Cowmanagement August 2018

V O LU M E 16 N O 5 AUGUST 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

F E E D IN G

BREED IN G

H EALTH

First-cut silage analyses and winter planning

We review August’s genomic and proven sire rankings

Johne’s deadline – has your herd been risk assessed?

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Will you have your Johne’s vet declaration signed for your milk buyer by 31st October 2018?

To find out more visit: www.actionjohnesuk.org

Healthy cows = productive cows

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14-08-18 10:46

CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Value added: gelato processing Roger Evans Vet column: Mycoplasma bovis ForFarmers Nutritional News/ Thompsons Nutritional News 39 CRV Avoncroft Breeding Information 45 NMR Dairy Management News 46 Events and contacts 5 11 15 33 35

REPORT

12 A leading UK herd is using the latest genomic technology BREEDING

16 Find your perfect match H E A LT H

20 Johne’s meetings dispel myths FEEDING

42 Transition cow management/ Making the most of forage

Paul Miller “Breeding from our best females will increase the rate of genetic gain” 22

Editor Rachael Porter Planning ahead

F

orage stocks have taken a hammering after a hot and dry summer, with many producers forced to feed first-cut silage in July as grazing ran short. Many are hoping for a ‘second spring’, once the rain comes, and the chance to grow short-term leys and catch crops to make up some of the potential shortfall.

We take a look at first-cut silage analyses and options for feeding this winter in our special, which starts on page 23. And we also have a timely piece on mixerwagon maintenance, to help you to ensure that you get the best performance from your kit – and your cows.

Thinking longer-term, our herd report revisits a renowned dairying family to find out how they are taking their breeding up a level, by genomically testing all their heifers. The Millers already have an impressive awardwinning Holstein herd, which often features in the top 10 of NMR’s annual production report. But genetic progress is set to speed up even further with the use of GeneTracker and more targeted

use of sexed semen, as well as ET and IVF work. Read our article on page 12 to find out more.

Staying with breeding, Lancashire-based producer James Tomlinson shares his highlights from August’s bull proof run – both in the proven and genomically tested lists. There are plenty of debutants in the latter that have caused quite a stir this time around. Find out why on page 36.

Our vet column focuses on mycoplasma, which has been causing serious issues for producers in New Zealand during 2018. Vet Debby Brown shares the low down on this problem on page 33.

We also have the final article in our series on dairy labour and this time we speak to a consultant about why team building – particularly through regular meetings – is key to motivating and retaining staff. She also offers other tips, advice and food for thought on page six.

Always deep in thought is Roger Evans and he’s been thinking about straw. It’s in short supply and expensive.

Main article Staff shortages

Special Feeding

Breeding August proof run

6

23

36

Developing a team approach is key to retaining dairy staff

We take a look at silage quality, mixer maintenance and live yeasts

Debutants shake up genomic rankings, while proven list remains stable

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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C O W

TA L K

Walk maize crops to assess forage quality An early maize harvest could catch producers out unless they start monitoring crops soon, according to Limagrain’s Tim Richmond.

Due to the drought, crops are typically two weeks ahead. “And the hot weather means the accumulated Ontario Heat Units are already high, meaning crops

are maturing quickly. We have seen early tasselling and crops drying down quicker,” he says.

“To help reduce the problems created by the cold and wet spring, as well as lower soil temperatures and delayed drilling, we also saw a swing from later maturing varieties to earlier maturing options.

“Early varieties will typically mature two weeks ahead of later maturing varieties, irrespective of the season.

Where producers switched varieties, they could be looking at harvesting four weeks earlier than in 2017.”

He says that correct timing of harvest is essential to ensure the best yield of high quality maize silage. “I recommend walking crops from late August to assess maturity. The target range for an optimum crop is between 32% and 35% dry matter. This maximises the dry matter yield and starch content while, at

the same time, also maintaining better digestibility in the vegetative part of the plant. This contains 50% of the energy.

“At dry matter levels higher than this, palatability and intakes can be reduced.

Digestibility may be compromised and the crop may be difficult to consolidate, increasing the risk of aerobic spoilage.”

He says that producers should look to harvest when no juice emerges when the stem is twisted, and when the leaves level with the cob are just beginning to turn brown. “The grains at the top of the cob should be like soft cheese and those at the bottom should be like hard cheese.

The grains in the middle should be soft enough to leave a thumbnail imprint.

“As well as regularly assessing the crop, it is vital to talk to your contractor so they are aware of likely harvesting dates. By reacting to the season, you will be able to ensure the best quality forage,” he adds.

Fat lac

Westerwolds demand soars to fill the feed gap Demand for fast-growing Westerwolds grasses has increased ten-fold this year, as producers try to replenish a shortage of fodder.

Many producers are already feeding winter silage stocks and are desperate to get new grass leys in the ground, according to DLF Seeds’ David Rhodes.

“Westerwolds are the most vigorous grass varieties available,” he says. “Once sown and germinated, stock can be grazing them within eight to 10 weeks.

That compares to around 12 weeks

for a perennial ryegrass ley, so it’s unsurprising that demand has rocketed.”

He adds that the seed mix will yield between 2t DM/ha and 5t DM/ha in the autumn. “And then you can shut up these fields to take a silage cut in the spring, before sowing spring crops. The grass is extremely fast-growing and is responsive to fertiliser, so it is capable of producing up to 20 tonnes of dry matter per hectare in its first year, before being replaced with an alternative crop.”

Ideally, it should be sown from August

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

Developing a team approach is ke

Let staff set th Staff-shortage solutions This is the final article in our series that takes a closer look at dairy labour. Many UK producers are facing the increasingly difficult challenge of finding staff to manage and run their herds and businesses. So how can they attract and inspire the next generation and keep them motivated and passionate about working in the sector?

Part 1: Dairy labour: why there is a shortage?

Part 2: Recruiting and retaining staff Part 3: Inspiring the next generation Part 4: Success stories – team building and motivation

We spoke to a dairy training specialist to find out why producers and herd managers should hold regular meetings to help motivate and retain staff, and develop a team spirit. text Rachael Porter

T

he key difference between dairy units with a high and low staff turnover can be boiled down to one simple thing – team meetings, or rather the lack of them. So says Kite Consulting’s Sophie Helyer, who runs regular training courses across the UK on managing and motivating staff.

She says, from her experience, that there are many factors that play a vital role in retaining and motivating staff. But the one area where producers ‘could do better’ is creating a team atmosphere on their unit. “And this begins with having regular team meetings, engaging with staff and encouraging them to communicate and work with you and each other.”

Engaging with staff then allows producers to find out what motivates them and this, inevitably, also leads to better retention. “Build a happy and cohesive team and you also create a better working environment – somewhere they will want to spend every working day – and staff will stay with you.”

Ms Helyer, who also has first-hand experience of managing a large team of staff on a 1,600-cow dairy unit, says that meetings are, in effect, about improving communication.

“Producers who struggle to retain staff are often still working with an authoritative/dictatorial style.

They’ll tell an employee to do something – often with little or no instruction or explanation – and without giving any reasons, objectives or targets.

Staff are left in the dark and can feel demotivated.

And there’s also little or no feedback for the employee, unless it’s negative or critical.”

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2018

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oach is key to retaining dairy staff

et the agenda At the other end of the scale are producers who will explain how they’d like a task to be done and why. “They might also offer training, if they feel it’s required. And there’s certainly constructive feedback – whether the results are good or bad,” adds Ms Helyer. “But it’s never ‘personal’ – it’s about the job and how well it’s been done, or if and how it could be done better.

“Perhaps the staff need more time, better equipment, or there’s another issue that needs addressing. But it’s all discussed in a positive way.

These employers avoid creating a ‘blame’ culture and setting up an ‘us and them’ scenario when it comes to management and staff.”

Staff communication She refers to this as ‘below the line’ rather than ‘above the line’. “Producers should always aim to be ‘above the line’ when it comes to staff communication and working relationships.”

Managing a dairy business successfully, particularly in larger herds, should be a team approach and that means working together – supporting and encouraging each other – to get the job done to the most efficient and effective level. “Feeling valued is just as important as feeling part of a team,” she says.

“Employees need to be Sophie Helyer: “Holding regular team meetings is a good starting point“ told that they are doing a good job and, again, this is an area of staff management where many producers ‘could do better’.

“If you ask someone to do something in a particular way, or to meet a target, let them know how they’re doing. Feedback is vital; all too often, employers are quick to flag up a problem. But it’s also important to acknowledge a job well done.”

Protocols and setting objectives – ensuring that they’re SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time based) – helps here. “It’s difficult to set targets and measure success without them.

Short-term business objectives could be reducing somatic cell count, or calving interval, or the number of zero-value culls.”

And setting objectives should also be a team issue, and this is where team meetings come in. “Yet many producers are not holding team meetings – not even on a monthly basis.”

But some, she has found, see regular meetings as a starting point in better people management and

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Discussion points: teams can work together to improve their approach to dairy management tasks, and to meet targets and objectives

A RT I C L E

retaining staff. “Bringing people together to discuss the herd and business creates encourages a team approach. It creates an arena to discuss and delegate jobs more efficiently,” explains Ms Helyer.

And, if there’s an issue with the herd – perhaps butterfat levels have fallen or mastitis cases have increased – the meeting creates an arena for discussion anwd problem solving. “When it comes to the latter, there’s rarely one thing that’s causing an issue. It could be milking routine, it could be dirty calving pens, it could be fly control. See what staff say. They’re the ones working with the cows each day and they’ll flag up potential problem areas. Let them take ownership and they’ll also thrive on the challenge and the satisfaction of resolving issues and seeing improvements.”

Just share The whole ‘meeting’ scenario may seem alien to some producers: “But stick with it. It will get easier and you will see rewards for your efforts,” stresses Ms Helyer. “Begin by having just a couple of things to discuss, such as silage analysis results or the latest somatic cell count figures. Just share what’s going on with the herd and business – good and bad. Make your staff feel involved and that their input and opinions matter.

“You may discover, through talking together as a team, that one member of staff is particularly interested in tackling mastitis, for example, and can look into a new approach that can be tried out.”

Day-to-day conversation is vital too; outside of the regular meetings. “It’s important to show that you care about your staff. So something as simple as asking how someone’s weekend was or if they have

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any plans for their evening – just general chit-chat – shows that you’re interested in them. They’re not just someone you pay to do a job.”

Important words She adds that important words for any manager to remember – and use more often – are: ‘hello’, ‘please’, ‘thank you’, and ‘well done’. “Taking the time to say ‘thank you’ properly costs nothing and goes a long way to making a staff member feel appreciated and valued. And I don’t just mean a quick ‘thanks’, I mean: ‘thank you for staying an extra hour last night to finish that job – I really appreciated your help’.

She suggests following this up with a gesture, perhaps the chance to knock off early one afternoon and another reference to how much you appreciated them working late earlier in the week. Staff need to feel fulfilled and appreciated. And producers with high staff turnover are often failing to meet even the most basic employee needs. “A typical example is a broken wheel on an office chair, or a kettle that doesn’t work. These are irritating and small things, but they can make all the difference to someone’s working day.

“If an employee flags up something like this, it should be dealt with quickly. Such things are usually easy to fix and, because of this, if the request falls on deaf ears or is forgotten about, then they’ll feel undervalued, ignored and disrespected.

“So sort out the little things quickly and don’t let these deter them from working as a team in focussing on the bigger picture of managing your herd and business. They’ll reward you with loyalty and commitment.” l

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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14-08-18 11:10

VA L U E

A D D E D

Name: Paul and Rachel Candy Herd size: Frome, Somerset Adding value: On-farm gelato processing and sales

Frome

Rachel Candy: “Gelato is much more luxurious than ice-cream”

‘High-end’ processing text Rachael Porter

A

taste of Italy – or rather Somerset – is available from Paul and Rachel Candy’s dairy unit, based at Pyle Farm near Frome. The pair began processing some of their 200-cow Holstein herd’s milk into gelato in March and already they have a strong customer base and big plans to grow their diversification.

“Investing in processing has been gradual,” explains Rachel. “We knew, from speaking to other people, that you have to learn to run before you can walk.”

So this year has been about getting the product right. “It’s a high-end product.

And it’s made using milk, rather than cream, which is what initially attracted us to the idea,” says Paul.

The all-year-round calving herd, which is grazed for at least six months of the year, currently averages 8,800kg of milk at 4.2% butterfat and 3.3% protein. Nearly all the milk is sold to cheese maker Barbers. “And we use about 120 litres a week for gelato,” says Rachel explaining that the product is much more ‘luxurious’ than ice-cream and sold under the

business’ ‘Palette and Pasture’ brand (Rachel is also an artist by trade).

“Ice-cream contains up to 50% air, but gelato contains between 20% and 30%, which gives it a richer taste.”

The catalyst for their diversification was farm-gate milk prices. “We wanted to mitigate some of the market volatility that we face. But we’ll never process all our milk into gelato – we don’t want to see it being sold everywhere,” says Rachel.

“For us, it’s about making a top-quality product that we can sell through our own on-farm ice-cream parlour, our events trailer, and a few local shops and cafes.

We can add value to some of our milk – four times the liquid price. And selling gelato directly to consumers also encourages positive engagement with the public and that’s something we’re also passionate about.

The Candy’s gelato certainly brings people to the yard! They had 1,500 visitors on Open Farm Sunday in June. “And we’re holding another ‘mini’ open day in August,” adds Paul.

“It’s been a crazy summer so far, and it’s also been fantastic – probably helped by

the hot and dry weather. The business has got off to a better start than we could have hoped for,” adds Rachel.

With help from Paul’s parents, Diana and Terry, they make six ‘basic’ flavours: white gold, which is plain milk; salted caramel; coffee and walnut; summer fruits; strawberry; and mint choc chip.

“We produce a natural product – no colourings or artificial flavours are added. Strawberry gelato is made with fruit puree and mint choc chip is made with mint from the garden.”

Another USP is their trailer, which can be hired for shows and events, with flavours chosen by the customer. “We’ll make whatever they want. Pink gin has proved popular this year.

“People like the trailer. Whenever we’ve taken it out we’ve made one or two more bookings as a result. We’ve a few slots booked this year, but I think we’ll be flat out with it next summer,” adds Rachel.

For more information visit: www.paletteandpasture.co.uk

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Identifying the best females to breed the next generation of replacements

Selecting the cream of the crop

Miller family This renown herd is taking breeding a step further by introducing the latest genomic technology to test all females and speed up the rate of genetic gain.

Herd size: Average yield: Calving interval: Unit size:

The latest genomic technology is helping one of the UK’s leading

Evesham

dairy herds to increase its rate of genetic gain, reduce heifer rearing costs, and produce a more uniform herd. We spoke to

440 cows 13,790 litres 389 days 336 hectares

the Worcestershire-based family to find out more. text Rachael Porter

H

eifers from your best females – every time. That dream is now a reality on the Miller family’s Evesham-based unit.

The cost of genomic testing has become more competitive – about £32 per animal compared to around £100 just a few years ago – and since 2016 Paul Miller has been taking samples for genomic testing from all his dairy heifer calves. And, he says, he can already see a difference in his herd, due to using genomic sires, and he is excited about the herd’s future.

Paul runs the Shanael pedigree Holstein herd, in partnership with his parents Mike and Shan Miller and brother Steven, on a 336-hectare tenanted unit in Worcestershire.

And the former NMR/RABDF Gold Cup winner says he’s been using genomic testing for 10 years now: “Just on the odd ‘special’ cow or heifer to start with.

But I really wanted to test all my females, but it was just too expensive,” he says.

past, but we had limited success. So we want to try IVF. “It’s expensive, but we’re looking to see if we can do it in a more commercial way. It should result in more heifer calves from our best females.

Best females “The plan is to use the best 1% of the herd as IVF donors; use sexed semen on around 39% of the herd, to ensure that we have enough herd replacements; and the remaining 60% of the herd would be surrogates for the 1%.

“It could even be just 0.5% of the herd that we carry out IVF work with. The finer details are yet to be finalised.”

Using GeneTracker will ensure that the

Millers use their very best females, to maximise the rate of genetic gain and breed some fantastic cattle and, of course, maximise the return on their investment.

The herd, which is housed all year round, comprises 440 milkers, plus 350 followers, following a recent push for expansion. After a period of consolidation, the Millers are looking to expand again – probably up to around 600 milkers, which will mean investing in another 200-cow cubicle shed.

He’s not concerned about having enough replacements: “Sexed semen technology has come a long way and it’ll be exciting when we are ready to grow because we’ll be using our own replacements and they

Tag test: samples are taken from young heifers for genomic profiling

Genetic progress The launch of NMR’s GeneTracker has changed that, and he now tests all heifers as calves – before they’re six months old.

“This helps with breeding decisions and it also gives me a good indication of the genetic progress being made, well before those heifer are in calf or calve and join the milking herd.”

More precisely, it helps Paul to decide which heifers he’d like to breed from and which he’d like to use for IVF work.

“We have done some ET work in the

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Heifer replacements: in the future, all dairy breeding will be carried out using only the very best females in the herd

will be heifers from our best females.”

The herd is currently milked threetimes-a-day through a 28:28 herringbone parlour, which he says has the capacity to milk more cows.

So no additional investment will be required here, if cow numbers expand.

“We have recently installed LED lighting in all our cow housing. We wanted to ensure that the milking herd, which is housed all year round, had at least 18 hours of ‘daylight’ in a 24-hour period.

“We were looking for extra milk – that’s what all the research and advisers promised. And, so far, we think we’re seeing an extra 1.5 litres per cow per day.”

The NMR recorded herd, which featured in the top 10 of this year’s annual production report ranking, is averaging 13,790kg of milk, at 3.73% butterfat and 3.21% protein, with a somatic cell count of 156,000 cells/ml. Calving interval stands at a respectable 389 days.

Improved fertility Paul is pleased with that figure, particularly since fertility has been a focus for improvement during the past few years.

“We’ve made a real effort to improve fertility. We’re calving all year round and we’re more aggressive in checking for heats.

“We have increased routine vet visits to every week, monitoring individual cows and trends through InterHerd.

“Our vet and consultant can also access this data and the reports so we’re all working from the same information.”

He’s not looking to shave more days off the interval – just ‘tighten’ it.

“That figure is the average for the herd, so I’d just like to have fewer cows that are way off being anywhere close to that figure.”

He’s also keeping a close eye on milk solids, since that’s what his milk contract, with Muller, pays for.

“We used to be paid on a liquid basis, but that’s changed now. We’re currently producing around 984kg of fat and protein per cow – the result of breeding and feeding. So that, again, is where GeneTracker comes in.

“We can use the genetic information to help us focus on breeding cows with improved butterfat, as well as good health and yield.”

The genomic testing will also help the business when the family is, once again, in a position to sell surplus heifers.

The Shanael herd already had a good pedigree reputation and Paul thinks that this will add another layer of invaluable information and help to raise the profile of the herd even further.

“I can see a time, when we’ve increased

the size of milking herd and no longer need to breed so many replacements, when we’ll use beef sires on the lower genetic merit proportion of the herd.

“All our replacements will be top quality and we’ll be in a position to sell some of them.” He says that, at the moment, they need to rear between 130 and 140 heifer replacements each year.

“And heifers are expensive to rear, so ideally we just want to rear the very best ones. That will be the norm on our unit in a few years.”

Good health When it comes to breeding decisions, Paul says that sires with good health traits, that score low for SCC and high for lifespan, make it onto his shortlist.

“It all has to be there. We’re looking for high milk yield too and at least +500kg on constituents.”

As for type – he says that’s a funny one.

“If a cow completes several lactations and she’s healthy then she should, by default, be a good cow.

“I do look at type, but I also want efficiency. It’s no good having a ‘pretty’ cow if she doesn’t milk well. Feet, legs and udders are all type traits, but they’re also strongly correlated with health.

“I think if you look to breed a cow with high health traits and figures then you can’t go wrong.” l

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F E W

W O R D S

F R O M

R O G E R

E VA N S

Award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based producer Roger Evans reminisces about stubble burning and shares his worries about straw prices and availability.

Drawing the short straw I

’ve not been to East Anglia many times, but I went years ago when arable farmers were still allowed to burn straw and stubble.

The landscape was black, the sky was black, and the air was full of smoke and ash. I’d never seen anything like it and it’s little wonder it was banned. The only wonder was that some farmers couldn’t understand why.

Following the ban, some of that straw was chopped and ploughed in, and some of it was baled and made its way west and north to where it was needed on livestock farms. There are a lot of cereals grown just around here and, in the recent past, we have grown the odd field ourselves. But mostly we have bought four or five fields of straw ‘in the swath’.

We have always bought more than we needed, to be on the safe side, and most years we have had some to sell.

Ours is probably the last valley where a lot of corn is grown before you get into the livestock farms of mid-Wales. And there are lots of these farms within an hour’s tractor drive of us and most of these farms will be looking for straw.

Today they cart this straw back ‘uphill’ in big square bales on quite tidy trailers and lorries. Years ago it was all baled in little bales and carted home on homemade trailers of doubtful road worthiness.

Going to fetch straw home was a big adventure and some of the younger drivers would get overexcited and use too much welly.

It was quite a common sight to see a Fordson Major, with a load of bales behind it, marooned on the side of the road, with steam rising into the air and a pool of oil lying on the tarmac.

Today straw is in short supply and expensive. There are lots of reasons for this and chief among them is that there is a lot of straw that stays in the east that is burnt to produce power. I’ve been saying for a long time that there could be a problem if produce from farming achieved greater returns if it was turned into power rather than putting it through livestock.

I’ve only managed to buy two fields of straw this year, instead of the usual four or five. There was a field of winter barley straw sold locally.

We knew what it cost and we counted the bales. It worked out at more than £50 for each big square bale (not the biggest) and that was before you moved it. Straw is making more per tonne than the grain that grows on the end of it!

But this isn’t just market forces at work and it also raises the issue of animal welfare. It’s a fair chance that animals that lie on straw will be less comfortable this winter than they have been in the past and that should concern us all. One thing I have observed during the years is that if something is expensive – be it produce or livestock – then all farmers want some.

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B R E E D I N G

Computerised mating program takes guesswork out of dairy breeding

Find your perfect match Key breeding goals are fine-tuned using the SireMatch computerised mating program, so producers can select the best sires to use on individual cows and heifers. We spoke to a breeding specialist and a producer to find out how it works. text Rachael Porter

T

he ‘perfect’ herd is something that all producers strive for. But no two dairy herds, systems or businesses are the same. So, what’s perfect for one may not be for another.

CRV’s computer mating service SireMatch is all about creating that perfect herd. It achieves this by using data-backed facts and marrying them with the needs of the particular system or a producer’s own requirements, determined from the breeding goals for the herd.

“This isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ system,” says breeding consultant Alan Mason.

“Quite the contrary. SireMatch offers producers a tailored approach to progressing their herd’s breeding plans.

And the essential starting point is to determine a herd’s breeding goals.

Four standard breeding goals – components, efficiency, health and milk – are available in SireMatch to help producers with their choice of direction, or they can customise these goals. “This is where I, and my breeding consultant colleagues, come in,” adds Alan. “We will look at the system, determine the producer’s needs and also look at the

16

current herd of cow, and go from there.

We’ll look at these standard goals and we can adapt them in line with our findings, the herd’s data and our discussions.”

SireMatch has proved itself in the field.

“We’ve got herds that have taken advantage of the program, combined with our advice and knowledge, to breed high performance, durable and troublefree cows.”

Uniform herd Four years into using SireMatch, and father-and-son team Anthony and Ethan Sawrey can already see a difference in their 160-cow pedigree Weint dairy herd. They say that they are certainly closer to milking their ‘perfect’ herd.

Based near Ulverston, in Cumbria, the pair, who farm in partnership with Anthony’s parents Tony and Jean, adopted the sire mating program after Ethan visited herds that were using it in The Netherlands.

“I was impressed with what I saw – long lines of good, uniform cows. I compared these with our cows, which were starting to get a little too tall and ‘extreme’. We

Ethan Sawrey: “We set breeding targets for our herd and the program does the rest”

knew we had to correct this and, after my trip to Holland, I decided that the answer may lie in using SireMatch.”

So, working closely with Alan Mason, Ethan and Anthony outlined their breeding goals. “This highlighted five bulls that we matched, using SireMatch, to individual cows,” says Ethan. “Every six months we update the sires we’re using, usually changing two or three.

One of our aims is to get away from milking a ‘collection’ of cows and back to milking a ‘herd’ of cows,” he adds.

The herd, which currently averages 9,000 litres at 4.3% butterfat and 3.3% protein with a somatic cell count of 130,000 cells/ml, calves all year round, to produce a level milk supply. The unit is also home to 100 dairy followers and 100 head of beef cattle – a mixture of Fleckvieh and Aberdeen Angus crosses from the dairy herd.

Since the introduction of SireMatch, Ethan and his father have noticed a marked difference in the heifers coming into the herd. With many first-crop

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daughters by Kodak, Atlantic and Cricket Udders, feet and legs and stature are already milking, it’s already starting to high on their sire wish-list. “We also look more like the ‘uniform’ herd. want to use bulls that are plus on milk, “We’re wanting to use sires that will BREEDING fat and protein yield, as UK well as fertility, GOALS breed stronger and shorter Holsteins. but minus on somatic cell count,” says We’re reducing the height of the cows Your Ethan. breeding goal is the central factor for advice and leveling out the herd. I think a herd provided “For by usthe it’s aboutmanagement producingprogram a balanced breeding of uniform cows will be easier to manage SireMatch. cow and avoiding extremes.

Dutch Four standard breeding goals are available to make your easier. But if you prefer, us and to milk. The herds I saw in The to help bloodlines andchoice SireMatch are helping a customised Netherlands comprised cows that looked creating achieve this.” breeding goal is also possible. identical, except for their coat markings, The performance of second calvers, which Components and that’s what I want to see here.” include some Rocky and Kodak Cows that achieve outstanding fat and protein

Extremely easy to manage cows thanks to

production in kilograms, thanks to enough milk

their excellent health and fertility that enables them

with a high component content. Average frame and

to effortlessly produce milk with high component

dimensions, solid udders and robust feet and legs

contents in kilograms. Durable producers with a very

guarantee a long, durable life. Thanks to excellent

low somatic cell count, low incidence of mastitis

SireMatch’s four standard breeding goals Components

daughters, is encouraging. And heifers

by Startrek and Apina Norman that are about to calve look promising.

“SireMatch has helped us ‘correct’ our matings and it has helped to take some of theis utilised stressforand guesswork out of of feed milk production. breeding thespeed, type fertility of cows A good milking and that we want to milk.

We have cow the – and claw and udder healthameans cowsa herd – in produceand effortlessly and are easy mind, the program is to a vital tool in manage. us to best match individual cows helping to suitable sires in order to breed this Health herd of cows.” l

fertility and claw health and amazing udder health,

of effortlessly milk without theplenty animals can cope withcompromising high component

Many producers are looking for plenty production body condition. locomotion also and are easy toGood manage. of milk with a high fat and protein yield. plays an important role.” He adds that Efficiency They also want to milk cows of average average stature is a must if a high that efficiently into milk thanks size, with good udders and robust Cows proportion ofconvert feed feed intake is to be used characterised by high feet and legs. “This guarantees a long, to high for lifetime milkproduction production.

Good milking protein in kilograms and excellent durable life,” says breeding consultant production speed, of fertility and hoof and udder body depth and width gives the Alan Mason. “With good fertility, as well longevity. healthPower, mean that the cows will produce cows the capacity for a high feed intake so they can as hoof and udder health, these cows can milk effortlessly and are easy to manage. produce plenty of milk without compromising on body handle high component production and condition. Good locomotion also plays a contributing Four standard breeding goals are available are easy to manage.” role. Thanks to the average stature, a high proportion

and very few claw disorders such as digital dermatitis,

Health interdigital dermatitis and sole haemorrhages.

This comes hand-in-hand with easy-toThe cows also calve with ease. Average frame and manage “You can’t legs have one dimensions,cows. solid udders and robust guarantee a long, durable without thelife.other,” says Alan. “Low somatic cell counts, a lower incidence of Milk and fewer lameness issues, such mastitis, Cows with dermatitis, excellent milk production in kilograms. as digital are essential.

Fertility frame and stature, solid udders and robust isAverage also important – cows need to get in calf legs guarantee a long, durable life. Thanks to excellent easily, and we want few calving issues.” fertility and claw health and amazing udder health, the

animals can effortlessly cope with high milk production and are easy to manage.

Milk There’s plenty of milk to be had if breeding and management ensure that the cow has everything she needs to enjoy a long and productive herd life.

“This goal selects for cows with excellent milk production, as well as average frames and stature, solid udders and robust legs.”

Efficiency This is high on producers’ list of priorities. “They want to milk cows that can easily convert feed into milk and offer high lifetime production, including a high yield of milk protein, as well as excellent longevity. Power, body depth and width give cows the capacity for a high feed intake, so they can produce

MY IDEAL HERD IS High productive

Easy to manage

What is most important?

What is your main focus?

Production per cow

Production per kg feed

Total lifetime production

Health & fertility

What is your main focus?

Kg fat & protein

Kg milk

COMPONENTS

EFFICIENCY MILK

HEALTH

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14-08-18 11:21

H E A LT H

Johne’s meetings dispel myths and encourage producer action

No more excuses With the deadline for Johne’s declarations just two months away, we spoke to a cattle vet leading the drive to increase awareness of this insidious and devastating disease. text Rachael Porter

H

ave you discussed Johne’s management with your vet yet?

By October 31, all producers supplying purchaser members of the National Johne’s Management Plan will have to have assessed their herd’s disease risk and status, and they must also have a written Johne’s management plan in place and co-sign a declaration of compliance with their BCVA-accredited Johne’s veterinary adviser.

That deadline, as CowManagement went to press, was just two months away. And NMR vet Karen Bond, says that there are still some common questions and misconceptions about the disease – and the scheme – that need to be addressed if the target of signing up 95% of UK producers is to be met.

“We don’t know how close to the target we are – we won’t know until the deadline. But OMSCo set an earlier deadline of July 31 for its suppliers and Muller has asked that declarations be returned by September 30, so that will give us an early indication of progress,” she says.

scheme doesn’t apply to them), to producers who know they have Johne’s in their herd but just don’t know where to begin.

The former group, once discussions begin, soon realise that they do have cows that could be exhibiting signs of Johne’s.

“There is a misconception that you have to have cows wasting away before your eyes if you have a Johne’s problem in your herd. The reality is that those cows are the extreme – some producers will never, if ever, see a clinical Johne’s cow in their herd. But that doesn’t mean that the disease isn’t there. It’s very good at hiding and causing a lot of damage while remaining undetected.”

Producer meetings

Eye opener: once meetings begin, producers often realise that they have a Johne’s problem

Johne’s symptoms Typical signs, outlined by Dr Bond during meetings and discussed by delegates, include poor yields, mastitis and high SCCs: “Often with no real explanation. But producers don’t tend to take a step back and look beyond that. If they did, they’d start to think about

Karen Bond: “The meetings have helped to demystify the disease for some producers”

whether it could be Johne’s disease. This presents, typically, as an underlying disease. That’s why it’s so problematic.”

At the other end of the scale, there are producers who know that they have a problem but they just don’t know where to start. “It seems insurmountable, so they just do nothing.”

Dr Bond says that it is, indeed, a difficult disease ‘to get your head around’. “It’s complicated and there’s no ‘black and white’ when it comes to Johne’s. And it’s certainly not something that can be dealt with overnight. This can be daunting.

“So the role of the meetings – and indeed the scheme – is to help to demystify the disease and make tackling it more straightforward. It’s a case of one step at a time. But all the steps, if producers

So far this year, the vet team at NMR has delivered 80 meetings, plus 10 workshops and eight vet meetings, across the UK. “Producers are, on the whole, extremely proactive. But one thing I have noticed, which is interesting and also highlights that the meetings are doing what they set out to do, is that some producers arrive thinking: ‘I don’t have Johne’s – this doesn’t apply to my herd’. Yet, invariably, they leave having recognised many of the things discussed and going home to look for, and tackle, Johne’s.”

Attendees range from producers who’ve never seen a ‘full-blown’ clinical Johne’s cow in their herd and, therefore, think that they don’t have a problem (and the

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Johne’s surveillance on the rise NMR has reported an increase of 11%, for the year to June 2018, in the number of dairy units on regular Johne’s surveillance through its HerdWise screening service.

The number of milk samples tested each month has risen by 15% compared to 12 months ago.

This is a strong indication that a greater proportion of UK milk production is now being screened for the disease.

Producers can opt to use NMR recording samples for quarterly Johne’s testing by calling NMR customer services on 03330 043 043, or by emailing customerservices@ nmr.co.uk

On-farm workshops: delegates benefit from discussions and sharing their experiences

stick with them, will eventually result in disease control.”

Dr Bond says that it’s rare to find a producer who doesn’t take something home from the meeting. “They provide a forum to speak to other producers and to find out how they identified a problem and also pick up some practical tips on how to take steps to manage the disease.

Many leave feeling more positive about tackling the disease because they are armed with the knowledge and the tools to begin taking back control.

“Three key issues come up at every meeting,” says Dr Bond. The first is segregating high risk cows at calving.

Producers say it’s difficult – they worry about the practicalities. They fear that finding additional space and facilities will be a problem and think that they will need a whole new building to house these cows.

Lateral thinking “But often the solution is much simpler than that and just requires a bit of lateral thinking. In year-round calving herds, the number of high risk cows that need to be segregated at any one time is usually very small, so just a pen is all that is required.

“Even in herds with a bigger problem, considering the timing of when your replacements are born can provide an easier route to a safe calving environment.”

Dr Bond says that the second most common concern, when it comes to

tackling Johne’s, is knowing when to cull a high-risk cow, particularly if she’s what producers would call ‘at the point of profit’ – in other words, in calf or just calved and milking well. “Producers talking among themselves reveals the solution – don’t put her back in calf and then the decision is made for you.

“It also helps to focus on the huge risk that the animal poses to the rest of the herd if she does calve. That should also be enough to spur you on to cull – even if she is a good milk producer.”

The third excuse for doing nothing – an old chestnut, according to Dr Bond – is when producers say that they don’t trust the Johne’s test.

“Confusing test results are often cited at meetings for inaction and also for keeping high risk cows. So one of the first things I do is set the record straight here.

“It’s not the test, it’s the cow – or rather the disease. Many cows will test positive for Johne’s and then test negative in a follow up test.

“And that’s because they are constantly at war with the disease – the cows are trying to fight it. And it can lay dormant.

It behaves a lot like bTB in that respect.”

She says it’s important that producers understand how the disease behaves and manifests. It will often show itself, in the test, when the cow has been under a period of stress, such as a difficult calving or a tricky transitional period.

“If a follow-up test comes back negative, it doesn’t mean that the disease has

gone away, it just means the cow is dealing with it again. It’s still there, just waiting for its next opportunity. These cows often show other health issues, such as high SCCs and mastitis, and are culled because of this. And that’s why so many cows never go clinical with Johne’s.”

Assessing risk Another key message is that it doesn’t have to be an expensive disease to tackle – wholesale changes to management are often unnecessary.

“There are simple steps that producers can take that cost little, if anything, to make and will make a huge difference,” says Dr Bond. “It’s all about targeting those areas that make the biggest difference first.

“And this declaration, assessing risk and putting a good plan in place, sets producers up to begin their Johne’s control journey. It doesn’t have to be perfect from the start and producers can go at a pace that suits them. But they must be seen to be taking steps in the right direction.”

She stresses that Johne’s management is a long-term commitment and that it can take many years to see big improvements.

“It’s definitely an ongoing approach that requires an annual review, to make sure the herd is still moving in the right direction.” l To find out more about the scheme, visit http://www.actionjohnesuk.org/

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F E E D I N G

S P E C I A L

Forage update: silage quality looks good, but careful balancing will be required. Page 24 Mixer maintenance: tips on ensuring optimum wagon and winter TMR performance. Page 26 Live yeasts: we have the low down on these rumen-friendly supplements. Page 28

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F E E D I N G

S P E C I A L

Careful ration balancing and feeding management will be key this winter

Will quality forage offset potential shortages?

First-cut silage analysis shows that quality is good, but summer drought conditions combined with the prolonged winter 2018 feeding period mean that supplies could be short on UK units this year. We spoke to a leading nutritionist to find out more. text Rachael Porter

R

esults from more than 700 first-cut grass silage samples, analysed by Trouw Nutrition GB, have shown that forages could provide the basis for efficient diets this winter. But they will require careful balancing, according to the company’s ruminant technical development manager Liz Homer.

“The first cuts reflect the growing season and the fact that many producers, who cut earlier in the season, have produced some good quality forage,” she says. Pre-cutting grass sample testing has also become more popular this year, with producers taking the guess work out of timings. “Fewer producers are booking the contractor by date alone and more are actually analysing multiple grass samples to monitor that all-important NDF level. And when they see it rising they make the decision to cut. That will certainly have helped to improve silage quality.”

Feed value Dry matter is slightly lower but still within the target range. The fermentation characteristics of pH, ammonia nitrogen and VFAs indicate well-fermented crops. Overall feed value is better than last year with improved crude protein and similar ME content and D value.

NDF levels are similar to 2017, but with a lower lignin content. Dr Homer adds that NDF levels in pre-cut grass were typically higher this year and fewer silages have low

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NDF content. Again, this could be the result of more precise management, aided by grass sample testing.

“Low NDF and structural fibre was one of the factors blamed for clamp slippage in 2017, so hopefully we will see more stable clamps this year and that will make for easier feeding out.”

That said, it will be important to carefully balance this silage in TMR rations. “First-cut silages look to be particularly fermentable in terms of carbohydrates and proteins, which has led to a high acid load,” says Dr Homer.

“While the forage may be of good quality and you could expect cows to eat a lot of it, producers also need to consider the impact on rumen health, as well as the issue of forage stocks.

Rumen health “This year’s first cut is also low in fibre for rumen buffering, so there will be potential consequences for the rumen.

However, there is the opportunity to maximise rumen energy and microbial protein yield from the rumen, so producers can balance performance with rumen bypass sources.”

Dr Homer adds that the more detailed NutriOpt Dairy parameters explain how silages will perform in the rumen and they will indicate how diets will need to be balanced to optimise rumen health and production.

Dynamic Energy – a more accurate measure of the energy actually available to the cow – is high this year at 6.7MJ/ kgDM. This means that a cow eating 10kgDM of the average silage could produce M+9.4 litres from forage –

Liz Homer: “Producers need to consider the impact of forage quality on rumen health”

almost a litre more than in 2017. “But I really can’t stress enough that, in order to achieve this, the diet must be carefully balanced.”

Dr Homer says that care will need to be taken if adding rapidly fermentable energy sources, like cereals. “For many herds, a well-balanced diet will require the addition of structural fibre, perhaps fermented wholecrop or less digestible later grass cuts. And, after maximising energy and microbial protein from the rumen, feeds high in bypass starch and protein can be included to complement the high fermentable sources in the forage to meet desired production levels.”

Forage stocks So what about forage stocks for winter 2018/2019? This is the issue over Table 1: Comparison of first-cut silage analysis results for 2017 and 2018

average 2017 average 2018 dry matter (%) crude protein (%) D Value (%) ME (MJ/kg) sugars (%) NDF (%) ADF (%) lignin (g/kg) ash (%) oil B (%)

31.3 15.0 70.4 11.3 2.2 44.2 29.9 40.0 7.9 4.2

31.2 15.9 70.6 11.3 2.3 45.1 30.5 26.3 8.8 4.3

2018

16-08-18 09:52

Forage stocks: there are concerns about quantities this winter

shadowing forage quality on many dairy units, following an unprecedently dry summer. By mid-July, many producers had already opened clamps and begun feeding first cut because there was no grazing available.

Dr Homer says that producers should consider alternatives, if they think they may be short of forage this coming winter. “But the starting point has to be – and I’m still amazed by the number of producers who don’t do this – to assess stocks and work out what you need.”

Forages to consider buying in to eke out supplies include rape straw: “But ensure that it’s dry enough at baling and avoid soil contamination. It can be a valuable source of fibre, but make sure it is mixed well into the diet and that it’s not too stemmy.”

Making and ensiling whole crop is another option. This adds fibre to the diet, which is key for good rumen function. “And maize looks to be flowering already with massive variation in the crop up and down the country.

Many crops are stunted and August is the month when grain fill occurs, so some rain now would be ideal, to avoid low starch.”

The resulting silage quality from later cuts of grass may be questionable, but this forage may complement more digestible first cut, if there’s any left in the clamp.

Dr Homer says that it will be more important than ever this coming winter to look beyond ME and MP when rationing. “Consider the whole diet and how it interacts. How fermentable is it?

What is the balance of rumen fermentable carbohydrate and protein?

Consider rumen health using acid load and fibre index.”

To do this, she adds that it is important to have accurate analysis of forages, raw materials and mill matrixes leading to compound feed formulations. “Using book values is not good enough in these variable times,” she says.

“While grain sources and co-products may have similar starch levels, they don’t all behave the same when eaten by the cow. They have different feed values in terms of energy available to the cow.

“But we really need to look at the forage’s potential to perform when eaten by the cow. This will determine the supplementation that would be the best and most cost-effective option.” l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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F E E D I N G

S P E C I A L

Timely checks: carrying out maintenance work on your mixer wagon now will pay dividends once winter feeding regimes resume

Time spent now on mixer maintenance will pay dividends in the winter

Watch out for dead spots The mixer wagon is the second most utilised piece of kit on the farm, after the parlour, so it pays to make sure it is working at optimum efficiency. We asked two experts for some timely advice on machinery maintenance. text Phil Eades

F

ailure to properly maintain mixer wagons and monitor the effectiveness of mixing are two easily solved issues that could increase milk production on many dairy units. So says Jeff Weyers, Zinpro’s US-based dairy nutritionist, who adds that machine performance can often be

26

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improved to produce a better mixed diet.

“We have seen milk yield increases of 2kg per cow per day from the same diet, just by making sure the wagon was doing its job. That’s a lot of potential extra income during the winter-feeding period.

“And I am amazed at how few producers

take the time to look inside their wagon when it is working to check how well it is mixing the diet. The mixer wagon works hard every day and there are benefits to be had from making sure it is working correctly.”

Good maintenance Although his experience is primarily with tub mixers, Dr Weyers says that the same principles apply to all feeder wagon types. And the starting point is good maintenance, particularly making sure the knives and kicker plates are correctly fitted and in good condition. In his experience, he says that it is not unusual for operators to not know how many knives should be fitted and what the signs of excessive wear are.

2018

16-08-18 12:59

“Once you know the machine is well maintained, the next step is to spend some time actually watching a diet being mixed. Look for dead spots, where ingredients are not being moved and mixed. Their existence is a definite indication that the diet is not being thoroughly mixed.”

These dead spots are commonly caused by worn or incorrectly fitted kicker plates and knives, but they can also form around the discharge doors. “If the door area is worn, it can lead to feed getting caught and it is then prevented from moving around correctly,” he says.

“Another common cause of dead spots is incorrectly set baffles. If the baffles are too far in, they will slow the mixing process enough to stop feed being mixed.

“Watching the entire loading process can also tell you when dead spots develop. It is typical for problems to occur as more weight or ingredients are added, which can be another indicator that the components inside the tub are becoming worn or are missing.”

Effective mixing Trouw Nutrition GB’s Rosie Miller says that in addition to mixer operation, several feed characteristics will have an impact of effectiveness of mixing and eventual diet quality.

Jeff Weyers: “Watch a ration being mixed.

And look our for any tell-tale dead spots, which can be a sign of wear and tear”

Rosie Miller: “Ingredient loading order will help to ensure an effective mix. And always consult the mixer manufacturer”

“Research carried out in 2007 by Trouw Nutrition and a Harper Adams University survey in 2017 both showed that more than 50% of diets are poorly mixed, while a greater percentage showed signs of diet sorting at feed out,” she says.

“So it really does pay to focus on mixer wagon operation, particularly if forage is going to be in short supply.

This could certainly be the case in winter 2018/2019.”

Ms Miller adds that forage quality not only affects the nutrient supply to the cow, but it can also impact how the diet is mixed. “While moist mixtures bind ingredients better, wetter forages are prone to ‘balling’, particularly where diets are over mixed.”

Training staff and following a strict mixing protocol are both essential for properly mixed and consistent diets.

And the loading order will need to be refined based on the ingredients in the diet. “This winter will see more longfibre ingredients, like straw, and more liquid feeds, like molasses, potentially being added to diets. And this means that mixing protocols may need to be modified,” she says.

feeder, and to some extent on the actual ingredients, a good rule of thumb is to load long-fibre material (straw, hay, and long big-bale silage) first, followed by any wholecrop and maize silage.

“Concentrates and straights should be loaded after forages and then followed by micro-ingredients, including minerals and yeasts and fats, before moist ingredients and liquids, like molasses.

Finally add grass silage to complete the ration.

“This loading order will help to ensure an effective mix in most circumstances, but always consult with the mixer manufacturer.”

How feeds are added to the mixer wagon can also make a difference and Dr Weyers recommends adding small inclusion ingredients, such as minerals, down the side wall instead of dumping directly over the augers.

This is because these ingredients can stick to the augers and will then never mix properly until the wagon is filled to the height of the auger. “When making up small loads, the feed stuck to the auger may never actually get mixed with the rest of the diet.”

Load size also affects mixing, with overfilling a common problem resulting in poor mixing. “Mixer wagons have a stated capacity for a reason, so don’t exceed it.”

He adds that sufficient PTO power is also important. “Running a wagon with a smaller tractor, or with reduced RPM to save costs, is a false economy. And it is important to keep the PTO running throughout the mixing period at the recommended RPM to keep feeds moving.

“And, finally, always ensure that ingredients are loaded and mixed on a level surface. That’s a simple piece of advice but, again, it’s something that’s often over looked and can impact on mixing and ration quality.” l

Filling order “It is really important that someone with such a responsible job as mixing diets is properly trained and understands the importance of accuracy and consistency,” Ms Miller adds.

“It is not unusual to see ingredients missed from the wagon at loading, feeders being overloaded, and people rushing. All will prejudice diet quality.

So take your time, fill in the correct order, weigh ingredients carefully, and then mix for the correct length of time.”

She says that while the precise filling order will depend on the actual Observe mixing: spend time watching your wagon in action and look for ‘dead spots’

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F E E D I N G

S P E C I A L

Help dairy yields rise by supplementing rations with ‘active’ yeasts

Give your girls a lift Not all yeasts that can be added to dairy rations are the same.

We spoke to two dairy nutritionists to find out how they differ and the important role that metabolic activity plays in enhancing rumen function and milk production. text Rachael Porter and Roly Marks

F

eed conversion efficiency is key to boosting margin over feed on dairy units. And with forage stocks set to be tight again this winter, producers will be particularly focused on this parameter during the coming months. They will want to see their cows make the best use of each ingredient in the diet.

Fine tuning rations and nutrient supply

Feed efficiency: live yeasts help to optimise rumen function and improve milk production

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to the rumen can achieve only so much.

And this situation is putting the role of yeasts, buffers and rumen conditioners firmly under the spotlight.

The benefit of yeasts to the rumen environment, and the factors that determine its efficacy are often not well understood, according to AB Vista’s Derek McIlmoyle. “A lack of understanding can turn the use of yeasts into a lottery,” he says.

Rumen function “Yeasts have a key role to play in high performance dairy rations,” he says.

“But it needs to be the right type of yeast

Derek McIlmoyle: “Live yeasts should be used where the benefits outweigh the cost”

Nick Berni: “Live yeasts are the best option for adding to TMR rations”

and used in situations where the benefits will outweigh the cost.”

ForFarmers’ Nick Berni agrees. He thinks that live, rather than ‘stabilised’ or dead yeasts, are the best option.

“These are classed a feed additive and, as such, they have to have considerable trial data behind them if feed companies and manufactures wish to make claims about their performance enhancing potential.”

All work by enhancing or optimising rumen function. They are, in effect, rumen friendly – they help rumen microbes to do their job.

“The rumen functions best when conditions are both relatively stable and optimised for fermentation.

“That means a pH that’s as close to 6.0 as possible – fibre digestion is compromised any time pH drops below 5.8 or rises above 6.2 – while minimising the build-up of oxygen that’s so detrimental to the anaerobic fibredigesting rumen microbes,” explains Dr McIlmoyle.

mopping up excess oxygen in the rumen.

They also compete for sugars, which reduces populations of detrimental microbes and encourages proliferation of those responsible for fibre digestion.”

The greatest effect is seen when that yeast is intact, live and metabolically active (see Figure 1), and introduced to a rumen where the pH is already close to optimum.

“It’s the reason why greatest performance gains are often seen when a yeast and rumen conditioner are used together.”

Anaerobic conditions “The main focus for buffers and rumen conditioners is to optimise rumen pH. And although yeasts can have some effect on this, that’s not their primary function,” he adds.

“Research has shown that yeasts deliver their main feed efficiency gains by

Proven results In a study carried out in the Netherlands using a small group of Holstein Friesians, which were fed a 65:35 forage-to-concentrate ratio diet, the combination of an active live yeast and a rumen conditioner improved performance.

The time rumen pH was below 5.8 was cut to 50 minutes, compared to 87 minutes when using the yeast alone (see Figure 2). This led to significant improvements in volatile fatty acid (VFA) production in the rumen.

And the result was a 4% rise in milk fat production, from 1.58kg to 1.65kg per day, as well as a 3% improvement in overall feed conversion efficiency – in terms of kilogrammes of fat-corrected milk yield per kilogramme of dry matter

Figure 1: Impact of different yeast types on fibre digesting rumen microbe populations

respiration deficient yeast

no yeast 1.25%

live yeast

1.7%

22.4%

cellulolytic other bacteria

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F E E D I N G

yeast only

64

yeast plus conditioner

volatile fatty acid (mmol)

control

S P E C I A L

time (minutes/day)

350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0

62 60 58 56 54 52 50

< pH 6,0

< pH 5,8

< pH 5,5

< pH 5,2

Figure 2: Effect of active live yeast on rumen pH

intake – from 1.60 to 1.65. To consistently achieve good results, it’s important to understand the other factors that determine yeast performance.

The most basic ‘dead’ or stabilised yeast cultures and extracts only deliver prebiotic effects.

Different behaviour “They don’t behave the same way as live yeasts – they don’t mop up oxygen in the rumen, for a start,” says Mr Berni. “They can bind with pathogens and act as a food source for beneficial microbes within the rumen, but they have no activity themselves. They are, indeed, dead.”

“Dead yeast will help to lower the risk of acidosis and reduce the pathogenic load in the rumen

5 billion

50 billion dosage (CFU/day)

Figure 3: Relationship between active yeast dosage and rumen volatile fatty acid (VFA) production

and lower gut,” adds Dr McIlmoyle.

“And even cell wall fragments of a yeast, like Saccharomyces cerevisiae, can bind to pathogens and mycotoxins, stimulate lactic acid bacteria, and boost the cow’s immune system.”

In contrast, live yeasts that remain metabolically active after ingestion can use up any excess oxygen in the rumen and compete for sugars.

Originally developed for use in the baking industry, the latest versions are specifically selected and screened for beneficial effects and survival within the rumen.

Rumen microbes “Some versions of these dead yeasts can also act as a source of nutrition and metabolites for beneficial rumen microbes, but they’re still much less

effective than the probiotic active live yeasts,” explains Dr McIlmoyle.

“Live yeast also needs to be in a form that can withstand storage, feed manufacture, delivery and ingestion, and remain viable in the rumen.

“The latest tightly packed ‘bead’ forms offering greater CFU counts, better oxygen scavenging in the rumen and a longer shelf life,” he continues.

Whichever live yeast you feed, it must do three key things in order to increase feed conversion efficiency (FCE).

“Key to its success are reducing detrimental microbial populations, optimising the rumen environment, and directly supporting beneficial microbial activity.

“If this optimal balance is struck then live yeast will maximise FCE gains,” adds Dr McIlmoyle. l

Yeast supplement: it needs to be in a form that can withstand storage, feed manufacture, delivery and ingestion – and remain viable in the rumen

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F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A RY D E B B Y

P R A C T I C E

B R O W N

Lancashire-based cattle vet Debby Brown says that producers should keep an extra close eye on cows and calves because cases of Mycoplasma bovis infection are on the increase.

What can producers do to prevent an outbreak?

Mycoplasma bovis update A

recent and significant widespread outbreak of Mycoplasma in New Zealand is causing serious problems for Kiwi producers and a testing programme in underway to identify infected herds, which will be culled. The ultimate aim for the New Zealand dairy industry is to eradicate the disease.

Mycoplasma is thought to be present in around 70% of UK dairy herds and vets are seeing more outbreaks here. The key strain seen is Mycoplasma bovis. This bacterium can lie dormant in cattle, causing no signs of disease. But during times of stress, cattle shed the bacterium in milk and nasal secretions.

It causes symptoms similar to those caused by other respiratory diseases in calves, such as coughing and dullness (pneumonia).

And, interestingly, it is the most common pathogen found in cattle with chronic and unresponsive pneumonia and fatal bronchopneumonia. It is also linked to inflammatory lung lesions. And it also causes mastitis, abortions and arthritis.

Clinical signs to look out for in calves include a dry and hacking cough, low-grade fever, runny eyes, or ear droop. The latter is often the result of a painful ear infection. Calves will, of course, also go off their feed and exhibit the usual signs of lethargy and ill thrift.

The goods news is that, although it is found in healthy calves in infected herds, it’s rarely found in healthy herds.

The mycoplasma organism produces a biofilm around itself to protect it from ‘stress’ and antibiotics. It has no cell wall and it is one of the smallest self-replicating organisms on the planet.

Key advice for producers is to disinfect teats between feeds and make sure that colostrum feeding protocols are in place.

The encyclopaedia Mycoplasma bovis Diagnosis Blood samples can be taken to check for antibodies to Mycoplasma bovis and nasal swabs can also be tested.

Prevention Running a closed herd is preferable and test stock for the disease prior to purchase. Effective colostrum management in calves is vital and good calf house ventilation will also help to reduce the spread of the disease, as will removing

other stressors. In herds with a known mycoplasma problem, an autogenous (farm specific) vaccine can be extremely effective and is often well worth the investment. These will encourage calf growth rates and minimise lung lesions.

Treatment Antibiotic treatment may help but veterinary advice should be sought. Giving animals antibiotics on a metaphylactic basis, to eliminate or minimise an expected outbreak of disease, could be one option on some units where mycoplasma has been found. But using antibiotics can be problematic in itself, as mycoplasma is becoming resistant to most of them.

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FORAGE FOCUS

Filling the forage gap This summer’s hot and dry weather means that filling the forage gap and looking at options for home-grown forage are becoming increasingly important.

Reseeding or overseeding are two options to replace or revitalise leys that have been badly damaged by drought conditions. Different species should be considered when reseeding. TOPGRASS mixtures containing festuloliums (Advanced grasses) have shown good drought and stress tolerance during the dry weather, with their deeper rooting structure and mass.

Productive swards Renewing swards regularly is important to maximise productivity and maintain feed quality. As grass varieties are constantly improving, reseeding can potentially produce extra milk production that’s worth more than £1,235 per hectare.

Using new and improved varieties can produce 33% more yield than a typical five-year ley and dry matter yield will be 10% higher. Westerwolds will provide a bulky crop and help mitigate winter feed shortages. It can be sown in August, September and into October.

The disadvantage of using this species is that it is not the most winter hardly grass, so it can struggle in a harsh winter, and it is only a one-year crop.

An alternative would be to sow an Italian ryegrass, which may not yield as much as Westerwolds this autumn but would produce more grass in the spring due to better overwintering capability. This will also be productive for up to two years.

Brassicas are a popular option for producers who are looking for crops to graze in autumn and winter.

These include hybrid brassicas or root mixtures, with crops that are ready for grazing between 10 and 15 weeks after sowing.

Forage rye is also suitable for early turnout in 2019 and will help to reduce winter feed costs. It has a flexible sowing window, after cereals or maize, and can be zero grazed or big baled. It is also an ideal crop for mopping up residual nitrogen and preventing soil erosion.

Forage rye is primarily grown for its ability to deliver very early grazing in the spring, so it is essential to make sure that it is grown on suitable ground.

Although the crop will grow on a wide range of soil types, it is best to avoid exposed or poorly drained fields.

Drilling should be carried out from mid-August through to late September.

Forage rye should not be allowed to enter the winter in a ‘proud’ state so, in a mild autumn, crops sown in good time should ideally be lightly grazed in late November or early December.

If grazing cows on forage rye, crop height needs to be between 30cm and 35cm. Strip grazing is essential to avoid waste.

After maize If maize harvest is earlier this year, there will be a larger sowing window following the crop. Options could include a cereal crop, but for producers wanting to boost forage stocks then ideal choices include Italian ryegrass, Westerwolds, or forage rye.

Any crop grown after maize should be drilled or broadcast as soon as possible – and before the middle of October. For producers simply looking to grow a green manure crop, a rye and vetch mixture is a late season option that will provide excellent winter cover and improve soil nutrient and organic matter levels.

To find out more, contact ForFarmers on 0845 070 6280, or email info.forage@forfarmers.eu

TOPGRASS mixtures containing Advanced grasses (on left) tolerate drought conditions better than perennial ryegrass (on right)

Preserving forage stocks

UK maize crops are under stress

Hot and dry weather conditions are proving to be a considerable challenge to forage crops this summer.

Maize crops are drought stressed and may be lower in yield.

However, with a little rain in the next few weeks it should recover enough to have reasonable starch content.

Some growers may prefer to salvage what they currently have, if the crop is beyond recovery and they are short of forage.

If this is the plan then discuss the options with your local ForFarmers forage specialist, because a ‘green’ crop will ensile differently to a fully mature crop and will need to be treated accordingly.

Without the high starch content from well-filled cobs, the crop will ensile more like arable silage and the choice of additive will be important to preserve the maximum amount of nutrients.

The tendency for silage to heat up once the clamp is opened – aerobic spoilage – can be the main problem with mature maize silage. But an immature crop requires good fermentation control.

ForFarmers offers a range of different products to meet the challenge of all forages grown under different conditions.

To find out more, contact ForFarmers on 0845 070 6280 or email info.forage@forfarmers.eu

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B U L L

P R O O F S

Debutants shake up young sire rankings, while proven list remains stable

New rankings spark interest We spoke to renown pedigree breeder and runner up in the 2017 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup competition, James Tomlinson to find out what’s caught his eye in the latest sire lists. text Rachael Porter

A

ugust’s genomic young sire list, following the publication of genetic evaluations by AHDB Dairy, highlights many newcomers who represent the pinnacle of Holstein breeding.

All have been scrutinised by Lancashirebased breeder James Tomlinson and, as always, he says that there’s not a lot between them. “They’re all excellent bulls and, when the selection is this good, you can afford to be picky.”

Improvement to the way the ranking tool, Profitable Lifetime Index, is calculated brings further relevance to the data as the new Lameness Advantage (LA) and Calf Survival (CS) indexes as well as Body Condition Score (BCS), become part of the £PLI formula.

The number-one bull is new entrant Pine-Tree CW Legacy, who rises straight to the top with a massive PLI of £924.

This value is more than £100 greater than the top bull’s £PLI in the April ranking, reflecting this sire’s exceptional genetics on many fronts and – to a degree – the ability of the new £PLI to capture more of the impact genetics can have on farm profitability. He combines this with high production, as well as positive fat and protein percentages.

James is, indeed, impressed with his

New sires James Tomlinson: “There’s a trio of genomic sires that really caught my eye”

modern sire stack. But he says he won’t be using him, due to teat length. “That’s all I can fault him on and, to be fair, short teats are, in my view, becoming an issue across many of today’s popular sires. And I think it’s going to be a problem that’s going to get worse.”

In second place is Denovo 7921 Atrium, who is also new to the list. A son of ABS Achiever, (who himself ranks only just outside the top 10 with a PLI of £804), Atrium transmits high fat (+0.20%) as well as strong health and outstanding daughter fertility (FI +12.6). This figure caught James’ eye, but he says that this bull falls down because he has minus scores for stature, chest width and body depth. “I could overlook one minus

S-S-I Shamrock Mystic

36

score, but not three. So he’s not for me.”

That said, he is the best bull for reducing feed costs in the top 20 (–11 Maintenance) and he wraps up many desirable traits in a PLI of £897. So he will suit many breeders’ objectives.

ABS Outback (PLI £866), the equal firstranking bull from April, has now been edged into third place despite increasing his £PLI. He transmits excellent lameness improvement (LA +3.1), with good daughter lifespan and fertility. “He has plenty of milk, at +807kg, but, again, teat length is the issue here,” says James.

VH Balisto Brook remains in fourth position at PLI £849 with excellent milk components.

And fifth place goes to ABS Crimson (PLI £848), who is one of the highest kilogrammes of fat and protein transmitters in the top 20 (combined at 79.3kg). He’s the first sire on this list of interest to James. “He’s quite appealing and I will be enquiring about price.”

Sixth-ranking Pine-Tree Durable (PLI £843) is a Charley brother to the numberone bull and has a Lameness Advantage of +3.7 – the best score in the top 20.

But the bulls in places seven to nine are where it’s really at, according to James.

All three are newly available sires, highlighting the speed at which genomics can identify new genetics with the potential to improve the breed, and they’re the trio that have got James fired up this time around.

In seventh place is Sandy-Valley Imax Batman (PLI £842); a high fat transmitter

De-Su 11236 Balisto

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(+46.6kg and +0.18%), followed closely by the highest protein transmitter in the top 20, De-Su 14222 Kenobi (PLI £831).

“Batman ticks all the boxes for me and I’ll definitely be making enquiries. He has a solid linear with no extremes. He’s an Imax from a Jedi and he’s also from a solid cow family.

“And Kenobi has the highest milk score in the top 10 at +1,018kg. He’s a Jedi from an AltaSpring and, again, he has a solid cow family behind him. He’s an exciting sire and, depending on price, I’d like to use him on my herd.”

UK-bred Glamour Boghill Victor also makes his debut in ninth place with a PLI of £827. This Verona son comes out of a Supershot dam from the well-known Cosmopolitan family. “I’ll definitely be using him, not least because he’s a UKbred sire. His modern breeding is also appealing. He’s just got everything that I’m looking for in a sire.

Mr Rubi-Argonaut 73287

lead with a £PLI of £738. Transmitting excellent feed savings for maintenance (Maintenance –20) while being a high milk volume bull (+857kg of milk), he demonstrates how smaller cows can make efficient milk producers.

“His milk figure caught my eye. I’ll enquire and if he’s not too expensive – and available – then I’d like to use him.”

In second position is S-S-I Shamrock Mystic (PLI £719), an exceptional daughter fertility improver (Fertility Index +19.4) who is level pegging with Larcrest Commend, a bull with the best milk solids package of the top 10, at +0.29% fat and +0.19% protein.

Climbing into the top 10 are fourth placed Cookiecutter Harper (PLI £708), another bull transmitting high weights of fat and protein, and Weigeline Jacey Tabasco (PLI £704), one of the highest milk yield bulls in the top 20 (+1039kg).

New in the proven bull listings, and the only other sire in the ranking to capture James’ imagination, is S-S-I Headway Alltime (PLI £701), who transmits excellent resistance to mastitis (Mastitis Index –4). “He’s a good outcross for us and he’s a balanced sire too. And, again, he’s got a solid and balanced linear – there’s nothing too extreme there.

I think he’s suit our cows well.” l

Proven sires The proven Holstein sire rankings have remained relatively stable since April’s proof run, with little re-ranking among the front-runners and the gradual appearance of a few young sires, which were formerly in the genomic rankings.

Keeping top spot is Mocon. He retains his

Mocon

Table 1: Top 10 genomic and top 10 daughter-proven sires available in the UK ranked on PLI (source: AHDB Dairy and Holstein UK)

conformation

prot. kg

fat%

£PLI

maint.

SCC

lifespan

fertility

dCE

F&L

udder

TM

genomic sires Pine-Tree Cw Legacy Denovo 7921 Atrium ABS Outback VH Balisto Brook ABS Crimson Pine-Tree Durable Sandy-Valley I Batman De-Su 14222 Kenobi Glamour Boghill Victor Mr Rubi-Agronaut 73287

Frazzled Achiever Spectre Balisto Spectre Charley Imax Jedi Verona Rubicon

Yoder Delta Troy Denim Rubicon Yoder Jedi AltaSpring Supershot Shotglass

WWS Genus Genus Viking/AIS Genus Genus Semex Genus Genus Cogent

67 +953 +44.7 67 +724 +45.9 67 +807 +37.0 69 +501 +41.0 67 +920 +48.1 67 +953 +34.5 67 +792 +46.6 67 +1018 +38.1 67 +890 +30.9 68 +410 +34.8

+32.6 +27.7 +30.2 +25.6 +31.2 +33.9 +35.0 +37.1 +32.3 +20.8

+0.08 +0.20 +0.06 +0.25 +0.13 –0.03 +0.18 –0.02 –0.05 +0.23

+0.02 +0.05 +0.05 +0.11 +0.02 +0.03 +0.11 +0.05 +0.04 +0.09

924 897 866 849 848 843 842 831 827 815

–5 –11 –2 3 8 –6 14 4 –3 4

–32 –23 –19 –37 –20 –15 –14 –17 –29 –31

0.7 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.6 0.6

8.5 0.1 12.6 0.5 12.6 1.3 8.5 0.8 10.1 0.6 9.7 0.4 9.4 0.0 9.0 –0.1 10.1 –0.6 14.0 0.2

0.63 1.40 1.54 0.65 1.21 1.52 1.15 0.69 0.74 2.50

1.79 1.16 1.55 0.75 0.97 1.64 1.76 1.90 1.04 2.01

1.72 1.80 1.98 1.30 1.65 2.14 2.11 2.18 1.54 3.21

proven sires Mocon Larcrest Commend S-S-I Shamrock Mystic Cookiecutter Harper Weigeline Jacey Tabasco S-S-I Headway Alltime View–Home Littlerock Co-Op Robust Cabriolet De-Su 11236 Balisto Gen-I-Beq Lavaman

Morgan Balisto Shamrock Balisto Jacey Headway Cashcoin Robust Bookem Man-O-Man

Snowman Robust Shottle Epic Bookem Supersire Robust Planet Watson Goldwyn

Bullsemen.com Genus WWS Genus Bullsemen.com WWS Semex UK Sires Direct/AIS Genus Semex

82 +857 +26.1 80 +201 +31.5 84 +630 +25.0 80 +499 +33.0 82 +1039 +25.3 75 +632 +27.4 83 +668 +24.9 98 +659 +39.6 99 +584 +31.8 99 +332 +19.0

+28.8 +21.5 +20.9 +27.5 +33.7 +25.6 +25.0 +24.0 +32.9 +24.4

–0.09 +0.29 +0.00 +0.16 –0.18 +0.03 –0.02 +0.16 +0.10 +0.07

+0.01 +0.19 +0.01 +0.14 +0.00 +0.06 +0.04 +0.03 +0.17 +0.17

738 719 719 708 704 701 699 679 679 675

–20 –4 0 5 17 14 –10 –17 11 –8

–22 –18 –22 –21 –22 –29 –19 –8 –23 –5

0.7 0.4 0.7 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.5 0.3

7.6 0.6 10.4 –0.2 19.4 –0.7 5.6 0.7 13.4 –0.4 8.9 0.4 12.3 0.7 1.9 0.9 –0.4 0.2 16.1 0.9

0.40 0.59 –0.01 0.69 0.92 1.22 0.78 1.17 0.86 0.98

0.91 0.93 0.57 1.02 1.24 1.71 0.91 1.13 0.93 0.78

0.87 1.07 0.92 0.96 1.21 1.89 0.75 1.80 1.21 0.66

protein

mat. grandsire supplier

milk

sire

rel.

name

fat kg

ind.

functional traits %

production

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BREEDING INFORMATION

Red-and-white sire of sons from proven reliable cow family Delta Jacuzzi is a promising new red-and-white addition to CRV Avoncroft’s portfolio.

Already popular as a sire of sons, this redand-white son of Het Meer Livington (Malcolm x Mogul) comes straight from the Etazon Hyde family.

His mother, Oversticht Delta Jina (by Incentive), is owned by the Dutch producer Hans van Middelaar. “Jina started her first lactation with a typical daily yield of around 35kg of milk. She did not stand out until I had to dry her off – at that point she was still giving 38kg of milk per day,” he says. “I also see that persistence in Jacuzzi’s figures.”

Jina produced almost 11,000kg of milk, at 4.51% fat and 3.64% protein, in her first lactation.

Her cow family has proven breeding power, with daughter-tested bulls like Delta Bonaparte and Delta

SiryX of new bulls Are you aiming for more heifer calves from your best cows?

Using sexed semen could be the answer. And CRV Avoncroft has some exciting news – both conventional and sexed semen is available from all its new sires.

For more information, visit CRV Avoncroft’s website: www.crvavoncroft.com

Delta Jacuzzi

Antidote, as well as Delta Stilist and Veneriete Willes. The family is also responsible for recent highflyers in the black-and-white genomic lists, including Delta Concert, Delta Reloader and Delta Treasure.

Jacuzzi (£726 PLI) himself scores extremely well for efficiency with +25% for Better Life Efficiency. He passes on

extreme components (+0.34% fat and +0.18% protein) and sires medium-sized cows, with excellent feet and legs.

His daughters will be ‘trouble-free’ producers, thanks to their excellent udders and hoof health.

Top bulls for health and efficiency

Delta Reloader

Delta Skyline

Delta Lunar

High in efficiency, good for fertility, excellent in health traits. All three descriptions fit the new sires that CRV Avoncroft has added to its portfolio after the August proof run.

And these bulls also fit perfectly with CRV Avoncroft’s breeding goal to produce healthy and efficient cows.

Delta Reloader (£693 PLI) is a son of Bouw Finder out of G-Force daughter Delta Rainbow. With breeding values including 106 for udder health, 104 fertility and +739 days longevity, Reloader sires ‘troublefree’ daughters. This Finder son is also an all-round type sire, with great

feet and legs and good udders. He produces average sized cows and scores 107 for calving ease, which makes him very suitable for use on maiden heifers.

Delta Reloader’s dam line is also impressive – he traces back to the famous Etazon Hyde cow family, just like Delta Jacuzzi (see above).

Delta Skyline (£680 PLI) is another addition to the CRV Avoncroft portfolio.

Easy-calving sire Skyline (Barcley x Vitesse) combines extreme components (0.16% fat and 0.16% protein) with excellent hoof health (106) and udder health (107). He sires commercial cows with superb feet and legs (1.51), good

udders (1.18) and moderate stature.

Also new on the list is Delta Lunar (£647 PLI), a Peak Chuck son out of Delta Lorin (by Molenkamp Pepe). His daughters grow into efficient (+11%) and healthy cows. Lunar is an interesting option for producers who are keen to improve herd conformation. He combines production with good udders and legs, and a high score for overall conformation.

Sandy Valley Champion (£681 PLI) comes from CRV’s US breeding programme.

Champion (Superhero x Silver) is a high milk production and fat transmitter and offers superb udders. His daughters will milk for several lactations in the herd.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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F E E D I N G

Boost grass growth, grazing quality and business performance

Making the most of forage Improving yield per cow, particularly from forage, has been a key focus for one Welsh herd, which has increased profitability by improving grass utilisation. We visited them to find out more. text Emily Ball

M

aking top-quality forage and altering calving pattern have significantly improved the performance of Dafydd and Catrin Parry’s herd.

With help from son Tudur, the family runs its 70-cow herd on a 65-hectare unit at Bryn Cogail, near Beaumaris.

Average milk yields are around 8,000 litres per cow, at 4.10% butterfat and 3.27% protein, and milk is sold to Glanbia for mozzarella production. The family decided, two years ago, to move

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the herd to a predominantly autumncalving block and, at the same time, they also reassessed the quality of the forage they were feeding the cows throughout the year.

Cow performance “We have some good genetics in our herd and we knew that we could push cow performance,” says Dafydd.

“We realised that calving in late summer and early autumn, and then bringing

Catrin and Tudur Parry

the cows inside and onto winter rations, meant that we would be able to manage peak lactation much better.

“And it works well with our milk payment profile. We are also less busy at this time of year and are able to give the cows the attention they require during

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2018

2017

July

June month

the transition period – and also get them back in calf quickly.”

The herd is turned out to graze during the daytime in late March and cows are out day and night from the end of May. They then come back inside once they calve in the autumn but this year, with forage shortages due to the dry weather and if conditions allow, these cows may well continue to graze for a short period as fresh calvers.

May

Improved fertility The winter TMR comprises grass silage, a blend, minerals and Lintec.

“We’ve added Lintec to both the cow and heifer rations to boost yield and fertility,” explains ForFarmers’ Dyfrig Hughes. He works closely with the family to provide the best nutrition for their herd.

Fertility has improved, particularly among the heifers. These are all served with sexed semen and 100% held to first service.

During the dry period, cows are fed 2.5kg of Translac rolls per day, for the three weeks prior to calving.

TOPGRASS paddocks: cows grazing at Bryn Cogail

April

0

5

10

15

Figure 1: Improvement in milk from forage (April to July 2018 compared to 2017)

The Parrys have seen a reduction in the number of cases of milk fever. This has allowed the business to place greater reliance on the forage proportion of the diet.

Grazing strategy Putting the right quality forage in front of the cows as grazed grass is crucial to success.

The Parrys decided to reseed some key grazing areas with a TOPGRASS graze and cut mixture. The dual-purpose ley offers high dry matter yields and D values, as well as high dry matter intakes, when grazed. It’s a blend of intermediate and later perennial ryegrass, with clover.

As of spring this year, the Parrys have also been using Sweet-Grass fertiliser.

This is a high-nitrogen and sodiumenriched product from ForFarmers, which is formulated to increase sward palatability and maximise milk production.

This fertiliser provides the optimum level of sodium to grazed grass, which not only improves palatability and increases intakes, but also results in tighter grazing.

“We’ve really noticed a difference,” says Tudur. “The cows love to graze the new leys and take the grass down really well.

We see much less in the way of rejection sites, even after the third grazing when other paddocks can have large areas of waste in them.

“You can tell that the grass is more palatable and intakes are up. As soon as cows are in calf and outside we reduce concentrate feeding and expect them to graze harder. So we have to know that

we’re putting palatable feed into them.

“Yields from forage are now just below 3,000 litres per cow, and this was during a difficult spring grazing season. So we know that there’s more potential there.”

The move to autumn calving and improving forage quality has seen milk from forage increase by 607 litres per cow, compared to the same grazing period in 2017 (see Figure 1).

And investing in new leys and fertiliser has improved grazed grass utilisation in 2018 to the tune of £8,012, between April and July.

Big-bale silage All silage made at the unit is baled, eliminating the need to invest in a silage pit and offering the family greater flexibility when it comes to cutting the crop. They say that it also reduces inconsistencies within the silage and that this has a positive impact on rumen health.

“We make all our own silage and by opting for big bales we can cut individual fields when they are ready, rather than when the pit is open.

“This helps to improve quality,” explains Dafydd. “We triple wrap all bales to ensure that we have as little waste as possible.”

Silage analysis on big bales made in 2017 revealed a dry matter content of 37%, an ME of 11 MJ/kg DM and a D Value of 69%.

“The family thought long and hard about making a change to their herds’ calving pattern, but it has really paid off,” adds Mr Hughes.

“Add to this the high-quality forage, both grazing and silage, and the cows are really showing their potential.” l

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yield from forage (litres/cow/day)

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

‘Wanted’ sires NMR customers are being offered a ‘reward’ for straws of semen from dairy sires that are required for genomic testing, as part of the AHDB bTB Advantage project. “We need a straw of semen from dairy bulls where there is no DNA profile on file,” explains NMR’s Justin Frankfort, who is co-ordinating the genomic testing part of the project.

“We have submitted 10,130 tissue samples from cows and heifers in areas of high bTB activity for testing through the GeneTracker genomic service. Now we need to find and sample a number of bulls covering all breeds, to increase the reliability of the reference population for the TB Advantage index.”

NMR customers have been sent a list of the ‘wanted’ sires in their report packs during August, and it is published on the NMR web site. A payment of £50 is made to the first

New Irish NMR team

straw sent in from each bull found.

“We’re asking customers to look in their AI flasks and email cbc@cbc.alcom.co.uk if they have straws.”

The genomic results, and ancestral data on each animal, will be used to expand the national genetic evaluations database and develop AHDB’s TB Advantage trait.

TB Advantage helps producers to identify bulls with higher resistance to bTB.

Antibiotic usage survey NMR is encouraging producers to participate in an on-line survey on antibiotics as part of a research project on their usage and recording being conducted by the Royal Veterinary College. The link to the survey, which takes about 20 minutes, asks producers how they record antibiotic use.

“The need to accurately record antibiotic use is becoming increasingly important,” says NMR

NMR field business manager Ivor Hyndman is heading up a new team in Northern Ireland. The team includes three new area field managers.

Seamus Barr is now responsible for the west of the province. He has been an area co-ordinator for NMR since 2008. Leanne McNamara takes on the south and east areas, and Paul Evans is now responsible for NMR service provision in the north.

Both Leanne and Paul have been NMR milk recorders for more than 10 years.

John Laughlin joins NMR as customer account manager in Northern Ireland. An animal science graduate, he chaired the Newcastle University Animal Health Conference 2015. He is a trained AI technician and has on-farm dairy experience.

GeneTracker dates

vet Eamon Watson. “This independent survey will help the RVC to better understand how we can improve the recording process. And it will help to develop recording systems that match producers’ needs and also meet wider industry requirements.”

Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey. co.uk/r/DairyABU or through the NMR web site. Participants will be entered into a prize draw for tickets to a UK agricultural show of their choice in 2019.

NMR’s genomic testing service, GeneTracker, has published its monthly submission dates and results schedule for September 2018 to January 2019.

The next date for submission of tissue samples is August 30, 2018, with results available on October 2, 2018, then October 4, 2018, with results available on November 6, 2018. A full list of dates is on the NMR web site.

Somerset walk offers technical messages An NMR farm walk hosted by Alistair Mead and his herd manager Neil Ridgeway, who are based at Puxton Court Farm in north Somerset, gave more than 150 milk producers an insight into the latest management tools available. These included genomic testing, energy balancing, and Johne’s disease control.

A charity raffle took place at the

event, which raised more than £280 for the Derek Mead Health Room. This is a drop in clinic for farmers and those in the agricultural industry, based at Sedgemoor Auction Centre and named after Alistair’s late father.

Genomics, Johne’s control and energy-balancing rations provided take-home messages for producers

For more information on NMR products and services contact customer services, 03330 043 043, 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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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS

2018 September 12: September 13: September 19: October 3: October 30: November 7: November 21: December 13:

UK Dairy Day, Telford International Centre, Shropshire Westmorland County Show, Crooklands, Cumbria Women in Dairy annual conference, Sixways Stadium, Warriors Way, Worcester The Dairy Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Welsh Dairy Show, Nantyci Showground, Carmarthen British Mastitis Conference, Sixways Stadium, Warriors Way, Worcester AgriScot, Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, Scotland Royal Ulster Winter Fair, Eikon Exhibition Centre, Balmoral Park, Lisburn (Northern Ireland)

2019 January 2-4: January 21-23: February 6:

On the right track: cows head in from grazing to be milked Picture: Ruth Downing

The Oxford Farming Conference, Examinations Hall, Oxford British Cattle conference, Telford Hotel and Golf Resort, Telford, Shropshire Dairy-Tech, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX C O N TA C T S

Alta ...........................................................32 Ambic ........................................................38 Animax ......................................................48 Bath & West Dairy Show .............................9 Biotal .........................................................34 Cogent Breeding Ltd..................................44 Concept Cow House Ltd............................40 Cowsfeet ...................................................31 CRV Avoncroft Ltd/CRV ............................47 Dairy Spares ..............................................31 Downland..................................................31 DP Agri......................................................40 Farmplus....................................................22 FifeF Alka Ltd ............................................38

CowManagement is published eight times per year by CRV BV, Publishing Department

Editorial team

Chief Editor Jaap van der Knaap Editor Rachael Porter Phone 01394 270587 E-mail rachael@reporterjournalism.co.uk Editing, design and production CRV Publishing Contributing writers Emily Ball, Phil Eades, Roger Evans, Roly Marks, Allison Matthews and Karen Wright Publisher Rochus Kingmans

Chief editor’s address

P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands Phone 0031 26 38 98 821 E-mail cm.office@crv4all.com

CowManagement online

Facebook: www.facebook.com/ CowManagementUK/ Twitter: @cowmanagement Website: www.cowmanagement.co.uk

ForFarmers/Thompsons .............................10 Intershape .................................................19 Lojer LED ...................................................19 Mole Valley ...............................................18 Nedap .......................................................14 NMR .....................................................2, 41 Neogen BioSecurity .....................................5 NWF Agriculture..........................................9 Quill Productions .......................................19 Secure Covers ............................................22 Spinder ......................................................22 Teemore Engineering Ltd ...........................38 Trouw Nutrition ...........................................4 VDK Products ............................................22

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COMING UP

M i l k i ng eq u ip m en t sp ecial

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September (September 28) – We take a closer look at cow health and pain relief. And our special focus will be on milking equipment.

Illustrations/pictures

Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Eveline van Elk (6), Michael Heal (11), James Maggs (12-13), Ruth Downing (16-17), Stefani Buijsman (33) and Els Korsten (42-43).

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 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.

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C OWMANAGEMENT

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