Cowmanagement jan-feb 2018 by CRV Uitgeverij/CRV Publishers

V O LU M E 16 N O 1 JA NU A RY /FE BR UARY 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

M A IZ E F O CU S

C A LF FEED IN G

PA RLO U R INNOVATI ON

Switch to shredding to unlock forage-crop potential

Amino-acid balance is key to optimal growth

Mobile system designed to milk a 950-cow herd

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CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Value added: farm-gate direct sales Roger Evans CRV Avoncroft Breeding Information NMR Dairy Management News ForFarmers’ Forage Focus/ Thompsons Nutritional News 46 Events and contacts 5 9 17 21 39 41

REPORTS

10 Mobile milking success on Dorsetbased unit 32 Two more herds go for gold FEEDING

18 Improving silage quality by cutting earlier/Careful planning required to eke out supplies BREEDING

14 Genomic test adds value and fast tracks progress 36 Breeding to produce more milk from the same amount of feed 42 December bull proofs

Tom Foot “The milking system is the result of us needing to solve a problem” 10

Editor Rachael Porter Adding value

inter feeding is in full swing, but our thoughts are turning to spring this issue, with a special focus on maize. Decisions about growing areas and which varieties to sow are being made on units across the UK. And it’s also worth thinking about how you plan to harvest and ensile your 2018 crop. We have an interesting article on the benefits of feeding shredlage – literally shredded maize – how it’s made and the importance of careful clamp management. See page 26 to find out more. We also take a look at calf feeding. Latest research has shown that it’s the aminoacid balance in calf milk replacers that’s key to meeting growth targets and focusing on protein level alone won’t always yield the best results. Take a look at page six to see if you should be reevaluating your calf-feeding regime. It’s just days now until the winner of the 2018 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup is announced and on page 32 we meet two more

finalists who are vying for the top spot Take a look and see if you think either one, out of the six producers through to the final round, could lift the coveted trophy on February 7. The venue for announcement will be the NMR stand at Dairy-Tech, the new oneday show, to be held at Stoneleigh Park, organised by the RABDF. We’ve a preview on page 31 that offers a taster of what you can expect from this new event and how to get a ticket. There’s also something new on page nine – our column that looks at how producers are adding value to their businesses. First up is a Monmouthshirebased unit that’s selling milk direct to customers from the farm gate, with minimal capital outlay. We hope this producer will inspire some of our readers to do the same and add a little extra to their bottom line. No issue would be complete without our regular column from Roger Evans. And he’s feeling hopeful – it is a new year after all. Find out why on page 17.

Main article Calf milk replacers

Special Maize

Preview Dairy-Tech

Amino-acid balance improves protein use and calf performance

Shredlage: harvesting technique can unlock forage potential

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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C O W

TA L K

Maize varieties offer higher yield potential Focusing on the role of digestibility in maize-based rations could improve feed utilisation efficiency and the cost-effectiveness of home-grown feeds. So says Grainseed’s Neil Groom, who adds that the introduction of two new high digestibility maize varieties – Bonnie and Absalon – and their positioning at the top of the 2018 NIAB descriptive list for less favourable sites says much about the growing importance of feed utilisation characteristics. “Maize is, primarily, thought of as an energy source for dairy rations. And it is right that much of the breeding work carried out during the past 20 years has been driven by increasing the ME produced per unit of land.

“But now digestibility is increasingly being seen as key to ensuring that this energy can be fully utilised by the cow.” Mr Groom says that the two varieties have the highest combinations of ME yield and cell-wall digestibility on the BSPB 2018 forage maize descriptive list for less-favourable sites. He adds that this makes them the perfect forages for high-performance dairy cows. Bonnie has the highest outright ME yield of all the varieties on the 2018 lessfavourable list, at 197,000 MJ per hectare, closely followed by Absalon at 195,000 MJ per hectare. When it comes to cell wall digestibility, Absalon tops the list with 58.5% and Bonnie takes the second spot at 58.3%. “Because they’re extra early, they can be

used on most locations in the UK that have adequate heat units and they can cope with wider variations in growing conditions than more later maturing types,” adds Mr Groom.

Colostrum campaign aims to reduce antibiotic use The UK’s livestock sectors are joining forces in February to promote the ‘liquid gold’ properties of colostrum in reducing the need for antibiotics in farm animals and improving their lifetime performance. The #ColostrumIsGold campaign, created by the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) Alliance, will underline that responsible use of antibiotics starts with new-born calves, lambs and piglets receiving the right amount of colostrum within a couple of hours of birth – something all producers have the potential to achieve. A wide range of organisations will be releasing information and promoting best practice throughout the month, mainly based around getting the three ‘Qs’ –

‘quality, quantity and quickness’ – of colostrum delivery right. The FarmAntibiotics.org information website has links to these resources, as well as hints and tips for more effective colostrum management. RUMA chairman Gwyn Jones says that, as a producer, he recognises the pressures at calving, and just how easy it can be to take shortcuts with the all-important first feed. “Calves receiving insufficient colostrum at birth are more than twice as likely to develop respiratory disease, and can have mortality rates as high as 13%,” he says. Around 93% of producers are feeding colostrum within six hours of birth, but only 5% are feeding within the ideal two hours after birth.

Grassland-management programme launched A programme to help producers make more from grass has been launched by crop protection company, Nufarm. Grassmanship features a portfolio of products that enable producers to optimise grass production. The programme focuses on broad spectrum weed control in new leys and established leys with clover-safe options. The programme’s handbook offers

advice on the best choice of a range of products to counter the most commonly occurring weed problems in both pasture and conservation swards, together with guidance on timely application. It also explains how beyond just tidying up, controlling weeds can give a significant financial return. “Weed control is far from the top of the list of producers’ priorities, according to

a recent independent survey,” explains the company’s Simon Bishop. “But recent trial findings show that herbicide applied at the correct time can help to optimise grass performance and productivity, and deliver a clear cost benefit in terms of improving dry matter yields per hectare.” The Grassmanship booklet is available from Nufarm, see www.grassmanship.com.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

Amino-acid balance improves protein use, calf

Calf milk replacers off er More isn’t necessarily better when it comes to protein levels in calf milk replacers. The latest research shows that lower concentrations of protein, but with a specific balance of amino acids, can improve growth rates in pre-weaned calves. And such a move can also reduce milk replacer costs and ‘waste’ nitrogen text Karen Wright

alf nutrition is changing fast, according to Cargill’s Jim Quigley who, after more than 25 years in the industry, says that he’s seeing more progress now than ever before. “People have challenged the protocols that we’ve followed for many years. And this is good – it’s led to one of the most comprehensive reviews of calf nutrition for many years.” Dr Quigley, an international authority in calf and heifer rearing, spends 50% of his time on research projects and the other 50% communicating the latest knowledge through Cargill global specialists, has recently been in the UK to disseminate the latest developments in calf milk replacers with precisely balanced amino acid supplementation – and lower protein concentrations. “Pre-weaned calves receive nearly all their daily protein intake from milk or milk replacer,” he says. “’Essentially all the amino acids needed for growth will come from the liquid diet. Complete milk proteins – casein plus whey – have been considered ideal. When corrected for digestibility, this amino-acid profile matches that required for lean tissue growth. Until recently, we’ve believed this to be a ‘perfect’ match.”

Amino-acid profiles However, the components of milk protein can have different amino-acid profiles. These can be limiting in certain essential amino acids. “This is already well researched in the pig and poultry sectors, and it has

allowed them to improve feed efficiency, reduce wasted nutrients and minimise feed costs. Even dairy cow rations are formulated to optimise amino acids for maximum milk yields with lower protein concentrations. Yet, until now, we haven’t adequately specified amino-acid requirements for dairy calves.” Calf milk replacers in the UK are typical between 22% and 23% protein and 26% for a high-protein milk replacer. Some may even have protein levels of 28%. “But more isn’t necessarily better,” says Dr Quigley, adding that the company’s latest trial work looked at key questions in calf nutrition. These included, how much CMR can we feed and what sort of response can we get? Can we improve growth rates and productivity with a better combination of constituents? What’s the best balance of amino acids for growth rates and performance? Trials using combinations of amino acids with milk replacers of varying protein contents were carried out with calves at Cargill’s Nurture Research Centre in New Paris, Ohio. Calves were fed on milk replacer and starter from two days old through to weaning, at four to six weeks old, using multiple titrations of amino acids under many different feed programmes.

Weight-gain increase Combinations of lysine and methionine and threonine, often referred to as ‘limiting’ amino acids where a lack of one results in a ‘gap’ in the diet that hinders growth, were used, plus two other important amino acids – arginine and histidine. Calves were measured for daily live weight gain and skeletal size – height, circumference and hip width. Results showed that calves up to four weeks old achieved an 18% increase in average daily weight gain where a specific amino-acid supplementation was added to 24% and 26% crude protein milk replacers (see Figure 1). These calves achieved average daily weight gain above that delivered by a 28% crude protein milk replacer. All milk replacers contained 17% fat and were fed at 0.7kg/ head/day up to weaning. “These results show that lower concentrations of protein

New-look replacers “Work in the US has demonstrated the benefit of balancing calf milk replacers for amino acids rather than formulating to protein, says Cargill UK’s calf and heifer specialist Bianca Theeruth. “Trial results show that we can achieve the same performance in calf development on a lower-protein calf

milk replacer balanced for amino acids compared with a higher, more expensive, protein replacer with no additional amino-acid supplementation. “The advantages also include better use of protein and contribute to a more sustainable industry.” These latest developments in calf

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nutrition have been put into practice in Cargill’s ProviMilk milk replacers. “These are now formulated to an aminoacid requirement and not protein per se. They will help producers to achieve more protein-efficient and cost-effective growth rates,” she adds.

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use, calf performance and nitrogen efficiency

ff er more precise feeding

average daily gain (kg/day)

Calf milk replacers with balanced amino acids can improve performance and reduce cost and waste through more efficient protein use

0,5

no added AA

AmNeo

18% increase

0,4

24-26% with AA ≥ 28% without AA Gain:feed response identical More CP than necessary increases cost

0,3

24% CP

26% CP

28% CP

Figure 1: Effect of amino-acid (AA) supplementation in milk replacer on calf growth rates (17% fat, MR fed at 660g/day, and weaned at 28 days). Figure 2: Effect of low and high amino-acid (AA) supplementation included on calf growth rates (24% CP, 17% fat, MR fed at 680g/day, and weaned at 42 days). weight gain

hip weight gain

5,8

5,0 4,6 4,2

3,8 30

original AmNeo

AmNeo + low AA

AmNeo + high AA

3,4

kilograms

5,4 10% increase in weight gain 13% increase in frame growth

but with specific amino acid supplementation can produce better results, more cost-effectively and with less waste,” says Dr Quigley. Cargill’s research went on to develop its amino-acid balancing technology, AmNeo, and include more amino acids in the evaluations. The performance of groups of calves, fed varying levels of amino-acid supplementation in an optimal 24% crude protein milk replacer at 17% fat, were compared. Results (see Figure 2) indicate a 10% average increase in total weight gain and 13% increase in frame growth where the additional amino acids were included. “And when we consider costs, we can see a better return where calves are fed a milk replacer with optimal protein (24%) and the latest package of balanced amino acids compared with a 28% protein milk replacer and no supplementary amino-acid balance,” says Dr Quigley. “This is because feed costs and cost per kilogramme of weight gain are less in the lower-protein ration.” Another advantage of feeding lower protein is the improvement in nitrogen efficiency. “There’s less waste. A 28% milk replacer creates more waste nitrogen than a 24% protein product that, based on our trials, we consider to be ideal. More waste is uneconomical and has environmental and stewardship implications.” Dr Quigley believes that they have arrived at protein levels with a balance of amino acids for calf milk replacers that will improve performance and reduce the cost per unit of body weight gain through more efficient protein use. l

C O W M A NC AO GW E MMEANNT A JGAE NMUE AN RT Y S/ FE EP BT R EM U AB R EY R

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IDENTIFY HEALTH EVENTS BEFORE THEY BECOME A PROBLEM! “We now exactly know a cow’s eating behavior after calving. Before we just had to guess. Now we use the rumination and inactivity features to analyze a fresh cow’s health and will keep a cow separated longer if needed. We are now able to monitor our fresh cows better, resulting in 2 additional litres per cow per day in the first 60 days of their lactation.” Marcel Rijkers (Manager Koepon dairy farm)

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VA L U E

Name: Location: Herd size: Adding value:

A D D E D

Emma Robinson Abergavenny, Monmouthshire 80 cows Farm-gate direct milk sales

Emma Robinson: “Farm-gate sales are a much-needed income boost”

Milk sales, from the door text Rachael Porter

elling milk from a fridge in the farmhouse porch is doing more than simply adding value to the milk produced by the Emma Robinson’s family’s pedigree herd. It’s also building a relationship with the local community and increasing awareness among consumers about how milk is produced and the day-to-day struggles faced by modern dairy producers. The catalyst was what Emma describes as an appallingly low milk price in 2015: “Just 11ppl for our B band milk and just 14ppl for A band. That wasn’t sustainable and we thought that if we could just add value to even a relatively small percentage of our milk it would be a start. Comparing 11ppl to £1 per litre, it was a no brainer.” So, in June 2015, Emma invested in a fridge and some bottling equipment and set up her ‘honesty box’ system. She began selling raw milk in two-litre cartons, at £1 per litre. A vending

machine may also figure in future farmgate sales plans. “But the figures would have to stack up.” The Abergavenny-based herd was hit by bTB in 2017. But undeterred – and encouraged by loyal customers and a positive response to market research – Emma invested in a pasteuriser. Pasteurised milk sales have continued at a similar level to those seen for raw milk. “As soon as we get the all clear we’ll start selling raw milk again. But sales of pasteurised are good enough to have justified the investment in the pasteurising equipment. We’ll sell both raw and pasteurised in the future.” Emma is also keen to stress that the benefits of selling milk directly from the farm are more than the higher price per litre. “Contact with consumers is important for all dairy businesses. The gap between farming and the public is too wide – there’s little understanding of what really goes on dairy farms. Narrowing that gap is important. It gives them a more balanced and realistic view

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of how food is produced and what an important job we do.” Emma says that her ‘shop’ is open 24 hours a day and customers like the fact that they can buy milk at 11pm, if they run out. “Our set up lends itself to farm-gate sales. We’re close to the road, there’s ample parking and turning space in the yard, and the house porch is well lit with a well stocked fridge. And it’s important that you’re friendly and welcoming to customers.” Emma also sells milk through local farmers markets. This also increases awareness and many customers, once they try the milk, will then make the trip to the farm to buy it direct. She’s also applied for a food and business grant and wants to build and fit out a processing room. “This will allow me to expand this side of the business. If we can pasteurise more milk then can start to supply local shops, cafes and restaurants.”

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Open-air parlour design is set to revolutionise large-scale and extensive dairying

Field of dreams Mobile milking – on a large scale – is proving to be a success Prospect Farming Tom Foot (pictured) and Neil Grigg manage a 950-cow spring-calving herd in Dorset. Cows are milked using a mobile milking parlour that they designed and built. Herd size: Average milk yield: Unit size: Bulk tank capacity:

in more ways than two Dorset-based business partners admit they could ever have imagined. We find out more about their innovative approach and how they got into dairying. Dorchester

950 cows, 600 followers 4,200kg (5.20% f. 3.95% p.) 405 hectares 18,000 litres

ecessity really is the mother of invention. And Tom Foot should know. He’s designed and built an outdoor milking parlour that’s attracting attention from producers around the world. The challenge of setting up a large dairy herd, on a short-term tenancy and on a unit without a dairy parlour, was the driver for inventing a ‘mobile’ milking parlour, according to the Dorset-based producer and self-taught dairy engineer, who runs a 950-cow spring-block-calved herd, near Dorchester, in partnership with Neil Grigg. “The system we’re milking the cows through today has evolved during the past few years and is really the result of us needing to solve a problem. We wanted to take on the tenancy at this former arable farm – we’d applied for so many and came close many times but never secured one. We were surprised, but thrilled, to be offered it and just felt that this was a chance not to be missed. We decided to make it work for us, whatever it took.” And what it did take was the vision – and guts – to take a risk and think outside the box – quite literally. The friends formed a partnership – Prospect Farming – in 2009. “We began to build a herd,” explains Tom, “buying in some maiden heifers and empty cows, with a view to developing a tight block-calving group. “The tenancy is short term and there’s no compensation for an investment

C OWM ANAGEMENT

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text Rachael Porter

made in buildings or facilities. Building a conventional permanent parlour was just too big a risk. So, after looking at the figures involved, we started investigating alternatives.” Tom says that all the advisers they spoke to said to walk away and that it was too risky. “And we agreed in terms of installing a parlour. But we also saw

an opportunity, so we looked at the idea of mobile milking, only on a larger scale.

Plan change The initial plan, when they applied for the tenancy in 2009, was to run a 300head spring-calving herd, using winter housing and a conventional milking system.

Open-air dairy: one of the mobile milking parlours that moves with the grazing herd

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a year milking through the outdoor system that we’d cobbled together, I knew what worked and what didn’t and where improvements could be made.”

‘Hospital’ parlour

Extensive management: the 950-cow herd is managed outside all year round

“But we thought that if we could get our hands on six or more mobile milking bails then we could invest our capital in pushing up cow numbers instead – from 200 to 500.” They hired two bails and converted them to make them more mobile. Their design was a trailer format, for easy towing, with a hitch and hydraulics to lift it. “It took four hours to milk 480 cows when we started using the system,

because we were training heifers. But total milking time fell to two hours towards the end of that first lactation.” Once the herd was dry, Tom spent that first winter building a bespoke parlour. “We knew we had to push cow numbers up to around 800 head to justify the tenancy and we had 400 heifers coming through. And milking more cows meant that we needed a more streamlined and purpose-built system. After spending

The herd was milked through three mobile parlours in the second year – Tom’s new 20:40 swing-over system and the two original 12-point milking bails. And by year three Tom had spent another winter building another 20:40 swing-over parlour. They sold one of the 12-point bales and kept the other for milking cows receiving antibiotic treatment. “We call it the ‘hospital’ parlour’,” he explains. And these parlours literally follow the cows, who have access to a fresh 11-hectare area of grazing each day. The milking parlours are powered by generators and have their own cooling units. And there’s a large ex-army lorry that carries a 18,000-litre milk tank, which also forms part of the milking system. This year they had to buy another milk tank to provide more capacity.” Cows are predominantly Jersey and Friesian cross-bred and herd average is currently 4,200kg of milk at 5.20% fat and 3.95% protein. The 405-hectare unit is all grass and there is some housing, formerly used for beef cattle, which is where cows are brought in, in the late dry period, to calve. “They spend the rest of the year outside. We make triticale wholecrop, which is fed out in the paddocks during early spring and autumn. And baled silage is fed out in the stubble turnips fields that the cows graze during the winter.” Tom and Neil grow 41 hectares of stubble turnips each year and a further 162 hectares are grown on other land within a 10-mile radius of the farm. Cows are dried off again in mid-December – December 21 in 2017 – and then moved to this land to over winter. They return to the dairy unit a few weeks prior to calving.

Calving period “We’ve enough building space to house and calve 400 cows,” explains Tom. “We split them into four groups of 100 cows, calving around 50 cows a day once calving begins on March 1. The first 750 cows calving during a three-week period. “Another 100 calve during the following three weeks and another 100 during the following six weeks. So our calving period is 12 weeks.” Young stock, which currently number

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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H E R D

R E P O RT

600 head, are reared 35 miles away, near Exeter, on a unit managed by Neil and two members of staff. Seven staff run the dairy unit near Dorchester, including Tom and two seasonal milkers. “We milked just once a day for the first four years. This was partly due to necessity because we were milking so many heifers and it took longer than it would with a more mature herd. Milking outside in the dark and in the rain is one thing when you have older cows, but quite another when you have a herd of ‘feisty’ heifers.” Year five was a turning point for the business. “The milk price was truly terrible – less than 19ppl. So we started milking twice a day to help fatten the milk cheque. If we hadn’t, we’d have gone out of business,” says Tom.

Cheese-making venture Tom and Neil supply milk to Somersetbased Barbers for making cheese. And some of this has been used to make the farm’s own brand of cheese – Open Air

Dairy. “It really came about due to the publicity we’ve had about the herd, the system it’s managed on and the milking set up. It’s not something that we set out to do, but it was important to capitalise on it – and to allow Barbers to benefit from it too.” Barbers only make about two tonnes of Open Air Dairy cheddar a year: “But it all helps to create awareness of our business and what we’re doing, it’s creating a brand, and it puts diesel in the tank,” says Tom. “It was never part of our business plan, but it happened as a result of public interest – possibly fired by a short appearance on BBC Countryfile. “And Barbers have been tremendously supportive of what we’re doing here. They helped us look at the best milk cooling methods – maintaining milk quality is vital and can be tricky out in the middle of a field on a hot day. They recommended that we try a glycol cooler system, for example, which is used in milk processing and instantly reduces the temperature of milk to 4°C.”

All this milking technology experience and knowhow has led to another unexpected addition to the business. The partners are now manufacturing their open-air parlours for other producers.

Unexpected move The partners are building parlours for producers in the UK and Ireland, and there’s been interest from customers in Zimbabwe, Mexico and Germany. “Building parlours fits in well with the quieter winter months, when the cows are dry, and it’s something that I really enjoy,” says Tom, who still marvels at this unexpected career move. “I didn’t think for one moment, when we took on this tenancy in 2009, that we’d end up milking more than 900 cows through two mobile parlours that we built ourselves – and that other people wanted to buy – or that we’d create our own brand of cheese. I can’t wait to see where the next 10 years take us and the business.” l

Milking time: cows visit one of two swing-over parlours twice a day

C OWM ANAGEMENT

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B R E E D I N G

Genomic testing pays its way as a management tool in commercial dairy herds

Test adds value and fast tracks progress Genomic testing is likely to become commonplace in many UK dairy herds. But do the potential herd-efficiency and profitability benefits stack up? We ask NMR’s GeneTracker team about the commercial and practical advantages of this DNA report and how it can be integrated into dairy herd management systems text Karen Wright

‘K

now your cows, know your business’. Frequently used in advocating individual cow data in the management of dairy units, this adage can be taken a step further with the introduction of genomic testing for dairy

heifers. From four weeks old, producers can build an accurate CV for individual heifers and their likely contribution to herd profitability. Consultant vet Ian Cumming, who is working with vets on the value of

genomic testing and the application of GeneTracker as a key management tool, sees a very clear picture. “Genomics uses the DNA from individual animals,” he explains. “It provides a prediction for each of 35 traits and these are used, in varying proportions, in the genomic PLI. It’s far more reliable than the parent average – a gPLI carries a reliability of 65% to 70%, and a parent average has a reliability of 25% to 30%, so producers can use genomic indices with confidence.”

Highly accurate “A tissue sample from a young dairy calf can tell us what the DNA is saying, and this can never change,” adds Dr Cumming. “It’s highly accurate – the

Genomic information can improve herd efficiency beyond levels that have been seen in the past

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Working with GeneTracker Provided through NMR, GeneTracker is the UK’s leading genomic testing service available to all producers. Turnaround is between four and six weeks and results go back to producers as an iReport on NMR’s Herd Companion with copies to the vet or adviser as requested. “Producers can use the iReport to compare gPLIs of the latest heifer calves with the herd profile and

make rearing and breeding decisions,” says GeneTracker’s Rebecca Gage. “The genomic reports become part of the farm’s business plan,” she adds. “It depends on the herd’s breeding and management goals, but genomic rankings give producers the opportunity to match potential with targets at an early stage.”

DNA sample from an animal is identified with fluorescent markers and compared with millions of others on the database for each trait and related back to the particular cow. These markers read what the DNA is saying. It’s ‘big data’.”

Highlighting the accuracy of genomic tests, NMR has compared genomic test results of cows with milk records and found very little difference. “The genomic figures are very close to the cow records,” he says. “It shows just how reliable the genomic test is. Producers can be confident when it comes to using the information in herd management.”

Table 1: NMR pilot 460-cow herd: top and bottom cows ranked on gPLI s

cow number top 10 gPLI 3901 4249 3924 3787 3526 4252 3945 3937 4238 3588 average bottom 10 gPLI 4233 2775 2779 2766 2992 2746 3703 2776 2971 3234 average

gPLI

fertility index

life span

533 491 490 486 484 484 480 472 470 469 486

13.4 4 3.5 3.1 2.1 8.4 11.1 6.7 5.6 2.2 6.01

0.6 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.4 0.3 0.43

78 75 71 68 56 50 48 44 14 –27 48

1 0.2 1.3 2.7 1.3 4 2.2 –1.9 –1.4 4.3 1.37

0 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0 0 –0.1 0 0.1 0.08

Fertility index Each unit of fertility index equates to a reduction of ½ day of calving interval and an increase of ½% conception rate and is worth £12 profit. Difference in FI top 10 versus bottom 10 is 6.01 – 1.37 = 4.64 = 2.32 fewer days open and 2.32% improvement in conception rate per animal Total value for the group difference = 2.32 x 10 = 23.2 x £12 = £278.40 increased profit. Life span Each 0.1 life span equates to 1 month extra herd life which in financial terms, is worth £18 profit. Difference in LS top 10 versus bottom 10 is 0.43 – 0.08 = 0.35 = 3.5 extra months herd life per animal. Total value for the group difference = 3.5 x 10 = 35 extra months herd life = 35 x £18 = £630 increased profit Total extra profit by breeding for improved fertility and life span from the top 10 animals = £278.40 + £630 = 908.40 or £90.84 per animal.

Rebecca Gage

Cost benefit The real benefit comes when all cows in the herd have a genomic test and a baseline is established. “Cows can then be ranked – you see the good from the poorer animals for gPLI and for each trait. It’s then straightforward to establish the cost-benefit ratio.” He illustrates this by comparing the gPLI average of the top 10 cows with the bottom 10 cows in a 460-cow herd (see Table 1). “The average gPLI for the top 10 cows is 486, compared with 48 for the bottom 10 cows. It’s then interesting to look at fertility and lifespan – two major criteria used in PLI and that affect herd efficiency, and see the financial impacts.”

Additional profit In the pilot herd, the difference in the fertility index between the top and bottom 10 cows was 4.64. “We consider that each unit of fertility index equates to a reduction of half a day of calving interval and an increase of half a percent in conception rate and is worth £12 of additional profit per cow. The top 10 cows are then generating 2.32 times £12, or £27.84 a cow more than the bottom 10 cows. “Add to this the financial difference in life span between the top and bottom 10 cows, and we can see that the extra profit generated by the top 10 cows is £908.40. That’s an extra £91 a cow.” Dr Cumming believes this herd is

representative of many commercial Holstein units. “The cost benefit soon becomes highly significant and the cost of genomically testing dairy heifer calves, which becomes currently around £30 a head, is easy to justify.”

Rearing potential Dr Cumming also highlights other benefits, starting with making decisions about which heifers to rear. “It costs at least £1,000 to rear a dairy heifer to calve at two years old and many estimate the cost to be more. If you identify just three heifers that, within a herd, are not up to the herd’s target, the saving in rearing costs will pay for at least 100 genomic tests.” And there are advantages in breeding planning. “Producers, their vets and advisers can be ‘trait-led’ in management and breeding decisions,” explains Dr Cumming. “We can use them to select for specific traits, including those with lower heritability without compromising other traits; a first in the history of breeding. We’ve seen years of selecting for production and compromising health and fertility traits through relying on population genetics – parent averages and daughter proofs. This can change now, and our breeding decisions can be far more accurate with much better progress.” He encourages vets to get more involved in using genomic data on traits for breeding decisions. “No one knows more about cow health, fertility, longevity and production issues than the vet. They also know the herd’s management system and environment. “Add genomic information for these key traits, that are typically used in breeding decisions, and they are well placed to advise on breeding that will improve cow efficiency beyond levels that we have seen in the past, and promote a more uniform herd.” 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

Shropshire-based producer and award-winning columnist Roger Evans runs through his wish list for 2018 and explains why maintaining a level of optimism is so important for all of us.

Keep the faith I

’ve always been fascinated by how other businesses work. I don’t mean other farms – I can make a fair guess at how they work. It seems that most farmers can make a better effort at making their farm work than I do myself, but I’ve learnt to live with that. What I mean is other businesses that I have little knowledge of. Did you know, for example, that there should be a sort of 50:50 split between the space given to advertising in a magazine and the space given to contributors and articles? In other words, the advertisers pay for all the rest of it. But it’s not quite as easy as that because there is a huge onus on editors to keep their input interesting. If it’s not interesting and attractive to read then the target audience don’t even open it. And if they don’t open it then they don’t read the adverts and the critical balance is soon lost. I can’t remember who told me all this, but I think it was the editor of this magazine. I must have caught her on one of her sensible days! As a result, we get a magazine like this. Half of it is advertising services and products that we could find useful and half of it is given to other people’s suggestions, ideas and experiences. You cannot over emphasise the importance of this. It’s a bit like being on a farm walk – you are just as likely to learn something useful from another farmer standing next to you, as you are from the people who have organised the farm walk. But in this mix there is also an important ingredient that’s missing and it’s one that you have to provide yourself. Without it there would be no market for any of the advertising. And, as we know, without advertising there would be no magazine. The simple ingredient is hope or, if you prefer, optimism. At the start of a new year we need plenty of both. If you don’t have hope there’s little point starting the journey. Don’t waste time hoping for a good outcome for farmers from Brexit. That’s a story that is a couple of years away from its finale. Your views won’t affect its outcome, so why waste time thinking about it? It’s OK to hope that your herd won’t be closed down by TB. The effect on your business can be devastating and there is very little else, apart from hope, that you can do. Next on my wish list is a decent milk price. I hope that milk buyers will pay as much as they can and not as little as they think they can get away with. I’m not convinced that milk buyers appreciate just how much damage was done during the milk-price crash, to the balance sheets of those of us who did not have the protection of retaileraligned milk contracts. Even worse than that, if they know, I’m yet to be convinced that they care. To have a good year we must hope for good weather and that means, for most of us, plenty of grass at the right time. That will also mean that we should only need to buy in the feeds that we plan to buy and not be forced to by in more to make up any short fall. That’s a pretty comprehensive wish list. I’ll add another really long shot. I hope my lawn mower will start in the spring.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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F E E D I N G

Improving forage quality and increasing attention to detail are key to success

One small change offers significant benefits Taking first, and any subsequent, silage cuts earlier in the season has improved silage quality and herd performance on one Dorsetbased dairy unit. So what was the catalyst for making the change? text Emily Ball

ust one small change has made a big difference to grass-silage quality and herd efficiency for tenant dairy producers, the Luther family. Improving quality by cutting earlier, as well as an increased focus on attention to detail, saw them named as southern area finalists in ForFarmers’ Excellence in Farming Awards in 2017. Colin Luther farms in partnership with his wife Barbara, and daughter Jackie and son Stuart, at Lychett Minster, near

Poole. The family milks 90 all-yearround calving Holstein cows and the herd averages more than 11,000 litres, at 3.95% fat and 3.25% protein.

Early cut “We went along to a ForFarmers meeting about forage quality in December 2016 and were impressed by the young, dry silage samples on show from the Netherlands,” says Colin. “It made us think about our first-cut cutting date

Jackie, Colin and Stuart Luther

and what effect bringing it forward could have on forage quality.” In 2017 the Luthers harvested first-cut grass silage on May 1 – two or three weeks earlier than in previous years. And they have seen a huge difference as a result. First-cut analysis revealed a high energy and high protein silage and these benefits were also seen in later cuts.

The milkers at High Farm are fed grass and maize silage, along a central feed passage

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“Because we took first cut earlier, subsequent cuts moved forward and, in fact, where we usually take two or three cuts a year, in 2017 we took four cuts,” Colin explains. “The quantity harvested was less for each cut, but the quality was better throughout. Our second cut had previously gone into big bales, but in 2017 we clamped it and have fed it out this winter with great results. We make all our own silage and this gives us the flexibility to cut exactly when we want, not when a contractor is available,” he adds. In November 2016 cows were averaging 10 litres of milk per day from homegrown forages and by November 2017 this figure had risen to 18 litres. “I put that increase, of 89% compared to the previous year, down to forage quality. It is enabling us to produce more milk from home-grown forage.”

Milk constituents Improving cow yields from forage wasn’t the only reason for adopting an earlier cutting date. Colin had also been speaking to ForFarmers’ Dave Hunt about increasing milk protein levels. “With constituents playing an increasing role in milk price, we felt that driving protein levels up was a priority,” says Mr Hunt. “High quality forages help to drive protein and the changes Colin has made have helped to push them up to an average of 3.25%. The Luthers have also looked carefully at the way they feed the cows and how that could be improved.” The family makes full use of ForFarmers’ support services, including full costing, Diet Plan, Visiolac, Insight and Dry NIR Forage Analysis. They use the fortnightly Grass Bulletin during the grazing season, as well as carrying out soil nutrient and fertiliser planning with help from ForFarmers’ forage specialists. The cows are fed a simple diet. Concentrate in the parlour and through out-of-parlour feeders, and grass and maize silage along the feed barrier. During the summer, cows are buffer fed before the evening milking. Out-of-parlour feeders were introduced because the amount of concentrate fed to high-yielding cows in the parlour was causing digestive problems. “We invested in out-of-parlour feeders and a collar system 10 years ago,” explains Colin. “And cows are now fed 3kg of concentrate in the parlour in two feeds and receive the rest, according to yield, in the out-of-parlour feeders.”

Out-of-parlour feeders were installed 10 years ago

“We found that we haven’t seen as many digestive disorder problems and cows seem much more relaxed and yields have increased while feeding the same amount of concentrate. When cows are out to grass, between March and September, they still have access to the out-of-parlour feeders and we see them begin to drift back in an hour or so before milking to use them.”

Cow longevity Attention to detail and more individual cow management has also helped to improve cow longevity. And not only has this helped to reduce the requirement and rearing costs of replacement heifers, but it also means that the business can sell between 10 and 15 surplus heifers each year. “We’ve been a closed herd for 25 years,” says Colin. “We use sires to breed cows that suit our system. Cows need to be robust, because our dry cows remain outside during the winter. I select sires with good body capacity and plenty of milk. We also manage cows as individuals, as far as we can, and this helps them to achieve their potential.”

Milking is the ideal time to offer cows some individual treatment so when the family replaced the unit’s abreast parlour, they knew exactly what they were looking for. “I like the individual time and attention you can give with an abreast parlour,” explains Colin. “So, we settled on a foura-side tandem parlour. This reduces milking time but also allows us to let cows exit individually, rather than in whole rows. And we can give cows and heifers individual attention when it’s required.” Dave Hunt says that all this attention to detail, coupled with the family’s enthusiasm for dairying, is why he nominated them for the ForFarmers award. “They are always keen to examine what they’re doing and to look at how things could be improved. They monitor their progress and use the right information to make changes,” he says. “They have developed a simple, but successful system. And this continues to improve because they pay attention to every detail in order to achieve excellent results.” l

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BREEDING INFORMATION

Saxobeat progeny showcase impresses HHH crowd At the Dutch national HHH show, held in Zwolle, CRV paraded a daughter group by sire Delta Saxobeat (Epic x Bolton). Saxobeat showed an impressive group of six strong, commercial cows. They combine good production with nice frames and high rear udder attachment.

Saxobeat has 230 daughters in milk, which are performing well. He inherits a great production (more than 600kg of milk) with good components. His daughters have a lot of strength and extremely healthy hooves. Both conventional and SiryX semen is available.

Fleckvieh tour around Germany CRV Avoncroft will host a group of UK producers for a three-day Fleckvieh tour around Germany, from February 7, 2018. The Fleckvieh tour includes a general introduction to the Fleckvieh breed, a presentation about CRV’s Fleckvieh breeding goals, cross breeding possibilities, a bull presentation, and several farm visits. The group will also have the opportunity to visit the Fleckvieh auction in Mühldorf and, of course, there will be some time for sightseeing.

Saxobeat daughters: an impressive group of six commercial cows

Bouncer joins top 20 in PLI ranking CRV Avoncroft has added three new bulls to its portfolio. Topping the CRV Avoncroft list, with a PLI of 746, is Delta Bouncer, who is by Brentano and from a Jasper daughter. Bouncer is an exceptional component improver, with +0.10% fat and +0.14% protein, and, coupled with his high longevity (+942 days), it is no surprise that he scores +12% for Better Life Efficiency. He is also an easy calving sire and offers excellent udders and low somatic counts. Bouncer sires fertile, medium-sized daughters and semen is available priced at £26 per straw. Daughter-proven bull Horst Allard,

with a PLI of 524, is another addition to the CRV Avoncroft bull package. He is by Hunter and out of Fidelity daughter Horst Liza 173. His cow family is a combination of black-and-white and red-and-white genetics, and so this red-carrier offers the best of both. Allard will significantly improve components with +0.14% fat and +0.18% protein and his daughters will be functional cows in a moderately sized package, with excellent udders and good locomotion. Allard also has an outcross pedigree (Hunter x Fidelity x Paramount). Conventional Allard semen is available, prices at £20 per straw. SiryX sexed

Delta Bouncer is an exceptional component improver

semen will be available soon, at £28. Sandy-Valley Audible, with a PLI of 673, is another example of what CRV Avoncroft can offer UK producers. Audible, who is ideal for use on maiden heifers, is a Modesty from the US Bombero daughter Sandy-Valley BMBR Auburn. He will improve herd efficiency with +850kg of milk, +76kg of combined fat and protein, and positive components. This results in a score of 15% for Better Life Efficiency. On the health side, Audible daughters score above average for fertility and are less prone to ketosis compared to the average cow. His semen costs £24 per straw.

Horst Allard daughter Coba 3294

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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M A I Z E

S P E C I A L

Milk quality: maize silage plays a key role in improving constituent yields. Page 24 Shredlage: harvesting technique can unlock the true potential of forage maize. Page 26

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M A I Z E

S P E C I A L

Growing and feeding quality forage increases milk constituent yield

Maize drives milk returns Producing top-quality milk to meet a constituent-based contract starts with growing and feeding the best quality forage, for one Cornwall-based producer. We find out how he meets challenging growing conditions head on to ensure that he sees a good return on his investment. James Warren (centre) with his daughter Sophia, ForFarmers’ Louise Woolacott (left) and Matt Jenkin (right)

text Phil Eades

aize is a key part of the diet fed to James Warren’s 305-cow herd, not least because his focus is on producing high quality milk to exploit his new milk contract. Based in Cornwall, close to coastal cliffs, he grows the crop in what he describes as ‘pretty harsh conditions’: “But by carefully selecting varieties we are able to produce a good quality feed, which is essential for feeding our all-year-round calving mixed breed herd and producing

top quality more for our constituentbased contract.” James, who is also chairman of the English Guernsey Cattle Society, farms at St Buryan, just five miles from Land’s End, in partnership with his mother Rosemary. The herd comprises 105 Guernseys, 110 Jerseys and 90 Holsteins. “We started introducing black-andwhite cattle a few years ago, because our milk contract, at the time, wasn’t paying enough for the high milk fat and protein the Channel Island breeds were

producing,” he explains. “They increased litres and dilute constituents. But in April 2017 we moved to a constituentbased contract with Roddas and are now pushing for milk quality.” In November, milk sold averaged 5.28% butterfat and 3.72% protein, which meant that more than 25 pence of the 38.24ppl received was directly related to butterfat payments. The Jerseys are currently averaging 6,750 litres, at 5.3% fat and 3.85% protein. The Guernseys are averaging

Maize crop: Pinnacle is a new LGAN accredited variety and one of the highest starch yielders on the list

C OWM ANAGEMENT

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7,000 litres at 4.92% and 3.73%, and the Holsteins are producing more than 10,000 litres, at 4.1% fat and 3.37% protein.

Limited grazing The herd is run as one milking group, along with a small fresh cow group. Dry cows are run as two groups. The cows are still grazed by day from early March until early November. At night they graze, but have access to a partial TMR in the yard. This is to support production and it is also offered because there is a limited grazing platform, with just 40 hectares accessible from the dairy buildings. The herd is fed a single TMR, formulated by ForFarmers’ Matt Jenkin. He says that the challenge is ensuring adequate energy intakes for the high-quality milk. “Producing such high-quality milk requires more energy per litre and we have to also address the reduced intakes of the Channel Island breeds,” he explains. “High quality forage is essential and James has invested in good quality grass swards and taking four cuts of grass silage. The milking herd is fed predominantly on first cut. “To achieve a consistent ration, he also feeds maize all year round, believing it is better to feed a bit less per day if this

means it can be fed every day. It accounts for around 30% of total forage intake.” The milkers’ ration comprises grass and maize silage, whole crop, fodder beet, potatoes, a bespoke blend, molasses, minerals and a protected fat. The maintenance-plus value of the diet is adjusted for the different breeds to reflect the milk quality and an 18% high starch compound is fed to yield in the parlour.

Maize hectarage Maize is an integral part of the system and James has been growing the crop for 15 years, starting with just six hectares but increasing to 45 hectares as he looks to feed more maize to more cows. “We are not in a brilliant maize growing area, but we manage to achieve respectable fresh-weight yields of between 34.5 and 37 tonnes per hectare and, importantly, produce a high-quality feed,” explains James. “A large proportion of the crop is grown on rented land, usually rotated between potatoes and cauliflowers. There is a lot of competition for land, so we work closely with the vegetable producers and it works well. They appreciate the large amounts of slurry that we apply and the soil pH after vegetables is around 6.5, which is ideal for maize. He rents around

102 hectares for growing maize and we have several different soil types and growing conditions.” So variety selection is important to success and James works closely with ForFarmers’ forage specialist Louise Woolacott. “We opt for Group 9 maturity class, to avoid a late maturing crop,” she says. “Then we focus on forage quality, looking to produce a crop at around 35% dry matter and 35% starch. We look closely at dry matter yield and the factors affecting quality, particularly starch content and cell wall digestibility. “While 100% of the starch in the cob is digestible, half the total energy is in the vegetative part of the plant. So it’s also important to consider how much nutrition can be derived from the rest of the plant, which is indicated by cell wall digestibility. Cell walls make up a large part of the maize plant structure. So the higher the cell wall digestibility, the greater the availability of nutrients.” She adds that LG Ambition has been a consistent and reliable performer and this year James tried eight hectares of Pinnacle, a new LGAN accredited variety and one of the highest starch yielders, combined with high cell wall digestibility. “This means it provides an excellent balance of energy from both starch and digestible fibre, leading to high ME content in the silage.”

Later drilling James doesn’t expect to drill the crop early in the year and waits until soil conditions are suitable. Being close to the coast, the wind and exposure mean that he has to wait rather than going early. Maize was drilled on May 8 in 2017, but it can be nearer the end of May. By delaying drilling he achieved good establishment and early growth, which set the crop up well. It was harvested on October 22 and the Pinnacle analysed well at 33.7% dry matter, 11.4MJ/ kg DM ME, and 32% starch. “It wasn’t the best maize growing year, but the Pinnacle always looked good,” says James. “It got away quickly and, despite the wet weather from July onwards, it matured well with full cobs. As for feeding out, it is complementing our grass silage well. “Our focus is firmly on producing a constant supply of high quality milk, to make the best of our contract, and topquality forage is certainly a major factor in how well we achieve this.” l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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M A I Z E

S P E C I A L

Shredlage maize differs from regular maize silage: on the left is standard chopped maize and on the right is a shredded crop

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Harvesting technique helps to unlock crop potential

Shredlage makes more of maize Interest in shredlage, forage maize that’s harvested using a method that makes the plant more digestible, is growing in the UK. But is it something that you should consider when cutting your 2018 crop? text Rachael Porter & Diane Versteeg

ith improved forage analysis and better utilisation, and offering more milk and potentially more constituents, it’s little wonder that interest in shredlage maize is growing. Positive reports from the US about increased milk production, on dairy units where shredlage was made and fed, initially fuelled interest in Europe. So much so, that ForFarmers and a Dutch agricultural machinery distributor, Kamps De Wild, set up a practical feed trial, at Dairy Academy Oenkerk, to investigate the effects of shredlage maize in dairy rations. And now the news and knowledge about this technique and what it can do has spread to the UK. Shredlage chopped maize is characterised by a stalk length of between 26mm and 30mm and pulverized grain. “A shredder crusher literally rubs the grain and stalks apart. The crop is shredded,” says Kamps de Wild’s manager Eite van der Veen. “And this creates more structure in the maize silage, which means that it requires less of ‘scratch factor’ ingredients such as straw when fed. For a 100-cow herd, using less or no straw in the TMR can save more than £3,500 per year. Previous shredlage research had been carried out in the US and this was the basis for trial work in the Netherlands, according to ForFarmers’ manager Bertho Boswerger. In the US, the maize proportion of the ration is typically 70% and trials feeding shredlage saw a production increase of 1kg of milk per day. “We did not expect these results in our research because the proportion of maize fed in Dutch, and

indeed UK, dairy rations in much lower,” he explains. “But there were also promising reports about improving animal health.” The Dutch work, carried out at the Dairy Academy Oenkerk between December 2016 and late February 2017, involved 83 cows split into two groups. Their ration remained the same, only the maize chopping method was different. One group was fed shredlage chopped maize for six weeks. The second group was fed the same ration for another six weeks. The groups were balanced, based on milk production, lactation stage and lactation number. No significant differences were found between the two groups for milk yield, kilogrammes or percentage of fat and protein production, rumen pH, or rumination score (see Table 1).

Milk urea The reduction of milk urea, from 20mg to 19mg per 100g of milk, was the only significant difference found between the two feeding regimes. “It’s the result of the intensive processing of the maize

grains with shredding. Starch is available a little faster and this means that the balance between protein and carbohydrate is better in the rumen,” says Mr Boswerger. “The trial results met our expectations,” adds Mr van der Veen. “We didn’t anticipate that producers who feed shredlage maize would have to rush out and buy a larger bulk tank.” The reduction in milk urea can be an indication of better animal health. “The cow may not produce more milk, but she has the potential to milk for longer in the herd. And a healthier cow can increase her feed conversion efficiency. To know this for sure, more and longerterm research is needed.” He’s certainly heard anecdotal evidence from producers feeding shredlage about improved cow health. “They tell me that feed intakes are higher and that they have fewer udder and lameness problems.”

Processing technique He adds that, key to their success with shredlage, is attention to detail when harvesting and ensiling the crop. ForFarmers tested the density and temperature of conventionally chopped and shredlage chopped maize on 43 dairy units. “The highest and the lowest density crops were monitored at the point of ensiling. Careful rolling and compaction is vital to remove as much air as possible from the crop and pit. And using an additive is also advisable.

Table 1: Feeding trial results from Dairy Academy Oenkerk and Haus Riswick (Germany)

Dairy Academy conventional shredlage milk (kg/day) fat (%) protein (%) fat (g/day) protein (g/day) urea rumination time (min./day) rumen pH time rumen pH < 5,8 (min./day)

34.3 4.21 3.53 1.418 1.202 20 531 6.28 26

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33.9 4.23 3.5 1.423 1.182 19 521 6.31 49

Haus Riswick conventional shredlage 38.5 3.70 3.26 1.42 1.27 21 544 5.84 —

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37.8 3.61 3.24 1.38 1.24 19 653 6.19 —

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M A I Z E

S P E C I A L

Clamp management: careful filling and thorough consolidation are vital, and it’s also advisable to use an additive

According to Mr van der Veen, shredding maize also offers an advantage in pit stability. “Customers say that the sides of the pit are much more solid – the silage particles lock together better and this helps to reduce waste,” he says.

feeding out this winter. I know feeding shredlage means that you can reduce the amount of straw that’s required in a TMR – if not remove it completely. And I think that all my customers will want shredlage again in 2018.

Contractor experience

Somerset-based producer Kayleigh Stowell says that her family’s 250-cow Holstein herd is milking well on this year’s winter TMR; the forage proportion of which comprises 60% shredlage and 40% grass silage. “In fact, our constituent levels have never been higher and milk yield is slightly up too. We know that’s due to the maize shredlage,” she says. Maize has been grown and fed to the herd, based near Clevedon, for many years and, until 2017, it was always chopped at harvest. “But our contractor

Shropshire-based contractor Adam Richards says that all the maize he harvested in 2017 was cut as shredlage. “It was the first season I was able to offer it and uptake among my customers was 100%. I cut 570 hectares of maize all shredlage.” Mr Richards, who works in and around Market Drayton, says that he did make shredlage for one customer in 2016 as a demo. “I harvested half the crop as conventional chopped maize silage and the other as shredlage – with a chop length of 26mm. The producer was so pleased with the results – both the quality of the crop and the way it fed out – that all his maize was harvested as shredlage in 2017.” It does take more power, so he also upgraded to a larger Claas forage harvester in 2017. “This has prevented power loss when the shredlage processing rollers are fitted to the machine and means that it takes the same time to harvest as conventional chopped maize. It does require more power and fuel, so we charge an extra £9.80 per hectare for harvesting shredlage. But I know that my customers will easily recoup that – and more – due to the quality of the resulting forage and the additional milk production potential.” “I’ve certainly had no quibbles from my customers – they’re all happy with their maize silage and how it’s

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Shredlage convert

‘Fluffier’ crop: shredlage has more structure compared to standard chopped maize

JANUARY/FEB R U ARY

suggested we give shredlage a go when he turned up in October and we thought ‘why not’. We’d heard a little about it and the benefits that it offered, in terms of unlocking more feed potential from the crop, through our nutritionist Matt Green,” explains Miss Stowell. “My father was a little apprehensive at first, but once we began feeding it all doubts disappeared.”

Higher constituents Average milk yield for the herd, which is housed and fed a TMR all year round, is more than 9,000 litres, with butterfat up at 4.38% and protein at 3.44%. “We’ve never seen fat and protein like that before. And there’s been no sacrifice with yields either. So we’ll definitely be opting for shredlage when harvest comes around again this year.” ForFarmers’ nutritionist Matt Green says that the Stowells have also reduced the amount of straw fed in their herd’s ration by 75%. “Some producers have removed it completely. That’s certainly been a boon this winter with straw prices being particularly high at around £120 per tonne,” he says. “I was fascinated to see what the shredlage would look like,” adds Miss Stowell. “It was much ‘fluffier’ than conventional chopped maize and, for a moment, it looked like we’d struggle to get it all in the clamp. But with good consolidation we got it all in. It did take a little more time to get it in the clamp, but again the payoff is worth the additional effort. And we’ll definitely use an additive on it this year, so help prevent secondary fermentation, just because the silage has a more open structure. We had a little heating at the front of the pit, but that was poor management on our part. Despite that, it’s certainly the best maize crop we’ve ever grown and fed.” l

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D A I RY- T E C H

One-day event set to showcase latest dairying ideas and concepts

Innovation and inspiration A ‘floating’ dairy unit from The Netherlands, 3D printing and drones, as well as more familiar breeding, disease and foragegrowing technologies will be among exhibits at Dairy-Tech, which takes place at Stoneleigh Park on February 7. text Rachael Porter

ombining the novel with the more familiar means that Dairy-Tech promises to be a completely new concept for the dairy sector. The one-day event will showcase ground-breaking technology from robots to virtual reality, offering producers the chance to experience these developments first hand. But it will also host more familiar on-farm innovations, such as genomics, the use of drones to aid grassland management, management apps, and pen-side diagnostics for disease detection. As well as the innovation ‘hub’, there will be a dairy business focus with speakers covering a range of topics from applied genomics for progressive dairies, to busting the milk myths facing the industry, promoting dairy to the Millennial generation and advice on borrowing and funding. Further sessions will include discussions on ways to tackle the labour shortage – how technology

Drone demonstrations: exhibitors will be displaying the latest technology

and innovation could hold the answer – and genetics, as well as practical solutions to antibiotic resistance. Harper Adams’ Hands Free Hectare and the RAU’s Farm 491 will showcase their latest projects, and Lely will demonstrate its latest automation and the Discovery

Informative day: there will be several seminars and workshops for visitors to attend

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scraper will be working on the company’s stand. Drone AG and Bexcopter will be showcasing their drones, highlighting disease management applications. There will also be the chance for visitors to walk around Bexcopter’s virtual reality environment. Addressing more practical challenges, hoof trimming demonstrations will be carried out by National Association of Cattle Foot Trimmers’ chairman Steve Paul, including both knife and grinder techniques, as well as showing correct methods for sharpening trimming knifes. Full speaker timetables can be found online, alongside information on new products. And tickets are now available, costing £17 when booked in advance at www.dairy-tech.uk or are free for RABDF members. All pre-purchased tickets are eligible for a personalised itinerary, a copy of which will be emailed out ahead of the event, to help visitors utilise their time efficiently by suggesting the most relevant stands, seminars and workshops for them to attend. l

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G O L D

C U P

Contrasting systems, both with top-notch management, compete for title

Two more herds go for gold This is the third, and final, article previewing two more NMR/ RABDF Gold Cup finalists. One is a high-yielding Holstein herd and the other is a spring calving, cross-bred herd that’s milked once a day. Both are achieving impressive results. text Karen Wright

Darren and Stuart McMurran, Banbridge, Northern Ireland An increase in cow numbers of 150 cows and erecting a new cubicle shed did not put these dairying brothers from County Down off entering the 2017 Gold Cup competition. And their consistent business performance and achievements have earned them a place in the final six for the third time in the past four years. Since buying the 222-hectare unit in 2004, herd size has increased from 60 to 410 Holsteins. The original home farm is now used for heifer rearing. Cow health and welfare are the main focus here and Darren and Stuart McMurran admit that without the commitment of their team, comprising four full-time staff and three evening milkers, they couldn’t achieve the herd performance that they aspire to. And this includes producing a level milk supply from healthy, high performance cows. “We want an average daily output of 40 litres per cow, and to sell the same volume of milk each month,” says Darren. Milked three-times-a-day, the herd ranks within NMR’s top 1% nationally. Milk from the herd is sold to Lakeland Dairies.

Maximising output “Land is the limiting factor here in Northern Ireland, so we look to maximise output per cubicle while controlling inputs,” says Darren, adding that this is only possible if they adhere to the highest standards of herd management. Fertility is a key area. “Our pregnancy rate, which takes account of heat detection and conception rates, is 25% compared with an average of 17%.” Strict milking protocols are followed and include pre and post dipping and a cluster

From left to right: Darren McMurran and wife Laura, with brother Stuart

flush system to help to keep the herd’s average somatic cell count on a downward trend. “We use NMR’s PCR test to identify any pathogens and determine the best treatment. And any cows with more than three cases of mastitis are culled,” explains Darren. The brothers have also switched from sawdust to using sand bedding in the new building to help to control cell counts. All cows are screened routinely for Johne’s through NMR’s HerdWise scheme. Strict Johne’s control protocols are followed at calving. “Infected cows are identified and their calves are taken at birth and fed pasteurised colostrum to minimise any risk of infection,” says Stuart, who looks after day-to-day cow and young stock management. Feed efficiency is also important in controlling costs. The TMR is based on grass silage with straights. “We want good quality grass so we grow a hybrid

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grass for five years and rotate it with winter barley, which is used for wholecrop.” Four crops of silage are taken each year by an ‘in house’ team. “We do this to make sure we cut grass at exactly the right time,” explains Stuart. “And we work with our nutritionist in developing the ration to meet the cows’ requirements, aiming to keep the diet as consistent as possible.”

Herd facts All-year-round calving 410 Holstein cows and 300 followers Production: 11,751kg at 3.81% fat, 3.13% protein SCC: 175,000 cells/ml Calving interval: 375 days System: Herd size:

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David Williams, Northop, Mold, Clwyd Herd facts Spring-calving herd 275 cross-bred Friesian Jersey cows and 171 followers Production: 3,850kg of milk (350kg milk solids) at 5.21% fat 3.87% protein SCC: 192,000 cells/ml Calving interval: 370 days System: Herd size:

From left to right: David Williams, wife Carol, daughter Vicky, sister in law and employee Sue Pope, with granddaughters Celyn and Eiri

The system at one Clwyd-based unit has changed dramatically since David Williams’ father moved to the 120-hectare grassland farm in 1962, particularly during the past 17 years. David, who runs the farm with his wife Carol, daughter Vicky and sister-in-law Sue Pope, switched to a spring calving herd in 2001. A grass-based paddock grazing system replaced the TMR system and he has bred the type of cow – a Friesian Jersey cross – that suits the

block calving and grazing regime. “We also moved to once-a-day milking in 2011,” says David. “This was for two reasons: access to our grazing land, which is split by a busy commuter road, and lifestyle. Sue is the only paid employee and we manage the milking, grass monitoring, calf rearing and record keeping ‘in house’, but we all take some time off,” adds David, who stresses that this system hasn’t compromised cow yields, health or profitability.

Turnout is from February to maximise the use of grazed grass

Gold cup presentation at Dairy-Tech The NMR/RABDF Gold Cup and the NMR Silver Salver will be presented at Dairy-Tech, Stoneleigh Park on February 7, 2018, along with the Chris May Memorial Award and the Lilyhill

Cup for the highest placed Jersey herd in the Gold Cup competition. The presentations will take place on the NMR stand at 4pm followed with cheese and wine refreshments.

All cows are dried off by December before calving starts early February. Once calved, cows are turned out. Breeding starts on May 10 and AI is used for the first six weeks, with a submission rate of more than 90%. “Our target is to achieve fewer than 10% not in calf by 70 days – in 2016 it was 9%, with 75% in calf at six weeks.”

Grass harvesters David describes himself primarily as a grass farmer. “Our target is to utilise 85% of grass grown, which in 2016 was 13 tonnes of dry matter per hectare, and to provide cows with an energy rich grass with 12ME of leafy material.” The 10cm of top soil covering 45 metres of sand favours a long growing season. “It’s perfect as long as it doesn’t dry up during summer – we love wet weather.” In a good grass-growing season they will only need to supplement rations with 200kg per cow of palm kernel extract. In a bad year this could double. As little grass as possible is taken out of the grazing platform for silage. “As soon as you cut it you lose quality and quantity and you incur costs right down the line.” Milk is sold to Arla. “We’d like to achieve more than 350kg of solids off grass and some silage. We’re moving to six-timesa-year recording so we can monitor progress with official records and get a spring calving index. It will be interesting to see how we rank alongside other spring calving herds,” adds David. He says that a good milk price keeps the business ‘cash rich’ and returns a good profit. “A good margin, with cash in the business, makes the business robust and better able to cope with the fluctuating milk prices that have become the norm.”

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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B R E E D I N G

Breeding to produce more milk from the same amount of feed

Improving feed efficiency Selecting sires using a breeding value for improved feed efficiency – based on real data – is now possible. And it’s good for cows, the environment and the businesses’ bottom lines. text Alice Booij

ll pig and poultry producers know their feed efficiency. It is vital to the success of their herd or flock. But dairy producers who know their exact feed efficiency are few and far between. That said, this parameter is becoming increasingly important to dairy businesses. Tight margins and fluctuating milk prices mean that producers are focusing on managing their herds more efficiently. And an increased focus on the environment also plays a role here. “Improving feed efficiency corresponds with the trend of corporate social responsibility. Cows with better efficiency emit fewer greenhouse gases,” says researcher at the Dutch Wageningen University Roel Veerkamp.

The introduction of genomic selection has helped to demonstrate the differences in feed efficiency between cows, according to Dr Veerkamp’s colleague Yvette de Haas. “Twenty years ago, we wanted to select sires with better feed efficiency. But to make a reliable prediction for each bull, we needed 100 different daughters on 100 different dairy units. With genomic selection, measuring of differences in feed efficiency is now much easier.”

Real figures The differences between cows in feed efficiency are significant, according to the Dutch CRV’s breed specialist Pieter van Goor. He bases this statement on,

among other things, data on feed intake collected on many dairy units. “But we have mainly worked on instict up until now. Now we can look at feed efficiency with real figures.” There are feed efficiency benefits to be gained through breeding. “Cost savings of up to 1.8ppl of milk are possible by milking more efficient cows, which is a significant cost saving for producers.” To help producers to breed more efficient cows, CRV launched the Better Life Efficiency index a few years ago. The most important components of this key figure are milk production, longevity and, indirectly, the recently launched characteristic ‘saved feed for maintenance’. The latter characteristic indicates the amount of feed that a cow does not allocate and use for milk production, but for maintenance. In other words: the total feed intake minus the feed intake that a cow uses for milk production. Feed efficiency is measured as the kilogrammes of milk produced from one kilogramme of dry matter,

Recording differences in feed intake To breed for feed efficiency, CRV collects figures on the feed intake of cows. The Alders family from Overloon in the Netherlands is the first dairy unit where the feed intake of the cows is accurately recorded under practical circumstances. When entering the unit, the blue feed

Twice a day, after milking, the animals go on the scale. This monitors cow weight as her lactation progresses.

Measuring water intake was relatively easy to add to the test design. Little is known about the variation in water intake between cows.

The quantity of forage is weighed in the feed troughs. This accurately measures how much cows eat per session and per day.

bins immediately stand out. Of these containers, 20 are arranged along the feed fence. Enough for a test group of 42 cows, according to Willem Alders. “It is the intention that all our 240 dairy cows will be in this test group for a few months of their lactation,’ he says.

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All feed eaten by the cows is weighed in the bins and so the herds provides reliable data about their feed intake. This, combined with the daily weighing of the cows and the information about their milk production, ensures that there is clarity about the feed efficiency per cow.

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CRV VIEW ON EFFICIENCY CRV VIEW ON EFFICIENCY

TRADITIONAL VIEW ON EFFICIENCY TRADITIONAL VIEW ON EFFICIENCY

LACTATION

YOUNG STOCK

LACTATION LACTATION

YOUNG STOCK YOUNG STOCK

calculated during each lactation. CRV’s measurement focuses on feed efficiency during the entire life of a cow by taking into account longevity in the Better Life Efficiency. That’s because milking older cows contributes to efficient production. A rule of thumb is that with a BLE score

+ LACTATION 1, 2, 3+

YOUNG STOCK + LACTATION 1, 2, 3+ LIFETIME MILK PRODUCTION LIFETIME MILK PRODUCTION = LIFETIME FEED INTAKE = LIFETIME FEED INTAKE

LACTATION MILK PRODUCTION FEED MILK PRODUCTION = FEED FEED INTAKE = EFFICIENCY EFFICIENCY FEED INTAKE

1, 2, 3+ + LACTATION + LACTATION 1, 2, 3+

of 10%, cows will produce 10% more milk from the same amount of feed in their lives, compared to cows with a BLE score of 0%. Table 1 shows a number of sire examples. Anreli, for instance, scores above average for both Inet (milk production), feed for

Table 1: Scores for Inet, saved feed for maintenance, and longevity for bulls

name bull Anreli Audible Stellando Atlantic Rocky

Inet (euro)

saved feed for maintenance (kg DM/cow/day)

longevity (days)

BLE (%)

448 379 254 98 140

0.48 0.64 0.39 -0.61 -1.31

684 417 488 446 525

17 15 11 3 2

Willem was able to immediately establish that the difference in feed intake is considerable, based on the first figures. “It varies from 45kg of a young calved heifer to 75kg in an older cow.” He fills the bins, using a self-propelled feed mixer, with a ration comprising

BETTER LIFE BETTER LIFE EFFICIENCY EFFICIENCY

grass, maize, wheat, yeast concentrate, soy hulls, and a concentrate-mineral mixture. Cows in the test group are between 90 and 150 days into their lactation. “They stay there for about two months. That is long enough to make a reliable estimate of the feed intake during

maintenance, and longevity. With a BLE score of 17%, he is one of the best sires ranked on that parameter.

Feed efficiency Rocky, however, scores less well here. Although he scores well for longevity, his daughters score below average for Inet and require almost 1.8kg more feed per day for maintenance than the Anreli daughters. His BLE score is just 2%. Anreli’s daughters will, therefore, not only achieve higher production and a higher life span, but also achieve better feed efficiency throughout their lives. l

the entire lactation. Then we swap to other cows in the herd.” The cows’ water intake is also monitored. CRV began collecting data on commercial dairy farms in July 2017. The aim is to have 10 herds, during the next two years, where this accurate data is collected.

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

HerdWise Best Practice Award 2018 open for entries The search is on for the winner of the 2018 HerdWise Best Practice Award. Now in its fourth year, the award is made to the herd demonstrating the highest standards of Johne’s disease control. More than 1,600 herds using the routine Johne’s screening service, HerdWise, are eligible to enter. Entries close on February 16 and finalists will be notified by February 26, with on farm judging taking place in early

March. The winner, who receives £500 of Johne’s testing service vouchers and a luxury hamper, will be announced at a HerdWise farm walk on April 19. The winner’s veterinary practice will also receive a trophy to recognise its contribution to the herd’s Johne’s control programme. Entry forms can be downloaded from the Johne’s page on the NMR website: https://www.nmr.co.uk/johnes-best-practicecompetition-entry-form

NMR supporter joins team Rebecca Greaves is NMR’s new customer account manager for the East Midlands. Well placed for this role, Rebecca became familiar with NMR recording and its value on farm from helping on the family dairy farm, near Melton Mowbray. She has her own small Jersey herd that started from two heifer calves given to her on her 16th birthday. Rebecca completed Level 3 Diploma in Agriculture at Reaseheath College and then spent a year as a herdsperson before going to Harper Adams.

Last chance to purchase NMR diary The final few NMR Herd Management Diaries for 2018 are available from NMR Customer Services. The diary includes specific sections for recording movements, medicine use and stocks, and also has the day-today diary pages for all cow events, as well as calculators for bulling and calving dates. Priced at £28+VAT (including post and packing), it can be ordered from NMR Customer Services on 03330 043 043.

Rebecca Greaves

After graduating she joined NMR as customer account manager.

Long-life top cows

New NMR director Ex First Milk CEO Mike Gallacher has joined the NMR Board as a nonexecutive director. An experienced leader, he developed and implemented a major restructuring strategy at First Milk that delivered a £30 million improvement in business profitability in 24 months. Prior to First Milk, he was with Mars Inc., and spent a period as UK managing director for Mars Petcare. Mr Gallacher joined the British Army after graduating and served for eight years as a Captain. NMR managing director Andy Warne said: “We are delighted to welcome Mike Gallacher to the NMR team. Mike’s management experience, leadership skills and

Mike Gallacher

excellent understanding of the UK’s agriculture and consumer sectors will help bring a broader perspective to the NMR Board as the Company continues to grow.”

November’s top three cows, which are all in their sixth lactation, that achieved a lifetime yield of 100 tonnes of milk, or more, ranked on their lifetime daily yield (LDY) are: Grosvenor E Desmond Eugenie from Grosvenor Farms, in Cheshire. She has given 105,120kg of milk and has an LDY of 32.42kg/day. In second place is cow 2077 from Somerset-based Quick and Sons, who has given 109,286kg of milk and has an LDY of 31.25kg/day. In third place is Sylio Baxter Dora EX91, from Hefin Davis Ltd in Pembrokeshire, who has given 100,760kg of milk and has an LDY of 30.05kg/day. A full list is on the NMR website.

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

cm01-nmr news.indd 39

J AN U ARY /F E B RU A RY

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18-01-18 09:54

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FORAGE FOCUS

Prevent winter weather from impacting on calf performance Achieving good calf growth rates during prolonged periods of cold weather is challenging because calves will divert energy reserves away from growth to help maintain their body temperature. If extra feed is not supplied to help mitigate this then calf growth rates will be reduced and their susceptibility to illness or bacterial infection will increase. The optimum temperature range for calves, the thermo neutral zone, is typically between 10°C and 20°C. At temperatures within this range, calves will not use any additional energy to maintain body temperature, leaving plenty of energy available for growth.

Cold stress At 10°C and below, calves will suffer from cold stress and use increasing amounts of energy to help maintain a constant body temperature. The lower critical temperature (LCT) for a calf will depend on its age. Calves that are less than three weeks old have an LCT of 20°C, compared to calves that are more than three weeks old, which have an LCT of 10°C. While dry and well bedded housing and calf jackets will help to keep a calf’s core body temperature elevated, the most effective way to ensure that they have enough energy reserves to keep warm and maintain strong growth rates, is to provide them with more feed. Feeding additional calf milk replacer (CMR) is essential in cold weather. A

rule of thumb is an extra 10g of CMR for every 1°C drop below the LCT. And increase the CMR feeding rate by changing the concentration, from 15% to 17%, rather than increasing the number of litres fed per day. With the warmer and wetter winter conditions that we have experienced in recent years, calf pneumonia can also be a threat. Calf pneumonia is the second largest cause of calf losses in the dairy industry, with an estimated 40% to 60% of calves affected on farm, depending on the management strategies and facilities available. So keeping the disease at bay is crucial. A single case of pneumonia is estimated to cost between £43 and £75, but there is also a long-term impact on heifer growth rates and loss of potential milk yield. So prevention is crucial: • Ensure adequate intakes of highquality colostrum. • Calves can be affected by pneumonia when they’re as young as two weeks old, while their immune system is still developing. So it is crucial that they receive enough high-quality colostrum in the first 24 hours. • Ensuring good ventilation with high levels of pen hygiene and low stocking densities can all help to reduce infection pressure. For more information on caring for your calves this winter, please contact your ForFarmers account manager, or ask to speak to one of our regional young stock specialists.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

cm01-for farmers news.indd 41

Maize feeding attributes

Maize variety choice can have a significant impact on the success of the crop. So growers must choose a variety with the right earliness of maturity for their location, which will be ready for harvest at the required date, but also consider the feeding quality attributes. Cell wall digestibility (CWD) is becoming an increasingly important factor for feeding high levels of maize silage in a diet. More than 50% of the total energy in maize is in the vegetative parts of the plant. In varieties with high CWD, more of this energy is available to the cow. Varieties with high CWD provide a slow release of carbohydrate to the rumen, reducing the risk of acidosis from high starch content. This becomes more important as the proportion of maize in the diet increases above 40%. Pinnacle is the new maize variety that’s set to become a classleading, first-choice variety on the 2019 BSPB/NIAB list. With a FAO of 190, it leads the very early category and combines early maturity with excellent early vigour for rapid early season growth. The variety combines a high starch yield of 112% with improved CWD to produce superb quality silage and a DM yield of 103%. The improved CWD of 58.5% maximises the energy yield and feeding performance. Book early to ensure seed availability for the 2018 growing season.

J AN U ARY /F E B RU A RY

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B U L L

P R O O F S

Proven and genomic rankings leave producers spoilt for choice

Debutants steal the show Lancashire-based Holstein breeder James Tomlinson is in awe of the quality of proven and genomically tested sires that are now available. He shares his highlights from December’s bull rankings. text Rachael Porter

e’s one of the top milk quality improvers of the Holstein breed and James Tomlinson says that there’s no doubt that Mr Rubi-Agronaut, who heads the list of genomic young sires in the new AHDB Dairy indexes with a December 2017 Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI) of £812, will be in huge demand and short supply. Agronaut transmits fat and protein percentages of +0.22% and +0.09% respectively, and also has the highest Type Merit of the top 20 sires at +3.12. “And he’s out of the Apple cow family and offers great fertility. So I’m going to enquire about his price, even though I doubt they’ll have any straws available.”

Colossal PLI James also believes that producers won’t go far wrong with second-place sire Claynook Casper (Hang-Time x Bombero). Like all of the top £PLI sires, Casper scores strongly for both daughter fertility (fertility index +13.4) and daughter lifespan (LS +0.7 lactations). “He’s expensive, which isn’t surprising for such a good bull. He has a colossal PLI and super fertility. And Charity is a trusted and reliable cow family. So I’m certainly going to enquire. But if I buy

Proven sires James Tomlinson: “I’ll be making several semen-price enquiries this month”

any straws they will be for my top cows only.” VH Balisto Brook holds on to third spot, transmitting a massive weight of fat at +40.5kg and excellent udder health, with –36 for Somatic Cell Count and –6 for mastitis. Fourth is Peak Alta Depot, another strong udder health bull, who also has excellent daughter fertility (+17.6) and the highest lifespan index in the breed at +0.9. Former number-one sire, Westcoast Perseus holds his position in the top five with a PLI of £788 and a high protein percentage (+0.11%), and stands ahead of the first brand-new bull in the top 10. This new entry, Progenesis Doctor, has

S-S-I Shamrock Mystic

CC VO O E EW WT M M E EAALN NT AA JG GAEENM MUEEAN NRTTI JS1AE/N P2 U T2 EA M 0R0Y B9E/ FR E 2B 0R 0U 9A R Y

cm01-bull proofs.indd 42

certainly grabbed James’ attention. “I’m definitely giving him a second look. I’ve used a lot of Superhero semen and have been happy with the results.” This sire reduces maintenance feed cost for his daughters (–6) and has a high milk Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) at 811kg. “I can’t go wrong with him.” Seventh is UK-bred Prehen Lancaster. He is another favourable daughter maintenance transmitter at –3, reaffirming his position among the world’s best. Sharing eighth position, with Progenesis Padawan, is Leaninghouse Helix who has good all round PTAs and a PLI of £773. James is excited about him, particularly due to his modern sire stack.

The number-one position in the new Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) rankings for daughter-proven Holstein bulls is held by long-term leader, Gen-I-Beq Lavaman. This bull has almost 100 more UK daughters contributing to his figures since they were published by AHDB Dairy in August 2017. More than 1,000 are now milking in the UK. And James says you can’t argue with that. “But I can be picky, because there are so many other excellent sires to choose from. And, for me, he’s just not high enough for milk. Although he is clearly very persistent.” He has a PLI of £690, reflecting his balanced breeding profile, with a very high Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA) for protein percent (+0.18%) and low daughter maintenance costs (–9). In second position is a bull which makes his debut in the proven bull rankings in

De-Su 11236 Balisto

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Peak Alta Depot

Mr Rubi-Agronaut 73287

the shape of Mocon. Bred in Germany to a daughter of Snowman, his sire is Morgan, giving him both Bookem and Shottle in his pedigree. “And it is an interesting sire stack, but it’s his chest width that puts me off,” says James. With a PLI of £679, Mocon has a PTA which combines high weight of milk (839kg) and protein (28.5kg), alongside low cell counts (–23) and favourable daughter maintenance (–19) that reflects his daughters’ smaller than average stature. Teemar Shamrock Alphabet edges up to third place with outstanding fitness attributes including daughter fertility (Fertility Index 21.1) and good calving

ease (both direct and maternal). And cell count and fertility improver, S-S-I Shamrock Mystic holds on to fourth position (PLI £640), closely followed by VH Cole Clark, another fitness specialist with 21.2 FI, +0.8 lifespan and a PLI of £634. Sixth place goes to De-Su 11236 Balisto, now with more than 200 UK daughters contributing to his proof and a PLI of £628. New in seventh position, and the first of three sires to really catch James’ eye, is De-Su Penley 11839, a Seagull-Bay Platinum son with exceptional udder health at –38 SCC and –6 mastitis. His PLI is £621. “I’m getting prices for him and

eighth-place De-Su Rookie 11057 and ninth place EDG Rubicon. These are the three proven sires that have really captured my imagination this time around,” says James. “Penley’s SCC of –38 really stands out and he’s from a good cow family and by Platinum. Rookie’s high type and his ‘alternative’ sire stack make him worth a closer look, and a phone call. And Rubicon is highest for type and his modern sire stack seals the deal. But the sires listed in both rankings are exceptional. Much of it comes down to personal preference and individual herd breeding goals. There’s so much choice. But you can’t use them all.” l

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

sire

mat. grandsire supplier

milk

fat kg

prot. kg

fat%

£PLI

maint.

SCC

lifespan

fertility

dCE

F&L

udder

genomic sires Mr Rubi-Agronaut 73287 Claynook Casper VH Balisto Brook Peak Alta Depot Westcoast Perseus Progenesis Doctor Prehen Lancaster Progenesis Padawan Leaninghouse Helix 22137 KNS Barabo

Rubicon Hang-Time Balisto Hotshot Penmanship Superhero Penmanship Jedi Hang-Time Battlecry

Shotglass Bombero Denim Montross Doorman Mr Mogul Delta Shamrock Enforcer Jacey Balisto

Cogent WWS Viking/AIS Alta/Global Genetics Semex Semex Gene Source/UK Sires Direct/AIS Semex WWS Mastergen

64 63 66 63 64 63 64 64 64 64

+399 +759 +497 +605 +646 +811 +709 +956 +662 +608

+33.9 +31.1 +40.5 +28.0 +33.5 +34.1 +31.5 +23.9 +33.6 +27.4

+20.2 +29.8 +23.7 +20.4 +30.0 +29.6 +24.8 +32.2 +26.1 +27.4

+0.22 +0.01 +0.25 +0.05 +0.09 +0.02 +0.04 –0.16 +0.09 +0.08

+0.09 +0.06 +0.09 +0.01 +0.11 +0.04 +0.02 +0.01 +0.05 +0.09

812 796 795 791 788 785 775 773 773 761

2 14 2 7 15 –6 –3 20 11 5

–27 –21 –36 –36 –25 –22 –14 –22 –32 –29

0.7 0.7 0.7 0.9 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.8

13.1 13.4 8.9 17.6 11.0 10.5 17.4 16.6 11.2 7.3

–0.1 0.2 0.9 0.6 0.8 –1.0 0.8 –0.4 –0.2 –0.5

2.44 1.34 0.91 1.23 1.00 0.99 0.88 1.91 1.45 1.70

2.10 2.85 0.90 1.27 1.98 1.90 1.50 2.05 2.70 1.60

3.12 2.35 1.60 1.98 1.68 1.84 1.53 2.19 2.38 2.40

Goldwyn Snowman Ramos Shottle Lambada Watson Shamrock Bronco Robust Robust

Semex Bullsemen.com Genus WWS Viking Genus WWS WWS Cogent Semex

97 72 82 79 81 93 72 80 79 69

+331 +839 +544 +588 +438 +500 +784 +672 +656 +582

+20.0 +24.3 +15.8 +23.7 +2.0 +29.8 +25.2 +35.5 +39.8 +23.0

+25.2 +28.5 +17.8 +19.8 +16.1 +29.0 +24.8 +22.9 +21.0 +22.3

+0.09 –0.10 –0.07 +0.01 –0.18 +0.12 –0.07 +0.11 +0.16 +0.00

+0.18 +0.02 +0.00 +0.01 +0.02 +0.15 –0.01 +0.01 +0.00 +0.04

690 679 668 640 634 628 621 616 612 603

–9 –19 –23 0 –22 10 12 6 11 –10

–4 –23 –3 –21 –4 –19 –38 –25 –11 –12

0.2 0.6 0.7 0.5 0.8 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.5 0.6

16.0 0.8 7.5 0.9 21.1 2.4 18.7 –0.6 21.2 2.5 1.1 0.3 6.2 0.3 5.9 0.2 8.3 –0.4 8.8 0.6

proven sires Gen-I-Beq Lavaman Man-O-Man Mocon Morgan Teemar Shamrock Alphabet Shamrock S-S-I Shamrock Mystic Shamrock VH Cole Clark D Cole De-Su 11236 Balisto Bookem De-Su Penley 11839 Platinum De-Su Rookie 11057 Bookem EDG Rubicon Mogul View-Home Littlerock Cashcoin

protein

name

rel.

ind.

functional traits %

production

1.09 0.79 0.70 0.25 0.92 0.78 0.73 –0.32 –0.17 0.01 0.55 0.84 1.16 –0.52 0.52 1.18 1.05 1.69 1.20 1.40 1.78 0.79 1.60 1.48 2.29 1.94 2.92 0.97 1.06 1.23

C O W M A NC AO GW E MMEANNT A JGAE NMUE AN RT Y S/ FE EP BT R EM U AB R EY R

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THE MOVABLE SINGLE UNIT VDK Products

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS

2018 January 22-24: February 7: February 27:

Parlour routine: milking in full swing on a winter’s afternoon Picture: Kristina Waterschoot

March 10: May 10: May 16-19: May 30-June 2: June 7-9: July 4-5: July 10-12: July 23-26: September 12:

British Cattle Breeders Conference, Telford Hotel and Golf Resort, Shropshire Dairy-Tech, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry Maize conference 2018, Peterborough Arena, East of England Showground, Peterborough Borderway UK Dairy Expo, Carlisle, Cumbria Grassland UK, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Balmoral Show, Balmoral Park, Lisburn Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Royal Cornwall Show, Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, Cornwall TotalDairy Seminar, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Stratford-upon-Avon Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate, North Yorkshire Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells, Powys UK Dairy Day, Telford International Centre, Shropshire

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

C O N TA C T S CowManagement is published eight times per year by CRV Holding BV

Editorial team

Chief Editor Jaap van der Knaap Editor Rachael Porter Phone 01394 270587 E-mail rachael@reporterjournalism.co.uk Editing, design and production Veeteelt Contributing writers Emily Ball, Alice Booij, Phil Eades, Roger Evans, Allison Matthews, Diane Versteeg 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 internet www.cowmanagement.co.uk

Subscriptions

CowManagement is available free of charge to customers of NMR, Avoncroft and Thompsons. If you think you are eligible, please contact: National Milk Records plc, Fox Talbot House, Greenways Business Park, Bellinger Close, Chippenham SN15 1BN Phone 03330 043043 E-mail customerservices@NMR.co.uk www.isubscribe.co.uk