Cowmanagement October/November 2018

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IN THIS ISSUE

C A L F R E A R IN G

BREED IN G

N M R/ RA BDF GOLD CUP

Weigh up your calf-milk-replacer options

Latest AHDB index helps to speed up sire selection

We meet two of this year’s six finalists

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CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Value added: Thai restaurant Roger Evans CRV Avoncroft Breeding Information 41 NMR Dairy Management News 45 ForFarmers Nutritional News/ Thompsons Nutritional News 46 Events and contacts 4 9 15 31

REPORT

12 ‘Can-do’ attitude lays foundation for a bright dairying future FEEDING

20 Heifer rearing workshops/ Robots suit the cows H E A LT H

34 Alerts pre-empt cow health, production and welfare problems BREEDING

38 Cross-bred sires produce cows that are ‘fit for purpose’

Leanne Hedges “I would like to own and manage my own herd one day” 12

Editor Rachael Porter Forage planning and calf-management tips

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s we go to press, in late October, many producers are making the most of the late-autumn flush of grass growth and extending their typical grazing season.

Other herds are already inside on full winter rations and for those producers the focus is on forage – balancing what’s in the clamp and careful planning and budgeting to eke out supplies.

We’ve articles on winter feeding that take a closer look at this issue and even our own columnist Roger Evans has been giving it some serious thought.

That said, he’s prepared for whatever he’s planned to go a little awry. Ever the optimist! See what he has to say on the topic on page 15.

Our ‘Value added’ column features a couple who’ve set up a Thai restaurant on their Worcestershire-based unit. It’s extremely popular with the locals and I’d certainly recommend a visit. It’s a four-hour drive from me and I can’t wait for an opportunity to go back there.

If you’d like to exercise your tastebuds,

or want to find out how and why they did it, then take a look at page nine.

Autumn calving is in full swing on many units and we have an update on AHDB Dairy’s latest breeding tool – the autumn calving index (ACI).

We also have a timely feature on calfmilk replacers (CMRs), which offers some pointers on how to ensure that you’re using the best product for your calves and system. That’s in our calfrearing special, which starts on page 23.

This issue also heralds the start of a series of features on the 2018 NMR/ RABDF Gold Cup finalists. We feature two of the six herds vying for the industry’s most coveted prize. See page 16 to find out who they are.

And our herd report is a little different in this issue. We feature a herd manager who’s worked her way up the dairying ladder from a non-farming background.

She also owns a few of her own pedigree cattle and has her sights set on much more in the future. Read her inspiring story on page 12.

Main article Autumn calving

Gold Cup preview Gold in their sights

Special Calf-rearing

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16

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Breeding indexes provide a navigation tool for block-calving herds

Meet two of the six 2018 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup competition finalists

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Calf milk replacers: which one is the best choice for your calves?

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C O W

TA L K

Top grassland producer announced Producer Richard Rogers, from Tre Ifan Farm in Anglesey, has won this year’s BGS Grassland Farmer of the Year competition.

The announcement was made on Monday 15 October at the annual BGS awards evening, held at Wolfscastle in Pembrokeshire, which is jointly hosted

by BGS and Cleddau Grassland Society.

Tre Ifan Farm was converted from a beef-finishing unit to a grass-based spring block-calving dairy five years ago.

Now home to 350 New Zealand crossbred cows, the unit is focused on maximising production efficiency from grass, with an impressive 4,099 litres, from an average yield of 5,349 litres, being produced from forage.

Grazing is managed carefully to ensure quality grazing while minimising any

impacts on soil health. Routine soil sampling and a regular re-seeding policy help maintain grass quality and production across the 90-hectare grazing platform.

“Richard and his staff immediately took on board the rotational requirements and practices of a spring-calving herd when they switched to dairying,” said Staffordshire-based producer Steve Brandon, who helped to judge the competition.

“Growing 14.3 tonnes of grass dry matter, achieving a 93% six-week in-calf rate, and exceptional milk yields from forage, have all contributed to making this a really top-class unit.”

Richard received the BGS Grass Farmer of the year trophy and a cheque for £500.

Ready-mixed spray can speed up treatment A ready-to-use hoof spray, to help combat digital dermatitis, has been launched by Quill Productions. Intra Hoof-fit Spray Ready To Use (RTU) has been specifically formulated to meet customer demand, according to the Dorset-based company, and can be used in conjunction with all automatic hoof spray systems and hoof spray mats.

Its formulation is antibiotic, formalin and copper sulphate free – making it non-hazardous. It’s safe for the operator and the environment. No mixing is required, and the spray also has strong

adhesive qualities. It contains chelated copper and zinc, which the company says is easily absorbed, as well as skin care agents and aloe plant extract.

Other benefits include its optimum viscosity, which means that it flows easily and prevents blockages in spray nozzles. It’s also easy to check that hooves have been treated – it’s stickiness and green colour ensures no hoof is accidentally omitted. And it’s also approved for use on organic herds.

The spray is available in 10-litre, 20-litre and 200-litre packs.

Plan ahead to manage silage shortages Despite results from Trouw Nutrition GB suggesting this year’s silage is good quality, producers are being encouraged to plan ahead to help manage any shortages.

Quality Liquid Feeds’ Rob Fowkes says that although the growing season has not significantly impacted silage quality, it has impacted on quantity.

“However, there are steps that can be taken now to help overcome any potential shortfalls. Looking to replace a proportion of silage with a forage extender, for example, will prolong its use a little further into winter,” he adds.

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“But, if taking this approach, producers need to be mindful of overall nutrient supply in the ration and consider whether or not additional supplements need to be included to help meet the cow’s requirements.”

When looking at this year’s silage results, Mr Fowkes suggests using straw as a forage extender. “Straw is an excellent source of long fibre, which is particularly useful as this year’s silage has lower than ideal fibre levels,” he explains.

“However, given that straw is relatively unpalatable, indigestible and low in

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protein, it needs balancing with a suitable supplementary feed source to encourage intakes and promote rumen fermentation.

“Protein molasses-based liquid feeds are ideal for this because they provide a source of rapidly fermentable carbohydrate, in the form of sugar, which is utilised by rumen microbes to enhance rumen function.

“It’s also one of the single most palatable feedstuffs for ruminants, encouraging intakes and reducing ration sorting, maximising overall feed efficiency,” he adds.

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Low-cost mixer wagon to be launched at AgriScot In response to producer demand for a low-cost and ‘no frills’ small mixer wagon, OPICO will be launching the Strautmann Verti-Mix 1201 to the UK market at AgriScot.

This machine has a mixing capacity of 12m3 and requires only around 60 hp to run. It has the same quality of build and engineering as the rest of the Strautmann range, including the Vario2

stepped auger that’s designed to reduce mixing time.

The standard specification of the 1201 includes the Digistar EZ2500 simple weighing system, an enclosed hay ring, a wide-angle PTO, direct hydraulic control, and a single-door discharge.

A twin-door discharge and various sizes of discharge elevators are available as optional extras.

Tackle lameness after tough, hot summer Recent hot and dry weather, and resulting poor feed quality, could mean that some herds have significant lameness issues as they head into winter.

“Many cows were under substantial heat stress during the summer,” says Synergy Farm Health’s vet Reuben Newsome.

“They spent prolonged periods standing, in an attempt to cool down. And some producers struggled to maintain cow

body condition, due to reduced feed intakes in the hot weather coupled with poor forage availability.”

Standing for long periods can contribute to sole ulcers and claw horn lesions. And this was compounded in herds where loss of body condition resulted in cows having a reduced fat pad in their hooves.

“If this occurred, they should have been treated as early as possible. These lesions

should be tackled using a three-pronged approach, comprising a hoof trim, applying a block, and the use of a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory injection.

Winter housing increases the risk of lameness.

“If feet are more fragile and cows are more prone to lameness, we need to act now to stop it getting out of hand,” adds Dr Newsome.

Tonic to help fresh cows ‘bounce back’ A rehydration drink, which has been formulated to help address and prevent metabolic challenges around calving, has been launched by Mole Valley Farmers.

Feed intake drops around calving, putting the cow at risk of extreme negative energy balance.

“This has the potential to lead to metabolic problems such as milk fever and ketosis,” says MoleCare vet Nick Barradale. “There is also a drop in water consumption at this time. So

getting a sufficient volume of water into the cow is essential for the ‘fluidity’ of the rumen and feed intakes.”

MoleCare Recover is a palatable post-calving drink and is designed to help the cow ‘bounce back’ from reduced dry matter intakes. “The salt levels in what a cow drinks are also important. In the same way that a marathon runner may take on an isotonic drink, cows requires salts to restore hydration.”

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

Breeding indexes provide a much-needed nav

Sorting the whe at We find out more about the latest index introduced

by AHDB Dairy to help autumn-calving herds more easily identify bulls that will produce fertile daughters that perform well on winter rations. text Rachael Porter

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y his own admission, AHDB geneticist Marco Winters says that the spring-calving index received a mixed reception from spring-calving herd breeders. But the organisation listened to industry feedback – namely that the spring-calving index (SCI) rankings were ‘unnervingly’ similar to the PLI rankings – and have since revamped how the index is calculated to show a greater difference between the two indexes.

“This has given spring-calving herds more confidence in the index – we’ve had good feedback about the changes. We learnt from this experience when developing the autumn calving index, which was launched in August,” he says.

The autumn-calving index (ACI) falls between the SCI and PLI. “And that’s as it should be since it’s not selecting for spring calving traits, or the traits that all-yearround calving herds would select for. Instead it’s a mixture of the two. Some would say the best of both,” he adds.

Marco Winters: “The autumnThe emphasis on fertility in the calving index has been well new ACI is the same as the SCI, received by producers” which isn’t surprising as both systems depend on a tight calving block. “But that’s where the similarity ends,” says Mr Winters. “Autumn-calving herds produce milk from a different feeding system – winter rations rather than grazing. So different production and type attributes are required. Yields must be higher, as must fat and protein content. These producers are producing milk at a time of year when feed costs, by default, will be higher. They need to see a return on that investment.”

The other advantage of both SCI and ACI is that they’re formulated in the UK for cows managed on UK systems. Prior to the launch of SCI, many springblock calving herds were looking at the breeding worth (BW) figure in Kiwi sire proofs or EBIs for Irish bulls. “Not only were these figures confusing, but they were not that accurate as they relate to

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how cattle perform in these countries – not the UK. “We can boast two indexes now that have been developed using UK data for cattle managed in UK management systems. They’re much more reliable and relatable for UK breeders.”

It’s still early days for the ACI, but Mr Winters says that, so far, feedback has been positive. “This index came about because the industry asked for it. And breeders tell us they’re pleased that there’s a way to quickly pick out sires that will, potentially, best suit their herd and management system.

Selecting for ACI offers autumn-calving herds the best of both worlds – exceptional fertility, with good yields and type but nothing too extreme. It’s more targeted and should help autumn calving producers to more easily navigate their way through the myriad of good sires on offer today.”

One such producer is Devon-based Andy Broomfield.

He says that the ACI is proving to be an important tool in helping him to select sires for his autumn-block calving herd. His 120-cow herd, which he manages in partnership with his parents Roger and Rosemary and with help from wife Anne-Marie, begins calving between June and December and the family is working to tighten that to a 12-week window between September and December.

Fertile cows “It’s a lifestyle decision, predominantly. But it should also help to improve margins. Calving in a definitive block will mean that there are times of the year when we’re less busy – vital when you also want to spend time with a young family,” he says.

Andy is looking to breed fertile cows, that will get back in calf easily to maintain the tight block, and he’s also looking for cows with smaller stature. “But not as small as those that would suit a spring-calving system. I’m looking for a happy medium, really.”

And that’s what the ACI offers – the chance to head for the middle ground between an all-year-round and a spring calving system without the hassle of wading through several sire catalogues and hundreds of potential sires.

“For us, using the ACI is the ideal ‘filter’ – with our herd and system in mind, it sorts the wheat from the chaff,” he says. “It provides a good starting point for narrowing down what is, today, a huge list of both genomic and proven sires to choose from. It can be overwhelming and there’s always the nagging doubt that you’ve either overlooked a sire or selected one that’s not quite right for the herd. So this tool allows me to home in on sires that suit an autumn-calving system. I can then draw up a shortlist of sires, based on my own breeding goals and preferences.”

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ded navigation tool for block-calving herds

he at from the chaff

Before he does any of that, however, he looks at his herd’s genetic report, which is available from AHDB, to identify the herd’s strengths and weaknesses. “I then look at the list of top ACI sires and then narrow those down by looking for the traits that I need to best suit the cows in the herd. I’m typically looking for fertility and I’m also looking for positives for butterfat and protein.”

The herd is currently averaging 8,500 litres at 4.5% butterfat and 3.5% protein. Milk is sold to Dairy Crest for making cheese, so constituents are important.

Prior to the index’s introduction, selecting sires was a drawn out affair – and slightly more hit and miss.

“Now, once we have a ‘long list’ of sires that score well on ACI and the traits that we’re looking for, we draw up a top 20 and look at those within our price range.”

A narrowed-down list of about six or seven sires is then run through the computer mating program that Andy uses, to best match sires to individual cows in the herd and avoid issues such as inbreeding.

Initial filter “The index has really made a difference,” adds Andy. “We did look at the SCI as a filter, but the sires just didn’t have the stature or some of the other traits we were looking for. And looking at PLI certainly wasn’t cutting it for us.

“So it was a relief to finally have an index more specific to our system that allows us to make more informed – and easier – breeding decisions.

“I’m looking forward to see how our herd’s breeding evolves during the next few years as a result.” l

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VA L U E

A D D E D

Name: Mark & Sarah Andrews Location: Worcestershire Herd size: 120 cows Diversification: Thai restaurant

Wichenford

Sarah Andrews: “We knew that Thai food was popular with the locals”

Tasty little earner text Rachael Porter

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taste of Thailand is adding value to one Worcestershire-based dairy business. A ‘trial run’ with a secondhand catering trailer was enough to convince Mark and Sarah Andrews that converting a former hop kiln, on their 120-cow dairy unit, into a Thai restaurant would yield a significant return.

“We bought the van in 2013 and the business had paid for it within a month.

So we were clearly onto a winner from the start,” says Sarah.

Mark met Sarah, who is originally from Thailand and a fully-trained chef, when she worked at a nearby pub that was operating as a Thai restaurant.

When the owners closed the restaurant, the husband-and-wife team spotted an opportunity. “The restaurant also offered take away, which was popular with the locals. So we knew there was a gap in the market when it closed.

“We thought that if we bought a second-

hand catering van and ‘had a dabble’ and it didn’t take off then we could simply resell the van,” adds Mark.

Despite their initial resounding success, it took a further five years to open the restaurant, in January this year. “We identified the building on our unit that was best suited to a conversion and made the decision to take the plunge quite quickly. We knew that if we didn’t just go for it that we might regret it.

“And it’s a good job we started when we did as wading through all the red tape and planning took four years. It was a drawn-out process and when planning permission was granted in 2016 it then took 12 months to convert the building.”

The Chim Doo restaurant is substantial – with 32 tables – and Sarah says that it’s been busy from the off. She is chef and manager of the restaurant, which is open lunchtimes and evenings. And the business now also employs a kitchen assistant and a front-of-house person.

The grand opening in January was also a special occasion. Sarah wanted a blessing

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for the business. So nine Buddhist monks came from Birmingham and everyone who’d been involved in setting up the restaurant came to the ceremony.

There have been a lot of new customers since then. “We couldn’t be busier. It’s advisable to book if you’re coming for dinner.

Lunchtimes tend to be a little quieter, but it’s still worth opening as there’s plenty of trade,” says Sarah.

And it’s a business that separate from the dairy, making use of a building that’s well away from livestock, and doesn’t take much of Mark’s time. It’s very much Sarah’s domain. Mark was a delivery man when they ran the take away van – and he still is. “I’m ‘on call’ most evenings,” he says. “Although if there’s a cow calving then that obviously comes first.”

That said, now there’s a restaurant, he says that most customers want to eat in and make an occasion of it.

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H E R D

R E P O RT

‘Can-do’ attitude lays foundations for a bright dairying future

Leanne Hedges A passion for dairying and Holstein breeding is what drives this herd manager.

Today, she’s not only working with a leading UK herd, but she also owns a few of her own cattle.

Herd size: Average yield: Somatic cell count: Unit size:

Mouswald

A non-farming background hasn’t stopped one aspiring herd

140 cows 7,600 litres 70,000 cells/ml 122 hectares

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Don’t tell me I can’t ...

rive and determination, as well as hard work, has seen one young herd manager not only travel around the world, but also make her showring debut, buy her own dairy cattle, and achieve top price for a dairy calf in a national sale – all during the past seven years.

And that’s even more impressive considering that Leanne Hedges comes from a non-farming background and only began working with dairy cattle at the age of 18.

Today, the 31 year old manages Jonny Lochhead’s Dumfriesshire-based 140-cow organic herd of pedigree Brown Swiss, plus 130 followers and 10 young bulls.

The herd is run on a grass-based system at the 122-hectare unit, with cows grazed for as long as possible each year. When they are housed, typically in November, they’re fed grass silage and concentrates, according to yield, through the unit’s 12:12 herringbone parlour.

Leanne says it takes around two hours, twice a day, to milk the herd. “It’s a new

manager from thinking big when it comes to dairy genetics.

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

parlour – the herd was previously milked by three robots for five years. But that just didn’t work out. Staff were spending far too much time pulling out cows that had only milked on three quarters. The automatic system was creating more work – and problems – than it was alleviating.”

Cow flow was constantly interrupted, and cows were not being milked frequently or thoroughly enough. “So Jonny decided to go back to conventional milking and we’re all really happy with the new set up – cows included.”

The herd is currently averaging 7,600 litres of milk, at 4.10% butterfat and 3.63% protein. Somatic cell count is running at 70,000 cells/ml and all milk is sold through OMSCo.

Non-farming background Leanne, who is originally from Warwickshire, says that her passion for dairying was ignited when, at 16, she took an animal care course at Moreton

Morrell College. “I knew that I wanted to work with animals, but I wasn’t sure in what capacity.”

At that time, the college had a dairy herd and Leanne took one lesson a week in agriculture: “It all started there. I also did some work experience on a farm and got more involved with the college’s unit. I was hooked.”

‘Can-do’ attitude The opportunity to go and work on a heifer rearing unit – rearing young stock for eight different herds – in New Zealand came up, but she’d just started a second animal care course and didn’t want to up and leave. “I’d just turned 18, so it seemed a big step. And I also had to organise a visa and a flight in just six weeks, which seemed impossible,” says Leanne.

“Someone I worked with said that I couldn’t do it. And, if someone says that something can’t be done – or I can’t do something – I typically set out to prove them wrong.”

Organic herd: milk from the Brown Swiss milkers is sold to OMSCo

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Best of both worlds: the unit at Mouswald, where Leanne is able to run her Holstein cattle with Jonny Lochhead’s pedigree herd

So, with her ‘can-do’ attitude, she sorted out all the necessary paperwork and hopped on a plane. And she says that it was the best decision she ever made.

She then came back to the UK for six months – and worked on a sheep unit in Cornwall, before heading back to New Zealand for a two-year stint as an assistant herdsperson on a 340-cow unit.

“That was a great place to cut my teeth.

It was a simple system and the people I worked with were knowledgeable and friendly. I learnt a lot while I was there.”

Leanne came home again and took a job at Callington in Cornwall, on a 180cow unit. “They’d been looking for a herdsperson for a while and they gave me a chance. The role grew and I became assistant herd manager.”

Holstein experience That was a high yielding pedigree Holstein herd and Leanne says that that’s when she fell in love with the breed. “They were totally different to the cows that I’d been managing in New Zealand – all udders and dairy strength.

I was in awe of them.”

She travelled again, this time to Australia and the US, to work on other dairy units, including the famous US-based Luck-E Holstein herd. And she also worked on other UK-based units – including one in Lancashire and one in Herefordshire – all with different management systems.

“The diverse experience on my CV has, I think, made me more employable,” she says. “And, for me, having all those different experiences in several different countries has been fantastic.”

It was her time on the Herefordshirebased unit that sparked her interest in showing cattle. “I helped to show some cattle while I was at Wyevalley Holsteins and I really enjoyed it.”

Show-ring success A herd manager in Bolton was her next role. “That was a step up, in terms of responsibility, and the owner also allowed me to do a little showing too. He had good cows, but had never wanted to do it. So I had a go and it was great fun and extremely rewarding.”

It was here where Leanne took yet another step up the dairying ladder and bought her own cows. “That was also a great motivator for me. The owner allowed me to run my three cattle – a cow and two heifers – with his herd.

The first cow that she purchased, Normead Million Helena VG89, was one she spotted at a sale. “I can still remember that day – it was the start of yet another chapter for me,” she says.

Helena calved and produced a heifer – the first to carry Leanne’s HedgeLea pedigree prefix, HedgeLea All About Helena. “I then bought Ingleview Goldwyn Charlie,” she says. She sold a

Kandie calf – HedgeLea Awesome Kandie Krush – for 6,000 guineas at the Black & White Sale in 2017. “That’s was definitely one of the highlights of my dairy breeding ‘career’ so far,” she says.

“But I do know that I can own a few cows – and good ones – that I can breed from and show, if I want to. I can dabble in quality dairy genetics and enjoy owning and milking a few good cows.”

Leanne says that she’s inspired by her friend and cattle breeder Molly Westwood, of Panda Holsteins.

“I’m impressed with the herd she’s set up and the quality of her cows. I follow what she’s doing and I want to do that too.

“Here at Mouswald, Jonny is happy for me to run my cows with his Brown Swiss herd and he’s also keen on showing, so that’s something else that I’ve been able to continue with since moving here,” she adds. “I do know that, in some ways, I have the best of both worlds.”

Ultimately, she says, she would like to own and run her own herd. “But it’s important to be realistic – that’s something that may never happen.

There are so many barriers to entry – not least having the finance.

“If an opportunity does come along, I need to have the knowledge and experience – and the cows – to grab it.

But for the foreseeable future I am very happy here in Dumfries” l

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Award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based producer Roger Evans shares his ideas on how to help eke out forage supplies this winter, but he’s also prepared for things to go a little awry.

Forage plans W

e only look to get 6,000 litres from our cross-bred cows and every year we try to produce a larger proportion of that from grass and forage.

Like everyone else, we didn’t have the best of starts this year and our cows went out to grass a month later than usual.

Eventually, when we did get them out, the grass grew at a phenomenal rate. But in no time at all, along came the drought.

There was soon no point in measuring grass covers, because there wasn’t any grass. A plate meter that measured ‘minus’ would have been handy.

We had a brown farm for weeks, but we had grass two miles away. It was, therefore, fortunate that we equipped ourselves for zero grazing in 2017.

We would have liked to buy a purpose-built zero grazing machine but chose a cheaper option. We bought a second-hand forage wagon and use that in conjunction with the mower we already have.

Most days throughout the drought our cows had fresh leafy grass to eat. It’s an extra job, I know, but opening the clamp and feeding next winter’s silage is not without its drawbacks either.

The biggest downside, and the most annoying, is that it is no longer ‘safe’ to leave a mower in a field around here. We used to take the wagon, park it, put the mower on and cut enough grass, and take the grass home.

Now we have to take the mower, cut some grass, take the mower home then take the wagon and fetch the grass. This puts an hour on the job, but we do still have the mower. If I had to say we have got something right lately it would be the flexibility that zero grazing gives us, considering how and where we farm.

As I write this, in early October, we are yet to take our third cut of silage – we should have about 40 hectares to cut. I know we are taking a chance, but it is still growing.

We are still feeling our way into organic farming, but the one thing that we do know is that the very last thing you need to do is to run out of fodder.

If you do, you need to find some organic fodder and it will probably be expensive. And there’s a fair chance it won’t be ‘handy’ and, therefore, also expensive to move. That is why we are prepared to go for as much bulk as we can with this final cut of the season.

As well as the area ear marked for silage, we have eight hectares that has already been cut twice. But I think we will zero graze that and bring a load a day home to the cows, so that, as they move to their winter diet, they will have fresh grass every day to ‘stretch out’ the silage.

After that we could mow some ground that we reseeded after the drought. We’ve zero grazed it once and there’s some nice leafy regrowth. It’s on a high, dry, hill and so, with luck, we could be feeding fresh grass until Christmas. At least that’s the plan, but we all know what happens to the best laid plans.

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We meet the first two competition finalists

Gold in their sights The 2018 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup finalists have been announced and, in the first of a series of three articles, we take a closer look at two of the six herds. First up, we profile two high-yielding pedigree herds that are no strangers to the competition and have already enjoyed considerable dairy success during the past few years. text Rachael Porter

James & Eleanor Tomlinson, Preston, Lancashire This is the fourth time that the Tomlinson’s 270-cow pedigree Bilsrow herd has made the final. The family has been crowned runner up on all three previous competitions and James and Eleanor hope that this is the year that they finally lift the golden trophy.

“I did say that we’d not enter again, but we’ve had another good year. Things are going well, and we thought: ‘why not give it another shot’,” says James.

There have been several changes at the 166-hectare unit, based at Bilsborrow Hall Farm near Preston in Lancashire, which include buying more land, registering the business as a limited company, and officially becoming a ‘free-range milk’ producer. All have served to keep the business moving forwards, making the most of opportunities and meeting challenges head on.

The all-year-round calving herd, which averaged 11,042kg of milk at 4.37% butterfat and 3.16% protein for the year ending September 2017, is run as a family unit and generates income through both milk and surplus stock sales. Managed on a conventional system, cows are grazed during the summer and housed in winter.

“But there have been some changes this year. The cows now graze for a minimum of 150 days a year – from early May to mid-October – to meet our milk buyer’s ‘free range’ criteria and command a premium,” explains James.

Milk – just shy of three million litres each year – is sold to Lancashire-based Pakeeza Dairies, which produces yoghurt and smoothies.

James was attracted by the milk price

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premium, of course, but he says it’s also about putting across a positive image of the industry. “We’re close to an urban area and, although we were previously grazing for at least four months of the year, people have commented on how nice it is to see the cows out at grass.”

Such a move has meant that a closer eye on fertility was vital. “My only real concern about committing to the free-range promise was the potential impact on fertility. So we stepped up our management – particularly heat detection – to ensure that even though the cows are grazing for longer that we wouldn’t miss any. And we’ve maintained, if not slightly improved, the fertility performance,” he says.

Recent changes Calving index is a respectable 387 days and 55% of cows are back in calf at 100 days in milk. The voluntary waiting period is 40 days and the average number of services per pregnancy is 2.6.

The couple have also registered as a limited company this year, to help streamline the business and increase efficiency. And they’ve bought more land – 16-hectares next to the farm. “We bought the land in May – it was an opportunity not to be missed.”

The Tomlinsons are also selling more freshly calved heifers – around 100 head a year, which is 30% more than 2017.

“We are using more sexed semen now.

We’ve been using it for five years and it’s now used across all maiden heifers. This means that we have more surplus heifers to sell,” explains James.

Cow numbers are increasing gradually, by around 12 cows per year. “We’re not

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James and Eleanor Tomlinson

actively pushing up numbers, it’s a natural growth really, so it won’t impact on the efficiency or the herd. We’re still able to focus on running a tight ship and fine tuning management as we go.”

The future will see the couple invest in a new milking parlour and slurry handling system – they’re the factors limiting any significant expansion. “We’re still at the planning stage but this should happen in the next three to five years.

Then we may look at a more considerable expansion of the herd.”

Herd facts All-year-round calving 270 Holsteins, plus 320 young stock (including breeding bulls) Average yield: 11,042kg at 4.37% fat and 3.16% protein SCC: 113,000 cells/ml Calving interval: 387 days System: Herd size:

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Harvey family, Beeswing, Dumfriesshire

Brothers John and Stuart Harvey

Another herd to previously make the final line up, in 2014 and 2015, is that belonging to the Harvey family, based at Beeswing in Dumfriesshire.

The herd was NMR’s highest Holstein production herd in the organisation’s latest Annual Production Report for the year ending September 2017 and for three out of the past five years it’s remained in the top three.

John Harvey says that their success is merely a side effect of managing the herd as well as they possibly can and always looking to improve. “We are very driven – we’re not for sitting back when things are going well. We always want to do things better.”

The 335-cow herd averaged 13,662kg of milk, at 3.85% butterfat and 3.18% protein, on three-times-a-day milking, for the year ending September 2017.

The Harvey’s Killywhan pedigree herd also boasts 46 out of the top 50 highest yielding Holsteins in Scotland, as well as many more in the top 100.

The herd is permanently housed except for one group, of around 100 midlactation cows, which is turned out to graze at the end of May, if conditions are suitable. The unit’s 225 head of young stock also graze during the summer.

The herd is fed a TMR, offering maintenance plus 36 litres, and individual cows are topped up to yield with concentrates fed through the parlour. Cows calve all year round, ensuring a level milk supply for buyer Lactalis.

John says that dairying is like juggling – there are always a lot of balls in the air.

He and his brother Stuart and mother Margaret work closely together to make sure nothing is ‘dropped’ or overlooked.

“We all have our own strengths but we all know exactly what’s going on in every area of herd and business management. There’s good teamwork.”

Mastitis vaccine Cow health is important to the team and 18 months ago they began using mastitis vaccine to prevent E. coli mastitis in the herd. Rates have now dropped from 20% to below 10%. “Using this has also allowed us to reduce antibiotic use for the herd – particularly dry cow therapy.

We’ve been working closely with our vet to use it selectively and we’re down to just 15% of the herd,” says John.

There’s also been an increased focus on fertility, with a move towards transition cow scoring and monitoring. “Our nutritionist is keeping a closer eye on dry cows and it’s paying dividends,” he explains.

Rumen fill and body condition score are monitored, as well as the incidence of

any production diseases or LDAs post calving. “Having some fresh eyes on that – and someone to spot any patterns in the data – will help to minimise any issues associated with the transition period. This is a stressful time for the cow and she needs specialist care to avoid health and fertility issues during the following lactation.

With this in mind, the Harveys now have a transition group of fresh-calved cows within the milking herd. “It pays to have them together in one place. If there are any problems then they can be easily spotted, and we can intervene early. They’re not hidden in a larger group. We have a voluntary waiting period of 60 days because we believe that it allows the cows to maintain their peak yields for longer.”

He says that the family’s focus will remain on optimising and improving herd management. “It’s about looking at the small things and the bigger picture.

“And it’s great to do well in production rankings and competitions. It serves to underline that what we’re doing is being done well and it spurs us on to keep management on track and to strive to do even better.”

Herd facts All-year-round calving 326 Holstein Friesians, plus 225 young stock Average yield: 13,662kg of milk at 3.85% fat and 3.18% protein SCC: 87,000 cells/ml Calving interval: 404 days System: Herd size:

Housed system: the Harveys’ herd tucks into the TMR ration

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F E E D I N G

Robots suit the cows, labour availability – and the weather

Automated system optimises health and productivity Ensuring that cows have access to the milking robots at all times is key to the success of the permanently housed herd at one West Yorkshire-based dairy unit. We visited them to find out more about milking, feeding, and overall cow management. text Emily Ball

S

etting up a greenfield site dairy unit was a chance to overhaul all aspects of the management system for producer Graham Holmes.

Cow health and welfare was at the heart of every decision made for the new unit and, five years on, he knows that his plans have resulted in a profitable system that works for both the farm’s location and the cows.

Graham and his wife Janet farm in partnership with his parents, Max and Ruth, at Chelker House Farm in Addington, near Ilkley in West Yorkshire.

The family now milk a 115-cow herd through two Fullwood robots, with an average yield of 10,000 litres, at 4.3% fat and 3.3% protein, per cow per year. It was a different story in 2010.

“Eight years ago we were milking 40 cows, producing an average yield of 7,500 litres per year, through a small herringbone parlour that was in dire

need of upgrading,” explains Graham.

“We got to the point where we knew that we needed to change to survive and this meant increasing the herd size and milk yields.

“I took the opportunity to really research what system would work for the set up here. I wanted a system that would put cow health and welfare first and labour issues meant that we needed to be able to run the herd by ourselves.”

Robotic system The Holmes’ milker, who was a key member of staff, had just left and Graham asked himself if he wanted to spend time training someone else up to milk, only to leave again. “I also believe that you can pay someone to do the job, but you can’t pay them to love the job and be good at it.

“Finding that person who will always do an excellent job milking is difficult and

Robotic system: cows are milked, on average, 3.3 times a day

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Graham and Janet Holmes: “We spent time looking at what set up best suited our unit”

I felt that a robotic set-up would give the cows a consistent, flawless milking routine. Robots have no Friday-evening milking, when they’re trying to knock off early, or Sunday morning struggles, when they’re hung over.”

So he did his research and visited several robotic units and spoke at length with ForFarmers’ Keith Colley about the building design and how to manage the nutrition of the cows in the new unit.

“Keith has a lot of experience with robotic herds, so we used his in-depth knowledge when planning our unit.

“He helped us think about what our real aims were for the progression of the herd, how and what we would be feeding the higher yielding cows in the system, and how cow flow would work around the building.”

Housing design: Graham spent time researching his options

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TMR feeding: milkers are fed a diet that comprises brewers’ grains and grass silage

After purchasing 37 in-calf Dutch heifers, the Holmes moved the herd to the greenfield site with two robots in October 2013.

“The building can house 200 cows, but we’ve always aimed to provide as much space as possible and the best facilities for the cows. We don’t want cows to be cramped or dirty.

“There are seven water troughs and we’ve put rubber matting down in front of the feed barrier to help increase intakes and reduce lameness.

“We don’t want the robots to be working at or even above full capacity. We want the cows to be encouraged to visit them whenever they want,” he adds.

Feeding time: TMR is fed out to cows

During the past five years the cows have visited the robots no fewer than 3.3 times a day. Higher yielding cows can visit five times or more each day.

Discussions with Keith about improving the profitability of each individual cow mean that Graham is concentrating on providing the right nutrition to drive yields and ensuring that the cows can milk.

All-year-round housing Prior to the move to the new unit, cows were fed grass silage in ring feeders, cake in the parlour, and grazed for four months a year – depending on the weather. Now cows are housed all year round and are fed down a central passageway, which has 140 locking yokes (70 on each side). This gives them plenty of access to the feed. Silage is fed out once a day and pushed up three times a day.

The cows are fed 50kg of grass silage and 10kg of brewers’ grains per head per day.

They are then fed concentrate, to yield, through the robots.

All cows are fed Ultima Safe 20, but cows also receive Optima Lintec 18 during the first part of their lactation to help increase fertility. “The linseed has a positive effect on fertility, just at a time when the cows are at peak lactation, and we also see a milk-yield benefit,” says Keith.

“Our high yielding cows, which are

those giving 60 litres or more, can get as much as 14kg of cake a day. But that’s spread across five visits to the robot.

“It means we can avoid the risk of acidosis by reducing the amount of concentrate the rumen has to deal with at one time. It’s all about giving them access to the parlour whenever they want it,” says Graham.

“We’re aiming to be consistent with the diet, which is why we feed both types of cake initially,” he continues.

“Keeping the rumen happy and not subjecting it to too much change is important.”

Contractor business Only young stock are grazed, so the Holmes now cut 85% of their grassland for silage.

Graham also has a small contractor business and, not having to milk, he has the flexibility to cut at the best time to optimise forage quality. As a result, silage quality continues to improve year on year.

“We can see some tough weather here, but we know that our cows are well looked after in their building. This year we had temperatures ranging between –17°C and +37°C and the building and cows performed well throughout.

“We know we have a system that suits the cows, our labour availability and the tough Yorkshire weather.” l

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S P E C I A L

Calf milk replacers: tips and pointers on making the best choice for your calves. Page 24 Survey results: producers are waking up to the benefits of feeding calf milk replacer. Page 26 What’s new? We take a look at the latest products and research that focus on young stock. Page 28

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Make milk replacer buying choice on merits, not on price

Fit for purpose How do you ensure that the calf milk replacer that you buy is the best choice – and investment – for your calves?

Look behind the label and determine your objectives are just two tips from a leading calf specialist. text Rachael Porter

P

roducers are increasingly recognising the growth and health benefits of feeding calf milk replacers and ‘investing’ in nutrition. And they are appreciating the potential risks of feeding unpasteurised or waste milk from the herd. But how can producers ensure that they buy the most suitable product for their calves, to realise their potential and get the biggest bang for their buck?

“The starting point is to actually decide what your objectives are – what are your calf feeding goals?”

So says Cargill’s calf specialist Bianca Theeruth. “Just saying ‘I want to feed my calves and I want them to grow’ isn’t enough. Are they cross-bred beef calves or are they dairy heifer replacements? What feeding system do you use? And what potential

challenges do your young calves face?

Do you know, for example, that scouring can be an issue on your unit?”

Lean growth She says that answering all these questions – sometimes more – form the basis of selecting the best CMR for the calves on your unit. “For example, the type of CMR that’s best suited to rearing calves for beef will be different to the

type of CMR that’s best for encouraging lean growth, which is what producers need when rearing dairy replacements.”

She says that too many producers still purchase CMR based on price or, even, availability.

“If they run out, it’s often a case of buying what the local farm store has in stock – and that’s not really the most efficient or effective approach.”

She says that some will look at the label and actively seek out either skim- or whey-based CMRs. “But even that’s not enough. It’s not just about the CMRs ingredients. The quality of those ingredients is also important.

Not all CMR powders are formulated the same or made from the same ingredients.

The source of the skim or whey can be different.

“So it’s important to dig deeper and even ask questions. Don’t take the label at

Table 1: Constituent level ranges for CMRs

nutrient

min level max level comments

protein (%) oil (%) fibre (%) ash (%) vitamin E (mg/kg) selenium (mg/kg)

20 15 0 6 0 0

26 22 0.5 8 250 0.3

higher level for greater frame growth main energy source alongside lactose higher levels indicate inclusion of non-milk protein CMR ingredients can affect ash higher levels costly but improved immune function in animal 0.3 mg/kg is the legal maximum inclusion in complete feed

CMR formulation is closer to Mother Nature Trouw Nutrition has launched a calf milk replacer that it says is unique, because it has been formulated to optimise digestibility. “We’ve developed this product with the calf’s needs, from day one, in mind – so that’s growth, development and health. And we’ve focused on digestibility,” says ruminant technical business manager Georgina Thomas.

Analysing growth curves and feedback from producers on existing calf milk replacers suggested that calves can struggle for the first two to three weeks, but then they started to grow well. “So we took that feedback and asked: why? Research revealed that digestibility of calf milk replacers was the issue. The products already on the market – be they skim or whey based

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– are a long way from whole milk in terms of their ease of digestibility. So we thought why not formulate a CMR that’s closer to whole milk in its composition and its digestibility?”

The result is Milkivit Energized Calf Milk, which comprises 50% skim milk and 25% oil. “There’s more fat, to make it energy dense, and less lactose. This makes its formulation much closer to whole milk,” explains Ms Thomas. “We set out to make it the next best thing.

“The fat proportion of the CMR comes from palm and coconut oil and it’s been formulated to replicate the fatty acid profile of whole milk. The fat globules are small, like they are in cows’ milk, to aid optimal digestibility.

“The aim was to produce a CMR that was energy dense and digestible –

OCTO BER/NO VE MB E R

as close to whole milk as possible.

Osmolality was also important to the research and development team. We were looking to produce a CMR that had reduced osmolality.”

Osmolality levels are a risk factor for calf scour. CMRs with elevated levels of osmolality can damage the calf’s gut and increase the risk of abomasal bloat (due to slower gastric emptying) and exacerbate diarrhoea in sick calves.

“We have therefore ensured that the osmolality level of this product is closer to that of whole milk.”

Feedback from producers who’ve trialled the CMR is that calf growth rates for the first two to three weeks are higher compared to the control CMR. And the incidence of scour is also reduced.

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Producers’ check list when buying a CMR • The type of CMR required will depend on your rearing system, disease risk and rearing objectives.

• Check the basic information on the label. Constituent levels should fall within published ranges (see Table 1).

• Determine whether the CMR is skimbased or whey-based. If whey powder is the first ingredient listed, then the CMR is whey-based and vice versa for a skim-based CMR.

• In the case of skim-based CMR, find out the inclusion rate of the skim milk or skim derivatives, as this will determine clotting ability. Skim derivatives can include butter milk, whole milk powder and casein.

• Skim derivatives are usually cheaper, but it is important to know the quality and processing method of these derivatives. These factors can affect feeding characteristics and nutritional

value. CMRs that include skim milk powder are considered premium products.

• Compare like for like, in terms of nutritional value, cost and your own objectives, to compare like for like.

The label will not provide enough information.

• Ask questions and take advantage of manufacturers’ technical support teams and additional product information.

face value – it won’t tell you everything you need to know.”

She also recommends that producers buy ‘top end’ CMRs wherever possible.

“It’s most definitely the case that you will get what you pay for so, particularly if you’re rearing valuable dairy heifer calves, it’s worth spending a little more for a higher quality, higher-spec product.

You will see a return on that investment.”

Skim-based powders are ideal if you want to put a shine on calf coats and get them looking their best for market.

“They’re also better at keeping the calf satiated and fuller for longer, as they form a clot in the calf’s abomasum. This will be slowly broken down in between six and 10 hours.”

job and keep calves satiated and well nourished. “There’s plenty of published work that shows that there’s no difference in performance between the two, in terms of feed conversion

efficiency or daily live weight gain. So don’t be swayed by that. Remember, exactly which powder is best for your calves – skim or whey – will come down to your individual objectives.” l

Well nourished “Whey-based powders, however, don’t form a clot and pass through the calf’s abomasum in fewer than two hours.”

That’s not to say that whey won’t do the

Figure 1: Calf milk replacer decision tree and suggested nutrient levels

Are you buying calves in?

Skim based NO

17-19% oil

Are you rearing dairy or beef calves?

Dairy

Both

Beef

Do you have health issues in your calves?*

Whey based

Whey based

22% protein 18% oil

22% protein 15% oil

YES

YES

Occasionally

Frequently

Skim based

Skim based

22% protein 17% oil

*Confirm skim milk/skim derivative inclusion percentage with manufacturer/supplier

NO

Are these replacement heifers?

22% protein 17% oil

YES

NO

Whey based

Whey based

26% protein 16-17% oil

22% protein 18% oil

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21-23% protein

YES

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Producers are recognising the benefits of feeding calf milk replacers

Have you made the switch?

A recent survey has shown that more producers have made the change from whole milk to calf milk replacer, when it comes to feeding young stock. We spoke to a leading cattle vet to find out more. text David Butler

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uring the past 10 years there has been a three-fold increase in the number of dairy calves being reared on milk replacers. So what’s driving this trend?

At the end of 2017 Volac carried out a series of in-depth interviews with more than 600 British dairy and beef calf rearers. The project repeated a detailed market study carried out by the company a decade previously. And the findings show that young stock rearing practices have changed significantly since 2007 and will continue to evolve to meet market needs.

The move towards feeding calf milk replacer has been driven by a greater awareness of the threat of disease from feeding whole and waste milk, according to vet Dave Gilbert, from Dairy Insight.

He independently reviewed the research findings for Volac and he says that the

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switch has also been influenced by new recommended herd efficiency targets and economics.

“Back in the mid 2000s, it was common to see calves reared on whole milk – be that saleable or waste,” he says. “But now we find that the practice of whole milk feeding, outside of the immediate post-birth colostrum feed, to be the exception rather than the rule. At least 75% of the calves we look after on clients’ units are reared on milk replacer.”

The research reflects his experience. In 2007 just 17% of calves were reared on milk replacer alone, but not the figure is 54%.

“Several different pressures on producers have also accelerated this trend,” explains Mr Gilbert.

“Industry consolidation and the need to relentlessly improve efficiency to survive means that most businesses are more focused on economics than they were 10 years ago. “And we’ve seen milk retailers and processors become much more interested in what goes on at farm level, as well as various industry initiatives to tackle disease problems.

Action Johne’s is just one example.

This knowledge exchange has increased awareness about where improvements can be made.”

Growing understanding Mr Gilbert adds that the survey results show that health and financial concerns are the two main drivers for choosing to use calf milk replacers rather than whole milk.

“Producers have a growing understanding of the risks of feeding whole or waste milk to their calves – a practice that should be discouraged. However, it’s concerning that one in three still don’t see any problems with feeding whole milk.

“What’s more, this research suggests that almost 11% of calves are still being fed waste milk, something that certainly cannot continue. Feeding waste milk contaminated with antimicrobial residues may be an uncomfortable truth, but it is something the industry must face up to and tackle. Producers also now seem to have more of an appreciation that the feeding of otherwise saleable milk is costly,” he adds.

The study also suggests that, with an increasing awareness of the importance of good young stock performance to the profitability of their business, producers are becoming more discerning and

Dave Gilbert: “Pressures on producers have accelerated the switch to CMR feeding”

demanding about what constitutes good nutrition for calves.

“Back in the early 2000s, milk powder was simply that and, for many producers, its purchase was an afterthought. That’s no longer the case,” says Mr Gilbert.

“Now, with an increased focus on the need to achieve good calf growth rates to be calving heifers down at a target of 24 months, producers are asking more questions about the milk replacer they should be feeding – both in terms of ingredient quality and raw material sources.”

Ingredient quality When evaluating calf milk replacers, the 2017 research shows that overall ingredient quality is now the key feature that producers are looking for. In 2007 this was deemed far less important, with availability in store being the leading attribute sought when making a product choice.

Against this background, Volac has re-examined its calf milk replacer formulation by identifying the best possible nutritional solution for the preweaned young calf. Its conclusion was that whey protein contains the magical components of milk that are so fundamental for calf programming and development.

“Milk does several critical jobs,” explains company nutritionist Ian Watson. “It provides ingredients for growth, primes

the immune system, assists in pathogen control, and shapes the future growth and development of the calf during the critical first few weeks of life.

“These goals are predominantly delivered by bioactive components in the whey protein fraction of milk.

For example, natural cow colostrum contains a much higher proportion of whey protein, around 65%, compared to whole milk, with 20%

Calf growth He adds that the company filters and concentrates the liquid whey protein portion of milk and collects the important proteins, fats, sugars and other bioactive components so important for calf programming.

The resultant ingredient, which is now integral to all its calf milk formulations, is Imunopro. “This is a unique concentrated whey protein-based material that’s packed with the vital amino acids and immunoglobulins so necessary for healthy calf growth and development,” he says.

“Production of this concentrated whey protein also means that we can now precision-formulate our calf milks based on true protein. This involves looking at the crucial limiting amino acids for calves – such as lysine and leucine – just as pig and poultry sector nutritionists have done so effectively in recent years for monogastric species,” he adds. l

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S P E C IA L

Check list advice and kit that can transport large volumes of calf milk

What’s new in calf rearing?

We showcase a piece of kit that can take the strain when transporting larger volumes of calf milk, as well as a recently launched calf-health campaign text Rachael Porter

1 Moving milk, made simple With a variety of calf housing and feeding options in use, there is often a requirement to move large amounts of milk quickly, efficiently, and safely. Pyon Products’ Milk Freighter will mix milk powder and deliver to multiple locations via a pump, hose and nozzle.

Available with either 420-litre or 620-litre capacity, the machine can handle either whole milk or mix calf milk replacer. And it can be made to suit an individual unit’s particular transport system.

Options include: a mixer powered by mains electric or Honda WX15 petrol engine; a wheeled version, with forklift pockets or skids; a mixer version, for producers feeding calf milk replacer, or a whole milk version; and the machine can be configured to dispense milk by gravity or via pump, with or without a flow meter.

“We have had repeated requests for a versatile system to move bulk milk around the unit,” says the company’s Alan Dickson. “Every producer has different needs, so the machine comes in a variety of specifications, and is custom built to order.”

For more information visit: www.pyonproducts.com 1

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2 Check list improves health Score-based audits of young stock rearing systems are helping producers to pinpoint calf husbandry weaknesses and identify opportunities to improve the health and productive performance of their future herd replacements.

So says MSD’s vet Kat Baxter-Smith, who also highlighted the benefits being gained from interactive on-farm calf health assessments, during seminars held at UK Dairy Day. “Producers who are concerned about calf health can now ask their vet to use the MSD Animal Health check list tool to score their young stock rearing system,” she says. “More than 100 young stock audits have now been completed this year and producer feedback suggests improving colostrum management practices are a priority for many units.”

The check list helps the vet and producer to work closely together to draw up a workable action plan to improve calf health.

“The tool explores, records and scores calf health performance across five core areas to identify the strengths and weaknesses of any rearing unit’s environment and processes,” Dr BaxterSmith explains.

“Working through a series of 10 questions within each core area – designed to tease out where a rearing 2

OCTO BER/NO VE MB E R

unit is in terms of accepted best management practice – allows them to quickly pinpoint any areas needing attention.

What’s more, repeating the checklist every six or 12 months is a good way to keep things on track, allowing both parties to monitor progress against agreed targets.”

3 Calf health campaign A cross-industry initiative to improve calf health, with the aim of encouraging more producers to engage in proactive health planning, has been launched by the cattle antibiotics group.

The campaign, which will be running until 26 October, covers all parts of the beef and dairy calf production systems and will focus on three key areas: identification and appropriate treatment, review planning and disease prevention.

“Taking a proactive approach to calf health through health planning is key to minimising any threats of disease,” says NFU dairy board vice chairman and group member Paul Tompkins. “Rearing calves can pose many challenges – from colostrum management through to the transition from unit to unit – so it is important to think ahead and have a strategy in place to be able to successfully deal with and prevent disease.

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please reset it using photos provided.

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Rumen Yeast Caps are a source of yeast and vitamins in an easy-to-use bolus form to be used at any off-feed events.

These boluses help to maintain or restore digestive health and energy metabolism whilst encouraging dry matter intakes.

In addition to dairy compounds and blends, NWF Agriculture offer a range of high quality associated products designed to meet the needs of the dairy cow and support hydration and gut health.

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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ets

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Tried, tested and produced by a farmer for farmers

Calf Jackets With the use of calf jackets you can make significant savings on feed, medication and bedding costs, by better conversion of energy to growth rather than warmth and reduce the risk of pneumonia and scours from chills and draughts.

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BREEDING INFORMATION

Stellando tops list of herdbook registrations Stellando has again taken first place in the Dutch ranking with the most registered herdbook calves. In the year 2017/2018, CRV registered 22,735 calves from the Fidelity son.

The number two and three, Delta Atlantic and Delta Bookem Danno, also maintain their position in Table 1: Sires with the highest number of registered calves in the Netherlands (2017/2018)

the list. Delta Magister and Newhouse Skyfall are both new to the list, in fourth and fifth position.

For red-and-white sires, Delta Rosebud is the best represented bull with almost 16,000 calves. He is followed by Delta Ticket.

Both Rosebud and Ticket have also been extensively used in UK herds, as have Stellando, Atlantic and Skyfall.

Final call for Stellando semen If you’d like to milk some Stellando daughters, then now is the time to order some straws.

His final batch of semen is expected to be available until December. Stellando is famous for his outstanding efficiency, superb feet and legs and locomotion. His conventional semen is priced at £18 per straw, his sexed semen at £28 per straw.

Stellando daughter Delta Madelon

number of calves

bull name

sire

holstein Batenburg G Stellando Delta Atlantic Delta Bookem Danno Delta Magister Newhouse Skyfall

Fidelity Ramos Bookem Whatsapp G-Force

22,735 17,041 15,347 14,087 11,190

red-and-white Delta Rosebud Delta Ticket

Filou Colorado

12,548 8,311

Show time CRV Avoncroft will have a stand at the Welsh Dairy show, on October 30. CRV Avoncroft’s team is looking forward to welcoming customers to the stand for an informal chat.

Milk production record for Dutch cows Milk production per cow in the Netherlands has hit its highest ever level. During the past year, the Dutch national herd broke the 9,000-kilogramme average for the first time. The rolling annual average was 9,123kg of milk with 4.35% fat and 3.57% protein. This is an increase of 417kg of milk since 2017.

The gain in kilogrammes of fat and protein is also considerable. With an increase of 32kg, the cows produced an average of 723kg of fat and protein.

Just like milk production, life time production also increased during 2017.

The cows that were culled in 2017/2018 produced 30,343kg of milk on average in their lives with 4.35% fat and 3.54%

protein, representing 2,395kg of fat and protein. That is an increase of almost 500kg of milk.

Taking third place in the country’s herd production ranking is one of CRV’s test farms. Siemen and Jan Siemen van Berkum’s 272-cow herd produced 14,370kg of milk, with 3.65% fat and 3.47% protein.

Meervelder Roda has typical MRI profile Looking for cows that are easy to manage and can adapt to changing conditions? Then MRI sire Meervelder Roda (Koen x Diman) is certainly worth a look. This new addition to the CRV Avoncroft portfolio has a typical MRI profile and scores well above average for udder and feet and legs.

Roda comes from a well known Dutch cow family. His mother Coba 369 is in her fourth lactation. “This is an all-round, strong cow family, offering good frame and high protein,” says Coba’s owner Wim van Dinther. “These cows are healthy and trouble free. They are certainly among the top cows in our herd and they also have attractive red coats.”

Coba 369 (by Diman), dam of Meervelder Roda

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Nurturing Nutrition for the Best Start in Life Research has shown that early life management of calves effects their lifetime performance, whether dairy heifers, or those reared for beef. Born with very few antibodies in their bloodstream, and with slower and lower immune cell functions than adults, the provision of colostrum to newly born calves is vital. However, extra immune support during the first few stressful weeks of life has also been shown to yield benefits pre- and postweaning.

Immuguard combines purified β-glucans, with bioactive ingredients such as peptides, amino acids and nucleotides extracted from

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Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast, with mannan oligosaccharides (MOS) from the yeast cell wall. The result is a product which supports the entire immune system and binds potential pathogens with Type-1 fimbriae such as Salmonella and E. coli. The prebiotic effect of the Fructo-oligosaccharides also included helps to maintain a healthy gut microflora.

Feeding Immuguard during trials in the Netherlands and the UK has shown a reduction in morbidity and mortality in calves.

The latest on-farm trial was conducted between March and July 2018. When Immuguard was added to the milk replacer

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the calves showed less severe respiratory problems, as assessed using the Wisconsin Calf Health scoring schedule, than the control group. The effect continued post-weaning even though the treatment had stopped illustrating the benefit of Immuguard when calves are under stress. Medication usage was also lower in the group of calves given Immuguard, an important added benefit as the industry seeks to reduce antibiotic usage in response to the development of resistance in some strains of bacteria.

For further information contact: Micron Bio-systems +44 (0) 1278 427272

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Proven protection, generation after generation *

Calves receiving Rotavec Corona boosted colostrum in the first 24 hours before moving to a milk replacer diet, had higher antibody levels for the first 28 days after birth.†1

Make sure your dairy calves get the benefit of Rotavec Corona. * Protection of the calf is gained through single shot dam vaccination during each pregnancy, 12-3 weeks before birth, combined with effective colostrum management. For further information please refer to the Rotavec Corona SPC. † When compared to calves receiving unvaccinated colostrum.

Reference: 1. Crouch C., Oliver S. & Francis M. (2001) Serological, colostral and milk responses of cows vaccinated with a single dose of a combined vaccine against rotavirus, coronavirus and Escherichia coli F5 (K99). Vet Record. Jul 28; 149 (4): 105-108.

Use medicines responsibly. For more information please refer to the Responsible Use sections of the NOAH website.

Legal category: POM-VPS Rotavec® Corona is only available from a veterinary advisor, from whom advice should be sought.

Rotavec® Corona contains inactivated rotavirus and coronavirus and E. coli K99 antigens. ® Registered trademark. Rotavec® Corona is the property of Intervet International B.V. or affiliated companies or licensors and is protected by copyrights, trademark and other intellectual property laws. Copyright © 2018 Intervet International B.V. All rights reserved. Further information including side effects, precautions, warnings and contraindications is available on the product SPC or datasheet or from Intervet UK Ltd trading as MSD Animal Health. Registered office Walton Manor, Walton, Milton Keynes MK7 7AJ, UK. Registered in England & Wales no. 946942. Tel: 01908 685 685 • vet-support.uk@merck.com • www.msd-animal-health.co.uk GB/RUM/0918/0293

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H E A LT H

Alerts pre-empt cow health, production and welfare problems

Healthy options Collars on cows have progressed from being purely for heat detection. Those using the latest cow monitoring system SenseTime, that has replaced Heatime, are picking up additional valuable data that can be quickly and easily translated into health, calving and lameness alerts. And it’s proving its worth. text Karen Wright

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eing able to pick up information from cows and young stock out grazing and in sheds attracted Devon-based producer Nicola Lockyer to SenseTime in June 2018. “This is really why I moved from Heatime to SenseTime,” she says. “I wanted to take advantage of SenseTime’s aerial and Wi-Fi system that would pick up activity from collars worn on cattle around the farm – not just when they were leaving the parlour.”

The 115-cow Curscombe Holstein herd, based at Feniton near Honiton, calves all year round and grazes for half the year with concentrate feeding to yield in the parlour and a TMR fed during winter and to supplement grazed grass. Yields are a respectable 9,700kg.

Nicola bought enough collars to use on heifers from a year old and for her dry cows. She takes them off cows once they’re in calf and well into their

lactation. “I don’t find this a hassle,” she adds. “And once cows are at this stage they are at less risk of any issues.”

And any extra work is out-weighed by the value of the alerts that she and her team now get. “It really showed its colours early on. I got an alert of a distressed cow – the system had picked up low activity and irregular rumination.

“I checked her and I could see she was calving, but there weren’t any obvious signs of distress to me.” But having been alerted, Nicola examined her. “As soon as I investigated I detected a torsion.

The vet carried out a caesarean and delivered a healthy calf, and the cow was fine. Without the alert it could have been a very different story. This case alone made an early inroad into our investment.”

Phone alert Nicola gets alerts of calving distress, reduced intakes and rumination,

Caroline and Reuben Sales say that changes in rumination and activity from the cow’s norm are worth investigating

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Nicola Lockyer: “SenseTime showed its colours early on with valuable health alerts”

increased heat-related activity, and lameness through an app on her phone.

“I can pick them up on my laptop too, but it’s far handier to get the alerts on my mobile phone when it comes to dayto-day herd management.”

She is then able to send a list of cows for AI to whoever is milking so that they are picked out.

“I can select who gets what information and it goes to their mobile phone by text. This happens even if I’m away from the farm. It’s ‘business as usual’.”

Staffordshire-based Reuben and Caroline Sales, who farm near Leek, have now fitted all but 10 collars to their 120-cow Holstein herd. “We’re really looking for help picking up heats,” says Reuben, admitting that this job is getting more difficult with the modern Holstein.

Intake dip But, in just a short time, he is seeing the value of the extra information and health alerts. A dip in intake and rumination indicates a potential problem that needs investigating and the system’s ‘intelligence’ uses this data to give users a very reliable alert and straight forward report on a mobile device or PC. “If both of these are falling away from the cow’s norm, I get a ‘health’ alert on the tablet,” says Reuben. “When this happened the first time I didn’t quite realise the significance and ignored the warning. We had to get the vet out

Eric Weston: “System gives me notifications about 48 hours ahead of any visual problems“

a couple of days later to sort out a displaced abomasum. I now know that a health alert like this in a newly calved cow could mean a DA and I take the precaution of giving her fluids straight away.”

Reuben admits that you need to learn how to use the more detailed information on the SenseTime graphs on his laptop.

“You can see dips in rumination and feed intake and variations against the cow’s norm, and you need to know when to intervene,” he says, adding that he is keen to keep his all-year-round calving herd that averages 8,500kg and has a calving interval of 390 days, on track.

“But you also have to know what’s going on. If it’s a hot day and cows are outdoors and full of grass, activity will fall. The phone app might ‘ping’ but there’s no cause for alarm. Having said this, he admits that he doesn’t ignore the alerts. “It’s a warning; a call to action if needs be.”

Derbyshire-based producer Eric Weston, from Roston near Ashbourne, also follows feeding and rumination activity through SenseTime – a system he installed in May 2018 with the help of the small grant scheme.

“I like it,” he says, “It’s an extra pair of eyes and it doesn’t sleep, but works 24/7 as long as we have internet connection, which is pretty good here.”

Eric manages the 100-cow pedigree Ayrshire and Holstein herd with help from his brother. He was persuaded to

look at SenseTime by his daughter Kate Weston, who works for NMR. “I weighed up a few alternatives first but then took her advice,” he says. “I could see that it would help with picking up useful information from the cows.”

Less stress Eric has a collar on each cow and extras for heifers so he can pick up heats while they’re out grazing.

The health benefits on his new system soon showed their worth. “Soon after it was installed I picked up a dip in feed intake with one cow,” adds Eric. “She’d aborted, unfortunately, but knowing this very soon after it happened meant I could get her on antibiotics and back in calf with as little stress as possible.”

He values this early-warning aspect in his herd, which averages 9,000kg of milk on a mainly TMR system and with a calving interval of 384 days “If I’m alerted about a cow that isn’t eating I can see if she’s under the weather – perhaps with a sub-clinical infection or if she’s slightly lame,” adds Eric. “Otherwise problems may not get picked up until they become more obvious, by which time there’s more of a problem and intakes may have dropped. And it’s likely that production is affected too. I’ll normally get notifications 48 hours ahead of any visual health problems. This has to be good for the cow, for us and for the business.” l

SenseTime ‘makes sense’ NMR has teamed up with Allflex to promote real-time health and fertility monitoring.

Each cow’s activity and rumination are recorded 24/7 and monitored against its

norm. The information and any alerts are then recorded and relayed in useable formats to mobile devices or PC. Alerts on calving distress, lameness, falls in rumination and intakes are a call to

action. SenseTime information is also relayed to herd management systems including Uniform for more strategic herd management.

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• UK Dairy Day 2017 New Product Special Mention

Stopper position and calf size markers on a soft flexible tube

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B R E E D I N G

Cross-bred sires produce cows that are ‘fit for purpose’

Horses for courses Sires developed to breed replacements for herds managed on grass-based systems are taking the stress – and the guess work – out of buying semen for one Staffordshire-based producer.

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

A

s one of the earlier adopters of a true New Zealand-style grass-based system, Staffordshire-based producer Ian Walker knows a thing or two about the type of cow that’s best suited to this set up – and how to breed them. When he took the plunge, back in 2003, he switched from running 180 all-yearround calving Holstein Friesians to a 300-head mixed herd of Jersey and New Zealand Friesian crosses, as well as a few Brown Swiss.

“Back then I decided that if I was going to do it then it was all or nothing,” he says. “I wanted to switch to block calving in one hit, so I bought in 100 head of Jersey crosses, from Ireland, which were

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due to calve in the spring. These were great cattle and did exactly what they were supposed to do. I have a 12-year-old from those original cows. They offered good longevity.”

Grazing platform

Ian Walker: “We want to breed dairy replacements that are ‘fit for purpose”

Any cows in the herd that didn’t fit with the new calving pattern – a nine-week block that starts on February 1 – were sold. And he began pushing cow numbers up to 300 head. He has a grazing platform for a maximum of 320 cows – around 103 hectares. There’s a further 80 hectares for grazing 170-head of young stock and for additional grazing and silage, as required.

This is all connected with four miles of astro turf cow tracks – essential for paddock grazing, according to Ian. “Each one is five metres wide and built on a foundation of rubble and stone.

Investing in cow tracks has really helped to improve hoof health and we don’t have a problem with lameness.”

So feet are one less thing to worry about

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when it comes to sire selection, although he does ensure that all bulls have a positive score. “Our cross-bred cows have good feet and legs, but the tracks help to prevent issues with lameness.”

Milking at Rowe Farms ceases on December 15 each year and dry cows are then out on fodder beet until the end of January. They’re then housed for a short while before calving and turned out again to grass.

CRV Avoncroft’s Richard Williams has been working closely with Ian for the past five year, helping him to select the best sires to use on his spring-blockcalving herd, in order to breed replacements that are ‘fit for purpose’.

Obvious choice “Ambreed sires were the obvious choice from the start as they’re tried and tested on grass-based systems, predominantly in New Zealand,” says Ian. “These bulls sire daughters that do well on Kiwi systems, so they’re certainly going to thrive here in Staffordshire,” says Ian. And they certainly do perform well. Ian is currently seeing average yields of around 5,391 litres, with 4.93% butterfat and 3.78% protein. The herd is milked twice a day through a 30:60 Waikato parlour with ACRs. Milk is sold to Lancashire-based Yew Tree Dairy, which pays for constituents. “So we do breed for plenty of fat and protein – that’s definitely important to us,” he says.

Aside from that, he and Richard select sires that score well for longevity and they also want to maintain stature and avoid breeding cows that are too big.

“We never compromise on fertility,” says Richard. “Next on our ‘must-have’ list is capacity, followed by udder and then feet and legs. We also look for a plus on milk. We are firm believers that if the animal is put together correctly then we can look for – and expect – production,” adds Ian. At the start of every breeding season he sits down with Richard and together they look at all the Ambreed sires that are available. “We select a team of five or six bulls for the AI flask that are all quite similar and offer all the type and production traits that we’re looking for,” explains Richard. “This ensures that we’re breeding a relatively uniform group of replacements, which will join a uniform herd of milking cows.”

Both agree that this is certainly the result that they’re seeing – a herd of cows with similar stature and type that are ideally suited to a grass-based system.

Daughters joining the milking herd this year included Thadius, Selwyn, Overdrive and Deluca. “And they’ve all hit the spot,” says Richard. “They all have great udders and plenty of capacity, as well as being extremely milky.”

He adds that more mature cows performing well in the herd are by sires including: David, Overdrive, and Viktor.

This year’s team of sires comprises Seagull, who offers good capacity as well as fertility and milk: Ruskiebear, who is a high-milk bull with excellent capacity and fertility; Raven, who offers good udders, high protein, as well as fertility and plenty of capacity; Viper, who produces daughters with capacity, milk and fertility; Viking, who offers calving ease as well as good udders and fertility; and Tararua, who also offers good capacity, fertility, plenty of milk and exceptional udders.

Uniform herd This year’s group of sires are all plus for fertility, udders, feet and legs, and capacity. Milk averages +616kg and fat and protein averages +52kg.

Ian is happy with his move to a grassbased, spring block calving system and he’s also pleased with his cows. “They’re uniform and relatively trouble free – we’re breeding good replacements and building on the genetics that we bought in 15 years ago.

“Working with Richard and selecting CRV Avoncroft-Ambreed sires, which are ideally suited to our cows and the management system that we run, makes the whole breeding process simple and straightforward. It’s a reflection of the block-calving management system itself, which also makes running the dairy herd a little easier and has allowed us to improve our work/life balance.” l

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ACT NOW TO MAKE BEST USE OF SLURRY NEXT SPRING Slurry should be seen as a valuable asset and not a waste material according to John Thomas from Biotal who says that adding a biological inoculant during the winter will help ensure slurry really delivers when spread in the spring.

“With cows now starting to be housed, slurry pits will begin filling up with cows producing around 50 litres of urine and faeces per day,” he comments. “Over the winter a significant quantity of a valuable nutrient source will be developing but how can you make the most of it? How do you ensure that the slurry has the best available nutrient content and can be rapidly applied once NVZ spreading restrictions are lifted?”

Mr Thomas says that the major issues with stored slurry are firstly losses of valuable nitrogen as ammonia, and secondly the separation of the solid and liquid fractions in the store, making it more difficult to extract and apply without considerable agitation.

“Both these problems can be overcome by adding a biological treatment to the slurry pit throughout the winter. SlurriNprove is a biological treatment containing a specific blend of enzymes and bacteria which can improve the handling characteristics and nutritive value of slurry.

“The enzymes and bacteria help break down some of the fibre fraction in the solid portion of the slurry, reducing sedimentation of solids

so less of a crust forms and the material is easier to handle with less agitation needed.

“The bacteria in SlurriNprove also compete with the normal microflora present in manures and responsible for slurry’s pungent odour. They reduce the ammonia production which leads to a more nutrient rich fertiliser and a reduced odour too.”

SlurriNprove is quickly and easily added to the slurry pit. A 1kg sachet added to the pit will treat one month’s production per 100 cows.

“Treating slurry with SlurriNprove will simplify slurry handling and management, save time and improve the effectiveness of utilisation of the nutrients leading to crop growth next spring,” Mr Thomas summarises.

slurriNprove Biotal SlurriNprove is a biological treatment which helps make the most of slurry.

More retained nutrients • Reduced odour • Less crusting • Easier to spread Unleashing the value of your forage LALLEMANDLALLEMAND ANIMAL NUTRITION ANIMAL Tel: +44 (0) 1684 Tel: 891055 +44 (0) 1684 891055

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www.biotal.co.uk www.biotal.co.uk

18-10-18 10:21

DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

Johne’s deadline days away The first deadline for the National Johne’s Management Plan is October 31, 2018, and milk processors are ramping up efforts to ensure that their producers meet the requirements. Producers supplying any of the 21 milk processors signed up to the plan need to get their completed declaration to their milk buyer by this date to comply with the scheme.

The declaration must be signed by a BCVA Johne’s accredited vet who has

assessed the farm’s herd status and risks; and produced a bespoke written Johne’s management plan for the unit.

Early indications from milk processors are encouraging and some are predicting that they will achieve 100% completion.

“We want as many farms to be involved in this as possible. But more important is that the plans put in place on these farms make a real difference in Johne’s,” says Action Johne’s Group representative and NMR vet Karen Bond.

NMR Group results NMR has reported significant increases in profitability and turnover from its latest full year of trading. The company has recorded an EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation, which is used as an indicator of the overall profitability of a business) of £2.4 million on sales of £21.4m in the year ended June 30, 2018, compared to £1.9m and £19.5m in the previous 12-month period. Net debt fell £1.8m to £2.1m at the year end. During the year NMR invested £0.8 million in IT systems and laboratory facilities.

NMR’s Reproduction Services division saw a significant increase in revenues with the launch of SenseTime. The company has also been working with AHDB to support genomic testing around TB. And it is cooperating with major milk processing companies to explore ways of delivering greater transparency in the management of anti-microbial resistance (AMR).

“We continue to grow as a business by investing in people and infrastructure,” says NMR managing director Andy Warne.

Guernsey winner Proud winner of the Dairy Show’s Guernsey Championship at Shepton Mallet earlier in October was R J, J R &

S M Warren’s Tredinney Conqueror Excellance 11. NMR has sponsored this championship for a number of years.

Milk PD survey Would you use milk PD tests? Or, if you already do, how do you use them and how valuable are they as part of your herd fertility management? NMR and PD testing kit supplier IDEXX are inviting all producers to complete an on-line survey and, as an incentive, all participants will be put in a prize draw to win 50% off whole herd PD test. Ts and Cs apply.

Visit: https://www.surveymonkey. com/r/NMRmarketsurvey

Diary 2019 The 2019 NMR Herd Management Diary has been significantly improved to make it even more durable. A new sleeve inside the front cover provides room for invoices and notes. Producers also have more room to record additional important information, particularly medical records, antibiotic usage and herd health plans. There is also a handy calculation on every day’s page to work out expected heat and calving dates.

The cost, including delivery, is £29.50 +VAT and it can be ordered from NMR Customer Services on 03330 043 043.

James and Shelley Warren (right) from St Buryan, Penzance, Cornwall with NMR’s Vicky Ellis (left) and judge David Mann

GeneTracker The next date for submitting tissue samples for genomic testing through NMR’s GeneTracker is December 6, 2018, with results available by January 8, 2019.

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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THE CCT CHALLENGE….

What RETURN on INVESTMENT can you get for a £45 investment in CCT COLOSTRUM? u Whole colostrum: high in colostral fat u Tested for safety and efficacy u Use as part of Johne’s control program r management u Simplify your protocols, fine-tune you term performance u Optimise calf’s health, growth and long

d: Create a robust and more productive her

LEAVE NO CALF BEHIND!

FAST FACT: The major PROFIT in the dairy business comes from WEANING weights and the number of CALVES at weaning.

Alta Ltd. u 01292 532353 u yvonne.dunn@altagenetics.co.uk u www.altagenetics.co.uk SCCL u 07976 183120 u evine.vanriemsdijk@sccl.com u www.sccl.com

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FORAGE FOCUS

Vaccination is cost effective A prevention-based approach is the best policy when looking at calf health issues. So said Zoetis’ Ally Anderson, speaking at a recent ForFarmers Roadshow.

“A prevention strategy not only makes financial sense but will also help to reduce antibiotic use on the farm. The RUMA Taskforce has put pneumonia/ respiratory issues as a key focus area for the dairy sector and tackling the causes and prevention of calf health issues is key for this.”

She added that pneumonia is the biggest health issue for calves aged between one and 12 months. “It’s not only the cost of a case, but also the longterm impact on the calf.

“Research shows that calves that develop pneumonia pre-weaning will, on average, put two weeks onto their age at first calving, and will lose milk production in both the first and second lactation. A calf that has had multiple

Look after reseeded leys

Ally Anderson

cases, four or more, of pneumonia will, on average, spend 109 days fewer in milk than her peers. And, looking beyond the individual clinical case, there will also be an effect on calves on the farm that are affected sub clinically but aren’t picked up as clinical cases.”

These figures put the cost of vaccination into perspective, which is estimated to be around 3.9% of the cost of rearing a calf.

Develop an ‘easy to clean’ system Hygiene is key to successful calf rearing and that starts with looking at how easy it is to clean your housing and facilities.

That was the message from Aberdeen University’s Jamie Robertson, who spoke at a series of calf health workshops across Scotland and the north of England this autumn.

“It’s also important to put cleaning protocols in place, so all staff know what the routine is and what standards are expected.”

He urged producers to talk to their vet about disinfectant choices. “Is it relevant to the pathogens on your farm? Always read the label and follow the instructions to ensure that it is working effectively.

“And look at the surfaces you are working with. How easy are they to clean? And don’t put fresh straw on top of a surface until it is dry,” he said.

Jamie Robertson

Further ForFarmers calf health road shows will be taking place across the south and west of the country this autumn.

They are free to attend, but please register with Emily Hayes on 07825 874961 or email emily.hayes@forfarmers.eu

After the wet spring and dry summer more time and investment has been spent on reseeding grass leys this autumn.

It is important to make sure that the benefits of the reseed are maximised to ensure high levels of quality grass next spring.

Tackling grassland weeds early, when the grass is at the two to three leaf stage, improves sward palatability and productivity.

As soil cultivation disturbs the weed seed bank, it is vital to check new leys for weed infestation. If the grass seed has germinated, then so have the weeds. And, with the soil still warm and moist during late September and early October, weeds continued to grow at a speed.

The most common weeds to be found in new leys are annual weeds, such as chickweed, redshank, and small nettle, as well as seedling perennial weeds, including docks and thistles.

Controlling these now is more cost effective than waiting for them to establish. Weed seedlings are more susceptible to herbicides than mature plants. Chickweed and docks will easily out compete new grass seedlings and the population of grass in the sward could be reduced by as much as 50%.

To find out more contact ForFarmers on 0330 678 1200 or email info.forage@forfarmers.eu

Table 1: Dates and times of future calf health road shows

date

time

location

6 November 6 November 7 November 7 November 8 November 8 November

10 am 7 pm 10 am 7 pm 10 am 7 pm

Storefield Farm, Gwent, NP26 3BX Marsh Farm Hotel, Swindon, SN4 8ER Chichester College, Brinsbury Campus, Pulborough, West Sussex, RH20 1DL The Crown Hotel, Blandford, DT11 7AJ The Bell Inn, Martock, TA12 6NS (with a visit to Witcombe Farm Calf Unit) Exeter Racecourse, EX6 7XS

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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NUTRITIONAL NEWS

Transition milk for ‘super’ calves The benefits of feeding colostrum are widely known, but recent work highlights the benefits of feeding transition milk for up to 14 days prior to feeding calf milk and following

colostrum. Made with more than 60% skimmed milk and buttermilk, it is easily digested by the calf.

Transition milk contains a surface antibody that can replace the colostrum antibody and remain in the small intestine, to help maintain the calf’s intestinal health.

Other ingredients include kryptonite, a plant extract, which ensures the small intestine is a hostile environment for pathogens.

Yeast and linseed oil are also included and both help with the calf’s immune response and reduce inflammatory reactions.

Transformula also contains egg protein from hens that have been immunised with Rotavirus, Coronavirus, E. coli and Salmonella.

This mix of plant extracts, probiotics, prebiotics and egg protein incorporated into a specialised calf milk will ensure that calves are weaned stronger and healthier.

Rumen health When the cereal portion of cow diets increases, it brings with it the risk of sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA).

As the production of volatile fatty acids in the rumen increases, pH drops and then rumen efficiency is affected.

Thompsons’ technical team recommends that, as producers strive to maximise milk output while maintaining cow health and efficiency, they should incorporate Rumitech365 into cow rations.

Rumitech365 is proven to improve rumen pH and forage fibre digestion, resulting in an increase in milk yields of 7% and a butterfat improvement of 0.15%.

Assess forage stocks now Assessing silage stocks remains critical to try and budget forage and maintain performance.

Various options such as forage saver blends, moist feeds (where available), increasing feed rates of the blend

or compound nuts can stretch silage. But it is important to take action now.

With any inclusion of a forage savertype product, care must be taken to rebalance the overall diet to ensure

that the cow’s nutrient requirements are being met.

To calculate your herd’s requirements checkout the Thompsons’ Silage calculator: http://thompson.co.uk/silagecalc.html or contact your local rep for further guidance

Charity coffee morning A recent coffee-morning fundraiser, for Macmillan Cancer Support, was held at Thompsons’ Mill.

Employees pitched in with homemade bakes and a delicious spread was laid on for everyone to enjoy.

With the generous ‘match funding’ option, supported by Thompsons, the coffee morning raised £720.

For more information on products and services of John Thompson & Sons Ltd: Tel 028 9035 1321/Fax 028 9035 1420. www.thompson.co.uk COW MAN AG E ME N T

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS

2018 November 7: November 21: December 13:

British Mastitis Conference, Sixways Stadium, Warriors Way, Worcester AgriScot, Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston, Edinburgh, Scotland Royal Ulster Winter Fair, Eikon Exhibition Centre, Balmoral Park, Lisburn (Northern Ireland)

2019 January 2-4: January 21-23: February 6: May 15-18: May 29-June 1

Autumn grazing: cows enjoying the final flush of the season Picture: Ruth Downing

The Oxford Farming Conference, Examinations Hall, Oxford British Cattle conference, Telford Hotel and Golf Resort, Telford, Shropshire Dairy-Tech, Stoneleigh Park, Coventry Balmoral Show, Balmoral Park, Lisburn (Northern Ireland) Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX C O N TA C T S CowManagement is published eight times per year by CRV BV, Publishing Department

Editorial team

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

Chief editor’s address

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

CowManagement online

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

Subscriptions

CowManagement is available free of charge to customers of NMR, CRV Avoncroft, Thompsons and ForFarmers. If you think you are eligible, or if you wish to no longer receive CowManagement, then please contact: National Milk Records plc, Fox Talbot House, Greenways Business Park, Bellinger Close, Chippenham SN15 1BN Phone 03330 043043 E-mail customerservices@NMR.co.uk www.isubscribe.co.uk

Advertisements

Nicci Chamberlin, NMR. Phone 07970 009136 E-mail niccic@nmr.co.uk Jannet Fokkert, Froukje Visser, Hilda van der Wal P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands, E-mail hilda.van.der.wal@crv4all.com

Illustrations/pictures

Alta ...........................................................43 Ambic ........................................................36 Berry’s Agriculture .....................................10 Biotal .........................................................40 Calfigloo ....................................................32 Cogent Breeding Ltd..................................11 Concept Cowhouse Ltd. ............................29 Coolcowstuff .............................................10 Cosy Calf ...................................................30 Cowcare Systems.......................................42 Cowsfeet ...................................................42 CRV Avoncroft Ltd./CRV .............................2 Dairy Spares ..............................................36 Downland..................................................19 DP Agri......................................................32 Farmplus....................................................42 FiveF..........................................................10

ForFarmers/Thompsons ...............................8 Heuven Livestock ......................................19 Intershape .................................................29 Luxum .......................................................37 Micron Bio Systems .............................32, 44 MSD Animal Health .............................33, 48 NMR ...................................................18, 47 NWF Agriculture........................................29 Quill Productions .......................................22 Sand Separation Systems ...........................19 Spinder ......................................................42 Teemore Engineering Ltd. ..........................10 Trouw Nutrition ...................................14, 19 VDK Products ............................................22 Insert: VUXXX

COMING UP

C o w h ealt h sp ecial December (December 7) – We focus on cow health in this issue’s special and take a closer look at BVD and the impact that heat stress and drought conditions have had on UK dairy herds.

Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Mark Pasveer (7, 46), Ruth Downing (9, 38-39), Jennifer MacKenzie (12-13) and Els Korsten (20).

Disclaimer

CowManagement does not necessarily share the views expressed by contributors. No responsibility is accepted for the claims made by advertisers.

No responsibility can be accepted by CRV BV for the opinions expressed by contributors. Whilst every effort is made to obtain reliable and accurate information, liability cannot be accepted for errors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher.

Printer Stephens and George Ltd. Phone 01685 352097 ISSN 1570-5641

46

C OWMANAGEMENT

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

To find out more visit: www.actionjohnesuk.org

Healthy cows = productive cows

NMR can help!

Take positive action on Johne’s

You don’t have to see clinical signs of Johne’s disease for it to be present in your cows, adversely affecting their health.

NMR offers a range of surveillance options to suit your herd’s Johne’s status.

HerdWise • Quarterly testing of all cows using NMR milk recording samples • Each cow classified by risk (Red, Amber, Green) • FREE risk assessment

Whole herd adhoc testing • Gives you an initial snapshot of your herd situation

30 cow screen • Herd level assessment • HerdTracker: Quarterly service for low risk herds

@NMRGroup NationalMilkRecords

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Always discuss Johne’s surveillance requirements with your vet

03330 043 043

customerservices@nmr.co.uk www.nmr.co.uk

14-08-18 10:46

BREATHEEASY THE BENEFITS OF CALF PNEUMONIA PROTECTION LAST A LIFETIME

Bovilis® Bovipast® RSP protects cattle against the most common 1 pneumonia pathogens in the UK and is the only vaccine which offers cross protection against all pathogenic serotypes of Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica.

PROTECT THE FUTURE - VACCINATE NOW! 1. APHA Cattle Disease Surveillance Dashboard, Pneumonia Pathogens Recorded 2012-2017

Use medicines responsibly. For more information please refer to the Responsible Use sections of the NOAH website.

Bovilis® Bovipast® RSP contains inactivated Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (strain EV908), Parainfluenza 3 virus (strain SF-4-Reisinger) and inactivated Mannheimia (Pasteurella)haemolytica (serotype A1) for the active immunisation of cattle against BRSV, Pi3 virus and M. haemolytica. Withdrawal period: Zero days. Legal category POM-V Available from your veterinary surgeon whose advice should be sought. Bovilis® and Bovipast® are the property of Intervet International B.V. or affiliated companies or licensors and are protected by copyrights, trademark and other intellectual property laws. Copyright © 2018 Intervet International B.V. All rights reserved.

Further information including side effects, precautions, warnings and contraindications is available on the product SPC or datasheet, from your animal health advisor or from Intervet UK Ltd trading as MSD Animal Health. Registered office Walton Manor, Walton, Milton Keynes MK7 7AJ, UK. Registered in England & Wales no. 946942. Tel: 01908 685 685 • vet-support.uk@merck.com • www.msd-animal-health.co.uk

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