Cow management UK april-may 2015

V O LU M E 13 N O 3 APR IL/MAY 2015

IN THIS ISSUE

TR A I NI NG & D E VE L O P M E N T

BU LL PRO O FS

O N - FA RM PROCESSI NG

Skilled dairy staff shortage is set to ease

Confidence in genomic sires is growing

Raw milk revitalises Suffolk-based business

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CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Overalls off: bagpiper Roger Evans CRV Avoncroft Breeding Information Business basics: reducing waste ForFarmers Nutritional News/ Thompsons Nutritional News 49 NMR Dairy Management News 54 Events and contacts 4 10 16 19 25 37

REPORTS

12 Raw milk makes it mark at Fen Farm Dairy 44 One man, eight robots and 500 cows at Red Mountain Jerseys MANAGEMENT

14 Attention to detail improves young stock performance/Revise your turnout tactics BREEDING

40 CRV Result Navigator offers five criteria for herd management 50 April bull-proof run review

Jonny Crickmore “We have people travelling as far as 30 miles to buy our milk” 12

Editor Rachael Porter Spring ‘spruce up’

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pring presents an opportunity for a bit of a cow-house spring clean and spruce up. And our special, on housing and equipment, may provide some inspiration if you’re looking to improve accommodation.

Purse strings continue to be tight, but investments that could quickly yield a return on many units include those made in footbathing facilities and lighting. We spoke to one producer who says that brighter lights in his cubicle shed paid for themselves in fewer than 18 months and he saw a significant increase in his herd’s milk yield in just two weeks. Take a look on page 27 to find out more.

And a new, longer footbath could help to keep digital dermatitis under control.

Again, with each case of lameness costing, on average, around £180, it’s easy to see how any investment here be easily justified and quickly recouped. We’ve the latest information on footbath design and an automatic system that claims to reduce labour requirements and optimise treatment.

CowManagement welcomes a new business partner in this issue – ForFarmers. The first of many articles from the company can be found on page 14 of the UK issue. This focuses on a service that helps producers to optimise heifer rearing and keep young stock on track – from birth through to service – in order to calve at 24 months old.

As always, to lift your spirits, we have our regular column from Roger Evans on page 16, who shares one of his visions of the future.

Main article Health alert

Training Skilled dairy staff

Special Housing

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An ‘early warning’ tool paves the way towards averting health problems

Higher student intakes and innovative training are helping to fill vacancies

We take a look at the latest developments in housing and equipment

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C O W

TA L K

Unbalanced nutrient supply could cut milk value Failure to balance the nutrients in grazed grass this summer could see milk fat content drop 0.25% and cut milk price by between 0.4ppl and 0.6ppl, according to KW nutritionist Mark Scott.

“DEFRA figures show national herd butterfats dropping from just under 4.10% pre-turnout to between 3.80 and 3.85% by July in each of the past two years,” he says. “That’s a potential loss of around £1,000 per month for a 200cow herd averaging between 27 and 28 litres per cow per day.”

Further losses can come from the high levels of rumen degradable protein (RDP) in summer grass. Excess protein not captured by rumen microbes is excreted as urea, losing not only valuable protein

Take steps to maximise cow intakes

Observing ‘cow signals’ at the feed trough could help producers to improve feed efficiencies, particularly during periods of low milk price. So says Mole Valley Farmers’ Tom Hough.

“Dry matter intake is essential for cow performance and profitability. But one of the most common issues I see in herds are ‘neck rubs’ caused by incorrectly positioned neck rails at the trough.

Why are we making it harder for a cow to achieve dry matter intakes?” he asked delegates at a recent cow signals day, organised by Duchy College in collaboration with Mole Valley Farmers.

Mr Hough said that if more than 10% of the herd had neck rubs, then attention should be turned to the feed trough.

He explained that as a guide, in a Holstein herd, the neck rail should be 1.25m high and set forward 25cm. “Each unit situation will be different, but solutions can usually be found relatively easily,” he added.

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but also the energy required to excrete it, equivalent to between one and three litres per cow.

“Focus on properly balancing nutrient supply in the rumen to maximise conversion of all feed – including grazed grass – into milk and optimise milk value,” says Mr Scott.

“Feeding between 1kg and 2kg of hay or baled silage will help sustain butterfats, for example, as will partially replacing cereals with soya hulls or sugar beet feed. And liquid feeds like Rouxminate and Molale can supply extra energy to balance grass RDP, while also boosting palatability, lifting intakes and supplying sugars to help drive forage fermentation in the rumen.”

Reformulate with caution Reformulating dairy rations, in an effort to reduce feed costs and stave off the impact of lower milk prices, can have a negative effect on feed efficiency and ultimately profitability.

“In fact, targeting greater feed efficiency, possibly by better use of feed inputs, will lead to better returns, which is particularly important when milk prices are lower,” says Cargill’s ruminant specialist Philip Ingram. “An improved ration may increase feed costs marginally, but the subsequent increase in yields will offset this. And at a lower milk price, this return will be significantly higher than in periods of higher milk prices.”

Dr Ingram uses an example of a diet improvement that increases feed cost per day from £4 to £4.09 and leads to a 1.5-litre increase in yield, or approximately a 5% increase in feed efficiency. This will yield 11% more income over feed cost when milk price is 20ppl compared to a 7% increase in income when the milk price is 33ppl.

“Producers mustn’t lose sight of this improved feed efficiency in their effort to temporarily reduce costs,” he adds.

“When the goal is cost reduction, producers often have to settle for slightly less production. In most cases this means a reduction in feed efficiency and a less profitable situation because total costs have to be spread across fewer litres.”

Dr Ingram is encouraging producers to

drive for increased feed efficiency by looking to get more from their forages.

“There’s a lot of feed value in these forages that is typically wasted. Using a feed ingredient that can increase fibre digestion in these forages can make a lot of sense. For example, the feed additive Amaferm has been shown to consistently add 5.4% to feed efficiency by breaking down the fibre in silages.”

Philip Ingram: “Take great care when reformulating rations”

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Reusable teat cloths reduce costs and waste The introduction of reusable teat cloths on one UK dairy unit has significantly reduced wastage and resulted in cost savings – without compromising udder health or milk quality.

Cheshire-based producer Paul Robinson, who runs the 600-cow Woodhey herd near Nantwich, saw reusable cloths being used to clean cows’ teats prior to milking during a visit to the US. And, on his return, he asked GEA Farm Technologies to look at setting up an equally sustainable system on his unit.

The company pointed Paul towards a range of commercial laundry equipment offered by Electrolux Professional, which would enable the dairy to make significant cost savings through the use of reusable cloths, without compromising on the condition or cleanliness of cows’ teats.

Washing cycle: Paul Robinson loads his unit’s washing machine with teat wipes

Through a partnership with GEA Farm Technologies and Electrolux Professional, the unit has invested in an Electrolux Professional W5180S commercial washing machine. With a 20kg capacity and the ability to enhance its software using a dedicated farm program, the machine proved the

perfect fit for the dairy’s implementation of reusable teat cloths. The cloths are simply loaded into the machine, which has a bespoke thermal disinfection programme – a hot wash in excess of 90°C to ensure mastitis-causing bacteria are removed. The machine is also capable of leaving the cloths finished with residual moisture, which is required when they are used.

The herd is milked three times a day, which means that the turnover of clean cloths is extremely high. The unit was using 500 disposable cloths for each milking session and this was not only costing more than £800 a month, but was also producing significant quantities of unnecessary waste.

“We’re pleased with the performance of the wipes and recommend the system to other UK producers,” says Paul.

Flushing solution launched A chemical designed to use in cluster flushing systems has been launched by Progiene. Puraclean Clusterflush is a highly concentrated and non-corrosive liquid disinfectant, which is free from quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and harsh acids.

“An effective hygiene routine, that includes disinfecting clusters between cows, can significantly help to prevent mastitis by reducing the risk of crossinfection in the parlour,” says Progiene’s Alison Clark.

She adds that the presence of QACs in milk is a serious concern for milk buyers, as it can impact on bacterial cultures in the milk and impeding processing.

“So, the fact that our product is free from QACs is a real benefit.

“The solution is also less corrosive to milking equipment compared to acidbased products, making it an ideal choice for pre-cleaning in robotic systems.

“And is also much safer for the operator to use,” she adds.

Spray docks in silage crops now The best time to tackle dock infestations in silage crops is before first cut, according to Dow AgroSciences’ grassland agronomy specialist Andy Bailey. “There are three good reasons for spraying docks in grass in early to mid-April,” says Mr Bailey.

“Firstly killing them now allows the grass time to spread into the gaps they leave which will maximise silage yields at first and subsequent cuts.

“Secondly it improves the quality of the silage. Docks only have 60% the feed value of grass so the fewer of these that make it into the clamp the better.”

And thirdly, when using modern translocated herbicides like DoxstarPro, leaving three to four weeks between treatment and harvest gives the active ingredients plenty of time to reach right down into the roots for long-lasting control. Mr Bailey says that producers should plan a potential spray date now by working back at least three weeks

from the expected cutting date, and noting this in the diary or booking the contractor if spraying is out-sourced.

“Weed growth has been slow so far this spring due to the cold nights and dull days. But recent warm weather may spur them into action, particularly in fields that have had fertiliser as they respond very well to nitrogen.”

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

A new early warning device paves the

Health Alert fla gs Pre-empting health problems and staving off disease and illness is an advantage for any dairy business. And this is exactly what mySilent Herdsman Health Alert will do.

Alongside Silent Herdsman’s activity monitoring, the enhanced system can now log eating and rumination patterns. These can be linked to early signs of illness. text Karen Wright

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Andrew McKay

Drew Sloan

ySilent Herdsman Health Alert helps producers and their advisers detect early signs of disease. The software builds on research carried out during a three-year programme supported by Innovate UK that measured behaviour patterns – a combination of activity, eating and rumination – that could be linked to the early identification of conditions such as acidosis, ketosis, lameness and mastitis.

“The software continually monitors eating and rumination via a single collar-based sensor that also monitors movement patterns linked to heat detection,” says Silent Herdsman chief executive Drew Sloan. “It is calibrated to the cow’s norm and deviations from this norm draw attention to the cow.”

If a cow’s eating or rumination starts to drop she may well be at the early stages of a health problem. “Our trial data shows that if both drop by 30% then illness is imminent in the majority of cases,” adds Mr Sloan.

Early investigation Although the most immediate link to a problem is seen if both rumination and eating drop, a fall in either still calls for further investigation.

“A cow might stop ruminating if she is on heat – we know there’s a link here and it provides improved confidence in the heat detection accuracy. Or she could have a mild stomach upset. And although she may recover naturally, the producer or herdsman can keep an eye on her. She’s on the radar and won’t get missed if it turns out to be more serious.

“So being able to pick up this information and take action could avert problems before they affect production and incur labour and treatment costs. It’s a huge step forward in herd management.”

The Health Alert software sensor is set at a 30% default – at which point drops in eating and rumination will be reported through a wireless system to the farm PC, or to a mobile phone

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or tablet. As with movement monitoring, this sensitivity can be altered.

Dumfries-based producer Andrew McKay installed the Silent Herdsman system three months ago and bought 300 collars for his pedigree Lowmalzie Holstein herd. “Our main motive was to improve heat detection,” says Mr McKay, who farms the 223-hectare unit at Broughton Mains near Sorbie. He also runs a 50-hectare farm nearby with his parents and wife. “I normally do the morning milkings and the rest are shared between our team of workers.

They’re very good, but it’s easy to miss heats or forget to record them.”

Eating records Comparing the alternatives, Mr McKay’s decision came down in favour of Silent Herdsman because of the latest health alert option. “I am keen to manage as much of the herd in house as possible and the option of using Silent Herdsman for fertility, as well as health management, was attractive.

“Being able to monitor eating and rumination is a big thing for me. I don’t see the cows individually more than once a day. Even after just a few months I am really appreciating seeing what’s going on with each cow from the farm PC – or on my phone if I’m away from the farm. It’s proving really beneficial. If I’m away and spot a problem I can phone the herdsman and ask him to check out a cow.”

Having reverted back from organic milk production to a more intensive system five years ago – which Mr McKay admits better suits his type of cow and his mind-set – he is looking for increased production without jeopardising health and fertility.

The current yield average for the 380 milkers is 10,600kg at 3.99% fat and 3.25% protein on three-times-a-day milking. Herd somatic cell count averages 135,000cells/ml and the current calving interval is 404 days.

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aves the way to averting health problems

fla gs up sick cows “I’d like to see our heat detection improve and I am sure this will be possible. We’re bringing all the fertility management in house and we will serve any cows showing signs of heat at 12-hour intervals. It gives us far more flexibility and it means cows are served closer to their time of ovulation, which should improve conception rates.”

On top of the game When it comes to monitoring eating and rumination, Mr McKay admits that it’s a case of building up confidence in the system. “We’ve picked up two or three cows where eating and rumination has dipped more than the 30% benchmark. At first we were reluctant to do anything as these cows looked perfectly fit and healthy. Then within a day or so their milk yield has dropped and we’ve needed to take some action.

“Now we know that we need to get the vet in or at least take action immediately. Also we keep a close eye on any cow that shows a significant dip in either rumination or eating. This is proving really worthwhile – we’re far more on top of the game.”

With more producers reaping the benefits of the Health Alert software alongside the heat detection function Drew Sloan is confident that the cost of the system can be easily justified.

He quotes industry data that costs a mild case of mastitis at £60 a cow, increasing to £300 a cow for a severe case. And there are more savings to be had from the early detection of other illnesses and improved fertility.

“It’s a fantastic tool for large and small units.

It’s an extra pair of eyes 24/7 that can help manage both fertility and cow health.”

Software service

Lowmalzie cows with Silent Herdsman collars that monitor activity, eating and rumination

Marketed by NMR as part of the Silent Herdsman service, mySilent Herdsman Health Alert is available as a software service and costs from £900+VAT for the 12-month license, depending on herd size band.

Silent Herdsman collars can be purchased or rented from NMR. Producers in England can apply for grants from the Rural Payments Agency. The RPA currently has an option for collar based rumination monitors with a deadline for submission of June 30, 2015.

The Silent Herdsman system infrastructure costs from £2,700 including installation, training and support. Full details are available from NMR. l

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O V E R A L L S

Name: Location: Herd size: Hobby:

O F F

Craig Rowney Crosshill, Ayrshire 550 cows Bagpiper

Craig Rowney: “You have to be determined to become a piper”

Piping with passion text Rachael Porter

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yrshire-based producer Craig Rowney’s passion for bagpipes began when he was 11 years old. And he says it’s vital to be passionate – it’s an instrument that’s not for the faint hearted. He spent a year learning to play a ‘practice chanter’, like a flute, before getting his hands on his first set of pipes. Even then it was a few more years before he was confident enough to go out and play in public.

“It is tricky to learn to play the bagpipes. That puts a lot of people off,” he says. “And others are not so keen on playing an instrument in front of people. But it’s most definitely one that begs to be played in front of an audience.”

Craig, who helps to manage his family’s 550-cow unit in Ayrshire, adds that it’s also essential to learn to tune the pipes, if they’re to sound right. That’s not easy and can be a deterrent for some would-be players. “You’ve got to be determined – playing the bagpipes requires a lot of hard work and commitment.”

At 17 years old, Craig is one of the youngest members of the Ayrshire-based Maybole Pipe Band. He says that playing also helps to keep him fit. “It certainly requires some stamina and the longer you’ve been playing the better – and fitter – you get.”

The bagpipes are also a ‘loud’ instrument: “But living here on the farm, out of the way, means that’s not a problem. I don’t disturb anyone when I’m practising.” And neither does his 12-year-old sister Laura, who is also learning to play the pipes.

Craig likes performing in public, in full traditional kilt costume. He’s played at weddings, funerals and Burns suppers.

Recently he was asked to play at a Müller Wiseman Dairies open day. “The costume is all part of the tradition of playing the pipes – pipers just wouldn’t look right without it. So looking – as well as sounding – the part is important.”

His hobby does bring in a little extra income, but some of this is spent on maintaining his pipes. “They need some maintenance work from time to time. Occasionally the drone and chanter reeds need replacing and sometimes the bag needs ‘seasoning’ and the pipes have to be ‘hemped’ to get a better seal.”

Craig now has his own bagpipes. “They’re expensive – typically more than £1,000 a set. My gran, Alice, bought my pipes for me. Fortunately she likes the bagpipes, so there was something in it for her too – as well as knowing that she’s helping me to do something that I love!”

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Dairy business thrives, despite economic downturn

Jonny Crickmore His dairy business is increasing on-farm processing capacity – and its range of unpasteurised products – to secure a profitable and sustainable future.

Raw milk makes it mark Bungay

The current squeeze on global milk prices has hit UK producers hard. And Suffolk’s few remaining dairy herds are also, once

Herd size: 300 cows Annual milk production: Two million litres Milk processed on farm: 8% Recent investment: £35,000

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he number of dairy herds in Suffolk has dwindled from 45 in 2008 to just 30 at the start of 2015, according to DairyCo figures. But the good news is that the dairy businesses that remain in the county have adapted and are thriving, thanks to sound business acumen, innovative thinking and the ability to spot and supply niche markets Exciting innovations are certainly a foot at Bungay-based Fen Farm Dairy, owned and managed by Jonny and Dulcie Crickmore, who farm in partnership with Jonny’s parents Graham and Frances.

The couple sell the majority of the milk produced by their 300-cow herd – about two million litres a year – to Dairy Crest.

But around 8% of production is either sold direct to local customers from the

again, facing extremely tough times. We find out how one business is thriving thanks to on-farm processing. text Rachael Porter

farm gate, via a vending machine, as ‘raw’ unpasteurised milk, or processed into their very own cheese – called Baron Bigod. This is a creamy, white bloomyrind cheese, which is handmade on the farm by Jonny and the team. “It’s like a brie and has a smooth, silky texture and a golden curd,” says Dulcie, adding that it is also a big hit with the locals and is sold through another vending machine at the farm gate.

Milk sales The business invested in cheese making facilities – an existing barn was converted into a dairy with storage – in 2013. Sales of the raw milk and unpasteurised cheese have grown through word of mouth and the use of social media. So far there’s been

Farm ‘shop’: road-side shed houses vending machines for unpasteurised milk and cheese

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no formal marketing campaign. “We do sell a little via a local milk delivery business – Foulgers Dairy – and at local farmers’ markets. We also sell our milk on line. It’s delivered over night and packed with ice to keep it cool. But we have to be careful about how much we sell via these routes due to legislation.

We’re not allowed to sell through shops, unless it is our own farm shop,” explains Dulcie.

Milk from the 210-litre DF Italia vending machine costs consumers £1 ppl and considerably more via mail order at £3 ppl. “This is to cover the high costs of postage and packing.”

She says that the appeal for many customers is that it’s unpasteurised and it’s local. “They want to reconnect with

Vending vessels: eye-catching polybottles

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Milking time: the herd returns from grazing and heads to the 28:28 herringbone parlour

where their food is produced. And their priority is to spend their money on good food. They’re not interested in buying cheap milk from the supermarkets. Some are also buying our raw milk for health and dietary reasons.

“One thing that all our customers have in common is their loyalty – sales are steady throughout the year. And we have people travelling as far as 30 miles on a regular basis to buy our milk. They’ll bring several plastic bottles to fill up for the freezer – the milk freezes well.”

The herd is autumn block calved at the moment, but Jonny says that they’re moving towards a split calving pattern – from September to November and between February and April – in a bid to level out supply.

Gravity fed

The trick will be to maintain the ‘cottage industry’ scale of their current processing business. “We’re going to invest in some hand-operated machinery. The trick is to try to do everything as gently as possible,” explains Dulcie. “That way we don’t damage the milk in any way. At the moment, our processing plant is gravity fed – we don’t use any pumps. And I think that this gives our milk and cheese a delicate texture and flavour.”

The couple is also in the process of switching dairy breed. Around 50% of the herd currently comprises Montbeliarde and Brown Swiss crosses, with the remainder pure Holstein. “We’re phasing out the Holsteins,” says Jonny. “The crossbred cows and heifers are far more suited to our management system, which aims to maximise milk from forage, and the milk is also better for processing – particularly for making cheese. And the cross-breds are easier to manage, which is very important when we have to find time to dedicate to processing and marketing our dairy produce.”

The pair certainly have their work cut out, but with a strong team of passionate and skilled staff, the third-generation producers are optimistic about the future.

“There are only a handful of dairy producers left in Suffolk and, UK wide, many producers are leaving the industry,” says Jonny. “But we’ve invested in good facilities, quality staff and we’ve found a niche. We’re excited about the future.” l

The herd is milked through a Westfalia 28:28 herringbone parlour, which was expanded in 2013. It has cushioned flooring for operator comfort and ADF automatic dipping and flushing clusters, as well as Northern Dairy Equipment Teat Sanicleanse system, to speed up milking without compromising udder health and milk quality.

The future will also see the Crickmores processing most, if not all, of their herd’s milk on farm. Plans are in place to produce raw cultured butter and cream and a new butter and cream making plant, costing around £35,000, is currently under construction.

“Both products will add a lot of value to our milk and help us to thrive, even in times of milk price volatility. The end products will be very special – the cream in particular will be ‘the bee’s knees’.

Top restaurants in London are already queuing up to buy top quality cream and butter and we know that it’ll be in huge demand,” says Jonny.

Self service: each litre costs £1.00

Holstein cows: this breed is being replaced by Montbeliarde and Brown Swiss crosses

Calving pattern

If you’d like to know more about purchasing a DF Italia vending machine, contact Dulcie and Jonny at hello@fenfarmdairy.co.uk or telephone 01986 897128

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Attention to detail improves young stock performance

Track growth, meet targets One Staffordshire-based unit has overhauled its young stock management system with considerable success. Improved nutrition has seen daily liveweight gains increase and age at first calving has fallen to 24 months. text Lauren Chambers

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taffordshire-based producer James Brown has steadily expanded his milking herd, from 330 to 400 cows, during the past two years using home-bred heifers, in a bid to increase productivity and achieve greater economies of scale.

And he says that successful herd expansion has been, in part, the result of paying closer attention to heifer rearing and allowing more and better replacements to enter the herd.

During the past 18 months James has completely altered the unit’s heifer rearing management regime – from feeding and housing, through to the way he manages and monitors young stock performance. “As we set about growing the herd we knew we needed more replacements,” he explains.

“At the same time we wanted to reduce our losses and rear good quality heifers that would last for a long time in the milking herd. We knew that our current

performance wasn’t where it needed to be, and that a change in emphasis was needed if we were going to get things right and improve our heifer rearing system.” Recognising that heifer rearing is a specialised job and also vital to the continued and future success of his business – heifers are, after all, tomorrow’s milkers – he began working with ForFarmers’ regional young stock specialist, Rachael Kennerley, in September 2013.

Their first task was to establish the unit’s current performance when it came to young stock rearing. Weighing showed that the calves were not achieving the required daily live weight gain (DLWG) targets that are needed to calve at two years old. The herd’s average age at first calving was 28 months.

“We knew that our goal had to be to calve heifers at 24 months old,” says James.

“The evidence is clear that if you achieve good growth rates and calve at two years,

James Brown: “We had to improve heifer rearing in order to expand the herd”

the animal will last longer in the herd and perform better.”

Monitoring performance “We decided to take advantage of ForFarmers’ heifer weighing service and switched to its range of young stock feeds to really concentrate on getting growth rates off to a good start,” says James.

Weight recording showed that the herd was missing essential DLWG targets in the first three months, particularly during the first two weeks of life. This is a critical point where essential rumen development takes place. To remedy this, Rachael switched the calf milk replacer to a higher protein, whey-based product, and added specialist calf starter pellets to encourage rumen development. Once weaned the calves move to a straw-based diet with a high-protein heifer rearing compound.

Roundhouse revolution: young stock is thriving in the new building, which offers good handling facilities and easy access for mucking out

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feeding regime colostrum milk replacer calf starter pellets straw and concentrate (between three and 11 months) haylage and concentrate (between 12 and 22 months)

four litres within first six hours two x three-litre feeds (15% concentration) wean when calves are consuming 2kg/day 4kg concentrate + ad-lib straw 2kg concentrate + ad-lib haylage

Table 1: Lower Barton’s young stock feeding protocol

average DLWG age zero to two weeks zero to eight weeks zero to 12 weeks

September 2013

February 2015

0.48kg 0.55kg 0.74kg

0.71kg 0.7kg 0.8kg

Table 2: Lower Barton’s DLWG performance

The change in the feed regime and the focus on performance through regular weighing has had the desired effect. “The calves get off to a much better start and we have seen average DLWG in the first two weeks from birth move from 0.48kg in September 2013, to 0.71kg in February this year,” says Rachael.

James now aims to serve heifers at 13.5 months of age, to allow those that don’t get in calf first time to be served a second time if needed and still calve at 24 months old. “The target weight at service is 385kg, which he is now achieving consistently across the herd and meeting the all-important age of 24 months at first calving.”

These improvements represent some significant cost savings for James.

Reducing age at first calving from 28 to 24 months equates to a saving of £90 per month, which is worth £360 for every heifer that calves earlier. In addition to this, the DLWG improvements also have a financial benefit. Research states that every 100g increase in DLWG, between 10

and 65 days old, is worth 250 litres of milk in a heifer’s first lactation. Based on the improved DLWG performance in Table 2, heifers are achieving an extra 375 litres of milk, which is worth £93.75 per cow. Based on rearing 90 replacements per year, the improvements James has made could be worth up to £40,000 per year.

Better housing Nutrition wasn’t the only change made to James’ heifer rearing programme.

Housing has also come under scrutiny.

Calves and heifers had been housed across the unit in hutches and other available buildings. But this presented problems in managing the groups and giving the young stock the attention they required.

“We knew our calf and heifer housing could be improved,” says James. “We initially considered poly tunnels as a potential solution, but we didn’t think this provided us with enough flexibility for housing older calves.”

Handy hutches: calf housing is positioned much closer to the main farmhouse

After visiting a unit with a new Roundhouse building, and being impressed by what he saw, he decided that this would be the ideal option for his herd.

“The handling facilities in the Roundhouse are excellent and have really been a revelation in the way we manage our calves,” he says. “The ease with which we can now manage and handle groups of calves is ideal, making it a very safe environment for both the animals and staff.”

Good hygiene The building has several advantages compared to more traditional sheds.

These include easy access for mucking out, which helps to maintain good hygiene standards on the unit, and the 360° view also means visibility is much better. James has clear sight of all the animals and can identify any problems easily and quickly. The building is also completely portable so, should the need arise, he can relocate the Roundhouse to a different part of the farm.

Ventilation in the new building is also excellent and James has noticed a reduction in incidence of pneumonia among his calves and young stock since he began using the building.

All the unit’s young stock live in the Roundhouse from between five and six months of age, through to 24 months of age. James has also changed the position of his calf hutches, which are now grouped together and in closer proximity to the farmhouse, making them easier to manage.

“We are now much more aware and focussed on what we need to do to optimise calf and heifer rearing management,” he says. “We are weighing young stock every three to four months, consistently, so we have good evidence of our performance and can quickly identify and rectify any issues.

“The combination of the suitable housing, the right feed and good management mean that we are hitting the all important growth targets for the calves. Overall young stock health is excellent and we are expanding our herd with good, strong heifers that will continue to do well.”

James’ aspirations for the unit are to maintain a strong focus on rearing better quality heifers to replace the older cows in the herd, and to allow continued growth at a steady pace. He is also pushing for complete A2-milk status among the herd and this will be an area for greater focus in the future. l

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Shropshire-based dairy producer and award-winning columnist Roger Evans speculates about a ‘digester’ future and producers – and their wives – spending their days watching day-time television.

The Kyle effect T

he splendid thing about volatility is that no one knows what will happen next. And I mean no one. Its very name implies that we will be facing upward and downward cycles. We’ve been told for some time that on-farm milk prices would be volatile come the end of quotas. So here we are and most producers are getting prices that they think are too low. The range of difference in price is more than 10ppl. Commentators have stood on platforms and tapped fingers on keyboards and told us not to worry. I’ve done a bit of it myself, but in my case it has been with a pen and a pad of A4 paper.

“Look east,” they said. “There’s a growing population there looking for dairy products.” And they were right. The good milk prices we experienced at the end of 2013 were driven by that Asian demand.

Prices held in early 2014, but that hold was driven by companies recruiting. Once that was done, reality kicked in and prices fell. No one has really explained to me what those Asians are eating now instead of the dairy products they were buying in 2013. Then there’s the ‘Ukraine affect’ as well.

Volatility has kicked in a lot earlier than many people thought it would. The worrying thing is that if prices are going to go up and down, what we are experiencing now could be the good part. This could be the top of the graph and this could be as good as it gets. No one knows. Shit!

But don’t get too worried, help is at hand. I’ve been saying for years now that everything that you feed a cow can be fed to a digester and turned into power, but no one seems to have taken any notice. But if you can put your grass and silage into a digester and get more money for it than you would if you put it in to a cow, why would you keep on giving it to a cow? You wouldn’t. And digesters are the thing at the moment. Every week there is someone on our yard trying to sell us one. It’s all driven by a ‘Mickey Mouse’ subsidy, but so what.

It will mean changes. You won’t have to get up early to milk, but you’ll have to get up to load a digester. You won’t have to stop to pick up a tyre or some plastic, because they can go into the digester as well.

There’ll be a driverless tractor on the trailer, so all you’ll have to do is open the loader door and shout ‘get by’ and off it will trundle!

If you use a plate meter you won’t measure grass growth in centimetres, you’ll measure it in kilowatts. This magazine will be all about biofuel crops and will be called ‘Spark Management’. I think the editor will need a bit of a makeover.

For the rest of the day you won’t know what to do with yourself.

You’ll probably watch Jeremy Kyle with the missus. She watches it now after you’ve gone out after breakfast – they all do. At least my wife is up front about it. You won’t have to fence your water courses to protect the fresh water mussels because you won’t have any cattle.

And, anyway, there’ll be about 70 million people living in the UK. They’ll all be nice and warm, with all that electricity, but they’ll all be hungry. They’ll have eaten all the fresh water mussels. Then again I could be wrong.

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GET MAGICAL MOMENTS DOWN TO A Getting your cows back in calf is the ultimate reward, but it can be a huge challenge due to poor fertility and extended calving intervals.

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1. Bisinotto R.S. et al Meta-analysis of progesterone supplementation during timed artificial insemination programs in dairy cows J. Dairy Sci. 98 :2472–2487 2. Inskeep EK. Preovulatory, postovulatory, and postmaternal recognition effects of concentrations of progesterone on embryonic survival in the cow.

J Animal Sci 2004;82:24-39. 3. Chenault et al, JDS 2003 86:2039:2049 . Intravaginal progesterone insert to synchronise return to estrus of previously inseminated dairy cows Further information is available on the product SPC or contact your veterinary surgeon or Zoetis UK Ltd, Walton Oaks, Dorking Road, Walton on the Hill, Tadworth, Surrey, KT20 7NS. Customer Support 0845 3008034. www.zoetis.co.uk CIDR® 1.38g Vaginal Delivery System for Cattle contains 1.38 g progesterone: POM-V .

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BREEDING INFORMATION

New InSire genomically selected bulls MS Riverboy (Aikman x Planet), with £535 PLI; Delta Anthony (Atlantic x Niagra), with £487 PLI; and Delta Jonas (Chevrolet x Niagra), with £446 PLI, are all production, longevity and udder health specialists.

The latest bull from the Sneeker family of high production black cows is Vero Startrek (Snowfever x Planet), with £434 PLI and more than 500kg of milk,

44kg of fat and protein, and positive percentages.

High components of +0.13% fat and +0.16% protein with good daughter fertility and longevity of +440 days make Dn Driehoek Nilson (G-Force x Boxer), with £432 PLI, a very interesting bull.

Delta Regard (Chevrolet x Belfast), with £431 PLI, combines high milk (+562kg),

+833 days of longevity and towering efficiency (+11%) and health (+7%) scores.

For full details call CRV Avoncroft for free on 0800 7831880.

Sires offer ‘Force’ to be reckoned with The CRV breeding philosophy has always been driven towards efficient fat and protein production and an easyto-manage herd. The importance of a deep, well chosen, cow family is the sure way to find a top breeding bull.

A daughter-proven bull who is really outstanding at the moment is Delta G-Force (Man-O-Man x Jordan). He is the latest example of this philosophy and follows in the footsteps of bulls like Sunny Boy and Addison – the most recent two CRV bulls to rank this highly worldwide.

Used heavily as an InSire bull, G-Force now has more than 1,900 daughters in his proof. This high production and easy calving bull, with outstanding scores for Efficiency, Hoof Health and Persistency, boasts £435 PLI with +314kg of milk and +38kg of combined fat and protein (+0.07% fat and +0.12% protein). He is available priced at £22 for 50 or more straws.

Profitable production with Batenburg G Stellando RF daughters, who can produce very high levels of milk (+472kg) and fat and protein (+49 kg at +0.06% fat and +0.11% protein). his red-factor Fidelity son, out of an O Man dam, was the third most used

x

Stellando daughters Betsie 107 and Roza 417

black-and-white bull in the Netherlands during 2013/2014.

Stellando daughters have fantastic feet and legs (114) with healthy hooves (108) and great locomotion. Stellando is available priced at £18 for 50 or more straws for conventional semen and sexed semen is also available priced at £32 per straw.

Fertility specialist De Vlottenburg Fantasy Red daughters produce quality milk from healthy udders, with scores of 102 for hoof health and 104 for easy calving. This makes him an excellent

G-Force daughter Griet 234

utility bull in every respect. Semen is available priced at £12 for 50 or more straws.

High milk and persistently producing daughters are the hallmark of Cookiecutter Mom Hunter (Man-O-Man x Shottle), who now has a proof based on 166 daughters and a PLI £419 with +418kg of milk, 31kg of fat and protein, and excellent fertility from beautiful udders. Hunter daughters are tall framey cows with a tremendous will to milk. He’s available priced at £14 for 50 or more straws.

Fantasy daughter Bertha 320

Alger Meekma

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT

Higher student intakes and innovative training are filling dairy vacancies

The ‘generation’ gap Skilled dairy staff – be they relief milkers or herd managers – are the lynch pin of any successful dairy business. But they can be tricky to find. But, according to two UK leading lights on education and dairy training, things are improving text Rachael Porter

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ourcing skilled employees has been a sore point for the past decade on many dairy units but, with agricultural student applications and admission well up on figures from 10 years ago and continuing to rise, as well as a wealth of dairy training initiatives, including apprenticeships and academies, that’s all set to change.

“We’ve definitely seen an increase in student numbers during the past few years,” says Askham Bryan’s principal Liz Philip, adding that the North Yorkshire-based college has also seen an increase in female students and those from non-farming backgrounds applying for courses.

“About 65% of our students have an agricultural background and about 35% are new to the industry. In 2006, that figure was around 8%, so agriculture is attracting new blood. That’s great news for the industry.”

Labour ‘gap’ The skilled labour gap that dairy – and indeed the other agricultural sectors – struggled with during the past decade can be traced back to the foot-and-mouth

22

disease crisis in 2001 and possibly even further back with BSE. “It was a really tough time for the industry. Prices were low and there was a lot of uncertainty.

Farming families were in a bad place and urged their children not to follow in their footsteps. Many went off and pursued training and careers away from the farm,” says Mrs Philip.

“We lost a generation, in effect. Between 2000 and 2010, we saw a lot of 18 year olds turn their back on farming. And we’re really feeling that pinch now. These people would now be in their late 20s or early 30s and it’s these people, as level four technical managers, that the industry is really missing at the moment.”

Back in 2006, Askham Bryan’s student numbers stood at around 1,000. Today there are 3,800 and there are no signs that a plateau has been reached, according to Mrs Philip.

Shropshire-based Harper Adams University has also seen an increase in agricultural student numbers – they’re up 25% compared to four years ago and continuing to grow. And it is also offering several postgraduate dairy courses,

including dairy business management, as well as forming partnerships with processors and other sectors of the dairy industry.

Renewed interest “There’s definitely been a resurgence of interest in the industry,” says Mrs Philip.

“And we’re also able to offer more courses – on an increasing number of levels and across more subjects. This allows students to specialise and take a path that interests them. They can also ensure that they acquire the skills that prospective employees are looking for.”

The jobs are certainly out there. “At the end of academic year, there are typically two jobs for every student. We can’t fill them all. Prospective employees looking for staff really need to start advertising and canvassing students in February – if they wait until June or July they’re usually disappointed.”

LKL Services’ director George Gordon agrees that there’s still a significant shortage of skilled staff. “It’s difficult to find people – particularly skilled herd managers in their 30s or 40s – to fill more senior roles. The past six months have been particularly difficult. There’s a perception that the milk price collapse may have eased the problem slightly, as some units sell up and ‘release’ staff.

“But it doesn’t always work that way. If a unit closes in Somerset, is the herd manager going to uproot a young family to take a job in Yorkshire? Probably not.

People are more cautious during a recession and when milk price is low.”

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George Gordon: “It’s vital to recognise staff potential early on”

Mr Gordon’s clients are certainly feeling the loss of a generation of skilled dairy staff and managers and that was one of the key drivers behind the formation of the Dairy Management Academy in 2009.

“We formed a partnership with Promar and Genus to launch the academy, which was borne out of clients’ concerns about where the next generation of herd managers was going to come from,” he explains.

The remit was to take bright, young British people, who were already working on dairy units, and to turn them into the managers of the future. “And it’s been such a success that we now have two intakes a year. Student numbers are now four times what they were in 2009. Back then we put 12 students through the twoyear course. This year we’ve 30 students due to start this spring and there will be another 30 this autumn. It took a while to gather momentum, but now it’s really taken off.”

also solving their own problem when it comes to finding people to fill senior roles,” adds Mr Gordon.

He says that the academy will go from strength to strength as industry attitudes toward staff training, development and promotion change.

“The academy is not a silver bullet – but it’s a start. And it is making a real difference to the businesses – and individuals – involved.”

Mrs Philip agrees that the number of

young people training and entering the industry will continue to grow. “Askham Bryan has already seen demand for its higher education courses – including HNDs and degrees – grow by 37% for the next academic year.

“We’ve seen 23% growth per year for the past seven years, so this is a significant jump and demonstrates that we’ve not peaked yet.

“That’s great news for educators and for the industry.” l

Skilled staff: young people are accessing dairy training and filling more senior roles

Career ladder One of the key problems the course addresses is ‘the brain drain’ – the loss of young people working in the dairy industry who can see no way of climbing the career ladder and gaining more responsibility as well as professional and financial reward. “We saw a lot of young people getting bored and frustrated and then leaving the industry, after being told that they may be able to take a more senior position once ‘so and so’ retired or when they were a few years older and more experienced. Some were looking at a 10-year wait.

“No other industry promotes its staff like that or uses that a career ladder model.

Dairying was well behind the times. We now have graduates from the academy who leave and take jobs managing large herds in their 20s.

“It’s about recognising staff potential early on and then nurturing and harnessing it. Our more progressive clients are doing this and they’re not only retaining and motivating staff, they’re

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Ketosis in the herd.

Who’s at risk?

Fat1

Sick2

Old3

Over conditioned cows (BCS≥3.5 during the dry period)

Cows with a history of energy deficiency-related disease in the previous lactation, eg. metritis, retained placenta, ketosis

Cows above parity 3

– Ketosis is a hidden problem on many dairy farms; it damages cow health, fertility and milk production.6

Eli Lilly and Company Limited, Elanco Animal Health, Priestley Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG24 9NL, United Kingdom, Telephone: 01256 353131

Elanco and the diagonal bar are trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates. © 2015 Elanco Animal Health. UKDRYKXT00063.

Various studies show a clear link between the risk of developing ketosis and the following 3 criteria:

– Secondary health problems linked to ketosis such as metritis and displaced abomasum mean more sick cows and more culls.

– Talk to your veterinary surgeon for more information on ketosis, its diagnosis

and therapeutic intervention.

For more information, please contact your local Elanco representative or call 01256 353131 REFERENCES Duffield 2000. Subclinical ketosis in lactating dairy cattle. Vet. Clin. North Am. Food Anim. Pract. 16: 231–253.

Mulligan, O.Grady, Rice, Doherty 2006. A herd health approach to dairy cow nutrition and production diseases of the transition cow. Anim.

Repr. Sci. 96: 331–353.

3 Rajala-Schultz, Grahn, McCulloch 1999. Effect of milk fever, ketosis and lameness on milk yield of dairy cows. J. Dairy. Sci. 82: 288–294.

4 Walsh 2007. The effect of subclinical ketosis in early lactation on reproductive performance of postpartum dairy cows. J. Dairy Sci. 90: 2788–2796.

5 Ospina 2010. Association between the proportion of sampled transition cows with increased nonesterified fatty acids and ß-hydroxybutyrate and disease incidence, pregnancy rate and milk production at the herd level. J. Dairy Sci. 93: 3595–3601.

6 Raboisson D. A well managed energy balance for a healthy Lactation. Presented at the Vital 90 Days Conference Barcelona 25-27th Nov 2014; n/a: 1-18.

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Ketosis(Farmer)/**NEW VERSION (April 2015)/210mm(w) x 297mm(h)

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B U S I N E S S J A S O N

B A S I C S

M C M I N N

As squeeze on milk prices continues, we spoke to leading agricultural consultant Jason McMinn for some pointers on reducing feed and ‘culling’ waste – and how to improve dairy margins – in a tough business climate.

Take a closer look at herd mortality and feed use

Waste not, want not T

wo key areas where waste occurs on dairy units are also the areas that demand the greatest expenditure – livestock and feed. And the good news is that any ‘waste’ in both areas can be tackled relatively quickly and easily, and results can usually be seen relatively quickly.

Herd mortality is one area where a simply review of a herd culling policy can pay dividends, according to dairy consultant Jason McMinn.

“Every 3% of cow mortality – in other words involuntary culls – typically equates to 1ppl off the milk price for the herd,” he says “The ‘waste’ here is a combination of lost litres, increased replacement costs and the potential value of cull cows. If a cow can’t walk onto a lorry to leave the farm, it’s worthless,” he explains.

Casualty cows, or involuntary culls, can be injured or extremely lame cows that have to be shot on farm or they could be diseased cows, perhaps those with Johne’s disease. “If herds are seeing an unusually high herd mortality rate – typically more than around 8% – it could be well worth investigating Johne’s.”

Mr McMinn says that stockmanship plays a key role here too. “It’s vital to identify voluntary culls wherever possible. If culling is timely, it’s still possible to realise some value for cull cows and to reduce ‘waste’.”

Mr McMinn works with herds in Northern Ireland, which comprise a total of 12,000 cows, and he says that the average mortality rate for his clients’ herds is 4.9%. “This is respectable. You’re never going to get it down to zero, but it typically varies between 1% and 14%.

The latter is obviously extremely high and demands immediate attention.

“There will be specific reasons behind mortality for every herd and it’s vital, particularly on units where the rate is creeping up towards the 10% mark, that producers work with their vet and

consultant to find out what’s going on.

“It’s good for any business to know its herd mortality rate. Like calving interval, it doesn’t tell you what the problem is but it certainly flags up that you need to take a closer look and do something to improve it.”

Feed waste Another major area of ‘waste’ on many units is feed – particularly on units that home mix.

“Most producers ‘home mix’ because they believe that they are saving money and, on paper, they can indeed save around £20 per tonne. But that rarely translates in practical terms,” explains Mr McMinn.

“Much of the feed used for home mixing is tipped onto the floor – it’s rarely stored in bins. As a result, birds have free access to it, it can easily be blown away by the wind and other losses occur when vehicles are used to load it into mixer wagons.”

He refers to one client who worked out that he was purchasing 15% more feed than he was actually feeding to his herd.

“That level of waste easily wiped out any cost saving benefits of purchasing a ‘cheaper’ home-mix feed.”

He urges producers to either switch from home mixing, possibly opting for in- or out-of-parlour feeders instead. “Or invest in storage bins, ideally overhead ones, so feed can be directly and accurately ‘measured’ into the mixer wagon.”

He says many producers do opt for bins: “And they can cut waste to between 7% and 8% – but this still not ideal. Again, waste will never be reduced to zero, whatever system is used.

“But it is possible to achieve much greater efficiency where feed is ‘metered’ either directly into a trough or a mixer wagon.”

With feed being such a huge cost on dairy units – typically between 8ppl and 10ppl – it’s simply too expensive to ignore waste.”

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Joz Moov Silage Pushing Robot This is a fully automatic robot for dairy cattle barns. You are able to program an unlimited number of routes, and set-up is simple. The combination of transponders and the gyroscope ensure that the robot always drive perfectly through the feed passage.

Joz Tech Robotic Barn Cleaner is a fully automatic cleaning system for livestock houses.

Several cleaning routes in the barn can be simply programmed; it is animal friendly and scrapes the manure alleys clean at a speed of apporoximately 4 meters per minute, even in the tightest corners.

Schrijver Calf Boxes An excellent option for calf management, the boxes come either single, as a pair or in threes. They are all on easy to to move casters and made from a tough durable plastic which is easy to maintain.

Calf-O-Tel Calf Hutches

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FlingK Bedders Designed as a perfect solution to minimise the time consuming day to day mangement of the cubicle beds. Suitable for sand, sawdust and all forms of green bedding. A disinfectant or powdered lime can be added to the cubicle bed before the main bedding material.

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H O U S I N G

S P E C I A L

Brighter housing: shedding some light on how more ‘lux’ can mean more milk. Page 28 New unit: set up serves cows – and students – well at Cumbria-based college. Page 30 Footbath design: size matters if ‘dunks’ per hoof are to be optimised. Page 32

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H O U S I N G

S P E C I A L

LED and high-pressure sodium systems can yield a return on investment

Let there be light An enlightened approach to improving the cow house environment can pay dividends – and not just in terms of increased milk production. We spoke to two producers and two dairy consultants to find out more. text Rachael Porter

E

veryone performs better when the days start to lengthen and there are a few more hours of sunlight.

And cows are no exception. Providing them with better, brighter lighting for at least 14 hours each day, during winter housing, can see more milk in the tank, as well as improved health, welfare and fertility.

The cost of making the necessary

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investment can hold some producers back – particularly during the current milk price squeeze – but those who took the plunge before the crash are pleased to report a rapid return on their investment.

Richard Adams runs a 155-cow herd at Gulpher Farm, near Felixstowe in Suffolk, and he installed LED strip lighting in his sand-bedded cubicle house

in October 2013. He and his consultant, Kite Consulting’s Tanya Colman, are always looking at ways to improve herd performance and the pair agreed that the unit’s somewhat gloomy shed was a limiting factor.

“We set out to try to mimic the light levels seen in high summer – about 16 hours a day – inside the cow house, with around eight hours of low-level light or darkness,” explains Tanya.

Trials have shown that cows that are given 16 hours of light continuously each day will increase milk production by between 5% and 16% (an 8% response is typical) with feed intake up 6%.

“And they will maintain reproductive performance, compared to cows receiving 13.5 hours of light or less. The response can take two to four weeks or longer to develop after installation, as long as nutrition and other management conditions are acceptable.”

Melatonin production So how can light help to increase milk production? Researchers have found that when light hits a cow’s eye, it signals the cow’s body to produce less melatonin.

When it is dark, melatonin is produced.

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Lighting solutions: a brighter house creates a better cow environment. And providing at least 180 lux for 14 hours a day can help to significantly increase milk yields

Cows have an internal clock that is set by melatonin production. This internal clock affects the production of other hormones that impact milk production.

Long-day lighting increases the production of IGF-I (insulin-like growth factor-I). IGF-I is the same hormone that is increased by bovine somatotropin (bST). More IGF-I production in the cow boosts milk production.

“Richard had heard about the benefits of improving lighting at an Arla workshop that he attended. And Kite also has plenty of data on this that shows that an additional 1,000 litres of milk per cow per lactation can be achieved just by improving lighting.”

She concedes that other management or cow factors could be at play where there’s any increase in milk production.

“But we’ve certainly seen that much extra milk per cow per lactation from Richard’s herd since we installed the new lights and we know that nothing else has changed.”

“I’m certainly very pleased with the new lights – it was money well spent,” says Richard, who invested £11,000 and says he’s already had that back in extra milk and improved fertility. “Within two weeks, milk yields were up by 10%. We had a fantastic winter and, coupled with feeding a good ration, we actually saw yields increase by 15%.”

Lux level So, what’s so special about the LEDs? “It’s all about lux – we were aiming to achieve around 180 lux in all areas of the cow house and I bought a light metre to measure levels and make sure we didn’t have any dark corners,” explains Richard.

“We didn’t quite manage 180 lux, but just about. Not bad for the amount we invested and the results speak for themselves.

During the winter, the lights are on for 16 hours a day and off for eight, although there are a couple of strategically placed ‘night lights’ in the shed, so the cows are never in complete darkness. The LED lights are on a timer to come on 30 minutes before the morning milking staff arrive, so the cows are already up and awake and ready to go.

“We can expect at least 10,000 hours from each strip – and they’re energy efficient lights too, using about 3kW.

And any power they do use is offset by our on-farm wind turbine. So it’s cheap electricity anyway,” he says.

It’s also had a surprising effect on staff: “My herdsman Steve says that when he walks into the lit shed he feels better too.

It’s not dark and gloomy.”

Retina reaction DP Agri’s Rob Doran says that his company has installed a lot of new lighting systems in cow houses during the past two years. “And our customers have seen some fantastic results. That said, there are still a lot of units out there with inadequate and unsuitable lighting that will be impacting on herd productivity and profitability.”

He says that to achieve a minimum of 160 lux, LED or high-pressure sodium lights are the way to go. “The lights have to be bright enough to get the retina reaction that then has an effect on melatonin and, therefore, milk production.

“Producers must take advice before they buy. The wattage of LED lights varies and some may not be powerful enough to produce the high lux levels required to see an impact on herd performance.

I have visited units where they have made little difference because they’ve not had enough oomph.”

That ‘oomph’ comes at a price: “And some producers may be put off by the cost of investing in top-quality lighting that’s going to provide at least 160 lux across an entire shed. But if they took a close look at the benefits – in terms of increased milk production and better health and fertility – they’d see that it would, in most cases, be money well spent.

One customer who installed highpressure sodium lights in the cow house at his 250-cow unit is David Moore. He put up a new cow house for his herd, based at Woolsery in Devon, four years ago and took the opportunity to upgrade the lighting system. “I managed to get a 50% grant towards the cost of the lighting and I aimed for about 200 lux across the entire house,” he says.

Milk yields have improved to their current 8,500 litres, but he says that it’s difficult to say if it’s solely down to the lights because housing has been improved across the board. l Grants to help towards the cost of installing lighting are available. Visit https:// www.gov.uk/apply-for-a-grant-for-led-lightsfor-livestock-housing to find out more

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H O U S I N G

S P E C I A L

New dairy unit design suits students and cows

Top of the class State-of-the-art milking and learning facilities are benefiting students and cows alike at a new unit in Cumbria. College applications have increased and milk yields and cow health and welfare have also improved. We spoke to the farm manager to find out more. text Ray Meadon

Jonathan Fisher: “Unit works well for cows and students”

A

pledge to put agriculture back at the heart of one Cumbria-based college has seen the development of a new dairy unit, which is providing students with some of the best milking and learning facilities in

the UK. These include a 30:30 Fullwood herringbone parlour, modern cubicle housing and dedicated AI and veterinary handling races. Officially opened in March 2014, the £2.4m unit at Newton Rigg College has seen a marked increase

Rapid exit: the parlour’s indexing rail lifts away

in milk yields and improvements in cow welfare, most notably a reduction in lameness.

New beginning Sewborwens Farm has been part of Newton Rigg College since the 1950s, traditionally being used to house the college’s youngstock. When the Newton Rigg herd was culled during the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease outbreak, the farm was earmarked as the site where a new college herd would be eventually be housed.

However, it wasn’t until 2013 that the farm was re-stocked – after being taken over by Askham Bryan College in 2011.

The Yorkshire-based college bought 60 cows and 60 heifers from local herds to start the ball rolling.

At that time, the twice-daily milking regime was carried out in a temporary bail, with the unit’s dairy facilities housed in a shipping container. “The college had promised that year’s intake of students that they’d have access to full milking facilities, so we needed to provide a temporary set-up while the new dairy unit was being built,” explains Newton Rigg’s farm manager Jonathan Fisher.

Controlling lameness: cows walk through a footbath at the collecting yard entrance

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New facilities: cow handling system and straw yard accommodation, with plenty of rubber matting

The temporary parlour comprised 15 milking units, equipped with ACRs and in-parlour feeders, which milked the 100-cow herd in just two hours. This facility was in use until February 2014 at which point the herd was moved into two newly erected 72m by 36m buildings: one providing cubicle housing for 160 cows and the second providing an additional 40 cubicles plus five straw yards for calving cows, a collecting yard equipped with backing gate and footbath, a full set of AI and veterinary handling facilities, a new dairy, and offices.

Blank canvas The new facilities sit adjacent to the traditional barns at Sewborwens and were designed with input from the wider farming community. “We started designing the new unit with a completely blank canvas and were open to any parlour design and farming type,” says Jonathan.

“At first we didn’t know if we’d end up with a high-input or a low-input system or whether the cows would be milked conventionally or robotically. We hadn’t even decided what breed of cows we were going to restock with. The only stipulation was that the new unit needed to be commercially viable and fit for the purpose of teaching students all year round.”

Fifteen local producers were invited to share their ideas about how the unit should be run and what it should look like, with the consensus being that the college should be milking at least 200 Holstein cows all year round through a herringbone parlour on a high-inputhigh-output system.

Today the Newton Rigg herd numbers

Cow comfort: the herd’s housing comprises GEA M2M Kingshay cubicles, which are adjustable

220 pedigree Holsteins housed all year round in buildings fitted with GEA M2M Kingshay cubicles. “Our end goal is to reach 240 cows using our own heifer replacements,” Jonathan adds. “We took a strong line on cow welfare and chose the cubicles that offer adjustability and excellent cow comfort.

“We also specified extra wide central feed passages to enable staff and students to observe cows more easily, and fitted overhead roof light ridges to maximise the availability of natural light.” The roof is also fitted with solar panels, which assist in the cooling of milk and heating of washing water, and in doing so, reduce the unit’s overall running costs.

The herd is milked through a Fullwood QS 30:30 herringbone parlour featuring 90° indexed stalls, which lift away from the cows at the end of milking for rapid exit. A DEFRA health and welfare grant assisted with the funding.

“The Fullwood parlour was the most competitive in terms of overall costs, but it also offered the QS parlour as a unique solution to our specific requirements of wanting a rapid exit parlour, but with inparlour feeders. It’s a hybrid of the two systems,” says Jonathan.

The parlour allows rapid milking by presenting the cows at 90° for faster cluster attachment. “Rear leg milking is also better for training students who need to learn the correct routine for teat and udder preparation,” Jonathan adds.

“The angle also allowed us to fit more milking points into a smaller space.”

The parlour differs from most installations in that the pit is almost four metres wide, allowing students to work and learn alongside the farm’s

staff. “Our aim at the outset was to provide our students with the best facilities. Each student spends at least one full week on the unit. The new dairy facilities are the icing on the cake and the number of student intake applications has significantly increased since the it’s been in operation.”

In addition to its role as a teaching facility, the parlour was also designed so that it can be used efficiently when the students aren’t there. “With our two herdsmen, we can comfortably milk 200 cows in 100 minutes,” Jonathan says.

“Most of the time the parlour is manned by one herdsman and a number of students, with milking still taking fewer than two hours, but the parlour can also be easily operated by one person.”

Improved performance As well as an increase in student numbers, the new unit has also improved herd productivity. Milk yields have risen from 27 litres to 34 litres per day due to a combination of factors, according to Jonathan. “The new parlour and housing facilities allow us to manage the entire herd more efficiently. We are now able to dispense three separate feeding curves for heifers, freshly calved cows and lactating cows.

“We are also able to keep on top of lameness more effectively. Wider turning circles and rubber matting on 50% of the entire unit’s floor area – as well as daily footbathing – have all helped to achieve mobility scores of zero or one in 98% of our cows. To us, that’s proof that we’ve not only built a first-class teaching environment, but that we’ve also designed a dairy unit that works well for our cows.” l

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Footbath length and more ‘steps’ are key to successful digital dermatitis control

Three is the magic number!

Research has shown that, when it comes to footbathing, it’s all about ‘dunks’ per hoof. We spoke to a vet, a manufacturer and a producer to find out why size, site and ease of use all matter when it come to footbath design – and how to optimise your herd’s hoof care routine. text Rachael Porter

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ix seconds of contact time – that’s three ‘dunks’ per foot. And this is key to ensuring that footbathing is effective in helping to treat and prevent and manage infectious claw diseases, such as digital dermatitis, according to the results of work carried out in the US and by UKbased vet Sara Pedersen.

And footbath design is crucial when trying to achieve the optimal number of ‘dips’.

“If you want to incorporate footbathing into your herd’s daily routine, a footbath on route from the parlour exit is a good place,” says

Ms Pedersen. “The more accustomed the cows are to passing through it, the less disruption there will be to cow flow and the less contaminated the footbaths will become.”

She’s not keen on ‘prewash’ baths.

“Using them doesn’t seem to keep the ‘treatment’ bath cleaner. Trials have shown that more cows will defecated in the treatment bath, compared to the prewash bath. And the cows’ feet are already wet when they enter the treatment bath, which make them less able to absorb the treatment solution.”

Ms Pedersen adds that a prewash bath may also result in dilution of the

Figure 1: The link between footbath length and the number of hoof immersions 1 immersion 4 immersions

2 immersions 5 immersions

3 immersions 6 immersions

80 70

% of all rear feet

60 50 40 30 20 10 0 15 cm step 1.8m x 0.76m

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28 cm step 1.8m x 0.76m

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15 cm step 2.4m x 0.6m

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28 cm step 2.4m x 0.6m

28 cm step 3.0m x 0.5m

28 cm step 3.7m x 0.5m

Too short: longer footbaths are required to increase ‘dips’ per hoof

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chemical in the treatment bath and make it less effective.

A survey of 65 cubicle-housed dairy herds in five different countries, with an average herd size of 1,023 milking cows, found that footbaths were used between one and four times per day for between one and seven days per week, with between 80 and 3,000 cows passing through the bath between chemical changes. The most common agents used in the footbath were copper sulphate and formalin. Footbaths typically measured 2.03 metres long by 0.81 metres wide, and were filled to a depth of 11cm with 189 litres of solution.

Footbath dimensions The observational behavioural study was conducted using a custom-designed footbath to test four different bath dimensions, with two different step-in heights. The number of immersions per rear foot was counted for each footbath design for each cow passing through the bath on two consecutive days.

Results showed that while a higher ‘step-in’ height significantly increased the number of foot immersions, the effect was small compared to the effect of length.

“When it came to bath length, the probability of each rear foot receiving at least two immersions reached 95% at a bath length of three metres and a significant increase in the frequency, of three and four immersions per foot, was observed in 3.7-metre long footbaths,” says Ms Pedersen.

“In order to optimise the number of foot immersions per cow pass, while limiting the footbath volume, the work recommended a footbath that’s 3.7 metres long and between 0.5 and 0.6 metres wide, with a 28cm instep.

Easy job The ideal designs, in her view, are either ‘built in’ concrete footbaths or stainless steel baths – both are preferable to plastic. “Rigid plastic baths, with pronounced ridges on the bottom, can be uncomfortable for cows to walk through. Comfort and cow flow can be improved by using a rubber lining,” she says, adding that good cow flow is important because it helps to reduce faecal contamination and displacement of the footbath contents.

“It is also important to consider the footbath position and how easy it is to fill, empty and clean out. The easier it is to maintain, the more frequently you

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H O U S I N G

S P E C I A L

‘Automatic’ footbath with more length The Hoofcount Excel automatic footbath – the only fully automatic footbath on the market that gives the veterinary desired 3.7 metre length and incorporates design features to ensure a thorough clean, quick refill and effective footbath for every cow – will be launched at this year’s Livestock Event, to be held on July 8 and 9 at Birmingham’s NEC. This footbath has an electronic counter that monitors the number of cows that have passed through the bath and then, after a pre-set number of cows, the system automatically empties the soiled solution, washes the bath and refills it.

“While refilling a choice of chemical is automatically added to the solution to give a clean and effective footbath for every cow,” says by the company’s managing director Anthony Marsh.

“Our standard automatic footbath has worked well but we’re always looking for ways to improve our product.

And, with the latest footbathing research in mind, we’ve increased the length and depth of the Hoofcount Excel.”

The new footbath is 3.7 metres long and 20cm deep, allowing each hoof to enter the bath an average of three times rather than, as with a standard bath of maximum three metres in length, two foot immersions per pass.

“A further development of sloped stainless steel side sheets allows the bath to be narrower and reduces the loss of solution through splashing,” explains Mr Marsh. “The bolton side sheets allow the bath to be easily installed in any race without the risk of cows’ feet stepping outside the bath. And the narrower design of the bath also ensures the total volume of solution and required chemical per bath is similar to that for a standard footbath.”

The cost of the new footbath is between £6,000 and £7,000, including installation.

are likely to use it. Automatic footbaths, which empty and refill themselves after a pre-set number of cows have walked through, are a cost effective investment and make footbathing an easy job – not a chore. “ “Ideally cows should place each foot in the solution three times and the bath should also be long enough to prevent them ‘jumping’ it. So length of at least 3.6 metres is required.”

Reduce splashing Ms Pedersen adds that fixing solid side panels to the bath helps to ensure that cows place their feet in the solution, rather than balancing on the sides of the bath.

“Side panels also help reduce significant loss of the treatment solution through splashing, as does a higher instep.

“And, to ensure that feet are completely immersed in the footbath solution, it must be filled to a depth of around 10cm.”

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Hoofcount Excel: automatic emptying and filling saves time and helps to optimise the efficacy of footbathing

The Cheshire-based producer Mark Thomasson installed a longer – 3.6 metres – Hoofcount footbath 12 months ago. It’s also narrower than his old concrete footbath, which was two cows wide.

“This one has sloping sides. It serves to ‘funnel’ the cows through the bath, one at a time, and reduces splashing,” he says.

The catalyst for investing in this footbath was predominantly the amount of work that changing the footbath solution, at least every day, was creating.

“We’re running a herd of more than 1,000 cows, so we were only footbathing half of the herd ‘effectively’. After 500 cows, the solution really needed to be changed – if time was tight then that would be the first job to be ‘dropped’ that day,” explains Mark.

The herd was put through the footbath around five times a week, but with the new system in place, at the parlour

exit, the cows now pass through it every day without fail – and in a solution that’s automatically replaced after a pre-set number of cows have walked through it.

More ‘dunks’ The length of the bath was also important – the previous one was around two metres long: “It didn’t offer enough ‘dunks’ per foot. We’re now seeing each hoof dipped three times as the cow walks through the footbath.”

Mark says that although digital dermatitis in the herd was being controlled by the previous regime, this new set up is helping him and his team to stay on top of it more easily.

“We’ve also managed to drop the formalin level in the solution to just 2% now and we run the herd through a copper sulphate solution just once a week.” l

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NUTRITIONAL NEWS

Introducing ForFarmers ForFarmers first entered the UK feed market in 2012 after acquiring leading feed supplier, BOCM PAULS. Since then, and following the further acquisitions of Dairy Direct, HST Feeds and Wheyfeeds, the business has now rebranded UK operations under its well-established European name and the ForFarmers logo is becoming a familiar sight on UK farms.

With its headquarters in the Netherlands, ForFarmers is the European market leader in the animal feed sector, with an annual production of approximately 8.9 million tonnes, a turnover of more than €2.2 billion and 2,300 employees.

ForFarmers’ strategy is to provide customers with products based on

optimal nutritional expertise to help improve their returns, achieved by utilising best-in-class nutritional solutions, specialist expertise and world-class technical advice.

ForFarmers is the leading supplier of compound feeds in the UK. This position has been attained by providing customers with a complete feeds service, based on many years of experience.

ForFarmers offer a ‘total’ nutrition based feeds service. A nationwide network of sales and support teams cover each region of England, Scotland and Wales and provide a comprehensive range of services; from simple advice on feeding, to diet formulation and feed financial management.

Forage mineral content research ForFarmers, in collaboration with Trouw Nutrition GB, has undertaken an extensive review to investigate the mineral profile of silages.

More than 1,000 grass and 80 wholecrop silage samples were taken from various units in 2014. The results highlighted a significant range in mineral content available in silages and also considerable differences from the results of mineral research that was previously undertaken in 2001.

“Knowing more about the mineral content of their forages means that producers could make significant financial gains through improved animal health, higher performance

rates and reduced feed supplement costs,” says ForFarmers’ ruminant product manager Nick Berni. “They can all have a big impact on margins.”

The study found that the mineral content of forages tended to be lower in wholecrop silage compared to grass silage, and showed startling differences in individual samples. Calcium levels in some samples peaked at 1.88%, while others only achieved a calcium content of 0.24%. Similarly, levels of copper were as low as 2.5mg/ kilogramme on some units, whiles others reached 30.7mg/kilogramme.

“Getting the balance of mineral and trace element uptake correct is essential to maintain cow health, with copper deficiencies resulting in infertility, a lack of zinc increasing chances of mastitis and lameness, and low levels of iodine suppressing reproductive activity,” explains Mr Berni.

“However, too many minerals can be equally counterproductive as cows can only utilise a certain level of minerals, after which no significant benefits can be gained from providing them with more.

The research has shown that there is a strong case for producers to have forages analysed for mineral content, as the range of values can be significantly different from the averages used in ration formulation.

VITA – feeding the future This spring sees the launch of the new ForFarmers’ VITA youngstock nutrition programme, which is designed to improve performance and help achieve 24-month calving.

With young stock rearing accounting for 20% of dairy business expenditure, it is the second highest variable cost on farm. By reducing age at first calving to 24 months, farm performance and profitability can improve through: • Greater lifetime yields • Fewer replacements • Reduced feeding, housing and labour cost • Faster genetic improvement.

By focusing on the key areas of nutrition and management, significant performance improvements and cost savings can be made.

Reducing age at first calving, and growing profitable dairy heifers that calve at 24 months old, can save more than two pence on every litre of milk sold.

To achieve 24 month calving key growth and liveweight targets for calves and heifers need to be met. Good youngstock nutrition is essential to achieve these targets and the new ForFarmers VITAMILK and VITA concentrate nutrition programme is designed to help improve youngstock performance and reach a 24month calving age.

VITAMILK and VITA concentrates are formulated to maximise health and performance of calves and heifers.

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S E R I E S

LON GE V Insight

in performance and genetic capacity

HERD

MANAGEMENT Improve by applying solutions

Plan

progress in performance and genetic capacity

HEAL TH

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ION CT DU

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BREEDING WITH A PURPOSE

F E RTILIT Y

Every producer sets goals for his farm. These goals may differ, but the herd is always at the heart of the business. In this six-part series we set out to help you to improve your herd. Our first article offers an introduction on breeding with a purpose.

Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Production Part 3: Efficiency Part 4: Fertility Part 5: Longevity Part 6: Health

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electing sires for use on your individual herd – with its own specific breeding goals – can be complicated. With the vast amount of data now available on both sires and dams – whether it’s daughter proven or genomic information – it’s a lot more difficult to ‘navigate’ a path to success than it was, say, 20 years ago.

And once you have the right genetic base you need to manage the genetic potential to turn all that potential into success – also quite a challenge that requires good planning and plenty of informed decision taking.

That said the chances of success, when looking to breed and manage cows that will enjoy a healthier and more productive and longer life, can also be greatly improved if you know what to select for and how best to do it. That’s just one reason why CRV has developed and introduced Result Navigator – a tool to help producers ‘navigate’ their herd

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CRV Result Navigator offers five key criteria for herd management

Completing the circle for success Insight, planning and improvement are three key ingredients to continued genetic gain and ensuring the future success of your dairy herd. And now there’s a tool that can help you to keep a close eye on your herd’s individual progress and ensure that it stays on track. text Rachael Porter

towards continued improved and good results.

The herd is always at the heart of any dairy business and the CRV Result Navigator has been developed to help producers achieve the best possible results with their herds. The organisation has focused on five key areas that can make the difference on the vast majority of dairy units. These areas are production, efficiency, health, longevity and fertility and they are all connected to each other.

High lifetime production Efficient production can only be achieved in a herd where the cows get a chance to achieve high lifetime production with good health and good fertility. Good herd management also requires insight, planning and improvement, and these are vital to the success of the on-going improvement tool.

Bertil Muller: “Good fertility is an important cornerstone of any well-performing dairy herd”

“Let’s start with fertility,” says CRV’s Bertil Muller. “Fertility is an important cornerstone of any well-performing dairy herd. Fertility ensures continued milk production and genetic progress.

“But fertility is a complex issue, which

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many successful lactations are living proof that all has been well with their health, fertility and production. “They also produce more efficiently, because older animals produce more milk than young ones,” explains Mr Muller.

“What’s more, they go on producing for longer, so they give more milk in relation to the energy – and time – invested in them during rearing.

“CRV not only helps producers to breed a herd with high longevity, we also pay a lot of attention to preventing premature mortality – involuntary culling – due to health or fertility reasons.”

F E RTILIT Y Full circle: CRV’s Result Navigator keeps herd on track for success now and in the future

is affected by many things and that’s why CRV gives it a wealth of attention in its breeding and management programmes.”

Producers also want a healthy, easy-tomanage herd. Healthy animals ensure smoother production and better growth.

Staff are also happier as their workload is reduced and, just as importantly, milk production costs are lower. So a healthy herd increases the producer’s income and efficiency. CRV is using information to visualise the health of the herd, and to make sure that the next generation is healthier than the present one. “We work preventively – because prevention is better than cure,” explains Mr Muller.

“To do this we listen to advice, and we also provide information to key farm consultants and advisers, including feed suppliers and vets.

Production is also important. Every producer wants to see their herd achieve good milk yields. A productive herd, in terms of milk, is a prerequisite for a good income provided this production is achieved efficiently.

“The right breeding goal and the right genetics are the foundation for a productive herd. And CRV enables producers to lay this foundation, but we do much more besides,” explains Mr

Muller. “For example, we help them monitor their herd’s production – for example via milk recording – giving them a sound foundation on which to base their management decisions.

“Producers can make better decisions about which cows they want to continue to breed from, for example, and they get a clear picture of which animals are producing efficiently and which are not.”

Cost control For many producers, efficient production takes priority over maximum production.

Efficiency means needing fewer raw materials, such as feed and fertiliser, per kilogramme of milk produced. “This is better for the environment – and better for their bottom line too. Efficient production also means working with healthy animals with high longevity,” says Mr Muller.

He adds that CRV is right at the beginning of the food chain. “So we are uniquely placed to help herds produce milk in a sustainable and responsible way. The company helps them to breed specifically for efficiency.”

Longevity is important too. Producers aim to build a herd that has the capacity to grow old. Dairy cows that complete

Constant monitoring Insight is key across all five criteria.

“Solid and effective herd management begins with understanding our clients’ goals with their herd. Next, by analysing the information that’s available on the herd, we identify the strengths and weaknesses of the performance of our customers’ herds, including their genetic capacity”, says Mr Muller.

“Insights are then gained in potential improvements and innovation. The process of obtaining insight is gone through after every improvement cycle.

Through constant monitoring, results can be fine-tuned.

Planning is the next step. With the insights we gain, we can help our customers meet clearly defined targets for achieving focused and sustainable improvements in herd performance.

“Which results need to be improved?

CRV can then help them to choose the best approach and solutions to use. The solutions could be in a number of areas: product information, services, genetics advice or a combination of them all.

Whatever they are, progress should be made.”

Making improvements and achieving good results can only be achieved with careful implementation. Selecting the right solutions for a dairy herd will depend on the circumstances on the unit and the business and calls for an eye for detail, according to Mr Muller.

“This could include choosing the weights for our mating programme SireMatch, for example, or optimising an online management system to get even more out of it. By constantly monitoring the improvements made, it is possible to gain more new insights that will help fine-tune performance improvements even further.

“And with that, we’re back at ‘Insight’ in the CRV Result Navigator – so the circle is closed.” l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Maximising herd productivity with minimum labour

One man, eight robots and 500 cows

44

C OWM ANAGEMENT

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He wanted to produce as much milk as possible without taking on any employees, so Marco Verhaar installed milking robots. He also tweaked their settings, despite not being computer literate, and at one stage each robot was milking 85 cows. text Jaap van der Knaap

M

arco Verhaar sits in the office of his new farm in Bad Axe, Michigan.

It is small office and not suitable for a large group of employees, although that’s what you might expect from dairy operation with 500 cows. But a larger office is not necessary, explains Marco, because he is the only employee thanks to the installation of robotic milkers.

“I chose robots in order to make more money from milking – not to give myself more free time,” Marco says. “Every additional kilogramme of milk that I get from each robot is profit. That is another way of thinking about working with robots.”

He’s certainly proof that robots can take a load off your hands. Since spring 2013 he’s been using eight to milk 500 cows ‘single handedly’.

“When I told my parents that I wanted to use robots, my father was skeptical.

He doubted whether I could make money with such a significant ‘upfront’ investment and always blamed the cell count on my Jerseys. He thought that switching to robotic milking would increase their cell count even further. I feel good that I have proved him wrong on both counts.”

Managing milkers Marco works closely with his parents, John and Anja, who milk 2,500 cows on their own unit just three miles away.

Marco works only with the milking herd so that he can look after as many as Easy access: the two barns are open on all sides

possible on his own. His parents take care of his dry cows and calves.

Each week he takes a lorry load of dry cows to his parents’ unit and brings back a load of fresh-calved heifers and cows.

“This is a very efficient way of working for both businesses,” he says. “My parents can now expect 10 calvings a day and have dedicated staff to look after them.

And I can get the most out of my lactating cows.”

At first Marco also cooperated with his parents, mainly on feeding, but six months later he bought his own mixer wagon and tractor to collect feed each day from their bunkers. “Everything goes on the scale,” he explains. “We weigh the feed as we harvest it, before it gets put into the shared silo, and the feed I bring back to my unit also gets weighed every day. We make an adjustment for the difference at the end of the year.”

He bought the biggest mixer wagon he could find so he could carry the full ration of around 16,500kg for 500-cow herd in one load. “All the cows get the same ration and the robot decides how much concentrate individual cows receive, depending on her yield. The Jerseys don’t eat much, so it makes it easy to feed them all the same ration and I only have to make one load of feed.”

Jersey fan Marco is clearly a fan of Jerseys. “The Jersey is a flexible cow. When a Holstein falls over, that’s often the end of the story

Marco Verhaar, Red Mountain Jerseys With eight robotic milkers and 500 Jerseys, Marco Verhaar, single handedly, produces 13,000kg of milk per day.

Bad Axe

USA

Number of cows: Daily production: Unit size: Employees:

and it’s time to take her away. A Jersey can roll on its back, but then cheerfully get up again and carries on. Jerseys are also very curious, which works well with robots. The cows make a lot of visits, too many in fact, and they get turned away an average of eight times a day.”

The figures are certainly impressive.

Marco started up a completely new unit with four robots in 2011 and, at his peak, was milking 320 cows. Since spring 2014, he has doubled the size of the business and built a similar cow house with another four robots.

Daily output is 13,000kg of milk, with 4.8% butterfat and 3.6% protein. The number of milkings per cow is 2.9 and average daily yield per cow is 26kg.

Average daily concentrate consumption, through the robot is 5kg, with a further 2.7kg of mineral/protein mix in the TMR.

By US standards, this is a relatively large quantity of concentrate per robot. But, says Marco: “Having plenty of feed in the

Curious cows: Jerseys in front of the robotic milkers

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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500 13,000kg 4.8% fat 3.6% prot.

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Dedicated job: young stock is reared on another unit

robot gives you active cows, and if you give them too little, they get anxious.”

If he’s milking 500 cows on his own, he must have his work cut out for him. He laughs. “People often tell me I’m putting in far too many hours, but I like working alone. I start at 4.30am and I’m finished at 7.00pm. I like the hours.

“I start in the morning with the heifers and picking out the cows that need to go to the robot and then I clean the cubicles.

I’m a perfectionist, so I like to clean the cubicles and rake the sand my way, and if I had workers they’d do it differently.

Basically I don’t like employing other people.”

Tweaking technology Surprisingly, Marco doesn’t begin the day on his PC printing out attention lists.

“I’m not a computer fan. I have a quick look on the screen to see which cows I have to run through the robot, but I know most of them already – it’s typically the same ones again and again. There are far too many cows on the attention lists.”

He appears to have a love-hate relationship with Lely. “I like to challenge the company,” he says. “The Lely robot is a great machine and I think the A3 Next is perfect, but the company encourages people to use the standard settings. Of course that’s the safe option, but it means that they’re not using the robots to their full capacity.”

Getting into his stride, Marco gives some examples. “The standard vacuum setting for the robot is 44 kpa, but I think that’s way too high. I’ve gradually lowered it to 38 kpa, which I think is much better for udder health.”

Lely advises against changing the standard settings, but Marco played it safe and asked various milking specialists for advice. As a result, he started using square liners. “This type of liner has a faster milk flow, so it makes milking

46

C OWMANAGEMENT

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Cow comfort: cubicles are bedded with deep sand

quicker,” he says. “You also get better teat condition, they work well at a lower vacuum and your cell count stays low.”

Marco also reduced milking length in small steps. “I set the maximum time to five minutes, whereas the standard setting is 20. If a cow hasn’t finished milking after five minutes, I pull off the cluster, which saves time and is better for the udder.”

But surely the last few kilogrammes of milk have the highest fat and protein content? “All that matters is the total weight of fat and protein that you get from the robot. It’s much more economical to reduce the milking time, so the robot can milk more cows.”

Marco believes that udder health is the prime consideration, and has allayed his father’s fears that Jerseys and robots don’t go well together. During the past year, he has achieved an average cell count of 60,000 cells/ml.

No leftovers Back to the daily schedule, when Marco has rounded up the cows that need attention and cleaned the milking boxes, he scrapes up the manure with a piece of kit that he designed himself. “Because I milk with robots, there are always cows coming and going and you have to push the manure between them. I didn’t want an automatic scraper because they don’t work well when it freezes in winter.”

The feed troughs are empty at 10.00am in the morning. “Jerseys eat everything.

I don’t have any heifers that can eat leftover feed, so everything has to go. Of course you have to make sure you offer the cows good quality feed and that no mouldy or heat-damaged feed gets into the mixer.”

Marco gives all his cows the same ration at around noon each day, based on maize silage, sugar beet pulp and alfalfa. In both cow houses, an automatic pusher moves

feed to the fence. “The two Juno pushers were part of the negotiations for the milking robots. I didn’t even know they existed, but I couldn’t do without them now. Feed pushing is something you can easily forget or put off until later, but when I arrive in the cow house in the morning, that job has already been done.”

Next Marco looks for cows that need urgent milking and AIs a couple of others.

This latter task is carried out at the feed fence, not in a crush. “Jerseys are very well behaved and curious, and it’s rare for a cow to walk off when I’m inseminating her.” He chooses bulls with good production traits: “I’d like to breed for fast milking, but there’s no breeding value for that in the US.”

‘Dummy’ robot Building the new cow house has made the farm slightly less intensive and the robots less busy. “I hit 9,000kg a day with four robots, and now have 13,000kg with eight, so my performance isn’t that impressive. I have been lucky since I started in 2011 because the milk price has been good and it’s still high now. I was getting the equivalent of more than 38ppl.”

“I’m currently investing in land so I can become more self-sufficient in terms of feed and manure output, and I also want to keep improving the way I use the robots. I’m thinking about getting a ‘dummy’ robot and putting it with the in close-up heifers at my parents’ farm.

They will get used to it and it should save some time when they start to milk.”

So what’s the maximum number of cows you can milk with one man and a robotic milking set up?

He thinks for a moment. “I don’t know, but once the second barn is up to capacity again, and everything is working well, there’s no reason why I shouldn’t build another one.” l

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

Johne’s meetings in full flight NMR fee freeze

Vet Neil Howie discusses Johne’s with South Wales producers

NML vets staged 20 producer meetings in March, in conjunction with milk processors, in a bid to promote Johne’s disease control on UK dairy units.

“Unless producers have carried out Johne’s disease tests on their herd they cannot confidently say they are Johne’s free,” says NML’s consultant vet Neil Howie.

“There are still producers who believe that because they haven’t seen a clinical case in their herd they don’t

have the disease. This is not always the case. Producers should test their milk using their recording samples and use the results to implement a recognised control plan. Their vet can help here and NML vets can provide dairy vets with technical support and services as required.”

NML is holding more meetings with processors across Britain through the summer. Details are available from NML on 01902 749920.

Livestock specialist joins NMR team Michelle Holley has joined NMR’s south and south east field team as area sales manager. Her background is in the livestock sector, including a farm support role with a pharmaceutical company and a veterinary nursing and receptionist post with a Somerset-based large animal veterinary practice.

Based in Trowbridge, Michelle is responsible for the sales of NMR services, software products, disease testing services and bull semen throughout the south and south east.

Gold Cup open day The NMR/RABDF Gold Cup open day takes place at Michael Eavis’s Worthy Farm, at Pilton in Somerset, on Wednesday May 6, 2015.

Registration is essential through RABDF www.rabdf.co.uk or call 0845 458 2711.

Top performers

Michelle Holley

Milk quality update NML tests 98% of British milk for payment purposes. These are the latest bulk milk quality results compared with March 2014. June 2014 reflects the seasonal change, but overall it shows that the industry is maintaining good milk hygiene standards.

Milk producers will not incur any increase in fees for NMR milk recording and software services this year. “The NMR Board has decided to freeze fees for its core services,” says director Jonathan Davies.

“Producers are facing tough trading conditions and there is pressure on inputs. NMR will work closely with its producer customers to deliver value-added services and help them improve herd efficiency, while not adding to the burden of increased costs.”

fat % protein % SCC (‘000/ml) Bactoscan

March 2014

June 2014

March 2015

4.11 3.28 174 28

3.85 3.24 188 23

4.14 3.27 174 28

The top three 100-tonne NMR cows in January and February 2015, ranked on lifetime daily yield (LDY), are: In first place Thameshead Boss Mona 44 with an LDY of 32.94kg/ day. She yielded 113,691kg in seven lactations. From Kemble Farms, Gloucestershire.

Second place is Hemsington Shottle Iris 3 with an LDY of 31.54kg/day. She has yielded 110,409kg of milk in seven lactations and is from Maurice Cock and Partners, Devon.

In third place is Chalclyffe Shottle J Escudo, with an LDY of 31.27kg/day. She has yielded 101,042kg of milk in seven lactations and is from Nick Cobb’s Dorset-based herd.

The full list of all NMR recorded cows achieving 100 tonnes in 2015 is on the NMR website.

Table 1: Milk quality results (source: NML)

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 A GE ME N T

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B U L L

P R O O F S

More top genomic Holsteins gain daughter-proven indexes

Genomic ‘confidence’ grows Former Gold Cup finalist and Lancashire-based Holstein breeder James Tomlinson is reassured to see genomically-tested sires beginning to dominate the daughter-proven rankings. text Rachael Porter

T

he latest daughter-proven proof run should definitely serve, once again, to strengthen confidence in genomicallytested sires. So says James Tomlinson, who runs the 260-cow Bilsrow herd, based near Preston, in partnership with his parents David and Sheila and his wife Eleanor.

“There are several bulls in the proven list’s top 20 that were previously at the top of the genomic list,” he says. “The new number-one sire, on the Profitable Lifetime Index ranking, is a case in point.”

The bull is the Canadian, Gen-I-Beq Lavaman, who did, indeed, make his name as the number-one young sire on the UK’s first ever genomic ranking published exactly three years ago by DairyCo.

Massive PLI Today Lavaman has many daughters milking throughout the world, including 54 in the UK. On the strength of their performance, he earns a massive PLI of £640, thanks to the transmission of plenty of high-quality milk and

Planet outcross

James Tomlinson

outstanding daughter fertility in an allround solid index. Lavaman is a son of Man-O-Man, a former number-one £PLI sire. And he is joined in the top 20 by numerous former top genomic sires, which are now daughter-proven leaders.

“We’ve not used him as yet, but we’re considering him – with a proof like that how can he be ignored,” says James.

Number two in the ranking is the former front-runner, Prehen Omen, the first of two bulls bred in the UK to feature in the top 10. Now with 90 UK milking

No-Fla Alta Everglade

50

daughters, and featuring high-quality milk, his PLI is £607. “He’s another good all-rounder, scoring well for SCC, fertility and lifespan. He’s just what you’d expect from an O Man son, but we probably won’t use him because we’ve already used a lot of direct O Man sons on our herd,” explains James.

The third ranking sire is Kings-Ransom Erdman, who earns his PLI of £544 partly on the strength of his low daughter maintenance costs and their long lifespans. “Now here is an interesting Planet outcross,” says James. “He’s very solid right through.”

Fourth placed Grafit maintains his high position (£PLI 531), with an exceptional Somatic Cell Count Index (SCC –18). He has also caught James’ eye. “There’s a place for him in most herds’ AI flasks.

He’s a real dairyman’s sire. And we definitely want to use him.”

Moving further down the list, James also has a close eye on equal eighth ranking sire, with the highest type transmission in the top 20 bull – Ladys-Manor Grafeeti.

He has a PLI of £504 and a Type Merit of 2.72. “We used him as a genomic sire, but we’re not using him at the moment.

On the strength of the daughters that we have on the ground we will definitely be using him again. He certainly lives up to expectations.”

Looking to the genomic sire rankings, it’s easy to see the Canadian domination.

Seagull Bay Supersire

C V CO EOEW W TM EMEA ALN N TA AJG GAEENM MUEEAN NRTTI SA 1 E/PP2RTI 2 EL M 0/ 0 M B9EA RY 22 00 01 95

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conformation

SCC

lifespan

93 94 85 83 99 99 95 95 83 78 81 83 85 85 83

+443 +342 +461 +560 +754 -+64 +320 +480 +216 +276 +968 +248 +273 +76 +491

+21.1 +22.3 +22.1 +29.8 +31.3 +18.2 +11.2 +20.7 +25.1 +23.8 +35.4 +22.9 +19.9 +21.9 +25.7

+26.3 +23.5 +14.2 +22.9 +25.1 +5.4 +16.1 +19.7 +10.8 +16.9 +28.8 +14.2 +13.1 +6.4 +22.1

+0.04 +0.11 +0.05 +0.09 +0.02 +0.27 -0.02 +0.02 +0.21 +0.16 -0.03 +0.16 +0.11 +0.24 +0.08

+0.14 +0.15 -0.01 +0.06 +0.01 +0.10 +0.07 +0.05 +0.05 +0.10 -0.03 +0.08 +0.05 +0.05 +0.07

640 607 544 531 519 508 508 504 504 504 501 497 497 495 495

–2 7 –19 12 14 –2 10 –21 –2 16 11 29 19 15 13

–7 –13 –15 –18 –7 –13 –15 –8 –15 –11 –4 –22 –22 –24 –8

0.2 0.5 0.6 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.2

10.2 7.2 9.8 7.3 12.8 18.2 15.2 9.6 5.5 10.3 1.4 5.4 11.9 10.4 4.3

2.1 1.7 1.4 1.0 1.9 0.8 1.7 2.1 0.7 2.1 1.3 1.2 0.9 0.1 2.1

genomic sires Sandy-Valley-I Penmanship Pes009 Boardshop De-Su Firewall De-Su Acrobate De-Su 11756 Octavian

Enforcer Enforcer Jackman Jetset Numero Uno

Numero Uno Bookem Shamrock Bookem Bookem

Semex Semex Semex Semex Genus

67 67 67 67 68

+614 +29.7 +592 +25.3 +290 +25.2 +495 +26.5 +648 +32.0

+26.7 +23.5 +14.3 +19.3 +23.9

+0.07 +0.02 +0.17 +0.08 +0.08

+0.08 +0.05 +0.06 +0.04 +0.03

724 657 648 639 633

17 18 –6 24 13

–19 –20 –25 –29 –31

0.7 0.6 0.6 0.6 0.5

10.4 11.1 10.3 10.7 6.5

1.2 1.5 1.6 1.1 0.0

fat%

TM

£PLI

Semex Bullsemen.com/AIS Bullsemen.com Mastergen/ABA Viking Semex Genus Genus Genus Cogent Alta Cogent Alta Bullsemen.com Semex Sterling

udder

£PIN

Goldwyn Goldwyn Ramos O Man BW Marshall Durham Laudan Laudan Goldwyn O Man Planet O Man Wizard Shottle Goldwyn

F&L

fat kg

Man-O-Man O Man Planet Goldwyn O Man O Man O Man O Man Freddie Massey Robust Shot Al Freddie Man-O-Man Man-O-Man

dCE

milk

proven sires Gen-I-Beq Lavaman Prehen Omen Kings-Ransom Erdman VH Tirsvad Goldwyn Grafit Mainstream Manifold Gran-J Oman McCormick Laurelhill Classic ABS Simon Ladys-Manor Rd Grafeeti No-Fla Alta Everglade Seagull-Bay Supersire De-Su Alta Melhor De-Su Freddie Denim Amighetti Numero Uno Genervations Lexor

fertility

mat. grandsire supplier

protein

sire

prot. kg

name

rel.

ind.

functional traits

%

production

1.96 1.13 1.46 1.00 0.76 0.88 0.84 0.29 0.50 1.64 0.43 1.03 –0.89 0.98 0.35 1.28 0.57 1.01 –0.38 0.56 0.37 –0.04 -0.75 -0.60 1.94 2.44 2.72 1.37 0.27 0.65 1.27 1.44 1.51 2.32 1.94 2.52 0.21 0.30 0.52 1.27 2.30 2.36 2.55 0.99 1.51

1.94 1.82 1.15 2.19 1.30

1.40 1.65 2.04 1.80 1.68

1.81 1.95 2.12 2.18 1.86

Table 1: Top 15 daughter-proven and top five genomic sires available in the UK ranked on PLI (source: DairyCo breeding+ and Holstein UK)

The top two young sires, ranked on genomic £PLI remain unchanged in the new DairyCo list, with the two Canadian Enforcer sons, Penmanship and Boardshop, retaining the number one and two positions. Penmanship’s PLI of £724, his outstanding lifespan transmission (LS Index +0.7), good production (Predicted Transmitting Ability for milk 614kg) and high daughter Fertility Index (FI +10.4), keep him firmly in the lead.

Penmanship’s paternal half-brother, Mainstream Manifold

Boardshop, shows a similar transmitting pattern and has a PLI of £657.

But James isn’t keen. “If you look back through their pedigrees they carry a lot of Shottle blood on both sides. They’re from very good cow families, but I wouldn’t pick them for our herd.”

He’s also wary of third placed Firewall (AltaJackman x Shamrock), who edges up from fifth position and, like the two bulls above him, is a son of a genomic young sire. Milk quality and low maintenance costs are features of

his index, including fat transmission of +0.17%. His PLI is £648. But James says that his dam was only classified G76 and, as a cow-family enthusiast, this maybe isn’t quite up his street. Far more attractive to James is fifth-place sire DeSu Octavian. He is the highest Numero Uno son in the rankings, with a PLI of £633. And, with an SCC Index of –31, he is the best cell count improver in the top 10. “He’s from a very good cow family and also has an impressive sire stack.

Growing confidence “I’m also putting a strong emphasis on milk at the moment – at least +400kg – because in the recent past we’ve focused heavily on other traits. Octavian offers +648kg, so he’s definitely milky.”

Overall, he’s really pleased to see so many genomic bulls making the leap to the top of the daughter-proven rankings.

“It’s really reassuring and our confidence in genomic testing has certainly grown during the past year or so. We’ve always dabbled, but now 50% of the sires used on our herd are genomically tested, rather than daughter proven.

“We started cautiously and we’ve gained confidence from the daughters we have on the ground and milking in our herd.

But bull proof runs like this give us added proof that the technology can be trusted.” l

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One milk sample

two results NMR PREGNANCY TESTING

Save time and hassle in your milking parlour and boost herd fertility.

Using your existing NMR milk sample, you can now detect pregnancy at the same time – improving your herd’s pregnancy rates and boosting productivity.

The tests are an impressive 96.7% speciďŹ c (over 40 days from service) and 97.6% sensitive.

Our service includes an automatic, free, follow-up test for animals giving an inconclusive result, making it a convenient complement to your routine palpation and ultrasound examinations.

This service uses a test that is not looking for progesterone, but for Pregnancy Associated Glycoprotein, using ELISA technology. This eliminates having to sample at certain times of the month.

Call us now on 03330 043043

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www.nmr.co.uk

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Windschermen • Pare-vent • Windbreaks • Windschirme

WE’REOR

F LOOKING

DEALERS

Slow but constant aeration without draught...

In other words, optimal ventilation.

Industriestraat 8c • 8755 Ruiselede • Belgium • e-mail: info@vervaeke.be Phone +32 (0)51 68 97 73 • Fax +32 (0)51 68 99 92 • Mobile 0475 43 56 78 W W W. V E R VA E K E . B E

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS

Milking time: this cow is keen to get to work!

Picture: Kristina Waterschoot

May 6: May 7: May 13-15: May 27-30: June 4-6: June 10-11 June 18-21: July 8-9: July 14-16: July 20-23: September 16: October 7: October 20: November 18:

NMR/RABDF Gold Cup Farm Walk, Michael Eavis, Glastonbury, Somerset Grassland UK, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Balmoral Show, Balmoral Park, Lisburn Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Royal Cornwall Show, Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, Cornwall TotalDairy Seminar, Tortworth Court Four Pillars Hotel, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire Royal Highland Show, Ingliston, Scotland Livestock Event, NEC, Birmingham Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate, North Yorkshire Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells, Powys UK Dairy Day, Telford International Centre, Shropshire The Dairy Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Welsh Dairy Show, Nantyci Showground, Carmarthen Agriscot, Edinburgh, Scotland

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

Editorial team Chief Editor Jaap van der Knaap Editor Rachael Porter Phone 01394 270587 E-mail rachael.porter@virgin.net Editing, design and production Veeteelt Contributing writers Lauren Chambers, Roger Evans, Allison Matthews, David Matthews, Ray Meadon, Jaap van der Knaap 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. Fax 0031 26 38 98 839 E-mail cm.office@crv4all.com internet www.cowmanagement.net

Subscriptions CowManagement is available free of charge to customers of NMR, Avoncroft and Thompsons.

If you think you are eligible, please contact: NMR Customer Services, Ground Floor Building 26, Pannal Industrial Estate, Station Road, Harrogate HG3 1JL Phone 08447 255567 E-mail customerservices@NMR.co.uk www.isubscribe.co.uk

Alta ...........................................................43 Ancotec .....................................................53 Ark ............................................................42 Bayer .........................................................11 Biotal ...........................................................7 Boer Housing Systems Ltd, De ...................36 BUC...........................................................20 Carrs Billington ..........................................35 Cogent ......................................................47 Concept Cowhouse Ltd. ............................36 Cowsfeet .....................................................6 CRV Avoncroft Ltd./CRV ...........................55 Dairy Master..............................................48 Dairy Spares ..............................................21 Devenish Nutrition.....................................56 DP Agri......................................................26 Easyfix .........................................................6 Elanco........................................................24 Enegis ..................................................35, 42

Enviro Systems.............................................6 Farmplus....................................................42 ForFarmers/Thompsons .............................18 Hoofcount .................................................20 Intershape .................................................42 Joskin ........................................................38 Malc Elder Marketing Ltd. .........................36 Mayo Cow Comfort ..................................48 NMR .....................................................2, 52 Northern Dairy Equipment Ltd. ..................20 Open Day Gold Cup winner ......................38 Storth ........................................................48 Spinder ......................................................42 Teemore Engineering Ltd. ..........................35 VDK products ............................................39 Vervaeke ...................................................53 Wilson Agri................................................38 Zoetis ........................................................17

Advertisements Jonathan Davies, NMR. Phone 07970 017243 E-mail jonathand@nmr.co.uk Willem Gemmink, Froukje Visser P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands, Fax 0031 26 38 98 824 E-mail willem.gemmink@crv4all.com

Illustrations/pictures Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Bob Geddes (10), Alger Meekma (19) and Mark Pasveer (44-46).

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 Holding 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.

COMING UP

P re v i e w Livest o ck Even t June/July (June 23) – We’ll have a taste of what’s to see at the annual Livestock Event in July, as well as the second article in our series on training and development.

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

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APRI L/MAY

2 0 1 5

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CRV AVONCROFT Your partner for healthy and efficient cows

Apina Nadja, dam Apina Norman

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DELTA G-FORCE (Man-O-Man x Jordan)

• £435 PLI, +314kg milk, 39kg fat & protein • Health 6% • Efficiency 10% • Big daughter proof, 1,996 dtrs in 905 herds • Easy calving and –15 SCC

Griet 234 (s. Delta G-Force)

ALL SALES INQUIRIES: FREEPHONE 0800 – 7831880

BETTER COWS | BETTER LIFE

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