Cowmanagement june-july 2018

V O LU M E 16 N O 4 J UN E /J ULY 2018

IN THIS ISSUE

C O W H E A LT H

LA BO U R SERIES

FERT I LI TY

Bovine TB blood test – what this means for UK herds

Next generation share their dairy expectations

Heat-detection tech to keep calving index in check

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Smooth transition Strong lactation The transition phase is the most important period in the production cycle of the cow. By focusing on key areas of transition cow nutrition significant performance improvements and cost savings can be made. This could realise over ÂŁ11,000 or 1.5ppl per 100 cows.

ForFarmers TRANSLAC nutrition programme and products are designed to improve performance by giving the cow and calf the best possible start.

08457 22 88 53 info.uk@forfarmers.eu www.forfarmers.co.uk

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CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Value added: campsite diversification Roger Evans CRV Avoncroft Breeding Information 39 ForFarmers Nutritional News/ Thompsons Nutritional News 43 NMR Dairy Management News 46 Events and contacts 5 9 15 37

REPORTS

10 Resolve and enthusiasm are key to successful disease control for one Wiltshire-based herd 32 US-based producer ensures that Dutch Belted’s future looks secure FEEDING

12 Transition cow management/ Paying attention to hoof care BREEDING

20 Genomic results spell out heifers’ credentials 40 Activity monitoring system flags up cows in heat

James Smith “We had the data – we just needed to tap into it” 10

Editor Rachael Porter Feeling the heat

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razing is in full swing on many units and first (if not second) cut is safely in the clamp. A relief after a difficult spring, when many producers caught their first glimpse of the back wall of the silage clamp for quite a while.

If you do manage to grab a cool drink outside on one of these warm summer evenings, we hope it’s with a copy of CowManagement in hand.

This issue’s special focuses on fertility and we take a closer look at in-line milk progesterone testing, which is helping one Cambridgeshire-based producer take some of the time and stress out of heat detection and also reducing her herd’s calving interval. See page 24 to find out more.

Requiring a more modest investment, but also effective, are visual heatdetection aids.

We spoke to some producers about what works for them – be it tail paint or more sophisticated devices – and why. And we share our findings on page 26.

This issue’s herd report features this

year’s HerdWise award winner. The Wiltshire-based herd manager shares his strategies when it come to successfully tackling Johne’s disease on page 10.

A new blood text could help herds with a chronic bTB problem to get free of the disease. We spoke to a leading cattle vet, who’s trialled the test with considerable succes to find out how it works and what this means for UK producers. See what he has to say in our Q & A on page 16.

This issue also features the third article in our series on the labour crisis faced by the dairy industry.

This time we spoke to two young, upand-coming herd managers to find out what motivates and inspires them. It’s about so much more than a fair salary.

And Roger Evans is hoping to see a little more cash in the bank now he’s completed his dairy unit’s organic conversion. Find out more about how his plans have finally come to fruition, and what he hopes will happen next, on page 15.

Main article Staff shortages

Health TB testing

Special Fertility

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Two young herd managers tell us what keeps them motivated

New blood test can identify both infected and infectious cattle in ‘chronic’ herds

In-line progesterone testing and visual aids to help spot bulling cows and heifers

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Know your cow Control your herd You can’t possibly see everything you need to know.

Let Nedap help put the power of precision dairying on your side. We partner with the best A.I. and milking equipment providers to deliver precise and complete herd monitoring insights.

Identification

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Heat Detection

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Health Monitoring

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Cow Locating

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Herd Performance Trends

nedap.com/cowcontrol

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C O W

TA L K

Take steps to minimise heat stress Even at temperatures as low as 20° C, heat stress can reduce feed intake and butterfats, and cut milk yields by up to 20%. So says KW nutritionist Samuel Wellock, adding that when cows are in direct sunlight, or high humidity, even modest ambient temperatures can result in heat stress.

“So watch closely for cows that are panting, lethargic, standing rather than lying, or with a respiratory rate higher than the normal 26 to 50 breaths per minute,” he warns. “Reductions in feed intake or milk yield of 10% or more, as well as increased ration sorting, can also indicate that heat stress is a problem.”

Access to clean drinking water is essential,

as are changes to herd management, including lowering stocking rates, boosting ventilation and increasing access to shade. Rations will also need to be adjusted to account for lower feed intakes.

“Increase ration energy density by feeding high quality forage, or using energy-rich moist feeds like Traffordgold.

And boost digestible fibre intakes to reduce the acidosis risk by including British wheat distillers’ or soya hulls,” says Mr Wellock. “Rumen-protected fats, such as Goldenflake and Butterfat Extra, can also help, as will adding liquid feeds to increase palatability, encourage intakes and reduce sorting.”

Control weeds in new leys to protect investment Producers wishing to make the most of their investment in reseeding should make sure they control perennial and annual grassland weeds this summer.

And Corteva Agriscience’s broadspectrum herbicide, Leystar, has been specifically formulated to do this.

Containing three active ingredients, the herbicide controls a wide range of annual and seedling perennial weeds including: chickweed, mayweed, fat hen, and seedling thistles and docks.

“Walk leys reseeded this spring, preferably with an agronomist, and identify the problem weeds,” says Corteva AgriSciences’ Andy Bailey. “And

then buy the best product for the job. If you’re using a contractor, call them and book them in.”

Leystar is a modern herbicide that controls a wide range of weeds. It is safe to grass plants once three true leaves have appeared, but will kill clover and other legumes. Clover can be stitched into the sward three months after application.

It can be sprayed on new-sown leys from February 1 to August 31 at a maximum rate of one litre per hectare, in 200 litres per hectare of water. For best results it should be sprayed when the weeds are small and actively growing.

Parlour routine is key to reducing antibiotic use Producers should be taking practical steps in their parlour hygiene routine to ensure antibiotic use is reduced to meet future milk marketing opportunities.

“Milk buyers are introducing measures to encourage reduced use, and producers should revisit their milking routines to ensure they’re implementing protocols that are compatible with good milk hygiene and udder health,” says Rob Kelly from Diversey – the company that owns the Deosan range of dairy hygiene products.

“A rigorous udder hygiene routine carried out with robust well formulated products, is a proven tool to reduce

the challenges of the environment responsible for infection,” he adds.

“Post-milking teat disinfection plays a crucial role in reducing the risk from mastitis-causing organisms. And a well-formulated product will result in hydrated skin that can withstand changeable conditions, particularly during the summer.

“But when cows are outside, it can be tempting to cut back on key elements of pre-milking teat preparation, perhaps removing a disinfectant altogether. This not only puts more pressure on the post disinfectant to maintain teat condition, but it can also lead to fluctuating

bactoscan results when cows are dirtier than normal. Exposure of the teat to a greater bacteria challenge can lead to infection,” he adds.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

Progression, prospects and peo

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

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

Part 2: Recruiting and retaining staff Part 3: Inspiring the next generation Part 4: Success stories – training and apprenticeships

Two young and ambitious herd managers tell us what attracted them to their current roles – and what’s key to keeping them, and the next generation, motivated and eager to work in the UK dairy industry. text Rachael Porter

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ecognition for a job well done, as well as job satisfaction and a good work:life balance. These are just a few of the factors that are import to herd manager Rob Chadwick. At just 33, he’s already climbed to the top of the dairy management ladder and, from his own experience, he knows a thing or two about how to motivate people– and how to keep them there.

“Investing in staff is vital – it’s the best way of making them feel valued. I’m not talking about pay, but training courses and facilities to help them to do their job more easily and to the best of their ability.”

Rob is an LKL Dairy Academy graduate. He finished his two-year part-time course in April this year and

Rob Chadwick: “Motivation is very much about feeling valued, as well as job satisfaction”

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Tom Cratchley: “My partner, Rachael, and I were both looking for a new challenge”

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for him the most important part of the course wasn’t the module on dairy cow husbandry, or financial planning. It was the training on people management.

Management training Rob works for the Edge family, managing their Cheshire-based herd of 600 cows and 500 head of young stock. But, to put that more accurately, Rob manages the team of staff, comprising eight people, who look after the cattle.

“I could look after cows all day – no problem. What I was struggling with, and what many producers struggle with, is looking after people. That’s a different thing altogether and I admit it didn’t come to me naturally. It was outside my comfort zone and I had to work hard at it to get it right.”

So staff management training – and developing management skills in general – was a huge help to Rob and also kept him motivated. “The Edges could see my potential and wanted to invest me. And managing staff is definitely part and parcel of any dairy herd management role these days. Herds are so much bigger today and it’s no longer solitary work. Successful dairying often means working as part of a team of staff both on and off the farm.”

And good management means getting the best from people.

“Motivation is key to getting the best from your staff, as well as retaining them. Money isn’t everything. The same can be said for accommodation too. Some staff will want accommodation with the job and are happy to live and work on the farm. But others won’t. I very much wanted to live away from the farm – partly so that there was a definitive ‘end’ to my working day.

So my salary has to allow me to live off farm.”

Work:life balance And to keep a fresh interest, and prevent staff getting ‘stale’, Rob feels that a role in a business that evolves and develops is attractive to employees. They want to see some new ideas and developments, not years and years of the same working day stretching out in front of them. “So throw in some training, give them some ownership of their roles, and get them involved in decision making and any plans for the future of the business.

Make them key to the success of your business.”

Creating a work:life balance is important too. “Too many producers and their staff work longer and longer hours, particularly as labour is increasingly difficult to source. But staff just become overwhelmed and exhausted and it’s unsustainable in the longer term. Sure, a couple of busy months with silaging or calving is inevitable. But there must be quieter times to counter this – no one can work at full throttle 52 weeks of the year.”

Again, he says that managing this is down to managing staff – not cows. “It’s better to have two staff working 40 hours a week each than to have one herdsperson working a 70-hour week.

And you’ll have two happy and enthusiastic people working on the unit, rather than one miserable, exhausted one.”

Tom Cratchley agrees that job satisfaction is key and that pay

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and people management are key to attracting and retaining staff

iv ates today’s generation?

isn’t everything. His dairy career is driven by a desire progress and to look for the next challenge. Tom’s second job, after graduating from Aberystwyth University and working as a breeding adviser for 18 months, was managing a dairy herd in Gloucestershire. Today he’s working as a dairy unit manager in Norfolk. The 28-year-old says that training and development are both key to attracting and retaining skilled dairy staff. But for him, the deal breaker is the opportunity to progress.

“I saw the job ad on Twitter and messaged the business partner, Tom Rawson, to find out more. That got the ball rolling,” he says.

New challenges Tom Cratchley was happy in Gloucestershire – as was his partner Rachael who is originally from there and worked locally. But looking longer term he wanted a role where they could work together and, most importantly, there were new challenges. “I’d heard a lot about Tom and Charlie Crotty’s business – Evolution Farming. I knew they were progressive and I knew that managing a new unit – which is what they were setting up – was just the challenge I was looking for.”

Tom has been at the Houghton Hall-based unit, near Sandringham, since January 2018, milking the 350-cow herd. Despite being content in Gloucestershire, he’s extremely happy that he made the decision to move – as is Rachael. “It was harder for her – she had family in Gloucestershire. But here we’re working on the same farm – we’re a team. And this is a nice place to live and work too.

Tom feels that there are also more opportunities for dairy in the east, compared to the south west; not least the opportunity to expand the herd further. “We’re looking to push cow numbers up to 500 and then 600 cows,” says Tom. Land is difficult to come by in Gloucestershire.

Norfolk-based dairy herds are few and far between and Tom says that there’s a blank canvas where they are and that the business is still growing and evolving.

“That’s exciting. Who knows what the next move for the business could be. All I do know is that I have an opportunity to be part of it.” l

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VA L U E

Name: Location: Herd size: Adding value:

A D D E D

Will Cain Port St Mary, Isle of Man 80 cows Campsite diversification

Port St Mary

Will Cain: “This is a prime area for walkers and cyclists”

Site is set for success text Rachael Porter

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‘seasonal’ diversification is set to add value to one Isle of Manbased dairy business. Will Cain, who farms in partnership with his parents Derek and Jane, runs an 80-cow herd at the southerly tip of the island, on coastal land.

This spring he finished building a campsite. “This is a prime area for walkers and cyclists – and we’re just 12 miles from the TT and Manx GP route,” says Will, adding that there are no other campsites near Port St Mary or indeed on that side of the island. The island’s population doubles during TT week, so they should attract plenty of customers.

Work began on converting an existing shed, within a 0.75-hectare corner of land, into a kitchen/shower/ toilet block. Derek and his brother David have built two shepherd huts

and the site also comprises six static caravans and space for pitching tents.

“The first step, once we’d established that there would be demand for a campsite, was to apply for planning permission. That took a while as there were some objections to the silvercoloured shepherd huts, so we’ve had to paint them green,” explains Will. “The local council was keen on our idea though – this area of the island was lacking in camping facilities.”

The family already has ‘hospitality’ experience. They’ve been letting a holiday cottage at the farm for the past 12 years. “Again, that was an old shed that we converted into living accommodation. Its success helped to spark the idea for the campsite.”

The site opened for the first time in early June. As of 2019, it will open from April to October. “That’s when we expect

people to make bookings,” explains Will, adding that he already has some for this summer, made before building work was complete. “That’s a good sign, particularly as we haven’t started to advertise the campsite yet. We’ll be doing that through Facebook, a website, and the local tourist information centre.”

He will take charge of promoting the business through social media, but Derek and Jane will run the campsite, enabling Will to focus on the dairy herd. The plan is to add more shepherd huts and caravans to the site during the next few years. But for now, the family is just eager to open the gates and get the business off the ground. “The building conversion was a considerable investment, but running the site should be fairly low cost – just cleaning and maintenance. We should see a return on our investment within five years.”

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Resolve and enthusiasm are key to successful disease control

Enough is enough A consistent and uncompromising approach to Johne’s control has seen one Wiltshire-based herd – and its vet – receive awards and rewards for disease-prevention protocols.

We spoke to them to find out more.

Johne’s update

By October 31, 2018, all producers supplying purchaser members of the NJMP (National Johne’s Management Plan) will need to have assessed their risks and herd status and have a written Johne’s management plan in place.

And this must all be confirmed by a veterinary signed declaration.

Milk collected by purchaser members of NJMP accounts for more than 85% of UK milk production.

The target is to have 95% of UK dairy herds committed to a Johne’s control plan by this date.

text Rachael Porter

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atching one of his best cows waste away before his own eyes was the catalyst that saw one Wiltshire-based producer, and his vet, decide to tackle Johne’s disease head on. “I decided that enough was enough,” says herdsman James Smith. “We knew the disease was there and we had seen a few full-blown cases in the herd. But this was a pivotal moment for me.”

That was almost three years ago and this year the herd, which is owned by William Hawking, scooped the HerdWise ‘best practice’ award for Johne’s control. And the herd’s vet, Ian Cardiff from Malmesbury’s George Vet Group, was also presented with an award for his impressive work. “It’s a team effort – that’s for sure – but it all hinges on the

HerdWise data. It’s what we’ve done with that data that’s important and that’s what’s making a difference in terms of controlling the spread of Johne’s and taking successful steps towards eliminating it from the herd,” says James.

Organic system James manages the organic herd of 240 milkers, plus 160 young stock, on a unit near Chippenham. The herd average yield is 9,200 litres of milk at 4.1% butterfat and 3.2% protein, with a somatic cell count of 129,000 cells/ml.

Calving interval stands at 376 days.

Cows are turned out, onto grass/clover swards, as early as possible in the spring – typically at the end of March. Grazing extends into late October, if conditions

allow. The herd produces around 3,000 litres of milk from forage and James would like to increase that. “We’re always looking to improve efficiency and part of that is producing more milk from home-grown grass and silage – the cheapest feeds available. But it’s about balance. Cow health and fertility are our main priorities and any increase in yield should not come at a cost.”

The winter ration comprises grass silage and home-grown wholecrop barley, as well as home-grown organic cereals and some bought-in organic soya. Calving is all year round and the herd is managed in two groups – high and low yielders.

Milk is sold, on an organic contract, to Muller and the herd is milked twice a day through a 23:46 herringbone parlour.

Organic system: the 240-cow herd is fed a TMR during the winter, which comprises home-grown wholecrop and cereals

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James Smith By working closely with his herd’s vet, this herdsman has made huge strides in controlling Johne’s.

And it all starts with monitoring the disease Herd size: Average yield:

Health plan: making use of data is helping to control Johne’s disease

Key to the successful management of any dairy system, particularly an organic one, is working closely with the herd’s vet. “So working closely with Ian was something that we were already doing and drawing up and following a Johne’s plan seemed like the next logical step for us,” says James.

Top priority “Cow health is top of our list of priorities.

Production diseases, such as lameness and mastitis, are all under control, and a foot trimmer visits the herd every two months. We routinely give cows a pedicure at drying off and also treat lame cows,” adds James. “We locomotion score on a regular basis and the herd also walks through a formalin footbath every morning after milking.”

The herd are vaccinated for Leptospirosis and BVD, and calves are vaccinated to protect them from pneumonia. James instigated tackling Johne’s. “I was fed up of seeing good cows calve down and, within a matter of weeks, having to cull them as they start to fade away. It was wasting good cattle and also meant that we were not able to cull cows in a more planned way. At one point 30% of culls were due to Johne’s – not necessarily clinical cases, but certainly carriers.”

The farm started using NMR’s HerdWise in 2012. “The information was there, but we weren’t really tapping into it,” he admits. A more proactive approach began in 2016. “We realised that this data was the key to knowing what was really going on in our herd, in terms of Johne’s disease. So we really stepped things up.

“Our starting point was to treat both ‘amber’ and ‘red’ cows as ‘red’ animals,”

explains James. “We decided we didn’t want any replacements from them so they’re all bred with beef semen. And any cow that comes back with a HerdWise milk test score of more than 60 is culled at the end of her lactation.”

He then set up separate calving sheds – one for ‘amber’ and ‘red’ cows and one for ‘green’ – to prevent heifer calves from being infected with the disease at birth.

Any heifers born to positive cows are given a red tag and then treated as Johne’s positive for the rest of their life.

They will also be bred to beef sires and they’re reared separately from ‘green’ calves, up until weaning.

“These are all solid practical steps that have really worked to get Johne’s under control – and to give us a degree of control over the disease. It’s just a case of following protocols and making the commitment to give the control measures the additional management time that’s required.

All calves receive three litres of pasteurised colostrum, taken from ‘green’ cows, within two hours of birth and another three litres six hours later.

Calves are then fed whole milk (six litres per day in two feeds), again from ‘green’ cows in the milking herd. This milk is pasteurised, after every milking, before being fed. Although a time-consuming step, it is paying dividends when it comes to improved calf health and growth rates – and controlling Johne’s disease. “And it’s also considerably cheaper than buying in organic calf milk replacer,” adds James.

Drawing up and following protocols is one thing. But sending off a good cow that’s Johne’s positive for culling is still

240 cows 9,200 litres

something that James struggles with.

“We have to set aside sentimentality and focus on the bigger picture, and think about the damage that the cow could inflict on the rest of the herd.”

Management practices Good progress and encouraging results have held the team’s resolve and enthusiasm when it comes to Johne’s control.

“There’s definitely an overwhelming commitment to address Johne’s disease on this unit,” says vet Ian Cardiff.

“We’ve worked on strategies and control protocols to drive this progress and looked at the whole Johne’s picture, rather than just concentrating on single areas.

“And we’ve all taken the national Johne’s campaign on board and looked at the recommended protocols,” adds Ian. “Also, we’ve discussed and evaluated many management practices and worked out the best one for this farm.”

He adds that good communication between farm staff allowed these changes to be implemented and ensured a robust and consistent approach.

“We have been particularly pleased with the introduction of the colostrum pasteuriser,” says Ian. The farm topped the practice’s colostrum quality ranking with the highest levels of calf total proteins in a recent benchmarking study.

Already, just two years down the line, there has been a 50% reduction in infected cows with a 28% decrease in ‘red’ cows. “This is the result of the attention to detail and consistency shown by James,” adds Ian. “He has ensured that the management changes have been implemented and performed without compromise.” l

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F E E D I N G

Targeting transition cow management offers benefits in later lactation

Getting the message For one Derbyshire-based dairy producer, adjusting dry-cow nutrition during the close-up period has resulted in improved cow and calf performance. We spoke to him to find out how advice offered by three different sources led to significant changes to transition cow feeding and management. text Emily Ball

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earing the same advice from three separate sources encouraged one Derbyshire-based dairy producer to look closely at his transition period and what effect it was having on the health of his herd as a whole.

“I was getting the same feedback about how important the transition period was from three places: my vet, The Prince’s Countryside Fund Resilience Programme, and ForFarmers,” says Mick Dakin, who

milks 120 Holstein Friesian cows, at Masson Farm near Matlock.

The herd calves all year round and cows are housed from the end of September to the beginning of May. The herd’s average yield is around 7,500 litres per cow at 4.1% butterfat and 3.3% protein. Most of the unit’s 87 hectares of land is away from the buildings, with only 25 hectares accessible to the herd from the milking parlour.

Mick Dakin: “Feedback about our dry-cow management forced a changed”

In 2011, Mick began producing icecream at the farm and now sells more than 30 flavours under the ‘Matlock Meadows’ brand. This is sold through the farm’s café, as well as wholesale into local restaurants and tourist attractions,

Tomorrow’s milkers: calves get off to a better start and heifer age at first calving should starts to fall at Masson Farm

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Ice-cream maker: Mick processes the milk from his 120-cow herd on farm

such as Chatsworth Estate Farm Shop.

The farm is also open to the public and hosts parties and educational visits.

“We started the ice-cream side of the business because I was keen to break down the barrier between the consumer and farming,” explains Mick. “We get positive feedback from our customers and the public when they see the herd and I know we’re helping to dispel some of the mis-information about the dairy industry.”

Transition issues Dry cows are at grass throughout their dry period during the summer, but are moved to a paddock near the farm buildings about three weeks before their due date. During the housed period, transition cows are fed second- or thirdcut silage or hay, top-dressed with transition nuts, for three weeks before calving. They are then fed a percentage of the milking cow ration, from four or five days before their estimated calving date, to prepare the rumen for the herd’s lactation diet.

“We have some land in a Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) agreement that we can only cut for hay, so we feed this to the transition cows in the winter,” explains Mick. “I’m aiming to dry the cows off at BCS 3 to 3.5 and to then maintain that throughout the dry period.

“We had a problem with retained cleansings,” he continues. “We didn’t have a huge issue with milk fever or

difficult calvings, but I knew we could do better. I was keen to reduce incidences because of the time they took to deal with and their subsequent effect on production and fertility.

“Colostrum quality was not as high as we’d have liked, measuring at 20g IgG per litre. We knew this wasn’t giving the calves the start in life that they needed.

Mick adds that he also wanted to address the issue of heifer age at first calving, which stood at between 28 and 29 months.

“I knew the key to this was growing our calves well. Getting nutrition right in that close-up period has a positive effect on both the calf and the quality of colostrum it will be fed after it’s born.”

Complex minerals Mick spoke to ForFarmers’ Kelvin Garrett and young stock specialist Rachael Kennerely about the transition period.

They recommended that he added TRANSLAC Advance nuts to the transition diet.

“These supply key transition nutrients and contain a unique premix called prepare+. This combination, when fed with forage, provides a complete transition cow diet that will help to minimise the problems associated with transition and early lactation cows,” explains Ms Kennerely.

The complex minerals it contains capture and bind free calcium and cations (sodium and potassium) reducing the risk of milk fever and associated

problems such as retained cleansings.

B complex vitamins also help prevent the build-up of fat in the liver, allowing the organ to work more efficiently in early lactation. This means that more energy is available to the cow for milk production.

The feed’s glucogenic energy sources improves rumen development, which maximises dry matter intakes and nutrient absorption. And the high levels of quality protein (26%) plus vitamin E and selenium it contains boost colostrum antibody content.

The high levels of vitamin E, Cellguard and bioavailable selenium in the nut increases resistance to infection and disease which is beneficial for mastitis and metritis.

Healthier calves Since adding the transition feed, Mick has not had to assist a calving and there have been no retained cleansings.

Cows have started their lactation well and the calves seem healthier and daily live weight gains have increased.

“The message I got from all three sources was to get the transition period ‘right’ to see an improvement in milk production, as well as enhanced health and fertility – for both the cow and the calf,” says Mick.

“We have plans to improve dry-cow housing in the near future and I know any investment I make in this crucial period will provide a payback going forward.” l

CCOOW WM MAANNAAGGEEM MEENNTT SJ EUPNT EE /MJ U B EL Y R

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F E W

W O R D S

F R O M

R O G E R

E VA N S

Award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based producer Roger Evans shares the ups and downs of organic conversion and hopes that all that paperwork and reseeding will be worth the effort.

Organic option suits our set up I

n mid-June we officially became an organic herd and started selling organic milk on July 1. I always think that I’m good at ideas but this one came from our consultant. It was a good idea and fits the bill for what we see as our future in so many ways.

Firstly, it adds value to what we do without further expansion. We only have 32 hectares that our cows can graze, but we have three times as much land on FBT and grass keep that’s about two miles away.

We have always been wary of investing money in the dairy herd when, in theory, we could lose all this other land. No one knows the direction that agricultural support will go post Brexit, but if there is any support then I see it going towards the environment and sustainability and organic fits that particular bill.

I will need some support if I am going to pay the sort of rents that my various landlords require. We felt we were half way down the organic route any way – we were already using less fertiliser and making more use of slurry.

If our land were all in one block then we would probably have 200 cows managed on a conventional system. But it’s not, so we can’t.

We are still very much on a learning curve. There are fields that we knew needed slurry in the spring but it was too wet. In 2017 we put 32 hectares down to grass with plenty of clover in it.

The one thing we miss is being able to use our poultry manure and we have to sell it. But we have moved from broilers to producing pointof-lay pullets and hope that they will be organic soon.

Growing organic arable crops is not easy and that is one reason why inputs, such as feed, are so expensive. But we are going to try. We have worked the land and will work it again after some of the weeds have germinated. If the kale is latish going in, we hope that fly pests will not be such a problem.

We quite enjoy organic farming but it’s not for the faint hearted. It’s taken 20 months to convert and when we started out, 20 months seemed like forever. But it’s gone quicker than I thought it would.

The past six months have been tough because we have had to buy organic cake for the cows, but didn’t see an organic premium for our milk. We are due to receive a conversion grant, which we expected in February, but it has yet to turn up.

When you start out on the road to organic conversion, there is so much paperwork to fill in that it’s surprising there are any trees left standing. It’s not easy, but there is no way it should be.

We have found everyone we have had to contact very helpful and straight, so we will be straight with them.

The biggest challenge that I see in organic farming is docks. We badly need an organic cow that will eat organic docks.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Bovine TB blood test can identify both infected and infectious cattle in ‘chronic’ herds

Test aids bTB management and prevention A highly sensitive blood test for bovine TB is now available for ‘exceptional private use’. But what does this really mean for UK producers and how can it be used to help herds become – and remain – disease free? We questioned a leading UK cattle vet to find out more. text Rachael Porter

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Dick Sibley: “This test can help to tackle disease in ‘chronic’ herds”

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specific blood test for bTB can now be made available to help herds with chronic bovine TB breakdowns.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) granted access to the test for ‘exceptional private use’ in England in early May. But Devon-based vet Dick Sibley, who incorporated the Actiphage test into a disease management strategy in autumn 2017 and successfully helped a 350-cow herd that had been closed with bTB since 2012 to test clear, says that this is not a silver bullet.

He says that it’s a tool, albeit an important one, for tackling the disease in herds with a chronic problem – those that have been under disease restrictions for several years. “And it adds another layer to the Government’s existing control measures and takes a deeper look at what’s going – both in the herd and individual animals. That’s vital when tackling a chronic bTB problem.

Most herds will eventually test clear – typically within a year – following Defra testing and protocols.”

Who would have access for ‘exceptional private use’?

“Chronic herds, but there are several hurdles before access will be granted.

Gaining permission to use this test from APHA will be difficult, even where herds meet the criteria. And it all must be done through your vet. They will have to request APHA permission for ‘exceptional use’ of Actiphage and the other nonvalidated tests required to see if cattle are infected and if they are infectious. The criteria that must be met include herd supplementary interferon testing. This is not particularly popular with producers because they believe that cattle are sometimes culled unnecessarily.”

How does the test work and why is this different to the current reactor testing approach?

“This test measures the presence of live bacteria in the blood. Results are available in just six hours. It is a totally

different approach to testing cattle for bTB using the reactor test and it allows for enhanced testing, early detection and ‘containment’ of infected animals.

We have used it to complement the routine bTB reactor tests.

“We don’t have all the answers yet – this test alone won’t eradicate the disease.

But it’s about predicting, preventing and managing the disease as far as we can.

This blood test tells us more about what’s going on within a herd – which cows are not infected with bTB, which cows are infected but are not infectious, and using other tests in parallel to Actiphage, which cows are infected and are also infectious and able to ‘excrete’ and potentially spread the disease.

“What’s interesting is when a cow that didn’t react to the routine test then tests positive in a blood test. And we’ve also found that cows that test positive but are not infectious can also become infectious at some point in the future.

“Typically, about 15% of infected cattle will go on to become ‘infectious’ and excrete the disease. This is similar to how TB behaves in the human population, which is also interesting.

It’s estimated that up to one third o–f the world’s population has latent TB, which means that people are not ill with the disease and they are unable to transmit it. But 10% will move from the latent to the ‘active’ phase.”

How will this knowledge help to control and eradicate the disease?

“If vets and producers have the full picture – and they know which cows are disease-free, which are infected and which ones are infected and infectious – then they can manage the disease more effectively.

“We put a disease management control plan in place that is similar to the approach taken to control Johne’s disease, by looking at all the potential routes of transmission from infectious cows to susceptible ones. Cows that test positive for bTB by Actiphage are then tested every 60 days, using a PCR test, to see if the disease has become ‘active’. If it has and the animal is infectious then she’s isolated and culled.”

Why do some infected cattle become infectious?

“Stress is a factor – particularly nutritional stress. And any concurrent disease challenge. I have seen latent bTB triggered in a herd by BVD infection.”

How much does the test cost?

“It’s not easy to say because the trial work on the 350-cow herd was supported by both Nottingham University and PDB Biotech, which developed the test. It has said that the test will cost £12 per sample. But the test itself is just part of a plan that needs to be drawn up with the herd’s vet. That said, the costs will be easy to justify compared to the cost of on-going bTB reactor testing, restrictions, culling, and other financial losses. There’s also the stress of managing a herd that’s been closed with bTB. This test, combined with a disease management plan, will put producers and their vets back in control.”

Can producers claim back costs for blood testing or claim compensation for any cattle that test positive with this blood test?

“No. Only animals testing positive to the conventional routine reactor tests are eligible for compensation from Defra. But the producers I’m working with have been closed with bTB for several years.

“The costs they are incurring through being closed, including routine testing every 60 days and being unable to sell stock and other restrictions – not to mention the stress and frustration – easily justify the additional costs incurred by this approach. It’s a longterm and proactive approach and these herds will eventually become officially bTB free.”

What about infection sources outside the herd?

“As part of the TB management plan, we surveyed and tested all the badgers in the locality. More than 30% of the latrine samples tested positive, highlighting a risk to grazing cattle. So we also funded badger vaccination, supported by Brian May, in the areas surrounding the herd we’ve worked with. It’s important to take a holistic approach. There is disease in the wildlife population, but there’s also disease in cattle. Both areas need to be addressed.”

So what can producers with chronic bTB infected herds do now?

“Talk to your vet about blood testing and the possibility of developing a comprehensive plan. I’ll be presenting a paper on the test and the work I’ve done, with Nottingham University and PBD Biotech, at the BCVA conference in October, so urge your vet to come along or to give me a call.” l

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Genomic results spell out heifers’ credentials and their likely role in the herd

Paint a clearer picture Genomic reports provide heifer ‘CVs’, well ahead of their start date in the milking herd. With a reliability of 70% – far higher than the parent average reliability at 35% – two producers explain why genomically testing heifers is now an integral part of their herd management.

Breeding benchmarks

text Karen Wright

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xminster-based producer Phil Bird has ‘flirted’ with genomic testing in his 250-cow pedigree Holstein herd for the past four years. He now has 25 genomically tested first- to fourthlactation cows.

He is pleased with their performance and has found that they’ve matched their genomic reports very closely, helping to increase average yields to 9,800kg of milk at 4.01% fat and 3.2% protein, and a somatic cell count (SCC) of 158,000/ml.

“I can see a strong correlation between the genomic test results and these cows’

to set breeding criteria and he will use sexed semen on those heifers and firstand second-lactation cows that meet these criteria. “There might even be some older cows that are good enough,” he adds, admitting that it’s early days, with only about 35 genomically tested heifer calves to date.

The average £PLI of these 35 heifers is 288, with a fertility index of 3.3 and SCC index of –11. “I will set benchmarks performance,” says Phil. “It’s really increased my trust in genomics.” So in January 2018 he started testing all his heifers at three weeks old.

Phil has bred all his maiden heifers to sexed semen for the past six years. “In theory, we should be breeding from the best,” he adds, “but there have been occasions when three months into milk we find a heifer is not performing as well as we’d anticipated, based on parent averages. And we’ve no reliable way of knowing what her fertility or cell count score is likely to be.”

Phil will use the genomic test results

Phil Bird: “Genomic tests can spring some surprises”

Phil Bird has about 35 genomically-tested heifers in the herd so far

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Roger Hildreth: “PLI improvements here are mainly down to using genomic results”

once I know what the averages are for the year group, looking at mammary traits, SCC, production and fertility index. I may also consider legs and feet because there is scope to improve this within the herd.”

A committed GeneTracker user, Phil finds taking tissue samples at the time of ear tagging much easier than sending off hair samples. He also likes the flexibility of the results on the GeneTracker web site in NMR’s Herd Companion. “I can rank the data, alter the criteria and set benchmarks,” he adds. “I feel I can really make the most of the data through this site.”

Phil admits that, at first, you must hold your nerve when you are using genomic test results. “They can spring some surprises,” he adds. “Some heifers don’t look anything special, but their genomic test shows that they have great potential.

The reverse can also be true. You have to trust the results and, in my experience, it has proved to be the right decision.”

With conception rates from sexed semen at 66% for the past two years, Phil will limit its use to 65 to 70 heifer calves and the rest of the herd will be bred to a beef bull to avoid over-stocking the unit.

“We’re in a TB area so we can’t guarantee being able to move animals off the farm and we’re not in the business of getting rid of dairy bull calves – it’s far easier for us to keep and rear beef cattle.”

It also means that less dairy semen is used and more beef bulls. “We’re using more straws at £5 and fewer at £25. This soon covers the cost of the genomic testing and that’s before we consider the other benefits.”

Rapid progress Roger Hildreth, from Hessay near York, has also seen the advantages of genomic testing in his pedigree Holstein herd. He started using GeneTacker in 2015 and takes tissue samples from heifer calves soon after birth.

Despite low milk prices in the early days,

Roger Hildreth’s genomically tested heifers are in the top 5% of heifers nationally

that could have caused him to waiver, he stuck to his plans and now has 89 genomically tested animals among the 186 head of dairy cattle on the farm. He attributes the increase in the herd’s £PLI, from 230 to 314, mostly to using genomics as a selection tool.

“It’s allowed us to select which heifers we rear and breed replacements from,” says Roger. “We’ve been able to progress far more rapidly and breed a more uniform herd by taking out the bottom end.”

He calculates that his annual genomic testing costs will be covered by identifying just one heifer calf that isn’t meeting his selection criteria from a crop of about 40. He looks to keep about 32 heifers.

Above threshold Roger runs the 72-hectare dairy unit with wife Judith and son Tom. He’s enthusiastic about cow pedigrees, but breeding decisions here are based mainly on genomic tests. He studies the GeneTracker results with his Genus breeding adviser Thomas Tiffin.

“Thomas gets the specialist details on inbreeding and heritability detection lists from the GeneTracker reports.

Meanwhile, I compare results with our benchmarks for PLI, fertility index and life span. We look to rear those heifer calves with genomic tests above our thresholds.

“For example, for gPLI we look for

heifers with a test result above 275.

Those not making the grade will be sold and reared for other dairy herds – they are all of a high standard and consequently we have a good market for them,” adds Roger.

While the emphasis on milk yields, and milk quality, is important for his milk buyer, Arla, Roger doesn’t ignore type.

“We will deselect a heifer if she’s negative on type merit – except for stature. We don’t want to breed very tall cows.”

The herd currently yields 10,600kg on twice-a-day milking, with 4,400kg of milk from forage, on a housed and grazing system. Its genomic average of £PLI 314 and weight of fat and protein of 14.46kg and 11.25kg, respectively, with a somatic cell count of –10, put them well within the top 5% of heifers nationally.

Sexed semen is used on maiden heifers and early calving cows and a beef bull is used on the rest of the herd. “We aim to minimise the number of dairy bull calves that are born on the farm and our beef-cross calves are sold to a beef rearing unit.”

“We’re using the data to breed longerlasting cows with the potential to produce more milk of improved quality,” adds Roger. “It’s the way forward. I can’t understand why anyone wouldn’t use genomic testing as a management tool these days.” l

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In-line testing: detecting lower progesterone levels in milk indicate heat. Page 24 Visual aids: tail paint, scratch cards and other tools to help spot bulling cows and heifers. Page 26

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Automatic system takes leg – and guess – work out of heat detection

In-line milk progesterone test detects heats A parlour upgrade has allowed one Cambridgeshire-based producer to take a more automated approach to heat detection, by using in-line milk progesterone testing.

We spoke to them to find out more. text Rachael Porter

A

n analyser on the wall is where it all happens: Cambridgeshirebased producer Fran Bell refers to it affectionately as the ‘pizza oven’.

But, in truth, this box is playing a key role in helping to manage her family’s 165-cow herd.

Based at Gaynes Lodge Farm, near St Neots, the herd calves all year round, so heat detection and getting cows back in calf continuously. And, as with any dairy unit, it’s a skilled and time-consuming task.

A robotic milking system was installed at the unit 18 months ago. Three DeLaval robots replaced the 10:20 swing-over parlour. “We’ve been really pleased with the new system,” says Fran, who farms in partnership with her father Kevin Herdman, her uncle David and her cousin Henry. “We’ve seen a milk yield increase of two litres per cow per day since we switched to robotic milking.

The cows are being milked more often and, crucially, when they want to be milked.”

Analysing equipment: the wall-mounted system is key to heat detection

Fran Bell: “We’re missing fewer cows in heat since we began using the system”

Herd average is now 11,920 litres at 3.64% butterfat and 3.18% protein.

The robots came with a herd management platform, called DelPro. As well as collecting data from the robots, it also gathers information about each cow’s performance, reproduction, health, feed intake and a myriad of other parameters from DeLaval’s Herd Navigator. One feature of Herd Navigator is in-line milk progesterone testing, which aids heat detection. “This was added six months after the system was installed,” says Fran. “It meant we could learn to walk before we could run. But also, because the system relies on gathering data about individual cows, six months in is a good time period for plenty of information about each animal to be collected.”

Sufficient data DeLaval’s Kieran FitzGerald agrees: “We could install this feature from the start, but best practice is to add it after six months. By then, sufficient data about what’s ‘normal’ for each cow will have been collected by the system and, also, the operator will be more familiar with the system and how it works. Too much data can be overwhelming – even for the most technical minded producers.”

So the in-line system was installed on the family’s unit in January 2017. Prior to that, heat detection was done through observation. This was typically when cows were waiting in the collecting yard

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Automated milking: yields have increased by two litres per cow per day since the robots were installed

and during milking, and Fran would also set aside time to observe the herd twice a day when housed during the winter or when at grazing in the summer.

“This was time consuming and, as you can imagine, we also missed bulling cows and heifers,” she says. That said, the calving interval 18 months ago was a respectable 396 days. Today, thanks to in-line milk progesterone testing, it’s down to an impressive 378 days and Fran thinks it could fall further. The percentage of cows with an interval of less than 365 days has fallen from 51% to 60%.

“The beauty of this system is that the information that we need is there in black and white. We’re not looking at cows and interpreting what we see, after comparing it to their calving date and other fertility and health history. This test cuts to the chase. If there’s been a sharp dip in her milk progesterone level, then she’s in heat.”

Fran adds that it’s also picking up silent heats, which no amount of observation could pick up. “And if we see a cow displaying bulling behaviour we can then check this against the report after

Next generation: healthy heifer calves at Gaynes Lodge Farm

milking, so see if she really is in heat.”

For the first six weeks after installation, the system collates data on each cow so it can determine the ‘normal’ progesterone levels for that cow and then detect any deviation. “The system needs to identify a progesterone pattern for each cow and, once it’s done that, it’s able to detect when progesterone levels fall and flag up that a cow is in heat. It’s simple, but extremely effective. And it saves us a huge amount of time.”

Analysis equipment Fran says that once a cow has been confirmed in calf that the in-line system will continue to measure progesterone levels, to ensure that they remain high, for 55 days. “Again, this flags up any cows that reabsorb their embryos. And it tells us early on that they’re no longer pregnant,” she explains.

So, back to the box on the wall. This contains all the analysis equipment needed for the in-line milk progesterone testing and all Fran has to do is ensure that the test cartridges are changed regularly. The system then generates a list of cows after each milking that have

Table 1: Herd performance before and after installation of in-line milk progesterone testing system

year

2015

2017

2018 so far

conception to 1st service (%) pregnancy rate (%) services/conception

42 17.3 2.4

49 21.8 2.1

50 25.9 2

shown a dip in milk progesterone, which identifies that they are in heat. “And these cows are then served between 36 and 48 hours later,” says Fran.

Fertility issues She says that fewer cows are being missed since they began using the system: “And we’re also picking up cows with fertility issues. Cows with luteal cysts, for example, will excrete high levels of progesterone, as if they are pregnant. Cows with follicular cysts will continually appear to be bulling, and again we can quickly call in the vet and deal with that.”

The in-line milk progesterone testing – indeed the robotic milking system’s many cow sensors and monitors – also allow for more flexible working, according to Fran.

“We can give the cows that need our attention more time – we’re not tied to the milking parlour for four hours, twice a day. And we’re also able to pick up any cows that have potential health or fertility issues, often before any clinical signs can be seen. We can be more proactive and that saves time and money, as well as improving cow health, fertility and productivity.”

Adding the system has been well worth the investment: “It’s given us an edge.

And the tech is there and it’s compatible with our system – why wouldn’t we make use of it? It’s a great piece of kit and it’s given us peace of mind.” l

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Heat detection by sight can be made easier by using the latest visual aids

Spot the difference

Regular observation and ‘knowing your cows’ are key to detecting heat. And visual aids can also help to spot bulling cattle. There is a myriad of different products on the market. We look at which options producers are using on their herds and why. text Rachael Porter

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W

hat’s wrong tail-painting? Nothing at all, according to Carmarthenbased producer Cerith Williams. He swears by traditional tail paint when it comes to spotting bulling cows; he’s been using it for his 310-cow springblock-calving herd for many years: “It’s a tool that works really well for us – our tight calving interval is proof of that.”

He says that using a water-based paint is important. “I have tried oil-based paints, but our cows just don’t seem to rub it off well enough. There’s a fine line between the paint being too flaky, which can result in false positives for bulling, and not flaky enough. The latter could mean that some cows are missed, so we stick with water-based paint.”

Heat-detection patches A spring calving herd, Cerith’s New Zealand Jersey cross-bred herd’s AI period starts in late May. He’s just used some heat-detection patches, for the first time, on a group of cows. “I was going away for a few days and thought it would make it easier for other people to spot and draft the cows on heat.”

He bought them from Livestock Improvement (LIC) and says that they’re similar to Kamars. Designed in Australia and extensively trialled in New Zealand, they were introduced to the UK market in 2017. And, according to LIC’s John Williams, they have really taken off.

“Once ‘triggered’ they are easy to spot, particularly for new or inexperienced staff, because they ‘bleed out’ very clearly and brightly,” he says.

Mr Williams adds that the heat patches, which come in either bright red or pink and are all pre-glued, are also accurate at detecting ‘true’ heats. Cerith will know that for himself in a week or two, but for now he’s pleased with how easy they were to attach to the cows and how well

Sensor technology: FlashMate is a recent addition to the heat-detection-aid market

they worked ‘in the field’. “I think the patches reduced the number of false positives and I would use them again,” he adds.

At around £1.25 each, Cerith says that they do seem more expensive than tail paint. “A bottle of paint, costing around £14, will be enough for around 60 cows.

But tail paint needs to be topped up and it’s also labour intensive. And there can also be more false positives. So the heat patches could be comparable with tail paint, when you factor in the savings in time and semen.”

Scratch-card solution Scratch cards are another heat detection innovation, designed to give away the tell-tail signs of standing bulling behaviour. Jo and Nick Ranson have been

using scratch cards on their 300-cow herd, based near Guildford in Surrey, for the past five years.

And they say that the devices have been integral to keeping the British Friesian herd’s autumn-calving block as tight as possible.

The couple buy the ‘Estrotect’ scratch cards from their vet in bulk, to keep the cost down to around 84p per card – about two thirds of the recommended price.

Prior to their use, Jo and Nick would observe the cows at least six times a day, for 20-minute periods, during AI season.

But the scratch cards make bulling cows easier to spot and they observe the herd just five times a day now.

“The cards are an extra set of eyes and they also make you take a closer look at your cows,” says Jo.

Sensor triggered by prolonged direct contact Another recent import from New Zealand is Shropshire-based KiwiKit’s FlashMate. This is a tail-head heat detection device that, as its name suggests, begins to flash when triggered by mounting cows. Invented by Fraser Smith, who runs FarmShed Labs in New Zealand, the units cost £7 each and should last for a season.

The device uses sensing technology and responds to direct contact from other cows. It measures spikes in bulling,

head resting and nudging behaviour, according to KiwiKit’s Rob Massey.

“Touch sensing is game changing for heat detection because inert objects, such as fences, trees, rain or hail, are invisible to the sensor,” he says.

As soon as the sensor identifies a clear pattern of heat, it ‘flashes’ for 26 hours, which is the viable window for insemination. “After this time, the light will turn off. And if the cow returns to heat a new alert will be triggered. The

device will set off an alert for multiple return heats,” explains Mr Massey.

He says that the sensor will also alert producers to ‘quiet’ and even ‘silent’ heats, where the cow won’t stand to be ridden. “This is because herd mates will still show interest in that cow by chin resting to test receptiveness and attempts to mount.

“The device will detect a clear pattern to this behaviour, which can be identified accurately, and it will begin to flash.”

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which he buys from KiwiKit, on some of the cows in the 380-head autumn-blockcalving herd. The herd, which he manages near Faringdon in Oxfordshire, is AHDB’s strategic dairy unit for autumn block calving. He’s also in the process of expanding the herd and creating a spring calving group.

“We started using the scratch cards on the spring calvers and they worked well,” he says, although he agrees with Jo Ranson’s issue with glue. “We brush the cows tailhead to get rid of any loose hair before spraying on a little Bostick and applying the card. The glue on the cards just isn’t strong enough. We also get the cards up to body temperature using the AI gun warmer before we apply them. Again, this helps them to stick better.”

Ben is pleased with the scratch cards and plans to use them on spring calvers next year. “It’s ideal for when cows are outside, and you very quickly learn to recognise a standing heat ‘rub’, compared to a ‘scratch’ from a tree branch or a swishing tail,” says Ben.

Visual aid

Bright sight: the scratch cards’ day-glo colours are easy to spot

“You still have to interpret ‘how’ the silver has been rubbed off the card. A bulling cow’s sticker will have very little silver left on it and will be ‘rubbed clean’ in a particular way, as opposed to being rubbed off against a wall for example. Once you get your eye in, so to speak, you know what you’re looking at and that’s where the stickers really come into their own. Typically, we’re looking for both sides, along the tail head, of the card to be scratched.”

All cows are housed three weeks before AI starts to observe bulling.

Anything not seen bulling is examined by the vet to pre-empt reproduction issues and a sticker is put on. After that initial three-week period, cows and heifers are given a scratch card and, once true heats are spotted, DIY AI – carried out by Nick

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– begins. “You can’t miss a scratched card – the day-glo colours underneath the silver are so bright,” says Jo. “They really stand out and cows are easy to spot, even from a considerable distance.”

Cow submission rate was 94% with a conception rate of 70% in the first three weeks. Heifers submission rate was 98%, with a 97% conception rate, again for the first three weeks.

Extra glue Jo Ranson is really pleased with the cards, but stresses that they do use extra glue to attach them. “We spray on a little Evostik before we apply them – that keeps them in place. But even with that extra glue, it’s still quick and easy to just walk through the herd and attach a sticker when it’s needed. Much less hassle – and less messy – than, say, tail paint.”

Ben Redman also uses scratch cards,

“We’ll continue with tail paint on the autumn calving block and we’re also installing SenseTime, which uses neck collars to monitor activity and detect heat. That will, again, save time and act as a second pair of eyes for heat detection, rumination patterns and other changes that may be due to a health or herd management issue.”

So why continue with the tail paint?

“It’s an invaluable visual aid. We literally paint a picture of what’s going on in terms of our herd’s fertility,” says Ben. “We paint everything red three weeks prior to the start of AI, in mid-November.

Anything seen bulling is then painted blue and then inseminated when next seen in true heat. Cows staying ‘red’ are seen by the vet,” he explains.

“After first service, we use green tail paint and after second service we use yellow. And after third service we’re back to red again.

“Red is a signal colour for us – a warning, if you like. We don’t like to see a lot of red towards the end of the AI period and all our cows are a little rainbow coloured come Christmas!”

With an array of heat detection devices available, observation is still key to helping producers identify the ideal AI window. Getting cows in calf is all about timing and it can still be a case of ‘blink and you’ll miss it’. l

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H E R D

R E P O RT

US-based producer ensures that Dutch Belted’s future looks secure

Ron Pietersma A passion for a traditional breed has not only seen it survive in the US, but positively thrive. Cow numbers are up and Dutch Belted performance is better than ever.

Chino (California)

Character and dairying clout When one US-based producer bought his first Dutch Belted semen straws 25 years ago, he had a dream – that one day

United States of America

Herd size: Dutch Belted cows: Milk production:

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4,500 cows 1,000 8,000kg (three-times-a-day milking)

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he would milk 1,000 such cows. Today 2,000 cattle, with their characteristic white belts, fill the barn at his three dairy units. text Wichert Koopman

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Dutch Belted cattle facts The American Dutch Belted is related to the Dutch so called ‘lakenvelder’. The breed is descended from cattle that were imported from the Netherlands more than 100 years ago. Initially, Dutch Belteds in the US were mainly kept for their striking appearance. Later, however,

the owners also discovered their dairy strengths. The Dutch Belted Cattle Association established a herd book in 1886 and it is still in use. In contrast to the Dutch ‘lakenvelders’, the US breed has never been crossed with beef breeds.

It is, therefore, more dairy-like and

productive. In the 1990s there were fewer than 100 animals in the US herd book. But the popularity of the breed has grown and there are more than 1,000 new registrations each year. The Dutch herd book currently has about 350 members with a total of 4,000 animals.

W

20 remaining in the area – 380 dairy businesses have moved out or closed down – and he now farms in a highly urbanised environment.

Ron’s grandfather emigrated to the US from the Netherlands in 1906, at just 18 years old. He took a job as a farmhand and after a few years he bought his first own dairy cows. This herd was further expanded by his son, Ron’s father, and finally sold in 1971. Ron initially worked as a journalist and photographer but eventually decided that dairying was also for him.

He remembers cows on the farm where he grew up that had the instantly recognisable ‘belt’ around their body.

“As a child I thought that was very special,” he recalls.

When he discovered in the early 1990s that the Dutch Belted breed was in serious decline he wanted to do something to prevent it from disappearing all together. “At that time, it was estimated that there were no more than 500 pure-bred Dutch Belted cattle worldwide, and fewer than 100 animals were registered in the US herd book,” he says.

As a commercial producer, Ron understood the breed was struggling because it could not compete economically with other breeds. “A unique appearance is not enough for a breed to survive – it has to offer other benefits and it has to be commercial.

“I wanted to do more than just keep the breed going. I wanted to improve it by selective breeding and make it an attractive option for commercial producers. That was – and is – the best guarantee for an assured and sustainable future.”

breeder of pedigree Holsteins, bought Dutch Belted semen to cross breed his herd. By using these straws on uniform black cows, he bred animals with the desired ‘belted’ pattern in the first generation. And then he consistently used Dutch Belted sires to eventually breed pure animals.

In 1998 he bought in Dutch Belted cattle and five years later he bought another 15 cows and heifers at an auction.

With the Holstein crosses and seven pure-bred animals that Ron tracked down and purchased from several other units, these cattle form the basis for the current Dutch Belted herd at Legend Dairy Farms. And this is, by far, the largest Dutch Belted herd in the world.

In order to be able to distinguish them on paper from the Holsteins, Ron also introduced a different pedigree prefix for the Dutch Belted cattle: ‘Heritage Pride’. “It’s fitting as I am proud of the birthplace of my family and the cradle of my cows,” he explains. “Back in the 1990s I dreamed of milking 1,000 Dutch Belted cows and it is really satisfying to see that this goal has been achieved – and exceeded.”

hen Ron Pietersma bought his first dairy farm in 1978, at Chino Valley in California, he called it ‘Legend Dairy Farm’. Today his business comprises three units, which now form Legend Dairy Farms, with a total of 4,500 cows.

California was a strong dairying area for many decades, but the expanding city of Los Angeles has pushed many herd out of the valley. Ron’s units are three of the

Proud heritage Pure-bred Dutch Belted cattle were not available to buy in the US 25 years ago so Ron, who was a passionate and successful High yields: Ron’s Dutch Belted cows are milked three times a day

Phenomenal fertility Around 2,000 Dutch Belted animals, of which more than 1,000 are being milked, run across the business’ three units. The cows are housed in open yards with sun shades. “The breed’s percentage in the herd is still increasing and they are also out-performing the Holsteins,” says Ron. The Dutch Belted cows are run in a separate group, but they are managed on the same system as the Holsteins.

“And they are healthier, produce plenty of milk with very few problems and the replacement rate for the breed is always less than 20%. That’s much lower than the Holstein figure.”

A second explanation for the continuous growth of the Dutch Belted proportion of the herd is, according to Ron, their fertility. “They calve easily and always

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Legend Dairy Farms are based in an urbanised area of the US

within 365 days. This means that we have plenty of replacements.”

Ron has also been able to sell several Dutch Belted bulls to commercial producers, to use as sweepers, in recent years. “These producers want to get their cows back in calf and the Dutch Belted is known for its phenomenal mating ability and, most importantly, fertility. Customers tell me that if a Dutch Belted bull runs in a herd alongside a Holstein bull, the majority

of calves born have the unmistakable belted appearance of their sire.”

Milk yield Ron adds that a Dutch Belted cow is equal to two thirds of a Holstein. “This means that she’s two thirds of the size of a Holstein, requires two thirds of the amount of feed and produces two thirds of the amount of milk,” he explains.

Cows are milked three times a day and, in this regime, the Dutch Belted group

Current favourite: Heritage Pride Flora (EX94) has so far achieved a total lifetime production of 61,000kg of milk, with 3.90% fat

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averages 8,000kg of milk per year. Ron doesn’t know the average butterfat and protein because milk is combined in the tank and, besides, he’s not paid for milk constituents.

His top yielding Dutch Belted are producing more than 10,000kg of milk.

“And it’s these cows that can easily compete with – and beat – Holsteins in my herd and many others around the world.” Heritage Pride Poppy 617 is one of Ron’s best Dutch Belted cows. In 2015 she became the world’s first Dutch Belted to classify with 94 points for conformation and she was also highly productive. She produced 14,520kg of milk, at 3.1% fat and 3.1% protein, in her fourth lactation.

Ron is really pleased with the performance of the Dutch Belted cows in his herd and the progress that the breed has made in the US during the past few decades. “The cattle and their performance figures are the ultimate confirmation that it should be possible to make the breed economically profitable again.

“I don’t know for sure what will happen to the Dutch Belted cows in my herds when I finally retire,” he says. “But I don’t worry about the breeds future.

They make a clear statement with their performance and they’re certainly holding their own in our herd.” l

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BREEDING INFORMATION

Successful fertility workshop Stellando daughters Betsie 107 (left) and Roza 417

Stellando is an ideal sire for cheese contracts Stellando daughters from the Dutch Broekhuijzen family have calved for the fourth time and, to celebrate their success, they lined up for a photo shoot. Black-and-white daughter Roza 417 has already produced 36,333kg of milk in 1,094 days, including 4.56% fat and an impressive 3.81% protein. Herd mate Betsie 107 gave 41,261kg of milk in 1,200 days, with 4.48% fat and also 3.81% protein.

Batenburg Stellando’s proof is now backed by almost 16,000 daughters in more than 4,200 herds. He offers

outstanding efficiency (+10%), superb feet and legs and locomotion, and is an ideal sire for herd’s supplying milk for cheese manufacture. Stellando is a Fidelity son out of an O Man daughter and he is a red factor carrier.

If you’d like to milk some Stellando daughters then now is the time to order some straws – his final batch of sexed semen is now available, priced at £28 per straw. Contact your local representative or the CRV Avoncroft office.

British producers tour the Netherlands A group of British producers visited the Netherlands in early May. They toured several Dutch dairy units and were impressed by good cows and well-managed systems. They also visited CRV’s Dairy Breeding Center, which is based in Wirdum. This brandnew CRV facility is home to the best female animals, which produce

embryos for the company’s breeding programme. CRV can accommodate between 300 and 400 high genetic merit heifers here, ranging in age from just a few weeks to 27 months old. On an annual basis, CRV currently produces 10,000 embryos, but the ultimate goal is to push that figure to 20,000 embryos a year.

How can you keep cows healthy and achieve good fertility results?

To answer this question CRV Avoncroft recently organised a fertility workshop at Julian Evans’ Shrewsbury-based dairy unit, in partnership with Kate Burnby. The dairy producers who attended the workshop at the farm picked up many useful and practical tips. If you are interested in taking part in a future workshop then please contact CRV Avoncroft’s sales staff.

Find their contact details at www.crvavoncroft.com/contact-us

Jersey catalogue CRV has launched a Jersey sire catalogue.

With so many different bulls to choose from, why not take your chance to profit from the Jersey breed with sires including Policy, Premium Gold and Leon. All offspring by sires in the catalogue are eligible to be registered with the UK Jersey society. Both conventional and sexed semen is available.

Take a look at the new Jersey catalogue, which can be viewed at www.crvavoncroft.com

The group visited several Dutch dairy farms

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Freephone: 0800 783 7258 | www.cogentuk.com

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FORAGE FOCUS

Feed the right type of fat Ensuring that cows have enough structural fibre from forage is important to prevent milk fat depression at turnout and during the early part of the grazing season. Early season grass has a low fibre and a high sugar content, which tends to reduce milk fat and this is why a seasonal depression is often seen. Buffer feeding at grass and including digestible fibre energy feeds can help, but providing enough of the right type of fat in the diet also plays a key role.

ForFarmers has launched a C16 fat product to help improve low butterfats, following successful trial work at the company’s nutrition and innovation centre, based near Lochem in the Netherlands. ButterLac was trialled against other fat products and the researchers found that it increased butterfat content more than any other, while also supporting milk yield.

Palmitic acid (C16:0) is used in milk fat synthesis to a large extent and, therefore, adding fats that comprise mainly C16 to rations can have a significant effect on milk fat content.

Further trials, which involved early lactation cows (80 days in milk), found that using a combination of C18 and C16 had the greatest effect on fat yield.

Milk yield was higher while milk fat content was only slightly reduced. C18 is believed to have a glucose-sparing effect that lowers accumulation of fat in the liver, which makes it more suited for early lactation. This led ForFarmers to develop the combination product BoosterLac, which proved even more effective in supporting milk yield than calcium-soap protected-fat under heatstress conditions.

For more information contact ForFarmers on 0845 722 8853 or email info.totalfeed@forfarmers.eu.

Timely tips on tackling heat stress Heat stress can have a negative impact on cow performance so it’s well worth taking steps to keep your cows cool, as temperatures rise. If cows are exposed to temperatures higher than 25° C for prolonged periods of time, heat stress occurs and cows will start cooling themselves by panting, drooling and increasing their blood flow.

These all use energy and nutrients that would otherwise be used by the cow to produce milk and maintain fertility.

Heat stress can lower milk yield, decreased butterfat, reduce fertility and cause rumen health problems.

To help manage the effects of heat stress make sure that cows have enough feed space (about 0.7 metres per cow) and that feed is available at all times. Grazing cows need shade and the opportunity to cool down. Provide a plentiful supply of clean water and ensure that cows are no more than 250 metres away from a water supply at any time.

Talk to your ForFarmers account manager about how to manage, through nutrition, the effects of heat stress.

For a copy of ForFarmers’ latest ‘Feeding Focus’ on heat stress visit www.forfarmers.co.uk

Overseeding benefits This year may see a greater need for overseeding following the long, wet spring. Overseeding is a cost-effective way to boost the production of a ley once the sward becomes open and weeds and unsown species start to invade. It maintains the productivity and quality of a sward beyond its expected life.

To ensure the maximum benefit of overseeding, the existing ley still needs to contain a good proportion of sown species. The process will be more successful if completed when a sward has just been cut or grazed, as this will reduce the competition to the new seed. Large grass varieties, such as tetraploids, work best as they compete better with the existing grasses.

Scarifying the field before drilling to remove thatch increases seedto-soil contact and allows sunlight and moisture to reach the soil.

Cross drilling can improve ground cover and rolling after drilling to increase seed-to-soil contact will also help to improve germination.

Three-year-old leys can contain up to 30% weed grasses, which are lower yielding than perennial ryegrass by up to 1.4 tonnes of dry matter per hectare. Compared to perennial ryegrass, fertiliser efficiency is also much lower at between 17% and 42% for weed grasses. Overseeding trials have resulted in up to 40% more grass yield in the following year, as well as improving the nutritional quality of the ley.

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

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B R E E D I N G

Activity monitoring system flags up cows in heat

Caught by the collar An automatic heat-detection system is lightening the labour load, when it comes to spotting bulling cows and keeping herd fertility on track, on an organic unit based near Oswestry.

We spoke to a progressive producer to find out more. text Rachael Porter Wes Hickson: “The heat-detection system saves time and has improved performance”

P

ressure on labour led one Shropshirebased dairy business to turn to technology to keep on top of herd fertility. And not only has switching to a computerised heat-detection system saved time, but it’s also improved herd performance and – most importantly – offers peace of mind.

Wes Hickson runs a 250-cow organic predominantly Brown Swiss herd in

40

partnership with his father Paul, at Dudleston near Oswestry. The herd, which averages around 5,000 litres at 4.70% butterfat and 3.75% protein on once-a-day milking, calves all year round but with a large spring block. The aim is a level milk supply for buyer Arla.

“Our herdsman moved on about five years ago and, to be honest, we struggled to replace him. He was completely on

top of herd management – from health and fertility, through to feeding and calf rearing. We’ve always done all our own silage making, as well as other work that many other producers contract out. And we quickly realised that we didn’t have enough time – or labour – to do it all,” explains Wes. They decided to switch to once-a-day

CC VO O E EW WT M M E EAALN NT AA JG GAEENM MUEEAN NRTTI JS1UE/ N P2 T E2 /E JM 0 U0BL9EYR 2 20 01 08 9

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else to do on farm – and so little time and labour available – a system that would take care of heat detection seemed to be the perfect solution.”

Richard is familiar with the company’s Ovalert system, having seen it in use on many other units both in the UK and Europe during the past 10 years. “So I knew it would work well for the Hicksons and their herd,” he adds.

Wes was also keen on the system. “My uncle uses a system that has a pedometer to monitor activity. So I had an idea of how it could work. I thought that a system with collars would work better – I know he had a few issues with the leg transponders.”

Simple system

Monitoring movement: the Ovalert collars capture data for individual cows in the herd

by Wes’ own admission wasn’t always being done, was heat detection. “We’d always been out to observe the cows for signs of heat at least three times each day. But staff shortages meant that this wasn’t always the case, particularly during busy times such as silaging.

“And even when we were making sure that we checked the herd at regular intervals, we’d still miss silent heats and cows that came bulling late at night.”

Data hub: the system produces an action list

Brown Swiss

milking in 2014, which served to relieve some of the pressure. “And we were also surprised at how well the cows still milked on this system. We started out expecting that we’d probably switch back milking twice a day. But it suits our predominantly Brown Swiss herd, so we’ve stuck with it and are happy with how it’s working.”

Milking does take longer – about four hours compared to three. “But we’re still saving two hours a day and once the morning milking, which starts at around 4.30am, is done then that’s it for the day. We’re free to tackle other jobs.”

What was also taking a lot of time and,

CRV Avoncroft’s Richard Williams has a solution. He’s been selling semen to the Hicksons for more than 10 years. The herd is 75% pure Brown Swiss and they have cross bred with New Zealand Friesians and Jerseys. They’re currently using Norwegian Red sires, such as on some cows. Wes is looking to improve fertility. Brown Swiss sires, including Assay, are still predominantly used on the herd’s best performing cows.

Richard noticed that Wes and Paul were struggling with heat detection. “And they said that conception rates and calving interval were also starting to slip. Just a little, but then that’s how it can begin to unravel. And with so much

Table 1: Fertility performance before and after Ovalert installation

calving interval number of services per conception conception rate 60-day rate

before Ovalert

after Ovalert

441 days 2.08 39 35/180

401 days 1.82 48 63/189

Since Ovalert was installed, in February 2017, heat detection is now as simple as checking the computer for alerts and keeping back the cows listed after milking for checking and, where required, insemination.

“Back then we had some cows with calving intervals that were more than 400 days, but they’re all below that now.

We want the herd average to be as close to 365 days as possible,” says Wes. The herd’s calving interval stands at 401 days today – down from an average of 441 days. “And until we’ve had the system in place for at least two years, we won’t really see what it’s capable of. But we’re certainly on track for some impressive results come February 2019.”

The system comprises neck collars with transponders, which monitor cow activity. This information is sent, via an antenna, to software on the farm computer and any spikes in activity – bulling cows – are flagged up.

Early intervention “And the system inadvertently also shows other unusual behaviour. We’ve picked up a few cows where normal activity has dipped – they haven’t been eating. And this has also proved really useful,” adds Wes. Reduced intake is often the first sign of a problem and early intervention has paid dividends both in terms of maintaining cow health and welfare, but also milk yield and fertility.

Wes says that, after an initial investment of £20,000, the system should easily pay for itself in between four and five years.

“We’re saving on time and labour, as well as semen costs. And there’s peace of mind too – it’s hard to put a price on that.

We’re not stressing all the time because we can’t be in two places at once.” l

CCOOW WM MAANNAAGGEEM MEENNTT SJ EUPNT EE /MJ U B EL Y R

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

‘Push’ to record lameness data Producers are being encouraged to record all lameness incidences via their milk records and support the new Lameness Advantage score, introduced by AHDB Dairy in April 2018. While not yet included in the £PLI, this genetic evaluation (PTA) is available as a standalone list on the AHDB web site.

“Lameness data can be recorded by producers through live entry on Herd Companion or by milk recorders,” says NMR marketing manager Nicci Chamberlin. “AHDB will use this information, along with other locomotion and feet and legs data, to provide the Lameness Advantage score for Holstein sires.

“We are encouraging producers to include all incidences. Good locomotion is such an integral part of cow health, performance and longevity.”

The Lameness Advantage score will help producers to breed for improved

GeneTracker dates

locomotion and cow performance.

Lameness Advantage PTAs are expressed as a percentage and range from –5% (bad) to +5% (excellent). For every 1% in a bull’s Lameness Advantage PTA, a change of 1% of daughters becoming lame per lactation is predicted. So, a bull with a +5% Lameness Advantage is expected to have 5% fewer cases of lameness in his daughters per lactation compared to a 0% PTA bull.

New team managers Morag Holdsworth is NMR’s new field business manager in Scotland. Based in Stirling and supported by the team of milk recorders and area managers, she is responsible for the operation of milk recording and disease testing services within Scotland.

Her career in the dairy sector includes heading up the First Milk farm services team and most recently as farm services manager for Graham’s The Family Dairy.

Frankie Connelly takes over as NMR area field manager in the south west, responsible for operations in Somerset, west Dorset and east Devon. She is also taking a role in the collection of tissue samples being carried out by NMR as part of the AHDB TB Advantage project.

Frankie’s career includes time as a veterinary nursing assistant and as herdswoman on a range of dairy units in the UK.

Field business manager Morag Holdsworth

Area field manager Frankie Connelly

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

The next date for submission of tissue samples is August 2, 2018, with results via the GeneTracker web site on September 4, 2018, then August 30, 2018 with results available by October 2, 2018.

A full list of dates is on the NMR web site.

Johne’s classification updated NMR has embraced the latest Johne’s research by updating the classifications used in its quarterly whole herd screening programme, putting greater emphasis on highrisk cows.

HerdWise is used by more than 1,700 producers and results are used by producers and their vets to support effective Johne’s management on farm.

“The classification system uses the cow’s last four test results to assign a ‘J’ category and colour to each cow,” says NMR vet and Action Johne’s technical group member Karen Bond. “We have made changes to how we define a ‘red’ cow and also reclassified J2 cows as ‘amber’ rather than ‘green’.

This moves these cows into the high-risk category.

“Producers and vets may see a change in status of some cows.

But, with the management of high risk cows being the cornerstone of Johne’s management, the changes will help to identify problem cows quickly and to reduce the chances of Johne’s ‘shedders’ slipping through the net.

“We feel sure that these changes will enhance the HerdWise service and provide the data needed on farm to make good progress with Johne’s management.”

For more information on NMR products and services contact customer services, 03330 043 043, NMR web address: www.nmr.co.uk, NMR email address: customerservices@nmr.co.uk COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Locate’n’Spray™ is a newly patented, fully automated teat spray system designed for rotary milking systems which is the result of intensive Research and Development work, culminating in the development of a cost effective, fully automated, teat spray system with a focus on udder health.

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Locate’n’Spray™ is available in pre-spray only, post-spray only or pre-and post- spray configurations with the option of spraying two different chemicals.

Independent validation trials by acknowledged industry experts have demonstrated that the Locate’n’Spray™ system is capable of achieving teat end and teat barrel coverage rates in excess of 90% without excessive chemical consumption.

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS

2018

Happy hour: cows gather for a peep at the photographer Picture: Michael Heal

June 28-29: July 4-5: July 10-12: July 23-26: September 12: September 13: September 19: October 3: October 30: November 7: November 21: December 13:

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

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX C O N TA C T S

Alta ...........................................................31 Ambic ........................................................44 Animax ......................................................48 Berry’s Agriculture ...............................22, 42 Biotal .........................................................19 Cogent Breeding Ltd..................................38 Concept Cowhouse Ltd. ......................29, 42 Cowsfeet ...................................................14 CRV Avoncroft Ltd./CRV ...........................45 Dairy Spares ..............................................42 DP Agri................................................14, 44 Farmplus....................................................18 FiveF Alka Ltd ............................................30

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

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August (August 24) – In the next issue we’ll have our annual feeding special, which will include articles on silage analysis and yeast products. We’ll also round off our series on staff shortage solutions and preview September’s UK Dairy Day.

Illustrations/pictures

Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Brian Mitchell (9), Michael Heal (10-11), Mark Pasveer (13, 32-34), Karen Wright (24-25), Alger Meekma (37) and Russell Davies (40-41).

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100 95 75

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