med.;63(1-2):75-89 3. Rabiee AR & Lean IJ. The eff ect of internal teat sealant products (Teatseal and Orbeseal) on intramammary infection, clinical mastitis, and somatic cell counts in lactating dairy cows: A meta-analysis. Dairy Sci. 96 :6915–6931
OrbeSeal contains 65% bismuth subnitrate. Withdrawal period: Zero days: POM-V . Further information is available on the product SPC or contact your veterinary surgeon or contact Zoetis UK Ltd, Walton Oaks, Dorking Road, Walton on the Hill, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 7NS. Customer Support 0845 3008034. www.zoetis.co.uk
Always seek the advice of your medicines provider. Use medicines responsibly (www.noah.co.uk/responsible) AH246/15
June 2015 Vol 21, No. 8
Livestock Event preview
Planning farm investment
TotalDairy Seminar report
Heifer Rearer of the Year
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Health Traits
Fertility Index: + 11.0 Lifespan: + 0.5
SCC: - 27%
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 3
NEWS
BRITISH DAIRYING does not necessarily share the views of contributors. No respon-sibility is accepted for the claims made by advertisers.
This magazine is Copyright © WB Publishing Ltd. No part of it may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the publisher.
BRITISH DAIRYING does not necessarily share the views of contributors. No respon-sibility is accepted for the claims made by advertisers.
This magazine is Copyright © WB Publishing Ltd. No part of it may be reproduced in any form without prior permission of the publisher.Printed by Warners Midlands Plc
BRITISH DAIRYINGPublished by WB Publishing Ltdwww.britishdairying.co.uk
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8 Oakhill Drive, Welwyn, Herts AL6 9NW Phone: 01438 716220 Fax: 01438 716230email: [email protected]
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Production editor: Carolyn Moore
Available free to selected farmers in the UK who meet the publisher’s terms of control.UK Subscription rate: £56/yr (12 issues), Europe:
ISSN 1356-1561
June 2015, Vol 21, No. 8
ContentsTotalDairy Seminar report 8-9
DIN conference report 10
Animal health—antibiotics 12-13
Barry Wilson comments 15
2015 Heifer Rearer of the Year 22-27
Planning farm investment 28
Farm story 30-31
Livestock Event preview 32-52
Planning forages 54-55
Managing milk fever 56-57
Win a trip to the USA 57
Feed market update 60
Breeding Matters 62-63
Product News 42-52 & 66-67
Milk price prospects
prices to start recovering late this year, or in early 2016, once they have had time to adjust to slower production growth, the ‘stabili-sation’ of Chinese imports and improved consumer demand aris-ing from lower retail pricing and
-covery will initially be dampened by the need to work through excess
quarterly dairy report.
DC Producer Organisation
Dairy Crest Direct have launched
Organisation (PO). DCD represent 1,050 farmers supplying 1.5bn litres of milk a year to Dairy Crest. The new status provides bargain-ing strength to farmer groups to negotiate their contract terms and milk prices with their buyer, and builds on existing DCD services. It incorporates full Voluntary Code compliance, and has been sup-ported by Dairy Crest, who have revised their producer contracts.
OMSCo MD appointment
Milk Suppliers Co-operative (OM-
has been appointed as managing director. Mr Hampton commented: “While the general organic milk market in the UK is seeing little or
that we’ll need more milk from our members, both this year and well into the future.”
Defra budget cuts
UK Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne announced cuts of £83 million in the Defra budget. According to the Institute for Gov-ernment, Defra has been the second hardest hit by the cuts across all government departments. Defra has given no details of where the cuts will come from.
April milk production
April milk production in the UK was up 1.5% to 1,299m litres, ac-cording to provisional data from Defra, despite milk prices down 26% on average during the past year. Daily deliveries reached a peak of 44m litres on April 30, be-fore declining slowly in May.
Fight for fairer dairy contractsOrganisations representing dairy farmers have met to assess the current state of the dairy sector, dairy contracts and to review areas where they can work collaboratively.
-try Landowners Association (CLA), Farmers for Action, National
British Dairy Farmers and the Tenant Farmers’ Association agreed that in the current market situation, it is vital that risk is shared fairly within the supply chain. In a joint statement the group said: “Wholesale commodity markets are still incredibly weak and prospects of any recovery in 2015 are looking increasingly less reliable and the working group agreed that an upturn is desperately needed. But the UK has be-come more exposed to global pricing, which has been hampered
in purchasing from large markets. “All parties acknowledged the need for better risk management tools in order to overcome these issues now and into the future. “A and B contracts have been touted as one potential solution. However, it is clear from the range that have been thrust in front of farmers this spring that they have been brought in with little or no discussion with farmers themselves. All dairy contracts should help develop long-term relationships and not be undermined by speculative market manoeuvring by certain processors making opportunistic purchases of milk on the spot market. “We also need to develop other ways of managing risk includ-
and the ability to utilise futures markets and prices, ” they added.
First Milk face commercial dairy market challenges
the region of £22 million, the coop has announced. However, a ‘turnaround programme’ is currently underway, under the new chief executive Mike Gallacher, alongside a full strategic review. This has included setting up ‘focused Business Unit Teams’, cost reductions and a reorganisation of the milk pools. Mr Gallacher commented: “The year to March 31, 2015 was
as the business paid out higher milk prices than was received in commercial returns. “In face-to-face meetings with our farmer members in recent weeks I have shared a frank assessment of the business, explained
-cial position. I was very open and direct about the challenges and that member milk prices must be consistent with our commercial income. We will only pay out what we get in.”
Dairy product country of origin labelling debate
A recently published report by the European Commission which recommends voluntary Country of Origin Labelling for dairy products has been criticised by Dairy UK. Dr Judith Bryans, chief executive of Dairy UK, said: “We are disappointed to see that the Commission report found that volun-tary Country of Origin Labelling may be a more suitable option for dairy products than a mandatory system. There is obvious consumer demand for clearer information on the country of origin of food products as illustrated by the existing rules for fresh meat. Therefore, it makes sense to take the next step and introduce these requirements for milk and milk used in dairy products.”
4 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
NEWS
Win a trip to the United States
Would you like a chance to visit dairy farms in the USA? If so Vitfoss, in association with Zin-pro and British Dairying, are sponsoring a place on Zinpro’s ‘Three Truck Trip’ to Minnesota and Wisconsin in September. The trip is now well established and sees 15 UK visitors touring the US in three trucks. The aim of the tour is to allow key people involved in
-ers are using the latest technology and tools to manage their businesses and produce high levels of milk. Each day starts with a talk from a prominent dairy expert followed by farm visits to see the ‘theory’ in practice. Themes covered include nutrition, cow health and fertility, dry cow man-agement and heifer rearing.
entry form on page 57. Alternatively you can pick up an entry form and enter on the Vitfoss stand (FF222) at the Livestock Event being held at the NEC Birmingham on Wednesday and Thursday, July 8 and 9.
Predicting ME of grazed grass
Studies over three years at AFBI Hillsborough have shown that grass ME content can be pre-
These are very useful tools for dairy pro-ducers and advisers providing more accurate information on the feeding value of fresh grass. ME content can be even more accurately de-termined when nutrient digestibility parameters are included in the calculations. Further work on this aspect will be completed this year. The ultimate objective of this work will be to produce methods whereby a sample of grass can
obtained for intake, feeding value and potential milk yield from grass. Through AFBI research, this vision is much closer to reality than most people realise, with the potential to transform traditional grazing management.
Women in Dairy, a new national platform for networking and knowledge transfer,
has been launched jointly by the Royal As-sociation of British Dairy Farmers and Promar International, and supported by DairyCo. The new network which is designed to bring together all women working in the dairy indus-
-ing knowledge and experiences to develop skills
-ing and vision for the future of British dairy and generating camaraderie—supporting women in dairy to achieve and celebrate success. Women in Dairy will feature regional groups throughout Britain, each with their own facilitator supplied by DairyCo or Promar Inter-national. RABDF will nationally co-ordinate the initiative and its activities including an annual conference. The network has been established following a feasibility study carried out by Promar Inter-national and gaining support from RABDF’s Foundation for Collaboration, the initiative funded by Government’s Dairy Fund package. Pilot groups have already been successfully launched in Cheshire and the South West, while interest has already been expressed to establish groups in other regions.
RABDF national co-ordinator, Emily Egan
Australia and New Zealand, and our research
enthusiasm for such a new initiative in Great Britain. Promar International’s Lisa Williams said: “Our Cheshire pilot group has attracted huge support from women in dairy, as well as stake-holders, such as representatives from colleges, feed supply companies and banks. “We have over 40 attendees, representing over 4,000 dairy cows in Cheshire and the sur-rounding area. Already we have staged meet-ings discussing global impacts on the dairy in-
which members have embraced with passion and determination. “Such is the group’s success, we have re-ceived initial interest from women working in dairying to establish a group in north Wales and we are also exploring opportunities to develop a group in south Wales.”
Genus Long Life Cow Award
Following the tremendous success of the 2014 Genus ABS Long Life Cow competition, the hunt
“The Long Life Cow Competition was cre-ated to celebrate cows who have made an out-standing lifetime contribution,” comments Ge-nus ABS Cornerstone manager, Hannah Noble. “There are many attributes which mean a cow will last longer. She will suit the management system, she will get in calf regularly over several lactations and she will be a high producer with good compositional and hygienic milk quality.
Your best Long Life Cow may have an im-pressive lifetime yield, may breed back regularly, may never have had mastitis or had her feet trimmed, or may never have seen the vet.
owned by J F Cobb and Sons from Newburgh, Dorchester. Born in July 2004, she is in her 8th lactation and has already produced over 133 tonnes of milk in her lifetime, losing just one month in calving date over the eight lactations. If you think you have a cow that deserves to be crowned the Genus ABS Long Life Cow of 2015, then complete an entry form. An en-try form can be acquired from the Genus ABS website: www.genusbreeding.co.uk; requesting a form from the Genus customer services team on: 0870 162 2000 or by emailing: [email protected] This year Genus will announce a winner from each county and a winner from each country—the outstanding cows from England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The overall winner will be selected from the four country winners. The closing date for entries is 14th August 2015. The winner will be announced at the UK Dairy Day at Telford on 16th September.
Women in Dairy launch
Audits to earn Dairy Pro points
Alltech E-CO2, a provider of on-farm environ-mental and carbon assessments, has teamed up with Dairy Pro, the professional develop-ment register for the dairy industry, to award points to farmers who undertake a Dairy EA environmental assessment. Dairy Pro’s Helen Brookes said: “Carbon footprinting is targeted at lowering green-house gas emissions but it also requires the farmer to scrutinise physical performance and outputs against inputs,” she said. “This usually highlights a number of opportunities to reduce costs. “So we’re very pleased that BASIS, the body administering the Dairy Pro scheme, has agreed to award three points each and every time a farmer goes through the Alltech E-CO2 assessment process, which is annually.” James Wynne, head of farm and con-sultancy services for Alltech E-CO2, said: “The process is thorough, taking in sales and
-placement rates, feed, water, bedding, fertiliser and energy use,” he explains. “Out of this an incredibly useful report is generated. It calcu-lates emissions per litre of milk produced, but more importantly, pinpoints hot spots such as over reliance on bought in feeds, weaknesses in fertility performance, sub-optimal soil nu-
herd health plan.
herd replacement rates or using sexed semen,
due credit through other measurement tools.”
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 5
MCi monthly and 12 month dairy costing to March 2015Monthly results 12 month rolling
results
March 2014
March 2015
March 2014
March 2015
Cows in herd 205 224 197 221
Milk yield per cow (litres) 729 716 8,057 8,195
Milk from forage (litres) - - 1,921 1,850
Milk price (pence/litre) 33.6 26.1 32.2 30.1
Butterfat (%) 4.05 4.08 4.03 4.2
Protein (%) 3.27 3.28 3.27 3.30
Concentrate cost per tonne (£) 237 216 243 225
Concentrate use per litre (kg) 0.34 0.36 0.34 0.34
Purchased feed cost per cow (£) 62 57 694 671
Purchased feed cost per litre (pence) 8.5 8.0 8.6 8.2
Margin over purchased feed per cow (£) 182 132 1,901 1,803
Margin over purchased feed per litre (pence) 24.9 18.2 23.6 22.0
NEWS
Latest dairy costing from The Dairy Group highlight the extent to which herd margins
are currently under pressure. “The latest MCi results show that the key performance indicator of MOPF (margin over purchased feed) has reduced by 27% in March 2015,” points out Ian Powell, director of The Dairy Group. “The table of results show that for our aver-age costed herd the MOPF reduced from £182 per cow in March 2014 to £132 per cow in March 2015, which was a fall of £50 per cow—equiva-lent to 27%. A similar magnitude of reduction over a full year would be equivalent to £134,000 for our average herd of 224 cows. “Looking more closely at the March 2015 results, the milk price was down by 7.5 pence per litre (22%) to 26.1 pence, with the purchased feed cost down by just 0.5 pence per litre to 8.0 pence per litre. Margin over purchased feed (MOPF) is a very good barometer of dairy herd
milk price and purchased feed cost. “Like any average we see a huge range in margin, with a key factor being the variation in milk price from 18p/litre to 34p/litre, which has major implications for how dairy businesses respond to their individual circumstances and
Dairy margins under pressurecope with the volatile market,” adds Mr Powell. The rolling average yield has increased by 138 litres per cow compared with the previous year to 8,195 litres per cow. The average feed rate was the same at 0.34 kg per litre, with the average milk price down by 2.1 pence per litre
to 30.1 pence. The rolling Margin Over Purchased Feed (MOPF) was £98 per cow lower than a year ago at £1,803 per cow. The rolling average MOPF per litre was 22.0 pence per litre, which was 1.6 pence per litre lower than a year ago.
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8 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Key performance indicators during periods of low milk price, heat stress and grazing management were just some of the topics discussed at the TotalDairy Seminar in Gloucestershire earlier this month. Aly Balsom reports.
TOTALDAIRY SEMINAR
Treating any dairy as a com-modity manufacturing busi-
ness and focusing on producing as much as possible at as low cost per litre as possible is a must for all dairy producers looking to ride out the milk price doldrums. Dr Greg Bethard of Pagel’s Ponderosa and Dairy Dreams in Wisconsin, said all UK producers should be paying close attention to key performance indicators (KPIs)
avoiding those that didn’t. “Cull rate really doesn’t mean anything to our business at all—but the cost of it does. Think about what really matters to really make us money. Milk per cow and cull rate doesn’t mean much,” he said. Instead, the aim should be to
maximise the total volume of the farm so as to dilute costs, and par-ticularly labour costs. Keeping a ‘full barn’, producing healthy fresh cows, meeting milk contract pre-miums and generating pregnan-
He explained that two of the main costs of producing milk were feed cost and dairy replacement cost per litre. As a result, these were two areas for consideration
-cies—both of which could be eas-ily ‘worked out on the back of a napkin with a pencil’. “Most look at cull rate, but that doesn’t say anything about the value of the cows you sell. You don’t want to hang onto
career change.
cows with new ones and don’t break cows,” he said. Replacement cost could be worked out by taking the cow cull value away from the cost of the heifer coming in and dividing it by total litres. In the UK, replacement cost should sit at around 0.5ppl. Dr Bethard emphasised that optimism was essential to survive in the industry long term, as the cyclical nature of the milk markets meant things would inevitably
pick up. However, the extremes of milk price ‘ups and downs’ would continue into the future. The key was to maximise mar-gins during good times to carry businesses through the bad times. As a result he said it was essen-tial to operate ‘lean management’ at all times, but without cutting
income over feed, fresh cows or forage quality. This would mean farmers were ready to ‘rock and roll’ when the milk price inevitably picked up.
Concentrate on areas of dairy
Careful grassland management, selecting bulls for PLI and computerised feeding all help to achieve average yields of 9,500 litres on a simple grass based system, said Northern Irish producer Robert Bryson. Speaking as part of a workshop where delegates were able to take a ‘virtual farm walk’ of his farm in a pre-recorded video, Mr Bryson said his system was proof you could produce high yields, cheaply and simply. “We’ve always grazed all cows and minimised silage feeding. I see grass silage as a winter feed,” he said. His 160-cow Holstein herd is split into two groups—milkers and dry cows. Cows calve from June until Christmas and in the summer just receive grazed grass and concentrate fed to yield through the parlour. In winter, grass silage will be available in blocks. Currently 18.5% of cows are projected to give over 12,000 litres. Mr Bryson said the key to maintaining yields was computerised parlour feeding, genetics and grass quality. “You need high quality grass in front of cows and you need to be prepared to leave higher residuals. They go in at 3,500kg DM/ha and graze down to 1,800 to 2,000kg. Residuals are then removed with a top-per,” he explained. With a cost of production of 22ppl, before family labour he said such a low cost system helped the business weather the milk price storm and created a more sustainable system.
Getting high milk yields from grass-based systems
US dairy consultant Greg Bethard addressing the TotalDairy Seminar.
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BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 9
TOTALDAIRY SEMINAR
British dairy farmers could benefit from improved fertility and better production
by seriously considering the risk of heat stress to their herds, according to Wisconsin vet, Dr Michael Wolf. “You need to be more aggres-sive in what you think is heat stress in your cows. It’s hap-pening more than you think,” he argued. During a small group discus-sion workshop at the event, Dr Wolf explained that heat stress could result in depressed milk yields and fertility, reduced peak yields and increased lameness. “Generally, barns in the UK
-cially when buildings are built close together. It means there’s no true air exchange and you are at the whim of mother nature,” he said. He said power ventilation could play a valu-able role in delivering air. “People need to start
and how you can deliver air to the cow and not up where the birds are,” he explained.
These should ideally be positioned seven feet
its diameter. Higher air speeds at cow level would then
Dairy farmer Austin Knowles, who runs 430 cows on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border, explained how installing variable speed fans had put an end to suppressed yields and fertility in the summer.
month we only got six cows pregnant and the main problem was because of a lack of ventila-tion in one of the barns,” said Mr Knowles,
cows calved in April. However, Dr Wolf said the collecting yard was one of the main areas to take a “more ag-
you should be starting cooling strategies. A
and after this she can get stressed,” he said.
yard can quickly build up the THI and because
effective cooling is crucial. As a result, providing
fogging or soaking, combined with fans to deliver
also emphasised the importance of
TotalDairy Seminar 2016
from world renowned behavioural expert, Temple Grandin. Register your interest by emailing [email protected], visit www.totaldairy.com and follow us on Twitter @TotalDairy
Heat stress needs to be addressedavoiding heat stress as part of a series of pres-entations on vaccination. “If you’re vaccinating an animal, make sure it’s not in the heat of the day as heat stress can
For the immune system to
the disease being vaccinated against, dendritic cells and t-cells need to come together in the body and ‘dance’.
However, any stressor would cause the cells to break apart, potentially reducing the ef-fectiveness of the vaccination. These stressors include dehy-dration, weaning, calving and transportation.
Dr Chris Chase.Dr Michael Wolf.
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10 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Crisis? What crisis?Chris Walkland reports from the recent annual Dairy Industry Newsletter (DIN) conference, where the subject of the third recession in seven years to hit the industry was discussed. He left exasperated by the lack of understanding some European industry leaders and the
DIN CONFERENCE REPORT
Quit moaning you farmers—there’s nothing wrong in
the dairying industry right now. There’s no crisis (not that we know
-ally is!) and “what’s happening now is effectively you paying the bill for what happened a year ago with re-cord prices”. Other v iews from the podium were that we were not to worry that: “Prices are 20% lower than last year—they’re only 6% lower than the average over the last five years”. And: “There’s still
dairy sector”. And it continued: “If I look back at prices over the last seven years I do not see three years of recession I see two unprecedented price peaks”. I see that: “The fu-ture is extremely bright indeed”, so don’t go worrying about what’s happening in the short term. EU exports are ticketty-boo so back slaps all-round to that. Even more growth, that’s what we need. Not all this talk of crisis. Not this unnecessary negativity. This last statement is far from being a word for word quotation from a speaker at the Dairy Industry Newsletter conference. But it is a true and accurate (if facetious) summary of the sentiment from some high-
European dairy processor trade associations who spoke.
I have covered the DIN confer-ence for well over a decade, and it is frankly impossible to
was seemingly so utterly out of touch with what is happening on farm, and how farmers are
thinking and feeling. There were just a few British and Irish farmers in the audience, and the sound of chins hitting desktops could easily be imag-ined, if not actually heard at the
utterance of some of the above state-ments. Some sharp intakes of breath could also be heard. Two of the farm-ers there included Rob Harrison, NFU dairy board chair-man, and Mansel Raymond, former NFU dairy board chairman and now chairman of Co-pa-Cogeca. They were not remotely
surprised about the disconnect between officialdom and the farmgate. Sadly they have got used to beating the drum as to the situation—as have their colleagues from other EU countries—but the eyes and ears of those at the top
Current prices aren’t a problem, apparently. This is despite the SMP price dropping to within €52 of its €
price at the time of the conference. This, and the butter floor price, were set back in 2008, and they bear no resemblance to the cost of producing dairy products these days—a point well made by Glanbia’s UK boss Paul Vernon. At current sterling exchange
to just £1,200. But hey: “no prob-
there is no need to review inter-vention. Still they think the milk will come. At least we can give the Eu-ropean Commission full marks for optimism. It is assuming the Russian trade ban will be lifted in
August, and is working towards that.
All of the above said, though, and even if there was a crisis what can be done about it? This was one of the questions posed by DIN for the speakers to answer. “Not a lot,” said Alexander Anton, secretary general of the Eu-ropean Dairy Association, which represents 22 countries—and who likes to look back at the two price peaks while skipping over the troughs. “The role of the EU is limited
help the industry. It cannot do a lot to avert a cri-sis,” he said. “The EU’s role is one of an observer now, and doesn’t have a management role.” He is right, of course. However, he also believed that: “We still need milk volume man-agement, and that farmers needed to do that in alignment with their proces-sors.” Quite how that would work he didn’t say. And it also begs the question that if there isn’t a crisis—which he doesn’t think there is—then why should milk volume management
So, would the end of quotas add to the problems? Mr Anton thought not: “EU quota hasn’t been reached since 2008 and there isn’t enough milk for the growing world population,” he stated (fail-ing to point out that the world is
The European Commission’s Carlos Martin Ovilo (of the “prices
year average” comment) was sticking to his 1.2% annual increase projection, totalling 12m tonnes over the next decade. Exports from the EU were good, which were helping to shift the extra pro-duction, so all is well on that front. Promar ’s Andrew McClay
-ply said: “There was plenty of growth aspiration across Europe”. The drivers of what would hap-pen would depend on Germany, France and the UK. If you want to know more then buy his new book on the subject, he plugged.
Whatever happened, the end of quotas wouldn’t
-ence to volatility, thought Catherine Lascurettes from the Irish Farmers Association, who stated “absolutely” that farmers across the EU really were in crisis.
“Quotas did nothing to save us from volatility, and another form of quotas or compul-
sory management system would do no more as we live in a global market.
“If we can’t regulate every-body (around the world) it is a waste of time, a cost on farmers and an unfair obstruction to the opportunities that arise for EU dairy farmers,” she said, rightly. So there you have it. The view from some of the ivory towers across Europe is “Crisis, what cri-sis?”. To paraphrase again prices aren’t a problem. Scrapping quo-tas won’t lead to a problem. The future’s bright. Growth, growth, growth is what is required. Meanwhile, back on the farm in the real world things look a lot
Carlos Martin Ovilo.
Catherine Lascurette.
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12 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
What will mastitis management and therapy look like in 2025?
Following the publishing of new RUMA (Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance) guidelines on the responsible use of antimicrobials in dry cow management at the end of April, many farmers and vets will be looking carefully at their mastitis protocols.
ANIMAL HEALTH
Looking around the world could give valuable insight into how
others deal with the challenges of mastitis management and quality milk production, believes Shropshire-based vet Bill May from Lambert, Leonard and May, a member of the XL Vet Group. He was an attendee at the re-
Expert Forum organised by animal health company, Boehringer Ingel-heim Vetmedica. Here vets from around the world attended the meeting held in Belgium, which was titled ‘Responsible use of
mastitis therapy’. “As well as reporting on the
status of responsible use regula-tions in their own country, each of the 10 delegates discussed how regulations are perceived by vets and farmers,” says Mr May. “It was clear that the principle of re-sponsible use has already changed the way in which vets operate in some countries, largely due to guidance making the use of anti-biotics more restrictive.” Several countries also made the point that acting before public or political pressure leads to leg-islation changes is an advantage. Pre-empting a noisy and high
-ticians feel they have to respond to, is normally the best course of
action. Failing to do so often leads to overly strict reactive legislation changes. The group was also asked to predict the future in a session ti-tled: “What mastitis management and therapy will look like in 2015” and it provoked a very interesting discussion.
Selective and strategic
A common theme was that ther-apy, whether for dry or lactating cows, will become much more selective and strategic. Several contributors felt there may be little or no antibiotic dry cow therapy and comments were also made
“The role of antibiotic dry cow therapy and teat sealants looks set to become increasingly scruti-nised,” reports Bill May. “Vets in New Zealand already treat fewer
or no antibiotic dry cow therapy used in Denmark.” The group reached agreement that the selective use of antibiotic dry cow therapy will be common-place by 2025, with prescribing vets undertaking testing to identify the problem pathogen and then selecting the most appropriate antibiotic. While this approach is un-wieldy at the moment, there was widespread agreement that cow-side testing to quickly, simply and cheaply identify the pathogen involved is likely to be available allowing more strategic prescrib-ing to take place. Two delegates felt that this approach could also assist with choosing between either short or extended treatment regimes. “Intramammary infections that are failing to respond to treatment can, in some cases, respond better to extended courses, possibly with the use of an NSAID as well,” Mr May says. “Again, if cow-side testing shows the pathogen(s) and
also what level of bacteriological cure is being achieved, the vet is well armed to decide how best to proceed.” The level of cure—clinical verses bacteriological—was also discussed, with all predicting that aiming for a full bacteriological cure (when pathogens are com-pletely removed from the udder) will become best practice. “Toler-
but recurring signs at a later date,
will no longer be acceptable to most vets and farmers,” he adds.
New antimicrobials
There was a discussion around the fact that it is extremely unlikely that new antimicrobials will be available to treat mastitis. “We are all aware of the pressures on the existing antimi-crobials, from both a human and animal health perspective. Add to this the fact that there are no new antimicrobials on the horizon and it is obvious to everyone that the very opposite will occur—instead of new drugs, we will continue to
recommended veterinary portfo-lio,” explains Mr May.
Data and testing
or MIC data will be used more widely, said three speakers. And the role of early testing, perhaps in
Vet Bill May.
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 13
ANIMAL HEALTH
the form of milk conductivity monitoring, came under some scrutiny also. “Information is the vet and farmer’s ally,” says Bill May. “Understanding what you are up against, both in terms of pathogen and type of infection puts everyone in the best place to succeed with treatment. More rapid, early test-ing has been introduced before but with limited success. Now the development of early indica-tor tests and cow-side diagnostics is a focus for many companies and labs and will hopefully be commonplace by 2025.”
Breeding
Moving away from the details of mastitis diagnostics and treatment, two areas were projected to be important by several delegates.
genetic progress of late has looked for yield above everything else, scope for selecting for mastitis resistance was discussed. Could the breeding companies look for this as a priority,
possibly incorporating the Norwegian Red into breeding plans?
Immune support
Last, but by no means least, came the debate around immune system support. In 10 years time, the group agreed, the use of immune
-ucts are being developed at the moment and will
By supporting and enhancing the immune sys-tem at times when the cow is stressed—such as the transition period—stock will have lower levels of infection and, so, antibiotic use. “Without doubt, many factors mean that mastitis management and therapy is on the cusp of change, for producers in the UK and around the world,” concludes Mr May. “Listening to and observing vets and farmers around the world will give us valuable clues about what works well and best practice considerations.”
from the University of Bristol told the group it was important to implement best practice in areas and prepare for change. Referring to the WHO (World Health Or-ganisation) lists of medicines labelled as critical
stated that the responsible use of antimicrobials must address several areas:—Only use an antimicrobial if appropriate.—Use the right antimicrobial for the illness.—Use right dose for the weight of the animal.—Complete the course.—Use antimicrobials prophylactically with caution.
-
antibiotics would work.—Use in accordance with the label.—Use under the cascade with great care.—Use as little as possible and as much as nec-essary. “In 2011, on the farms the University of Bristol works with, we pro-actively began the debate with farmers about responsibility and sustainability by altering the prescribing policy for protected antimicrobials. “We stopped using quinolones before 2010 and the majority of 3rd and 4th generation cephalosporins have now been phased out.
as beta-lactams, macrolides and tetracyclines could then also take place.
Implementing best practice when using antimicrobials
-
-
The extended programme, which is still in the initial planning stages, is being supported
programmes operating in Scotland and Wales. The Royal Veterinary College has estimated
sectors to be £11.36 million per year—with the impact doubling to over £22 million in a ‘worst
-
since 2013.-
contribute to our aim of reducing the need to use antimicrobials through better health.”
of the GB Cattle Health and Welfare Group -
monitoring, control and ultimately eradication
“We know what to do”, says Tim Brigstocke,
a joined up campaign tapping into the work being done on eradication in Scotland and the Republic of Ireland to make England free of this nasty insidious disease.” Over 25 organisations and companies have
In Wales there is also a strong desire to eradicate
Support for BVD eradication plan in England and Wales
TECHNICALLY SPEAKING
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Megalac featured in a second trial which concluded that when used throughout the grazing season, it delivered an approximate 2:1 return; the cows recorded a 7% improved yield whilst maintaining high levels of fertility. This work was carried out by the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture’s Dairy Research Centre in a low input grass-based system, similar to those in the UK.
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14 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
GOLD CUP COMMENT
Forage crops looking goodThis month John Taylor, herd manager of the 2014 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup winners, updates us on the latest news from Worthy Farm in Somerset, including the latest on favourite cow JoJo.
Well I suppose I had better start with an update on
get asked wherever I go now is: “How’s JoJo”? I have to admit, she has made a better recovery than I expected, and is now doing about 37-38 litres. We seem to be getting a few cows slipping while bulling, and have had to put on two pairs of shackles in the last couple of weeks. I think when you get six or seven cows bulling there are always risks, and this is the only downside of cows bulling so strongly.
TB test with an all clear under severe scoring. At least now the next test will only be scored on standard readings. The trouble is having supposedly had one reactor now we only need one inconclu-sive to keep us shut down. We were lucky that we had just put all our cattle under a sole occupancy licence so apart from the hassle of testing, it doesn’t interfere with us too much. The biggest downside is we cannot sell our bull calves, so they are being sold to a slaughter house at £14 per calf. We’ve been keeping all our Angus calves, and these will be sold at some point, hopefully when we get a clear test.
We managed to make some decent
two lots to avoid the showers. It might be a bit green, but I’m not a fan of high dry matter grass silage and now the experts are telling us to add water—well why make it
simple I say. Our maize is all looking re-ally good and with some muggy weather, it should shoot away. I think we will end up a bit short of maize, so we might be in the market for a bit of crimped maize
a lot of wheat to crimp, or whole crop. However, the only time we
tried to replace maize with whole crop wheat, it was a disaster—no milk, poor fertility, but great milk
There doesn’t seem to be any good news on the milk price front and with the increased use of sexed semen, I can only see pro-duction increasing—barring a few natural disasters. We have an extra sixty heifers to calve over the rest of this year compared to last year, and we have
-cently, especially on cell counts. It’s good to be in a position to cull hard as we have always struggled with cell counts. They are currently running at 130 to 170 and it has certainly helped mastitis rates, with only one or two clinical cases each week for the last two months. The only trouble with culling
hundred tonne cows and only have one left now. I see from our
cow set to hit the magic 100 tonnes
at the next milk recording, and two more not far behind, so we will soon have some more to replace the culled ones. I see 100 tonne cows as the marker of all the standards we try to achieve in dairy cow man-agement. But I think the lifetime daily yield (LDY) is now becoming a more used management tool. Hopefully now we have sorted
out our heifer manage-ment, our LDY should increase over the next few years, if only be-cause our heifers are calving 100 to 200 days younger.
Well I thought I had a good working agreement with my feed adviser, Alison from ForFarmers, but
I can’t believe she has persuaded
silage for the Festival, so I now have to include straw in my cow rations. What some people will do for a couple of Festival tickets, Alison, and get me to feed straw. I could not believe it when he asked me if I would mind if he used all of the bales for sound
-
ter than straw, denser supposedly. So I reluctantly replaced 1.0kg of big bale silage with 0.75kg of straw, and I have to admit that in-takes increased slightly and dung does seem a bit more consistent. The things I have to do for the love of the festival! Finally I would like to say a personal thank you to our routine vet for the last 16 years, Peter
help to us, particularly in our early days here at Worthy Farm. He acted as mediator in a few disa-greements in the way the festival/farm relationship was run. Apparently he is still going to do a few days a month, just to keep an eye on us. He always turns up on a Thursday morning with a smile on his face, and few jokes to tell, as well as a story about some-body who is having a worse day than you. I wish him a long and happy semi-retirement.
Glastonbury, but it all seems a bit subdued on the dairy front after the excitement of last year’s Gold Cup judging. I wish this year’s
cannot believe our reign is nearly over—is that a year ago?
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 15
BARRY WILSON COMMENTS
Müller+DCMüller Wiseman executives are resigned to their pro-
posed £80m takeover of Dairy Crest’s liquid milk division not being approved by the Competition and Markets Authority much before the end of the year. Why on earth not? Cynics are increasingly convinced that the CMA are deliberately dragging their feet to try to convince the market that they are taking this issue “very, very seriously”. It surely can’t take this long to decide that the future of DC’s languishing liquid milk busi-ness is secure only with one of the big two rivals, MWD or Arla.
——In their latest accounts, DC reveal that Müller can pull out of their proposed purchase of DC’s dairies operations “should there be a material deterioration of more than £20m in the agreed level
year (before depot sales). But DC say in their annual report: “At this time we do not anticipate that there will be such a material (£20m) deterioration”. But it does look as though Müller may get away with paying somewhat less than the agreed £80m. DC’s an-nual report also says: “Any consideration payable by Müller is subject to upward or downward adjustments for variances from
-ability of the operations.....”
with “retail sales of the next three largest branded Cheddar sales
suggesting that this has been a costly exercise for DC. Originally Mendip positioned Cathedral City as a premium product but today it’s regularly the cheapest Cheddar on supermarket shelves with endless ‘deals’ and BOGOFs to increase market share which DC may have bought at the cost of both margin and credibility.
Crisis, What Crisis?Most of the speakers at the recent Dairy Industry Newsletter an-
nual international dairy conference in London echoed the words of Prime Minister James Callaghan after he returned from a meeting
year’s conference was “New Dairy Market Crisis—and the end
coined it towards the end of last year but by January/February
I was getting very worried that the crisis had in fact evaporated. Sadly this has not been the case with prices
-sian market largely closed and Chinese buying much
March to an all-time low. European commodity prices continue to plummet with no end in sight. Alexander Anton, from the European Dairy Association, speaking
now has a competitive advantage; the EU milk quota had not been reached since 2008. Quota did not achieve any goal to keep farms in business, it led to administrative problems and cost countries in terms of super-levy. And what market opportunities did we miss out on?” From the European Commission, Carlos Martin Ovilo said: “It is still far too early to assess the impact of the end of quo-
by using the Milk Package and the Milk Market Observatory.”
don’t think we are in a crisis but we don’t quite know what a crisis
-
Forget about the supermarket milk contracts (lucky chaps!), I cal-culate that the average base liquid milk contract price has fallen by
farmers are getting a lot less than that. But from what was said at the DIN conference, don’t expect any help from Brussels.
Royal letters
increasingly understand that by working together they have more power to deal with processors and retailers. Unfortunately, I am
-
could grow, processors and retailers would continue to have farm-ers in an arm lock.” A bit late in the day, one suspects. Blair’s re-
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18 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
MILK PRICE LEAGUE TABLE
MILK PRICE LEAGUE TABLE—April 2015 Monthly Annual price averageMüller Wiseman Booths 32.52 34.42
that is required by each retailer; additional milk will be paid for at Dairy Crest’s standard liquid milk contract price; the milk price above assumes that all litres produced are sold into the dedicated milk pools.
up with the Promar costings survey.-
BADP in line with the milk balancing scheme. Milk prices are ranked according to the annual average price that
price schedule remained the same. Prices listed above exclude capital
the DairyCo levy and seasonality adjustments. For more information go to www.dairyco.org.uk/market-information.
MILK PRICE CHANGES—2014-15
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun
-
-
comprise the manufacturing pool.
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 19
MILK PRICES
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20 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Improved grazing performance This grazing season British Dairying, working with Promar International, is putting the spotlight on milk from grazing, working with farmers across the country to try and achieve top 25% performance from grazing. Promar Consultant Tim Archer looks at current performance and prospects for milk from grazing.
FORAGE EXCELLENCE
May saw a welcome return to higher grass growth rates in
most parts of the country. Most of our contributor farmers saw growth peak at close to 100kg DM/ha/day with average rates of around 70kg throughout the month. Grazing quality has declined slightly, in part due to second or third grazing rotations and in part due to the issue of getting residual covers down tight enough to pro-mote higher quality regrowth. Reported maximum covers are high with some farms reporting over 4,000kg DM/ha and several over 3,000kg DM/ha. Average covers ranging from 2,400kg to 2,800kg DM/ha. The high opening covers bring the risk of increased wastage and poorer utilisation
-quences later in the season. We are seeing paddocks being taken out of the grazing rotation for big bale silage to help tighten
-termaths being introduced to the grazing block as required but at a lower opening cover. This brings the average covers down and should help maintain a grazing wedge.
The consequence of increased grazing availability is that most of our contributor farmers have been able to increase production from grazing in the month, in many cases closing the gap on cumulative production from graz-ing which had been below target in most parts of the country in the very early part of the season. This is having a welcome impact on feed costs and in general contribu-tors are saying cows are milking better than last year too. In Sussex, Ra-chel and Lyncoln Cranfield’s herd of 180 autumn cal-vers are producing three litres per cow per day more from grazing. Average yield per cow per day is also one litre up on last year. In Somerset, Will Sheppard is averaging three litres per cow per day more, achieving all the increase from grazing. In Devon, Martin Harvey is producing 1.2 litres per cow more than last year with two litres more
from grazing. Feed costs are 1.1ppl less than last year as a re-sult. Grazing has been supported
increased recently as the lack of rain showed as a dip in the grazing wedge with opening covers below 2,700kg DM/ha. By increasing the
average covers over 2,350kg DM/ha and opening cov-ers over 2,800kg, allowing buffer to be reduced again.
Weekly pad-d o c k m e a s u r e -ments and the as-sociated grazing wedge graph cer-tainly make this sort of balancing act with the optimum amount of buffer a lot easier to get right.
The majority of contributors
and looking to make the cows -
to displace grass increasing feed costs and potentially leading to
feed will also encourage cows to
graze down tighter which can only be good for season long quality. Maintaining grazing qual-ity will be crucial in the next few weeks to ensure good season-long production. The key to this is managing residual levels, getting cows to graze down tightly. All too often the temptation is to move cows into new paddocks when opening covers are high but this can store up problems for later in the year. Forcing cows to graze tight and taking paddocks out of the
control grazing availability, com-bined with weekly assessment of availability. Quality can also be improved by pre-topping to removed old, unpalatable and low digestibility material. Rejected grass needs to be cleared and stocking rates kept tight to ensure residual covers are kept low enough—around 1,500kg to 1,600kg DM/ha. Keeping on top of grazing, maintaining quality and encour-aging cows to eat high intakes should result in some excellent yields from grazing and better production throughout the grazing season.
Promar’s Tim Archer
Area Grass Growth rate kgDM/
ha/day
Grass dry matter (%)
Grass ME (MJ/kgDM)
Target milk from grazing for April (Litres/cow/day)
Actual milk from grazing for April(Litres/cow/day)
Target cumulative milk from grazing
to end April(Litres/cow/day)
Actual cumulative milk from grazing
to end April(Litres/cow/day)
Scott, Co Antrim 86 17.8 12.2 13 13 920 1,060
Robinson, Ayrshire 60 17.6 12.0 10 8 310 370
Nicholson, Yorkshire 40 22.1 13.1 14 14 810 774
Tyson, The Wirral 85 17.7 11.7 14 14 1,180 1,130
Rowlands, Anglesey 80 15.0 11.3 15 15 825 930
Blore, Notts 85 18.1 12.7 15 12 710 720
Brooke, Lincs 70 18.3 12.7 10 10 520 620
Shallcross, Wiltshire 85 18.9 12.0 13 14 600 824
Farthing, Wiltshire 98 20.4 12.1 15 10 865 680
Sheppard, Somerset 81 16.8 12.3 12 15 730 850
95 15.4 11.4 12 10 610 550
Harvey, Devon 62 16.2 11.8 11 13 520 790
Barrett, Cornwall 70 15.1 11.6 12 5 810 230
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22 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
National Heifer Rearer of the Year Award 2015
NATIONAL HEIFER REARER OF THE YEAR
Giving youngstock the best possible start will pay divi-
dends for the dairy herd’s future potential. That’s a fact which has
Royal Veterinary College (RVC) study which concluded that where
was 26 months, those calving at 24 months demonstrated a 16% reduction in costs, compared with a 23% increase for those calving at 29 months. Good management practise in calf rearing has never been more important, with the RVC study citing the average cost of rearing replacements to the point of calv-ing at £1,800 or £2.31 per day. Just over 90% of dairy herds covered their rearing costs by the end of the second lactation. To raise that awareness, Volac has staged its fourth National Heifer Rearer of the Year award, supported by Evidence Based Vet-erinary Consultancy (EBVC) and British Dairying. Open to all farm-ers rearing heifer replacements throughout Britain, the award received overwhelming interest and support. Five finalists, located from Cornwall to Cumbria, were se-
Will Sinclair, an EBVC veterinary consultant and British Dairying editor Mike Green. Will Sinclair comments:
“Knowledge is king, and this is very true of this year’s entrants. The Volac sponsored award is designed to identify dairy farmers who are adopting good practice in relation to welfare, growth rates, and management standards. While judging the award, I consid-ered that the winner could be held up as a good example of a person rearing their calves to the high-
est standards on a unit we could recommend to others seeking to improve their own heifer rearing enterprise. “As someone who has been involved in calf rearing for over 40 years, I have seen some major changes in the way in which calves are fed, housed and managed, with major improvements in growth rates, in order to achieve ear-
lier calving dates. These improve-ments in growth are only achieved by observing and maintaining the highest standards of hygiene, good colostrum management, housing, feeding, and monitoring of growth to ensure targets are met. “Information and technical advice is readily available in the farming press, at technical meet-ings and online, and all of the
knowledge of the requirements to achieve success. Without excep-tion the farms visited are using all the information platforms available to improve on their knowledge, and thereby obtain higher levels of success. All the entrants are working to very high standards, and I can safely say that we could recommend any of the
anyone wanting to improve their own rearing enterprise. The level of professionalism shown all the way through the rearing process was truly impressive, and each must be congratulated on achiev-ing such high standards. “Finally, we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that entered the award, as well as
-ing this both a very interesting and
respect of the standard of the heifer replacements being produced, they are all winners,” adds Will.
National Heifer Rearer of the Year presentation
Volac will be announcing the overall winner at the Livestock Event at The NEC, Birmingham on Thursday July 9. The top award is a study tour to the USA for the Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) 2016 Annual Conference. You are invited to come along to the Volac stand—FF213—at 11.00am to hear the announcement, meet the
what it takes to be the National Heifer Rearer of the Year.
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BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 23
HEIFER REARER OF THE YEAR
Just in time calving has been in-
logistical purposes to Holmbush
Estate which Steven has managed
cow commercial Holstein herd
In calf heifers and cows are removed from their respective groups as soon as the front feet emerge and are introduced to the calving box bedded with sand to
“Our last check is at 10:00pm when
back just over six hours later,” he
“We leave the dam with her calf for a maximum 25 minutes,
but not enough for the calf to suck
or we use fridge stored or frozen
hutch accommodation, feed three
with a further three litres within
out and must pass the colostrom-
frozen in individual packs for stra-tegic use and marked with date,
colostrometer reading, and if from
colostrum to colostrum plus milk
total of three litres in two feeds
“Hutches provide a good start and minimise disease challenge since I believe there is a time lag
Holmbush include taking bloods
“In the last 12 months just two calves from the entire crop fell below the 5g/dl threshold, a result
Steven Barbour with heifers.
EBVC comment: Richard VecquerayIt was great to see someone so enthused by the detail of heifer rearing with every stage of the process having been thought out. This attention had addressed some of the issues around rearing a large number of calves on what is a larger than average unit. Hygiene was impressive and
all calves and by a complete lack of fear to feed large amounts of milk
Steven Barbour, Holmbush Farm, West Sussex
What the judges liked:—Dedicated calving management and post-natal care.—Particular attention to colostrum management.—Excellent creep feed management.—Heifers easily meeting 24 month calving target.—Exemplary separately managed heifer group.
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24 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
HEIFER REARER OF THE YEAR
Routine monthly vet visits are enabling Ben to take a very proac-tive approach to his heifer rearing management and in turn direct the evolution and progression of the unit’s dairy enterprise. For exam-ple, since Ben became a business partner at the age of 18 in 2005, age
average 33 months to 24 months. “We have to have a farm health plan for Farm Assurance purposes. However we decided to make ours work hard with our vet and we’ve gone into big detail with the calves—we run a closed herd, so the heifers are the herd’s future,” explains Ben who milks 300 com-mercial cows with his father, Frank and brother, Rob. “As soon as our practice vet arrives each month, we take bloods to monitor the total serum protein
levels, a test which certainly keeps
or not colostrum intakes were suf-
high enough quality to provide the calf with the required level of pro-tection against disease pathogens.” The total serum protein level results are invariably over the 5g/dL threshold and in turn provided
-egy at calving. “We snatch the calf as early as possible, milk out the dam, test for quality with a colostrometer, and if a cow calves out of milking time, then we thaw out colostrum that has been surplus to previous requirements and frozen in one litre bags. A minimum 3.5 litres is fed within
tube, after which we start to feed
feeds daily. From three to four days of age they either remain on whole milk or are intro-duced to an auto-matic feeder with milk replacer—six litres daily fed at a rate of 175gm per litre which helps to achieve our tar-get 0.8kg per day daily liveweight gain. “We record with the vet any incidences of scour, pneumonia and so on, to provide an accurate picture of young calf health. Then we weigh all calves between two and seven days of age to see if they are on track. We weigh again at
four, eight weeks, and thereafter every two months. Weighing has made us realise our heifers are ready for bulling far earlier than we thought. They’re reaching an average 350kg at 13 months, bang
Ben Yendell strives for continued improvement.
EBVC comment: Richard CooperIt was great to see farmers so committed to continual improvement and
inspiration via farming peers. Incorporating calf health into the routine
immune status in calves, monitoring scour & pneumonia incidence and
calf health and production.
Ben Yendell, Wood Barton, Crediton, Devon
What the judges liked:—Rapid and continuous evolution of the system with a lot of positive change in the last four years.—Striving for continued improvement.—Willingness to listen, learn and act.—Great monitoring systems working closely with vet.—Family team work.
Robert and Heather Hugo, Lanivet, Cornwall
What the judges liked:—Careful attention to detail.—Conscientious colostrum management.—Smooth transition between rearing stages.—Good hygiene.—Well planned and innovative handling and accommodation.
EBVC comment: Richard Cooper
environment and received adequate levels of colostrum. The investment
hygiene throughout calf areas. It was also refreshing to see selection
much-needed direction for the dairy industry.
For 20 years, hutches have proved to be the ideal housing environ-ment for the Hugos to rear their heifer replacements from day one. “We introduce the calves to
a jacket after colostrum is fed—a minimum three litres is tubed
-lowed by ‘as much as possible’ fed by teat within the next six to 12 hours,” says Heather who farms in the Hugo family partnership at Bokiddick Farm, Lanivet, Bodmin where the 130-cow pedigree Hol-stein herd averages 10,600 litres. “Positioned against the pre-vailing wind, the hutches have helped to minimise health issues and enable easy visual appraisal. Hygiene is also easy to maintain, for example I brush out the front of each hutch on a daily basis,” explains Heather, who is solely
responsible for the heifer rearing enterprise. At six weeks of age, the calves are relocated to larger hutches measuring 6.0m² with a 9.0m² apron, each providing accommo-dation for three calves. They are weaned at 12 weeks and an aver-age 120kg, after which they remain in the same accommodation for a further four weeks. The hutches replaced a con-ventional shed back in 2009, explains Heather. “We needed to do something about our outdated accommodation and it seemed a natural progression to continue their rearing journey in hutches. “The decision has been a huge success. Calf health has improved, for example pneumonia incidence has reduced to minimal levels, weaning checks have been elimi-nated, and the heifers are reaching
the 150kg target at four months when they leave the hutches for a conventional rearing shed.” The hutches are located on sloping concrete, bedded with 10cm deep sand and a light covering of straw.
area is connected by gates which make for easy scraping out on alternative days. Sand bedding has led to a 50% reduction in straw usage with ac-companying savings. The hutches are partially cov-ered with a 4m wide mono-pitch sloping roof which extends over the feeding passage and provides
sufficient cover over the home designed feed troughs which are
locking yokes. “The roof provides the calves as well as myself, protection from driving wind and rain and it keeps the straw dry,” adds Heather.
area.
Feeding new Availa-Plus is the best and most proven way to ensure your heifers a healthy and productive life.
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™
26 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
HEIFER REARER OF THE YEAR
Measuring and monitoring on a monthly basis is an important part of the Howlett’s heifer manage-ment strategy. “We have a closed autumn block calving herd and all our replacements have to calve within a nine week period. Conse-quently they are required to reach a minimum 375kg target weight
explains Claire who together with --
ganic holding in partnership with their parents Anthony and Lindy. The 102-cow herd averages
“We weigh each heifer with a weighband at two weeks and four weeks of age and thereafter on the
scales at four weekly intervals. It takes me as little as 60 minutes to
-ten weights are transferred to the herd’s computerised management programme and then integrated
enables each animal’s data to be retained over its lifetime. “Weighing enables us to really focus and keep each individual animal on track to successfully. enter the milking herd. We can identify any issues that we visu-ally wouldn’t pick up and then we act accordingly. There’s no point in spending time weighing if we
The Howlett’s youngstock are run over electronic weigh scales
“After visiting various livestock units around
-ally agreed on this Temple Grandin inspired design which was then promptly fabricated in the farm’s
-iel. “The race design pro-vides a stress free envi-ronment and also enables all cattle handling to be managed by a single per-son at all times. This is a key element which is
from dehorning to foot trimming. As a small farm in today’s modern
two people being required to carry
Daniel and Claire Howlett with handling facilities.
EBVC comment: Will TulleyA very impressive unit run with great enthusiasm. The youngstock thrive because of clear protocols, attention to detail and good stockmanship. Operating under strict organic principles and working closely with the
and management tasks to achieve a high degree of consistency between
Regular weighing is a fantastic tool for heifer management and detailed analysis enables appropriate interventions to be carried out, with proven results in the farm’s own youngstock. As a block calving herd, there is no room for error in heifer rearing and this herd has the right management in place to hit their demanding targets.
Claire and Daniel Howlett, Bromyard, Herefordshire
What the judges liked:—Exemplary measuring and monitoring of all youngstock.—Focus on growth and achieving goals.—Very close team work with vet.—Researching new systems, UK and globally.—Enthusiasm, dedication and tenacity.
t: 01477 544551 m: 07711 259286 e:[email protected] www.davidrbeech.com
dairy housing andproduction systems
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BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 27
HEIFER REARER OF THE YEAR
Ask Lynsey Awde to discuss her herd priorities, and without hesi-tation health will be at the top of the list after spending the last 10 years successfully implementing a Johne’s eradication plan as part of adhering to a proactive CHeCS scheme for the all year round calv-ing closed herd. “The herd is in the process of achieving Johne’s and BVD free ac-creditation and the new status will come as a massive relief—we’ve already started to introduce calves to their dam’s colostrum after so
colostrum,” explains Lynsey who farms Broadmeadows, Melmerby, Penrith, in partnership with her parents Trevor and Frances and brother, Francis.
The 527-cow pedigree Holstein herd average 9,986 litres. Lynsey is responsible for heifer rearing management along with assistance from Frances and a Harper Adams University place-ment student. White boards chart-ing necessary actions are updated daily. Attention to detail begins at calving—a 24 hour watch is maintained. Cows calve in a deep straw yard, the calf is snatched immediately after birth, naval sprayed, wheel barrowed to a pur-pose built calf house, introduced to individual pens with heat lamps and a second naval spray. Six litres of colostrum is introduced in two separate feeds as quickly as pos-
“Colostrum is vital, and three more feeds follow before milk replacer is introduced and fed at the same temperature and rate to match that of the computerised feeding system which they move on to at 10 days of age and house in groups of up to 20,” she ex-plains. Scours are minimal—any incidents are treated with an elec-trolyte, provided with access to water and the feed plan is retained.
mode continue to require the same level of energy and protein.” The unit has adopted a strict vaccination protocol featuring IBR
Rispoval Intranasal to cover RSV and P13 from 10 days followed by Mycoplasma vaccine between two and four weeks of age.
Last year, Lynsey decided to rest the individual pens and invested in hutches as alternative accommo-
calves thrive outdoors regardless
calves until weaning or average daily air temperatures reach 8°C.“
Lynsey Awde, Broadmeadows, Penrith, Cumbria
What the judges liked:—Excellent calf feeding management.—Good team communication.—Emphasis on hygiene and bio-security.—Proactive approach to disease management.—Considered approach to housing environment.
Committ ed to your health and safety
As a consequence of legislativechanges, which took place on1st June, the orange and blackhazard signs on your dairyhygiene product labels andsupporting Material Safety DataSheets have now been replacedwith red and white diamondsand the risk (r) and safety (s)phrases have been replacedwith new hazard (h) andprecaution (p) statements.
It is important to familiariseyourself with these new hazardsigns and their meaning,along with the related h and pstatements.
How will this aff ect you and your dairy farm?
When using chemicals at work,you should:
• Look out for the changes andcheck that you are fulfi lling what is required to usethe chemical safely. If youare an employer, alert youremployees to these.
• As an employer, provide youremployees with adequateinformation, instruction andtraining.
• Ensure you and your staff understand the new healthand safety phrases and followthe advice accordingly.
• Speak to your local Agroservehygiene specialist if you haveany questions or if you don’tunderstand the changes.
Find out more at www.agroserve.co.uk/hazard-labelsor contact us on:t: 01985 216444e: [email protected]
Important changes to yourdairy hygiene products
@AgroserveUK www.agroserve.co.uk
28 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Planning business investmentLow milk prices may drive dairy farmers to make major changes to their business, but without proper planning, it’s easy to be blown off course during the transition, as Shirley Macmillan reports.
FARM INVESTMENT
Planning a radical change to your dairy farm? Whether it’s a switch in calving pattern, a
simpler feeding system, or making more use of grazed grass, begin with the end in mind. Without a vision, a budget and new key perfor-mance indicators (KPIs) to aim for, it’s easy to get distracted or disheartened during the transi-tion phase and lose sight of the goal. “Make sure you know where the end point is then you can work towards it. If you haven’t got a vision, how do you know when you’ve got there?” asks Andersons consultant Tony Evans.
be clear what you actually want to do, so that even if the milk price goes up, you won’t get distracted by it. Focus on your production costs, not your milk price. And focus on the change—don’t try to make money along the way.” Mr Evans points out that major change should be driven by production costs, lifestyle or succession—not milk price. He believes a
sustainable farm will demonstrate to the next generation that succession isn’t an obligation, but a positive choice because it is a good busi-ness.
Planning new regime
dream—visit other dairy farmers who are al-ready doing it, and compare this new idea with third parties. The new regime should then be written down as a normalised year. What is it going to look like when you get there? What are the new KPIs? What about budgets and
the period of change, says Mr Evans. “It will remind you of your purpose. Read it regularly
drops. Work out KPIs in terms of labour ef--
tion, calculate capital employed per litre, which equals the return on investment plus deprecia-tion.” He suggests that producers use their six year average milk price and corresponding produc-tion costs to compare like with like. Working to the highest cost, or lowest price, is too depress-ing and uninspiring. “For instance, a farm with a milk price range from 23p to 33pl, will average 26p to 27ppl over six years and should plan their business around this,” he explains. Budgeting the new setup to see where the
is crucial, because it is this step that allows the
how successful the transition will be. “If you are going to shift a calving pattern by six months
time of year, then you are looking at losing six months’ worth of milk. But it’s important to see this as a capital item, not a trading one,” stresses Mr Evans.
-ting to the new system. “Don’t just add it to the overdraft, or else you will start trying to make money on the way, which is especially a problem when the milk price goes down,” he warns. “Overdrafts are there to service current demands of working capital, not long-term demands. Borrow this money as if it’s capital and repay it over the fol-lowing 10 years. Don’t get hooked up on the loss in that one year. And if you can’t justify borrowing the money to fund the gap, then you can’t justify the change.”
There may also be capital expenditure if a herd switches from a TMR system, to one of cake in the parlour plus silage, or self-feed
-vestment, but release capital from the existing setup. It’s important to sell what you have such as a feeder wagon and tractor, or a load-all, to release capital for a fundamental change in feed-ing system. Then employ that capital in the new investment such as in-parlour feeders, otherwise the old kit continues to attract depreciation as well as the new.”
Releasing capital for investment
Where capital is being released for improving grazing management by installing paddock infrastructure, then cost savings on slurry, bed-ding and labour can be converted into a capital amount and invested in tracks, water and fenc-ing. “An annual saving of £15,000 of variable
on grazing infrastructure because this will be
capital plus interest,” says Mr Evans. Another important feature for change to be successful is that it should be planned to hap-pen as soon as possible. It’s being done to turn
he points out. The sooner the new setup is in
begins to be saved—or made—to repay debt. “Just do it! All it does is improve your lot and the longer it takes, the more chance you will
if the milk price goes up. Remember, farming is a long-term business,” he concludes.
Tony Evans.
Where capital is being released for improving grazing management by installing paddock infrastructure, then cost savings on slurry, bedding
and labour can be converted into a capital amount and invested in tracks, water and fencing.
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30 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Investment secures futureUpgraded dairy facilities and a long-term breeding plan are helping one young Ayrshire milk producer improve yields, set the foundations for the future and spend more time with his family. British Dairying reports.
FARM STORY
Craig Cochrane runs 160 cows plus followers in partnership
with his parents at the main farm, Nether Craig and on two adjoining units totalling 141 hectares on the highly fertile Ayrshire coast. The average yield for the herd at Nether Craig sits at 8,800 litres, but Craig is hoping to reach 9,200 litres by the end of the year. “The milking herd is based at Nether Craig where I live with my wife Gwen and two-year-old son Taylor. My parents are at Carmel Bank where we house the young-stock. We also have the land at Newhouse next door and rent in an additional 17 hectares for sum-mer grazing,” explains Craig. “My dad Sandy works with the youngstock and keeps the paperwork up to date and our worker George Steel does the tractor work which allows me to concentrate on the cows. “The farm is ideally suited for dairy cows. We are very fortunate, most of our ground is good but
times which is why we concentrate on grass and forage crops to drive milk production. “We put up a new dairy build-ing in April 2013 and this has given us the facilities to house high yielding cows overnight the result being an overall herd yield in-crease which has taken the average up by 400 litres per cow. However, I like to see cows at grass and be-
lieve it’s good for them so all cows are grazed through the day from May to October,” he explains. The new dairy facility at Nether Craig includes a higher throughput parlour, a more spa-cious cubicle house and vastly increased collecting yard. “We were fortunate to get 50% SRDP funding for the new dairy building. It couldn’t have come at a better time—the farm needed to expand to remain viable. We are also now geared up for me to do all the milking single-handedly. “Previously, with our old parlour and tight space, it would take me up to three hours in the morning and the same again in the evening to complete the milking of 100 cows. I am now milking 160 in
half that time.” The original parlour was a 8:16 with jars up the middle and was 20 years old. It was originally built for Friesians and as the move to pure Holsteins progressed the size of the cows and size of the parlour was becoming an issue. The col-lecting area for the parlour was only big enough to hold 30 cows. The new parlour is a 14:28 fully automated GEA parlour with auto ID and activity monitors. A three-way segregation gate and race system was also put in. “The collecting area for the new parlour is now big enough to hold 200 cows with an electric backing gate put in to keep the cows moving,” says Craig. “The reason for such a big collecting area was that the
herd is split in two groups—highs and lows. At milking times both groups are put together in the pen which allows me to milk them all without leaving the parlour.” A three way segregation gate puts all the cows back into their correct group after milking. In the race system there is also a fully automatic footbath so the cows’ feet are treated every milking. “Cow comfort was a major issue with the old set up because the cubicles and passageways were too small for the Holstein cows that we have,” explains Craig. “So the new set up was built with this in mind making the passageways and cubicles much larger and put-ting in comfy mattresses for the cows to lie on.” An additional 85 cubicles were put in with underground slurry storage taking stall numbers up to 205. Self locking yokes, large water troughs, cow brushes and night lights were also installed. “Another huge improvement is that we are now able to target feed according to milk yield. Our main TMR ration of grass and maize silage, homegrown barley and a protein blend is targeted at maintenance plus 27 litres. On top of that we vary the Davidsons cake fed in parlour for each cow. “We have always fed cake in the parlour but with the old parlour the cows were just get-
Craig Cochrane with his two-year-old son Taylor.
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BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 31
FARM STORY
were getting over fed and others not enough. Now with the new parlour the cows are all fed auto-matically according to the yield that they give.” Dairy unit improvements at Nether Craig are not only paying
-ity has also improved, notes Craig. “Cow longevity has improved in the past couple of years. I put a lot of this down to the cows having more space, both in the cubicles and in the parlour and collecting pens. More space was needed as cows have certainly got bigger over the years. Our cows are now less crushed and less stressed. “I care about cow welfare, but this has also made a huge dif-ference to my welfare too. More family time is important as we now have two-year-old Taylor to think about. “We have also noticed sig-
some of which will be because of the new building but I also say that some is down to better feeding. Our calving index is now 398 days compared with 422 days and con-
72% which is much better than the previous 56%.” This improvement in perfor-mance, coupled with the fact the herd is now in the 50 tonne cow
Ella EX94 having yielded 50,000
helped Nether Craig to make its mark in this year’s South West Holstein Club herd competition. “We entered the competition
surprised and pleased to win a
second place and two thirds, espe-cially as we were up against some very good herds. “I do like to showcase good cows, often at the local summer shows, and I am also bringing on a heifer at the moment for the Scottish Holstein Club calf show at
“Herd improvement is a big driver for me personally. I know the pedigrees of every family in the herd inside out. I now aim to breed better cows and ultimately feel that we should be able to get to a herd yielding an average of 9,500 litres. This should be possible without pushing cows too much or going away from our grazed sys-tem,” says Craig who has recently imported Holstein embryos from Canada and America to improve herd genetics and economic per-formance. “I want to have excellent cows in terms of type characteristics, but this also makes economic sense as yields improve. I want to keep improving bloodlines in the herd, and thanks to the embryo imports I now feel we have the foundations to breed new cow families. “Ultimately, as well as poten-tially selling replacement heifers, I would like to produce stud bulls to go into A.I. “Nothing is particularly easy at the moment, with poor milk prices again, and another wet spring here in Ayrshire, but I do love the cows and enjoy my job with them. “I hope we will be at about 200 cows in the not too distant future,
milk all year round. We will keep working away at it,” he concludes.
The addition of larger cubicles has improved cow welfare.
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32 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Livestock Event 2015LIVESTOCK EVENT PREVIEW
Would you like the opportu-nity to get away for the day
and seek out some fresh thinking that will help keep your business on track and remain competitive? Then Livestock Event is one that
of the Royal Association of British
organises the event.
all under one roof and in easy to
-tion and ideas and pick up that no nonsense practical advice whether it’s on forward buying to take bet-ter control of feed costs or scoping out the latest on milk contracts. “Added to that are over 100 new products and concepts—all designed to help you save money and stay a head of the game. “Some of the UK’s leaders
youngstock rearing will be pro-viding sound advice you can put
will also be an opportunity to share your views in our new Dairy Industry Debate on the Barclays stand on the Wednesday.
“We’ve two brand new dem-onstrations for 2015 and both are
showcasing feeding and housing systems and live robotic feeding of beef cattle. The award winning live Lely robotic milking and feeding dem-
onstration with 40 cows is return-ing after proving to be 2014’s most popular feature—it’s all about saving labour and improving herd performance. “Last year’s visitors also re-
delivering in what are the best showing facilities on the UK cir-cuit. We have 300 spaces for dairy
and Friesian. “And look out for your invita-tion to a free entry ticket. Dairy farmers have received a free invita-
June issue. In Northern Ireland producers will receive an invita-tion from their milk buyer.
make sure Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 July are booked in your diary. Whether you’re a dairy
NMR/RABDF Gold Cup winner to be announced
-
Ian Macalpine; NMR board member and Isle of Anglesey-based pro-
Mike Miller—have been busy reviewing this year’s line-up of impressive
on their commitment to the industry and resource management as milk
The winner of the Gold Cup and the runner-up will be announced at 4.30pm on the NMR stand on Wednesday July 8. Every visitor to the event is welcome to attend the presentation.Trehane Livestock Event Dinner
-
NFU National Dairy Board chairman and NFU vice president. At the din-
marketplace.-
all dairy farmers and members of the supply sector. Tickets for the drinks reception and dinner with wine cost £68 and are available from
or telephone 0845 4582711.
.
Open day–farm visitYou are invited to visit Strandhead Farm in Tarbolton, Scotland on July 18th 2015. By kind invitation of Robert and Lindsay Veitch
• Opening times from 1.00pm to 6.00pm
• Catering facilities
• Parking available
• Directions; Tarbolton SATNAV KA5 5NP
A state of the art dairy set up with:• LELY milk robot and feeding system.
• ECO-FLOOR slats with rubber inserts.
• Agrilight lighting system.
• Dual Chamber waterbeds.
• Self-locking yokes and Stainless steel troughs.
• Dry cow and calving facilities.
• Calf rearing facilities.De Boer Housing Systems Ltd your partner in excellence.
E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.deboerhousing.com
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 33
It would appear the watchword for agriculture in 2015 is volatility. For some agricultural
markets this is nothing new—the pig industry has long been used to changing markets for example.
-duce and stock are driven by global supply and
has little or no control. Therefore, a crucial ques-tion to consider is if it is prudent to take steps to manage the input costs of running the dairy unit as far as possible, to mitigate the risk that global markets can put on an individual farming business? A business which has honed its cost of pro-duction to as low as possible will feel the chill of a negative market later than others producing at a higher break even. Likewise, when global demand increases and drives prices back up,
stronger markets sooner than others who have higher costs of production. One way of giving your business continu-ity is through investigating the potential for
few. All too often forward buying contracts can be seen as a money making mechanism, a way to pre-empting the market. However, a sensible
loan or a forward buying contract on feed and fertiliser at a set price—is a tool that helps to nail down key input costs. This is something that’s vital in a price taking industry, as it is a
end product price. With many believing that volatility is here
the time to really focus on production costs to make your business as streamlined and as con-sistent in its input costs as possible to weather
Time to streamline businessBarclays national agricultural specialist Oliver McEntyre urges milk producers to tackle volatile markets by managing and monitoring their input costs very closely.
the worldwide markets and the demands they
-dicator of strong management, enables detailed conversations with lenders and gives an ability to pinpoint working capital requirements in the months ahead. This depth of management knowledge can
the business are in control and know at which point cash surpluses start to be achieved again, to support the business through the tougher times.• Barclays are the principal sponsor of the Livestock Event.
LIVESTOCK EVENT PREVIEW
Dairy Industry Forum
Farmers will have the opportunity to have their say at two new industry forums hosted by Barclays at the Livestock Event. Dairy will be in the spotlight on day one— Wednesday July 8—with speakers RABDF’s
Dairy’s Duncan Pullar and FFA’s David Hand-ley. The following day, the beef and sheep sectors will be the focus. The Forums, which will be held on the Barclays stand (GE57) will be chaired by Oliver McEntyre. Oliver McEntyre comments: “Each day
experts at the Barclays RABDF industry forums at 11.00am. Come and have your say on our stand which will also be embracing digital technology, conversation and debate to pro-mote and foster simple business operations.”
Oliver McEntyre of Barclays.
The NEC, Birmingham B40 1NT www.livestockevent.co.uk
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34 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Improving grass utilisationAHDB Dairy research and development manager Dr Debbie McConnell looks at how some of the latest AHDB Dairy forage research could help farmers improve use of forages on farm.
FORAGE UPDATE
With feed and forage costs accounting for over 30% of
-
the greatest scope to reduce costs. However, milk production from forage has remained relatively static in the last number of years with increasing milk production being supported by purchased
Forages, especially grass, remain among our cheapest feed-
forage quality and utilisation is key to making the most of this
The relationship between grass -
ing farms is clear although with increasing milk yields in the UK, is there a role for fresh grass in the diet of high yielding cows? As part of a two year programme of
work, researchers at SRUC have been investigating the impact of introducing fresh grass into the diet of high yielding, housed cows
system. In the study, fresh grass was
week period. Over the course of the study, dry matter intake and
grass diet reduced feed costs by
the highest margin over feed costs in most economic scenarios. A second trial investigating cut and carry systems compared
is currently underway at SRUC. Arguably the single most important factor determining for-age production is management. AHDB Dairy’s Forage for Knowl-edge grass monitoring has shown
can be achieved throughout most seasons—however, this requires regular monitoring and testing. Recently, researchers at SRUC have been investigating precision
farming devices originally devel-oped in the arable sector, for the measurement of herbage covers
visual and sonar technology but also highlighted the variability that can be found within and between
found to vary between 6.8 and
In addition, grass breeding programmes have remained pivot-al to improving forage production
they are thought to have improved
increase in digestibility per decade. As a result the varieties now avail-able on the Recommended Grass and Clover Lists typically produce
Also, AHDB Dairy co-funded research has been investigating how novel traits, such as improv-ing efficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus use in plants and increased drought tolerance, can be incorporated to help reduce fertiliser costs.
Plenty of information at Forage Field Exhibition
Farmers will be able to learn how to make more from forage and sub-
comprehensive range of aspects which impact on forage production—not only grass but also other crops including clover and lucerne. Forage Field will include some of the latest research and development
There will also be an opportunity to check out the latest grass varieties and .
Table 1: Production costs of different forages relative to concentrates Feedstuff Production cost
(p/kg DM)
Grazed grass 11.0
First cut grass silage
14.7
Second cut grass silage
17.0
Maize 13.5
Dairy rations 20.5 – 26.0
Soya (Argentine)
29.5 – 29.7
Source: Kingshay Forage Costings, DairyCo
Table 2: Effect of increasing the proportion of grass on housed cow performanceGrass:TMR ratio 0:100* 25:75 50:50
Dry matter intake (kg/cow/d) 20.1 19.3 18.0
Milk yield (kg/cow/d) 35.7 30.2 31.4
Milk protein (%) 3.00 2.98 2.89
Milk fat (%) 3.34 3.51 3.40
Feed cost (ppl) 12.9 12.5 9.2
Margin over feed costs (£/cow/d)* 3.66 3.07 3.94
* Assumes: TMR = £84/t FW, Grass = £15/t FW, Milk price = 25ppl
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BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 35
Assessing potential of lucerneLucerne is a homegrown forage that offers the potential to replace purchased protein on some UK farms. AHDB dairy research and development manager Dr Debbie McConnell, takes a look its potential for the UK.
FORAGE UPDATE
With rising demand for pur-chased proteins coming
from expanding dairy industries in other countries, there is increased pressure for farmers in the UK to reduce their reliance on soya and consider alternative sources of protein. At an estimated 50p to 55p/kg protein, growing lucerne can be a competitive alternative to purchased concentrates. Approximately 30 million hec-tares of lucerne are grown globally
in establishing the crop have tradi-tionally meant that little lucerne is grown—approximately 20,000ha are planted annually. Lucerne has two distinct advantages over grass silage—drought tolerance and a low nitrogen require-ment. As a legume,
of the crop means it does not require any inputs of N fertiliser once established, re-ducing fertiliser costs compared with grass silage. In addition, a long tap root ensures access to water deep-
growth in dry periods. In areas where lucerne can be grown suc-cessfully, crop yields can reach up to 10t to 15t/ha/annum under good management, with a typical
lucerne is also claimed to stimulate more rumination and improve ru-men pH. Historically, lucerne has been
it is not suited to wetter areas or cold soils, but once established, the crop will typically persist for
four to six years un-der the correct man-agement. Similar to maize, high soil temperatures are key to lucerne establish-ment.
R e c e n t l y, re -searchers at Harper Adams University, the University of Reading and SRUC have been trialling
to minimise risk of crop failure. In the AHDB Dairy funded trials, springtime establishment was a lot more reliable than late summer/autumn planting, with successful spring establishment achieved at
all three sites (Dumfries, Shrop-shire and Reading) in all years of the experiment. In contrast, establishment
summer/autumn planted lucerne over the three years with cooler soil temperatures and great weed competition inhibiting growth. The use of a cover crop in spring
or yield.
Feeding lucerne
Typically, lucerne silage has a com-parable or higher protein content to red clover silages (19% in DM). However, it tends to have a higher
ME content than other crops (8.5 to 10ME). As part of an AHDB Dairy funded research trial, researchers have been investigating the impact of including lucerne silage in the diet with grass silage or maize silage on animal performance.
Lucerne was included in a TMR in two separate studies with maize silage, at HAU or with grass silage, at SRUC. In both scenarios, including lucerne in the diet did not impact on milk production, fat or pro-tein content, with average milk yields of 40.9 and 32.7kg/cow/day at HAU and SRUC, respec-tively (Table 1). However, in both studies, including lucerne in the diet reduced the requirement for bought-in protein. When lucerne was incorporated with maize (60% lucerne, 40% maize) soyabean meal and urea requirements fell by 0.6kg/cow/day and 0.12kg/cow/day respectively, resulting in 23.6p/cow/day saving. However, when lucerne was incorporated in a TMR with grass silage (75% lucerne, 25% grass), the savings made in bought-in protein were outweighed by an increase in the requirement for purchased energy, increasing feed costs by 73.6p/cow/day compared to a grass silage based TMR. As a result, farmers looking to incorporate lucerne silage in their diet should base their decision on the ability of the farm to grow the crop and likely fertiliser savings rather than improvements in milk yield or milk quality.• More information on growing and feeding lucerne will be avail-able on the Forage Field stand at the Livestock Event.
Effect of feeding increasing levels of lucerne in the forage portion of cow rations
Maize-based TMR Grass-based TMR
% forage as lucerne 0 40 60 0 50 75
DM intake, kg/d 24.5 24.5 23.4 19.8 23.4 24.6
Milk yield, kg/d 42.2 40.2 40.5 32.0 32.7 33.2
Milk fat, g/kg 41.1 40.4 41.8 39.5 39.5 39.5
Milk protein, g/kg 30.9 31.0 30.8 30.1 30.2 30.0
36 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Feeding cows milked in robotsThe Cheshire dairy unit providing the cows for the popular automated milking and feeding demonstration at the Livestock Event has made massive advances in milk production and fertility over recent years. Mike Green spoke to the herd’s nutritionist Bryn Davies about how these improvements have been achieved, plans for the future and his approach to rationing cows on automated milking systems (AMS).
AUTOMATED MILKING AND FEEDING
Milk yields averaging 10,200kg and 88% of cows in calf by
100 days in milk are two of the key performance figures being
Bull Green Farm, Nantwich. “The big advantage of auto-mated milking systems (AMS) is that each cow can be treated as an individual and fed accord-ingly,” says Bryn. “You set up a feed curve for the whole herd but within that each cow is fed indi-vidually. “This means that if a cow is
weight after calving it can be fed more concentrates—this is called priority feeding.”
Improved performance
Bryn started advising Andrew
2007 and since then production and margins have improved stead-ily (see table 1). If these margins
-tions in milk price and concentrate
can be highlighted. Using a milk price of 30ppl and concentrate cost of 20p/kg the increase in Margin over Purchased Feed per cow since the robots were installed works out at about £250. In 2007 the 238-cow herd was grazed in summer and on a TMR
was to house the high yielding cows all year and graze the lower
yielders. By the time the robots were introduced the herd had increased to 385 with all cows housed. Three Lely A4 robots were installed in August 2013 to milk the high yielding cows. The lower yielding cows continued to be put through the herringbone parlour. But yields drops were so high when the lower yielders changed groups—and the management
that it was decided to put in a further three robots in May 2014. “The challenge is to produce as much milk as possible from each robot—this cuts the overhead costs of the system. Each robot is cur-rently producing around 2,000kg of milk per day but the target when more cows are milking is to
get to over 2,200kg. “We want the herd to average over 40 litres per cow per day and cows to be yielding 10,400 litres,” says Bryn. ”Currently they are averaging 37 litres with 3.3 visits to the robot each day.”
Careful feed monitoring
Feeding is carefully monitored and has been changed to exploit the ro-botic milking system. The TMR is fed twice a day and is formulated to support maintenance plus 26.5 litres of milk (see table 2). “The TMR is formulated to keep lactat-ing cows milking but not put any weight on,” he explains. “Fat cows are a robot nightmare.” “The TMR needs to include
for the rumen to work well and maintain a rumen mat to keep the
energy at 11.7 ME. The crude pro-tein is 17% with 38% of this bypass protein.”
Continued on page 38.
Popular robotic milking and feeding exhibit returns
Escalating interest in robotics has led to the return of the award winning live robotic milking and feeding demonstration. Forty loose housed cows from the Bulls Green Herd will be milked through a Lely Astronaut A4 robotic milking system. A Lely Vector automatic feeding system will ensure they have continual access to a mixed ration in the feed passage. Lely’s Tomás Cooney comments: “We were excited by the level of en-thusiasm shown by farmers for milking and feeding robots at last year’s event, in fact the demonstration proved to be the most popular by over 50% of visitors. That interest is continuing to grow in automated systems not only from dairy which is why we’re returning, but also beef farmers
Table 1: Performance at Bulls Green FarmARN start
2007Today Target by
end 2016
Cows in herd 238 381 400
Cows in milk 190 317 350
Milk sold/cow/year (litres) 6,998 10,332 12,500
Milk from forage (litres) 2,509 1,700 3,000
Concentrates per cow (kg) 2,239 4,000 4,200
Feed rate (kg/l) 0.32 0.38 0.35
Purchased feed costs (p/l) 4.1 10.1 9.1
MOPF per cow (£) 1,623 1,980 2,715
Table 2: TMR rationTMR ration Kg per cow
Grass silage 20.0
Maize silage 10.0
Whole crop 5.0
Protected fat 0.125
Availa4 minerals 0.150
Yeast 0.050
Blend 6.0
of which:
Soya bean meal 1.25
Protected rape 1.25
Distillers wheat 1.25
Ground maize 0.7
Rolled wheat 0.7
Barley 0.7
Molasses 0.15
This is the ration currently being fed at Bulls Green Farm and will be fed by the Lely Vector automated feeding system at the Livestock Event. It is formulated for a 700kg cow to produce 26.5 litres at 4.0% butterfat and 3.2% protein.
The automated feeding exhibit proved very popular at last year’s event.
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38 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
All vitamins and trace miner-als are included in the TMR—there are none in the concentrates—to ensure cows get the right amount and they are not overfed. Macro elements such as calcium, phos-phorous, magnesium and sodium are included in the concentrates and fed to yield.
Change of concentrates
“Initially we fed a commercial 18% high energy nut which we had been using in the milking parlour,” explains Bryn. “But we found that in the robots the cows reached peak milk yields early and were losing weight too quickly. Also if we pushed up the cake alloca-tion to cut weight loss this caused acidosis. “So we had to change the
Continued from page 36. concentrate formulation to suit the robots and have devised a nut from experi-
robots. We needed more
more starch to drive feed intakes and production and kept bypass protein at over 50% to drive milk yields.” The result is a very high energy nut with a crude protein of 16%. It contains 3% protected fat to keep the ME over 14 and includes sugar beet pulp and soya hulls as a source of highly digestible
Concentrates are allocated on
after calving and then fed to yield thereafter (see table 3).
The ability the Lely robot to allocate a liquid feed has also been exploited. Advanced Nutrition has devised a high energy liquid feed which is sprayed on the con-centrates. It is based on propylene glycol, glycerine and antioxidants
-tation and to cows producing over 50 litres per day. “This energy precursor helps to support consistent milk yields and it drives TMR dry matter intakes,” he says. “But the big-gest effect has been on fertility which has improved massively. “Conception rate to first service is in excess of 60%—I have never seen this be-fore. Around 67% of cows are calving by 365 days and 88% are pregnant by 100 days in milk.” Bryn can monitor the daily performance of the herd remotely on his laptop and any problem
robots have weigh cells which is vital to monitor cow weights and gives an indication of when posi-tive energy balance is reached. I can also monitor milk yield and quality very closely which allows me to ration the cows much more accurately.”
The cows and heifers are reaching an average peak yield of 51.95 litres after 40 days and cows are back in positive energy balance by day 59.
when yielding 25.5 litres. The
condition score 2.75 and hold this through the dry period to calving. Heifer performance is also impressive. They are calving in at
620kg and losing less than 15kg liveweight in
are peaking at an aver-age 36.5 litres at day 58 and are then being maintained for the next 100 days.
However further improvements in milk production are ex-pected over the next 10 months with more
emphasis on quality forage pro-duction and the introduction of a Lely Vector automated feeding system in August. “We are expect-ing an extra kilogramme of milk per cow per day when the system is introduced,” says Bryn. “The TMR will be same as the one we are using now.
“But it will be fed more often and be fresher which will drive intakes, milk yields and increase margins further.”
Days after calving/yield 0 DIM 20 DIM 30 DIM Producing 25 litres
Producing 32 litres
Producing 42 litres
Producing 52 litres
Producing 62 litres
Concentrates (kg) 4.5 9.0 12.0 2.0 2.6 6.6 10.9 15.2
Liquid feed (ml) 150 250 150 0 0 0 150 200
AUTOMATED MILKING AND FEEDING
RABDF estimate that 30% of new milking installations on farms are robots.
Bryn Davies.
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 39
FINANCING MILKING SYSTEMS
Many family run dairy farming businesses are making im-
portant decisions on investments to secure their future. Clearly productivity and efficiency are foremost concerns and in dairy farming this is keenly debated
robotic versus herringbone milk-ing parlours. As a funding provider, Lom-bard continues to finance both systems, along with any associated costs. Customers who have made the change to robots report an increase of up to 20% extra milk yield. They also indicate that the system allows the farmer more time with the cows, maintaining their health and welfare. No doubt any decision to either reinvest in conventional equipment or to move to the ro-botic system will be made on the
most appropriate solution for the individual farm and within this you will undoubtedly consider cost of ownership. When it comes to robots, there is a potential sec-ond hand market for refurbished equipment and therefore there may be some value in the asset at the end of its working life, while conventional parlours have very little residual value at the end of their working lives. One thing that is certain, par-ticularly in the current climate, is that regardless of which route you take, the planning process is a key part of your deliberations. This will involve working with advisers and accountants in order to project return on your investment and
So whether you are consider-ing investing in a new milking parlour, robotic or herringbone,
or indeed in your business, it is worth considering the role that
For those not familiar with as-
a loan that is used to purchase tan-gible assets. It provides a resource over and above your normal bank-ing facility and as such is a useful additional source of funding that
to purchase a new piece of equip--
sets.
sector are:
the opportunity for payment struc-tures to be based around seasonal payments.• The asset itself provides the security for the investment so there
is no need to tie up land and build-ings to support borrowing.• Using asset finance helps
business and avoids tying up precious capital resources which may be required for investment elsewhere. In conclusion, we have a number of customers that have
robotic and conventional milking parlours. There is a growing rec-ognition that this form of funding
It gives more control over -
ing capital, often reducing the total cost of using farming assets, enabling farmers to invest in im-
robotic milking machines or other farming assets.
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40 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Thin cows more at risk to lameness show trialsLaura Randall, from the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University Of Nottingham, highlights recent studies that have shed light on the role of body condition score (BCS) in controlling lameness in dairy cows.
ANIMAL HEALTH AND WELFARE
The dairy industry, through the Dairy Cow Welfare Strategy, have highlighted lameness in
-fare and productivity issues in dairy farming.
lameness—and mobility problems—can there-fore help to improve a cow’s performance in terms of yield, fertility and longevity as well as improving welfare. Recent research interests have been based around the question of whether thin cows become lame or lame cows become thin—if the former, then this might give us another way of controlling lame-ness in herds where this is one of the factors leading to lameness. Studies carried out at the Uni-versity of Nottingham, sought to uncover the links between body condition score and lameness by asking questions such as:—Does low body condition score precede lameness and/or vice versa?—What thresholds of BCS are important and when should BCS loss be avoided? This work was building on previous stud-ies that explained why low BCS might impact on lameness, in particular lameness caused by a group of foot conditions called ‘claw horn le-sions’—sole haemorrhage, sole ulcer and white line disease. Researchers found that thin cows had a much thinner digital cushion—or ‘fat pad’. This fatty structure sits between the last bone in the foot and the base of the sole and is thought to act as a cushion, protecting the sensi-tive tissues that produce the claw horn, which then grows down to become the sole. Therefore, if the digital cushion is thinner, production of new sole horn may be impaired and when this grows down to become visible sole we see this as a defect, such as a haemor-rhage or ulcer. This recent work from the University of Not-tingham, used data collected over an eight year period from over 700 cows housed at the SRUC Crichton Royal Farm research herd in Dumfries. It showed that low body condition does in fact precede lameness and contributes to its occur-rence. Cows with BCS 2 or less were at greatest risk of lameness and as condition increased, cows were less likely to become lame.
It was also found that if BCS loss occurs in
of monitoring and controlling BCS and the need to update the best practice guidance on body condition scoring cows to help in controlling lameness alongside other diseases.
Ongoing work at Nottingham University is using advanced imaging techniques to assess how depletion of the digital cushion leads to lameness—another step towards deciphering how controlling body condition could help to reduce lameness on farm.
Routine use of NSAIDs in calves
drugs (NSAIDs) into routine protocols at the time of disbudding or dehorning will improve calf welfare as well as contribute towards max-imising performance, according to EBVC’s Julia Moorhouse, who will be speaking at the event on this topic. Disbudding young calves is a routine pro-cedure. However, it is so frequently carried out on dairy farms that it is easy to forget it’s undoubtedly a painful procedure. Using lo-cal anaesthetic minimises the pain associated with disbudding at the time but has only a very limited duration of action. Studies have shown alterations in calf behaviour, suggestive
dehorning has been carried out.However, research
evidence and practical experience has shown that using NSAIDs to
and the pain associat-ed with it, in conjunc-tion with local anaes-thetic, can reduce pain following dehorning as measured by heart rate, respiratory rate
and blood cortisol levels. Further studies have demonstrated a reduc-tion in behavioural changes associated with pain post dehorning when NSAIDs are used. In the same study, there was a trend towards increased feed intake post dehorning in calves which had received NSAIDs. Additional US
growth rates of calves receiving NSAIDs at the time of dehorning over the following 10 days. Introducing NSAIDS to young stock while disbudding follows on from their success in adult dairy cattle. NSAIDS have become com-
pain associated with a number of conditions and procedures, for example mastitis, lameness and at the time of calving. In young stock their role in cases of pneumonia and scour has been widely recognised. Conversely, using NSAIDs to control pain following routine procedures in calves has yet to be commonly adopted, despite the growing amount of supporting evidence. Every small step which can be taken towards improving welfare and subsequently achieving target growth rates throughout rearing will be ben-
longer term.• New to Livestock Event this year is the live
Designed to showcase all types of housing and feeding systems, the DeLaval sponsored dem-onstration will also feature a series of seminars
advice to help improve their youngstock’s performance.
A hoof cross section showing position of fat pad.
Practical demos and workshops
A number of practical demonstrations and workshops will be held at Livestock Event for dairy producers. The Healthy Feet workshop, designed to help dairy farmers reduce the number of lame cows within the herd, will be returning supported by DairyCo. Some of the latest
-tors impacting on lameness levels will be discussed by industry specialists, with accom-
In addition, the popular foot trimming demonstrations will be staged four times a day and feature the most popular techniques by Danish examined trimmer Ole Ebbesen and Lancashire-based professional trimmer, Norman Walker. Each will be supported by independent commentary with additional information provided on locomotion.
Julia Moorhouse.
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42 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Healthy calf campaign
The Livestock Event will see the launch of a new industry-wide initiative aimed at improving the health of the nation’s youngstock. The ‘Keeping Britain’s Youngstock Healthy’ campaign—orchestrat-ed and driven by MSD Animal Health—will help farmers, vets, the animal health trade cut the alarm-
the British cattle sector. “Nearly 2.5 million calves are born in Great Britain every year, but far too many fail to reach adult-hood because of disease problems,” says vet Alfredo Sanz Moreno from MSD Animal Health. “On average 8% of calves are born dead or die within 24 hours of birth on British farms. In addition, 15% of dairy heifers born alive fail to make it through the youngstock rearing period. These are appalling
industry.” This summer MSD Animal Health will roll out an educational programme, which includes train-ing and diagnostic tools for vets to help more proactive engagement with farmers over youngstock health issues, as well as best prac-tice advice for calf rearers. The initiative is supported by an educational website—www.healthyyoungstock.co.uk—com-plete with practical video content and an opportunity to register for regular e-newsletters with topical youngstock management advice. In commenting on the prior-ity areas for improvement, Mr Sanz Moreno highlighted colos-trum feeding practices, environ-mental management issues and disease prevention particularly. (Tel: 01908 685685; GE60).
PRODUCT NEWS
A steel safety cage that prevents falling in and drowning when agitating and extracting manure from open slurry lagoons will be launched into the UK market at this year’s event. Dairy farmers Alan and Co-
Co Waterford, in the south of Ire-land designed the safety platform
the open pit. The railed-in platform has an agitation point and a separate extraction point for the tanker hose
removing the risk of the farmer/contractor falling in while adjust-ing the agitator. It also ends the danger of peo-ple and animals falling into the pit due to the gate being left open while spreading slurry. According to the Irish Health and Safety Authority, 85% of all slurry related deaths have been from drowning indicating that this poses a greater risk than poison-
ing by slurry gasses. In a 10 year period, 21% of child deaths and 8% of elderly deaths on farms were from drowning. In the UK, 5% of all farm fatalities were caused by drowning from 2007 to 2012. Mr Martin says: “While our farm is our workplace, it is also
our home. We have a young fam-ily and want to encourage our children to be active and enjoy the experience of growing up on a farm. Without question, the instal-lation of this safety platform makes our farm a safer place to be.” (Tel: 00353 87 9849987; SI298).
Slurry lagoon safety platform
Israeli-based dairy technology
with genetics company Geno UK -
eration of automatic heat detection devices, to UK milk producers. Based on the widely used
-eration AfiAct II has increased sensitivity and accuracy for heat detection. It uses long range radio to collect cow behaviour data—which is updated every 15 minutes—anywhere on the farm. The improved sensitivity, that
key to improving performance on most dairy units,” says Wes Bluhm from Geno. “If we can improve
the pregnancy rate through more accu-rate heat detection and subsequent preg-nancies, then semen costs are reduced, d a y s o p e n d ro p and calving interval improves. Long-
e r t e r m t h i s c o n t r i b u t e s to increased herd efficiency.” (Tel: 01244 659622; GE50).
logs walking, resting and lying time, also takes account of envi-ronmental factors such as over-crowding, biological stress factors such as disease and, through its continuously im-proving bank of data, it can more accurately detect calving times. Data is web-ac-cessible on any type of device—laptops, smart phones and tablets. “Accurate heat detection is
optimize Livestock EventStand AH121
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 43
PRODUCT NEWS
Dairy Quality Technology RT10 gives an accurate reading of the somatic cell count in a milk sample and provides an indication of the principle pathogen present—all within 40 seconds. This will allow faster treatment of the cow with an appropriate antibiotic. Samples from individual cows can be tested and the results recorded to build up a history of infection in that animal which can be downloaded. There is also an option to get an illustration of SCC and pathogens present in a general bulk milk sample. The Dairy Quality tester kit simply attaches to an iPhone or iPod Touch. A milk sample is drawn and loaded on to a slide which automatically mixes the sample with reagents to identify somatic cells. The milk sample card slide is then inserted in the RT10m tester kit. The camera on the iPhone/iPod Touch is used to scan the milk sample and the result analysed by a Dairy SCC app. After 40
Rapid somatic cell count and pathogen analysis
A new structured concept for ef-fective calf rearing based on exist-ing and on-going research will be launched by Trouw Nutrition. “The LifeStart programme
-ily follow that can help improve
-ing calves grow and develop faster to become healthy, productive cows,” explains Trouw Nutrition GB ruminant specialist Georgina Thomas. “It is based on exploiting the fact that early calf management programmes the metabolism of the cow and helps determine lifetime productivity. Every extra gram growth in the pre-weaning stage can achieve 3.5 litres of extra milk
Ms Thomas stresses that only the correct combination of management skills and a LifeS-tart-approved milk replacer will achieve the programme objectives of enhanced growth and healthier calves. “LifeStart is about more than growth. It is about making the full
use of the potential the calf has, but nurturing them so they achieve higher growth rates in a healthy way.” The LifeStart programme fo-cuses on the critical eight to nine week pre-weaning period and is
-ness, colostrum, comfort, calorie intake and feeding consistency. “The aim is to ensure the milk
calf’s requirements while being safe to feed at higher levels. Based on considerable research we have produced a set of criteria covering such aspects as the physical prop-
including amino acid composition, the precise fat content and the raw materials that can be included. “Many suppliers are working with us so their milk replacers can carry the LifeStart marque. “In addition, we are com-mitted to further research to
-proach and will make the results public every step of the way.” (Tel: 01335 341102; FF199).
Lifestart sets lifetime performance
seconds the unit will give a SCC reading for the sample—claimed to be 97% accurate—and an indi-cation of the dominant pathogen present—whether contagious and environmental mastitis—for ap-propriate treatment on-farm. The kit consists of the RT10 devise, 72 milk sample cards and a carrying case. It costs £1,400 plus £10 delivery and £282 VAT—a total of £1,692. Additional milk sample cards are available at £1.42 each. The sample kit and app are produced by Canadian company Dairy Quality Inc. Distributor in Great Britain is David Hodgson. (Tel: 07984 035421; AH149).
44 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
PRODUCT NEWS
In response to industry pressure to reduce the use of antibiotics—and in particular antibiotic use in dry cow therapy—National Milk Labora-tories (NML) is launching a Selective Dry Cow Report at this year’s Livestock Event. An estimated 80% to 90% of cows receive
new report will help producers and their advis-ers to identify those cows requiring dry cow antibiotic treatment based on the evidence provided in the cow’s routine somatic cell count (SCC) test results, the herd bulk milk reports
herd’s milk.
that has remained in place for many years,” says NML director Ben Bartlett. “However, many related udder health practices have improved now and there is pressure to move away from the widespread use of antibiotics as a prophy-
“An example of this is seen in Arla’s Ar-lagården quality assurance scheme that requires Arla producers to take a responsible approach
to antibiotic use in the dry period. Other milk buyers are also expected to focus on this area in the coming months.” As well as referring to NML bulk milk SCC data, the new report links to NMR records and assess individual cow SCCs before and after the dry period. Access to NMR data also allows the herd’s incidence of mastitis to be reported and analysed. “And very importantly, the report includes an analysis of the herd’s pathogen challenge from quarterly PCR bulk milk sample testing carried out by NML,” says Mr Bartlett.
base decisions on antibiotic use—particularly as a dry cow treatment,” he adds.
is available from NML for £80 per year plus
PCR tests. Reports will be available to pro-ducers and nominated vets through NMR’s web based Herd Companion service. Non-NMR customers will have access to the report but it will not include individual cow data.
Selective Dry Cow report
Following four years in development Wilson
Cowcoon cubicle stall at the Livestock Event.-
ber of trial farms, including Liverpool Univer-sity, and 8,000 stalls on 11 dairy units across Europe. Since then it has been developed and improved for what Wilson Agri claim is now a superior cubicle stall, designed to maximise cow comfort, which increases cow lying times and milk yields while reducing swelling, injuries and lameness in the herd.
are all made from strong durable galvanized
by polyethylene tube.
year warranty)• Comfort—ability to move and shape around cows without discomfort
• Control—get the cow to lie in the correct position• Welfare—setting the standard for cows well-being • Longevity—a cubicle that allows good lying times and no risk of bruising will lead to better longevity in the herd.
Sum-It Computer Systems has expanded its dairy enterprise software to cater for multiple
their Remote Parlour Apps.
and it will communicate with a wide range of
internet, using the new Remote Apps.
parlours are operated possibly miles away from
Dairy software with them to send actions or pull
across milk yields without being constrained to having the software on the same PC as the par-
heat detection software and feeding systems.
smartphones and tablets enable multiple op-erators to record new events and view records
they are ready to synchronise their data back to
Software expanded to cater for multiple herds in different locations
Farmers learn from research
by
Ray Keatinge,
Head of AHDB Dairy R&D
The Research Day hosted at Manor Farm, St Clears, Carmarthen, showcased the latestdevelopments and advice to over 200 farmers.
Andy Dodd, AHDB Dairy Technical ExtensionOfficer, told farmers they can evaluate thegenetic potential of their replacement heifersfrom August with AHDB Dairy’s youngstockherd genetic report. “These proofs will doublethe reliability compared with non-genomical-ly tested heifers. Providing a more accurateprediction of their strengths and weaknesses.”
In addition, Dr Jenny Gibbons, AHDB DairyR&D Manager, explained that the cost of calfmortality is often overlooked. “By understand-ing the costs, farmers can look at makingchanges to ensure optimum economic efficiency of their heifer-rearing enterprises.’’
Professor Jon Huxley presented findings froman AHDB Dairy-funded study into earlydetection and treatment of lameness. Cowswith either sole ulcers, sole haemorrhage orwhite line disease were treated immediatelywith a range of options. Those receiving hooftrimming, a footblock and a non-steroidalanti-inflammatory achieved the best results.
Another study examined cow comfort, andfound that some cows laid down for threehours a day while others laid down 17 hours.Dr Nick Bell, Researcher at the RoyalVeterinary College, urged farmers to ensurelying areas are soft, deep-bedded and dry, andprovide the cows with enough space to liedown and rise with ease.
According to AHDB Dairy R&D Manager, Dr Debbie McConnell, spike and sward liftingaeration have a positive effect on soil structure, encouraging oxygenation andimproving water infiltration. However, therecan be a short-term yield penalty associatedwith aeration, resulting from root damage, shewarned. So, it is important to identify whyaeration is necessary, with any aeration being completed in the autumn to minimiseyield loss.
Dr Lizzie Sagoo, Soil Scientist at ADAS,showed how slurry hydrometers can provide aquick reading of the dry matter content inmanure. From this, slurry nitrogen levels canbe calculated, and manure and supplementaryfertiliser applications can be more accuratelytailored to the crop’s requirements.
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 45
De Boer Housing Systems is introducing the
-
the cows need it most.
-
PRODUCT NEWS
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Automated footbath updated
For proven protection when it matters most.
Seal in your profits with
650 mg/g bismuth subnitrate
Please read the product data sheet and seek advice before use. The dosing programme should be established with your veterinary practitioner. Manufactured and distributed in NI by: Norbrook Laboratories Ltd, Station Works, Newry, Co. Down, BT35 6JP. Distributed in GB by: Norbrook Laboratories (GB) Ltd, 1 Saxon Way East, Oakley Hay Industrial Estate, Corby, NN18 9EX.Legal Category: POM-V. Each 4g NoroSeal® 2.6g Intramammary Suspension for Cattle syringe contains: Bismuth subnitrate, heavy 2.6g 3251-LA(C)-v2-UK-01/04/15
46 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Alltech E-CO2 is extending its range of environmental assessment services for livestock farmers with the introduction of the Swift-EA tool.
-
-ment models, Swift-EA allows farmers to obtain an overview of
and is designed for use as a stand alone tool or in conjunction with existing data collection services such as a Farm Assurance audit. “We know that as much as 85% of the greenhouse gases generated
-
TK Everyday footbath
A new disinfectant designed for routine use in cattle footbaths
at the Livestock Event. The forma--
tains a unique blend of disinfectants
disease, as well as being safe for
-
footbathing, combined with skilled
cattle against diseases like digital dermatitis. “Just like mastitis, digi-tal dermatitis is a bacterial infection
after milking, the same is true of
-tion levels in the herd.
-ergistic blend of organic acids and
hoof, skin and dirt. Tea Tree oil is
“Our formulation does not -
can be undesirable. Formalin is -
“Producers who use the TK -
new the footbath contents after
footbath contains 300 litres of solution then change it after 300 cows have been through,” he adds. The solution concentrate is
and 1,000 litres costing £500 and
for use at a dilution of 2% for the
E-CO2 business general manager
-
assessments with their farmer
increasing. “The good news for livestock farmers is that a reduced carbon
this area—and understanding the
made—is all contributing to over-
Ben Braou believes all farmers should consider environmental
going business management, and
scale or structure.-
of milk quotas, we would urge
-ronmental assessments to aid their decision-making,” he suggests. “An environmental assessment
and weaknesses of the busi--
erwise remain hidden, and can
guidance on future direction.”
Herefordshire-based Pyon Products are launching nationally the Heatwave Milkwarmer. The unit can feed up to 30 calves with ad-lib whole milk or milk powder. When a calf feeds the milk passes from a cold milk storage vessel through a heat exchanger at 45°C. This heats the milk to 39°C—blood temperature. Alan Dickson from Pyon Products and his wife Gill, who is a national calf specialist with Wynnstay, have experience feeding calves ad-lib. They say the cold ad-lib rearing system works well in the summer but in winter intakes and performance dropped. And so they developed and manufacture the new Milkwarmer.
intended—which supports high growth rates and healthy stock
Milkwarmer can also be used to feed lambs and goats. A video of the unit in action is available at www.heatwavemilkwarmer.com The Heatwave Milkwarmer costs £385 plus VAT which includes 25
box and pump for cleaning the pipework. (Tel:01432 830409; AH100).
Feed for Growth launch
the Livestock Event. Called Feed -
of technical guides to enable farm-
-
Feed For Growth brings a -
25 months.-
ers to create their own heifer road
review to ensure each animal is
months. An on line calculator sets growth targets and level of feed
-formance factors—environment,
PRODUCT NEWS
Tel: 01902 851007 | Fax: 01902 851058 | www.kiteconsulting.com
Please come and join us in Hospitality Suites 31 & 32 on Wednesday July 8th for light refreshments throughout the day. We look forward to seeing you there.
Livestock 2015
48 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
PRODUCT NEWS
Cepralock teat sealant insertion using a short nozzle.
A new teat sealant—Cepralock—is being launched by MSD Animal Health. Designed for use at drying
-
provides an important inert barrier -
GSM Smart Phone Control Energiser—set to revolutionise how farmers work with
and money—is being launched by Rutland Electric Fencing.
farmers can now be alerted instantly when -
ing through a simple text message to their
also been designed to allow individuals
mobile phone so that a farmer can work on the fence line without having to return to the power source to switch
which owns Rutland Electric Fencing says: “Farmers who have trialled the product have described it as both versatile and labour saving and has proven invaluable for those who manage larger outlying lands in remote
“These technological advances are taking electric fencing into the 21st -
cantly the risk of bacterial infection of the udder during the dry period. It is supplied in tubes with the option of short nozzles that are designed to help avoid the risk of teat damage and incorrect admin-istration beyond the teat canal. The launch is also being ac-companied by an extensive dry cow therapy training and support programme for veterinary practi-
includes correct administration and removal of teat sealant after calving.
“Cows do have their own natural physical defence against infection in the form of the keratin plug that forms in the teat canal
MSD Animal Health technical ad-viser Martin Behr. “In a recent study it was
teats remained open into the sec-ond half of the dry period. This is
clinical cases of mastitis that occur during the dry period do so within
Cepralock teat sealant is
tubes from veterinary practices.
Handling sandy slurry
US slurry handling systems manu-facturers Daritech has launched a brand new range of slurry pumps to complement its separator and sand recovery technology. Their brand new E-Series pump range is now available in the UK through Kitt Agri. Designed for easy installation each pump is built with heavy galvanized plumbing tubes and
-ponents on all pumps and agitators are interchangeable for conveni-ence. The range includes pumps to handle a wide variety of pressures
A positive displacement piston
new line. The piston pump of-
and is designed to handle thick sand-laden manure. The agita-tor keeps slurry moving with an even consistency. All stem pumps and agitators are designed for
Remote monitoring of computerised calf feeder
New teat sealant launch
Mobile control of electric fencing
Dairy farmers are now able for
and manage their calves’ nutrition
the latest technology launched by Volac to its Urban CalfMom LifeS-tart computerised feeding system. The newly adapted pro-
drinking for each individual calf
new touchscreen carrying all the relevant data will enable farmers to operate and if necessary re-
will provide a remotely delivered daily health evaluation enabling sick animals to be detected at
illness are visually displayed.
.
NEW ECO-FLOOR; concrete slats and rubber inserts• Concrete slats and rubber inserts for comfort and hoof health. •
• • reducing seal system.• Slats are cleaner than normal slats, because of slightly larger slots in the rubbers.• More natural behaviour, better heat observation and overall herd health.• Increased feed intakes and milk production.•
ADVICE-DESIGN-SUPPLY
De Boer Housing Systems Ltd your partner in excellence.
See us on
stand HS90 at the
Livestock Event
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 49
Ecocool is a new silage additive for grass, maize and wholecrop silages, has been developed by Volac to maximise aerobic stability at feed out. The new additive has been proven to provide up to an ad-ditional four days of stability over
forage and significantly reduc-ing the risk of yeast and mould growth. Those four days could also save up to £7,000 in lost feed value in a 1,000 tonne clamp of maize representing an approxi-mate 4:1 in investment. The additive features a com-bination of two bacterial strains; PJB/1, a new strain of Lactobacil-lus buchneri developed by Volac shown to improve aerobic stability, and the globally recognised L plan-tarum MTD/1, which has for over 25 years been proven to reduce dry matter losses as well as giving improved fermentation and animal performance.
Volac’s Derek Nelson said: “Aerobic stability is becoming an increasingly important issue since many farmers are making higher dry matter grass, cereal and maize silages. During the
-age dry matter has increased by 5% according to our own analyses of silage taken on 200 farms. Also, with many
housing cows all year round, the risk of aerobic spoilage is considerably higher.” Ecocool is available in two ver-sions: Ecocool Grass for grass and legume silage, and Ecocool Corn for maize and wholecrop. Typi-
cally treatment with Ecosyl costs £1.30 per tonne and Ecocool will be about 18% more—about £1.50 per tonne. (Tel: 0800 919808; FF213).
Cost of aerobic losses in a maize clamp (30% DM)—Average aerobic loss = 0.23% DM/day for every 1ºC increase in temperature—Over four days and a 20ºC increase = 18.5% DM loss—30% DM maize @ £132/t DM (Kingshay Trust 2015) = £24/t DM ensiled—1,000 tonne clamp (300t DM) = £7,200 loss in feed value
Protein supplement
Kemin is launching Ruminox, a protein supplement containing a combination of 85% GMO-free soy-bean and 15% of rumen-protected amino acid Smartamine M. Hugo Marfleet from Kemin says: “It is becoming more obvious that dairy cow amino acid nutrition can be an important tool to drive
“Recent research has shown that methionine could positively
essential role in the development of the bovine embryo before implan-tation.” It is recommended that 100g/cow a day of Ruminox is fed from 21 days before calving to 90 days
be increased milk protein levels, improved efficiency of protein utilisation, cows in better condi-tion contributing to better fertil-ity performance, it also allows total crude protein in diet to be reduced which reduces nitrogen excretion into the environment. (Tel: 01704 537702; FF226).
Maximising silage aerobic stability
PRODUCT NEWS
World Premiere
50 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
DeLaval is launching a mini swinging brush (MSB) exclusively developed and designed for calves and goats. It claims to improve calf health and keeps them calm and clean. The MSB is fully adjustable for growing calves. It is possible to adjust the height of the brush to make it suitable for calves between three and twelve months. The MSB begins to rotate at a gentle speed when a calf comes into contact with it and it moves up over and alongside the animal. Once the calf walks
feature stops the brush from rotating. The hard-wearing nylon bristles provide the right level of comfort for calves, while cleaning their hides and stimulating blood circulation. (Tel: 029 2077 5800; MK253).
Parasite pour on and applicator
Virbac is launching Neoprinil, a pour on eprinomectin-based solution for cattle, for use against internal and external parasites in cattle, including gut and lungworms, mange
warbles. I t fol lows the recent launch of Deltanil, Virbac’s deltamethrin-based pour
period in milk and can be administered using
freedom of movement for the farmer.
component bag designed to protect medica-tion and to preserve it once it has been opened.
-quires no special conditions for storage. To
(Tel: 01359 243203; AH166).
-opment of a unique, balanced protein source
Rumagen combines slow-release nitrogen
range of essential amino acids. Similar to mi-
Rumagen improves digestive performance, and as a result can have a valuable impact on cow
bugs themselves, once digested, being the cow’s ideal source of protein, this increased popula-tion also provides a boost in valuable protein. The inclusion of Rumagen also allows farm-
Rumagen’s balanced nutrition, and im-provement in fibre digestion, makes it an
ideal addition to the transition diet—the last
-
(Tel: 01780 764512; AH119).
on product for treatment of cows’ feet after trimming. The product contains a powerful, but safe blend of essential oils contained within medicinal grade carriers which is claimed to
skin and reach infective tissue.-
of wetting agents and natural solvents to create a planned
it forms a poultice around the hoof acting as a barrier to exter-nal ingress providing a contact period of bactericidal agents for around 12 hours.
earth leaving the penetrated
(Tel 01357 529040; LE319).
event.
-ing cows with the correct level of pulsation and
end. It allows the teat end to rest during milking and eliminates the ‘push’ of bacteria up the teat sinus.
and the same success is now being mirrored in
from Cumbernauld has seen a rapid reduction in mastitis cases since installing Co-pulsation
from around 250 to as low as 70 within weeks.
Balanced proteins launch
Post-trimming treatment for lame cows
Milking unit pulsation system reduces cases of mastitis
New swing brush for youngstock
PRODUCT NEWS
One of the most recent parlours developed by Fullwood – the Fullwood QS – can be relied upon for speeding up the milking process.
With sequential gates and wide exit passages, cows are quick to enter and exit the parlour. In addition the 90° cow positioning ensures excellent udder presentation to aid cow comfort and milk flow.
Jonathan Fisher, Farm Manager – Newton Rigg College, Cumbria
CONTACT USFullwood Ltd, Grange Road, Ellesmere, Shropshire SY12 9DF, UK Tel: +44 (0)1691 627391 Email: [email protected]
FULLWOOD DEALER OPPORTUNITIES
52 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Kitt Kraiburg are launching the German-manufactured WELA Longline.
of permanent softness—and there’s no need for a separate foam mattress and top cover. WELA has a unique
slanted blades and supporting
depth of 30mm. Made from top quality vulcanised rubber it does not compress over time
comfort level for many years of use. And because it is one
Vital 90 Days dry cow management initiative
Elanco Animal Health is launching a new health initiative at the event called The Vital 90 Days. This is the crucial period from 60 days pre-
a dairy cows’ later productivity in the milking herd. Supporting the Vital 90 Days platform is the Health Start Checklist a handy, at-a-glance guide for farmers to work through with their vets. The checklist encourages producers to examine cow condition, environment and feed as well as a whole host of other aspects of cow management at this time. (Tel: 01256 353131; AH138)
MooMonitor+ debut
Dairymaster will be introducing the award-winning MooMonitor+
time. It allows farmers to detect heats with ease, through non-invasive collars simply attached to the cow’s neck. It can also identify
feeding, rumination and wellness, resting and restlessness. The system has lots of unique features. It is designed for both indoors and outdoors with up to 3,000 metres range. The easy-to-use MooMoni-tor+ software is cloud based and is accessible from anywhere in the world on an unlimited number of devices connected to the internet via a secure login. The advantage of this is that farmers, employees, vets, breeders and nutritionists can all have secure up to the minute ac-cess to farm information allowing for informed and timely decisions. The MooMonitor+ is avail-able through Dairymaster UK and also from Cogent Breeding. (Tel: 01527 878505; MK247).
A new calf and heifer rearing programme, which sets targets based on an accurate assessment of individual units, is being launched by Cargill at the event. The Nurture Calf and Heifer Programme is designed to help producers rear young dairy stock to calve at 24 months old. Based on the unit’s current performance and potential for improvement, the programme recommends nutritional and management prac-tices for each of the young animal’s growth phases. Seven phases make up the Nurture programme: colostrum feeding, pre weaning, post wean-ing, grower, puberty, pregnancy and close to calving. Each of these phases sets out feeding and management guidelines and pos-sible targets to promote a consist-ent growth rate from birth to 24 months old. “Young dairy animals need to achieve a growth rate of between 0.75kg and 0.8kg a day from the milk feeding phase to calving,”
says Cargill’s calf and heifer spe-cialist Bianca Theeruth. “If this
-ing is extended, so rearing costs increase.” The Nurture programme uses a scorecard to evaluate the unit’s calf and heifer rearing system. “We look at each phase and score the feed and management system and the animal’s performance. This shows up the areas to focus on. The producer and their adviser can then use the guidelines for
each phases and work out where any weaknesses can be improved on in developing a customised programme for each unit.” Nurture can also take ad-vantage of the Cargill Calf and Heifer Growth Model. This takes account of the unit’s inputs and resources and considers them alongside the company’s growth models and database information to provide realistic targets and to
-ing these on overall performance. (Tel: 07721 260346; AH162).
A new electronic membership app, which makes it quick and easy to register participation in training activities and collect points, is be-ing launched by Dairy Pro. Dairy Pro’s Helen Brookes ex-plains that with nearly 1,000 mem-bers now taking part in the indus-try’s professional development scheme, recording attendance at events needs to be as seamless as possible. “The app can be used on Apple or Android phones, and will create an electronic membership card including name, number, and bar code. All members need to do
is have it scanned at the event, and be on their way. Dairy Pro will do the rest.”
step in providing more electronic support for those in the industry who are focused on training and development. “In the pipeline, we are looking at being able to notify members electronically of upcoming activities, prompt them to register if the device detects they are at an event, and also reminders of important dates and points bal-ances for each member,” she says. (Tel: 01335 301319; BM181).
Nurture Calf and Heifer Programme
One piece roll cubicle cover system
Launch electronic membership app from Dairy Pro
PRODUCT NEWS
Elite Fleckvieh GeneticsTom VoizeyTel: 07530 899606
for England & Wales
Fleckvieh NI WJ Gilmoremob.: 07703126908
info@fl eckviehni.comwww.fl eckviehni.com
for Ireland (North & South):
Fleckvieh Scotland Martin Gribbonmob.: 07738065819
martin@fl eckviehscotland.co.uk www.fl eckviehscotland.co.uk
for Scotland:
GERMAN FLECKVIEH
production & power & profit
SE
ME
N,E
MB
RY
OS
& L
IVE
STO
CK
SPERMEX
efg
The specialists for Fleckvieh:
Meet us at the
LIVESTOCK EVENT
in Birmingham
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 53
Latest technology highlighted at open day
MILKING TECHNOLOGY UPDATE
GEA held an ‘Automation Day’ this month to highlight the
progress being made with robotic feeding and milking systems. Hosted at the Teichel agricul-tural cooperative in Teichröda, Germany, visitors were able to see the latest DairyProQ robotic rotary in action. Here cow health and welfare has been improved and the milking process made easier
Cows walk on to the 40-stall parlour and then have the milking
each stall. These clean the teats, pre-milk and analyse for problems, before starting the milking process. After milking the robotic unit ap-plies a teat dip before removing the
At Teichel the 400-cow herd is milked three times a day. While
new parlour was to improve cow welfare and productivity. The cows were milked in a
day. Since moving to into a mod-ern cubicle shed with a robotic par-lour they are milked three times per day. This has seen average milk yields per cow increase from 28 litres to 33 litres. Cell counts have dropped from 240,000 to under 100,000 which has helped
reduce mastitis cases and reduced other health problems. Cows were
The 400 cows are milked in two hours with one person super-vising at the parlour while another person brings cows into the collec-tion yard. There is the opportunity to put the milking units on cows
by hand and this was being ap-plied to three cows in the herd at Teichröda without slowing down the milking process. One of the big advantages highlighted at Teichel was the opportunity to expand dairy cow numbers without further invest-ment in milking facilities. The parlour is used six hours per day and doubling cow numbers would be no problem. The DairyProQ parlour is available in the UK from 20 to 80 stalls units—and some interest has already been generated say GEA. On the topic of automated feeding GEA’s Kenneth Answood highlighted the many benefits of the new technology and con-cluded: “Within the next five to 10 years all farmers will have automated feeding systems.”• At the event GEA launched the MonoBox—a single stall robotic milker suitable for milking up to 70 cows. It will be available in the UK from next year.
The robotic rotary parlour at Teichel milks 200 cows every hour.
54 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Tailoring crops to livestockMatching land potential to animal needs coupled with an open mind to alternative crops is seeing Gloucestershire livestock producer David Merrett get the most out of forage from his 750-acre farm.
PLANNING FORAGES
The core of the business for David Merrett, who farms
in partnership with his parents Robert and Janet, is a housed dairy herd of 260 cows and about the same number again as followers. On top of this, he manages a 45-cow suckler herd as well as dairy calves that are grazed outside from April to November. With a 9,000-litre production target, it is essential that David can supply the dairy cows with the highest quality forage. However, not all of the farm can produce this all year round so the beef cattle make use of any feed not suitable for dairy production. David aims to grow as much feed as possible on farm which has meant looking carefully at how he uses his land to produce forage
and grazing. “About five years ago we increased animal numbers so we quite simply had to produce more forage,” explains David. “We set ourselves a testing target to pro-duce 25% more forage across the whole farm.” Simply acquiring more land wasn’t an option—aside from the cost, the farm is bound by the River Severn, M5 and A38 so Da-vid set out to meet the target with the land he already had.
Mix of soil types
“There’s quite a mix of soil types on the farm, some is very good for producing forage crops, other parts are quite heavy and can stay waterlogged for quite a while.
“First of all we did a lot of reseeding as new leys with up-to-date grass varieties can provide the quality and quantity my animals need. I concentrated on the better ground to begin with as this had the most potential to add more to overall forage production.” Si lage for dairy production now comes from temporary pasture and recent reseeds to guarantee it is the right
cut of our better silage in early May, and also take a second and third later on in July and September.” Producing high qual-ity silage on farm reduces the amount of bought in compounds needed to hit the 9,000 litre target. But not all David’s land is good for producing dairy qual-ity silage. “On the wetter river soils, we have to hold back until mid or late May and this silage is generally only suitable for the beef cattle.” Rather than modify the
silage into milk produc-tion, he has the right mix of enterprises to use the variety of forage quality produced accordingly. It works out as a cost saving and good way to
enterprises so the business isn’t wholly dependent on the milk price. GrowHow adviser Ross Leadbeater works closely with David to put together a fertiliser plan that maximises the poten-tial of the land and puts slurry and manure to good use. “The main crop on farm is grass silage and the three cut system is quite hungry for nitrogen,”
explains Ross. “The biggest yield
dressing was critical to achieve lots of early season growth.”
This season’s recom-mendation was a first dressing of 250 kg/ha SingleTop (27-0-0-12) in early April to deliver the yields David needs. Applying a product with sulphur is important as it maximises nitrogen uptake and is crucial for protein formation which David Merrett.
Forage production cost/feed cost (£)
Cost pertonne DM
Grazed grass 73
Grazed grass (20% WC) 69
Grazed grass (old pas-ture)
97
Summer turnips 76
Grazed kale 63
Forage rape 100
Stubble turnips 62
Swedes 55
Forage rye 76
Grass silage 1st cut 111
Late cut 1st cut GS 103
Grass silage 2nd cut 123
Round bale silage (2nd cut)
129
Grass silage 3rd cut 135
Italian rye grass (3 cuts) 115
Italian rye grass + RC (3 cuts)
108
Lucerne 147
Fodder beet 101
Maize 97
Whole crop silage
Alkalage 112
Crimped wheat 151
Grain maize 145
Brewers grains 132
Feed wheat 163
Feed barley 151
Soya (Hipro) 297
Parlour conc. 18% 221
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PLANNING FORAGES
“Ahead of the second cut we also add phosphate and potash to top up what goes on from the slurry during the winter. He ap-plied this as 250 kg/ha MultiCut Sulphur (23-4-12-7).
lowest yielding so the nitrogen rate is cut to 200kg of SingleTop which is 54kg N/ha.”
Three forage targets
Grass is the staple feed supply on farm, but David, with some sup-port from Ross, has experimented with a number of other crops with three targets in mind—to improve the ration, to spread workload and to improve soil structure. “On the farm we try to be em-brace new things, not all of them are a total success but overall we
livestock and the business.”
but on David’s heavier land har-
autumns—as well as damaging soil structure and making a mess of the roads in the village.
As an alternative, he grows around 60 acres of wholecrop spring barley on heavy land. He harvests this in mid-summer when ground conditions are good for travelling and reduces the risk of soil damage.
Under sowing wholecrop
Not content with only a spring bar-ley crop, David has tried sowing other crops along with it. “We un-der sowed the spring barley with peas—it yielded well at around 10 to 11 tonnes/acre fresh weight
the birds were also a nuisance so I probably wouldn’t do it again.” Under sowing with grass was more successful. After whole crop-ping, grass grows in the stubble so the land can be used for grazing relatively soon. Sheep are bought in on tack to graze the land over winter as they do a good job of encouraging pasture development and tiller-ing. This is important so that the land makes a full transition from stubble to pasture.
“We’ve also tried a number of protein crops like red clover. We haven’t managed to replace all bought in protein yet but it’s a good target to have. The next step will be to try lucerne which other farmers are now using as a high protein crop.” Overall, David focuses on finding the forage crops and animals which work best for his land, rather than choosing a production system and forcing the land to meet the requirements. He also goes to great lengths to maximise the growing season by taking mul-tiple cuts and growing multiple crops during the year. “If you look at the costs of production for dry matter, then some of the alternative crops stack up quite well in comparison to second and third cut silage,” says Ross Leadbeater. “But when you move into oth-
fertiliser requirements. Some fod-der crops like fodder beet (110kg N/ha) and stubble turnips (80 kg N/ha) have quite high nitrogen demands, even at soil nitrogen index 2,” he cautions. For anyone looking to intro-duce similar changes on their holding, David concludes with this advice: “You have to take small
you—you can’t jump from one system to another overnight.”
The milking cows grazing stubble turnips.
56 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Managing calcium at calvingThe knock-on affects of clinical and subclinical cases of milk fever are often overlooked and should be addressed, according to John Fish from mineral nutrition specialist Vitfoss.
MANAGING MILK FEVER
With milk containing ap-proximately 1.0 to 1.2g of
calcium per litre, it’s important to ensure adequate supplementation, especially in higher yielding cows in order to achieve optimal per-formance. Levels of calcium sup-plementation will depend greatly on the feed components in the diet. For example where lower amounts of grass-based forages are present then increased supplementation of this fundamental, yet relatively low cost mineral, is important so as not to compromise yield. While managing calcium dur-ing lactation is important to opti-mise yields, the management of calcium in the late dry cow period and throughout calving is key to ensuring the optimum health and performance of the cows in the forthcoming lactation.
Calcium around calving
During the dry period the demand for calcium to support bodily func-tions and foetal development are minimal. As the cow reaches calv-ing the requirement for calcium in-
production begins. At this point calcium demand increases two to three-fold over that required by the cow before calving as 20 to 30g a day are secreted into colostrum and milk alone. To support the increased need for calcium metabolic adaptations must take place. The increased re-quirement must be met by increas-
ing the intestinal absorption of dietary calcium. However, alone
it also requires mobilisation of the calcium pool within the body. The pool of calcium within the cow is more than adequate to meet the increased demands. However, the mobilisation and absorption of the body’s calcium reserves is controlled by hormones. The increased demand for calcium in the hours before calving triggers stimulation of these hormones. But research shows it can take up to 48 hours before calcium from the body reserves is available to the animal after the hormones have been stimulated. As a result of this time lag, the concentration
of calcium in the blood drops be-low a critical threshold and clinical and subclinical hypocalcemia, or milk fever, occur. The green line in the graph above represents a typical cow (control group) and
Ensuring an adequate calcium balance around calving is possibly the most critical and common is-
this time has a much wider impact to the herd than just cases of milk
muscle and immune function of the animal. The reduced function can lead to a cascade of events which have a huge impact on the health and productivity of the herd long after calving (see diagram). A key example is reduced
motility of the rumen and the uterus which
to feed intakes and can result in calv-ing difficulties and retained foetal mem-branes (RFM). In turn, these events can cascade further, leading to disorders such as ketosis, dis-placed abomasums and metritis, which impact significantly
on yields, fertility, culling and
calcium deficiency are clear—but the prevalence is commonly underestimated on many farms.
7% to 8% of animals in UK herds (Source: NADIS), sub-clinical
calcium concentrations below 2.0mmol/l) has been reported to
heifers. Although these animals do not show obvious symptoms their muscle and immune func-
vulnerable to the many subsequent diseases and disorders. More recent studies have shown that cows with blood con-centrations less than 2.1mmol/l had lower milk yields and in-creased metabolic disorders, there-fore under this new threshold they
fects of subclinical hypocalcaemia.
Managing calcium
Various methods are available to help manage the calcium supply but traditional approaches have been based on reactive treatment of clinical signs on an individual basis. But with a high prevalence of subclinical forms of the disease it’s important to look for a herd level approach as a preventative
Feeding low calcium diets to
Muscle function Immune function
Mastitis
Teat sphincter contraction
Rumen Fill
Feed Intake Dystocia
Uterine motilityRumen and GIT motility
RFM
Reproduction
Fatty liver
Ketosis
Energy balance Milk yield
Displaced abomasum Uterine involution
Culling/DeathLoss of income
Reproduction
Metritis
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 57
MANAGING MILK FEVER
mobilising the calcium within the cow’s body to ensure an adequate
diets this low in calcium can be almost impossible especially when feeding large amounts of calcium
is typical in the UK.
the dry cow diet can help to lower the calcium supply but in practice this is not always possible. It’s also
diet includes the same forages as the lactation diet so that rumen micro organisms can adjust to these forages which will allow for optimal use of the lactating feed.
Effective calcium binder
X-Zelit is a calcium binding feed
low calcium diets. X-Zelit contains
calcium binding ability. It’s de-
Clinical and subclinical milk fever cases in dairy herds.
signed for feeding in the last two weeks of the dry period and works by binding the calcium in the feed. Binding dietary calcium dur-
stimulates the cow’s natural home-ostatic response which allows the cow to mobilise calcium from her
calcium in order to reach less than 20g a day for the concept to work.
feeding X-Zelit results in stable
-
-ated disorders (see graph). Using a calcium binder as part
the calcium balance across herd
more importantly subclinical hy-
changes in feed plans or forages.
X-Zelit in the form of a dry cow feed after he experienced an in-
in the forages he was feeding. The inclusion immediately elimi-
Mr Bennett also noticed that cows
he had to wash out any cows when comparing to the time before he experienced the increase in clinical
--
reducing the impact of subclini-
seemed to be an underlying issue in the past. It is easy to include X-Zelit into the dry cow diet as either a “Farm Pack” or as part of a com-plete dry cow feed supplement. It
use of forages in the transition diet
• More information can be found at www.x-zelit.com the Vitfoss stand (FF222) at the
58 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Dutch look to positive futureEU MILK PRODUCTION
UK milk producers are not making the most of forage
and could learn a few lessons from Dutch milk producers. That’s the
as they integrate BOCM Pauls and other UK feed companies into the largest feed cooperative in Europe. According to Henry Verwaijen,
ruminants, Dutch producers are
producers. However, UK produc-
helps keep them competitive. “Dutch farmers produce 1,600 to 1,700kg more milk per cow from forage which means they use around 750kg less concentrates per cow per year,” said Mr Verwaijen. “This is a feed saving of £165 to £170 per cow—or 2.0 pence/litre.
cows this is worth £30,000 per year while some of the best Dutch herds produce up to 2,600kg more milk from forage and will be making an
UK Netherlands Difference
Dry matter 29.0 39.9 +10.9
Crude protein 13.7 15.9 +2.2
D value 67 77 +10
pH 3.9 4.7 +0.8
AD lignin 32.5 19.0 -13.5
Lactic acid 66.1 47.0 -19.1
UK Netherlands Difference
Dry matter 32.3 36.0 +3.7
Crude protein 7.9 6.4 -1.5
D value 71.5 77.7 +6.2
Starch 31.6 38.9 +7.3
NDF 42.0 34.5 -7.5
AD lignin 32.0 15.0 -17
UK herds.”
was better forage management in the Netherlands than in the UK, argued Mr Verwaijen. Dutch farmers reseed with improved va-rieties more often, they cut silage earlier and more frequently, they invest in smaller silage pits but have more of them and pay much more attention to detail during the harvest, clamping and the feeding out process.
their silage analysed and use this information when rationing their herd. “This is helping improve
and animal health,” he argued. However, Dutch producers
due to milk quotas and land prices of up to €(£25,000/acre). In addition, milk production
was being limited by environmen-tal constraints, such as phosphate applications to land. This was encouraging the development of grassland-based systems. But there was scope for Dutch producers to improve their mar-gins further. He highlighted four
-
producer with 100 cows producing
milk per cow worth €103 or €
• Reduce age at first calving
€
• Increase milk production by 510kg per cow by feeding more
€
€17,563. “The key to the future for milk producers is to concentrate on
concluded Mr Verwaijen.
These are the predictions on what will happen in the Netherlands now quotas have been removed. Dutch milk producers are geared up to producing more milk now that quota restrictions have been removed. Despite milk prices being low at the moment they see a positive move-
-
the market. This was being supported by massive investment by Dutch dairy processors who are investing twice the amount that UK processors are currently investing—the Dutch have invested €3 billion from 2010 to 2015.
What will Dutch dairy industry look like in 2020?
Dairy industry in the Netherlands1990 2015 2020
Dairy cows (million) 1.878 1.516 1.636
Milk production (m/tonnes) 11.280 12.800 14.500
Number dairy farms 47,000 15,000 11,000
Average herd size 40 96 150
Milk production per cow (litres) 6,000 8,500 8,900
Grass area (m hectares) 1.096 896 880
Maize area (m hectares) 202 235 220
Freephone: 0800 783 7258 | www.cogentuk.com
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60 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Value—not price—top priorityDespite key feed markets trending downward in recent months, there is still even better value to be found among the alternative feeds, suggests KW’s Chris Davidson.
FEED MARKET UPDATE
The generally positive outlook for soyabean meal continues to dominate the feed mar-
kets at present, with a bumper South American soyabean harvest backed by increased plantings in the United States and news of growing world-wide stocks. However, the threat of strikes in
nearby prices in recent weeks, with up to 80%
at one point.
Short-term impact
As a result, soyabean meal exports from Argen-tina have been slow, leading to a spot market premium of around £5-15/t. The impact on prices hasn’t been as great as it could have been, though, with most of the key importers in no great rush for material. Shippers have also been content to wait for the situation to be resolved rather than switch-
supply. With the Argentinean soyabean harvest now 90% complete, and continued reports of
still be able to meet demand once exports begin
Latest estimates from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) put the Ar-gentinean crop at 58.5 million tonnes (mt), but many suggest it could be closer to 60mt, or even
well. This compares to a 2014 harvest of 53.4mt, with the Brazilian crop also at record levels of around 94.5mt (compared to 86.7mt last year).
Supply versus demand
Combined with a good start to soyabean plant-ings in the US—61% complete at the time of
55%—and an expected increase in US soyabean acreage, global supply is expected to remain ahead of demand. For example, the USDA has predicted that US soyabean year-end stocks will rise to 96.2mt by the end of the 2015/16 crop year, a year-on-year increase of 10.7mt. However, the expectation that prices are most likely to drop further is causing many
So although good supply forecasts are keeping a ceiling on any price rally, there’s considerable potential for a spike in demand when the mar-ket bottoms out or if adverse weather reduces yield predictions. At £275 to £285/t, soyabean meal prices for the winter already compare favourably against the last few years, and some customers are beginning to book a percentage of winter
requirements in order to lock into a budget. Summer cover one or two months ahead is also worth considering to minimise the impact of any ongoing short-term supply issues. The rapemeal market continues to show the impact tight availability can have, with spot prices well into the £230s per tonne in some ar-eas. A shortage of oilseed rape across Europe is seeing crush volumes reduced and some plants switching to soyabeans.
Value not cost key
In value terms, soyabean meal and British wheat distillers’ feed are well ahead, with the high pro-tein liquid feeds like Regupro 50 another good
feeds in need of a palatability boost. Although not the lowest cost alternative on the basis of protein supply alone, both liquid and distillers’ feeds also contain high levels of energy which can save money spent elsewhere in the ration. Value—not cost per tonne—needs to re-main a top priority over the coming months if nutrient requirements are to be secured for the lowest overall cost per litre. Moist feeds
brewers grains in the north are proving to be a great alternative to dry concentrates, adding
-mer equates to paying just £132 to £167/t for an equivalent dry compound. For those looking to give digestible unde-graded protein (DUP) a boost while grazing,
the rumen-protected soyabean meal supplement SoyPass currently costs only 10.8p to 11.0p/100g DUP. That’s compared to 15.5p to 16.0p/100g DUP for hi-pro soyabean meal.
Alternative energy feeds
And despite the overall lower price of cere-als compared with a year ago, the high-starch alternative feeds like processed bread and
starch only basis, for example, processed bread for under 2.0p/100g starch costs around 15% less than wheat at more than 2.3p/100g starch, and contains more protein. The price of nearly all energy feeds has followed wheat down over the past year, and a recent rally sparked by fund buying was short lived. A more positive weather outlook has also helped settle wheat prices following concerns over low rainfall on the US plains and potential dryness in Russia, while the removal of the Rus-sian export tax has had little impact to date.
prices are below £120/t in many areas, and generating interest for the summer and even next winter. Demand for sugar beet feed also remains strong, with a good supply of imported material available to support dwindling stocks of British sugar beet feed.
• Prices correct at the time of writing and subject to change. Unless otherwise stated, all prices quoted are for 29t tipped bulk loads deliv-ered on-farm within 50 miles of origin.
Value—not cost per tonne—needs to remain a top priority over the coming months.
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 61
Beef Shorthorn scheme
BREEDING NEWS
A scheme to increase the supply of Shorthorn beef to the Mor-
risons Traditional Beef Scheme has been launched by Buitelaar Production UK and Sterling Sires. The Shorthorn beef expan-sion programme guarantees dairy farmers a premium calf price with subsidised access to quality stock bulls and high generic merit se-men. The programme is driven by consumer demand for high eating quality, native breed beef, accord-ing to Adam Buitelaar. “Morrisons has a long standing commitment to the Shorthorn breed and has been running a premium pricing scheme with the breed society for some time,” he says. “For on-spec steers and heifers, this currently
premium, worth up to £76 a head. “We have made an undertak-ing to Morrisons to increase their dependable supply of Shorthorn beef and enable them to fulfil
customers.” For dairy farmers, the p r i c e p r e -m i u m f o r calves on the programme is modelled on a comparable Angus-cross scheme—cur-rent ly pay-ing between
per calf. This pays signifi-cantly above t h e m a r k e t average for a
colostrum status. Calves are collected weekly at
network of contracted producers. A number of Beef Shorthorn bulls are available on lease to
years, at which time a replacement younger bull will be available to continue the programme. Each bull arrives with a fertility guaran-
passed health tests including bTB, Mycoplasma bovis and Johne’s, and been vaccinated for BVD, IBR and leptospirosis.
For dairy farmers on the programme wishing to use AI, priority access to semen from Beef Shorthorn bulls is
assured through the scheme including straws from one of the UK’s highest genetic merit Beef Shorthorn,
Tofts Wing Commander..
Visions competition
anniversary of their Visions young sire testing programme. Launched by Cogent Breeding back in 1995, the programme has seen the graduation of many top class sires such as Aquila Patron Lucente, Crichel Principal, Bal-lycairn Tiergan, Cogent Twist and Wintersell Milo.
-stone, Cogent is staging a na-
daughter born from their Visions programme in the ‘Best of Visions’ competition. The successful five finalists will be invited to spend one night at Carden Park Hotel in Cheshire and take part in exclusive tours of Lea Manor’s new dairy unit and the Eaton Estate. Applications can be submitted using entry forms that will be sent directly to all Visions members or on request from Charlotte Cope
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62 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Focus on fertility and lamenessThe Livestock Show at the NEC next month offers dairy farmers the opportunity to see the latest industry developments and talk one-to-one with various experts on all aspects of their business. Kevin Lane outlines some of the highlights.
BREEDING NEWS
The breeding companies will have a powerful presence at
the Livestock Event to showcase their wares and while attention will be focused on new bulls, a broader range of services and sup-port will also be of interest to dairy farmer visitors. There is still a strong interest in cross breeding and Norway have revised their breeding goals with an even greater focus on fertility and health. The Norwegian Red breed, sold through Geno UK (Stand GE50), have been recording and
since the early 1970s but their new Total Merit Index (TMI) now places a stronger emphasis on ensuring that the cow will breed successfully. The new TMI, which takes
weighting for production at 28% and increases the disease element (other than mastitis) from 2% to 4%. Included in this disease com-ponent is ketosis, milk fever and retained cleansing incidences—but now it has the addition of fertility related disorders such as the health of the cow at calving and heifer health. The TMI also increases udder conformation from 15% to 18% to
-ing through automated systems (robots). The basis of the udder compo-sition is directed towards keeping it at an appropriate height and with correct teat placement. The revised TMI weightings help move the breed further to-wards producing a more healthy,
that works well in a range of sys-tems.
Cogent heat detection
Heat detection has been tak-en to a new level of accura-cy with the launch of a brand new health monitoring tool by Cogent Breeding (Stand GE58). Developed by Dairymaster, the new enhanced monitors branded PinPoint+ record key elements including oestrus related activity, rumination, resting and feeding times. This aspect of whole herd health management allows the user more control and enhances the farmer’s ability to achieve
The cloud-based software, underpinned by Cogent’s cur-rent PinPoint heat detection pro-gramme, collates data from across the whole farm to provide ‘real time’ monitoring. The system updates from cow to mobile smart phone every 15 minutes and allows 24/7 data transfer to third parties such as
Cogent’s PinPoint+ measures over three million data points on every cow every 24 hours giv-ing the user the ability to react faster to cows requiring attention. PinPoint+ will identify every ne-cessity and Cogent claim that it is a new feature of fertility manage-ment that every herd needs. Manufacturers Dairymas-ter claim that this can com-pletely revolutionise productiv-ity and management on farms as PinPoint+ allows the cow to follow her natural cycle resulting in more calves and healthier cows who can perform at their peak levels.
Advances in fertility
Mastergen will be holding a series of meetings where farmers can learn about advances in dairy cow fertility and also about the com-pany setup of Masterrind, the Ger-man AI stud that supplies product to Mastergen (Stand GE29).
Glasgow University in 2002 and has practised large animal veteri-nary medicine ever since. She has worked with practices in Cumbria, New Zealand and Somerset, while also completing a short period of time as resident vet at Genus bull stud in Wales. Her area of greatest interest is undoubtedly dairy cattle and her concentration on fertility prob-lems within the dairy industry was evidenced when, in 2008, she became one of the youngest vets in the country to gain the Diploma in Bovine Reproduction. Sally set up Evolution Farm Vets in 2007 with the aim of providing the best vet-erinary care to farms in Somerset and surrounding areas. Sally will cover recent research on reproductive hormone levels in dairy cows and how farmers
advantage on a practical level. Her
entitled ‘Practical Moves towards Improving Pregnancy Rates for Dairy Farmers’ will cover recent research on reproductive hormone levels in dairy cows and how farm-ers can manage these findings to their advantage on a practical level. She will be covering issues such as less well-known reasons why serving with the best semen at the best time with the best in-seminator does not always result in successful pregnancies; recent research on practical ways of managing the reproductive hor-mone levels in cows; and in-depth information on the physiological state of the cow—and why certain practical measures are so impor-
knowledgeable farmer and help them to improve their understand-ing of both what they are doing
Weights for traits in the newly updated Norwegian Red Total Merit IndexTrait Previous weight
(%)Updated weight, June 2015 (%)
Production (protein & fat) 28 28
Udder health (mastitis & SCC) 21 18
Fertility (cow & heifer) 18 18
Udder conformation 15 18
Beef (carcass growth, muscling & fat)
6 6
Claw health 4.8 4
Diseases other than mastitis 2 4
Temperament 2 1
Foot & leg conformation 1.2 2
Milking speed 1 0
Calving ease 0.5 0.5
Stillbirths 0.5 0.5
01270 616816Used by farmers, tanker drivers and processors – the dairy industry’s favourite antibiotic milk test
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 63
BREEDING NEWS
and, importantly, why. Masterrind is the biggest stud in Germany with a population of 660,000 registered cows and 1.5 million inseminations. Semen export manager Dr Matthias Riedl will be speaking at the show and will cover the key facts of the Mas-terrind company structure plus the setup of the enhanced Masterrind breeding programme with its bull selection goals.
Hoof Health Index
The Livestock Event provides farmers with the opportunity to learn of the collaboration ben-efits between professional foot trimmers and Viking Genetics in producing a Hoof Health Breeding Index for the Viking Holstein, Red and Jersey breeds. The Index is a step towards a permanent reduc-tion in lameness. By comparison, any herd management programme be-tween a farmer and vet is merely treating the symptoms, and will require the same level of input
in resistance levels between breeds and, interestingly, varying levels of
disease within each breed. Sole ulcers, for example, have a 30% chance of reoccurring and a case can cost over £400 per cow. The accuracy of the Hoof Health Index has been achieved as a result of computer transfer of individual cow information by foot trimmers. Ole Ebbesen will demonstrate this fact in the Foot Trimming Demonstration at the event. Dr Evegenij Telezhenko will take the story on as he explains how the foot trimmer data is turned in to an important Viking Genetics Breeding Index when speaking at the Healthy Feet Workshop. The goal is to enable the data transfer between farmer and hoof-trimmer to identify sires that can transmit strong hoof health traits which can be used alongside cur-rent proofs for feet and leg scores, to identify those bulls whose
Dairymac offer the Trackacow heat detection system and have
of either short range (700m) or long range (2 to 10km) antennas, a 24VAC receiver box, 24VAC USB converter box with USB connectiv-ity to any standard PC or laptop and Windows based Operating System which ‘talks’ to a number of the popular herd management
a degree of independence without being tied to a particular OEM or semen company. Tags are designed to last up to 10 years and the New LRP Tags have a built in 12 hour memory which is most useful in pastoral systems. Final costs are depend-ent on unit size—but are around £2,950 for the hardware including a PC, and £75 for each LRP 12 hour tag. Finally, for those farmers who prefer to stick to traditional meth-ods of heat detection and fertility management, Dairymac still make
Bray Boards. The visual snap-shot of these wall-mounted calendars is
The board can show the status of the herd or a single cow at a glance and pinpoint potential breeding problems. It offers an easy to read back-up to computer systems
without electronic access. Dairy-mac sell the boards with blank or pre-numbered magnets from 1-975
for the board along with a ten year warranty.(Tel: 01489 894447; Stand AH112)
Dairymac Trackacow heat detection system
64 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
Speeding up milking routinePRE-MILKING ROUTINE
Dave Craven, dairy operational manager at Grosvenor Farms
installed the Sanicleanse Teat Scrubber in the rotary parlour of the estate’s new 1,100-cow dairy unit at Lee Manor Farm in Cheshire.
The cows are bedded on re-claimed sand. “There is sand
on the teats but this system makes
and consistently,” says Mr Craven. “Sand is the best bedding medium for cows giving comfort in the cubicles and it does not harbour bacteria. It gives the cows good purchase when they stand and sand in the passageways helps their grip.” The 60 point Boumatic rotary became operational in November last year and Mr Craven says he has been very pleased with the system in which three people
can milk 300 cows per hour. The system has three rotating brushes. The upper two are counter rotating which wash, sanitise and massage the external surfaces of the teats and the base of the udder with
warm water and sanitiser. At the same time, the third larger brush completes the same opera-tion at the tip of the teats. The cows teats are brushed for two sec-onds each and the milking clusters put on 90 seconds lat-er. “As soon as the cups go
on milk is drawn straight away,” says Mr Craven. The units are removed by ACR and a post-milking dip with iodine solution applied. “Teat condition is good and we have not seen any teat end damage. The parlour milks the cows sympathetically and with good milk letdown the cows are milking out one minute quicker which means the units are on the cows for less time. The cows are milked three times a day and are currently av-eraging 40 litres per day at 150,000 cell count and a bactoscan of 12 to 14. “We brought three milking herds together and things soon settled down within a month. Cell counts have gone up in the warmer weather but I hope they have now peaked.
Low mastitis incidence
“We were using disposable wipes before which generated a lot of work and mess. I saw the Sanicleanse system on farms when researching for the new unit and thought the system would work very well on a rotary parlour. We are only seeing about one case of mastitis per week.” The sand does make regular servicing of the brushing units necessary and Mr Craven has a spare brushing unit to make maintenance simple. “We swap the brushing units every week to 10 days and then service the spare one. This is very easy to do and
is mainly changing brushes and gears.” Shropshire farmers Andrew and Bill Higgins, who won the NMR/RABDF Gold Cup in 2013, moved to the Sanicleanse system in September in their 20:20 her-ringbone parlour. The 420-cow herd is milked three times a day. They were using washable wipes which would be cleaned every day but this was expensive in terms of water and electricity.
Simplifying milking
Since then the milking routine has
lowered. “We have gone from 10 cases of mastitis per month to just 20 cases in the last nine months,” says Andrew Higgins. “In fact we have had no mastitis cases for the last eight weeks.” Cows are currently produc-ing 39.3 litres per day with 11,841 litres of milk sold per cow per year. Cell counts in April this year were 81,000 with the rolling 12-month average at 119,000 and still coming down. Cows are bedded on sand and they have been very pleased with the system. There are two Sanicleanse brushing units in the parlour, one on each side running down a high tensile wire at head height the length of the parlour. They have a spare brushing unit to make maintenance simpler. “The units are simple to maintain and the parts are not expensive,” says Andrew Higgins. Two men are in the parlour milking with a throughput of 130 cows an hour. “We were pre-spraying and wiping the teats. Now we do not pre-dip and brush each teat for two to three seconds. The units go on 50 seconds later and ADF Milking automatic dip-
dip and wash the milking units. “This automation has reduced manual handling of the teats which can only be a good thing,” says Andrew. “We have knocked
due to better milk let down and a quicker milking routine.”
Dave Craven with the Sanicleanse Teat Scrubber.
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BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 65
DAIRY MARKET UPDATE
Latest market movements
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66 BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015
German company Urban has updated its MilkShuttle calf milk transpor-tation system which can now be optionally equipped with an integrated pasteuriser. When pasteurising the milk, germs and bacteria are reliably killed by a short time heating at 63°C, while all the important nutrients are preserved. The milk is more digestible for the calves and diarrhoeal problems are avoided. The Urban MilkShut-tle Pasteur is designed with a cooling unit in an
the milk tank, so it can already pasteurise and cool down the smallest quantities of just 10 litres with optimal energy ef-
The puncture-free tires stabilise through their own weight. The dosing out nozzle has a new check valve ensures full emptying of the hoses. The optional headlight at the handle ensures good visibility even in the dark season while the optional can holder transports two milk jugs or feed buckets. (Tel: 0044 7860 190209).
PRODUCT NEWS
Adding a rumen conditioner and yeast to dairy rations can produce gains that exceed those achieved by the yeast alone, according to new research from Schothorst Feed Research (SFR) in the Netherlands. Compared to yeast only, the combination treatment substan-tially reduced the time rumen pH was below the point at which
-portion of acetate (63.0% compared to 61.4%) and butyrate (13.6% vs. 12.8%) volatile fatty acids (VFA) in the rumen. “The result was a 4% rise in
-ment in overall feed conversion
terms of kg fat-corrected milk yield per kg dry matter intake,” explains Dr Nicola Walker, AB Vista’s ruminant product development manager. The study used a small group
RB209 fertiliser update
The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) is leading a new consortium of partners in an industry project to independently review information in the current Fertiliser Manual (RB209) as well as nutrient man-agement research released since the eighth edition of RB209 was last published by Defra in 2010.
planned edition of the new suc-
Nutrient Management Guide, which will be released in 2017. RB209 offers best practice guidance on application of mineral fertilisers, manures and slurries to crops and grassland. The guidance aims to maximise yields while keeping environmental impacts to a minimum. The data is also used in tools such as PLANET and MANNER. The current edition of RB209 can be found on the AHDB web-
www.ahdb.org.uk
Colostrum management system launched in UKBritimilk has been awarded the UK rights market to launch the coloQuick colostrum feeding system for calves. The system uses simple, logical routines to deliver quality-tested colostrum quickly. A refractometer allows farmers to accurately and rapidly measure the antibodies in the colostrum. This ensures that only colostrum of the best quality possible will be frozen for future use in the disposable sterile bag and cartridge especially designed for storing and thawing the colostrum. Warming the cartridge of frozen colostrum in the unique water bath gently protects the antibodies and ensures the colostrum is ready to feed in just 20 minutes. A specially designed teat system and a stainless steel probe are included for feeding. Both tools can be operated with one hand and are ergonomically designed, making it possible to handle the calf with the other hand—while the cartridge is carried over the shoulder, or as a “back-pack”. Pasteurising is an optional feature. (Tel: 01387 750459).
diet either with or without the ad-dition of a metabolically active live
a combination product (Vistacell AB) containing both the yeast and a calcareous marine algae-based slow-release rumen conditioner
“For milk producers looking to maximise milk value and main-tain butterfats during the summer grazing season, it appears there’s an advantage to using both at the same time,” adds Dr Walker. (Tel: 02894 473478).
Latest Agricultural Budgeting and Costing Book
The latest edition of the Agricultural Budgeting and Costing Book has been released with fully updated gross margins for all the main com-
and grants across GB, including details of the Basic Payment Scheme, details of alternative enterprises and information on non-farming income,
Attention!
Want to find out more?
BRITISH DAIRYING June 2015 67
PRODUCT NEWS
The Silomat on a silage clamp.
Progiene has launched ‘Feed screed’, a resin coating, devel-oped for use in feed passages and troughs, which produces a smooth, easily cleaned feed surface. Clean, smooth troughs and feed passages can improve daily dry matter intake (DMI) by 0.5kg/cow, equating to £90 worth of extra milk per cow, per year, according to industry research. Alison Clark, Progiene prod-uct manager says: “Independent trials have proven that dirty feed troughs and passages containing spoiled feed will significantly reduce intakes, increase waste and put animals at risk of disease. Cow intakes can be increased by
Latest lameness video
Zinpro’s latest instalment of ‘Ex-perts Talk’ discusses how educa-
managing lameness within a herd.-
cha and Dr Connie Larson discuss
by Zinpro Corporation to help assess, diagnose and prevent lame-ness in dairy and beef cattle. Identifying lameness at an early stage is critical, as this provides the greatest opportunity to improve
in the herd. The video can be found at www.zinpro.com/video-library
Mole Valley Farmers has launched
pour-on as part of their MoleCare range of own brand medicines. DeltaMole pour-on provides protection against biting and nui-
lice in cattle for up to eight to 10 weeks. (Tel 0845 556 7074).
new products for improving clamp silage quality.
-
silage face management. It prevents air entering under the front of the silage sheet after opening, thereby mini-mising waste.
robust and long lasting. Con-veniently placed handles al-low the operator to move the
face by the desired distance
preventing slippage.
with crushed sandstone and
suitable for silage bunkers, clamps and drive-over piles and has a life expectancy of
1.2m x 2.4m and weighs 20kg.
consideration in the development
without approaching the edge of
the face and risking falling. The added weight above the face helps to keep the silage compressed and prevents loose silage avalanching.
and stacked on a pallet when not
in use. The second product,
help farmers save up to 12 inches of waste silage around the sides and shoulders of their silo. It ensures an ul-timate seal and maximum silage protection when used
-
-
conventional black PE plastic has an oxygen transfer rate
square meter every 24 hours.
spoilage and increased aero-bic stability.
It comes in four and six metre widths; 50, 100, 150 and 200 metre lengths.
up to 10% by creating the optimal surface for cattle to feed from.” Feed screed is very simple to apply, and in normal conditions, is dry and ready to use approxi-mately 24 hours after application. It is hard wearing and resistant to acid and can be pressure washed. “This new addition to the Progiene range is an important tool to help dairy farmers optimise performance,” says Alison. “By creating the ideal surface to decrease waste, decrease risk of disease and increase DMI, it makes an important contribu-tion to increasing herd perfor-
(Tel: 0808 178 1010).
Improving clamp silage quality
-
a subsidiary of Mole Valley Farmers. Lillico Attlee’s agriculture business, comprises of a wide range of agricultural products such as feed, fertiliser, seeds, mineral supplements, animal health products and agricultural
Resin coating for feed passages
SCRAPE IT - PUMP IT - STORE IT - MIX IT - SPREAD IT
Email: [email protected]
www.storthmachinery.co.uk
EXPERTS IN SLURRY MANAGEMENT
Contact your local Storth representative
or call 01524 781 900
STORAGE
THAT’S BUILT TO LAST• Glass fused to steel
coating for longer life• Flexibility to extend
tank in the future
• Safer option than low level alternatives
• Full turnkey installations
Herd protection made simple
Bovela brings innovation to BVD protection: a L2D (live double deleted) BVD vaccine providing 12 months protection against both BVDV types 1 and 2 from a single shot. Bovela prevents the birth of persistently infected (PI) calves caused by transplacental infection. Vaccination
with Bovela can be done from 3 months of age. So now you can fi nally make BVD history. Ask your vet for more information.
A study from 2010 showed that a major hurdle to effective BVD vaccination is ease of use. Only 52% of the farmers in the study gave the two doses required for primary vaccination at the correct interval. Furthermore, just 24% completed the primary vaccination course at the recommended time prior to service leaving these animals and their calves without proper protection1.
Reference: 1. Meadows (2010) Cattle Practice 18(3): 202-215Advice on the use of Bovela or other therapies should be sought from your veterinary surgeon. Bovela lyophilisate and solvent for suspension for injection for cattle contains modifi ed live BVDV-1, non-cytopathic parent strain KE-9: 104.0–106.0 TCID50, Modifi ed live BVDV-2, non-cytopathic parent strain NY-93: 104.0–106.0 TCID50. UK: POM-V IE: POM. Further information available from Boehringer Ingelheim Limited, Vetmedica, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YS, UK. Tel: +44 (0)1344 746959. Technical enquiries: +44 (0)1344 746957. Email: [email protected]. Date of preparation: Feb 2015. AHD8395. Use Medicines Responsibly (www.noah.co.uk/responsible)
