V O LU M E 10 N O 5 JU LY/AUGUST 2012
IN THIS ISSUE
H E A LT H
MANAGEMENT
N U TRI TI ON
BVD – timely tips on effective control
Is herd size key to maximising business efficiency?
We focus on body condition score and targetted feeding
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C O N TE N T
Features
Cow Talk Overalls of: Marathon runner Veterinary practice: Coccidiosis NMR Dairy Management News Avoncroft Breeding Information/ Thompsons Nutritional News 46 Events and contacts 4 12 21 37 43
R e p o r t
14 Planning and investment to build a sustainable business for future generations at Bryn Mawr Farm C o l u mn
16 Roger Evans H e a l t h
18 BVD control M a n a g e m e n t
22 Grassland Alliance 38 Water quality
Kevin Jones “I needed help with heat detection – it’s a belt-andbraces approach” 14
Editor Rachael Porter Beat the squeeze
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ummer’s finally here, or at least the rain has eased up a little in most parts of the UK! With second cut in the clamp, thoughts are now turning to how silage is going to feed out in the autumn and winter and what feeds, if any, need to be purchased to balance forage rations. We’ve an article on how to avoid some of the feed buying pitfalls in our feeding special, which begins on page 27. This section also contains article on precision feeding – surely a ‘must-read’ as milk prices continue to be squeezed and production costs remain high. Water is a key component to cow rations that’s often over looked and it seems that borehole water quality could be causing problems on some units. Read our article on page 38 to find out why testing your water could be key to successful transition cow management and avoiding milk fever. Another disease to avoid is BVD and, as one producer tells us on page18, it can sneak up on you when you least expect it – and with disastrous results. See what steps he took to tackle the problem and ensure that he now keeps it in check with more rigorous routines in place. We’ve also got the low-down on the Grassland Alliance – a group of organisations who are working together to breed bulls that sire daughters who are ideally suited to grazing-based systems. And, as more and more producers look to expand their herds, we ask the question: what is the ideal herd size? Read the article on page eight to see what our experts think and if size really does matter.
Main article Optimum herd size
Special Feeding
Conference Feeding for fertility
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UK dairy herds, whatever their size, must be well managed and utilise their ‘forage advantage’
Targeted feeding and tips and pointers on keeping cows at the ideal condition score
COW MAN AG E ME N T
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We share the views of two interesting speakers at a recent nutrition seminar
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C O W
TA L K
Mastitis-control ‘lessons’ from Norway Good udder health is possible without a regular teat dipping routine, or at least it is in Norwegian herds where the incidence of sub-clinical mastitis is among the lowest in the world. And there may be some lessons for UK producers to learn from their Norwegian counterparts as far as udder health is concerned. Producers there have seen a 60% reduction in the number of clinical cases of mastitis and the national herd average somatic cell count fell to 114,000 cells/ml in 2007, from 250,000 cells/ml in 1994. The current UK average supplied by DairyCo datum is 177,000 cells/ml. There were some interesting findings of a study, carried out by researchers at Northampton University, which compared mastitis incidence and control strategies in UK and Norwegian herds.
Feeding for fertility
Good fertility means a good return to ovarian cycling post calving, according to Karl-Johan Petersson from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. “Producers want to see strong signs of heat, successful AI and a pregnancy. Unfortunately, fertility has fallen in many countries,” Dr Petersson told delegates at Provimi’s animal nutrition seminar. Calving interval has followed the same trend as milk production, with both increasing, and Dr Petersson pointed to the negative energy balance early in the lactation and reduced body score as having an impact on fertility. However, fertility trends in the past few years have
“Herds in the UK and Norway use different and sometimes contradictory management techniques to control mastitis. And Norwegian producers rarely practice teat dipping as part of their milking routine,” says Kate Mackenzie, who led the study. “The country adheres to a rationale that disinfection is detrimental to normal teat flora, which in turn allows easy colonisation of harmful bacteria,” she adds. The farm she visited in the Norway had 70 Norwegian Red cows. This is a popular breed in Norway, but a considerably larger herd size than the national average, which in 2006 was approximately 18 cows. “In the herringbone parlour, warm water and individual cloths were used to clean
improved, following the incorporation of fertility indexes in breeding programmes worldwide. Low heritability for fertility makes it hard to deal with in breeding programmes but it is not impossible to select for fertility and make a difference, and this has been shown in the breeding programmes in the Nordic countries. The introduction of genomic selection will also increase the opportunities for breeding for functional traits such as fertility. “The increased use of heat detection techniques can also help improve fertility and can successfully detect increased activity around oestrus.”
the teats before milking units were attached. “To lower the incidence of environmental mastitis, management techniques such as preventing cows from lying down immediately after milking, and altering feeding times, are used instead of postmilking teat disinfection,” explains Miss Mackenzie. “To help UK producers in their on-going battle with environmental mastitis, best practices from Norwegian herds could be incorporated into the UK milking routines,” she adds. “More focus on reducing teat-end exposure to pathogens post-milking, as well as cross breeding to re-instate udder health traits that may have been bred out, could really help to reduce the incidence of mastitis in UK herds.”
Milk float? This was the sight that greeted the 10,000 visitors to the NRM dairy show in the Netherlands in June. Designed by a leading Dutch artist, she was 10 metres high and made from more than 30,000 balloons.
Deadline for dairy scholars A revised calendar has brought the deadline for this year’s applications for Trehane Trust Awards forward by three months to July 31, 2012. Under the umbrella of the Nuffield Farming Scholarships, prospective scholars can apply on line at www. nuffieldscholar.org. The Trehane Trust offers study travel awards each year and encourages all those, aged between 25 and 45 and with an interest in any part of the dairy chain, to apply. Applicants have to submit a topic related to the dairy industry that they would like to study and one which, through their improved knowledge and
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C OWMANAGEMENT
experience, would contribute to the UK dairy industry. Successful scholars are provided with travel and subsistence costs and are expected to commit eight weeks to the study, which might be in one block or smaller blocks. They have to report their findings in writing and at the Nuffield Farming Conference and the Trehane Trust Annual Scholars’ Dinner. Recent Trehane Scholars have looked at the removal of barriers to large scale dairying, generic marketing of milk and consumer attitudes to milk, family farm succession and cow comfort, nutrition and performance.
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Garlic lick helps keep flies in check An ‘anti-fly’ garlic bucket, now improved with higher levels of yeast and zinc, is proving an ideal supplement for grazing cattle facing the arrival of warm weather. The molasses-based Garlyx buckets, manufactured by Dallas Keith, which are also available as blocks, contain garlic and a range of natural trace minerals including zinc, cobalt, phosphorous, calcium and selenium. They also have a 20% higher level of yeast than previously, in the form of Alltech’s Yea-sacc. “After a cold, wet spell summer is here at last,” says the company’s Chris Willett. “But that means a real flush of lush grass – which can cause digestive upsets – and, of course, an increase in flies. “Garlyx is a versatile three-in-one product helping cattle to maintain digestive health, build condition and combat flies, while at summer grazing,” he adds.
Garlic has long been known for its antiparasitic properties. “The sulphorous compounds in garlic, once in the blood stream, are transmitted through the pores onto the skin,” explains Mr Willett. “As you can imagine, it’s a great natural deterrent for biting insects such as summer flies. “It also works against biting midges,
Inoculant advice for third cut Third-cut silage could well be taken in the less-than-ideal weather conditions this summer, meaning that the resulting silage could then be at risk of poor fermentation and sub-optimal digestibility. So says Micron Bio-Systems’ Mark Cox who is advising producers to consider using an effective combination silage inoculant. He explains that many parts of the country have seen more rainfall between April and June than would normally be seen in a whole season. “This has played havoc with first-cut silages, with producers all over the country already reporting variable quality. To add to this, delayed cutting will undoubtedly have resulted in many silages having reduced digestibility. “Increased soil contamination from travelling on wet and muddy fields will also mean more risk from clostridial fermentation leading to high ammonia-N and butyric acid concentrations.” Mr Cox adds that this season, more than most, has justified the use of a crop specific, multi component inoculant containing lactic acid
producing bacteria and breakthrough enzyme technology. “Lactic acid producing bacteria ensure a rapid and efficient fermentation – the faster the fermentation is completed, the more nutrients will be retained. “Producers should look for a product that contains a combination of lactic acid producing bacteria to dominate the full fermentation across the pH range. “The inclusion of enzymes has two potential benefits. Firstly, they breakdown complex carbohydrates such as starch and cellulose into sugars which help promote more lactic acid and so aid the fermentation process – particularly useful when sugars are limited as will be the case where crops have been harvested in wet conditions,” explains Mr Cox. “Secondly, enzymes have been shown to have a positive effect on digestibility, particularly after storage of between 30 and 60 days. “If the weather is wet for any remaining cuts, producers should consider using a combination inoculant. Studies have shown digestibility improvements of up to 20%.”
thought to be responsible for the spread of the Schmallenberg virus and the bluetongue virus.” Yeast also helps to stabilise rumen pH, supports the function of the rumen and enhances feed digestion so that more nutrients are absorbed. Garlyx in 20kg buckets, and also available in 100kg and 500kg blocks, can be found at agricultural merchants nationwide.
Teat-care product repels flies With the current wet and warm weather providing perfect conditions for flies to breed and an increased risk of summer mastitis, Agroserve is urging producers to act now and protect their cows against flies with its teat-care product. Available to use as a dip or spray, Hexaklene R, can repel flies for up to six hours and this makes it one of the most effective summer teat dips available. The ability to fend off flies for a long period of time makes this a ‘must-have’ as part of a post-milking routine.
COW MAN AG E ME N T
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M A I N
A RT I C L E
Running a profitable dairy herd – whatever its size – req uires
There’s more to effici en UK dairy herds – whatever their size – must be managed well and utilise their forage and other resources effectively to make the most of our comparative advantage. So say two of the UK’s leading dairy consultants. text Rachael Porter
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xpansion is often seen as a key to creating a ‘future-proof’ viable and successful dairy business on many UK units. Cow numbers used to be dictated by milk quotas and land availability. But with an increase in all-year-round housing and zero grazing systems, land is not longer such a limiting factor. But large dairy herds – the so-called ‘mega’ dairies – divide opinion. Seen by some as a step towards the US intensive, grain-fed based system, with the potential to compromise cow health, welfare and longevity, large herds are also seen by others as well-oiled, ordered and efficient milk production businesses with huge potential in terms of economies of scale and increasing the cow’s productive life. But who is right? “Like any size dairy herd, large herds can be run and managed incredibly well, with excellent standards of animal health, welfare and productivity to boot,” Ben Watts: says Kite Consulting’s Ben “A good team of staff – the best Watts. available – is crucial to successful He’s adviser to many top dairy large herd management” businesses across the UK, which range from just 40 cows up to more than 2,000. “And I have to say that, in my experience, size doesn’t really come into it. I’ve seen well managed units of all sizes and the converse is also true.” In fact, based on data collated from more than 25,000 cows, as part of Kite’s health monitor system, Mr Watts says that larger herds are often better at tackling health and fertility issues. In terms of health and welfare, the average culling rate for herds of between 200 and 300 cows is significantly lower than the average for 100-cow herds. “Interestingly, the data-set for 2011 shows that herds of up to 100 cows had a higher culling rate than the
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req uires precise management and a close eye on feed costs
ciency than mere scale 300-plus cow herds. The lowest culling rate was in the 200 to 300 cow category,” says Mr Watts. That’s quite surprising at first. But then large herds often have more protocols and procedures in place and these have to be followed to the letter if management is to be efficient and effective. “And that’s the pay off for tip-top and timely husbandry – potentially better health and fertility and fewer involuntary culls.”
Precise management Because there’s so much more at stake in a large herd, health and fertility niggles and problems cannot be ignored or simply over looked. “Management is often more precise and problems are nipped in the bud and dealt with promptly to maintain control and avoid huge losses. Weekly or monthly check lists are adhered to and issues are not missed or left to chance – they can’t be,” explains Mr Watts. He adds that these larger herds also tend to have easier access to good labour or a dedicated vet to tackle problems head on. “So scale definitely works here.” On a profit basis, he says there’s little difference between the herds. “Some are better than others but that’s usually not a size or a system issue. On a profit per litre basis they can be similar, but the large herds with more litres can spread the overheads more easily, generating higher overall profits. It’s due to different management styles and, more importantly, down to the individuals involved in Derek Gardner: the day-to-day management “UK producers must look to utilise and running of the unit. “So I can’t see how large herds grass and exploit our climate’s comparative advantage” wouldn’t prosper and do well, so long as protocols are in place and the people working on the unit are skilled and dedicated. I always tell my clients, if they’re looking to employ staff, to hire people who are better at the job than they are. A good team of staff – the best available – really is crucial and I can’t stress that enough.” He adds that it’s always good management to group large herds in smaller sub groups. Putting a 300-cow herd through the parlour in one lump is a no no. “Groups of between 80 and 100 cows are best, so they can be ‘fed and to bed’ between 45 and 55 minutes.” Promar International’s Derek Gardner agrees and says that he’s seen many large herds that run sub
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groups. “A unit may have 1,000 cows but the herd is split into four groups of 250, for example, for ease of management.” He says that the image of housing a lot of cows under one roof has created a public perception issue. “It’s become associated with the image of caged hens and is perceived to be ‘factory farming’, which it’s most certainly not. This is unfortunate.” Cows in these units have plenty of space to loaf and lie down and they thrive: “Which they simply wouldn’t do if they were suffering. If a cow is uncomfortable or sick, she won’t get in calf and she won’t milk – it’s as simple as that. So a large unit that doesn’t make cow health and welfare a priority simply isn’t going to survive – it won’t make any money.”
Bought-in feeds To stay efficient, Mr Gardner says that, in his opinion, the maximum herd size for economies of scale is somewhere between 400 and 500 cows. “Once you move into the thousands, herd size means that management is forced down the route of a storefeeding system – in other words they’re housed all year round and there’s no grazing. The land required to graze a 2,000-cow herd, for example, for five or six months of the year is simply too great. And with bought-in feed costs so high, there’s a limit to how big herds can get before it becomes uneconomic.” He’s seen mega dairies in the US struggling and some are going out of business due to the high grain prices. “Some people aspire to running a 15,000-cow unit, like the ones in the US. But high input/high output on that scale is simply not viable and many large producers over the pond are struggling at the moment. Feed prices are high and milk price is average at best. Quite a few US producers are selling up or down sizing to survive. “They set up these units when feed prices were around £40/tonne and cheap Mexican labour was easy to find. But labour costs have increased and feed prices have easily doubled. The economics are just not clever now.” Herds numbering thousands of cows are ‘not clever’ here either and, more importantly, setting up units this large in the UK fails to take advantage of our temperate, grass-growing climate. “That’s a huge advantage that we have over milk producers in many parts of the world and it shouldn’t be over looked,” stresses Mr Gardner. “US producers can’t run an 8,000-cow herd, for example, that grazes for six months of the year, produces a moderate yield and makes a profit. They have to go for the extreme. But we don’t have to take that route. “Looking forward 10 or 20 years, I think that feeding dairy herds grain will become more expensive and it’s likely that it will not be sustainable. So UK producers must look to utilise grass and make sure that they exploit our climate’s comparative advantage.” So the optimum herd size could indeed be, once again, determined by land availability. l
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O V E R A L L s
Name: Location: Herd size: Hobby:
O F F
Will Hawking Marshfield, Wiltshire 200 Marathon running
Will Hawking: “I feel like I’ve achieved something when I’ve been out for a run“
Marathon man text Rachael Porter
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hat started as an experiment to tackle a problem with recurring headaches now sees Wiltshire-based producer Will Hawking clocking up more than 40 miles each week. He’s a runner and, since he took up the sport four years ago, he’s taken part in lots of half marathons as well as a full marathon. And the stress-induced headaches have gone. “My wife Dawn is a physiotherapist and also a runner. I gave it a try at her suggestion, rather than take the pills the doctor gave me to relieve the headaches. It worked and now I’m hooked,” he says. “It’s the endorphins and the natural high you get after a run, but it’s also a great way to get away from the dairy business and to unwind and de-stress. I feel like I’ve achieved something when I’ve been out for a run, no matter what kind of day I’ve had at work. I run at least five days a week now.” He says that one of the best things about running is that it’s not an expensive hobby – all you need is a decent pair of running shoes – and you can fit it in around your daily routine. “You can go at a time that suits you and you can always find half an hour to go out for a run – there are no excuses really.” Another bonus for Will is that it helps to keep him trim. “We make our own ice cream here on the farm and, naturally, we eat a lot of it. We also eat other producers’ ice creams to keep an eye on what the competition is up to. I’d say we have ice cream most days, rather than just occasionally as a treat, so I need to keep active to help keep my weight down,” he adds. Will ran his first half marathon not long after taking up running. “When I first started it was literally a case of ‘walk a minute, run a minute’ to build up my stamina and fitness. And then, just eight months later, I’m running my first half marathon – that’s 13.2 miles. I have to say that it nearly killed me! I felt terrible for days once the initial high of completing the race wore off.” That didn’t deter him. In October 2009 he ran the Lochness Marathon with Dawn. He’s applied to run the London Marathon in 2013. Will says that he also enjoys the social side of running. He rarely runs alone preferring to run instead with a group of friends who are also members of his local running club, Team Bath Athletics Club. It’s great for problem solving too – and dreaming up new flavour ideas for Marshfield Farm Ice Cream. “When you’re running you’re quite focused and can only really think about one thing at a time. So I pick a problem and mull it over while I’m out – it’s a great way to think things through clearly and come up with solutions and ideas.”
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H E R D
R E P O RT
Sound investment decisions increase efficiency and ‘future-proof’ dairy business
Plan today, strong tomorrow
Kevin, Ann and Glyn Jones Planning and investment for the future, with a strong focus on the present, are a winning formula for this Welsh dairying family Herd size: Unit size: Average yield: Calving interval:
Planning and investment to build a sustainable business for Northop
unit. We spoke to the 2011 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup finalists who
280 229 hectares 10,700kg 405 days
F
future generations is the name of the game at one Welsh dairy
manage the unit to find out more about their future plans. text Jennifer Mackenzie and Rachael Porter
lintshire-based producers Kevin and Ann Jones are not ones for standing still. Moving forward is the only way and with that comes investment. There’s been plenty of that at Bryn Mawr Farm for the past few years and it’s standing the 280-strong pedigree herd is good stead – both now and in the future. The Starkey herd and the Jones’ management style and business acumen caught the eyes of the Gold Cup judges in 2011 and they made it to the final of the prestigious competition.
Maximising the efficiency of milk production through breeding and feeding while minimising increasingly costly inputs is the name of the game at the 229-hectare unit. Kevin and his wife Ann took over the day-to-day running of the business from the solid foundations built by Kevin’s parents, Glyn and Frances, who still have an active role in running the unit. And now their eyes are on the future for their two sons, Sam and Richard, who will be the fifth generation of the family to
farm there. The family has been farming at Bryn Mawr since 1925 and in 1966 they were among the first producers to install a herringbone parlour, which was updated in 2004 with a 28:28 herringbone in a new building. The focus has shifted during the past decade or so to concentrate on milk production from the pedigree Starkey Holstein herd. Kevin has selected high yielding sires to use for DIY AI, instead of a more dualpurpose type bull.
Grazing days: Kevin is looking to maximise the expanding herd’s milk production from home-grown forage
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Extra capacity: slurry lagoon aids storage and timely application
Feeding is based on home-grown maize and wheat and the best use made of slurry. The herd is averaging 10,700kg at 3.94% butterfat and 3.20% protein and milk is sold to Tomlinsons Dairies, of Wrexham, which pays a premium for Welsh branded milk. Somatic cell count is running at 172,000 cells/ml with Bactoscan at 18. The herd’s calving index is 405 days. Herd numbers have been fairly static since it was registered pedigree 10 years ago, but that’s about to change. Kevin has plans to go to 300 cows and push yields to 11,000kg. Work has been completed on the conversion of an indoor silage clamp to a dry cow cubicle shed. Soaring input costs for, among other things, electricity, feed, fertiliser and water, are a driver behind some of the business’ investments.
Additional storage In 2009 a new slurry store was erected at a cost of just under £100,000, giving five months’ storage and not only avoiding the hassle of spreading during the winter but maximising the use of the nutrients and saving a 30-tonne lorry load of fertiliser at a cost of £11,500. All the slurry is spread by an umbilical system, reducing fuel and machinery usage as well as saving the ground. A further £25,000 has been invested in 43pv solar panels generating 10kW of electricity. A pump brings water from a spring under the farm for storage in an old milk tanker saving a further £10,000 in water bills, which is further supplemented by rainwater collection tanks from shed roofs. And plans have been passed to convert redundant traditional farm buildings into three holiday lets to generate a diversified income. Building work should start on that shortly.
Cow comfort: the Starkey herd’s five-star accommodation
“My biggest cost is feed, which was highlighted through benchmarking with other members of the discussion group I belong to,” says Kevin. “This is why I started to grow our own wheat and push for more feed from home-grown forage.” Re-seeding is with high-clover five year leys as part of the rotation with the maize and wheat. The wheat this year will be crimped with a urea-based additive producing an 18% protein feed, which will reduce reliance on costly bought-in protein.
Three groups Maize silage is buffer fed all year round. In the summer, all but the dry cows are out day and night but with access to the buffer feed at night. The cows are fed in three different groups, the most recent being for freshly calved cows. For the first two or three weeks the are loose housed and fed a proportion of the high yielders’ ration plus ad-lib hay. The cows giving plus 45 litres a day are fed to a maximum of 5kg of a 16% protein concentrate in the parlour. The main cow diet for maintenance plus 30 litres is 0.7kg straw, 0.15kg minerals, 7kg maize silage,11kg grass silage, 2.5kg alkagrain, 2.25kg hiprosoya and 1.5kg soya hulls. “The specific diet for the freshly calved cows is helping to reduce displaced abomasums and it has eliminated milk fever. “This decision was taken in consultation with our vet, who makes regular routine visits, and our Promar nutritionist,” adds Kevin. “Herd health is high on our list of priorities and maiden heifers are vaccinated for BVD, Leptospirosis and IBR before bulling. “Cows get annual booster vaccinations. The herd has never had an incidence of
Johne’s,” he adds. “And we’re careful with biosecurity so it stays that way.” The couple don’t take any short cuts and they’re always looking to improve all parameters – particularly fertility. That’s why they’ve also invested in a heatdetection tool. “I needed help with heat detection – it’s a belt-and-braces approach really. “Our detection rates were already good, but I was concerned that I wasn’t giving it the time that it deserved. “And things have certainly improved. Not dramatically, but it’s good to know that they system is there to pick up anything that I miss,” says Kevin. Another recent purchase is a segregation gate, which works using the collars bought for the heat detection system. “It allows me to separate the higher yielders – those giving more than 25 litres – and buffer feed them more easily. Feeding is more targeted and, therefore, more efficient.” Hoof health should also improve as a result of investing in a ‘jet wash’ footbath, which the couple saw at the Dairy Event. “We used to have two foot baths – one to clean and one to disinfect.
Treatment costs “But this one does both and uses sensors so it knows when a cow is walking through and works automatically,” explains Ann. “It’s very clever and it’ll soon pay for itself as lameness losses and treatment costs are falling since we installed it.” Like many other investments and developments on the unit, it should generate a decent return – either in the long or short term. “We’re in it for the long haul – we have to look at the future and we have to plan. For us it’s about building a strong and sustainable dairy business that our sons, if they wish to, can help us to run in the future,” adds Kevin. l
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F R O M
R O G E R
E VA N S
Award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based producer Roger Evans has bought himself a British Friesian bull and has built a suitable home for the highly-prized new addition to his herd.
Mind the gap! T
he best cows I ever had were the first cows I bred out of British Friesian dams by a Holstein bull. The arrival of the Holstein was quite opportune for me. For years I had used a bull called Rhosithel Nordema and he sired many superb milking, long lasting cows for me. I’d buy some of his semen again if I could find it. Then I moved on to another bull, but I’ll not name him. He produced a lot of short, fat cows that were slow milking and bad tempered – never a good combination! These cows were crying out for some Holstein genes – and they got them. We must never forget the Holstein impact on temperament. When I first started farming you could walk down the dairy lines in Shrewsbury market and there would be cows and heifers there that would have a swing at you. So we used Holstein semen with great success and, like everyone else, we went on using it until a few years ago. My son chooses the bulls now – I wouldn’t have my father telling me what to do when I was 20 let alone at my son’s age – and we used a lot of Swedish Red. We’ve got some really excellent cows by this cross. But it has always been at the back of my mind that we may be able to reverse what we did all those years ago and take Holstein cows back to British Friesian. We’ve used British Friesian semen here quite a lot lately, but then 12 months ago a friend of mine sold his pure British Friesian herd. I saw it as a one-off chance to get some good bloodlines into my herd, so I bought a few bulling heifers. If you want to make a real impact on your breeding you need a bull, so I also bought a little bull calf. So if we gather all these thoughts and deeds together I’ve got some pure Friesian heifers about to calve and a 12-month old Friesian bull, who is getting playful! That reminds me that we haven’t put a ring in his nose yet. Down at the pub, the consensus is that we shouldn’t do it ourselves because the bull will always remember who did it and bear a grudge. So we will get Nick, the foot trimmer, to do it. None of us likes him anyway. But we have bull pen to keep the bull and if we are to get years of use out of him we have to assume he will eventually be big and dangerous and will need a proper home. I’ve given a lot of thought to this, because it needs to be safe to manage too. It has to be easy to clean him out, as in easy access with a loader bucket. And it needs to be safe and easy to feed him and to bring cows to him. It also needs to be a nice place for him to live, where he can see what’s going on around him and he’s close enough to the cows for them to ‘flirt’ with him when they are bulling. This will help with heat detection. So I’ve built his accommodation, with all this in mind, in the two end bays of an old stone barn. It’s a good sized concrete pen and has suitable gates outside. There are double posts at each corner to provide escape routes for humans. It’s all designed so that bull and humans don’t need to be in the same pen, but you know that someday they will be. The only flaw in the design is that in making the gap at the corners wide enough for me and Stephen, who works here, to get through, the bull can get out as well. We’ll just have to wait until he grows into it.
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H E A LT H
David Kent: “BVD crept up on us a second time – now it’s belt and braces”
The BVD experience Life is full of surprises – a statement that one Shropshire producer doesn’t under-estimate when it comes to BVD risks. Despite precautions, as good as the majority of producers, the disease ‘crept’ into his herd. And that’s something that could happen to many other herds unless a far more robust control programme is adopted. text Karen Wright
M
anaging a traditional dairy unit to the south of Shrewsbury, David Kent has built up his Holstein herd from 50 cows to 300 during the past three decades. The 111-hectare farm, with a heifer rearing unit two miles away, lends itself to traditional dairying with cows grazing in the summer and housed and fed a partial TMR during the winter. The system, which David manages with the help from his wife Helen, supports an average yield of 7,800kg at 3.9% butterfat and 3.2% protein. Milk is sold on a Wiseman Tesco contract. “We are not purely yield driven,” says David. “It’s just one part of the jigsaw. We want fit and healthy cows with staying power,” he adds, jokingly stating that his target is a herd of cows that produce 10,000 litres a lactation for 10 years and at the end sell for good barren prices. “But what is true is that the best cows are those that we don’t notice and so often the records show this to be true.”
BVD ‘surprises’ So for these reasons disease control, with a focus on prevention rather than cure, is high on the agenda at Welbatch Farm. “But unfortunately BVD has given us some problems – and surprises,” adds David. David’s first experience of BVD was 20 years ago when he bought in some cows from a local pedigree sale. “Within a couple of months one aborted and produced a mummified calf. Then every six or eight weeks another cow would do the same. Clearly we’d bought in BVD.” Once the BVD vaccine was available David was one of the first to vaccinate
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his whole herd starting with heifers at bulling. “So when we had calf problems two years ago, with scouring in young calves and outbreaks of pneumonia in older calves, BVD wasn’t the first thing that sprung to mind. It was cold and the milk replacer feeder had been freezing up – so we questioned availability and quality of feed.” Working with his vet, Geoff Lloyd from Camlas Vets, some calves were screened for the pneumonia viruses, and all the sampled animals came back with very high levels of antibody to the BVD virus, indicating that they had all been exposed to the virus since birth. “We normally only see this situation in groups where there is a BVD carrier – a persistently infected or PI animal,” says Mr Lloyd. “But this herd was fully vaccinated and had had a recent ‘negative’ bulk milk test for the BVD virus indicating that there wasn’t a PI in the milking herd. It transpired that the affected cow had been dry at the time.”
Mystery disease “The situation in this herd was a mystery,” adds Mr Lloyd. “So we tested all the young calves, up to six months old, for the presence of BVD virus to see if there was a PI and sure enough we found a two-month old calf positive for the BVD virus and so a likely PI.” This immediately put the focus on the calf’s mother, who had been born on the farm and vaccinated as a heifer in 2009 and again in 2010. She and her mother, who was also still present on the farm but had been bought in as a pregnant
David and Helen Kent: “We now have a far more aggressive BVD control programme”
heifer back in 2008, were blood tested to show that the calf’s mother was also a PI, but the grandmother was not. PI animals are born carrying the virus, carry it for life, and act as a source of infection for other animals – even if they are vaccinated. They can only be born to a susceptible dam that comes into contact with the virus when she is up to 120 days into pregnancy, or to a dam that is already a PI. “All calves born to a PI cow will be PIs,” adds Mr Lloyd. “In this case it is most likely that the grandmother had been exposed to BVD at the critical early stages of pregnancy and so was already carrying a PI calf when she arrived on the farm.” And what surprised David Kent the most was how well these PI animals were. “The calf was the best we’ve had and her mother was fit and healthy. Both were culled, of course, but it was such a steep learning curve. We’d lost 44 calves in four months.” At this point Mr Lloyd advocated a far more aggressive control programme. “What many producers don’t realise – and neither did David at the time – is that a PI animal will remain ‘PI’ regardless of any vaccinations and any
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Tag and Test Tag and Test, blood and milk screening for BVD, are offered through the NMR Group. All are simple and easy services to use. NMR’s Nordic Star supplies the eartags and testing is conducted by NML. In the case of the bulk milk antibody test, a spare traceability sample, held by NML, is used so there’s no extra sampling on farm. NML will shortly be offering PCR testing of bulk milk samples to screen for BVD virus.
calves born to a PI will themselves be PI calves,” he says. “BVD is not controlled by vaccination alone.” Following Mr Lloyd’s advice, any boughtin animals are now isolated and screened for BVD using either a milk or blood test for BVD virus. “I also recommended screening the milking herd using a PCR bulk milk test every quarter for the presence of BVD carriers. The cost of doing so is cheap compared with the potential losses. A one-off bulk milk test only screens the animals included in the bulk tank that day. Quarterly testing
ensures that all cows and heifers entering the milking herd are tested.”
BVD tested at birth All calves are tested for BVD at birth using Tag and Test – this has replaced blood testing at Welbatch Farm. “It’s easier, quicker and cheaper,” adds David. The piece of tissue punched out of the ear at tagging can be sent to the NML lab and results are back within five days. The tissue samples from beef calves are refrigerated and used for testing if results are required. Ongoing monitoring
through quarterly PCR is still taking place to make sure any other emerging threats are picked up that could jeopardise the BVD status of the herd. Now confident that BVD is, and should remain, under control in his herd David is still shocked at the naivety among some producers. “I see producers with larger prestigious herds full of expensive cows buying heifers and not taking any precautions. I thought I knew about the disease and I’ve been caught out. I’d like to see similar moves in England to those happening in Scotland to eradicate BVD.” l
All calves are tested for BVD at birth using Tag and Test
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F R O M
T H E
V E T E R I N A RY D E B B Y
P R A C T I C E
B R O W N
Cattle vet Debby Brown, from Lancaster-based Advance Nutrition, takes a timely look at health and welfare issues that are affecting dairy herds across the UK. Here she offers the low down on coccidiosis – a disease that’s becoming increasingly common in calves on UK units.
Stay vigilant and make the most of strong calf prices
Cocci’s on the increase T
ehere has been an increasing incidence rate of coccidiosis reported by the AHVLA during the past 10 years, much of which can be associated with a greater degree of intensification in modern livestock production. Nearly all calves will be exposed to the disease at some time, but in healthy animals it does not always cause clinical signs. If there is concurrent disease, or excessively high environmental stress, then reduced animal performance occur. The disease can cost anywhere between £25 and £60 per calf affected, but could be higher, if you take into account the strong current market values for calves. So it’s well worth taking steps to protect your investment. The main species, which cause coccidiosis outbreaks, are Eimeria bovis or Eimeria zuernii. The coccidia have a complicated life cycle, which leads to highly resistant oocysts being passed in the faeces of cattle. Under suitably warm and humid conditions, these oocysts develop to the ‘infective’ stage. The severity of the disease is directly related to the number of infective oocysts digested by the calf. Both acute and chronic forms of the disease may be seen, but the chronic form is the most common. Clinical signs are most often seen in calves aged between three weeks and six months of age.
The encyclopaedia Coccidiosis Cause Protozoan parasite – coccidian. Eimeria bovis and Eimeria zuernii are the most pathogenic species.
Symptoms Acute disease will manifest as diarrhoea, often blood tinged, dehydration, anaemia, secondary bacterial infection and straining (prolapsed rectum). Chronic disease shows as ill thrift, pasty scour, loss of appetite/reduced feed intakes, poor performance and a protracted period of recovery.
Diagnosis Presence of clinical findings typical of the disease in a group of calves. Large numbers of oocysts in faecal samples from affected animals.
Treatment Traditionally, sulphonamides were the drug of choice for treating infection. Now more targeted anticoccidial therapy is used. Your vet may recommend: Diclazuril, 1mg/kg, given prior to risk period; Toltrazuril, 15mg/kg, given at start of perceived risk period; and Decoquinate, 1mg/kg, in feed medication during risk period.
Prevention/control Improvement in management and husbandry is essential to ensure clinical disease does not occur. Isolate and treat infected animals and ensure that bedding is clean and dry. Raise feed and water troughs to prevent faecal contamination and fence off natural water sources and ensure adequate drainage to prevent areas of standing water. Regularly move troughs and feeders to prevent poaching when at grass and reduce stocking density. Use an ‘all-in allout’ system and thoroughly clean and disinfect.
COW MAN AG E ME N T
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B R E E D I N G
A ‘who’s who’ of the Grassland Alliance – and the roles that they play
Strength in numbers The world’s largest breeding programme of cattle to suit grass-based and grazing system, the Grassland Alliance, harnesses a unique combination of breeding programmes from Europe and New Zealand. This aims to identify the dairy genetics that are ideal for grazing farming systems and address the ever growing fertility problems in dairy herds globally. But what do the different members of the organisation bring to the table? text David Matthews, Sijne van der Beek and Elise Ziere
T
he Grassland Alliance is based on breeding programmes, research and development. And all have an important function within the organisation. The advantages it offers include a wider gene
pool, with a higher level of genetics, as well as greater genetic diversity and biosecurity. It’s also the largest supplier of dairy semen to suit grass-based systems. The alliance aims to become
one of the largest supplier of dairy semen fitting the breeding goals of grass-based and seasonal systems, and becoming the leader in providing genetics for better fertility. l
New Zealand’s system is pasture based New Zealand has six million dairy cattle of which 4.6 million are dairy cows. The average herd size is 390 cows, with 2.8 cows/ha, an annual average yield of 360kg of milk solids, and an average cow longevity of 4.3 lactations. New Zealand also has a seasonal system with spring calving and is mainly pasture-based, although more feed is bought in than it was a decaded ago. New Zealand has various farming
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systems, ranging from pure grass-based systems without bought-in feed to a system where more than 30% of the feed is bought in. Once-a-day (OAD) milking is also becoming increasingly popular. Most important in the New Zealand systems is that profitability for these farms depends on growing and grazing as much grass as possible. In a system heavily based on making profit it should be stressed that supplementary feeds are
not substitute feeds for profitable pasture-based systems. The New Zealand cow should meet the following criteria: • Ability to harvest large quantities of grass of varying quality (up to 16kg DM/day) • Ability to produce valuable milk efficiently (relative to live weight) • Ability to calve repeatedly within 365 days.
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Teagasc and Moorepark Teagasc is the Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority and has three focus areas – research, advice and education. Moorepark is involved in the research programme, ICBF delivers the data and NCBC is responsible for the breeding programme. Moorepark, ICBF and NCBC are working closely together through continuous innovation to optimise the total profitability of grazing systems, with the goal to achieve more profit on farms. Moorepark has eight research programme areas, which include genetic
improvement: reproduction; grass supply and utilisation/nutritive value; milk production systems and economic analysis; cow nutrition and increasing added value; cow health and welfare; labour, milking and energy efficiency; and environmental research. The most important research areas are dairy cow genetic improvement, and grass supply and utilisation/nutritive value. Food Harvest 2020 sets out the vision for the Irish agri-food sector for the next decade, part of which is the ambition to increase milk volume by 50%.
In Irish dairy cattle breeding, the keys to success are: • Pertinent breeding objective – profit based • Live and accurate national database • Accurate genetic and genomic evaluations • A national breeding scheme - sustainable long-term genetic gain • Impartial extension service on how best to exploit developed tools. The aim is to have continuous improvement on the economic breeding index (EBI).
Next Generation Herd tests EBI The objective of the Next Generation Herd (NGH) is to test the appropriateness of the economic breeding index (EBI) to reflect overall profit in futuristic production systems. This is done through: • Breeding cows compatible to the Irish grass-based production system • Facilitating the monitoring of difficult to measure traits (cow health, greenhouse gas emissions, intake) • Enhancing the development of the EBI (identify new traits). To generate progeny, 2,000 females
were mated with 20 bulls, producing 40,000 offspring. A total of 800 suitable elite maiden heifers were identified. Finally 46 heifers were brought into the NHG. These heifers are within the top 1% of their group. This process has been executed in close collaboration between Teagasc and NCBC. Further heifers are to be sourced. Requirements are: 40 or more high EBI NGH heifers, 50 or more ‘Control’, approximately 100 EBI heifers, and between 40 and 50 high EBI calves.
Ireland’s breeding federation leads the way Ireland has four million inhabitants and 6.9 million cattle of which 1.1 million are dairy cows (and 350,000 heifers) with an average herd si ze of 40 cows. The moderate climate with temperatures almost never dropping below 0°C and an annual rainfall of around 975mm make Ireland ideal for extensive grass-based dairy systems. Ireland has a seasonal system, with 85% of cows calving in the spring. The stocking rate is 2.5 cows/ha and the costs of production are around 14ppl. The average milk yield in Ireland is 4,798 litres per cow, which is expected to increase to 5,140 litres in 2020. The National Cattle Breeding Centre (NCBC) was established in 2005 and is a joint venture between Progressive
Genetics and Munster Cattle Breeding Group. Together they are involved in AI and semen sales, herd recording, herd health testing, and farm software. In the years since it was formed it has grown considerably and today it is the largest AI cooperative in Ireland and aims to design, deliver and operate the breeding programmes and bull studs for its shareholders. The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), established in 2000, is the umbrella cattle breeding body of which Progressive Genetics and Munster are founder shareholders. ICBF is responsible for the central cattle breeding database, genetic evaluations, and research capabilities. Around 70% of ICBF’s funding is from the industry and 30%
from the state. The national breeding objective of ICBF is expressed as the economic breeding index (EBI), which is a single figure profit index to assist producers in selecting the most profitable cows and bulls to use to breed replacements. EBI has six sub-indices – production, fertility, calving, beef, health, and maintenance. Before 2000, the Irish index was focused solely on production. ICBF indicates that female fertility is key to the success of the Irish dairy industry. Cows have to calve as early in the season as possible to produce more milk. ICBF’s goal is to develop a highly profitable Holstein Friesian cow that combines female fertility, milk solids, and functional type.
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F E E D I N G
S P E C I A L
Body condition score: tips on monitoring and staying in control. Page 28 Targeted feeding: more milk and greater efficiency by feeding to yield. Page 30 Feed value: what to look for when weighing up your winter feed options. Page 32
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F E E D I N G
S P E C I A L
Body condition is key to a trouble-free and productive lactation
Do you know the score? Producers know the importance of calving cows at the ‘correct’ body condition score – the benefits are numerous. But it’s easier said than done. We spoke to a vet and a nutritionist for some practical pointers to help you get it right. text Rachael Porter
F
ocusing on body condition score really can have a significant impact on cow performance. So says NWF’s Tom Hough. “We ask a lot of a modern dairy cow during the course of a lactation,” he says. “She has a calf, she has to recover from calving and get settled into lactation and then start eating large amounts of feed. “And then she has to produce high quality milk, get back in calf again and keep milking until it is time to go dry and start all over again. “The effectiveness of all these activities is dependent on energy. If the cow has enough energy then generally things go better,” he says. “If she is short of energy there is a risk that the wheels will come off. “The cow gets energy from her diet and from her own body. Problems arise when too much energy is supplied from body reserves due to a
Tom Hough: “Minimise the extent and duration of the negative energy balance”
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failure in managing dry matter intakes, and this is where body condition scoring fits in.” He adds that all cows follow a natural body weight cycle during a lactation. They lose weight in early lactation before putting it back on in late lactation. “So, when managing cows, we need to avoid two things. The first is cows losing too much condition too quickly, and the second is cows being either over or under weight at any given stage of lactation. “Body condition scoring allows a quick and easy assessment of how much weight cows are losing or gaining and how quickly condition is changing.” Condition scoring involves assessing the fat cover over the tail head and loins. Assessment should be made by both sight and feel with cows scored against a scale of one to five, with one being emaciated and five grossly over fat.
Big benefits “The aim should be to dry cows off in appropriate condition and to not let them put on weight when dry,” says Mr Hough. “Post calving, the objective is to minimise the extent and duration of the negative energy balance and to also reduce the rate and severity of body condition loss,” he adds. “As body condition scoring is looking at a continuous process of change there is no single ideal time to condition score cows within a lactation. The important thing is to regularly assess the condition of cows at different stages of lactation as
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this is the only way to get a true picture of what is happening in the herd.” Mr Hough adds that tools like NWF’s body condition score (BCS) monitor allow a simple and effective way to monitor the condition of cows and to spot problems early. This tool not only looks at the results at a single point in time, but also builds a picture of change over the lactation. Correct BCS management can have big benefits. For example, cows that lose too much condition in early lactation have poorer fertility. The more condition they lose in the first month of lactation, the longer it will take for them to start ovulating and the lower conception rates will be. This will lead to extended lactations and a real risk they will dry off carrying too much condition. “Cows that are above BCS 3.5 at drying off are three times more likely to develop reproductive problems and have difficult calvings,” he says. “Excessive condition loss in early lactation indicates that cows are in negative energy balance and until this is rectified those cows will not milk to their potential. Cows above BCS 2.75 tend to have higher peak and total milk production. “By measuring BCS regularly you can ensure cows are in the correct condition throughout lactation and take targeted action to reduce the problems of incorrect BCS. The rewards for getting it right can be considerable, as those who already manage BCS will testify.”
Fertility link
Manual monitoring: condition scoring involves assessing fat cover over the tail head and loins.
Changes in body condition score during the transition period can have an effect on fertility and James Husband from Evidence Based Veterinary Consultancy believes that cows should not lose more than 0.5 to 0.75 of a point. “This is one of the main starting points when we look at fertility in dairy herds,” he told the international audience of nutritionists at Provimi’s Animal Nutrition Seminars, which was held in the Netherlands in June. “A loss of 0.5 to 0.75 will have limited effect on fertility. Beyond this and the breakdown of fat has the potential to effect liver function and subsequent cow performance.” Work from the University of Nottingham shows that cows that
James Husband: “Three or four months into lactation, BCS levels out”
are fatter at calving lose more condition early in the lactation. “Three or four months into the lactation, body condition scores level out but it was very clear from the work that the condition score of ‘fat’ cows fell rapidly post calving,” says Mr Husband. And while measuring body condition score is seen as a high priority, Mr Husband stresses that producers must be cautious. “Some cows are genetically programmed to certain body condition scores and this must be acknowledged. We also need to be wary of averages and look out for skinny and fat cows within the group, and if this is the case question whether the grouping and feeding strategy during lactation is right. “But what is vitally important is to adopt a rigid protocol in assessing body condition scores and make sure, as far as possible, that cows have a BCS of 2.5 to 3 at drying off and at calving.” Pointers for producers include maximising dry matter intakes during the transition period to prevent an excessive drop in BCS. “The key is to make sure that cows are metabolically robust at calving,” he says. Producers should avoid over feeding. A trial that compared two groups of cows, one of which was overfed throughout the dry period, found that this over-fed group had far greater fat mobilisation at calving and fat accumulation in liver one day post calving. “If cows are too fat then they have greater stores of adipose tissue, which is not good. So, when feeding dry cows, don’t overfeed cows in the far-off period – these cows can live off not much more than fresh air.” Mr Husband says that between 5kg and 7kg of straw and grass silage is adequate. “Maize silage could be too high in starch and don’t let them sort – use a very short chop for straw. And add water to the mix because that can help mineral intakes because it sticks to the straw.” l
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F E E D I N G
S P E C I A L
Precision feeding is the key to combating rising feed prices
Time to take control For many producers the solution to high feed prices could lie in precision feeding – increasing the proportion of the diet that is fed on an individual cow basis. Who better to ask that two of the UK’s leading nutritionists and a producer who’s been using out-of-parlour feeders for more than 15 years. text Rachael Porter
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roups or individual feeding – both are better than feeding an entire herd the same ration. This later option means some cows could be over fed with others under fed. Over feeding makes a hefty and unnecessary dent in the feed bill and can also result in over-fat cows at calving and a myriad of problems associated with that. Underfeeding is fraught with problems too – not least a loss of potential milk production. NWF Agriculture’s Mike Phillips says that the one downside to feeding more of a cow’s diet on a herd basis, down the feed trough, is a loss of precision.
And he adds that increasing precision is the best way to maximise the return from expensive inputs. Mike Phillips: “Increasing precision is the best way to maximise returns”
“Developments in TMR systems have helped underpin improvements in the way cows are fed – raising intakes, improving rumen health and helping to drive up yields,” he says. “The downside is that while feeding for the average cow is appropriate for the majority of the cows, there are problems with the extremes, the high and low yielders, particularly on farms where grouping cows accurately is difficult.” The consequence is that high yielders end up being underfed, leading to excess condition score loss and problems with getting cows back in calf. “Conversely, late lactation cows can get over fat and
Concise and controlled Omagh-based producer Drew McConnell has fed his 150-cow herd using OOPFs for the past 15 years and says that, for him, there’s no better way to feed dairy cows. Up to 8kg of an 18% CP concentrate is fed through the unit’s 10:20 swingover parlour and higher yielders are ‘topped up’ using two OOPFs at Carrigans Farm. One typically contains a 19% CP concentrate and the other dispenses a high-energy blend. “For me it’s the most targeted and efficient way to feed my herd.” His milkers are split into two groups: low yielders, who average 27 litres and are currently grazing and fed concentrates through the parlour: and high yielders, averaging 41 litres and who also have access to the OOPFs. “This means that they have access to concentrates on a ‘little and often’ basis, which avoids acidosis and any other digestive upsets. Some of my
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highest yielders are eating between 22kg and 24kg of concentrates a day in the winter and I never have a problem with acidosis – sub clinical or clinical.” Mr McConnell has only seen two displaced abomasums on his unit too and one was a cow that he’d just bought in. “The other had just had an exceptionally large calf. Neither case was related to the way I feed the herd.” His system plays a vital role in achieving the herd’s average yield of 9,516kg, at 4.19% butterfat and 3.31% protein. “But there’s more to OOPFs that just getting good yields. Body condition score across the herd is pretty uniform, I don’t have to run the herd as two groups and I’m not wasting feed. I feel I’m doing all I can to keep my feed costs from spiralling out of control – that’s worth a lot in terms of peace of mind at the moment.”
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this increases the incidence of problems around calving. Both of these will reduce margins,” adds Mr Phillips. “On every unit the main conversation surrounds how to reduce feed costs per litre and this usually leads to discussions about how to reduce feed use, cutting prices or both. But in many cases the best option is not to look at what you feed and instead focus on who you feed, even if this means increasing the amount of dairy compounds used.”
Greater precision Mr Phillips believes the question to ask is: can I use feed more precisely? Would it pay to reduce the level of the outside ration and feed more to those cows that warrant it, either through the parlour or out-of-parlour feeders (OOPFs). Can we get more feed into the high yielders and reduce the amount fed in late lactation? “Using our unique feed calculator allows the detailed calculation of feed levels on a group by group basis. We are regularly seeing significant savings per cow per month just by feeding more precisely and this is after allowing for the higher price of compounds compared to blends or straights. And waste levels with compounds are lower than with blends. This is an invisible but real cost that is
reduced by more precise feeding. He explains that any producer who has inparlour or OOPFs needs to work out the possible savings from precision feeding. For others now may be the time to assess the benefits of installing feeders,” he says. Thompsons’ nutritionist Stephen Agnew agrees. “We’re seeing a lot of our customers opting to install out-of-parlour feeders. Particularly the small- to mediumsized herds where it’s difficult to split the herd into two or three groups according to yield.” He says that with feed prices so high, investing in OOPFs is becoming a more and more attractive prospect. “We’re definitely seeing a swing towards individual feeding across the board – great news for the cows and the bank balance.”
Avoid trouble There’s only so much concentrate that can be fed through the parlour. “I’d say about 10kg a day maximum, if you want to avoid trouble,” says Mr Agnew. This can be increased considerably, according to yield, by using OOPFs. An additional 15kg can be fed to some of the highest yielders, dribble fed during a 24-hour period. “Producers can group and feed cows successfully according to yield. But it’s still not strictly targeted individual
Stephen Agnew: “OOPFs are proving the best option for many producers”
feeding. Feeding can be more precise and more efficient,” says Mr Agnew. And this ‘efficiency’ is about more than just feed costs and use. OOPFs are a less labour intensive option compared to grouping. Indeed, many of Mr Agnew’s clients who use OOPFs are one-man bands. And there’s little or no extra labour involved in taking this approach. If cows are fed according to yield and over and under feeding are avoided, the efficiency spreads into production and fertility and, ultimately, the bottom line. Installing OOPFs for a 100-cow herd requires an investment of around £10,000 – for three feeders, each capable of feeding 30 cows a day, and 100 collars. “Producers should quickly see a return on their investment – particularly with feed prices being so high,” he adds. l
Feeding to yield: out-of-parlour feeders allow producers to meet individual cows’ exact nutritional requirements
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F E E D I N G
S P E C I A L
Better value – not lower price – keeps feed costs under control
True feed value for your money Simply opting for the cheapest feeds when sourcing ingredients for buffer and winter rations is not the best way to keep cost under control and maximise milk production. We spoke to two leading nutritionists to find out more. text Rachael Porter
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espite the continuing strength of feed markets, focusing on cost per tonne of freshweight and making critical feed purchasing decisions based on that figure alone is the wrong approach. So says KW nutritionist Mark Scott. It’s a simple and straight forward message that he wants every producer to hear – controlling feed costs comes from using better value feeds and not cheaper ones. “Producers need an approach based on the nutrient content of the feed, how much value it delivers to the ration, and how that unit cost compares to the alternatives,” he explains. “For example, moist feeds typically offer by far and away the best value for money – if Traffordgold is priced at £87/tonne freshweight (FW), this is just £174/tonneDM for a 20% crude protein, 13.4MJ ME/kg DM, 17.5% starch concentrate. “That’s the equivalent of paying £157/ tonne for a 90% DM compound, which works out to be a saving of between £60 and £90/tonne at current prices,” he says. But Mr Scott urges producers to go much further than simply looking at cost/tonne DM. “Compare feeds on the basis of cost per unit of energy, protein or other specific nutrients, while also considering the particular characteristics a feed brings to the ration.” Figures 1 and 2 illustrate this point, with a range of common straights
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just buy feeds in isolation, just because they appear to represent value for money. “In just eight or 10 weeks you could be paying the true price of feeding a ‘cheap’ feed if there’s a negative knock-on effect on herd fertility, for example, because the ration has been compromised. You could be looking at cows that aren’t bulling or holding to service,” she adds. “Another good example is the high quality rumen-bypass protein that’s vital in supporting high yields and cow health,” Mr Scott adds. Also called digestible undegraded protein (DUP), comparing the options on the basis of DUP supply shows that the rumenbypass protein supplements are more cost-effective than soyabean meal. It’s also important to take into account the impact a feed has on rumen fermentation, balancing home-grown feeds or meeting a specific requirement of the cow. The quickly available energy
compared on the basis of cost/MJ ME, and a matching graph showing the relative cost/tonne DM. “The best value feeds in terms of energy supply aren’t necessarily those that are ‘best value’ for dry matter.” Promar International’s Emma Thompson agrees: “It’s easy to be seduced by cheap bulky feeds. Who could resist brewers’ grains at £25/tonne? But it’s important to look at the feed on a dry matter basis and take into account its energy value, dry matter and protein, and how it’s going to fit into your herd’s ration. What exactly are you going to replace with it and will it do the same job?”
Home-grown forages She also stresses that the starting point must always be home-grown forages before you think about buying in anything else. Purchased feeds must complement forages and cost-effective diet formulation starts by getting the most from homegrown feeds “Grass and maize silage and wholecrop wheat, for example, will be among the cheapest and best value feeds available. So understand what your homegrown forages will supply in terms of energy and protein and then are you in a good position to start meaningfully shopping around for additional boughtin feeds. “When you do, compare feeds on a like for like basis and not just on cost per tonne. The rumen requires a balance of energy sources so consider the starch and fibre levels and determine if the feed will balance with the rest of the ration? Don’t
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Figure 1: Comparison of feeds on a cost per unit of energy basis
supplied by starch or sugars that helps to drive milk yield has a different role in the ration than rumen buffering digestible fibre or caustic-treated wheat, for example. Bread waste, for example, will ferment extremely quickly, so it must be
Figure 2: Comparison of feeds on a cost per unit of dry matter basis
balanced with a slower release starch and some rumen buffering feeds. “Make sure you’re comparing like-with-like, or at least taking into account the value a feed brings to the ration outside its nutrient content,” he says. Ensure that any feeds you buy in complement your herd’s ration
A similar challenge exists when assessing feeds that supply both energy and protein. What the figures in table 1 don’t show is that due to the high energy supply in bioethanol wheat distillers’ feed relative to its protein content, using it to directly replace a 55:45 mix of soyabean meal and wheat will typically save the equivalent of between £30 and £50/tonne.
Be flexible “So don’t overlook ‘non-traditional’ sources and develop a flexible feeding system to utilise feeds that are the best value at the time,” says Mr Scott. “High-protein liquid feeds can often supply protein more cost-effectively than rapemeal, and offer extra metabolisable energy. Also, moist feeds are a better value source of energy than dry concentrates and distillers’ feeds contain high quality protein that can help replace traditional protein meals,” adds Mr Scott.” Just make sure you compare feeds on the basis of their true cost before making any buying decisions.” Ms Thompsons says that there aren’t many ‘cheap’ feeds around at the moment. “In the east, you may find apple pumice, citrus pulp, vegetable waste and potatoes at an attractive price. In Scotland it might be brewers’ and distillers’ grain. But again it’s important when buying co-products to remember that quality and nutritional values can be variable. Be prepared to have loads analysed. Look at dry matter and other nutritive values and make sure they fit in with your ration before signing the delivery slip. “There’s only so much dry matter a cow can eat in one day, so make sure whatever you buy is making a valuable contribution to her diet and it’s not just filling her up with fibre and water.” l
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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS
New laboratory opens doors Spring yielders
NML opens new £1.3 million laboratory
Samples tested 19/7 giving faster turnaround of results
National Milk Laboratories (NML) has invested £1.3 million in a new state-ofthe-art milk testing and disease monitoring laboratory at Four Ashes, Wolverhampton. The purpose-built facility now carries out all the compositional and hygiene testing on bulk milk samples previously carried out by NML’s West Midlands site, along with an extended range of disease and microbiology testing services. “In addition, the new laboratory has provided us with increased capacity for individual milk sample testing, and for disease surveillance testing on both milk and blood samples,” says NML
director Ben Bartlett. Part of the NMR Group, NML has two testing facilities and carries out compositional and quality tests on bulk tank samples from 96% of British dairy herds for payment purposes on behalf of milk buyers and processors. Its facility at Hillington, near Glasgow, was refurbished only five years ago. “The Penkridge laboratory is operating seven days a week, 19 hours a day and this will provide improved testing efficiency and quicker turnaround of results,” adds Mr Bartlett. “Working closely with producers and vets, we are able to carry out increasing volumes of surveillance and one-off tests for BVD, Leptospirosis, IBR, IBRgE, Neospora, Johne’s disease and liver fluke. “In addition, the new laboratory has a substantial PCR facility. This currently tests milk samples to identify mastitiscausing pathogens, but we will shortly be extending the range of PCR testing services into other areas of cow health.” NML has followed all relevant United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) protocols to ensure that it adheres to the requirements required for its accreditation status.
West Country Awards NMR is proud to sponsor the West Country Dairy Awards. This annual fund of £15,000 supports the further education of sons and daughters of farmers or farm workers in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset or Somerset who intend to make a career in the industry. Funds
can be used for educational courses and training in dairy farming, dairy industry management or dairy technology. Application forms, to be completed by August 12, are available via the NMR website and from the NFU and colleges. Around 30 awards are made each year.
The top three cows ranked on lifetime daily yield (LDY) from all those NMR recorded animals reaching 100 tonnes of milk in April and May are: 1. Harborne Magic Elsie EX94 with 107,599kg of milk and a LDY of 32.17kg/day in seven lactations, owned by A R Beckett and Sons, Brookfield Farm, near Stourbriodge, West Midlands. 2. Second is Combwich Arpagone Snowflake with 111,312kg of milk and an LDY of 28.10kg/ day in nine lactations. She is from Finefarm Ltd’s herd based at Otterhampton, Somerset. 3. In third place is Neves Antonia with 100,106kg of milk and an LDY of 27.25kg/day. In her eighth lactation, she is owned by R A D Unsworth based at Theddlethorpe All Saints, near Mablethorpe in Lincolnshire. A full list is on the NMR website: www.nmr.co.uk
New man in NI John Graham is the new area sales manager in Northern Ireland. He is responsible for promoting NMR services to vets, milk buyers, nutritionists and breeding companies. He will also be involved in software training, particularly using InterHerd Plus. A graduate in agricultural technology from Queen’s University, Belfast, John has worked in the animal feed industry for the past two and a half years, providing technical advice and managing accounts. He has also worked on dairy farms and milking sheep. John owns a small herd of breeding Charlollais sheep on the home farm near Omagh.
For more information on NMR products and services contact customer services, 0844 7255567, NMR web address: www.nmr.co.uk, NMR email address: customerservices@nmr.co.uk COW MAN AG E ME N T
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Water quantity is a given, but what about the quality?
Does yours pass the test? The availability of water is variable across the UK but one thing stays the same – three litres are required for every litre of milk produced. Water quantity cannot be questioned, but the same can’t be said for quality. That can have a considerable impact on cow consumption and milk output. text Allison Matthews
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oreholes provide 32% of the water used in agriculture, which crude estimates suggest is between 210 million and 360 million litres per year. With high yielding cows, on drier forages, capable of consuming up to 200 litres of water every day, a large herd of cows has a considerable water requirement. But it’s not just about quantity – quality is important too. Zinpro’s Michael Bain believes that producers should be sampling their water annually. “As more producers have switched to the cost-saving benefits of borehole water, they have also started to ask questions. What are the potential contaminants to my water supply and how can I deal with them? “Taste, smell and colour can all give an indication of the presence of bacteria, but ultimately to be sure, laboratory tests are available that check water for anything from £37 to £150 a time,” he says. Boreholes provide a cost effective option for many producers. The water act of 2003 states that you can extract up to 20,000 litres of water a day without any licence, so with the financial gains stacking in favour of boreholes, what’s the problem?
result more likely to be on the verge of going into SARA (Sub Acute Rumen Acidosis). Diets will be formulated and presented in a manner to minimise this risk, however in some cases the addition of large volumes of water into diet at lower pH figures could very possibly and unkonwingly tip the balance,” explains Mr Moore. Optimum DCAD levels are based on the milking status of the cow with transition cows becoming more dependent on its negativity in order to minimise milk fever. Where producers need to control milk fever, the overall DCAD of the diet should be at or below 0mEq/kg. In lactating cows this DCAD level is better positioned at 50-100mEq/kg.
Borehole water “To put this into the perspective of borehole water, the survey carried out by Zinpro found that the DCAD levels of water around the UK varied from –9 mEq/kg to +503 mEq/kg,” adds Mr Bain. “Where a negative DCAD is desirable, possibly in dry cows three weeks prior to calving, appropriate anionic salts should be added to the diet. “As the cow’s blood calcium increases, milk fever is prevented and retained placentas and displaced abomasums become less frequent.” While showing less significant variation, a recent survey carried out in Northern Ireland on borehole water has highlighted results, which Mr Moore warns could still have a bearing on cow performance. “Water was collected from 12 producers in different areas. The pH in these samples ranged from 6.04 to 7.94 and the higher values were driven by greater levels of calcium in the water. “Even with moderate intakes of water,
Water pH Recent survey work, carried out by Zinpro in the UK and by Thompsons in Northern Ireland, has highlighted some interesting data on both the pH of water and dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD). Thompsons’ Richard Moore explains how any water samples, with results outside the normal range of data, could impact on the performance of the herd. “It is widely accepted higher yielding, more intensively fed cows are under greater rumen acidotic pressure and as a
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Action plan When the water has been sampled and the results are in Mr Moore explains what action can be taken to ensure that water does not add itself to the list of things to worry about. “The re-formulation of transition diets to adjust DCAD levels – perhaps with the inclusion of whole-crop cereals as a forage or extra straw or the inclusion of magnesium chloride – can be a simple yet effective means of taking into account water sources with higher DCAD levels. “For lactating cows the only solution may be to have an alternative supply of water, but where this is impractical mineral specifications could be adjusted accordingly.” The results from both surveys show that producers and advisors can expect widespread variation in water samples across the UK. So while access to water, flow returns, cleanliness of troughs and adequate drinking space are all important issues, how valid are they if the water being drunk is not up to scratch? l
Figure 2: Variation in pH value from 30 water samples (source: Zinpro) 8.5 8.0 7.5 pH
water DCAD (mEq/kg)
Figure 1: DCAD variability in Northern Ireland was tested in a cross-section of water samples
in some cases the calcium levels would have the potential to increase the risk of sub-clinical milk fever in dry cows and other associated problems in early lactation. “Iron levels in some samples were also at higher levels. Depending on how extreme the level of iron is it can interfere with the transport mechanisms for some of the other key minerals such as zinc, copper and particularly manganese. “Other samples also highlighted increased levels of sodium, which can encourage water intakes but also has an effect on the DCAD of water,” says Mr Moore.
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BREEDING INFORMATION
World-class polled Holsteins CRV expands data collection for breeding purposes As of September 2012, CRV
De Vrendt Janine P, with her high protein (3.72%), healthy udder and outstanding conformation. The polled dam of Paulus, Janine P is perfectly equipped to give high lifetime production
Paulus
Fasna Asterix P Etazon Renate, dam of Foxtrot
CRV’s breeding programme for polled Holsteins offers the following sires. Fasna Asterix P Red is by Lawn Boy from a Delta Canvas dam. Asterix has a pedigree free of Kian, Stadel and Lightning. He is the world’s numberone Net Merit polled bull with an overall type score of 107, a perfect mix of production and udder quality. Half of his progeny will be polled from this very easy calving red bull. Asterix is also available as SiryX sexed semen. Veneriete 396 Twist P Red is the highest scoring red-and-white NVI (Dutch Index) bull in the world. Twist is sired by Mitey P from a HS Twister dam and has an all round conformation score of 108 with great feet and legs, good udder health and low somatic cell counts. Half of his progeny will be polled. De Vrendt Paulus PP Red Factor is the highest 100% polled NVI bull in the world. This longevity and udder health specialist black-and-white bull is a Mitey P son from a Lawn Boy dam, is easy calving and carries a red factor. Paulus is also available as SiryX sexed semen. Delta Foxtrot P Red Factor is a health specialist by Mitey P from the world famous O-Man daughter Etazon Renate. With 50% of his progeny polled, Foxtrot is also available as SiryX sexed semen. All these polled bulls are available from Avoncroft by calling 0800 7831880.
will reward producers in the Netherlands who contribute in the collection of data on hoof health. They will receive a fee for delivering hoof health data from daughters from InSire bulls and MRI test bulls. In that way more information on hoof health can be used in the selection and breeding of bulls with high hoof health traits. The information is gathered through the ‘DigiKlauw’ service, which is widely used within the Netherlands. This service collects information directly from the hoof trimmers. And it’s not just about hoof health. For all CRV breeding information, thousands of Dutch and Flemish producers are participating and fulfilling an important role in the achievement of reliable data in CRV breeding values. In the future, CRV will co-operate further with these producers to expand the amount of data, for example in the field of animal health, milk composition and culling data.
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F E E D I N G
Genetics and management must go hand in hand
Feeding for fertility and efficiency We round up some of the keynote dairy papers from a global animal nutrition conference held in the Netherlands. Read on and see if you can pick up some practical pointers to improve your herd’s performance.
will be focussed on strengthening a combination of traits rather than adding to a single trait.” He stressed that one ‘missing link’ in genetic selection tools is feed efficiency, but he hopes that genomics will play a part here. “We can’t measure feed efficiency through progeny testing, but we already have work going on in this area using genomics. Genomic selection might be the tool that we have been waiting for. “We are using world-wide data from research institutes, including the UK, and combine phenotypic information, such as the size of the cow and dry matter intakes, with her genetic blueprint to come up with a prediction
text Karen Wright
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roducers should consider both genetics and management if they’re looking to improve feed efficiency. So says Wageningen University’s Roel Veerkamp. Speaking to an audience of ruminant specialists from around the world at this year’s Provimi animal nutrition seminar in the Netherlands, the professor of genetics and genomics dismissed the common misconceptions among producers that the genetic potential of their herd is high enough or that they need to learn how to manage cows first before they worry about genetics. “Some also believe that the heritability of certain traits is so low that any improvement will be down to management. “But 94% of the improvement in milk yield has been from genetic improvement in the past two decades with a similar value for fat and protein improvement,” he says. “And we now have broader breeding goals and we can select for more traits.” That said, he stresses that genetics and management must work together if an
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animal is to achieve its potential. “You can’t get good performance from a genetically ‘unhealthy’ cow or from a genetically healthy cow on a poor diet.” Professor Veerkamp, who spent six years at the Scottish Agricultural College in Edinburgh developing selection tools for UK breeding programmes, says that genomics will play a major role in future breeding programmes.
Fewer inputs “We need to work towards getting more milk from fewer inputs, which means greater feed efficiency. This has advantages for the producer, the cow and the environment,” he says. He cited approximate breeding goals in today’s dairy herds as: 40% increased productivity; 30% improved robustness, which includes a cow that is healthier and more ‘self-sufficient’ and with improved fertility; 15% as feed efficiency; and 15% farm specific. The latter may include type classification, meat, and breeding animals for export. “Looking ahead, breeding decisions
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Roel Veerkamp
Sander van Zijderveld
formulae. It is a huge project and the methodology is vital, but if we can make a breakthrough in this area we could see huge advances in efficient milk production and real progress in the drive to produce more for less. “Genetics still offer huge potential for progress. Like a car, a cow can always be more efficient and we need to keep developing her.” Feed costs equate to 80% of operational costs on a typical dairy farm and they’re still rising. “So if the feed can be used more efficiently, then herd profitability can increase,” Cargill Animal Nutrition’s Sander van Zijderveld told delegates. Dr van Zijderveld also stressed the contribution of better feed efficiency to
improve animal productivity and help feed a rising global population. “Ruminants are often considered inefficient converters of protein into milk and meat. “But we can look at this in a different way and remember that they can convert non-human-edible protein into a valuable protein source for humans. This is a key feature in the future human food supply.” Dr van Zijderveld pointed out that the world population is forecast to increase by two billion to nine billion by 2050. “Improving feed efficiency will play a big part in meeting the need for more food. “We haven’t bred cows for high feed efficiency, although it has been an
Vital research: improving feed efficiency is key to feeding a growing global population
important breeding target in pigs and poultry.” He added that while there may be scope to improve feed efficiency through breeding, dietary improvements were his main focus. “Gross feed efficiency can be measured from the ratio of fat corrected milk production to dry matter intake. “But we mustn’t ignore stage of lactation. Feed efficiency will look good in early lactation but this is mainly due to body fat mobilisation. It then drops later in the lactation, caused by increased body fat storage and the recovery of body condition. So feed efficiency must be measured within a group of cows, or a herd, at similar stages of lactation.”
Feed efficiency He offered some practical guidelines on stimulating feed intake – and feed efficiency. “Avoid deterioration of silage by adding an inoculant – a lot of feed value in silage can evaporate before it is used and energy can be lost through poor silage management. “And heat stress can affect feed intake and if feed isn’t pushed up to the barrier it can’t be consumed.” He also looked at the digestibility of the ration. “Improving digestibility by 5% increases yields by almost 4kg of milk and feed efficiency increases from 1.6 to 1.8kg of milk per kilogramme of dry matter. Better forage digestibility is the best route to improving feed efficiency through nutrition. “Using enzymes and yeasts will stimulate fermentation of cell walls that will, in turn, in turn promote feed efficiency. “For example, one feed additive that’s designed to improve fibre digestion has consistently shown improvements in feed efficiency in dairy cattle of 4%.”
Practical approach On a practical note, producers were advised to review cows’ physical activity, such as excessive walking distances or overcrowding that would divert energy away from milk production. He encouraged producers and nutritionists to work out the feed efficiency of groups of cows at each lactation stage and compare this with an industry benchmark and use it to evaluate new nutritional measures. “Knowing your herd’s feed efficiency will become important in the future, both with regard to dairy business profitability of dairying and the industry’s role in feeding a growing world population.” l
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