V O LU M E 8 N O 3 APR IL 2010
IN THIS ISSUE
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F E E D IN G
H ERD H EA LTH
H O USI NG
Do you know your fat facts?
The benefits of adding NSAIDs to treatment protocols
Scraper technology and loose housing pointers 22-04-2010 10:56:22
Avoncroft Diamond Advert April 10.ai
21/04/2010
09:55:14
Jocko Besne x Willis x Sunny Boy FH 3150 HB No 63000377829950
Production
Interbull, April 2010
173 Daughters in 151 Herds 82% Rel.
Milk Fat Protein
+228kg +21.1kg +15.0kg
+0.15% +0.09%
• Very profitable production • Low somatic cell counts -11 • Easy calving Linear Trait Profile 88
PLI £161
100
104
108
112 Excellent
105
Excellent
Udder
108
Excellent
Feet & Legs
105
Excellent
Final Score
107
Excellent 92
96
100
104
108
96
Stature
112 Tall
Chest Width
101
Wide
Body Depth
100
Deep
Angularity
98
Sharp
Condition
105
Excellent
Rump Angle
98
Low
Rump Width
95
Excellent
101
Excellent
Rear Legs Rear View
91
Sickled
Foot Angle
107
Steep
Locomotion
104
Excellent
Fore Udder Attachment
102
Strong
Front Teat Placement
107
Close
Teat Length
95
Long
Udder Depth
101
Shallow
Rear Udder Height
105
High
Central Ligament
106
Strong
Rear Teat Placement
106
Close
Rear Leg Set
Alex Arkink
96
Dairy strength
88
Diamond daughter, Nellie 67 2nd calf
92
99
Frame
PIN £36
Breeding values source: NVO, April 2010
92 Daughters in 77 Herds 88% Rel.
Udder Health
Milking Speed
Temperament
Somatic Cell Count
Calving Ease
Longevity
107
101
102
-11
106 Easy
+417 days
Jocko son Diamond combines high milk with high components, breeding cows of average height with great udders and feet & legs with good locomotion. With this breeding pattern, easy calving and exceptional longevity, Diamond is one of the best Jocko sons. A high ranking non-Oman all-round sire. Price £16 Diamond daughter, D-Travis Diamond
Alex Arkink
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Avoncroft Freephone 0800 7831880 22-04-2010 09:58:20
C O NTENT FEATURES
Cow Talk Supporting roles: livestock haulier Roger Evans NMR Dairy Management News Avoncroft Breeding Information/ Thompsons Nutritional News 54 Events and contacts 4 11 33 39 53
H E A LT H
8 Pain relief 47 Vet practice: lungworm REPORTS
12 Milk and eggs for John Swiers MANAGEMENT
30 Electronic heat detection BREEDING
40 Woudhoeve Impuls FEEDING
44 The ‘right’ fat can fuel productivity 50 The potential of grazing grass
John Swiers: “Hens are a form of insurance. They’re a vital stream of income” 12
Editor Rachael Porter Making plans
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here’s a wealth of technical information in this issue to help keep your herd moving in the right direction this spring – be it in terms of breeding, feeding, management or housing. The latter is the topic of this issue’s special. Now the girls are outside it’s time to throw the cow-house doors wide open and assess the condition of cubicles and loose housing. Perhaps you’ve had automatic scraper ‘hassle’ this winter or you’re tired of taking the tractor and scraper to those slats three times a day. If so, take a look at our article on the latest scraper technology, which starts on page 21. We also have an exclusive on an advanced electronic heat detection system, soon to be launched by NMR. It uses the latest motion detection technology, similar to that used in car airbags, and trial results show that it could make huge improvements to herd fertility. Looking at the wider business picture, we feature a producer who’s diversified into free-range egg production. It’s the ideal article to read over breakfast and the thought of a couple of fresh boiled eggs and nicely buttered soldiers might tempt you to consider if cow and hens could sit well together on your unit. If your mind is on your cows’ stomachs, the third part in our series on reducing your business’ carbon footprint takes a look at improving feed efficiency – something that can benefit producers’ pockets, as well as herd productivity and the environment. So I won’t keep you any longer. Enjoy.
Breeding Bull proofs
Housing special Slurry scrapers
Series Carbon footprint
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21
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O Man and his sons dominate the April bull proof rankings.
New technology that’s keeping passageways – and cows – clean.
Maximise feed efficiency to cut costs – and emissions – in your operation.
COW MAN AG E ME N T
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Solution to forage shortages
Andrew Cook: “Hybrids are cost effective”
Producers facing the prospect of forage shortages later this year, as a result of the late spring, could find a solution in fast-growing hybrid brassicas for summer and autumn grazing, or even out-wintering, according to Andrew Cook of British Seed Houses. Modern New Zealand-bred varieties, such as Swift and Redstart, can be sown from late April through to August in most parts of the UK to produce quality fodder within 10 weeks for a range of purposes. “These unprecedented rape/kale hybrids come from the only major breeding
programme worldwide that is investing significantly in brassicas,” said Mr Cook. “They can provide a ready and cost effective supply of high energy grazing for cattle and sheep and could be particularly valuable this season if producers find that slow grass growth this spring creates forage shortages later in the season. “These crops are economic to grow and will provide the best returns grown to their full potential. Swift or Redstart can produce up to 10 tonnes DM/ha, which equates to just a few pence per kilogram of dry matter,” he added. Crops grown for summer or early autumn grazing also have the capacity for regrowth, so can offer a second or even third grazing provided earlier grazing are managed appropriately. And these hybrid brassicas are also suitable for outwintering when sown later in the season, as they have similar frost resistance to the more wintertolerant kales.
Fly control – even on rainy days A trial that examined the effect of rain on one of the most widely used pour-on fly control products, Butox SWISH, will reassure users that it works as well on rainy days as warm, dry ones. The study set out to establish whether rain reduces the effectiveness of the product, provided it is applied according to guidelines and coats are allowed to dry before being turned out, particularly into rainy conditions. In order to simulate a typical wet summer, water was poured over treated cows twice a week ensuring that the coat was thoroughly wet each time. Then hair clipped from the legs of treated animals was collected, and midges – those capable of spreading the Bluetongue virus when they bite stock – were put in contact with the hair. Regardless of how long the midges were exposed to the hair, they all died. Even after being made wet twice a week for four weeks the active ingredient on treated animals was still effective at killing midges. Rain fast: pour-on product kills midges
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Bluetongue vaccine now licenced
Fort Dodge Animal Health has been awarded an EU Licence and marketing authorisation for its Zulvac vaccine against serotype 8 Bluetongue (BTV) in cattle – Zulvac 8 Bovis. Fort Dodge, now part of Pfizer Animal Health, is only the second company to gain EU approval for its serotype 8 BTV vaccine. The product is already in use in countries including the UK, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Czech Republic and Switzerland. The EU licence supersedes existing national temporary permits, giving vets in all member states full access to the vaccine, subject to the national BTV policies in place in each country.
Essential-oil blend increased intakes Adding a blend of essential oils to maize forage at ensiling did not affect the micro-organisms, the fermentation process, or the aerobic stability of the silage. And there’s more good news. Adding a blend of essential oils also increased cows’ dry matter intakes and milk production. These were just two of the findings of a recent trial, carried out by dairy scientists at the University of Delaware to determine the effect of feeding a specific blend of essential oils “Essential oils may have applications in ruminant nutrition because fermentations, both in the silage pit and rumen, are dependent on microbial activities that may be affected by their use,” said Limin Kung, explaining the rational behind his team’s work. His study found that a blend of essential oils did not affect the populations of yeasts, moulds, lactic-acid bacteria, or enterobacteria. Not did it effect the fermentation end products or the aerobic stability of the maize silage.
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Pippa sets Jersey record Ventonwyn Pippa EX95 has set a record for the Jersey breed by being the first cow to be classified Excellent on nine separate occasions. As milking heifer the standard for the rest of her life was set with an outstanding VG88 classification. Pippa was bred by the Cornwall-based Tonks family and was sold in 2001, with the entire Ventonwyn herd, to Steven and Claire Bland to establish their Clifton herd, which is based near Penrith in Cumbria. Born in December 1996, Pippa is a daughter of the renowned breed stalwart, Highland Duncan Lester. She has bred five pedigree daughters and six pedigree sons. Pippa has won numerous dam and daughter competitions at shows with both Ventonwyn Phillipa VG88 and Clifton Bomber Pippa VG85. And she’s more than just a pretty face. In her lifetime she has produced more than 76,000 litres of milk and is currently yielding 27 litres per day at 5.33% butterfat, having calved for the eleventh time on February 12. Ventonwyn Pippa EX 95
Dock control in clover Now is the time to spray docks, while they are actively growing. But what are the options for grassland? Squire Ultra is one of the few herbicides that can be used in grassland, particularly in grass with a clover component, according to Interfarm UK’s David Stormonth. He points out that docks are the most economically damaging weeds in grassland. “They compete directly with grass, reducing yield and effective pasture life as well as affecting the forage quality. “Docks are also pernicious weeds, with large tap roots that permit survival during the winter period and allow rapid early spring growth. They can also produce up to 60,000 seeds per mature plant and create new plants via side shoots. All in all they are a real challenge to control,” he said. Based on amidosulfuron, the herbicide will control broad and curled-leaf docks and other annual broad-leaved weeds including cleavers, charlock, shepherd’s purse and field forget-me-not in both rotational and permanent grassland. It is fully systemic and, although slower acting that traditional dock herbicides, moves throughout the weed, particularly the roots. “One of its key benefits is that it does not affect white clover and can be applied to seedlings from the one or two trifoliate leaf stage onwards, with absolute crop safety,” added Dr Stormonth. Agrovista’s grassland expert Derek Robertson uses the dock herbicide in his
weed control programmes and says it works very well with excellent crop safety when used in the right circumstances. “It will knock back docks well, but won’t wipe them out completely – unsurprising when you consider the very large root system that this weed has. But if you use it in a planned way over time, it will give good results and you won’t have to worry about any crop safety or following crop problems, which is a real advantage in grassland. It needs to be applied at the right time for best effects. Other products will control docks, but they kill the clover.” Dr Stormonth added that the ideal time to spray is when dock leaves are expanded and horizontal, with large dinner-plate sized rosettes and also when the soil is moist. “At this stage the weed will be moving sugars downwards from leaves to roots and so the herbicide will be taken up well,” he said.
Approach will ‘rev up’ cow diets A rationing concept from NWF Agriculture is set to increase feed efficiency and herd performance by ensuring increased precision in diet formulation coupled with a closer focus on cow requirements. “With more volatile milk prices, producers must ensure they are maximising efficiency,” said technical manager Tom Hough. “Feed is the biggest single cost of milk production and we continue to see a vast range of yields from a similar feed input, meaning some people are using feed more efficiently than others. “Rumen Performance Management (RPM) is a rationing system based on
research by Nutreco is a major development which will help farmers increase feed efficiency so they are better placed to cope with varying milk prices.” According to Mr Hough, the key to getting the most from dairy cows is first to understand the cows’ requirements and then devise diets that accurately meet those requirements. He explains that the new RPM system, by ensuring better rumen performance and a better matching of digestive end products to the cows’ requirements, will help improve feed efficiency and rumen health. “The system is the first commercially available rationing system in the UK
based on research with high genetic merit dairy cows that takes full account of the different rates at which feeds are fermented in the rumen, allowing a diet to be produced which ensures the correct balance of fast and slowly fermented energy and protein,” he said. “By better matching the cow’s requirements, feed efficiency can be improved helping to save costs. “Making the most of feed and increasing efficiency is all about precision and focus. The RPM concept increases the focus on performance and helps ensure increased precision of feeding, allowing better use of feed, better health and better performance.”
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find us by Sat Nav
TF10 8NB
Wednesday 5th May 9.00am – 4.00pm The event for professional dairy farmers
Organised by Fusion Events on behalf of Harper Adams University College Kindly sponsored by Alltech in association with DairyCo and the Environment Agency
Working Demonstrations Trade Exhibition Technical Presentations
2010 Pre register to win a GreenStar Lightbar steering aid, kindly supplied by;
To book your tickets or gain further details
quote booking code: CM www.farm-smart.co.uk 0845 4900142
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16/02/2010 17:25 03-03-2010 13:06:12
M A I N
A RT I C L E
Pain relief that won ’t h
No pain – and p A new wave of vet training – and thinking – is writing ‘pain relief’ into many standard treatment protocols. So should you be considering administering more pain relief to your sick cows? text Rachael Porter
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ain relief in humans – if we need it we take it for granted. But what about pain relief for your cows? It’s not at the front of vets or producers minds when treating cows for mastitis or lameness, for example, or after a difficult calving, but Pfizer’s Dave Gilbert says that’s all changing. The new vets coming through college are learning about pain relief options for cattle and many practicing vets are starting to add non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as Pfizer’s Rimadyl for cattle, to their treatment protocols. And there are more pain-relieving NSAIDs available now, including generics. “A few years ago there were only a handful on the market and not all were licensed for use on cattle,” says Mr Gilbert. “But today there are many more, they’re more readily available and cost effective and they’re also easier to use. “Pfizer’s NSAID, for example, provides a complete treatment in one single shot. It can be administered at the same time as treatment, whether it’s for a calf with pneumonia or a severe case of mastitis. The job’s done – producers don’t have to worry about remembering to administer a second dose 12 or 24 hours later. It’s quick and easy and they feel as if they’ve done everything they can to make the animal comfortable while treatment takes effect.”
Subtle signs So why, when pain relief is readily available, has it taken so long for dairy cows’ ‘pain’ to be addressed? “It’s difficult to define pain. You can ask a person if they’re in pain, but you can’t ask a cow. And cows are stoical creatures and tend to ‘hide’ any signs of pain. But this stoicism counts against them in
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the dairy herd. More subtle signs of pain can be a depressed appetite, a reduction in rumination and a dip in milk yield, as well as a reduction in mobility. Extreme symptoms of pain include drooling, panting, lameness, an outstretched neck and, ultimately, a cow that won’t stand. “Take a close look at your cows, particularly those you’re treating for injury and disease, and see if you can spot any signs of pain. “Even when you know what to look for, it’s no easy task,” says Mr Gilbert. So he says it’s safe to assume that a cow with mastitis, for example, is in some degree of pain. “Mastitis is a painful condition – just ask any woman you know that’s had it. And cows do respond to treatment with a NSAID.” Mr Gilbert adds that it’s important to consider the costs and benefits that you can’t see. “Pain can impact on fertility. Mastitis, or any other disease or painful condition, in early lactation, when the cow is already on a nutritional knife edge, will knock her into a negative energy balance. And this has another knock on effect – on fertility.” Oocyte quality, for example, will be poor due to nutritional stress, and the chances of getting her in calf to first service are reduced. “Administering a NSAID along with treatment will soon get her back on her feet and eating and this will limit the impact on fertility.” Another reason why pain relief is absent from many treatment protocols is cost – in the past it’s simply been too expensive. One shot of a branded NSAID could cost up to £30, but the launch of generic products and new drugs means that
pain relief can cost as little as £1 per injection. “Producers have always been interested in pain relief, but it’s only ever been given to animals showing signs of pain. Vets haven’t, in the past, generally recommended it and so producers don’t use it. “But awareness among producers of the
Cow signals: drooling is just one of many symptoms to look out for that may indicate that a cow is in pain
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won ’t hurt your pocket
d plenty to gain benefits of NSAIDs and other ‘supportive therapies’, such as straw-yard housing and a little TLC for newly calved cows and heifers, is growing. Producers are aware that pain is another ‘stressor’ on the cow and some now expect their vet to administer antibiotics for an infection and a NSAID to deal with any pain and inflammation and get the animal back on
her feet and functioning normally,” says Mr Gilbert. UK vets are indeed lagging behind their European counterparts when it comes to administering pain relief to dairy cows. Nottingham Vet School’s Jon Huxley led a team that completed a survey of nine EU countries in 2004, which looked at attitudes to – and the administration of
– pain relief. More than 2,500 vets responded and the data makes interesting reading. “The UK dairy industry can learn from its European counterparts as far as pain relief is concerned,” says Dr Huxley. “Some Scandanavian countries are more finely honed than we are. We’re equal to our neighbouring countries, such as France. But we do lag behind on some aspects.”
Speeds recovery Trial work is on going to demonstrate that not only does using a NSAID offer welfare benefits, but also economic ones. It’s obvious that if a cow receives pain relief, the sooner it can resume its normal behaviour – eating, drinking, moving around, ruminating and lactating. This also has implications for cow fertility. But this has yet to undergo scientific scrutiny. It is not possible to accurately quantify, in financial terms, the benefits of using NSAIDs from a milk production and profitability point of view. “But we do know that pain does slow recovery rate and that administering a NSAID will ‘keep an animal going’ until the treatment given to tackle a bad case of mastitis or pneumonia begins to work – that much is obvious,” says Dave Gilbert. “And a cows that’s able to stand, eat, drink, ruminate, walk and lactate effectively is less likely to develop other conditions associated with the initial trauma or disease,” he adds. “In the longer term, follicle and oocyte quality and other factors associated with fertility are less likely to be affected. The quicker the animal makes a full recovery the better and anything that can help speed up that process is a good thing.” “These hidden benefits might not be easy to see on a balance sheet, but they are there – just as the hidden costs are there for the cows that were not treated with a NSAID. “And with the average cost of a shot of NSAID at about £10, it’s a case of can producers afford not to administer pain relief,” adds Mr Gilbert. l
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s u p p o rt i n g
Name: Place of recidence: Profession: Highs: Lows:
r o l e s
Andy Cooper Cheshire Livestock haulier Meeting people Rules, regulations and ‘red tape’
Andy Cooper: “I like driving, but I also like the social side of my job”
In for the long haul text Rachael Porter
A
s a boy he spent his school holidays travelling the length and breadth of the UK in his father Reginald’s cab. So little wonder that Andy Cooper caught the truck driving bug and joined the family business. He’s been a livestock haulier for 21 years now and says that it’s a great job – there’s nothing else he’d rather do. “I do like driving, which is essential since that’s what I spend the majority of my time doing. But I also like the social side of my job – meeting people on farm and at farm sales. “I’ve made a lot of friends and I have many loyal customers.” He typically clocks up around 1,500 miles a week. Much of his work is centred in and around Beeston Market, which is close to his Cheshire base, but cattle sale work regularly takes him to Devon and Cornwall and up to Yorkshire, Cumbria and Lancashire. “Cattle sales are particularly sociable and enjoyable but I also like watching the cattle in the show ring. “After two decades in the business I think I’ve developed an eye – and an appreciation – for a decent cow or heifer. “But I’ll stick to my driving. I’ve never wanted to start farming myself.” Another plus for Andy is that every day is different. He meets new and familiar faces and drives down both new roads and well travelled ones. “I never get bored or lonely and if I fancy a bit of company in my cab then there’s always the radio.” Andy prides himself on providing a good service. “I take my work seriously – the livestock I transport are valuable animals and need to be moved quickly, efficiently and carefully. “And it’s important to me to get positive feedback. I’ve never had to advertise and have many regular and repeat customers. Any new customers find me through word-of-mouth.” There’s only one downside to the job for Andy and it’s something that he says gives him an affinity with dairy producers. There’s too much ‘red tape’. “Rules and regulations – usually pointless ones that are dreamt up by someone behind a desk who has no idea of how livestock hauliers operate – are what get me down. “But I’m not the only one struggling with red tape. I can talk to my customers about it, which helps both me and them. Most of them have far more to untangle than I do.”
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H E R D
R E P O RT
Free-range flock provides extra income but cows still rule the roost
John Swiers Free-range egg production sits well along side his farm’s main enterprise – a 200-cow dairy herd – and provides a welcome additional source of income.
‘Eggs’ in more than one basket Scarborough
Milk and eggs – a recipe for success? Yes, according to one producer who set up a free-range egg laying flock in 2009. Here
Herd size: 200 cows: Flock size 8,000 hens Farm size: 400 hectares Time to recoup new investment: 2.5 years
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hey’re a little smaller than the ladies he’s used to managing, but John Swiers is thoroughly enjoying running his flock of free-range egg laying hens. The 200-cow herd still rules the roost, so to speak, at his 400-hectare farm, based at Langdale near Scarborough, but the birds are a welcome and financially rewarding addition to the business. Uncertainly about the future and quite literally not wanting to ‘put all his eggs in one basket’ were the drivers behind his decision to add the enterprise back in 2008. “I did consider going into freerange egg production prior to that and researched the idea with another farming friend,” explains John. “He took the plunge and I held back, but
he tells us why the birds are the ideal ‘insurance policy’ for his farm business’ financial security text Rachael Porter
whenever I spoke to him he was always really pleased with his decision and said things were going well. So I didn’t lose interest – it was always at the back of my mind. I was just waiting for the right time.” For John that came 18 months ago. “I just got up one morning and decided to do it.”
Back-up plan And he hasn’t looked back since. His first flock is just coming to the end of its productive life – the system runs on a 13-month cycle – and building work to expand the existing shed has just finished. He’s doubling bird numbers to 16,000 when the next flock arrives in June.
Bickley Rigg Farm is ‘stuck out on a limb’, according to John. It's seven miles from the nearest farm and 50 miles from the nearest creamery, Chestnut Dairies, which is where his milk goes. Geographical issues of another kind – NVZs – are another possible threat to the dairy business. John’s waiting to hear if his unit will fall within one or not – he’s already appealed against a decision once. If it is, then major investment in slurry handling and storage facilities could be on the cards for the dairy and that may not stack up due to diminishing returns. “I love the cows – I’ve milked them all my life and the herd forms the heart of this business. But everyone needs a back-
Girls on top: the dairy herd is the farm's main enterprise and, while it's still making a profit, that's the way things will stay
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Tomorrow's milkers: John breeds and rears his own dairy replacements
Feathery future: the hens offer some financial security
Stacking up: John's 'happy eggs' command a price premium
up plan or some form of insurance. And that’s what the hens are for our business. They’re a vital stream of income.” He averages 93p per dozen eggs – price varies according to the grade of eggs produced. And he’s pleased with this flock’s yield – around 300 eggs per bird. “To put that into a dairy perspective, in the poultry world that’s equivalent to 10,000 litres per cow.” Unlike a dairy herd though, flock performance will diminish with each flock as disease levels inevitably begin to rise on the unit. “That’s the norm and it’s to be expected with poultry, compared with a dairy herd where yields should go up each year as genetics improve and management is fine tuned.” The birds sit well within the farm’s system – the permanent pasture range that surrounds their shed is also grazed by the farm's sheep and beef cattle. “So we make good use of the 10-hectare range. The grass doesn’t go to waste.” Finding staff to help has been easy. “Collecting eggs, for example, is something that most people could do and it’s ‘clean’ work too." And the return on investment’s not bad
either. John converted an existing shed, which used to house young stock, for the hens so it cost him just £14 per bird to set up, compared to the more typical £25 to £30 per bird for a purpose-built house. So he’s looking a recouping his costs in just 2.5 years, as opposed to seven.
shelter on the range, as well as trees, perches and swings. Noble supplies and pays for it all.” New legislation also means that, as of December 2010, all eggs have to be date stamped before they leave the farm. The equipment to do this costs around £3,000 and again it will be supplied and paid for by Noble. This willingness to work with its producers is extremely refreshing for John and he says that it’s something that dairies should learn from. “There’d be a lot more producers milking today if they had more help from milk buyers when it came to complying with rules and regulations.” But since that’s not likely in the foreseeable future, John remains focused on ensuring that his dairy herd is run as efficiently and profitably as possible, with help from his full-time herdsman. It is, after all, still the business’ main enterprise. It demands more than 50% of his time and he enjoys dairying. “While we’re still making a profit, that’s the way it will stay. It’s just good to know that we’ve other profitable options whatever the future brings.” l
Buyer support “But there’s one thing I don’t like and that’s the fact that once the flock goes in it has no re-sale value. I can always sell dairy cows and heifers – they have a value. But those hens, if anything goes wrong, are worth nothing.” Sounds scary, but John says that Noble Foods, his egg buyer, has been extremely supportive. “All the help and advice you could need is on tap and the company invests in its suppliers too.” John’s is contracted to supply eggs for the company’s Happy Egg brand. “This is Noble’s own egg brand, which commands a premium in the shops, and we receive a premium of 2p per dozen,” he explains. “To ‘qualify’ to supply eggs for the Happy Egg brand we have to have wooden arches to provide the hens with
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Weighing up your options for more efficient milk production?
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21/01/2010 11:05:03 28-01-2010 13:17:29
B U L L
P R O O F S
O Man’s dominance continues but out-cross interest is ‘bubbling’ through
Searching for new blood Devon-based dairy producer and renown cattle breeder – and three-times NMR/RABDF Gold Cup finalist – Willy Ley discusses the latest sire rankings with CowManagement. text Rachael Porter
M
any producers have been scrutinising the April bull proof figures even more closely than usual in search of a bull that is not related to O Man (O-Bee Manfred Justice). One such producer is Willy Ley. And his first reaction is one of surprise about fourth-place bull Braedale Goldwyn. Goldwyn has further improved his PLI and earned the title of ‘tremendous long-term all-rounder’ from some breeders. “But I’m milking some Goldwyn daughters and I have to say that I don’t think they’re that good. They’re not bad, but I’ve milked better,” says Willy. That said, consensus is that this bull’s early sons will generate great interest. The highest ranking at the moment is Ladys-Manor Aurora, with a PLI of £136.
No surprise Still at the top of the list, which is of no surprise to Willy or any other breeder for that matter – is O Man himself. He’s dominated the Holstein Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) list since 2003 and leaves a trail of his sons in his wake. And this means that those who have either used these bloodlines heavily already or would prefer to find an alternative will have to ‘dig deep’. High ranking non-O Man bulls are Goolstar Diamond (by Jocko) at PLI £161, and three bulls level-pegging at £156 PLI Braedale Goldwyn
16
CM03_Proofs 16
variation and meet a whole range of breeding objectives for a lot breeders.” New interest from the UK comes in the form of the highest ranked new UK progeny tested bull, Cogent Elvina. With a PLI of £158 and a PTA that is strong on milk solids and good for daughter fertility, this bull provides some relief from the O Man dominance. The January proof run’s highest new UK proven bull, the Talent son Woodmarsh Talisman, has improved on his already strong fitness transmitting abilities and, with a PLI of £153, he now comes into the top 40. Willy has his eye on him, with a view to putting a few straws in his AI flask. “He’s a good bull and he’s getting better – he is definitely one to watch.”
Climbing again Willy Ley
– Gibor (by Gibon), D Teis (by Titanic) and Kings-Ransom Dover (by Laudan). DairyCo’s head of genetics Marco Winters says that every producer should have a place for O Man bloodlines in their herd. “These bloodlines provide a means by which to improve the health, welfare and fitness of the UK cow population and to positively impact on herd profitability into the bargain,” he says.
Genetic variation “Producers who have already heavily invested in these bloodlines will need to look elsewhere, but already there are sons of bulls such as Shottle, Goldwyn, Ramos and Laudan coming on stream, and these will help maintain genetic
Gran-J Oman McCormick
Mascol is climbing again too. He’s now 43rd and he’s another sire to monitor closely. “And I’m also interested in McCormick and Manifold – they’re in 15th and 11th place respectively. “They’re making their way up the rankings as more daughters are added to their proofs and I shall have some of my own on the ground shortly as I’ve used both sires on my herd. “As their figures increase, I’m more and more eager to see what those daughters are like and how they’re going to perform.” Taking a step back, Willy is still amazed to see the return of such dominance by US bulls. “For several years US bulls at the top of the rankings have been few and far between, after considerable dominance just a decade ago. “But now things are back to how they were in the early 1990s – US bulls are top of the pack.” l Timmer Tyson
C VO E ECWTOM EW EALM NT A JN GAA ENM GUEEAM NRTEI NS1TE/ P2ATP2 ERM 0I 0LB9E2R0 12 00 0 9
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other interesting sires Macomber O-Man Bogart Tomlu Oman Dotson Schillview Garrett All-Riehl Paxton Wa-Del Rice Holman Goolstar Diamond Cogent Elvina Gibor Ponsstar Shogun Woodmarsh Talisman Bosside Alta Ross Delta Canvas rc Alpag Iron Active Wa-Del Hayden Bartels O-Man Jobber Delta Fidelity Art-Acres Just Bob Usonet Fin Mascol Fiction rc Jardin Glen-Toctin Alta Omax Telemark Bidlea Padbury Bilsrow Jock Burlane Tennyson Merdrignac Ralma O-Man Cf Cricket by Cogent Azure Dudam Surprise Jurus New Farm Britt Prince Huddlestone Spooky
Louie Durham Mtoto Rudolph Mtoto Willis Marshall Sunny Boy Jesther Mtoto Boss Celsius Manfred Mtoto Brett Lightning BW Marshall Janze Moun Rudolph Ronald Tonic Aaron Hairy Breiz Jolt Gibbon Mtoto Aerostar Durham Aaron Luxemburg Esentation Mtoto Mtoto
ind.
+0.06 +0.04 +0.21 +0.12 +0.33 +0.04 +0.07 +0.00 +0.03 +0.05 +0.09 +0.20 +0.21 +0.21 –0.07 –0.03 +0.07 +0.07 +0.08 +0.06 –0.06
+0.07 +0.09 +0.09 +0.06 +0.17 +0.08 +0.11 +0.00 +0.01 +0.07 +0.03 +0.09 +0.03 +0.08 +0.00 +0.02 +0.02 +0.05 +0.04 +0.05 +0.04
51 56 53 34 46 40 44 44 43 46 37 43 44 37 38 43 38 44 36 35 44
246 220 216 215 207 206 205 200 199 198 194 192 192 190 190 189 183 181 179 178 178
–21 –8 –6 –27 –19 –25 –8 –18 –6 –14 –21 –9 2 –18 –5 –26 –7 -10 –11 –4 –1
0.4 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.3 — 0.3 0.4 0.1
4.6 3.4 –1.3 2.5 2.9 1.9 3.6 –0.1 2.9 3.5 2.7 2.6 1.5 0.6 –0.7 1.8 2.6 2.4 –1.2 0.7 4.3 1.3 1.2 2.3 3.3 — 2.8 1.0 2.3 3.0 –0.6 1.9 2.5 1.8 1.9 1.9 5.2 2.7 1.4 0.2 –1.8 1.2
0.74 0.05 0.39 1.05 1.53 1.66 1.24 0.33 0.69 3.12 2.33 3.09 0.81 –1.01 –0.49 0.54 0.23 0.38 1.04 0.24 0.60 1.37 0.45 0.88 0.52 1.26 1.16 0.3 0.42 0.50 0.56 0.93 0.96 0.39 0.54 0.56 0.91 0.80 1.02 1.21 1.28 1.52 0.24 1.55 1.33 –0.07 0.59 0.41 1.34 0.57 1,00 1.31 1.47 1.65 0.21 0.03 0.12 2.02 0.80 1.42 1.04 2.67 2.50
WWS UK Dairy Daughters Genus Dairy Daughters Bullsemen.com Avoncroft Cogent Bullsemen.com AB Genus Alta Avoncroft Dairy Daughters Genus Genus Avoncroft Dairy Daughters Farmer to Farmer Bullsemen.com Avoncroft Bullsemen.com Alta Farmer to Farmer Genus Cogent Genus Farmer to Farmer Avoncroft Cogent Avoncroft Bullsemen.com Dairy Daughters Cogent
70 71 72 71 72 82 85 84 82 89 71 97 78 73 92 79 74 76 99 82 83 72 75 95 95 96 95 79 90 80 87 71 95
+312 +954 +475 +420 +532 +228 +249 +364 +505 +561 +450 +805 +426 +522 +260 +183 +579 +875 +22 +401 +430 +358 –15 –43 +356 +614 +456 +375 +524 +176 +430 +224 +229
+19.4 +24.7 +17.9 +12.1 +18.2 +21.1 +22.2 +3.7 +15.7 +17.0 +20.8 +27.6 +18.8 +19.6 +19.9 +17.2 +24.7 +22.9 +11.2 +16.6 +13.3 +19.5 +19.8 +7.7 +22.4 +19.5 +7.8 +8.9 +14.0 +9.3 +17.3 +11.1 +12.2
+12.9 +27.2 +14.8 +14.6 +15.7 +15.0 +17.8 +13.8 +17.7 +18.6 +16.4 +25.0 +12.8 +16.4 +14.4 +20.1 +21.4 +28.0 +8.3 +14.2 +23.4 +17.0 +9.6 +8.8 +17.9 +16.8 +11.1 +14.5 +16.2 +11.6 +14.8 +9.4 +16.0
+0.09 –0.15 –0.01 –0.05 –0.03 +0.15 +0.15 –0.13 –0.05 –0.06 +0.04 –0.05 +0.02 –0.01 +0.12 +0.12 +0.02 –0.13 +0.13 +0.01 –0.04 +0.07 +0.26 +0.12 +0.10 –0.06 –0.12 –0.07 –0.08 +0.03 +0.00 +0.03 +0.04
+0.03 –0.04 –0.01 +0.01 –0.02 +0.09 +0.12 +0.02 +0.02 +0.00 +0.02 –0.01 –0.01 –0.01 +0.07 +0.18 +0.03 +0.00 +0.10 +0.01 +0.11 +0.07 +0.13 +0.13 +0.08 –0.04 –0.04 +0.03 –0.01 +0.07 +0.01 +0.03 +0.11
29 41 27 23 27 36 41 17 29 30 33 43 25 30 34 43 41 43 23 27 39 35 33 22 39 28 13 22 25 23 28 19 31
175 172 166 166 163 161 158 156 155 154 154 153 152 150 148 148 147 145 143 143 140 139 136 135 135 134 130 130 129 129 128 127 127
–18 –2 –16 –18 –26 –11 7 –20 –22 –18 –17 16 –8 –21 –17 –3 –3 0 –18 –16 6 –7 3 –8 –8 –11 –17 –33 0 –15 –19 –33 –7
0.3 0.3 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0.7 0,2 0.1 0.1 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.4 0.4 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.0 0.3 0.3
5.9 –0.5 2.6 9.5 4.8 –1.3 0.5 3.9 2.6 4.6 2.2 –4.4 4.5 1.3 2.8 –7.1 –2.9 –3.3 0.6 –0.4 –0.7 –1.4 –1.5 2.8 –2.0 6.2 13.2 –3.1 3.9 3.0 0.6 0.0 –5.9
1.31 1.42 2.35 0.73 0.50 0.94 0.94 1.79 0.89 0.35 0.69 0.41 0.36 1.36 0.41 1.98 0.75 –0.76 1.66 1.04 0.63 0.71 0.50 1.80 1.15 –0.14 –0.17 1.68 1.67 1.00 1.05 1.65 0.74
0.7 3.3 1.1 1.8 1.5 1.8 –0.9 1.2 2.1 0.6 1.7 1.4 1.9 0.9 1.8 1.9 2.4 1.8 1.0 1.5 1.5 0.8 –0.6 –0.2 0.7 1.3 1.0 2.4 3.1 2.0 –1.0 1.3 2.5
TM
fat%
udder
+25.7 +29.6 +21.8 +14.6 +14.6 +20.9 +21.8 +23.9 +22.0 +23.7 +17.2 +16.8 +16.7 +13.0 +23.0 +24.6 +18.2 +21.6 +16.8 +17.1 +26.3
F&L
lifespan
+28.9 +29.3 +34.6 +21.9 +27.3 +20.6 +21.3 +29.0 +28.7 +25.5 +25.0 +27.2 +34.7 +24.7 +21.8 +25.7 +25.8 +27.4 +22.9 +20.6 +22.7
fertility
SCC
+601 +665 +443 +307 +35 +443 +393 +731 +665 +540 +454 +286 +441 +197 +705 +710 +497 +544 +413 +400 +711
dCE
£PLI
99 72 71 99 78 73 73 71 72 77 73 72 81 73 70 72 73 70 72 74 72
protein
£PIN
Elton Aaron Mark Sam Storm Novalis Mtoto Durham BW Marshall BW Marshall Jesther Patron Klassic Lynch Cash Durham BW Marshall Mtoto Convincer Ito Charm Major BW Marshall
prot. kg
fat kg
Dairy Daughters WWS UK Alta Semex Avoncroft Semex Genus Bullsemen.com Semex Avoncroft Bullsemen.com Genus Alta Genus Dairy Daughters Alta Genus Alta Bullsemen.com Alta Genus
mat. grandsire supplier
top 21 available bulls O-Bee Manfred Justice Manfred Long-Langs Oman Oman O Man Ufm-Dubs Alta Esquire O Man Braedale Goldwyn James Timmer Tyson O Man Crockett-Acres Eight O Man Morningview Legend O Man Co-Op Oman Logan O Man Mainstream Manifold O Man Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls O Man Coldsprings Garner CRI O Man Ufm-Dubs Ellrod O Man Wizzard Webster Gran-J Oman McCormick O Man End-Road O-Man Bronco O Man Crockett-Acres Otto O Man Wa-Del Junction O Man Regancrest Alta Iota O Man Majestic-Manor Om Beacon O Man Isidorus Alta Osan O Man Schillview Oman Gerard O Man
O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man Jocko Maestro Gibbon O Man Talent O Man Sparta Boss Iron O Man O Man Kian O Man Finley Mtoto O Man Jocko O Man Inquirer Sinatra Jocko Gordon Labelle O Man O Man Dustin Jesther Britt Spock
.
milk
sire
conformation
rel.
name
functional traits
%
production
1.39 1.59 –0.27 0.30 1.20 1.93 0.04 0.39 0.81 0.82 1.47 1.54 0.61 0.85 0.13 0.93 1,24 1,36 1.50 1.32 1.50 1.48 –0.06 0.09 0.77 0.77 0.83 1.24 –0.08 0.11 0.53 1.19 0.14 0.35 0.32 –0.01 0.95 1.36 0.03 0.46 1.10 1.14 0.78 0.89 1.38 1.18 1.30 1.63 –0.68 –0.12 1.11 0.78 0.23 0.18 1.45 1.79 0.78 1.27 –0.21 0.30 1.98 1.95 0.85 1.28 0.75 0.79
Tabel 1: Top 20 sires available in the UK (ranked on PLI) and several other interesting sires (source DairyCo breeding+ and Holstein UK). Table continues on the next page
C O CWOMWA M NAN GA E M G EE M N TE NSTE PATPERMI LB E2R0 12 00 0 9
CM03_Proofs 17
17
23-04-2010 13:08:07
P R O O F S
CM03_Proofs 18
+19.0 +23.2 +17.4 +6.1 +20.1 +20.9 +15.6 +8.5 +12.0 +12.6 +17.0 +11.0 +13.0 +13.7 +7.4 +7.0 +17.8 +5.8 +5.9 +7.0 +6.8 +6.5 +4.9 +12.9 +13.9 +9.4 +7.6 +4.9 +22.6 +9.0 +4.3 +11.7 +8.0 +9.3 +5.7 +3.4 +3.5 +12.9 +6.3 +11.2 +7.7 +7.9 +10.5 +3.1 +12.2 +6.7 +4.5 +7.2 +12.1 +6.7 +14.2 +8.6 +0.5 +5.2 +6.2 +6.4 +7.3 +5.6 +9.6
+0.07 +0.04 +0.15 +0.08 –0.07 +0.11 +0.01 –0.07 –0.02 +0.01 +0.10 –0.05 +0.05 –0.10 +0.02 +0.08 –0.01 +0.05 +0.03 +0.00 –0.06 –0.06 –0.04 +0.05 –0.02 +0.01 +0.11 +0.00 +0.02 +0.07 +0.07 –0.04 –0.07 +0.01 –0.06 –0.09 –0.01 –0.06 –0.11 –0.02 –0.14 +0.02 +0.04 +0.10 +0.05 +0.00 +0.07 +0.03 +0.03 +0.15 –0.02 +0.01 +0.04 +0.05 +0.05 +0.02 +0.02 –0.07 +0.01
0.1 0.1 –0.1 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.1 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.2 0.1 0.3 0.5 0.2 0.2 0.7 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.4 0.2 0.0 0.3 0.2 0.0 0.4 –0.2 0.1 –0.1 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.2 –0.1 –0.1 0.3 –0.2 0.2 –0.1 –0.2 0.0 –0.1 0.0 –0.1 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.1 –0.1 0.1 –0.3
–0.5 0.2 0.9 1.7 –1.2 1.7 0.3 –0.9 0.5 0.4 0.8 –0.4 0.7 0.1 — 0.9 0.8 1.2 –0.7 1.1 0.5 1.4 –1 1.1 0.9 0.8 0.3 1.1 –0.2 — –0.6 0.9 0.7 –0.1 –2.7 2.4 — 0.6 –0.2 0.3 0.1 1.8 –0.7 0.9 1.4 –0.3 1.0 0.7 –0.1 1.0 1.0 –0.7 –0.1 –1.1 –0.5 –0.2 –1.0 –0.8 1.1
TM
ind.
–0.4 –2.4 –0.2 4.6 –10.3 –7.3 1.4 3.6 0.6 7.4 –7.1 –3.0 8.5 –3.4 2.7 –6.6 –0.7 –0.7 6.7 1.9 3.9 1.5 7.4 — –10.3 –0.3 4.2 6.8 –7.2 –2.2 4.7 –5.5 –4.6 –6.7 –2.1 2.0 –2.0 –5.8 2.1 –0.6 –0.8 3.2 –4.9 –8.2 1.1 –12.3 –1.4 –2.2 –2.4 –6.9 –7.6 0.2 7.9 –9.0 –5.6 –18.7 –6.6 –3.1 –10.0
udder
–16 –5 –5 –23 –7 7 –10 1 –8 –4 –4 –28 –3 –19 –8 –10 –7 4 –12 0 –7 –22 19 5 –1 –12 –1 –1 6 –8 14 –9 –1 –3 –8 –17 –12 –1 –10 15 –11 –6 –16 8 11 –3 0 0 7 2 –14 –8 –6 –9 2 –6 –4 –2 6
F&L
125 125 125 122 121 121 120 118 117 117 117 116 115 111 110 106 105 103 101 96 96 95 92 92 91 89 89 83 83 81 80 80 79 78 74 73 72 72 71 70 68 67 66 65 65 60 60 57 55 53 49 47 46 44 33 32 26 24 7
fertility
31 34 35 14 32 38 27 12 21 18 34 19 19 20 14 24 21 9 8 18 17 5 11 26 24 15 19 3 32 18 19 13 16 18 17 5 12 16 10 14 8 15 22 14 20 17 18 17 18 23 15 11 –5 11 1 18 10 1 18
conformation
dCE
% –0.05 –0.13 +0.06 +0.06 –0.09 +0.01 –0.02 –0.06 –0.02 –0.07 +0.06 –0.03 –0.08 –0.09 +0.02 +0.19 –0.18 –0.02 –0.04 +0.08 +0.06 –0.12 +0.03 +0.05 –0.03 –0.04 +0.10 –0.09 –0.14 +0.03 +0.19 –0.14 +0.00 +0.02 +0.09 –0.04 +0.09 –0.13 –0.05 –0.11 –0.11 +0.02 +0.05 +0.15 –0.03 +0.07 +0.17 +0.07 –0.06 +0.20 –0.17 –0.07 –0.08 +0.03 –0.16 +0.10 –0.05 –0.16 +0.01
SCC
+11.8 +13.3 +11.8 +3.9 +23.5 +16.0 +15.7 +11.8 +14.6 +8.5 +15.4 +15.4 +4.9 +19.4 +8.1 +15.5 +6.8 +0.8 +1.0 +14.7 +18.8 +3.9 +11.7 +14.2 +16.0 +7.8 +7.2 –1.7 +13.6 +6.7 +12.9 +6.6 +17.1 +11.7 +19.3 +10.6 +12.0 +10.6 +14.4 +6.6 +13.9 +9.1 +13.2 +5.6 +7.0 +13.6 +11.6 +11.1 +6.6 +9.4 +5.2 +4.3 –10.1 +3.8 –10.1 +14.5 +3.1 +0.7 +11.1
£PLI
+407 +612 +166 –10 +795 +375 +446 +427 +409 +370 +264 +461 +281 +687 +172 +19 +564 +53 +103 +206 +349 +359 +244 +260 +476 +273 –22 +141 +643 +118 –44 +473 +424 +265 +313 +342 +122 +542 +467 +393 +596 +197 +225 –148 +242 +212 –40 +138 +292 –142 +496 +248 –90 +29 +65 +158 +182 +353 +261
protein
96 76 79 78 99 74 76 73 71 73 80 99 74 92 80 99 71 96 73 76 90 84 99 76 95 93 80 80 89 76 99 98 72 73 85 90 81 72 73 75 87 79 80 81 79 99 99 73 83 91 80 89 80 81 96 99 72 71 80
£PIN
Genus Farmer to Farmer Avoncroft Avoncroft Genus Bullsemen.com Farmer to Farmer Genus Semex Farmer to Farmer Avoncroft Genus Farmer to Farmer Cogent Alternative Semen Com. Genus Bullsemen.com Avoncroft Alta Farmer to Farmer Cogent Bullsemen.com Genus Avoncroft Bullsemen.com Cogent Avoncroft WWS UK Avoncroft Avoncroft Cogent Alta WWS UK WWS UK Cogent Cogent Semex Dairy Daughters Alta/Farmer to Farmer Semex Alta Avoncroft Avoncroft Dairy Daughters Avoncroft WWS UK Avoncroft Genus Avoncroft Avoncroft Avoncroft Semex Avoncroft Avoncroft WWS UK Semex WWS UK/D. Daugthers WWS UK Avoncroft
fat%
Jocko Gibbon Jocko Manfred Willis Jocko Ramos Sabre Hershel Convincer Steven Gibbon Dutch Boy Convincer Outside Duster Aerowood Formation Merdrignac Jocko Kian Lentini Mtoto Aerostar Merdrignac Jocko Shaker Mtoto Lambada Goldfinger Aaron Prescott Boliver O Man Stadel Camera Throne Outside Hershel Tugolo Titanic Tugolo Mtoto Duster Mount Magic Duster Lightning Jargol BW Marshall Patron Champion Gibson Lightning Merton Bacculum Manfred Jocko Fatal Talent Merton Principal Lucente BW Marshall Patron Outside BW Marshall BW Marshall Winchester Shottle Lucente Titanic Mtoto Allen Storm BW Marshall Rudolph Blitz Rudolph Lheros Emerson Blitz Mtoto Dustin Sierra Sabre Ronald Jordan Durham Abrian Jocko Durham Emory Lord Lily Mascot Titanic Aaron Sabre Ronald Cello Fatal Ford Celsius Talent James Lightning Stadel Allen Design Durham Encore Durham Emory Sept. Storm Durham Stormatic BW Marshall Las Vegas Tulip
functional traits
prot. kg
ABS Riviera Stol Joc Beekmanshoeve Bertil Blarinckhorst Romeo by Sandy-Valley Bolton Stylist Tartare Ked Outside Jeeves Morningview Ashlar Titos Dri Apina Curtis Picston Shottle Urion Dri Cogent Mordor Mantylan Rakuuna Lutz-Brookview Burt Charlesdale Superstition Poos Stadel Classic All-Riehl Prince Selangor Cogent Loaded England-Schill Deann Penn-England Garrison Koerier 190 Integro Jenny-Lou Mrshl Toystory Bilsrow Oscar Aalshorst Balaton Aggravation Lawn Boy P Delta Paramount Aalshorst Pleasure Dalbytop Phil Valley-Drive Zesty England-Ammon Million Glen-Valley BW Captain Dalbytop Supersonic Woodmarsh Metalic Magor Baroque Allen Mario Xacobeo Diamond-Oak Armstead Karona Bonair Emerald-Acr-Sa T-Baxter Delta NY Yankee Vero Switch Jotan Delta Roppa Regancrest-Mr Drham Sam Himster Grandprix Ladys-Manor Ashmore Barnkamper Support Delta Onedin Etazon Mistral Morsan Frontrunner HS Twister Hole In One Erbacres Damion Regancrest-Mr Samuelo Orbe-View S Strm Hvezda rc Gen-Mark Stmatic Sanchez Huyben’s Red Devil
18
mat. grandsire supplier
fat kg
sire
milk
name
rel.
production
lifespan
B U L L
–0.11 –0.18 –0.23 0.33 0.34 0.29 1.12 0.81 1.07 1.25 0.28 0.74 1.74 2.55 2.69 1.67 1.52 1.79 0.50 0.42 0.50 1.50 1.94 2.15 0.57 2.36 2.18 0.19 0.89 0.73 0.88 1.09 1.15 2.18 2.45 2.81 –0.00 1.53 1.28 0.91 1.35 1.31 1.75 0.77 1.38 2.08 1.89 2.36 0.40 1.79 1.59 1.53 1.33 1.67 0.73 0.48 0.83 1.22 0.56 0.97 1.97 1.41 1.94 2.35 2.22 2.66 2.16 2,00 2.48 0.89 1.35 1.44 1.34 1.91 2.02 1.73 1,00 1.35 0.19 0.83 0.77 0.86 1.33 1.54 1.71 1.67 1.95 1.01 1.50 1.51 1.41 1.57 1.88 2.06 0.91 1.51 1.41 2.49 2.44 1.45 2.01 2.05 1.18 1.99 2.08 1.12 2.22 2.32 1.00 2.45 2.19 2.32 2.85 3.14 0.82 1.70 1.68 0.71 2.14 1.97 1.68 1.57 1.77 0.46 0.83 0.78 0.04 0.39 0.36 2.58 2.21 2.89 0.33 2.36 2.12 2.57 2.19 2.66 1.05 0.92 1.12 1.51 2.52 2.66 0.57 0.36 0.54 1.02 0.55 0.78 1.67 1.15 1.55 1.46 0.69 1.17 2.40 0.68 1.59 1.13 1.34 1.56 2.43 2.43 2.76 2.17 1.72 2.16 1.76 2.02 2.31 2.09 2.16 2.47 0.55 1.01 1.06
C VO E ECWTOM EW EALM NT A JN GAA ENM GUEEAM NRTEI NS1TE/ P2ATP2 ERM 0I 0LB9E2R0 12 00 0 9
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C OWM A NAGEMENT
CM02_p26.indd 26
SEPTEMBER
20 0 9
03-03-2010 13:03:48
CM06-P41.indd 6
03-09-2009 16:12:34
H O U S I N G
S P E C I A L
Loose housing: tips on managing high welfare, disease-free straw yards Page 22
Slurry scrapers: new technology that’s keeping passageways – and cows – clean Page 24
CM03_SpecialIntro 21
23-04-2010 10:01:41
H O U S I N G
S P E C I A L
Stocking rate and sand are vital to successful management
Adding comfort to concrete We take a timely look at loose or straw yards and the key areas where improvements can be made. Our experts also offer some practical tips and advice on straw yard management to maximise cow health, welfare and productivity while at the same time keeping costs to a minimum. text Rachael Porter
H
ousing 110 cows in a 100-cubicle cow house is a definite no no. So why do so many producers exceed the stocking rate of a loose yard? “Because they think they can,” says The Dairy Group’s dairy housing consultant Brian Pocknee, “because cows will still be able to lie down, even if conditions are cramped and bedding and ventilation are put under pressure as a result.” He says that the ideal minimum area within the bedded area is seven square metres per cow and between 2.5 and 3m of passageway area per cow. “And it’s essential that these figures are observed if cow health, welfare and productivity are to be maximised,” he says. “There’s literally no space for cutting corners here. There will be consequences on units that do.” Dr Pocknee stresses that these figures are the definite minimum. “Ideally between nine and 10 square metres is my goal. The building standards for cattle buildings – BS5502-40, 2005 – should be seen as minimum requirements, but even these are not being followed in many new builds.” The exact space needed per animal will depend on their size (see Table 1), according to Promar senior consultant Paul Henman. “Yield will also influence this. Higher yields means a higher dry matter intake, and that means more dung. And ration dry matter will also influence the dry matter percentage of the dung – wet rations can lead to more straw use.” Genus ABS UK’s John Cook recommends 10 square metres per cow for dry cow housing: “And 2
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for milking cows you should allow a square metre for every 1,000kg of milk production, so for a 10,000kg-herd that’s 10 square metres per cow.” And straw yards should be no more than 10-metres deep according to Dr Pocknee, enough to put in two rows of cubicles. “That’s the ideal. If the yard is shallower then there’s not enough room and deeper is not an efficient use of space. “As a rule of thumb I say that a loose yard should readily convert to a cubicle house. It requires the same area per cow and it’s one way to ensure that the loose house is designed properly, in terms of lying area and feed passage access.” Water access is important too. Brian Pocknee stresses that troughs should only be accessible from the passageways.
“Talking of such equipment, straw shredders are recommended as they spread bedding more evenly and reduce the usage – and waste. And that helps to keep costs under control.” Excessive stocking rate is one of the main problems that Brian Pocknee sees on units with loose yards and with that comes disease, particularly mastitis and rising cell counts, as well as lameness. “It’s easy, in a psychological sense, to Adequate area: avoid over crowding in straw yards by sticking to the recommended stocking rate
Completely separate “If they had access from the straw yard then the bedding around the trough would get churned up and wet. And cows milling around in that area would also reduce the available area for cows to lie down. This, in turn, increases stocking rate on the rest of the bedded area making it excessively wet and dirty. So keep the bedded areas and water trough completely separate.” John Cook agrees: “Water troughs should be sited so when the cow drinks she is on hard standing and therefore likely to urinate on the concrete and not the straw bed. And a 2% slope on the building floors also helps to carry any liquids away from the bedded area.” Paul Henman adds that lids for water troughs may also be useful: “They can help to avoid filling the troughs with straw in sheds where a straw blower or shredder is used for bedding up.
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approx. age (months) up to 6 weeks up to 2 months 2-3 months 4-5 months 6-8 months 10-12 months 14-16 months 18-20 months 24+ months mature mature
approx. weight (kg)
bed
60 80 100 150 200 300 400 500 600 700 800
group pens 1.60 (17’) 2.00 (22’) 2.40 (26’) 3.00 (32’) 4.00 (43’) 5.00 (54’) 6.00 (65’) 6.25 (67’) 6.50 (70’)
straw yards sq m (sq ft) loafing
1.80 (19’) 0.80 (9’) 1.00 (11’) 1.10 (12’) 1.20 (13’) 1.40 (15’) 1.75 (19’) 2.00 (22’) 2.20 (24’) 2.30 (25’)
total
trough mm (inches)
single 1.35 (14.5’) single 1.80 (19’) 2.40 (26’) 3.00 (32’) 3.50 (38’) 4.20 (45’) 5.40 (58’) 6.75 (73’) 8.00 (86’) 8.45 (91’) 8.80 (95’)
350 (14”) 400 (16”) 400 (16”) 450 (18”) 450 (18”) 500 (20”) 550 (22”) 600 (24”) 650 (26”) 750 (30”) 750 (30”)
Notes: • In wholly bedded yards use the total figures • Trough lengths are assuming all stock are feeding simultaneously. In ad-lib systems the feed face can be reduced by 65% • Access to water – allow 75mm of trough space per cow
Table 1: Recommended minimum space allowances for dairy cows and young stock: straw yards and trough space (source: Promar International)
shoe horn a few more cows into a loose yard. But it’s not just the limited lying area that puts strain on the cow and housing. Feed barrier space is also an issue, even on units that are TMR feeding,” says Dr Pocknee. “You must allow at least 0.75m per cow in order to maximise intakes. Remember that cows are herd animals. They like to do everything together and there should be enough space to allow them to do that.” “Good ventilation is crucial too,” adds Mr Cook. “It will help to keep the bed dry if there’s no condensation dripping off roof purlins, for example.
Sand layer “Providing a dry bed starts with the straw itself. It needs to be dry to start with, which means ideally more than 85% dry matter, or it will not be absorbent enough. And it needs to be stored in a dry place.” And once in the yards, a layer of soft washed sand, at between 15 and 20cm deep, beneath the straw will allow good drainage and help to keep the bed dry. Adding sand to the base of the lying area to be bedded also acts as a layer of insulation against the cold concrete floors that have been laid in many loose yards, according to Dr Pocknee. “This can remain when the yard is mucked out, removed and replaced or simply topped up. But the key is that when the house is bedded with straw again that the floor is ‘warm’ – the cows are not lying on concrete. “Remember that sand is inert, so if it’s clean it doesn’t harbour bugs. And it’s comfortable – how many millions of people pay to go and lie on it for two weeks every year?” With sand at just £15 per tonne, it also represents good value for money compared to straw, which is currently around £65/tonne. So, finally, what’s the consensus on how frequently straw yards should be cleaned out? Paul Henman says milking cows should be mucked out every two to three weeks. “If cell counts are an issue then it may need to be done more regularly and more straw may be needed.” Brian Pocknee says at least every four to six weeks. “Adding a sand layer will extends the life of the straw bed,and help to prevent the surge in mastitis and cell counts that can occur after a shed has been mucked out. The cows are not going back onto a relatively thin layer of straw and cold concrete. It’s not such a shock for their udders.” l
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The latest technology that’s keeping passageways – and cows – slurry free
New ‘brooms’ sweep clean Keeping cows clean and disease free starts with clean housing. But with huge time pressures on many units this is often more challenging than it sounds and mechanisation is often the answer. So how are the latest labour-saving scraper devices coping with the rigours of UK units? text Rachael Porter
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craping yards and passageways is essential to keep cow housing, and more importantly cows, clean and disease free. But it doesn’t have to be labour-intensive or an area where staff ‘could do better’ if only they had more time. The latest technology can take care of it – even for continually housed cows on slatted systems. Take one Windsor-based pedigree Jersey herd. A slat-cleaning robot has been scraping the cow house passageways here for the past 12 months and herdsman Andrew Buckland says it’s been one of the most valuable additions to the newly revamped dairy unit. “The cows are milked by robot so they stay in the cow house during the winter and moving them around the shed so we could get in and out with a tractor and scraper to clean the passageways would have been impractical, not to mention time consuming,” he says. “And we’d never have been able to achieve these levels of cleanliness, not even if we’d have gone in four or five times a day.”
Pre-programmed route The Dutch designed and manufactured JOZ-tech robot scrapes the passageways 10 times a day or more, following a pre-programmed route around the cow house before returning to its ‘hub’ to recharge its battery. And Andrew says that there’s nowhere in the cow house that it can’t go: “It cleans every corner and it’s very quiet – the cows don’t even seem to notice that it’s there. They go about their daily business and the robot gets on with its job.” The result is a stress-free environment and what Andrew describes as a supremely clean shed. “And this
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means clean feet and udders and clean cows. We’ve certainly seen an improvement in hoof and udder health since we moved to the new system,” says Andrew. He first saw the robot in operation on Dutch dairy units, during a fact-finding trip to the Netherlands, with Fullwood, to look at milking robots. And the price of the standard robot is around £13,200, plus delivery and installation.
Dry slats difficult to clean “Deciding to invest in one was an easy decision to make. What other options did we really have if we wanted to have a house that was as clean as those we saw in the Netherlands?” Andrew also believes that it’s the most robust model on the market: “Once you’ve seen it in operation, you can’t really find fault with it. “It has no moving parts, so there’s very little to breakdown. So far it’s been extremely reliable and I really can’t see how the design could be improved.” It travels slowly – about four metres per minute – and transponder points driven into the slats ensure that it doesn’t get lost in the shed. “And it hasn’t done that once since we’ve had it.” The only possible problem is if an excessive amount of silage spills onto the slats in the feed passage. “It could get stuck there, but it’s not been a problem for us.” Dry slats in the summer may also prove difficult to clean, so a water spraying system is now available as an option on the robot. The robot comes with two 80-litre water tanks and nozzles on its front and rear. “When the robot returns to the charging station it automatically connects to the water supply to refill,” Clean cows: the result of clean passageways that are scraped by the JOZ-tech robot
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says JOZ-tech’s Sjaak Bronkhorst. “It’s the ideal system to make dry floors wet, or to disinfect the floor after scraping.” “But we’re extremely happy with the model that we’ve got and if anyone is thinking of investing in a robot to clean their slatted passageways, then I’d recommend this one.”
Cleaner cows Taunton-based producer James Read is also a huge robot fan. He has a Lely Discovery mobile barn cleaner. And his 155-cow herd is also milked by robots in a 186-place cubicle house with slatted
passageways. “But the robot could easily cope with a shed twice this size,” he says. The robot has been at the unit for the past year, cleaning the slats every hour. And it’s a very clever piece of kit, according to James. “I was the first produce in the country to install one and itwwas really easy to programme and set up – I just read the instruction leaflet.” He first saw the Discovery in action on a trip to the Netherlands, again when he was looking for information about milking robots. “And I was impressed
by how clean the cow house was.” “It’s also cheap to run and has very few moving parts. The tyres and battery will need replacing after a few years. And the scraper blade itself is good for a year. Most producers who have them – and there a quite a few in Northern Ireland and the south west of England where slatted housing is more popular – simply turn the blade around and use it for another year before replacing it,” says Lely’s Andy Stewart. The fitted system costs £10,500 plus VAT and James Read says it was money well spent. “My cows are cleaner than they’ve
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Maintenance free: no chain means fewer breakdowns
ever been and I’m already recouping some of the cost because cleaner feet and udders means fewer hoof health issues and cases of mastitis. And my cell counts have also fallen.”
Simple design An automatic scraper for solid passageways that boasts fewer working parts than its chain-driven counterparts is working hard on Mark Houseman’s Harrogate-based unit. He was looking for something more reliable and trouble-free to keep his new 240-cow cubicle building clean and was drawn to the Spinder manure scraper due to its ‘low maintenance’ promise. “I particularly like it because it doesn’t have any chains – it works using an 8mm polyethylene rope. Chains are prone to wear and tear and they stretch when you adjust them, and will eventually snap. I’ve worked with chain-driven scrapers and they require quite a lot of maintenance.” He’s impressed by the simplicity of this scraper’s design and by how quiet it is. “It’s also safe for the cows – there’s no chain for them to catch their feet on and if a cow is lying in the passageway then the scraper will stop. The control panel detects a surge in the load on the scraper and shuts off the motor.”
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Clean concrete: scraper is designed for solid passageways
The scraper will then try again after three minutes and after a total of five attempts the scraper will give up and start again at the next scraping cycle. Mark has two systems in his cow house scraping every two hours. And he says they are very effective at keeping the passageways clean.
“There’s also a frost protection setting that’s proved to be really useful this past winter. The previous chain scrapers would prove to be a real headache during a cold snap. But this system kicks in at –5°C and we saw temperatures as low as –15°C, but the system didn’t freeze up once. We’ve had no problems at all.” |
Robot route: the Lely Discovery cleaner finds its own way around the cow house
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M A N A G E M E N T
Next generation of electronic heat detection brings new levels of accuracy
Boost for heat detection A new heat detection system is soon to be available to UK producers from NMR. Developed through the University of Strathclyde, on-farm results are showing impressive levels of accuracy compared with similar but older systems. This is down to improved motion detection technology and more ‘intelligent’ software and hardware equipment. text Karen Wright
S
ilent Herdsman is the electronic heat detection device soon to be available from NMR. It combines a tough, hard-wearing collar with a high performance processor, an accelerometer that monitors motion behaviour and
a wireless radio that communicates with an on-farm PC. This provides the stockman with action lists of cows that have come into heat. So far it may sound similar to other products on the market but there are
distinct differences that contribute to its success in farm trials. Firstly, the collar has a processor that analyses all motion behaviour and gestures – not simply a sensor that records nods in one plane. The cow’s behaviour is measured using a solid state motion detector, known as an accelerometer, similar to that used in air bags and the Wii games console. Apart from its well-proven accuracy and reliability, this motion detecting device has the ability to monitor 3D movement and all manner of behaviour, replacing more dated motion technology that records only movement in one plane.
Wireless Secondly, the collar processor communicates with a farm base station by radio – wirelessly – and relays
Silent Herdsman collars put through rigorous tests at SAC Acrehead
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information when there is a change in behaviour. The selective relay of information enables the collar to create a robust link with the farm PC to ensure that all the analysed information is transferred and no data is lost. This is a huge advantage over the infrared devices used in the past where information is passed to a base unit from the collar when the cow passes through the detector, typically placed in the parlour. Consequently, information is only relayed twice or at best three times a day and, if the collar is dirty or twisted, there is a risk that the information is lost. “These two features contribute to Silent Herdsman’s enviable accuracy levels and we are confident that it will bring significant advantages to fertility management in many of our herds,” says NMR’s managing director Andy Warne. “Movement technology has advanced considerably and, at the same time, heat detection is becoming far more challenging. Our high production cows do not always show strong signs of heat and, coupled with larger herd sizes, it is not surprising that many producers struggle with fertility issues. “Priced competitively alongside other electronic heat detection systems, Silent Herdsman is a system that producers can use with confidence.” Silent Herdsman has been trialled at SAC’s Acrehead farm in Dumfries under the watchful eye and close monitoring of principal research technician Ainsley Bagnall.
SAC trial Silent Herdsman collars were used from December to early March 2010 on the 170-cow Holstein herd. Calving all year, collars were put on a group of recently calved cows that were housed permanently. These cows were progesterone tested – the gold standard against which any heat detection device can be compared with. At the same time, Silent Herdsman was compared with two other electronic heat detection products. Once animals were PD’ed positive the Silent Herdsman collars were switched on to newly calved cows. Results were analysed by the University of Strathclyde. During the course of the trial the accuracy rate was 86% confirmed by progesterone sampling, between 10% and 20% higher than previous devices that the researchers have investigated. Also contributing to the accuracy,
Principal research technician Ainsley Bagnall (left) shows off the robust Silent Herdsman collars to NMR’s Jonathan Davies and Chris Keys (right)
according to Mr Bagnall, is the robustness of the collars. “We looked at a few prototypes but this latest trial was on a collar that the Strathclyde team felt was sturdy and reliable enough to be viable.”
Robust test “We have put it through its paces – in our cubicle yards and on cows using metal yokes. And for the sake of testing their durability we have had 150 cows with collars for a prolonged period and we haven’t had one problem. It has been designed to stay firmly on the animal with minimum movement ensuring data is captured on an on-going basis.” Craig Michie from the University of Strathclyde explains: “A key advantage of Silent Herdsman is that it takes less than half the time for the collar to calibrate – two or three days compared with seven days on the devices that use infra-red technology. This means that we have a ‘normal’ movement pattern for the cow quickly and any changes can be picked up from then on. And so oestrus can be picked up at least two days earlier than in other electronic systems. “And the automatic data transfer to the PC makes the latest details available for processing and alerts the stockman to oestrus detected in a simple and reliable format.” In addition, Silent Herdsman has a bidirectional communications capability. “This means that data can be transferred both from the collar to the farm PC and
from the farm PC back to the collar. So we can upgrade or add new features automatically through the farm PC without the need to remove the collar from the cow.” From June, NMR plans to supply the package of collar, base station and PC with the Silent Herdsman software. Included in the one-off cost will be the installation, which includes the secure fastening of the base station to a wall or pillar in the cubicle housing. Data downloads take place when the cows are within 30 to 50 metres of the base station so grazing animals will download their data when they come in to be milked.
Link to InterHerd NMR will also carry out start-up training as well as a support line to deal with queries. Looking ahead, NMR plans to link Silent Herdsman to its dairy management programs like InterHerd – a fairly simple development according to the Strathclyde team. Silent Herdsman was developed by the University of Strathclyde with funding from ITI Techmedia, a Scottish Enterprise project set up to explore key technologies. Embedded Technology Solutions (ETS), a spin out company of which the University is a shareholder, is responsible for taking the new technology to market. ETS is developing the UK market through NMR and will also look to take Silent Herdsman into the global marketplace. l
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Shropshire-based dairy farmer and award-winning columnist Roger Evans shares his views on why farmgate milk prices are still at least 2ppl below where they should be and weighs up the odds of skylark and dairy farmer survival.
Divide and rule T
ime alone on a tractor puts me in a reflective mood. Today I’m rolling some winter wheat. I don’t normally roll this crop in the spring but the frosts have lifted the soil. The tractor, as you all know, provides something of a mobile hide, enabling you to watch nature at work. As far as I can tell there are five pairs of skylarks in this field. I write about things like this in another newspaper, sharing what I see from the tractor with a more urban audience. There are also five pairs of crows in this crop, busily scouring the ground looking for food. What are the chances of rearing a decent family of skylarks with 10 of them about? There’s also a pair of buzzards sitting on the fence posts, ready to pounce if the crows should find a big prize. Inside the tractor the radio talks of nothing but the next election. I suppose I shouldn’t talk about politics here, but at the moment there’s no escaping it. There was a general election in the year I first came to live here. Back then the politics in this area were very ‘blue’. What I would like doesn’t come under the heading of politics. What I would really like is more money for my milk but politicians have been telling me for years that ‘it’s up to the market’. So I look at the market and I discover it’s gone up. In the autumn the market for powder and butter started to improve and prices have increased to the extent that 2ppl could be added to farmers’ milk cheques. Prices continue to firm in Europe, to the extent that by the time you read this my 2ppl could be off the pace. So, if it’s up to the market and the market has improved, where’s the money gone? Look no further than the milk price league tables. They tell you the whole story. The columns on the right tell you the farm-gate prices. You get 0.5ppl more than me and he gets 0.5ppl more than you, so that’s all right then. I know for a fact that a lot of farmers don’t actually receive the prices that appear there in the league table, because there’s a bit of creativity in some milk contracts – why else would they be six or seven pages long? But what we are looking for is the missing 2ppl and that’s in the lefthand column. That’s where the names of the milk buyers are. They’ve had the 2ppl. And the reason they have had it? The clue is in the length of the column – there are so many of them. Each has its supplying farmers and they’ve divided them up. Divide and rule is alive and well and bringing dairy farming to its knees. What will it take for dairy farmers to work together? Obviously not 2ppl. As I turn at the headland and go back across the field I’m looking into Wales. Under funded on a per-capita basis, the Welsh have free prescriptions, better roads and better schools. They also have a politician who should be appointed as the agriculture minister for the whole of the UK. She’d easily win the election if it were up to farmers. She’s the only politician that’s had the guts to do something about TB. This tractor has what the manufacturers’ call an ‘air seat’, but the compressor doesn’t work. All the bumps are absorbed by the cartilage in my spine. I’ll be six inches shorter when I get off.
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CARBON FOOTPRINT SERIES
Maximise feed efficiency to cut costs, increase yields and reduce emissions
More milk – less waste There are huge financial rewards for every dairy business that Reducing your carbon footprint This comprehensive series aims to offer producers clear and practical information to help them increase efficiency and save money. It highlights affordable and effective methods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on UK dairy units. Topic 1: Cutting through the ‘carbon jargon’ Topic 2: Fewer emissions from farm waste Topic 3: Improving feed efficiency Topic 4: Reducing emissions through breeding Topic 5: Saving energy and fuel Topic 6: Get water wise
strives to improve feed efficiency. And a more efficient business is also one with a smaller carbon footprint. We offer some practical tips and pointers on how to maximise milk from feed. text Rachael Porter
S
triving to maximise feed efficiency is something that all dairy producers should be doing. Most already are, according to DairyCo’s nutritionist Adam Clay. “And that’s without a thinking about their business’ carbon footprint – they’re doing it because it’s the best way to maximise productivity and profitability.” So the good news here is that any pressure to reduce the carbon footprint comes with a financial reward – a considerably large one for some herds. “This is something that producers can do for their businesses and their bottom lines. And I think that’s why this is an area that most producers are eager to examine and tackle in terms of reducing their herd’s emissions,” says Mr Clay.
Basic rules And he has more good news. Maximising feed conversion efficiency – or litres of milk produced per kilogramme of dry matter fed – doesn’t require huge capital investment. Improvements can be made on most units by simple paying a little more attention to detail and observing and monitoring herd performance. A few basic, and some may say obvious, rules – but rules that are yet to be applied on a surprisingly large number of units – including feeding to a cow’s individual requirements and making sure that the
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Home-grown feeds are key to reducing carbon footprint The biggest single thing producers can do to their herd’s feeding system to reduce their carbon footprint is to ensure they make maximum use of home grown feeds, according to Biotal’s Roy Eastlake. “There’s a lot of on-going research into reducing methane output, but the simple truth is that carbon footprint reduction begins at home with the production of high quality, digestible and palatable forages and concentrates,” he says. “Forage crops are now available including legumes that, with the targeted use of slurry and manure, should be able to produce high yields of forage and reduce inputs of expensive artificial fertilisers. And, provided the crops are cut at the right time and are well-preserved, there is no reason why high intakes can not be achieved. “This maintains both a stable rumen
environment and production levels with feed conversion efficiency. This will, in turn, reduce the requirements for purchased feeds.” He adds that it is the imported ingredients in purchased feeds that have the high carbon footprints. “We have to look at the environmental impact of growing soya and palm oil on land that was previously rain forest and then transporting these crops half way around the world to feed it to dairy cows. And then compare this to the impact of growing silage and concentrate feeds on farm. “The good news is that there is still considerable scope to improve the production and preservation of homegrown forages and the use of probiotics, such as live yeasts, can help to increase the utilisation of those feeds,” says Mr Eastlake.
forage-to-concentrate ratio is suited to her stage of lactation. “Splitting the herd into feeding groups and using in- or out-of-parlour feeders will help to ensure that individual nutritional needs are met,” he says. “It’s all about energy – making sure that cows’ intakes are sufficient for milk yield and to maintain body condition. That’s a tall order in early lactation.” Minimising the inevitable negative energy balance post calving is essential. Not only does excessive weight loss impact on cow health and fertility, it’s also inefficient. The cow gains 28MJ/kg of energy from the body weight she loses, but it requires 32MJ to put each kilogramme back on.
the amount of energy and protein that the rumen bugs breakdown and, therefore, reduce the FCE.” There are yeasts and rumen buffers that can be added to rations to help achieve this stability. Adding live yeast stabilises the rumen by reducing the oxygen content of the rumen gases. “More efficient bacteria will maximise the value and effect of the available feed,” says James Brinicombe from Devon-based feed manufacturer Denis Brinicombe. But Adam Clay stresses that producers should get the basics of the ration right – both in terms of its nutrients and composition – before turning to such feed additives. “In a situation were a problem persists, perhaps in a scenario where there’s an acidic silage, then they may have role.” Monitoring the performance of the ration – or rather the herd – is another way to ensure that feed efficiency is being maximised. “Cow performance is the first indicator that the ration you have on paper and the one you put in front on them are one and the same. You’re looking for at least 1.2kg of milk per kilogramme of dry matter consumed – a FCE of between 1.6 and 1.7 would be very good. “And it’s worth monitoring this figure as just a 0.1 increase in FCE can make a big difference to the milk cheque and your margins. For an dairy herd averaging 8,000 litres, a FCE increase from 1.2 to 1.3
Rumen pH The forage-to-concentrate ratio should promote a stable rumen pH and optimise rumen function in order to maximise feed conversion efficiency (FCE). “And there’s more to maximising efficiency than simply providing a consistent and balanced ration. The physical composition of the ration is also vital – particle size has to be correct to prevent cows from sorting forage from concentrate portions at the feed fence,” says Mr Clay. Fibre is digested by the rumen bacteria at a pH of between 6 and 6.5. Starch and sugars digesting bacteria require a slightly more acidic 5.5. “The trick is to avoid fluctuations, which will reduce
will increase milk production by 8.5% with no extra feed costs – just less waste.”
Feed-barrier space Other factors that can limit the efficiency of a perfectly good ration include insufficient feed barrier space – the recommendation is to allow at least 0.75m per cow. Neck rails should also be checked for cow comfort and there should be plenty of space in the feed passage for cows to pass behind other feeding cows. “And lying space is crucial too, since this encourages blood flow to the udder. Cows should be lying down for between 14 and 16 hours a day,” says Mr Clay. “Studies have shown that cows produce a litre of milk for every hour they’re laying down. So if your herd only rests for nine hours, that’s a potential loss of about five litres per day – that’s a lot of milk even for smaller herds.” There’s no ‘silver bullet’ to ensure that your herd’s FCE is maximised and that its carbon footprint in terms of feed use is kept to a minimum. “There’s no one thing that herds with good FCEs are doing to improve feed efficiency. It’s a combination of a number of factors,” explains Mr Clay. “And while this combination will vary depending on the management system in place, one thing that all efficient herds have in common is that they’re businesses that are reducing emissions and making a profit.” l
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Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder Laddie is the No.1 Calving Ease bull available in the UK today. Laddie is the No.1 bull for Calving Interval in the breed today at -11 Laddie is, an industry leading, 9.3 for Fertility Index Laddie will lower SCC at -16 Laddie is positive for both Fat % & Protein % Laddie is a superior bull for Lifespan at +0.3 Laddie has the perfect linear profile with the ‘Perfect Trio’ of Zero Stature, Positive Chest Width & Negative Angularity Laddie has a terrific longevity pedigree - Oman x Rudolph x Leadman Laddie delivers all of this through over 100 daughters for both Type & Production
Alta has released the perfect bull! At a time when the Holstein breed is receiving criticism from many about its suitability for every farm system, and at a time when many are looking at alternative breeds to ‘correct’ some of the issues with Longevity, Fertility and suitability for non intensive systems, the Holstein Breed has a new Breed Leader... Ladson AltaLADDIE. 11HO09508
Laddie achieves the Gold Standard in the USA with +3.5 Productive Life (PL) & +3.6 Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR)
Laddie is available to UK dairy farmers at £15 list price, to register your interest and ensure your supply call you regional sales manager or Yvonne on 01292 532353.
Alta UK Ltd. www.altagenetics.com/English Tel: +44 (0) 1763 260832 Fax: +44 (0) 1763 262641
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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS
New sales manager
Handbook goes large NMR’s Mastitis Handbook has proved very popular among vets, milk buyers and producers. Many are being used as part of producer meetings and copies are being sent to all NMRrecorded Tesco milk suppliers to support material supplied to them during recent mastitis workshops. Rob Smith of the Tesco Dairy Centre of Excellence, based at the University of Liverpool, is encouraging producers to read the booklet. “The new NMR Mastitis Handbook gives
an excellent and readable introduction to the disease and how cell count and clinical case records can be used to help combat mastitis,” says Dr Smith. “Milk recording gives vital information to control mastitis and improve milk quality and I strongly urge producers to read and act on the useful information in this booklet.” Due to demand, NMR has reprinted the handbook. Copies are now available from NMR Customer Services.
Spring 100 tonners NMR has awarded certificates to recorded cows that have clocked up 100 tonnes of milk in their lifetime during February and March. Producers will also receive a voucher redeemable against NMR microbiology testing services. The top three cows in this list, all Holsteins and ranked on lifetime daily yield (LDY), for February and March are:
3. Lachstone Rubytom Mia owned by J and TJN Platt, New Hall Farm, Lach Dennis, Northwich, Cheshire – 10,1849kg in eight lactations with a LDY of 26.27kg/day.
1. Aytonian Justine ET owned by H S Petch & Sons, Whitegate Farm, Newton Under Roseberry, Great Ayton, Middlesbrough, Cleveland – 103,801kg in five lactations with a LDY of 26.74kg/day.
The list of NMR recorded cows reaching the 100-tonne mark will be published eight times a year to coincide with CowManagement publications. A full list will appear on the NMR website each time on www.nmr.co.uk.
2. Wintersell Cher 5 owned by John Temple from Copys Green Farm, Wighton, Wells, Norfolk – 102,915kg in seven lactations with a LDY of 26.69kg/day.
Gemma Carline has taken on the role of NMR area sales manager for the Wales and central region. Ideally based on the Welsh Shropshire border, Gemma has a strong background in livestock management and services. From a farming background in Derbyshire, she studied at Walford College, Shropshire, and has since worked in sales and in practical milk recording. Gemma is responsible for promoting NMR products and services, including the dairy software packages and disease testing services, to producers and vets in her area. Outside work Gemma breeds show horses, specialising in section D cobs. Gemma Carline
DCD target Johne’s NMR has been involved with the recent Dairy Crest Direct (DCD) initiative designed to encourage producers to investigate Johne’s disease in their herd. DCD’s 1,320 producer suppliers have been encouraged to attend meetings and work with their vets to follow protocols and develop bespoke control plans for their own herds. A pilot project was established with National Milk Laboratories and Dairy Co to establish the Johne’s disease status of DCD member herds and initiate a control programme. The basis of the scheme is centred on an ELISA milk test from 30 high risk cows from each herd combined with a producer education programme. Already 40% of DCD suppliers have registered on the scheme. “With the introduction of Johne’s screening via milk testing, it is a logical step to promote this testing throughout the membership,” says DCD director Phil Allin. “We hope that we have created a template that others may wish to replicate to raise awareness of this insidious disease.” For more details visit www.dairycrestdirect.co.uk or contact hannahp@nmr.co.uk
For more information on NMR products and services contact customer services, 0844 7255567, NMR web address: www.nmr.co.uk, NMR email address: customerservices@nmr.co.uk COW MAN AG E ME N T
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Hylke van der Gaast: “Breeding with the Pietje family never actually goes wrong”
Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls ( O M a n x Je s t h e r x Fata l ) Production proof: 99 daughters in 88 herds (Source: DairyCo breeding+, Interbull April 2010)
In 2009, readers of Dutch dairy magazine Veeteelt voted the
Kg M % fat % prot. Kg fat Kg prot. PIN PLI +540 +0.05 +0.07 +25.5 +23.7 £46 £198 Longevity: SCC: Calving ease: Temperament: Milking speed: Type Merit:
Conformation traits
88
107
dairy strength
106
udder
104
feet and legs
101
total score
105
stature
106
chest width
106
body depth
103
angularity
100
condition score
104
rump angle
100
rump width
104
rear legs rear view rear legs side view foot angle locomotion
a perfect representative of the Woudhoeve prefix. text Tijmen van Zessen
112
98 98 103 99
fore udder attachment
101
teat placement
105
teat length
100
Woudhoeve Pietje family the best cow family in the Netherlands. 2010 started with the next sire from this leading family. Impuls is
+325 days (very good) –14 (excellent) 102 105 (very good) 105 (very good) +0.5
frame
Impuls from Woudhoeve
H
e is one of the last bulls, if not the last, from the Woudhoeve farm. In the January index run, Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls was the top newcomer in the top 10 international NVI rankings – the top production bull worldwide after Man O Man with 212 euros. His urge to produce is no coincidence. The inheritance of Impuls’ father O Man is beyond argument as far as this is concerned. Impuls’ pedigree runs via cows that produced more than 10,000kg of milk in their first or second lactation in 305 days with 3.60% protein or more. His mother line’s breeding power is not
up for discussion: Woudhoeve Pietjes have been breeding animals for a century. “We had two good Jesther daughters from Pietje 641, one daughter from Fatal from Russel’s full sister,” says Woudhoeve breeder George Ruyter. “Impuls’ mother was one of them, she calved straight after the show.” The Impuls figures don’t surprise him. “O Man and Jesther fit very well together. Jesthers are sometimes rather exotic beasts, while O Man breeds more thoroughly.” George and his son Jan Ruyter sold their
Impuls daughter Vera 781
94
udder depth
102
rear udder height
100
rear teat placement
100
central ligament
100
All-round Impuls Impuls is a good all-round bull. His production transmission breeding pattern is ideal with lots of milk, as well as fat and protein, and low cell counts. He doesn’t have any extreme type scores but is above average on most traits, particularly frames and close front-teat placement.
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cows in 2006. The Woudhoeve auction drew 700 visitors, who saw 128 animals go under the hammer for €1,750 on average. That included Jesther daughter 759, Impuls’ mother. “We had already crossed the cow before the sale, and were looking for a good breeding cow from Woudhoeve. This Jesther had proven herself with good production and had progressed generally as second calf from VG86 to VG88 points,” said Hylke van der Gaast who bought Pietje 759. “Her Lounge daughter was also there, and some good heifers from such a moderate bull. I thought, in that case, the mother must be a good breeding cow,” says Mr van der Gaast.
Next generation Together with his father, Johan, he bought Pietje 759 for somewhere between 3,000 and 4,000 euros, knowing that the breeding interest would probably have to come from a following generation. Impuls was already being bred at the time. “If you breed with a bit of policy, you can never go wrong with the Pietje family. That’s a breeding cow I can keep going with. I hope Pietje is around for a long time yet,” he says. “Pietje 759 tore her gluteus while calving. I thought it was nothing, she recovered well, but now stood hunched.” Mr van der Gaast milked her in his old parlour instead of using the robot. “Luckily, she recovered and was yielding 50kg of milk a day at her peak. She’s a stayer – a large, long cow, producing typical milk and well balanced.” The Jesther daughter completed a third lactation of 13,095kg of milk with 3.86% protein in 305 days. Mr van der Gaast crossed Pietje 759 with
Impuls daughter Trien 1541
Ramos, O Man and Shottle. That yielded 10 calves, all of them bulls. “We thought it was good if the breeders used the cow like that,” he says. “That was the time when sexed semen use was increasing. Based on availability, reliability and the most suitable combination, Pietje was served with SiryX sexed semen from Spencer and Olympic.” The ET sessions yielded 22 embryos – 11 from each bull. “Four heifer calves have since been born from Olympic, two of which display the nice flat bones of Jesther and the Pietjes. “There are three heifer calves in the herd from Spencer, two of which are broad enough.” The red-factor animals from Pietje 759 will be tested for marker data by CRV soon.
Pietje 131 (Adema 312 v.d. Woudhoeve) +5 generations
Pietje 478 (Amos)
Pietje 146 (BS Keimpe) +3 generations
Pietje 596 (Jabot)
Woudhoeve Russel (Jabot)
Almere Pietje 502 (Leader RF)
Pietje 641 (Fatal)
Almere Pietje 513 (Jabot)
Pietje 759 (Jesther)
Almere Pericles (Tulip)
Huybens Pietje 514 (Tulip)
Almere Pablo (Rudi)
Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls (O Man)
Huybens Deejay (Beautiful)
Huybens Red Tequila (Faber)
Beau (Beautiful)
Being voted the best cow family in Veeteelt’s 25-year history really put the Pietjes in the spotlight in 2009. That was no surprise, given how important improving cattle is in the Netherlands.
Good characteristics “You need never have any doubt about the Pietjes’ production breeding values,” said Adrion van Beek of Alta’s breeding staff. And George Ruyter stresses that the Pietje family almost always passes on their good characteristics to the next generation. But the Pietjes don’t often inherit top conformation. Of course, Tequila and Superior are not without merit here, but where this family really seems to score is in terms of (protein) yield. Impuls is no exception, given his breeding values for udders (104) and legs (101). Sire analyst Henk Buijs from CRV contracted Pietje 759 at the time and stresses the characteristics. “Impuls’ breeding value is where the influence is. I think the legs are functional but rather coarse. Impuls’ mother herself already had flat bone quality.” Mr Buijs remembers Woudhoeve as a reliable herd. “Those cows yielded a whole lot of milk, even though little extra was done for that. The Ruyters were ambitious, but sensible too.” Jan Ruyter still has that common sense. “We’ve always combined the Pietjes with care,” he says. “But they are regular, thorough cows that yield well across the board.” l
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group 18/02/2010 19:48 22-04-2010 10:36:44
F E E D I N G
The ‘right’ fat can fuel productivity and safeguard fertility
Get all the facts before adding fat It pays to know your ‘fat facts’ when adding supplements to cow rations. Do you know your C16s from your calcium-salt products? And what about the pitfalls of adding ‘free’ oils? Read on to find out more. text Rachael Porter
A
dding fat to cow rations is a popular method of improving energy intake. Cows typically suffer an extended period of negative energy balance during the early part of lactation, when the demands for nutrients and energy to meet the genetic drive for producing milk are at their maximum. Feeding fat can help this energy balance and help to maintain productivity while, at the same time, protecting cow health and fertility. Fat is an extremely useful ration ingredient when it comes to meeting the specific needs of high genetic merit and high yielding cows. It contain around 2.5 times the ME concentration of typical cereals. So the inclusion of fat improves dietary energy density and the cow gets more energy per bite – invaluable in early lactation when the cow’s ability to consume a high volume of dry matter is limited despite rapidly increasing milk yield. But with so many fat supplements on the market it’s important to choose the one that’s best suited to your system and your herd’s ration.
Huge variation “Producers are well-aware of the major differences in quality of protein supplements available; protein sources differ greatly in terms of rumen degradability and amino acid composition for example,” says Volac nutritionist Richard Kirkland. “Fat supplements vary widely in terms of the percentage of fat in the product and the structure of the fat. The type or balance of the individual fatty acid
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building blocks from which the fat is composed can also vary, as can the degree of rumen protection of the fat. These attributes have a major effect on the digestibility, and therefore the energy value, of the particular fat and on the overall functional attributes of the fat.” There’s is a huge variation between fats available for dairy cow rations and emphasis should be placed on considering the type of fat that supplements comprise, rather than simply looking at the total fat concentration. “Adding ‘free’, unprotected oils to a ration may increase energy levels on paper, but these can lead to undesirable effects in the rumen and reduced cow performance,” explains Dr Kirkland. “Free oil will coat the fibre components of the ration, reducing fibre digestibility. Excessive levels of ingredients with high concentrations of free oil, for example brewers’ grains and distillers’ grains, can have similar effects.” Oils from these sources are primarily composed of unsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid. This fatty acid is the primary precursor of specific ‘trans’ fatty acids, which are known to be highly potent in reducing milk fat percentage. “Supplementing with rumen protected or rumen inert fatty acids minimises or removes the potential negative effects associated with the unsaturated fatty acids,” he adds. The best known of the rumen-protected fat supplements are those generally classified as ‘calcium salts’. These are a combination of calcium and fatty acids and such products can be produced from many different types of fat. Volac’s
Richard Kirkland
Megalac, for example, was the original product developed using this technology. The calcium salts in this product are inert in the rumen but are broken down in the acidic conditions of the abomasum to release the fat and calcium components for absorption by the animal. Proven benefits include increased milk yield and milk solids, together with improved oocyte (egg) quality and herd fertility.
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Adding fat boosts yields and BCSs Knowing his fat facts is vital for Cumbria-based producer David Martin. He’s adopted a high-input, high-output dairy management system at Lords Plain Farm, near Kendal, where he runs a 200-cow Holstein herd, currently averaging 10,400 litres with a 392-day calving interval. “We need to spread the unit’s fixed costs over as many litres as possible on our limited area, so we are very yielddriven. Every litre counts,” he says. Fat plays a key role in maximising dietary energy and milk yields, while at
The ‘high-C16’ fat supplements have increased in popularity during the past few years, targeted primarily at increasing milk fat percentage. These products are largely inert in the rumen due to the high melting point of the saturated C16 fatty acid component, though the level of C16 in different products in this category does vary. Typically, C16 content can range from 70%, to almost 100% of the total fat.
Improving fertility Trials have demonstrated improvements in milk fat of more than 0.30% following the incorporation of a 100% C16 fat product into lactating dairy cow diets. “But digestibility of the high-C16 products will be lower than the calcium-salt type
the same time safeguarding herd health and fertility. “Incorporating fat enables us to formulate a diet high in energy without taking up any real space in the rumen or adding to the risk of acidosis. “We keep the diet’s energy density up by feeding a semi-TMR ration based on grass silage and alkalage supplemented with fat to provide maintenance plus 32 litres, and then top-up with parlour-fed concentrate,” he adds. Mr Martin had been feeding two different types of fat for specific
products and their contribution to overall energy supply of the animal to promote production or to improve fertility in the cow is not well established,” says Dr Kirkland. A number of products on the market contain approximately 50% fat and are generally composed of fat and oil blended with fibrous components. The fat is said to be released slowly into the rumen and some products are promoted as containing omega-3 fatty acids, which can help to improve fertility if supplemented at the appropriate time in the cycle. “But potential benefits of omega-3 inclusion can only be achieved if these fatty acids are protected from rumen microbes that change their structure and their mode of action.
reasons. A high-C16 product was fed to increase milk fat percentage and a calcium-salt product was fed to lift milk yield and help maintain body condition. “But our milk contract has recently been changed and it no longer proves cost-effective to feed the high-C16 fat so we’ve removed it from the diet. We are, however, continuing to feed Megalac as we can’t expect our high yielding Holsteins to milk well on low-energy rations, never mind try to get them back in calf.”
“Composition of the fat in these products, including the proportion of omega-3 fatty acids, can vary greatly and there is limited scientific evidence of the rumeninertness and protection of the fat in these supplements, or of their effects on animal performance,” he adds. There are also a number of fat supplements, generally referred to as ‘hardened’ fats, available. This type of fat is produced by hydrogenation – a chemical process – of a fat source such as palm oil, producing a highly saturated fat with high melting point. The digestibility of saturated fatty acids is lower than that of unsaturated fats and where the fat is composed of triglycerides digestibility will be further reduced. l
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• Demonstration of progeny groups • Judging of dairy cattle • Trade exhibition
For information All Holland Dairy Show +31 26 38 98 811 www.nrm.nl e-mail: contact@nrm.nl NRM_2010_adv_CM.indd 14
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F R O M
T H E
V E T E R I N A R I A N D E B B Y
P R A C T I C E
B R O W N
Cattle vet Debby Brown, from Barnard Castle-based Castle Vets, takes a timely look at health and welfare issues that are affecting dairy herds across the UK. Here she explains why now is a crucial time to think about vaccinating young and bought-in stock against lungworm.
Vaccinate young and bought-in stock prior to first grazing season
Protect naïve grazing stock N
ow is the time to be thinking about lungworm or husk, even though late summer is when the parasite usually becomes a problem. In the most severe cases it can be fatal. Cattle can die as a result of an acute allergic reaction to the parasite living in their lungs. Other symptoms include coughing and producers report cows and heifers that are losing condition and performing poorly – in terms of both production and fertility. And at this point it’s almost too late. Much of the damage to the animal’s lungs – and the producer’s pocket – has been done. So, as with so many diseases and conditions, prevention is the best option. Young stock should be focus of producers’ attention as they’re most susceptible to the disease. Once cattle have been exposed to the parasite they develop some immunity and so a degree of exposure is important. The timing of vaccination is critical. Two doses must be given – one month apart – to young and bought-in stock. And the second dose should ideally be given two weeks prior to turnout. It’s a live vaccination so it’s important to only dose animals on farms where there’s a known problem. For all other producers, it’s something to watch out for. And remember it’s a real and serious threat. One Durham-based producer lost three heifers, out of a batch of 12 that he’d bought in, in summer 2009. He didn’t vaccinate them before turnout. But now routine vaccination against lungworm forms part of his herd’s health plan.
The encyclopaedia Lungworm (husk) Causes
Diagnosis
Parasite – the roundworm. The adults are white thread-like worms that live in the air passages leading to the lungs. Female worms produce eggs that contain a first stage larva and these are coughed up with mucus and swallowed. The larva emerges from the egg in the gut and leaves the body in the faeces, where development to the infective third stage larva takes place.
Relatively easy to diagnose due to coughing. Can also blood sample to see if cattle have been exposed.
Symptoms Coughing, body condition loss and poor performance. Fatal in severe cases.
Prevention Vaccination, timed well to ensure some exposure to allow cattle build their own immunity to the parasite. Bolus treatments are available. Two-dose treatment with live vaccine, prior to turnout, preferable as a degree of exposure helps animal to develop immunity.
Treatment Worm infected cattle immediately to kill the parasite – speed is the key as after treatment coughing may worsen for between 24 and 48 hours. Administering antiinflammatories can help to ease coughing and lung inflammation while the treatment takes effect.
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Tel: 01772-785252 www.farmplus.co.uk
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Your choice for profit Top Jersey sires, from CRV‘s New Zealand grassland program available at Avoncroft! & n e v o r p er t h g ! u d a e D t s e t ly l a c i m o G en
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21-04-2010 10:53:45 09:29:01 22-04-2010
F E E D I N G
Pointers to make this your most productive grazing season ever
More milk from grass For some producers summer routine means more of the same with the whole herd being fully housed. Others will opt to graze during the day. Many, however, will either have opened the doors fully for all or at least a proportion of the herd. text Allison Matthews
A
nd for these producers, optimising the intake of high quality grazed grass, the cheapest feed available, should be a priority. “Although grazed grass has the potential to support daily milk yields of between 25 and 28 litres per cow in April and May, many herds struggle to achieve anything close to this level of performance from grazed grass,” says the AgriFood and Biosciences Institute’s Andrew Dale. “Grazing management and appropriate concentrate supplementation are the two key factors in improving summer performance. “And, although it is impossible to say if 2010 will be a good ‘grazing’ year this early on, experience shows that poor grazing management at this stage could adversely impact on herbage quality as the grazing season progresses.”
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He adds that there are a number of key targets that should be kept in mind as another grazing season begins.
First rotation “A key grassland target is to have the core grazing area grazed by mid- to lateApril. This is necessary to prepare for the second rotation, as it is critical to set up the grazing area in a wedge and avoid having too many fields at the optimal stage for grazing all at the same time. “Failing to finish the first rotation on target will mean that, as grass growth hits its annual peak, it will be difficult to achieve target pre-grazing and postgrazing grass covers. Grazing high covers of poor quality grass in early May will compromise herbage quality into midand late-season,” explains Dr Dale. Setting targets for grazing covers is also
Andrew Dale
an essential part of grazing management that will reap dividends as the season progresses,” according to Thompsons’ Richard Moore. “The target should be to graze the sward when the grass yield is between 3,000kg and 3,300kgDM/ha – 12 to 14cm high – or whenever it comes a third of the way up your Wellington boot. “To meet this target, a rotation length of between 18 and 21 days will normally be required during the period of peak growth in early May. “The cows should also be achieving a post-grazing cover of between 1,600kg and 1,800kgDM/ha – that’s a sward height of 4-5cm,” says Mr Moore. If these targets are achieved the sward being grazed will be mainly leaf, with
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little stem, and post-grazing the sward is likely to be ‘greener’ at the base, allowing for a quick regrowth. “This is the material we want to be feeding our cows – high quality, high protein grass, with an ME of around 12, that will drive cost effective performance,” he adds.
Stocking rate Establishing stocking rate targets is an essential component of managing grass, and calculating the area required for cows from now until first-cut aftermaths are available for grazing in June is vital. “The optimum stocking rate for this period is influenced by the stage of lactation, meal feeding and potential grass growth,” says Dr Dale. “Although five cows/ha may be the target on many farms, stocking rates may be increased to six or seven cows/ha when concentrate feed levels are between 4kg and 8kg/cow/day – or when additional silage is being fed. “Failing to reduce the grazing area Richard Moore
in situations where high levels of supplements are being fed will ultimately result in an oversupply of grass, and make managing the grazing area very difficult,” he warns. Maintaining an awareness of grass growth is critical, particularly in early season, as this allows timely and confident grassland management decisions to be made. This is best achieved by regularly walking all the grazing paddocks, and producing a ‘grass wedge.’ Alternatively, regional grass growth patterns are now produced by a number of projects across the UK.
React quickly “Regardless of how growth rates are monitored, it is important to react quickly to a potential surplus or deficit in grass supply.Ideally surplus paddocks should be cut immediately to maintain their position in the grazing cycle. “However, delaying cutting could cause the paddock to fall out of ‘sequence’, and as recovery will be much slower following the harvest of a heavier crop of grass, the surplus situation could easily become a deficit in the next rotation,” says Dr Dale. “The high quality grass that will be both grown and made available to the dairy cow in following these guidelines will, of course, be a key component of the diet. “But maintaining and driving production from cows, particularly in early- and mid-lactation, will require thought into appropriate supplementation of the correct concentrate,” adds Mr Moore.
“If you run a high yielding herd with early lactation cows giving more than 40 litres of milk then you have probably already made the decision to not give these cows 24-hour access to grass. “With ideal weather conditions, these animals will perform on between 10 and 12kg of concentrate. But when it rains and then rains some more, as it will, these animals will suffer,” he says, “It’s then best to house these animals until they’re past peak lactation and graze the mid-to-late-lactation, lower risk animals.
Lower expectations Many units will be turning out cows with lower yield expectations. “Most fresh- calved animals on these units will be yielding between 35 and 40 litres and so long as these cows are offered full feed rate (up to 10kg) in the parlour of a high energy, high digestible fibre concentrate they will perform well at grass even in poorer conditions,” says Mr Moore. “The trap to avoid on this system is the perceived need to house all the cows at night or buffer feed all the cows just to safeguard the performance of the few animals producing more than 40 litres. “This is the scenario when costs are significantly increased just to protect those few litres in every bulk tank and should be avoided,” he says. “Pushing these animals to between 11 and 12kg of concentrate in the parlour and continuing to exploit the value of grass is by far the better option.” l
Monitor grass growth rates and react quickly to any potential surplus or deficit in grazing
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Working together to dramatically reduce mastitis OrbeSeal helps prevent new intramammory infections meaning healthier cows and healthier profits; even the best Antibiotic Dry Cow Therapy on its own leaves the herd open to mastitis infection. Unique OrbeSeal, however, gives long-lasting protection against new bacteria entering the udder in the dry period. Using OrbeSeal in combination with ADCT can therefore drastically reduce a dry cow’s vulnerability to udder infections and slash the number of mastitis cases on farm. Incorporating OrbeSeal into a dry cow routine can result in less mastitis, lower SCCs, less wasted milk and more profit from your herd.
For further information please contact your veterinary surgeon or Pfizer Animal Health, Walton Oaks, Dorking Road, Walton-on-the-Hill, Tadworth, Surrey KT20 7NS. For animal treatment only. A reduction in clinical mastitis is shown when Orbeseal is used in combination with Orbenin Extra Dry Cow. OrbeSeal contains 65% bismuth subnitrate in a minimal oil vehicle. Withdrawal period: nil POM-V Use medicines responsibly (www.noah.co.uk/responsible/index.htm) AH177/10
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BREEDING INFORMATION
Lightning strike New red bull Koerier 190 Integro transmits a lot of milk (+260kg, +27kg combined fat and protein with positive percentages) from daughters with a lot of dairyness and capacity. Their udders are shallow with great rear udder height. His pedigree contains Lightning,
Jargol, Massaro and Stollberg and consists of eight generations of cows with a lifetime yield of more than 68,000kg of milk averaging VG86.4 points. Integro is suitable for use on maiden heifers and is available from Avoncroft priced at £17 per straw.
Integro daughter Sien 76 VG87
Pure British Friesian Newfailand Mr Frosty has added daughters to both his production and type proof and once again his figures have improved. He now has an incredible +585kg of milk, +20.7kg (–0.05%) of fat and 15.9kg (–0.05%) of protein and a negative somatic cell count of minus –11. His UK type proof is based on 109 daughters in 48 herds with a Friesian Type Merit of +0.9, mammary +1.1 and legs and feet +0.5. Mr Frosty is available from Avoncroft. Mr Frosty
Non-O Man bloodlines The Jocko Besne gem from the January proof run, Goolstar Diamond, shows a complete transmission pattern combining high milk with high components with +228kg of milk, 36kg of fat and protein, and very high percentages (+0.15% fat and +0.09% protein). Diamond’s dam, Willis Josta 29, dam of Goolstar Diamond
daughter Josta 29 VG88, produced almost 70,000kg of milk with 5.31% fat and 3.78% protein in just five lactations. Diamond is not only one of the best Jocko Besne sons available, but he is also a high ranking alternative to O Man bloodlines.
Highest newcomer Woudhoeve Impuls New bull Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls is the result one of Holland’s best cow families, a Jesther from the Woudhoeve Pietje family. Impuls’ breeding transmission pattern fits perfectly with CRV’s breeding goals. Impuls is available from Avoncroft priced at £18 per straw and further details can be found in this issue of CowManagement. Free phone 0800 7831880. Impuls daughter Trien 1541
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C O N TA C T S
SHOWS AND EVENTS
Heading out to pasture after a long winter Picture: Nele Verhelst
June 2-6: Royal Bath& West Show, Somerset June 23: NMR/RABDF Gold Cup farm walk at Iain McLean, Priestland Farm, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland June 25 and 26: All Holland Dairy Show (NRM), Utrecht (The Netherlands) June 30: NMR/RABDF Gold Cup farm walk, Lowfields Farm, Brompton, Northallerton July 1: The Pitlochie Scottish Beef Fayre, Fife July 1-3: National Danish Show, Herning (Denmark) July 19-22: The Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells, Powys September 7 and 8: Dairy Event and Livestock Show, NEC, Birmingham September 8: Nottingham Feed Conference, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus October 6: British Mastitis Conference, Worcester Rugby Club, Sixways Stadium, Warriors Way, Worcester October 6: The Dairy Show, The Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset October 19: Welsh Dairy Show, Nanyci, Carmarthen
ADVERTISERS’ INDEX C O N TA C T S CowManagement is published eight times per year by CRV Holding BV
Editorial team Chief Editor Jaap van der Knaap Editor Rachael Porter Phone 01394 270587 E-mail rachael.porter@virgin.net Editing, design and production Veeteelt Contributing writers Roger Evans, Allison Matthews, David Matthews, Karen Wright and Tijmen van Zessen
Chief editor’s address P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands Phone 0031 26 38 98 821. Fax 0031 26 38 98 839 E-mail veeteelt@crv4all.com
Subscriptions CowManagement is available free of charge to customers of NMR, Avoncroft and Thompsons. If you think you are eligible, please contact: National Milk Records, Customer Services, Skipton Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 4LG. Phone 0870 1622547 E-mail customerservices@NMR.co.uk
Advertisements Julia Hughes, NMR. Phone 01249 467224 Willem Gemmink, Froukje Visser P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands, Fax 0031 26 38 98 824 E-mail willem.gemmink@crv4all.com
Illustrations/pictures Photographs by Veeteelt Photography.
ADF Milking...............................................20 Advanced Comfort Technology..................27 Alta............................................................38 Ancotec......................................................14 Avoncroft.....................................................2 Biotal..........................................................43 Cogent.......................................................10 Cow Comfort.............................................34 CRV............................................................49 DP Nutrition.........................................42, 48 Dureble................................................34, 42 Enviro Systems........................................6, 14 Farmplus.....................................................48 Fusion Events................................................6 GEA Royal De Boer.....................................32 Healthy Hooves Europe..............................32 Intervet Schering Plough.................28, 29, 56
JFC.............................................................42 Lallemand...................................................15 Lely West NV.............................................27 NMR..........................................................55 NRM......................................................... 46 Pfizer Animal Health...............................7, 52 Regent Ingredients.....................................35 Roadhead Farm Feeds................................34 Robinsons.....................................................6 Semex........................................................19 Spinder.......................................................48 Vervaeke....................................................14 Wilson Agriculture......................................48 Zinpro.........................................................32 Insert: Healthy Hooves Europe
COMING UP
M i l k i n g sp ecial May/June (June 9) – Our spring issue takes a close look at milking parlours and equipment, as well as featuring a report on one of Northern Ireland’s top dairy herds.
Disclaimer CowManagement does not necessarily share the views expressed by contributors. No responsibility is accepted for the claims made by advertisers. No responsibility can be accepted by CRV Holding BV for the opinions expressed by contributors. Whilst every effort is made to obtain reliable and accurate information, liability cannot be accepted for errors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. Printer Classic Printing Phone 01452 731539 ISSN 1570-5641
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