Dairy Focus August

Page 1

dairy FOCUS

An Ashburton Guardian Advertising Supplement

Issue 27. August 17, 2010. $2.00

Townies make their way in dairying P3

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2

Contents Page 3

Townies make their mark

Page 10

The ultimate milking machine

Page 6

Inductions on their way out

Page 13

Resource for dairy farmers

Page 4 Page 5 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9

Managing the big wet

Tips on avoiding pugging

Page 11

End of an era; start of a new one

Page 12

Calving a stressful time

Commodity prices lift con�idence Page 14 Vigilance can save you money Fonterra tackles ef�luentre

dairy FOCUS

Page 15

Stone bruises or laminitis

Page 16

Baler amputation warning

An advertising supplement of the Ashburton Guardian

Opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Ashburton Guardian Publication date: Next issue:

August 17, 2010 September 14, 2010

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3

Townies make their mark Geoff Farrar and Anna Stratford are enjoying the responsibility and challenges in their �irst year of lower order sharemilking through Synlait. If you had told Ms Stratford 10 years ago she would one day be working on a dairy farm, she wouldn’t have been able to imagine the scenario.

The couple originally lived in Christchurch where Mr Farrar worked for his family’s powder coating business and Ms Stratford worked as a nanny. Their lives dramatically changed when Anna’s relatives Paul and Julie Brown introduced them to dairy farming through Synlait Dairy more than �ive years ago. The young couple saw the opportunity to be in charge of their own destiny by rising through the ranks of Synlait’s sharemilking scheme.

Mr Farrar had always enjoyed working with animals, so becoming a dairy farmer was a natural progression.

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While Ms Stratford said the long hours took a bit of getting used to, each day’s exhaustion brought a certain sense of satisfaction to their job.

Lance Isbister Rural Reporter, Ashburton Guardian

Mr Farrar and Ms Stratford found their sharemilking arrangement with the Rowes to be greatly advantageous as Mr Rowe imparted much of his knowledge onto them, while also giving them the responsibility of looking after the health of the herd of 417 Friesian, Jersey cross cows. Ms Stratford said animal health has been their main focus and have so far had a successful season with herd health despite this season’s wet weather. Since they have been farming, the 27 year olds have not looked back, preferring the rural lifestyle over the urban one they were raised in.

ce South Island Wide From town to country: Winchmore dairy farmers Geoff Farrar and Anna Stratford have come a long way in the industry at a young age without the The couple were grateful for the chance to sharemilk The couple are looking ce South Island Wide axfield Constant benefits of growing up on a dairy farm. for Geoff and Wendy Rowe this season when thereMove were forward to buying their few sharemilking positions on off er throughout Mid own tractor, which Ms axfield Constant Move ATIC Canterbury.DEALER Stratford found to be a good investment as they accuclose to the action, having his own of�ice in the cowshed mulate assets for the next step to become 50/50 sharewhere he keeps himself occupied with television and voting Wheel “To have �inallyand made this big 4 step, it’s like our last milkers, a goal they are keen to reach within four years. Playstation, while his parents are milking. �iveSouth years have all been worth it.” Ms StratfordWide said. ce Island voting and 4 Wheel Since they have been sharemilking, they have emMs Stratford said while having a child challenged ATIC DEALER Mr Farrar said being paid a percentage based on ployed Ms Stratford’s brother Charles who is keen to axfield Constant Move their time management skills, Charles also helps out in rsible the milk solidsand they produceTurbine was good motivation to Pumps learn and grow in the dairy industry. caring for him, which give Mr Farrar and Ms Stratford become sharemilkers. Mr Farrar and Ms Stratford’s �ive year old son is also �lexibility in their farming. rsible andIsland Turbine Pumps ions ce South Wide voting and 4 Wheel ions axfield Constant Move ATIC DEALER

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4

Managing the big wet A wet spring is a curve ball that dairy farmers should be prepared for especially given the heavy rain onto already saturated soils at the end of last month (July).

This weather brought back memories of a wet spring in 2008 when nearly a month of heavy rain made life dif�icult for farmers in Canterbury. A lot was learned that year and now is a good time to re�lect back and recall the management decisions that were made.

Table 2. Amount (grams) of CausMag dusted on pasture (assuming 50% �ield losses). Magnesium source (%Mg)

Product

Mg Oxide (55%)

CausMag

Magnesium required (grams/cow/day)

12 gm 44

14 gm 50

16 gm 60

18 gm 66

20 gm 72

What went well and what improvements can be made? Do you have systems and resources in place to deal with wet conditions? The rain at the end of last May was an added reminder of the dif�iculties of managing cow condition and health, plus feed utilisation in trying conditions.

There are a number of simple management strategies and important ‘must do’s’ that can help calving in wet conditions run more smoothly.

Cow health Either during rainfall or when soils are saturated, getting enough magnesium into dry cows and lactating cows can be an issue. The number of milk fever cases often increases which adds to the stress of calving.

• Pasture dusting with magnesium oxide. Wind and rain result in �ield losses of dusted magnesium oxide. For this reason, required levels of magnesium oxide are doubled when dusting (refer to table 2). Pasture can be dusted up to three days in advance, weather permitting. In very wet weather it may pay to dust more than once per day, preferably when cows are given a new break. Table 1. Desired dietary magnesium concentrations and the quantity of supplementary magnesium required (grams/cow/day) for different size animals. Mg requirement (% of diet)

Dry Lactating

0.35% 0.28%

Supplementary Mg (g/cow/day)

Jersey 12 15

Crossbred 16 17

%

Friesian 20 20 $

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• Mastitis. In wet conditions mastitis incidence often increases. It is important to review your current system and ensure the basics are being done to minimise the environmental impact of mastitis in your herd. Remember to: - Test all colostrum cows (e.g. rapid mastitis test, RMT) after their seventh or eighth milking before entering the herd. It is much easier to �ind and treat them while still in the colostrum herd and saves spreading any infections to the main herd.

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5

Robyn Mackenzie South Canterbury/North Otago DairyNZ Consulting Of�icer

- Teat spray every cow after being milked.

- Collect milk samples from clinical cases and get them tested by your vet. It is more cost effective to know which bacteria you are dealing with so you can treat with the correct drug.

Pasture and supplement utilisation

• Pugging. Pugging lowers pasture growth rates for at least three to four months following damage. Nil pugging damage is the target, and if very wet:

- Stock must be on-off grazed (this includes milkers). Milkers can eat their allocation in two grazings of 3.5-4 hours each. In order of priority, stand off dry cows, springers if they can safely calve on the stand-off area, and then milkers. - When standing-off you need to teat spray the dry cows two to three times per week due to the hygiene challenges associated with mud and stand-off areas. - Block graze rather than strip graze. - Walk out of different gates.

- Where possible start grazing at the back of the paddock and walk stock in and out of paddocks on long grass.

- Stand off, use an appropriate stand-off area to avoid pugging and over grazing (less than 1100 kg DM/ha). For guidelines see DairyNZ’s Minimising Muck Maximising Money at www.dairynz.co.nz.

• Supplements. In wet conditions supplement utilisation typically decreases which makes the cost of the supplement increase by the time it is down the cows’ throat. Here are a few tips farmers use to minimise supplement wastage: - Know your average pasture cover and follow your Spring Rotation Planner, if you have enough pasture cover and �lexibility in your planner you may not need to feed out supplements. This will minimise damage done to your soils and pasture as the tractor and silage wagon aren’t out there every day.

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There are common sense measures you can implement to reduce the risk of severe pugging as above. - Feed supplements along the fence line to reduce the impact of cows crowding around supplement in the middle of the paddock and pugging your pasture.

- If feeding straw or silage make sure it is fed evenly, big lumps of supplement are harder for all the cows to get access to and utilisation tends to be lower with cows using the feed as a bed.

Now that you have the cows and supplements sorted out remember to look after yourself and your staff, if you haven’t already done so. Refer to the Spring Survival Guide on the DairyNZ website for more information www.dairynz.co.nz

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6

Inductions on their way out Dear fellow dairy farmers

Recently we, as dairy farmers, were again confronted by reports from the negativity indulging media representatives on the issue of induction practices within the dairy industry.

That induction practices are going to be phased out within the next three years in an orderly fashion or possible damage to our image overseas did not seem to matter. I have no problem with proper journalism, but when it gets to the level of the tabloids I am deeply concerned. The issue was presented to get maximum emotional impact.

I agree that you cannot compare abortion in human beings with induction practices in bovines, but we do not show the embryo foetuses from humans other than in special dedicated documentaries either, so why do we show the embryo foetuses from cows on the six o’clock news, just to get maximum impact. Personally I am not fond of the induction process, but if it was as simple as getting another tool o the shelf, so we would not have to do inductions anymore, it would have been done a long time ago. Outside dairy farmers practising inductions to get their cows back in line with the rest of the herd, they spend heaps of money at the breeding end of the season to get these cows in calf as soon as possible after the start of mating.

To make statements as to ban drugs that are used to induce cows shows how shallow the media’s research was on the subject, as some of the same drugs are

needed to get dormant cows cycling again in the spring.

What really irked me was the phrase that we, as farmers, induce cows to make more money. We have evidence that farmers who do induce, do not make any more money than those who are not inducing cows. Mostly induction is used to make up for mistakes, some of them repetitive, in the past. It is seen by the farmer as the last chance for a cow to get in line with her herd mates and he does so feeling guilty as he failed to give her the ability to get in calf for whatever reason earlier in the piece.

It is foolish to believe that getting cows in calf is a simple issue. Many factors, going as far back as condition at drying o play a part in the puzzle of how to get cows in calf.

One crucial factor of cows getting in calf in the past decade though is seriously underestimated, which is that only cows in a positive energy balance have a serious chance to get in calf, which contradicts with the desire by the farmer at that time of the year to keep pasture quality under control which can be achieved by hard grazing. To get high in-calf rates you may have to

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compromise a little pasture quality or supplement the cows at that time of the year. We are not talking losing your pasture control altogether but a reasonable compromise which can be dierent for dierent production levels. Your biggest help can be to plan all these processes up-front with your farm sta, veterinarian, farm consultant, nutritionist, AI organisation or Dairy NZ who have the “In Calfâ€? programme, a tool developed purposely for getting more cows in calf and decrease inductions. Enough from me, hope you have a fantastic spring, which could be our biggest ally in getting cows in calf. Cheers

7

Commodity prices lift confidence Rising commodity prices and improving economies offshore have boosted con�idence levels among the nation’s farmers, particularly in the dairy sector, says a big bank.

in sheep and beef farmer con�idence was less pronounced, with 34 percent expecting the agricultural economy to improve, up from 32 percent in the previous survey.

But he noted that though 54 percent of dairy farmers were optimistic in the bank’s latest survey — up from 41 percent the previous quarter — the survey was taken just before the most recent fall in global dairy prices.

“Farmgate beef prices are currently above the previous season, while lamb and venison prices are lower as strong offshore pricing for these products has been offset by unfavourable currency movements,” Mr Russell said.

Rabobank general manager Ben Russell said con�idence had improved across all sectors.

Fonterra announced recently it is reviewing its forecast 2011 payout to 10,500 farmers following the fourth consecutive month of lower prices on its global dairy trade auctions on the internet. Prices have fallen 24 percent since a 21-month high at the April auction. Mr Russell said that overall, 87 percent of the nation’s farmers expected economic conditions to either improve or remain stable — the fourth consecutive quarterly lift in farmer con�idence.

Taken across New Zealand last month, the survey found 41 percent of farmers expected the agricultural economy to improve over the next 12 months, climbing from 34 percent in the previous survey. The number expecting conditions to decline had stayed the same at 11 percent. “Last week’s August global dairy trade results, which have seen prices fall another 8.3 percent, would not have been taken into account in the survey,” Mr Russell noted. Compared to the dairy farmers, the improvement

Farmgate prices for meat were generally holding at reasonable levels, with a mixed outlook.

Of the farmers surveyed who expected conditions to worsen, 32 percent cited government intervention and policies as a reason. This compared to only 12 percent who had these concerns last survey, and was likely related to the introduction of the emissions trading scheme on July 1. In terms of the performance of their own individual operations, 70 percent of dairy farmers expected an improvement in their own businesses (up from 51 percent), although only 26 percent of sheep and beef farmers were expecting their business performance to improve (down from 28 percent). Among horticulturists, 36 percent expected their businesses to improve (up from 20 percent last survey).

Investment intentions among farmers had strengthened, with 28 percent now expecting to increase their farm business investment, up from 25 percent previously. A further 60 percent intended to maintain investment levels.

Rabobank general manager Ben Russell Farmers also had an increasingly bullish outlook on land values, with 23 percent of farmers expecting land prices to go up over the next 12 months and 58 percent expecting land to hold its value.

Mr Russell said sheep and beef farmers were the least optimistic about land prices, while nearly a third of dairy farmers were expecting the price of land to rise over the coming year. - NZPA

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8

Take a long hard look Ian Hodge, BVSc. MACVSc. Riverside Veterinary Services Ltd

Recent issues around dairy farming practices in the press have again highlighted the need for all those involved in the dairy industry to step back and take a long hard look at the way production and reproduction are being managed in the herd. As calving progresses it is vital that cows and heifers remain disease free as far as possible and have access to the best possible feed available so that feed intakes are maximised and any body condition loss is kept to an absolute minimum. These two areas remain central to dairy animals getting over calving, milking well and getting back in calf within the �irst 42 days of the mating period.

High six week in calf rates of 70 percent or more are required to minimise the number of cows needing to be bull mated, and these high percentages are only achieved by having 90 percent or more of the herd eligible to be mated at the start of the mating period in late October.

In order to achieve these sustainable targets you must have cows and heifers in top condition at the start of mating. They must have a fully functional reproductive tract that is capable of becoming pregnant. So the work starts now. Take care of your herd on an individual animal basis. Don’t overlook anything however trivial it seems. Big herds are made up of many individual animals.

Remember herd fertility is like a cake and is made up of the following key areas

• • • • • • • •

Calf and heifer management Body condition and nutrition Heat detection Dealing with non cyclers Sire selection and AB Bull management Cow health Calving pattern

Graders – 16G & 14G

Addressing all of these areas is the key to good and sustainable fertility with minimal intervention.

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Tackling effluent issues Fonterra launches new initiative

Fonterra has recently launched a major new initiative designed to bring about a substantial reduction in non-compliance with regional council dairy ef�luent rules.

The nationwide roll-out of the “every farm, every yearâ€? programme follows a pilot study carried out with Waikato farmers between March and July this year. Fonterra is checking every farm’s dairy efďż˝luent system every year as part of their annual Farm Dairy Assessment. Systems found to be at risk of non-compliance will be referred to a Sustainable Dairy Specialist who will work with the farmer to develop a remedial plan for action and timeframe for implementation. Fonterra has doubled to 10 its Sustainable Dairying Specialist team to support shareholders in getting compliance right.

Tim Deane, General Manager, Milk Supply for Fonterra said “the programme is an important step towards bringing down the incidence of signiďż˝icant non-compliance with council efďż˝luent rules and forms part of an annual $5 million investment from Fonterra supporting sustainable dairying practices. “That includes the advice and support given by our Area Managers, our advocacy programme in the policymaking area and specialist support systems like our Sustainable Dairying Specialists.â€? He said Fonterra’s initiative had been welcomed by regional councils who were keen to partner with the co-operative to improve compliance performance.

farmers avoid costly penalties but also helps keep the environment and our streams clean.�

Improved results in regions like Canterbury and Auckland showed gains could be made when councils, DairyNZ, farmers and Fonterra worked constructively together. Mr Deane said the Waikato pilot gave the opportunity to raise awareness for farmers and provide additional training for the assessors responsible for carrying out annual on farm checks.

“It’s imperative that both farmers and assessors learn to recognise when an efďż˝luent system could be at risk of non-compliance.â€? Fonterra Sustainable Dairy specialists visited over 350 farms in the Waikato between March and July on the back of referrals from the pilot programme, the regional council or requests from farmers for advice. In many cases they found that minor changes could be the dierence between compliant or at-risk systems.

The Waikato pilot also highlighted the need for suf�icient ef�luent infrastructure and storage. Farms at risk of non-compliance were already working with a Sustainable Dairy Specialist for further support.

“This is exactly what we expected to see and the fact that there are farmers out there who need assistance is why we put the programme in place. The important thing is that we’re able to raise the levels of awareness and through education and specialist advice we’re looking to make efďż˝luent compliance a complete non issue for Fonterra’s suppliers. This is good for our farmers, good for us and good for the environment.â€?

“Small details like the size of an efďż˝luent dispensing nozzle, the speed of an irrigator or good efďż˝luent system maintenance could make all the dierence in being compliant or not. “The advantage of doing our every farm, every year checks is we’re now ďż˝inding and ďż˝ixing potential issues before they can cause problems down the line and the proactive approach not only helps

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Next generation automated milking For over 40 years Milka-Ware has led the way in designing milking systems and products that help farmers improve productivity, while milking gently.

With the introduction of the Milka-Pro-4 milking point management and cluster remover it has taken a further step. The Milka-Pro-4 leads the market in terms of ease of use, and information right where you want it, at the milking point! Featuring a full colour digital display, the Milka-Pro-4 provides users with the information they need “at a glance� through easy to understand and bright colour “Cowtoons�. The Cowtoons show the milkers the status of each milking point and whether they are ‘standing by’ waiting to be started, milking, how long they have been milking, milked, or whether the cups have been kicked off.

There’s no need to remember a complicated sequence of flashing lights to know whether the cow finished milking normally or whether she kicked the cups off! In addition to the Cowtoons providing milkers with milking status, the Milka-Pro-4 display also features a milking flow profile graph. Farmers using the MilkaPro-4 have found the graph invaluable through the ability at milking time to easily identify their cows’ milking performance.

Slow cows, low producers, problems developing can be identified while milking. Users have even found the graph handy in identifying wash problems! Because the graph also shows flow during wash, if a jetter is blocked, the graph will show it straight away, enabling you to fix the problem before you get a grade, rather than after. While the Milka-Pro-4 is easy to use and provides milkers with the information they need right at the milking point, Milka-Ware has not forgotten that maintaining optimum

udder health is critical to season long cow productivity and farm profitability. Here again Milka-Ware leads the market.

The Milka-Pro-4 has the most advanced end of milking detection system available today. Normal ACR’s remove the cups at a fixed flow threshold that is the same for all cows, or after a set time period. This often over milks fast milkers, and under milks slow milkers. The Milka-Pro-4 has an advanced system that adjusts to each cow’s milking characteristics so as to remove the cluster at the right time for every cow. By adjusting to each cow’s individual milking characteristics you can have the confidence that your high producing fast milkers are not being over milked, while at the same time knowing that you don’t have to go back and re-attach the clusters to your slower cows to milk them out properly. Milka-Ware has always had a philosophy of engineering for reliability and long life. The Milka-Pro-4 continues this tradition using the best components and technologies available for the ultimate in reliability.

Rather than using a normal press button switch which is liable to fail with constant use with wet hands, Milka-Ware has used the highest quality solid state no-movement Peizo switch to control the Milka-Pro-4. The Milka-Pro-4 also features cutting edge mould-inplace technologies to house the electronics and digital display. This seals much of the electronics in high-tech plastic where water can’t get to it.

These advanced features are just some of the features that make the Milka-Pro-4 the ultimate milking point management and cluster remover available today. Information on the Milka-Pro-4 and other Milka-Ware products are available through Milka-Ware Ashburton.

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11

End of one era; another kicks off Two issues this month I would like to comment on, and yes, they are both associated with water – in a roundabout sort of way.

I thought I would be curious and pay a visit to the clearance sale at K B Irrigation that was held recently. Representatives of most of the irrigation companies in Canterbury were in attendance. We should really have had a meeting in the afternoon as it is quite unusual for as many irrigation representatives to be in the one spot at the one time!

In my years of being involved in the irrigation business I have witnessed the demise of a number of Canterbury irrigation companies, which is always a sad event. The most common excuse of a company failing is the economic times we are living in. I accept that excuse to a point. However, most companies ultimately fail because of poor management. I have had reasonably close relationships with three irrigation companies in Canterbury who are no longer operating and I believe that the three irrigation companies I refer to here suffered ultimately from poor management.

Most of the people attending the K B clearance sale were after the inevitable bargain and most people would have gone home reasonably happy. However to see relatively well off irrigation owners bidding for irrigation equipment against some of their possible clients was disappointing. Yes we can all get carried away at clearance sales, but some of these people knew exactly what they wanted and they were prepared to compete with any

one present – at any price.

Ray Mayne Ray Mayne Hose and Fittings Limited

However it was good to catch up with many of our irrigation compatriots.

The calving season is now upon us. I hope all is going as well as you dairy farmers would like. Up until the weekend of August 8, the weather was treating you wonderfully well. In fact the previous weekend was great as many of the puddles and general wet spots were disappearing – even the grass was beginning to “green up”, surely spring was just around the corner and the irrigators would get cranked up soon!

However as the days get longer, spring is certainly getting closer. We have been very busy recently with irrigator maintenance.

Heavy rain on Saturday night through to Sunday made conditions very wet and, once again, muddy. Thirty millimetres of rain makes a significant difference to the ground conditions.

Depending on the size of the system, and the extent of the work to be carried out dictates how much cost is involved, but normally I believe it is well worthwhile to have a complete winter service completed well in advance of the irrigation season.

No such luck. As soon as the All Blacks retained the Bledisloe Cup, the weather changed dramatically – as it can so easily manage to do in early August.

The more irrigators that are sold ensure we are kept busy during the winter months.

12

Farm Right Your success our focus Employee problems during calving

Debs McKenzie

Human Resources Manager & Consultant FarmRight Ltd

Some common problem areas that many dairy farm employers can relate to during this time are: • Employees turning up late • Con�lict between employees • Fatigue

These issues invariably impact on productivity at some point down the line but there are a number of solutions to each of these and successful resolution can usually be achieved one way or another.

Disagreements between co-workers need to be nipped in the bud early before they escalate and become a major problem. It’s that busy time in the dairy season again where we’re long on hours and short on tempers. The combination of long, stressful hours and often dif�icult working conditions can result in employees becoming less �lexible and some bad habits may start to emerge.

Late for work Failing to deal with an employee who arrives late for work sends a bad message to the rest of the team and can undermine your authority as a manager. The key to dealing with this is to act immediately – from the very outset. If a direct reminder of the terms of an employment contract does not have the desired eect then a short, informal performance interview may be required. There may be some underlying issues that need to be aired so be prepared to support rather than judge. Make sure that any resulting actions are documented and then reviewed at an agreed later date. The solution may be as simple as the employee setting their alarm to go o 10 minutes earlier! Con�lict between employees We’ve all seen how a seemingly

liquid waste disposal

trivial misunderstanding between two employees can quickly escalate into a major rift. Again, the key message here is early intervention – before other employees feel they need to get involved and begin to take sides. Let’s face it: some people just don’t get on – employees don’t have to like each other but they do need to treat each other with respect. The best solution when dealing with con�lict is one that is even-handed and agreed to by everyone involved. If you do �ind yourself in a situation that requires formal action, that action must be procedurally and substantively fair. Fatigue Towards the end of calving, tired employees (and managers!) have frayed tempers and short tethers. Small problems usually laughed away suddenly become major issues and we can become led by our feelings. Employers who separate themselves from the emotion associated with a situation and consider just the facts will �ind that problems are resolved more quickly. Remaining impartial and taking the time to consider your response will also help reduce the stress. Encouraging regular breaks and a balanced diet getting enough fuel on board to cope with the extra physical activity - will also help. Everyone copes with tiredness dierently – getting enough sleep is the

just tip of the iceberg. Maybe you ran out of time to followup on that reference or you had your hand forced and took on the best of a bad bunch - most of us have recruited someone who didn’t turn out as we hoped. The good news is you don’t have to put up with bad attitudes or substandard performance. The “Good Faith� aspect of the Individual Employment Agreement (IEA) means that employees have an obligation to treat co-workers and management with the same respect and consideration they wish to be treated with. However, taking formal action on an attitude is often a tricky area and employers are well advised to take advice. Regular communication with your team is crucial during this busy time to ensure your team feel supported and valued. Focus on the positives and avoid the temptation to dwell on the negatives. Recognise relentlessly and reward regularly. Employers can’t cover every eventuality in their IEAs but can ensure that the types of conduct that are unacceptable is included along with possible consequences (warnings and dismissal). Providing detailed position descriptions will provide clear lines of responsibility and set expectations right from the start of the employment relationship.

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13

Facts and figures at your fingertips Farm sector backs Fonterra Essential dairy facts and

Wellington – Farmers, politicians and regulators have moved to support Fonterra, which denies claims its milkpowder could be responsible for excessive hormonal levels in Chinese infant formula which have caused babies to grow breasts. Finance Minister Bill English said the Government had a lot of faith in New Zealand’s dairy industry. “It’s (Fonterra) got among the world’s best food safety and quality systems,” he said. “We’re con�ident Fonterra can deal with it (the claims), but it is pretty important to our future that our dairy industry is seen as providing world-class quality product. “Any story like that’s a concern: whether it’s founded in fact or someone just made it up, it needs to be dealt with,” Mr English said Fonterra said it was “100 percent con�ident” about its products after parents and doctors in Hubei in eastern China’s Shandong Province voiced fears that infant formula produced by dairy company Synutra International had caused at least three infant girls to develop breasts. Synutra has said the milkpowder in the formula was all imported from New Zealand, but a spokesman for Fonterra said that though the New Zealand company supplied whole milkpowder to Synutra, the Chinese company also sourced some milk locally and imported whey powder from Europe. Separately, the state-run Xinhua News Agency cited Yao Hui, deputy head of the endocrine department of Wuhan Children’s Hospital in Hubei, as saying three of four

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babies treated for the condition of premature breasts had never used Synutra baby formula. Yao told Xinhua the fourth baby was switched from Synutra to other brands last year. Fonterra said hormonal growth promotants are banned for use on milking cows in New Zealand, and strict legislative controls meant it was not necessary for New Zealand milk or milk products to be routinely tested. Federated Farmers dairy section chairman Lachlan McKenzie said he was totally con�ident in the quality of New Zealand milk exports. “Hormonal growth promotants are not used on New Zealand milk-producing cows,” he said. “We have total con�idence in the New Zealand Food Safety Authority and our milk exporters. If there is something untoward, then it won’t be from New Zealand.” The New Zealand Food Safety Authority said it was seeking clari�ication about the media reports from China Chinese Health Ministry spokesman Deng Haihua told a press conference that food safety authorities were testing samples of infant formula made by Synutra and there was also a medical investigation into the cause of the infants’ conditions. He said oestrogen hormones were forbidden in milkpowder products. Synutra, listed on the US Nasdaq stock exchange, said in a statement that it had never added man-made hormones or any other illegal substances to its milk products, and that all its products were safe. - NZPA

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How much more yard space does a Friesian cow need than a Jersey? What’s the average pasture growth in my area? What’s the best age structure for my herd? How do I analyse my silage report?

What do I need to consider before choosing a supplementary feed?

Answers to all these questions and many more are in DairyNZ’s latest publication, Facts and Figures for New Zealand Dairy Farmers. It is a compilation of established research and practical knowledge.

“We saw the need for a comprehensive, quick-reference resource for the dairy industry,” says Rob Brazendale, DairyNZ Development Team Leader for Productivity. “This handy booklet is jam-packed with important farm production statistics, facts and �igures. From feed to farm �inancials it is all in here!” Contents include feed requirements, animal health, pasture, nutrients, milk composition, infrastructure and �inancial information.

“Farmers who have been part of its development have described it as the Edmonds Cookbook of the dairy industry - a must have for every farm of�ice,” says Rob. “This has been a truly collaborative project. The list of people to thank is long and includes experts from throughout the industry.” Farmers can order their own copy of Facts and Figures for New Zealand dairy farmers on the DairyNZ website, from their local DairyNZ consulting of�icer or by calling the DairyNZ Farmer Information Service on 0800 4 DAIRYNZ (0800 4 324 7969).

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14

Refrigeration maintenance Now that the milk volumes and day-time temperatures are on the increase it is time to look at servicing refrigeration equipment.

Remember your milk silo refrigeration is critical to ensure your milk is of good quality when collected by the dairy company.

Refrigeration maintenance is an important aspect of a dairy farm management programme and I will endeavour to answer some commonly asked questions. For most equipment one service is all that is required per season to maintain an acceptable level of ef�iciency and reliability for “on farm” refrigeration equipment. When is the best time to have your refrigeration checks completed?

Refrigeration maintenance is scheduled in the spring and autumn (for those opting for two services per season) to improve the reliability and running ef�iciency of refrigeration systems before the peak summer period and to rectify any faults appearing prior to this period. Why not have a service completed in the offseason?

• The concept of off-season checks has probably originated from dairy farm refrigeration companies (operating exclusively in the dairy farm area) in low growth areas using this system as a means of creating work during the two month off-season. • Statistically we get three to four times the numbers

of refrigeration faults occurring during the peak summer period (as opposed to startup faults) when the daytime temperatures are hottest.

• Low ambient and water (in the silo for load) temperatures and quick low load pulldown times sometimes make checking of the refrigerant charge inaccurate. As this is one of the most important aspects of the checks we recommend leaving the checks until there are higher daytime temperatures and a reasonable milk load in the silo. It makes sense to complete the service around the time the refrigeration system is running at its peak load

I would still prefer to have my refrigeration unit(s) checked in the off-season! If this is the case Dairycool is happy to complete a maintenance service check at a time to suit you. Would I be better to enter a comprehensive maintenance contract?

This may be a viable option for some farms although it should be noted the annual price for each refrigeration unit is the same whether the unit is one or 40 years old and the main compressor failure risk is covered by existing insurance policies in many cases (under the electrical fusion cause). In addition some farms have mechanical insurance coverage and mechanical compressor failures would be likely be covered by these policies.

Innovation is the key to saving you money.

Murray Hollings DairyCool Ltd

The risk of a major failure in refrigeration equipment less than about 12 years old is minimal.

Dairycool doesn’t currently offer a comprehensive maintenance contract as it appears there are very few farmers interested in this concept. SUMMARY We believe in the value of carefully timed maintenance service checks to the farmer and have averted many major problems before they have caused an expensive breakdown. In addition there are always a signi�icant number of systems found to be running inef�iciently, and unnoticed by the farmer.

These can consume many hundreds of dollars worth of extra electricity and also shorten the overall life of the refrigeration unit. Regular refrigeration maintenance ensures:

• Lower Running Costs

• Quicker Milk Pulldown Times

• Longer Lifespan of refrigeration units

• Lower incidence of breakdowns and downtime

As we get through our maintenance programme the incidence of breakdown drops dramatically and the condition of the equipment on the farm is now reasonably good, testimony to the value of this programme.

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15

Stone bruises or laminitis? “We know now that lameness is caused by laminitis but what do we do about it?” I was talking to a vet the other day who said that to me.

This question raises two issues. The �irst one is that I am not yet convinced that the majority of New Zealand dairy farmers really believe that we have laminitis in this country.

I still come across a lot of farmers who are surprised at the effects of laminitis within their herd. Most farmers are still talking about stone bruises and pointing out to me where in the yard or track their lame cows come from.

Even if the evidence shows differently it seems hard for people to change their attitude towards physical damage. Some of the things that I am talking about here are the fact that most cows have higher outside claws than inside claws.

Fred Hoekstra Veehof Dairy Services

Or the fact that many of the haemorrhages and defects are symmetrical in left and right leg claws. The fact that many beef cows have haemorrhage in their claws yet they are not being pushed over tracks at all - they don’t even know what a stone looks like. So I think that we have still got a lot of work to do to get farmers educated. The other issue is that I am not claiming to have all the answers. I don’t think that is my primary role and I don’t think it is possible for any single person to have all the answers.

CALVING Provides calving dates, and monitors health after calving (weight, yield and mastitis).

MANAGESÊ THEÊBIG ISSUES MANAGESÊ THEÊBIG ISSUES

I see my primary role as being a hoof trimmer and teacher in that area. With that comes the need to teach people the recognition of different claw diseases. WEIGHT

CALVING Provides calving dates, and monitors health after calving (weight, yield and mastitis).

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MASTITIS Alerts, drafts and monitors treatment of infected cows.

impact on productivity.

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MASTITIS MASTITIS MASTITIS Alerts, Alerts, Alerts,drafts drafts draftsand and and monitors monitorstreatment treatmentof of monitors treatment of infected infected infectedcows. cows. cows.

Canterbury Sales Manager Roy Wood Phone: 03 308 8733 Cell: 027 5822517 email: roy.wood@milkhub.co.nz

01 01 01 MilkHub MilkHub MilkHub

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yield, drafts them management from calving andasmonitors any to drying off well as the treatments. work that goes on every day.

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DRYING OFF Provides measures of mastitis, yield and weight to optimise days in milk/trigger drying off.

DAIRY DAIRY DAIRY YEAR YEAR YEAR

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16

Hay baler alert - hand amputated A baler has many moving parts including chain and sprocket drives and shafts which are normally guarded during operation. On the day of the accident, the hay baler was being maintained with the transmission guards lifted while still having the PTO shaft on the tractor engaged, so the victim was able to access the exposed and moving transmission. The operating manual clearly states that roller chains must be lubricated frequently with clean engine oil to keep their high ef�iciency and give long, problem-free service. The baler control console monitors the total bale count and tells the operator to lubricate the baler at speci�ied lubrication intervals. The manual also clearly states: “always disengage the tractor PTO and shut off the tractor engine before: Leaving tractor seat Lubricating Cleaning the machine Adjusting the machine”. and: “Never check or lubricate the chains while the machine is running”.

Farmers need to identify potential hazards when preparing their gear for the coming season. It is important to keep in mind simple tasks such as oiling a chain can become hugely dangerous when machinery is running as this on-farm example illustrates.

Area where the victim’s hand was caught. The accident The tractor driver was servicing the hay baler in preparation for work. He had lifted the guard to provide access to the transmission chains and sprockets. The tractor engine was running and the PTO shaft on the tractor was engaged ready for operation; so all transmission on the hay baler was working. The victim proceeded to oil the stuffer knotter drive chain, using a small plastic bottle that had a very short nipple. While oiling, he accidentally dropped the oiling bottle down behind the stuffer knotter drive chain, he inadvertently reached in to retrieve the bottle when the cog grabbed his thumb, then his wrist, and continued pulling him into the machine until it reached his biceps. The victim was working alone, and there was no way of stopping the machine. To avoid being fully dragged into the machine he pulled until he �inally released himself from the machine, leaving his hand behind in the machine while he ran to his employer’s house to get help. Contributing factors There was no automatic lubrication system on the hay baler. The employer trained the victim to lift the guard and to oil chains while the machine was running, despite all the safety instructions in the operator’s manual.

Guard that had been lifted to oil the chains.

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The company had no formal health and safety systems in place. The oil container was a plastic squeeze bottle with a short nipple. Use of an oilcan with an extended nipple and handgrip may have prevented loss of grip and the can getting close to the chain. The hay baler was near new. An optional extra was to have an automatic lubrication system �itted. The contractor stated that they had always oiled transmissions while they were operating the machine as it provided much better distribution and penetration of the oil. The contractor had also given the victim the operator’s manual to take home to read. The supplier had advised that it was not necessary to oil the chains.

Injuries received The victim’s right hand was amputated in the accident. It was surgically reattached but, nine months later, the prognosis appears that he has 90% loss of function. Recommendations Designers, manufacturers, and suppliers of plant must be aware of their obligations as set out under sections 66 and 67 of The Health And Safety in Employment Regulations 1995 and section 18(A) of the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992. Speci�ically, they must ensure that their advice is in line with the manufacturer’s instructions and any available safety modi�ications are provided. In this case, an automatic lubrication system would have avoided any exposure to the moving parts. Employers must fully set up their health and safety systems. In regard to this baler, the employee should have been fully informed and trained on the hazards of the baler and how to use it safely. The manufacturer’s instructions should form part of the documentation, and it is not suf�icient to merely give an employee an operator’s manual to study without additional training and supervision. Wherever possible, persons should not work alone around hazardous machinery.

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