Plan 365 May 2014 by Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited

MAY 2014

RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

NUTRITION

FORAGE AND ARABLE

HORTICULTURE

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

DAIRY MANAGEMENT

Plan 365 is a technical guide aimed at helping shareholders learn about best practice and the latest advancements in rural technology.

ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Critical drying off strategies To achieve high spring milk production, putting in place a planned dairy dry-off strategy is critical to success. Decisions need to be made about body condition, feeding, disease prevention, animal movement and culling - but it’s equally important to control parasites. Control of parasites can have a significant benefit to overall cow health and condition through optimising feed conversion efficiency. This is important, particularly at a time of year when pasture growth is slowing down or negligible, due to this year’s drought conditions affecting some North Island regions. Eliminating worms now will help set cows up for winter and gains made now will reduce the impact of an early spring parasite challenge. During the lactation period, worm burdens in cows will have built up. Worms impact the ability to utilise nutrients from feed in two ways. Firstly, the presence of worms causes inflammation in the

gut, which has a negative impact on digestion and nutrient uptake from feed. Secondly, they have been shown to decrease appetite as well as affect grazing behaviours. Cows with worms tend to be more “fussy”, which could be compounded as grass quality declines. As a result, feed is wasted through either poor conversion or reduced intake so that body condition suffers. To get the best benefit out of drenching cows, treat four weeks prior to dry off, as this can improve productivity and Body Condition Score (BCS), which is beneficial to calving success. Worm treatment should be aimed at achieving the highest worm kill possible. The type of active selected depends on whether you are still milking and the resistance status on your farm. If you’re still milking, eprinomectin, a powerful Macrocyclic Lactone (ML) with a nil milk withhold and the added advantage of persistent activity against ostertagia (28 days), cooperia (21 days)

and trichostrongulus spp. (14 days) is a good choice - removing production limiting parasites for extended periods is key to improving BCS. Similarly, an abamectin-based product (also with nil milk withhold) has lice control and persistent activity against ostertagia. Lice can hinder cows’ wintering ability and behaviour (time spent rubbing and licking). Also, adult stock infected with lice can pass them on to calves and create added treatment problems. Specific lice products containing propetamphos can be applied at any time in the dry period as long as it is five days prior to calving. The best time to treat is June, to prevent lice build up over the winter stress period. Alternative drench actives can be applied if you have cooperia spp., resistant to the ML family. If this is the case, use an abamectin and levamisole combination (so long as cows are not being milked). In some cases, you may decide not to treat the whole herd - especially those cows with an optimal BCS of 5, although it is likely that they will be carrying worms too. If this is the case, consider treating lower condition cows, BCS < 4 and those coming out of their first lactation. Richard Porter, Bayer’s Technical Veterinarian recommends that late calvers with a BCS of < 4 be treated with an oral combination, while early calvers with the same BCS (< 4) should use abamectin, as these cows have less time to attain the optimum 5 BCS. For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Bayer Animal Health.

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Give your ewes a boost Clostridial vaccination at pre-lamb boosts the ewe’s antibody production - and it’s this boost just prior to colostrum production that ensures colostrum has good levels of antibodies to pass on to suckling lambs.

importance is Pulpy Kidney in growing lambs - but Blood Poisoning in ewes and lambs around lambing, as well as Tetanus in lambs at docking are also important killers. The duration of protection gained by the suckling lamb is determined by the amount of antibody absorbed from colostrum. Inadequate levels of antibody intake by lambs can be seen in situations such as:

The vaccine you choose at pre-lamb is one of the factors that will determine the level of antibodies available for suckling lambs – which could be the difference between lamb survival and clostridial deaths.

• Poor mothering ability of ewes • Inadequate milk production by ewes

Lambs are born with very few antibodies and rely on antibodies in the ewe’s colostrum for protection against clostridial diseases including Pulpy Kidney and Tetanus. Clostridial vaccination of the ewe just prior to lambing is utilised on most NZ farms to maximise the level of antibodies lambs receive in colostrum. Protecting lambs against clostridial disease is essential to maximise lamb survival through to weaning. Of most

• Lambs that are weak sucklers • Multiple lambs sharing colostrum • Low antibody production in the ewe Pre-lamb clostridial vaccination aims to reduce this last situation – by boosting the ewe’s antibody levels just prior to colostrum production. Younger ewes and those in lower condition or under nutritional stress may be less able to respond well to vaccination.

In a trial comparing the immune response of twin-bearing ewes to different prelamb vaccines, significant differences were seen between vaccines (Figure 1). Nilvax® gives an improved immune response, resulting in more ewes responding to vaccination and with a higher level of antibodies. What do more antibodies mean for your farm? • Ewes can be vaccinated earlier – up to 6 weeks before lambing. This decreases the risk of Sleepy Sickness caused by mustering and yarding close to lambing • More antibodies are available to suckling lambs – this is important as multiple lambs share colostrum • Lambs are protected for longer – up to 16 weeks of age For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Coopers.

Figure 1: Mean Pulpy Kidney (C. perfringens Type D) antibody levels in ewes measured 14 days after pre-lamb vaccination1

Moffat. 2001, Soc. Sheep & Beef Cattle Vets NZVA.

Registered trademark. COOPERS. PLMB-144-2014

Antibody level (U/ml)

NILVAX® SELENISED 500ML

• Boosted with levamisole for an enhanced antibody immune response. More antibodies mean: • Ewes can be vaccinated earlier. • More antibodies available for lambs. • Lambs are protected longer. • Later lambers have better protection.

Competitor Product 1

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Competitor Product 2

MULTINE

NILVAX

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ANIMAL MANAGEMENT

Lice treatment - do it once and do it right You may think lice look harmless but don’t be fooled - they can still do damage and cost you in productivity and money. Prevention of clinical infestation is the key to lice control. In many cases we wait until we see a problem before treating it. Unfortunately, it is near impossible to eradicate lice completely but with some good management practices and the right product, you can ensure you control the problem and decrease the damage lice can do to your sheep’s pelt and wool. Lice may look vulnerable but they have evolved to a degree where they are host and even site specific. Lice species include Bovicola ovis (body or biting louse), Linognathus pedalis (foot louse - sucking) and Linognathus ovillus (face sucking louse), with the body lice (Bovicola ovis) being the most common adversary. Females lay 10 to 30 eggs over 30 days, which would seem incompatible for species survival at such a low rate. However, this does in fact allow them to survive long periods with low energy expenditure. The best way to maintain control is to limit their numbers by shearing at the most suitable time and applying an effective combination product in the most efficient manner possible. Combination products, such as Zapp Encore, provide long-term protection with excellent knockdown ability. They also target more stages of the lice lifecycle (see figure 1. Lice Lifecycle). The two

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actives provide a powerful combination effective against fly and lice, a similar approach to combination drenches and antibiotics to slow development of resistance.

weeks adult lice on treated sheep cannot infect clean sheep. To ensure you keep mobs separate you need to have secure fencing and quarantine any stock brought onto your property.

Treatment times need to factor in many variables, including stock class, length of wool, equipment and labour required, weather and withholding periods.

Even though it is near impossible to eradicate these pests, you still have the ability to limit their damage by employing the above management strategies. Using these techniques and an effective lice control product, such as Zapp Encore, means you can do the job once and know you have done it right.

Make sure you treat the sheep as per label instructions, always basing your dose rate on the heaviest sheep in the mob. Frequently check your applicator dose to make sure you are applying the correct quantity. It is good to use a product that is easy to identify those treated (eg, Zapp Encore has a scourable blue dye when applied) to ensure you treat all those in the mob, re-treating any you think you may have missed.

For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Bayer Animal Health.

There are some key practices you can employ to assist in controlling lice. Ensure you have a clean muster, treating all stock at the same time. If you are not, then make sure treated and untreated mobs are kept separate for at least four weeks following treatment. After four

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT

Closing down the dairy milking shed at the end of lactation Milk quality is all about being proactive, not reactive. Below is a recommended farm dairy shut down procedure and other valuable tips. 1. Final milking machine clean for the season • Double the usual amount of alkali you use and add an extra litre of liquid chlorine to the alkali wash. • Reticulate for as long as possible, maintaining the wash solution temperature above 60°C. • Dump this solution and brush any stubborn deposits that need removing. • Follow with a high strength wash of acid solution (acid sanitiser), also in hot water if you can. • Rinse out with a cold acid sanitiser and shut the plant down for the off season. 2. Any unions on the milk line that have been troublesome during the season need to be dismantled and checked. • The plastic unions with cone seals in them are a particular worry and need to be checked. Replace if any signs of wear at all. • If you have welded unions with O ring seals, check for leaks and replace seals as necessary. • Dirty unions that are still in good shape can be soaked in the alkali solution then re-used.

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3. Bulk milk tank (cooling tank, silo, vat)

6. Plate cooler

• For the last wash, recycle a concentrated alkali. If you can’t recycle your BMT use a neat chlorinated alkali, which you scrub onto the walls. Then rinse with hot water. Be safe – always use safety glasses and gloves. In confined spaces such as a vat, always use breathing aparatus and have a buddy outside the vat.

• This is a very good time to open your plate cooler and check for any soiling and scrub if needed. If you are unsure on how to do this, call your milking machine fitter to assist.

• Check all seals, on the inlets, outlets and door seals and replace any worn seals. • Remove the spray ball and clear any debris that may be lodged in it. 4. Milk releaser pumps • Diaphragm Pumps - Check all unions around the diaphragm pump and replace the diaphragms. Ensure back plates are fitted to diaphragms and check the oil level in the gear box and general condition of driving belts. • Centrifugal Pumps - Check nonreturn valves and condition of the mechanical seal. • Rubber Impeller Pumps - Check impeller, non-return valve and mechanical seal.

• Always measure the distance between the thicker outside plates on your plate cooler before you open it, so it can be returned to the same position. Once the cooler has been loosened, pour hot water over the plates to split them open. 7. Inflations (liners) • Correct tension is essential to give proper pulsation squeeze on the end of the teat, therefore achieving good milking efficiency. • It is recommended to start the new season with new liners. By following this routine, the plant will be ready to go and you won’t be caught out when those inevitable early cows start appearing. For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today.

5. Filter housing • Check the seals on the filter housing. Also the filter cage for any damage.

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT

Changing milk liners If you can’t remember the last time you changed your milking liners, you’re probably missing out on both milk and money. Old, worn or ill-fitting liners can waste energy, cause grades and damage your cows. They are one of the single biggest factors influencing milk production. They are also one of the most economical things to replace. Cracks and splits cause poor milk out and harbour bacteria. Cups with worn-out liners are more likely to fall off during milking and cows’ teats can be permanently damaged. On average, NZ dairy farmers currently expect their liners to last for about 4,900 milkings, or nearly twice their effective lifetime. But that’s way past their actual use-by date! After 2,500 milkings – and

roughly 2 million pulsations – liners inevitably start to deteriorate. To ensure more efficient milk harvesting and to save the average NZ dairy farm thousands of dollars a year in energy, labour and animal health costs, all you have to do is calculate how many times your current milking liners have been used since you installed them. If the answer comes to 2,500 or more, it’s definitely time for a change. Your cows will thank you and, more importantly, milk harvesting and quality will improve. Here’s how to do the math: divide 2,500 by the number of milkings each set of cups is doing every day, i.e. 2,500/the number of cows in the herd x the number of milkings (once, 1.5 or twice per day)/ number of clusters. For example, take a 300 cow herd, milked twice a day in a 24 aside herringbone.

In this case each cluster is milking 25 cows per day. Divide 2,500 by 25 and the answer is 100 days. This farm should change liners every 100 days or approximately every three months. Farmers who continue milking with overused liners often don’t realise they’re missing out on potentially significant gains. “The very nature of milking liners means they are likely to have more impact on milking efficiency, hygiene and cow comfort than any other component of a milking machine,” says Skellerup National Manager, Perry Davis. For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Skellerup.

SPEND $500

ON SKELLERUP M ILK LINERS AND DAIR Y TUBING AND REC EIVE 3 MONTHS DEFER RED PAYMENT TERMS AND COND

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ITIONS AP PLY.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Make the most of nutrient budgets Nutrient budgets are often seen by farmers as just another piece of paperwork but they have benefits over and above simple compliance. • They help you meet regulatory requirements • They can save you money • They can help protect the environment Nutrient budgets are used to compare nutrient inputs and outputs and to measure the flow of nutrients through your farming system. When developing a nutrient budget, the overall aim is to ensure a sustainable, efficient and environmentally friendly system, where the nutrients are in balance and optimised. The inputs and outputs they compare are wide-ranging (see table below). The first step in putting a budget together is dividing your farm up into blocks, which are determined by their unique characteristics, e.g. by contour or land use. Then you will need to gather up

other information about your farm - if you use a professional to create your nutrient budget they can tell you exactly what is needed. Most people use Overseer® to create their nutrient budget. Ian Power, Ballance Science Extension Officer, has had a long association with the programme. “Overseer® has received a fair amount of flak in recent times but it is by far the best tool you can use for putting a nutrient budget together and a huge amount of work is going into improving it,” he says. Overseer® can be used to guide your fertiliser strategy, allowing you to keep fertility levels in the optimum range and to match any fertiliser additions to the requirements of each block. For example, to minimise nitrogen leaching, you can test different scenarios in Overseer®, such as applying nitrogen at different times of the year to avoid wet and cold conditions, or using different stock categories in sensitive areas.

Inputs

Outputs

Fertiliser applied

Produce removed, e.g. milk, meat, wool, crops

Supplementary feed brought in

Stock transfer to tracks and camps

Clover nitrogen fixation Stock brought on and live weight gains

“Sometimes it is difficult to tell what kind of impact the activities on-farm are having on the environment and on your bottom line,” says Ian. “If you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. Overseer® helps to take away some of the guesswork, because you can model what you are doing and try out different scenarios to get a better result.” Ian recommends that if people use outside help they make sure they are a trained professional. “Ideally, you want advice from someone who has either completed or is currently undertaking the Nutrient Management Advisor Certification Programme,” says Ian. “This will help ensure that you get advice of the highest standard.” For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

Soil losses through leaving and run off, volatilisation and denitrification

Effluent and irrigation additions

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Utilise to capitalise FODDER BEET FETCHING HIGH NUMBERS Farmers are realising the true potential of SF Brigadier fodder beet after experiencing high production and utilisation during the dry conditions experienced in many parts of the country before winter. Seed Force’s Northern North Island Regional Manager, Bruce Hume says that SF Brigadier is now being utilised on many North Island properties. “The ability to begin to feed the crop relatively early means SF Brigadier’s quality benefits can be utilised when other feed sources may be limiting, especially in dry times. This can help ensure animal production can be maintained or even increased. The benefits of fodder beet were highlighted at some recent fodder beet field days in the North Island, where SF Brigadier was being utilised on properties for the first time. As parts of the Waikato and Bay of Plenty were suffering from prolonged dry periods and farmers were drying off early or harvesting other feed crops, the SF Brigadier was allowing farmers to continue relatively unaffected. A large number of farmers attended the on-farm field days and were interested at how the beet systems helped the farmers through the challenging conditions. “It’s last month’s ‘Farmlander’ article, it was highlighted how crucial a thorough transition onto the crop is. Many farmers are being pleasantly surprised how much SF Brigadier can make up the animal’s daily diet requirements. For lactating cows, this means up to 5kg/DM per head per day is being fed as a high energy component of the diet, plus the rest of

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their typical lactating diet. For dry animals through the winter months, we now have many farmers with rates of SF Brigadier being as high as 11-12kg/DM per head per day, plus a fibre rich supplement such as straw or hay,” Bruce says. “These high feeding rates and the grazing versatility in regards to the timing of feeding and the stock class helps ensure farmers can really maximise their SF Brigadier fodder beet crops. Its high proportion of bulb above ground leads to very high utilisation and the ability for any class of stock to utilise the entire plant when feeding with minimal wastage. This is another great benefit when the crop is fed off before the winter months, as it allows another feed crop to be planted before the cooler weather in regions that are climatically suitable.”

farmers are very happy with their beet crops, as many of the high yielding SF Brigadier crops are being grown for well under 10c per kg/DM, which can be significantly less than other feeds. When these costs are taken into consideration together with a consistent ME of 12-12.5 and are combined with SF Brigadier’s extremely high utilisation rates, it results in a very cost effective high energy feed source,” Bruce says. For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Seed Force.

“The financials are another area where

| Waikato fodder beet field day.

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FORAGE AND ARABLE

Prevention is always better than cure with winter grazing There’s only one thing worse than seeing a badly pugged pasture in the middle of winter – and that’s living with the results of the damage – poor growth through spring and a choice between lasting loss of DM production, or having to repair or renew the paddock in question.

It can be hard to get through to spring without some pasture damage. The key is to have a winter grazing management plan in place before you dry off, to minimise the risk of pugging or treading, no matter what the weather brings.

“We’re fortunate in that our soils are very forgiving,” says Peter Campbell. “But it can rain heavily here and the ground can get soggy, so wet weather management is vital to protect our pastures.”

For one family in South Taranaki, that plan includes ‘a healthy dose of realism’ and a good seed drill, as well as a commitment to protecting pastures as much as possible.

Even so, inadvertent damage is virtually impossible to avoid and that’s where the drill comes in. “As soon as ground conditions permit, those areas will get drilled, otherwise we know we will take a huge hit on DM production.”

With free draining Egmont brown loam soils and annual rainfall ranging from 1200-1400mm, the Campbell farm at Waverley will this year winter 980 Friesian cross cows, which tip the scales at 500–520kg liveweight.

Agriseeds Pasture Systems Manager, Graham Kerr says pugging damage can cut immediate DM utilisation by 50 percent. But more important are often the unseen effects of soil compaction and lost soil structure.

After dry off at the end of May, they will be split into mobs of no more than 200 cows each and go onto a 100 day round, with a diet of mostly pasture and some hay.

If pugging is not repaired, future DM yield can be severely compromised. Badly pugged paddocks, where the pasture is killed, need to be quickly resown, otherwise they simply end up full of weeds.

If conditions turn wet, daily grazing allowances will be slightly increased and the cows will be limited to three to four hours of back-fenced strip grazing before being stood off in the concrete cow yard. The few hillsides on the farm will be avoided entirely. A handful of paddocks known to be wet will be grazed early or prior to the rain where possible and there’s no going near pastures newly sown in autumn. (Those are grazed only when needed, to encourage strong plant establishment).

The philosophy on the Campbell farm applies to any size herd, he says. “The fundamentals are the same regardless of how many cows you winter. The details of the plan will vary between farms. The most important thing is to protect your paddocks and soils as much as you can, to put yourself in the best position come spring.” For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Agriseeds.

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HORTICULTURE

Managing PSA-V HARVEST TO LEAF-FALL Autumn is a high-risk period for Psa-V with cooler, wetter weather favouring infection. Fruit stalks, leaf scars and late growth, as well as wounds due to frost and storms, provide possible entry points for Psa-V. An application of approved protectant sprays is recommended immediately following harvest, to ensure fruit stalks and leaf scars are protected. The combination of an approved product, supplemented by copper, has been proven to have successful field efficacy against Psa-V in kiwifruit. In offshore trials, foliar application to Hayward at leaf-fall has been shown to reduce the level of Psa-V symptoms in the subsequent spring. Trials in New Zealand conducted last season indicated a similar effect on Gold3 vines.

photosynthesising for proper absorption and applications are likely to be less effective when leaf-fall or senescence has commenced. More than four applications per season should not be exceeded. To continue a best practice programme, avoid the risk of residues when spraying post-harvest. Extreme care must be taken to avoid spray drift onto unharvested areas of the orchard. Spray tanks, lines and nozzles must also be cleaned thoroughly before any applications onto un-harvested vines.

Best practice involves application of product such as Actigard, plus copper, as soon as practical after harvest. Use as a dilute spray ensures good coverage. Superspreaders will improve coverage of leaf scars considerably. Certain rates should not be exceeded during application. With Actigard, 200g per hectare should be the upper limit.

ACTIGARD 1KG

If using multiple applications after harvest, maintain a 21 day interval between sprays to ensure leaf scars are protected during high-risk periods. Leaves need to be actively

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NUTRITION

Magnesium for dairy cows Cows have no readily available pool of magnesium in their body, so a fall in magnesium content of the diet or increased need for milk production can cause blood magnesium levels to fall quickly. This can lead to the typical signs of hypomagnesaemia (grass staggers or magnesium tetany). Magnesium relaxes nerve impulses after transmission, so a deficiency can manifest itself as excitability and nervousness, whereas excessive intakes can cause sedation, with cows becoming lethargic and non-responsive.

Calculating how much supplementary magnesium should be fed is difficult. How much is in the pasture depends on soil type, types of forages, weather and speed of growth. Magnesium availability to the animal is reduced by high potassium levels in the diet, high rumen pH, high calcium and nitrogen levels and low fibre, sodium and low readily degradable carbohydrate. All of these can occur simultaneously in the spring, when cows are grazing high quality pasture that is top-dressed with limestone flour. Animal requirements depend on milk yield, age of the cow and oestrus activity, whilst overcrowding and stress can increase requirements. Magnesium Oxide 200 Mesh is the most common magnesium supplementation product. Magnesium oxide is sometimes referred to as CalMag, not because it contains calcium but because the calcination process used to convert magnesite into magnesium oxide uses heat. The source of the magnesite determines the level of elemental magnesium present and the heat treatment affects the surface area and availability to the animal. Farmlands pays particular attention to sourcing high quality, reliable magnesium oxide. A 200 mesh size means it would pass through

a screen with spacings of 0.029 inches which is pretty fine â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so it is suitable for use for pasture dusting, drenching and in-feed. Magnesium oxide is a rumen buffer, so when added to grain and compound feed it will help to offset rumen acidosis. Unlike magnesium oxide, both magnesium chloride and magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) are readily soluble in water, which lends them towards use in water troughs. They have an advantage over magnesium oxide pre-calving because they are anionic salts, which can shift the DCAD of the diet to encourage calcium mobilisation before calving and help reduce the severity and incidence of milk fever. Like magnesium oxide, the Achilles heel of these magnesium supplements is their palatability. A belt-and-braces approach, which includes supplementation little and often by multiple routes is generally recommended â&#x20AC;&#x201C; especially during critical periods, to ensure optimum milk product and animal health. For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Stacey Cosnett Technical Product Manager, Farmlands Nutrition.

Magnesium Source

% Elemental Magnesium (approx)

Features

Typical Dosage Rates

Magnesium Chloride

11.7

Soluble so can be added to water, anionic salt.

60-100g/cow/day. Higher levels can decrease the palatability of water

Magnesium Sulphate

9.8

Soluble so can be added to water, anionic salt.

75-100g/cow/day. Higher levels can decrease the palatability of water and may have a laxative effect.

Magnesium Oxide

High magnesium content, helps to buffer rumen acidity.

50-80g dusting/cow/day. Higher levels may be required in adverse conditions to offset in-field losses.

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NUTRITION

A lick off the old block Molasses based blocks offer a convenient route to supplement the nutritional needs of dry cows over the winter. South Island stores were pivotal to the introduction of Winslow Blocks molassed mineral and feed blocks in a strong plastic tub – when they were first made in the South Island in 2006. With a second SealesWinslow block manufacturing plant now in the North Island, Farmlands is well positioned to make these popular, New Zealand made supplements available throughout New Zealand, alongside dehydrated Crystalyx blocks. The mineral, trace element and vitamin requirements of dry cows are lower than their needs during peak lactation but should not be overlooked. The dry period is a critical time for tissue repair and recovery in readiness for the season ahead. The demands of the fetus increase in late pregnancy and the nutritional content of winter pasture - and

especially winter crops - means there are inevitably gaps between what is delivered and what is required. Calving and early lactation is such a critical time for dairy cows that ensuring they are not further constrained by mineral deficiencies accrued during the dry period is well worthwhile. Dairy farmers are increasingly turning to forage crops grown on run-off blocks or by winter graziers – but they have some inherent and important differences to fresh and conserved pasture. SealesWinslow’s Cattle Wintering Blocks are soon to be renamed Cattle Winter Crop Blocks, to reinforce their suitability for dry cows on crops – but they are still well suited for dry cows on winter pasture and silage. They are typically consumed at one third to half the rate of 200g/day that Crystalyx Dry Cow Blocks are consumed. Compared to the nutritional requirements of cows in late pregnancy, brassicas contain marginal levels of magnesium and phosphorus but high concentrations of potassium and calcium, which make them especially unsuitable for springer cows. Brassicas typically contain low concentrations of copper and high sulphur levels, which can reduce copper availability, as does soil ingestion. Brassica crops tend to be low in selenium and contain goitrogens that reduce the availability of what little iodine brassicas contain.

over winter but it lacks magnesium, phosphorus and calcium and contains oxalates that reduce calcium availability. Like brassicas, fodder beet is low in copper and iron intake from soil ingestion, which reduces copper availability. Fodder beet may be low in zinc – a critical element for the immune system – but published information is limited. Feedback from many users over the years suggests that giving cows access to blocks in late pregnancy can improve the viability of the calf, ease of calving and productivity of the cow post-calving. Whilst Cattle Winter Crop Blocks contain some phosphorus, farmers who have experienced unusual cases of milk fever-like symptoms after calving, which respond poorly to standard calcium treatment, may wish to consider supplementing fodder beet with additional phosphorus in the form of dicalcium phosphate (typically 50g/ head/day). For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Dr. Rob Derrick, Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.

The high energy content of fodder beet is powerful enough to help dry cows maintain or even gain condition

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RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE

Land drainage systems - Warrant of Fitness ARE YOU READY FOR WINTER? Now’s the time to assess your land drainage system’s performance last winter and carry out seasonal maintenance.

Everything from flow to previous work undertaken on the paddock can all influence drainage.

• Is there any scouring at the outlet? Extend protective PVC pipe 300mm into drain.

By having a look over the following checklist, shareholders can see where the boxes are being ticked – and where making a few changes now could save you considerable money in the long run.

• Sluggish flow may indicate a build up of soil or iron ochre – clean using a jetting machine.

• Did the system meet your requirements? • Was excessive ponding, pugging or prolonged wet soil conditions an issue? A regular maintenance programme is the key to overcoming many of these issues. Autumn has always been the perfect time for rural infrastructure maintenance. By casting your mind back to the previous seasons, you should have a good idea of what has been working – and what has not. Drainage is an integral part of the success of your business. Paddocks damaged by poor drainage may need to be taken out of rotation, which means less dry matter readily available. It can also mean needing to raid the supplementary reserves earlier, which all adds to the cost per animal.

• Is the drain that the pipe discharges into clear of vegetation or silt? • Does the drainage pipe have a damaged outlet, i.e. flattened by stock or machinery? Install a short length of PVC pipe to protect the drainage pipe’s outlet.

• Has the paddock been mole drained? • Are the mole channels still open or have they closed up? • Were the “moles” speared down to the pipe? • Have any tree roots infiltrated the pipe network? A successful land drainage system is an outcome of good design, correct installation and an effective annual maintenance programme. Regular checks during rural infrastructure season can turn a puggy paddock into a productive paddock. For more information, please talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today. Article supplied by Iplex Pipelines NZ Limited.

It adds up over time, which is why it never hurts to see if a few changes could contribute to better performance.

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