Cowmanagement UK oct:ober/november 2017

V O LU M E 15 N O 7 OC TOB ER/ N O VE MBE R 2017

IN THIS ISSUE

NM R / R A B D F G O L D C U P

C A LF- REA RIN G SPEC IA L

LO W- STRESS MANAGEMENT

We profile two 2017 competition finalists

Best practice to maximise health and growth rates

Keep calm, and quiet, to improve cow flow

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CO NTENT FEATURES

Cow Talk Overalls off: on-call firefighter Roger Evans NMR Dairy Management News Business update: milk CRV Avoncroft Breeding Information ForFarmers’ Forage Focus/ Thompsons Nutritional News 46 Events and contacts 5 8 17 19 31 37 39

REPORT

10 Adding value to milk has proved to be a lifeline for one dairy business FEEDING

14 Take-home messages/Just the tip of the iceberg H E A LT H

40 It’s time for Johne’s action BREEDING

44 Precision breeding

Jim Barker “We had to either expand or add value to remain viable” 10

Editor Rachael Porter Gold-standard management

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e go back to basics with calf rearing in this issue. Our special focuses on how to maximise calf health and growth rates when rearing heifers from birth to first calving. Starting on page 23, we’ve two articles featuring two different units.

Their goals are the same – to ensure that feeding and management allows calves to achieve both their true growth and milk production potential.

Also keen to maximise potential – this time in terms of business sustainability and milk-price revenue – is a Buckinghamshire-based producer who has installed a raw-milk vending machine on his unit. It’s been such a success that he’s since opened a farm shop and also invested in a pasteuriser. And he has more processing plans for the future. Read his inspirational story on page 10.

This issue also contains the second in our two-part series on low-stress cow handling and we have the first of three articles on this year’s six NMR/RABDF

Gold Cup competition finalists. We profile two herds, both managed on grass-based systems, on page 32.

The campaign to control Johne’s disease is gathering pace, with the launch of the second phase of the Action Johne’s scheme.

So we have an update, as well as information, on what producers can do to get involved, with help from their vet, and how to tackle this incidious and devastating disease.

This issue also has a business update column, see page 31, which takes a closer look at milk price and what producers can expect going into 2018 and beyond.

Our regular Overalls off column features a Derbyshire-based producer and on-call firefigher, with a few interesting tales to tell.

And spinning his regular yarn, on page 17, is Roger Evans. He reminisces about his first foray into farming, building up his dairy herd, and dabbling in broiler production.

Main article Reducing stress

Special Calf rearing

Gold Cup preview Going for gold

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32

Why do cows look at potential threats with their left eye first?

We profile two units that demonstrate calf-rearing best practice

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Meet two of the six 2017 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup competition finalists

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C O W

TA L K

Cow-brush competition winner Warwickshire-based producer Paul Higgins is the proud new owner of a DairySpares cow brush. He was the winner of CowManagement’s UK Dairy Day caption competition. He’s pictured here with DairySpares’

Simon Elliot. Ten other lucky producers each won a CosyCalf jacket and two producers each won a bag of Limagrain grass seed mix. We’d like to thank our competition sponsors and everyone who took the time to take part.

Six bid for Gold Cup glory Finalists in the 2017 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup competition have been announced and include two block-calving, grasslandbased herds, two high-production Holstein herds, a Channel Island herd, and a grass-based block-calving herd that’s milked once-a-day.

This line up reflects the competition’s new remit, which includes entries from the wider range of management systems and businesses that better reflect today’s UK dairy sector.

The judges – RABDF chairman and south Gloucestershire-based producer Mike

King, NMR’s Jonathan Davies, Alvis Bros’ Nick Green, and Leicestershire-based producer and dairy consultant Gaynor Wellwood – will select a winner following their on-farm inspections.

“We are looking at the whole dairy business and at how each unit takes advantages of the farm’s resources,” says Mike King.

The winner and runner up, who receives the NMR Silver Salver will be announced at the RABDF’s Dairy-Tech event, at Stoneleigh Park on February 7, 2018.

The 2017 Gold Cup finalists are: • Thomas Dickinson, Scaftworth, South Yorkshire • Chris and Rich Norman, Pembridge, Herefordshire • David Williams, Northop, Mold, Clwyd • Darren and Stuart McMurran, Banbridge, Northern Ireland • James Tomlinson, Bilsborrow, Lancashire • Andrew Giles, Glasbury on Wye, Herefordshire

TB advisory service launched The TB Advisory Service for producer, which was unveiled in September, opened for business in early October.

Producers in ‘high risk’ and ‘edge’ areas of England can now register for the service by telephone and email. During the next three years, eligible producers can request a free advisory visit to their farm by the service’s bovine TB

specialists, provided by ADAS, Kingshay and Westpoint Farm Vets.

A telephone advice service is also available for producers with specific questions about bTB. The TB Advisory Service aims to help maximise farm biosecurity and minimise the risks associated with cattle movements, according to technical director and vet

Phil Elkins. “There are many practical ways to reduce risks or impact of bTB,” he says. “On a bTB-free unit, advice will focus on helping keep it that way.”

Eligible producers can register by e-mail to info@tbas.org.uk, or telephone 01306 779410.

More information is also available at www.tbas.org.uk

What’s in your silage clamp?

Philip Ingram

Producers must guard against relying on average silage analysis reports and infrequent silage testing and make sure that they routinely analyse their forage, so they know exactly what’s in the clamp. “Despite this year’s good grass growing season, making the most of the crop hasn’t been so straight-forward and has led to considerable variation when it comes to silage quality,” says Cargill’s Philip Ingram. “For many, an early growing season and a good first cut was followed by wet weather from August.

Reports on silage quality across the

country confirm that it’s a mixed bag when it comes to interpreting results, with some local averages reporting low fibre but high lactic acid and other analyses revealing the opposite.

“What is crucial though, is that producers get their silage analysed regularly – every four to six weeks – so they know exactly what they’re feeding.

We can deal with any forage on a farm if we know its quality and what’s in there.

The forage can be carefully balanced to provide a ration that will enable the cows to perform to potential.”

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SERIES COW HANDLING

Sight and sound play a key role in red ucin

Take a cow ’s Here, in the second of two articles on better cow handling, we Cow handling: reducing herd and staff stress In this two-part series we take a look at ‘low-stress’ cow handling and management.

Part 1: Cow psychology and behaviour Part 2: Cow communication

take a closer look at cow communication. And we find out why cows always look at potential threats with their left eye first. text Alice Booij

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nderstanding cow behaviour and how they see and react to the environment, are all key to easier, more efficient and – most importantly – safe handling. And Dutch dairy specialist Ronald Rongen has a wealth of knowledge and experience in this area, much of it gained in the US and Canada where he met Bud Williams and Temple Grandin – two cow handling and stockmanship ‘gurus’.

“On Grandin’s advice, more than 90% of US slaughterhouses have adapted their supply route, so that animals pass through the abattoir smoothly and without stress,” he says. “This is better for animal welfare, but less stress at slaughter also produces better quality meat both in terms of taste and texture.”

Bud Williams was, by his own admission, a cowboy without training. But he got the animals exactly where he wanted them. His methods are still very much in use today, particularly on units that have consulted with Mr Rongen. “His methods, which very much involve understanding the cow, her perspective and what causes stress, mean that handling can be both easier and safer.”

Mr Rongen worked on dairy units throughout Europe, helping producers to improve their stock handling technique by communicating with their cows. “In Germany, insurance companies have even gone so far as to organised stockmanship courses, to allow dairy producers to handle their livestock more safely. And producers building new cow houses and other dairy facilities will also consult with my team, in a bid to design systems that will facilitate easier, safer and low-stress cow handling and routing,” he says.

Aggressive behaviour Mr Rongen receives regular calls about cows that seem to have an aggressive nature or character.

“Genetics account for 15% of a cow’s character and the environment, or how the cow is handled, has a much bigger impact on her temperament and behaviour,” he says.

“So there is plenty that producers can do to influence cow character. Cattle labelled as problematic and aggressive are not,” insists Mr Rongen. “These animals simply have a problem with the way people

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interact with them and are reacting to this.

“To quieten them, producers must adopt some basic principles in cattle behaviour. And the first is to recognise that cows think differently to humans, Shouting, shooing and prodding with sticks really doesn’t have a place on a dairy unit if you want to reduce cow stress and improve cow flow.”

The cow’s ‘ruminant’ nature means that she likes things to be slow – she likes to rest and ruminate.

“She is also a herd animal, so she will always stay close to the other animals and, wherever possible, do the same things at the same time – be that eat, drink or rest. So don’t focus your energy on the cows that lag behind – they will catch up all by themselves as their instinct is to join the rest of the herd. They don’t want to be separated from the herd. In the wild, that would be suicide.”

Another important biological fact is that humans are ‘predators’ and cows are ‘prey’. “So it’s instinctive for a cow to want to get away from you when you move too close to her. When a producer wants to move a cow, or a few cows, it’s this reaction by the cow or cows that causes her to move,” says Mr Rongen.

“Action creates a corresponding response. When you move towards the cow, she will move. So it’s all about moving towards the cow or cows in the correct way, so you can make sure they move in the direction that you want them to move in.”

Leading eye When a person enters the cow house or field, cows will always look at them with their left eye. “And this is an important point fact when handling and moving cattle,” Mr Rongen says. “The left eye connects to the right side of the brain, just as it does in humans. And it’s in the right side of the brain where the cow’s ‘safety coordination centre’ is located,” he explains.

“This part of the brain identifies any potential threat, and signals any actions that need to be taken. So a cow will always look at you with her left eye, to assess whether you’re a danger.”

With this in mind, producers should approach cows from the left. “Then they are quieter because they can see where any potential danger may come from.”

This is why handlers will walk on the left with a

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red ucing stress and improving cow flow

w ’s-eye view Ronald Rongen: “Cows prefer low frequency sounds – they have sensitive hearing”

haltered cow – just as they would with a horse. “This means that the left eye is on the handler at all times and the cow can be reassured that there’s no threat. And turning to the left is also easier and less stressful for the cow, for the same reason,” says Mr Rongen.

Sensitive hearing What about talking to your cows? Do a few words sooth them or offer encouragement?

“Well, you’re certainly not doing any harm by talking to your cows,” Mr Rongen says.

“But it doesn’t really help. Cows will probably be more nervous because they have a very sensitive hearing.”

He explains that the sensitivity of the human ear varies between 20 and 20,000 hertz, but in cattle it is between 23 and 35,000 hertz.

“They hear the same bass tones as we do, but are much more sensitive to higher tones, so they can even hear the ultrasound emitted by bats.

“Thunder won’t bother them, due to the low tones. But creaming’ of fireworks, for example.”

For this reason, Mr Rongen discourages the use of radios in the cow house or milking parlour. “And cows can also detect your mood through the tone of your voice. If you are distressed or angry, that affects your voice and the cows will notice.

“So keeping calm will be good for you and your cows. Not always easy if you’re having a bad day.

“But it does explain why a stressful morning milking often results in more faeces in the parlour. Something to keep in mind if you want to help to keep scraping up and washing down to a minimum.” l

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O V E R A L L S

Name: Location: Herd size: Part-time job:

O F F

John Foster Duffield, Derbyshire 130 cows, plus 80 followers On-call firefighter

John Foster: “I could be in the bath, milking, or calving a cow”

Always ready text Rachael Porter

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s if life on a dairy unit isn’t busy enough, retained fire fighter John Foster is also on call from Monday to Friday, ready to down tools when a ‘shout’ comes in. His local fire station is now based opposite his 130-cow dairy unit – on the outskirts of Duffield, in Derbyshire.

“I can see it from the farm. I can run there in three minutes,” he says. The fire station was in the centre of town, a short drive away, when he first signed up as an on-call firefighter, more than 27 years ago.

Joining the fire service wasn’t a childhood dream for John. But when he was 18 he went along to an open day with his older brother Tom. “Initially it was Tom who was interested, but it was me who signed up.”

Tom and John farm in partnership. Tom takes care of the herd with John’s help. And John’s main responsibility is the processing and delivery side of the Duffield Dairy business. The partners bottle their own milk and also make and sell cream.

“What appealed to me then, and still drives me now, is I’m doing something good for my community – I’m giving something back. And it also gets me away from the farm.”

John says that he’s made a lot of new friends and met many interesting people. And the job also puts life in perspective.

“Things may be tough on the farm, but I’ve seen people in far worse situations. It makes me appreciate every day. And it also makes me think more carefully about farm safety too.”

He’s spent a total of six months away on courses during the past 27 years, including his initial training and on-going CPD. “It’s important that we stay up to speed with the latest technology and techniques,” he says, adding that things have changed a lot since he first signed up. “Just as they have in dairying.”

He says he still gets a buzz when the pager goes: “The adrenalin kicks in. I could be in the middle of anything – a bath, milking, calving a cow.” He was ploughing a field once and hopped off the tractor to dash to the station.

“I left the engine running – the tractor wasn’t a great starter and I thought it may be a false alarm. That does happen and you’re only gone for 10 minutes. But this time I was gone for nine hours. The tractor was still running when I got back!”

Unusual ‘shouts’ include a child with their head stuck in a bedend rail and a dog that was stuck up a chimney. Both incidents had a happy ending. There’s even been a call to John’s farm.

“The tractor I’d been driving all morning caught fire, but I wasn’t aware of it as it was parked on the road. I’d parked it there while I went to have my lunch. Someone driving past had called it in. It was a shock when I looked at my pager and saw my address!”

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Location, access and sizeable demand are key ingredients for vending machine success

Raw milk fuels dairy evolution

James & Ian Barker Selling milk direct, through a vending machine, and on-farm processing are routes to securing a stable financial future for this family dairy business.

Herd size: Unit size: Average yield: Milk sold direct:

Adding value to milk, rather than expanding cow numbers, in a Winslow

bid to increase income and mitigate market volatility, has proved to be a lifeline for one Buckinghamshire-based unit. We spoke to

150 cows 102 hectares 9,500 litres 5%

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one of the business partners to find out more. text Rachael Porter

t’s not unusual for producers to be inspired by something they see on BBC Countryfile. But, on this particular occasion, Jim Barker was so impressed with what he saw that, the following weekend, he went to see the business in question – the Crickmore’s Suffolk-

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based Fen Farm Dairy – for himself.

“And it was well worth the trip – it was a real eye opener and an inspiration,” says the Aylesbury-based producer, who farms in partnership with his father Ian. “We’d been talking about our plans for the future for some time – our

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150-cow herd just wasn’t generating enough income to support the whole family. Things really came to a head in December 2015, when the milk price was probably at its lowest for us.”

Jim says that they knew that something needed to change: “We knew that the

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Cross-bred calf: a future milker

Vending solution: raw milk sales now account for 5% of the herd’s annual production

business wasn’t really sustainable as it was and it was too vulnerable to volatility. So we discussed expansion – milking more cows – and we also talked about diversifying. And then I saw Johnny Crickmore and his raw milk vending machine on the TV.”

Direct sales

Adding value: selling direct to realise a higher milk price was preferable to herd expansion

Just a few months later, in September 2016, Jim took delivery of his own DF Italia milk vending machine and he’s been selling raw milk, straight from the farm in Winslow, for more than a year now. “We’re selling around 5% of our milk direct, through the machine, and we charge £1.50 per litre or £2.00 for two litres. And I’d say that about 90% of our customers buy two litres at a time,” he says.

The machine has surpassed his expectations: “Three times over. My only regret is that we didn’t start selling through a vending machine sooner. And the success of the machine has also been another eye opener for us. It’s highlighted just how much people are prepared to pay for milk – it’s not just a commodity to them.”

On the back of this success, Jim has now

invested in a pasteuriser and opened a farm shop in converted stables, close to the yard and the wooden hut where the vending machine is located, on the 102-hectare unit.

“We are lucky in terms of our location.

Our farm and set up really lends itself to picking up passing trade. We’re on an ‘A’ road and the farmhouse is less than 200 metres from the dairy unit and also close to the road. The driveway is wide and inviting and there’s a concrete clamp, formerly used for storing bales, which is the hard standing we need for the self-service milk vending shed and car parking. There’s space for 10 cars,” explains Jim.

Brand development Some of the milk produced by the NMRrecorded herd, which is currently averaging around 9,500 litres at 4.3% butterfat and 3.4% protein, is set to be sold, pasteurised, to local coffee shops in poly bottles displaying the business’ Udderly Fresh brand label. Some raw milk is also used to supply a raw-milk coffee machine, which is situated next to the milk vending machine.

Milk is also sold through the unit’s farm

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Ideal cow: a Norwegian Red-cross milker

Farm shop: weekend trading is going well

shop, which is open every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. “We converted some stables, that are right next where we have the vending machine, and officially began trading from the shop in early August. It’s early days but, so far, the shop has been busier than we anticipated,” he says.

Customers can bring their own milk container to fill with milk from the machine, which dispenses seven days a week. Or that can use labelled polythene or glass bottles, again emblazoned with the Udderly Fresh logo, that are available to buy. The artwork was developed and designed by Jim’s girlfriend Harriet Livesey. “And I think it adds a professional touch, as well as increasing awareness of the brand and our milk.”

own customers and milk buyer Arla, on a Morrisons liquid contract. The herd is managed on a traditional spring and summer grazing system, with cows out for at least 120 days each year to meet the requirements of Morrisons’ grass-fed scheme.

During the winter, cows are housed in cubicles and fed a TMR, comprising grass and maize silage, as well as brewers’ grains and a blend. This provides maintenance plus 30 litres and individual cows are topped up to yield with concentrates fed through the unit’s 12:12 herringbone parlour.

Jim says that he would recommend installing a milk vending machine. “It is a gamble – the vending machines require considerable investment of both time and capital. But if producers do their homework, have good potential for passing trade and demand, and their unit lends itself to such a set up then I think there’s a good chance of success.

Reducing risk Not only does the investment in a pasteuriser open up a wider ‘direct selling’ market, but Jim says that it’s also an insurance policy against TB. “It’s probably only a matter of time before this area has a TB problem and, if our herd came under TB restrictions then we wouldn’t be able to sell raw milk through the vending machine. We could, however, sell pasteurised milk instead.

So we felt that it was important to install one as a back-up plan.”

Cows are calved all year round, with a significant block in the autumn, to produce a level milk supply for their

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Easy access “Location is important too – being on a main road is a huge plus,” he adds. “And infrastructure is also key – access must be easy, with parking and turning space, to set up the machine.”

Jim says that he did some market research through social media, customer trials and he also took his milk to quite a few local farmers’ markets – at least three a month – to see gauge demand.

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“And it was important to remember that even if people said they’d buy our milk that was very different to them actually coming to the farm and buying it.”

He says that it’s also vital to take things one step at a time and let business build ‘organically’.

“We started with the machine and focused on getting that up and running smoothly before we even considered investing in further processing equipment, direct sales and the farm shop.”

And Jim has other plans for the future: “Eventually I’d like to be making butter and cream to sell direct – both from the farm shop and to local catering outlets.

Cheese would be exciting too – as far as I know there’s no cheese made in Buckinghamshire, so that would be a first.”

Taking a step back towards the herd, he says that more cross breeding may be on the cards. “We’ve already done a little with Norwegian Red bloodlines and are looking at possibly using Montbeliarde and Jersey sires too.

“In the past our breeding has always focused on milk yield – putting as much as possible in the tank to maximise our milk cheque. But that’s all changed and we’re now focused on milk quality, so constituents are more important, and we also want to breed cows that are good grazers so we can maximise milk from forage.” l

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F E E D I N G

Adopting technology and improving efficiency drive award-winning business

Take-home messages A trip to the Netherlands has seen one award-winning producer inspired to make yet more changes at his West-Sussex-based unit. We spoke to him to find out more. text Lauren Goringe

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mbracing change has enabled ForFarmers’ 2016 Dairy Feed Efficiency Award winner, Charlie Hughes, to develop a diverse and successful business. After visiting the Netherlands in September 2017 – a trip that was part of his prize, he’s returned with yet more new ideas to implement on his unit.

Charlie and his West Sussex-based herd won the ForFarmers’ award primarily due to the huge improvement seen in forage quality during the past few years and increased efficiencies that he’s achieved.

In partnership with his wife Sarah and mother Julie, Charlie manages a diverse

business. The family run a 120-cow herd on 61 hectares, as well as a milk processing business. Since 2014 they have also run a farm shop. Historically, the family had sold raw milk, but 15 years ago they invested in pasteurisation facilities so that they could process and bottle milk on site. Now, they supply more than 100 local customers, including nursing homes, schools and shops. Surplus milk is sold to Arla.

Public perception With such a diverse business to run, improving efficiency is crucial to the farm’s success and this was a key factor in Charlie’s decision, five years ago, to

Charlie Hughes

replace the unit’s herringbone parlour with a robotic milking system.

“Allowing our cows to graze is important not only in terms of public perception, but also for me as a producer,” says Charlie. “To this end, despite using robots, cows still graze in summer, through the use of a Lely Grazeway gate.

This routes low yielders out to grass twice a day, and high yielders just once.”

Similar automated technology is in use across the unit, with automatic scrapers

Summer stroll: cows still have access to grazing, through the Lely Grazeway gate

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Colostrum feeding: strict calf-rearing protocols are followed

employed in buildings, and automatic machines used to feed calves.

“Innovations, such as the scrapers, save us time and the calf-feeding machines have increased growth rates and improved the quality of our heifers,” explains Charlie.

Forage quality ForFarmers’ account manager Peter Cade has worked with Charlie for more than a decade and has seen average yields increase from 6,500 litres to more than 11,000 litres.

“Charlie is not afraid of change and this has allowed him to progress quickly.

Another key area that we have worked on together is improving forage quality.

By selecting the most suitable additives, making changes to clamp management, and growing better-quality maize, he’s got the results he needs in terms of producing starch and dry matter.

“Keeping it simple is important.

Everything that Charlie and I discuss at our monthly meetings is focussed on creating simple feeding and grazing systems that maximise milk yields without creating unnecessary work.”

“The ForFarmers’ award trip to the Netherlands was fantastic and we packed a lot in,” says Charlie. The trip included

Milk machine: calves visiting an automatic feeder

visits to ForFarmers’ HQ , Denkavit, forage field trials at Wageningen University, and four dairy farms.

“One thing that struck me was the sheer number of dairy units and their uniformity. They all follow a similar management model, predominantly high yielding and housed systems, with just 1.5 people managing around 100 cows with very little stress. I’m still trying to work that one out.

“In terms of ideas to try back at on my own unit, I think the Dutch multi-cut silage approach works well. They have the right soil and climate to do this.

Grass silage was usually cut, tedded and raked by the producer and the selfpropelled forager or silage wagon was charged on an hourly basis.

Reducing waste “Most farms were onto their fifth or sixth cut, some with their seventh to come.

“I think we will struggle to achieve a similar approach here until we address contractors’ pricing structures, but it’s certainly something I am going to consider,” says Charlie.

“Some Dutch producers layered sandy soil on top of their clamps and the added weight resulted in almost no wastage.

Multi-cut system: Charlie was impressed with Dutch silage making

It’s something I’ll be looking at.” Charlie was also interested in colostrum management. “The herds we visited were feeding colostrum for longer and isolating calves early to help prevent disease. This was an approach I had already tentatively started to use back home, to ensure calves receive good levels of antibodies before they meet difficult challenges. But it was reassuring to see others doing this – and to see the results.”

Good ventilation “Recent livestock unit restrictions and phosphate regulations were in place and producers were managing them by increasing cow and forage efficiencies, and contracting out heifer rearing,” says Charlie.

“The cow houses also had good ventilation and feed presentation was consistently excellent on a ‘painted dinner plate’ surface. Many farms also had attractive cobblestone yards that don’t get destroyed by HGVs. “These points are things that I will look to replicate. These ways of working have obviously been handed down from one forward-thinking generation to the next. I think that there is a lot that UK producers can learn from the Dutch.” l

Automatic milking: yields have increased since robots were installed

C O W M A N ACGOE W MM E NA TN AOGCETMO EBNE TR /SNE O PV T EE M M BB EE R R 22 00 01 97

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DON’T GAMBLE WITH YOUR FUTURE HERD

BE SURE ABOUT YOUR COLOSTRUM Test colostrum quality with a 0-32 % brix refractometer Brix %

Quality

<18%

Poor

18-22%

Moderate

>22%

Good

Complete 1st feed?

Not recommended, replace with CCT to assure quality Not recommended, supplement with CCT to top up quality Yes

A Brix value of 22% corresponds to 50 g/L globulin protein and can be considered good quality colostrum

Natural Bovine Colostrum – Calf’s Choice Total® u u u u

All natural Bovine Colostrum, sourced in Scotland, free of EBL, free of TB. Simply add to 45 °C water and mix.

CCT can be used to replace or supplement colostrum in newborn calves when brix is less than 22%.

With 22% brix or higher, CCT can be used as a top up to assure all essential colostral proteins are fed.

CCT contains 100g bovine globulin protein.

“Our aim is to create a healthier and more productive herd that is able to reach their full potential. Colostrum management and feed quality are key in achieving lower mortality and morbidity rates resulting in healthier calves. We find that CCT fed calves are all healthy, have a better coat appearance and are brighter in their demeanor in comparison to those fed maternal colostrum.”

Jon Bult and Liz Murray – Collom Farm

For more information contact your Alta representative SCCL u 07508 076859 u robert.stevenson@sccl.com u www.sccl.com Alta Ltd. u 01292 532353 u yvonne.dunn@altagenetics.co.uk u www.altagenetics.co.uk

SCCL and Alta are sister companies within Koepon Holding 20171010-SCCL_UK_Advertentie-New.indd 1 CM07_p16.indd 16

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Award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based producer Roger Evans is reminiscing about how he got started in dairying. And he wonders why, after tapping into EU support to protect rural business viability, Wales voted to leave the EU.

Chickened out I

t’s been 17 years since we first invested in two broiler sheds. At the time we were farming 33 hectares, plus some grass keep, and it seemed the best way to go if the farm was to support two families. A few years later we got a F-BT tenancy on more than 81 hectares, just over a mile away.

If we had got the land first I doubt if we would have put the sheds up, but we were where we were. Broilers have not proved to be the licence to print money that people seem to think they are, and today you need six or eight sheds the size of ours to make a living.

It’s hardly a new concept, to put in a non-land demanding enterprise in order to make a farm viable. When I was 16 I read an article that said a new entrant could rent a council holding of 20 hectares. They should keep a flying herd of 30 cows and 200 laying hens on deep litter. They would only need a tractor, a fertiliser spinner, a mower and one of those big buck rakes to pick up mown grass in the field and carry it back to the clamp.

This article made a big impression on me (there was a Fordson Major in the picture) and that is very much how I started farming. My father in law got us a farm, I borrowed enough money to buy 30 cows, and my mother in law bought us 200 point-of-lay pullets as a wedding present.

There were two small deep litter sheds away from the yard and we put 100 in each. They didn’t have electric lighting so when the days shortened the meal was costing more than the eggs were worth. I sold the hens back to my mother in law.

And I turned to pigs, I liked pigs. If each sow had two litters, that’s 16 piglets at a fiver each and you have £80. That would buy you a midlactation cow. It wouldn’t be a very special cow, but it was a cow nonetheless.

I must have been doing something right because within three years I had 100 cows and was selling 260 gallons a day, putting 10 churns on the stand in the village. The cows were on straw in the winter.

Fast forward to today. The devolved Welsh government has supported Welsh agriculture with EU money for capital items such as chicken sheds. It is said that there are now more chickens in the old Welsh county of Radnor than there are sheep and, boy, are there some sheep.

I was chatting recently to someone who is big in the poultry industry.

He told me that if he held a farmer meeting in England, the average age was between 55 and 60 years old. In Wales the average age is between 30 and 33.

The Welsh government has used EU money to help to keep farm enterprises viable and to keep young people in the countryside. It is to the Welsh government’s credit that it has achieved that. Yet Wales voted to leave the EU! I can’t work it out either.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

Dispelling the genomics myth Top yields and more

Genomics is a quicker route to improving PLIs

Genomic data isn’t a mythical beast was the message from Vicky Hicks to delegates at the Kite Conference in early October, sponsored by NMR, HSBC, Zinpro and Phileo.

“Genomics isn’t any different to genetics really. Genomic PTAs have double the accuracy, and that’s all you have to remember,” says Miss Hicks, genetics consultant for Kite.

“Some people get hooked-up on the science behind genomics, but it’s just about getting more genetically superior heifers in the herd and doing it at a faster rate.”

She advised producers to understand

the genetic profile of their herd before using genomic testing. “Look at the genetics of each animal in the herd, rather than the average. Heifers coming into the herd should have a positive effect on the herd’s £PLI profile, above that of cull cows leaving the herd.

“By focussing on increasing the £PLI among lower ranked animals, the average £PLI will increase and the range in genetic merit will be narrower.

This has been shown to bring better returns from herd management.

Genomics provide a quicker route to achieving this.”

UNIFORM and NMR data link A real-time data link now enables live data from UNIFORM Agri’s on-farm dairy management software to be sent directly to NMR. NMR customers using UNIFORM software will have a single point of data entry on farm. This data will connect to their NMR records and reports, and to BCMS, HUK plus a wide range of milking parlours and activity monitoring systems.

Vets and advisers will be able to access and report on the data in real-time too.

Increased accuracy of reports and predictive analytics will better support

decisions made by those involved in managing the herd.

“This is a unique and integrated approach to herd management, and one that offers significant benefits to all users,” says NMR director Jonathan Davies. “It will make a valuable contribution to improving cow health and productivity.”

NMR customers who would like to activate their real-time link with UNIFORM should contact NMR Software Support on 03330 043 043 or email softwaresupport@nmr.co.uk.

In August 2017, more than 40 cows recorded with NMR achieved 100 tonnes of milk in their lifetime to date. Ranked on their lifetime daily yield (LDY) here are the top three: Cow 6040, from Sixty Acres Farm in Cornwall, achieved 110,127kg of milk in seven lactations and has an LDY of 30.55kg/day Gwen 68, from Capsey and Son’s farm based at Dorking in Surrey, yielded 109,991kg of milk also in seven lactations and has an LDY of 30.24kg/day.

In third place is Vortex Boliver Rolls, from Tom King’s herd based near Dorchester in Dorset, with 104,877kg of milk in eight lactations and an LDY of 30.15kg/ day.

A full list is on the NMR web site.

Tag offer Nordic Star, part of NMR Group, is running a three-month offer where HerdWise customers placing orders of 30 BVD tags or more qualify for an additional 30 free BVD tags. HerdWise is the CHeCS approved screening service for Johne’s disease.

“We have more than 1,600 producers using HerdWise to help monitor and control Johne’s in their herds,” says Justin Frankfort, NMR business manager. “We have introduced this offer, which runs until the end of 2017, to demonstrate to producers the value of Nordic Star BVD tags in picking up BVD PI animals in their herds. Using high retention rate ear tags combined with tissue sampling, enables two jobs to be completed at the same time.”

T & Cs apply. The offer is valid on one order per customer. Contact the Nordic Star team on 0800 731 9465 for more information.

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

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S P E C I A L

Contract-rearing success: purpose-built unit helps to meet heifer growth targets. Page 24 Early growth: pre-weaning period is critical to firstlactation yield. Page 26 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new? The latest calf-rearing advice and technology. Page 28

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Bespoke set up promotes calf-rearing excellence

Intensive ‘calf care’ unit Contract rearing calves to four months old in a purpose-built

one Somerset-based enterprise go from strength to strength.

Lisa charges on a calf per day basis and she supplies milk powder, pellets and straw. The calf owner pays for vaccines, as well as wormer treatments and fly tagging when calves are turned out.

Careful planning, from buildings and ventilation through to

Shed design

shed – and a licence to work as a TB isolation unit – has seen

feeding and vaccinate, are key to achieving target growth rates. text Rachel Queenborough

T

hree years ago, Somerset-based calf-rearer Lisa Bebbington saw an opportunity to set herself up with her own unit, specifically focused on rearing heifer calves through the first four months of life – a critical early growth phase.

When a county council farm, near

Langport, came up for sale, Lisa acquired what was effectively a greenfield site.

And here she has overseen the design and construction of a purpose-built calf shed and started her business.

Dairy heifer calves are picked up from a local dairy unit once a week and reared until four months old, before returning.

Lisa carried out plenty of research while designing the calf shed, which included visiting other units and taking plenty of calf rearing advice from her vet Oliver Tilling, of Shepton Vets.

The 36 metre x 12 metre building has capacity for up to 100 ‘baby’ calves. It has a 22° pitched roof and a vented ridge.

The walls are concrete panels, which prevent draughts and are easy to steamclean, and Yorkshire boarding, which is set above calf height and aids ventilation.

“The heat from the calves is not enough to drive air circulation and so ventilation

Optimal system: using a feeder is better than a bucket, as calves feed with a natural suckling angle

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Lisa Bebbington: “We vaccinate to protect calves from disease”

is further improved with two overhead air tubes and fans,” explains Lisa. “This brings fresh air in from outside, and holes in the tubes drop the air just above the calves’ noses. So they don’t feel any draughts.”

Calf pens are sited down either side of the shed. The floor is concrete and slopes from the back of the pens to the front, allowing fluids to drain away and into a central channel.

When calves arrive, at between seven and 10 days of age, they are put into groups of seven or eight per pen.

Pneumonia could be a risk, despite the good ventilation. “So my vet carried out tests on the herd at the source farm, as well as cattle already here at Stone Farm, to see which bacteria and viruses were present and could, potentially, be problematic,” says Lisa. “And to protect the young calves, we vaccinate for PI3 and RSV at two and four weeks of age.”

The calves are bedded up every other day with straw and pens are cleaned out every three weeks. Lisa dehorns the young calves as early as possible, using the battery-operated Horn-Up device.

She anaesthetises them first, and afterwards administers pain relief using a non-steroidal anti inflammatory.

Fresh water Buckets of water are available from the start, and are refreshed twice a day.

Calves also have ad-lib access to an 18% crude protein starter pellet from day one.

Milk replacer – a 36% protein skim milk powder – is fed at a concentration of 150g per litre. “I use a kitchen thermometer to ensure it is mixed at 45° C to break down the fats, and then add cold water to cool it down to 38° C for feeding,” explains Lisa.

Calves start on a feeding regime of 2.5 litres twice a day. This increases to a maximum of six litres, twice daily, by seven weeks of age. The rate is then

Purpose-built shed: calf housing was designed to maximise both health and welfare

gradually cut back to a one-litre night feed. And then, at around nine weeks of age and once they are eating 2kg per day of dry feed, they are weaned.

Milk is fed to the calves via Milk Bar compartment feeders. When each batch of calves us added to a pen, each feeder is fitted with new Milk Bar teats. The design of the teat slows down the speed of drinking, and the similarly aged calves will finish drinking in around the same time.

“Calves stay firmly fixed onto their teat, and initially have to suckle hard to get the milk. This prevents them gulping it down too quickly and getting bloat, which has happened with some of the faster-flowing teats we’ve used in the past,” says Lisa.

Suckling angle “Using a feeder is better than a bucket, as calves feed with a natural suckling angle – necks stretched up to the teat.

And the teats also encourage saliva production and, after feeding, there’s no cross-suckling or navel-sucking like there can be with other teats. The calves just go off and lie down.”

Lisa adds that the feeders are strong but light: “I find them easy to lift on and off the rail for cleaning. I do this after every feed, and steam-clean them once a week.

In-between feeds, I flip them upside-

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down to stop calves sucking the teats.

The teats are also easy to remove and replace, ready for the next batch of calves.”

On weaning, calves are moved out of the shed and out to grass or into hutches, where they have free access to haylage and calf rearer nuts.

Lisa weighs the calves when they arrive on the farm, and again when they leave aged four months. She has been achieving growth rates of between 700kg and 800kg per day.

Isolation unit The enterprise has proved successful and Lisa had been contract-rearing 300 dairy calves per year. But earlier this year, when a nearby unit was shut down due to TB, Lisa spotted another opportunity – a gap in the market.

She applied for a licence to become a TB isolation unit, and has now taken on rearing the dairy-cross calves and blackand-white bulls from this herd. She is rearing them up to 10 months of age and will then sell them as yearlings, once they have had two clear TB tests.

When these calves have left, Lisa plans to make her facilities and rearing service available to other TB-stricken farms.

“It’s worked well – for me and the TB restricted herd – and the additional income will also be welcome.” l

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Pre-weaning management is vital to success

Maximise early growth potential Close attention to detail – both in terms of feeding and management – keeps young heifer calves on target to calve at 22 months old on one Somerset-based unit. text Phil Eades

E

nsuring that there’s a steady stream of high quality heifers entering the herd is a top priority for Weston-SuperMare-based producers Jon Bult and his partner Liz Murray, as they look to expand cow numbers.

Plans are in place to increase the current 450-head herd of Holsteins, Jerseys and a few cross-bred cows to 1,000 cows within five years. And while some cows have been purchased recently, the intention is to become a closed herd in the future, so making heifer rearing is now a core activity on the farm.

All heifer calves are now reared and sexed semen is also being used to increase the heifer calf numbers. Calves are kept at the farm until they are 12 weeks old, when they are then moved to another rearing unit. They return two months prior to calving.

Pre-weaning performance Calf management is the domain of Liz, who is a qualified veterinary nurse.

Working closely with Harpers Feeds’ Bruce Forshaw and Trouw Nutrition GB’s Georgina Thomas, Liz has implemented a calf-rearing system that’s geared to optimising pre-weaning performance.

“Feeding young calves on an elevated plane of nutrition offers a one-off window of opportunity for accelerated growth and development,” says Georgina.

“The pre-weaning period provides a unique chance to exploit the full genetic potential of calves. And our on-going LifeStart research programme is helping to unlock ways to fully exploit this early growth potential and improve dairy farm efficiency.”

She says that conventional calf-rearing systems restrict the amount of milk or milk replacer fed during the first weeks of a calf’s life, in an effort to encourage solid feed intake and allow earlier weaning. “But numerous trials have clearly shown that a higher plane of nutrition during the pre-weaning period results in higher milk yields when the calf enters the herd. This extra yield can range from 300kg to 1,300kg in the first lactation.”

When calves are fed at a higher rate during the pre-weaning phase they develop faster. Research shows that these calves develop larger key organs, including the hearts, lungs and livers, and this is not simply due to them being larger animals. All the organs were larger when expressed as a percentage of body weight.

They also had better mammary gland

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development, which is essential for the future productivity of the cow.

“The research also shows that calves never make up for any shortfalls in growth rates and organ development if they are fed at lower rates pre-weaning,” adds Georgina. “This pre-weaning phase offers an unrepeatable opportunity to set calves up for life.”

Professional approach Careful administration of high quality milk replacer, combined with sound management techniques, establishes a solid foundation for improved lifetime performance. Georgina stresses that producers need to have a professional approach to calf rearing, which focuses on the five ‘Cs’: cleanliness, colostrum, comfort, calories, and consistency.

“The nutritional formulation of milk replacers is also crucial, allowing feed rates of at least 900g per day of milk replacer to be fed safely.”

“Our system is geared to producing a fast-growing and healthy calf,” explains Liz. “The new-born calf has tremendous potential for growth and we set out to maximise this.”

All calves are fed their mother’s colostrum, where possible, within two hours of birth. If necessary, colostrum replacer or refrigerated colostrum will be used. All colostrum is tested with a refractometer and any low-quality colostrum is discarded. Calves are offered a second colostrum feed, but are not forced to take it.

Calves are then ear tagged and naval dipped before going into individual straw bedded hutches. They remain in individual hutches until they are eight weeks old, when they are them moved, in groups of five, to larger hutches.

When fully weaned they are combined into groups of 10. All hutches are steam cleaned between calves to minimise the risk of disease.

All calves are fed Milkivit Supreme Heifer, a calf milk replacer from Trouw Nutrition that adheres to LifeStart standards. “We feed high protein because it boosts growth rates,” says Liz. “We build up to 1,200g of powder per calf per day because we are feeding for growth and health and it allows calves to perform to potential.

“We start on 750g per day and on day six this is increased to 900g. On day 10 we increase the rate again to 1,050g and reach the full rate of 1,200g on day 12.

Calves are fed 400g three times a day in 2.8 litres. Holstein and Jersey calves are

Georgina Thomas: “Pre-weaning phase offers the chance to set calves up for life”

Jon Bult and Liz Murray are on target to rear the heifer numbers they need for expansion

on exactly the same feed rates. “Calves will stay of full rate until seven weeks old when we will feed at the same concentration but cut back to two feeds a day for five days, before reducing to one feed a day for a final five days. We will wean later in the winter if it is cold.

We may delay weaning to 12 weeks but the process is the same.”

They are now vaccinating calves for IBR before they move. Antibiotics are only used in extreme cases and if calves stop eating or drinking then Liz prefers to use pain relief and electrolytes.

Both Holsteins and Jerseys are growing at a rate of 1kg per day and they have only lost two calves during the past six months. Incidence of pneumonia and scours are virtually non-existent.

And heifers are bulling strongly at 12 months old, when they are then served to enter the milking herd at 22 months old.

Georgina says that the system shows what can be achieved when there’s plenty of attention to detail. “By following strict protocols and feeding calves to their potential, Liz and Jon have the heifers in the pipeline to allow them to hit their herd expansion target.

“Although the initial feed rates are high, the outcome is heifers that are entering the herd at a younger age. This, combined with minimal losses, means that overall rearing costs are reduced.” l

Solid feed Harpers Feeds’ 24% calf rearer nut is available to calves from a day old, but Liz does not expect high intakes as they are consuming a lot of milk. “As they eat more solid food, so the quantity on offer will increase,” she says. “By seven weeks of age we expect intakes of between 2.5 and three kilogrammes per day.”

The only forage on offer is straw because when calves are moved to the rearing unit they are on a straw and concentrate system. “We want the rumen acclimatised to what calves have access to, so we only feed straw and concentrate to baby calves.”

Healthy calves: system is geared to maximise both health and growth rates

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Feeding equipment and checklist offer good health and growth rates

What’s new in calf rearing?

We take a look at some of the latest calf-rearing equipment to hit that market, and share some timely advice from a vet who spoke at a recent young-stock roadshow text Rachael Porter

1 Calf-rearing checklist Disease prevention took centre-stage during this autumn’s National Young Stock Association ‘Young Stock 4LIFE’ roadshow. And vet Tim Potter of Westpoint Farm Vets, which organised the event in partnership with MSD Animal Health, offered his six-point checklist for healthy calf rearing.

“The list starts with colostrum intake, which is something that can be improved on most units,” he said. Immunoglobulin absorption is greatest during the first six hours of life. “So develop a protocol for colostrum intake and delivery to feed three litres of colostrum within the first two hours of life and repeat again before the calf is 12 hours old.

Dr Potter stressed the importance of hygiene.

“Disinfect feeding equipment, calving tools, your hands, and wear clean clothing when assisting with calving.

Colostrum should be treated as if it is for human consumption to prevent contaminating a calf’s first meal with bacteria.”

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Six-point checklist • Improve colostrum intake • Hygiene • Housing • Vaccination • Antibiotic stewardship • Work with your vet

2 Automatic teat disinfection Producers can now rear calves more hygienically and deliver any necessary specific feed additives into a target animal’s individual milk portion, following the launch of an automatic feeding machine set up by Volac.

The Urban Alma Pro represents the latest in computerised calf feeding technology, according to the company, and is capable of feeding milk to up to 120 calves.

“This machine can help to protect calves from teat-transmitted infections – thanks to an improved hygiene system that incorporates automatic teat cleaning with disinfection after every calf feed,” says Volac’s Jason Short.

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“It can also deliver the right dose of any necessary medications, such as electrolytes, to individual calves, at the right time.

The company calculates that, compared with bucket feeding, the new machine will save producers 190 hours of labour time for every 120 calves reared.

Group feeding also saves on individual pen bedding preparation.

3 Feeding station launched A feeding station for calves has been launched, for use in conjunction with Holm & Laue’s HL100 automatic feeder.

Its purpose is to ensure optimum hygiene and nutrition for calves.

The HygieneStation cleans teats after each feed and contamination is reduced by an average of 80%. And the station also automatically cleans the entire milk line right up to the teat after each feed.

The station offers downward slanting teats, which support the calf’s natural drinking position. Stretching the head encourages the natural reflex of the oesophageal groove and reduces the risk of milk passing into the rumen.

It takes just four seconds for freshly mixed milk to reach the teat. So as soon as a calf sucks on the teat, a small amount of milk flows into its mouth. This stimulates the calf’s initial drink impulse and manual intervention is rarely neccessary.

Milk is on offer 24 hours a day. The teat is constantly lit by an LED and this enables calves to feed at night and optimises milk intakes. l 3

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B U S I N E S S

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M I L K

Global shortage continues Some recovery, but butterfat in short supply Milk prices are firm and, despite signs of lower pricing in global markets, there are reasons to be optimistic. text Rachael Porter

F

armgate milk prices are expected to remain firm during the winter, with little downward pressure, although the recent reduction in commodity prices and growth in milk production may limit the scope for further price rises.

Ultimately, producers’ milk cheques will reflect how closely their buyer is aligned to the global market. So says AHDB Dairy’s senior market analyst Patty Clayton who adds that, globally, there’s still a lack of stocks to keep the market balanced. “Milk production hasn’t recovered sufficiently to rebuild stocks, particularly in the EU, and particularly with butter,” she says.

She explains that the flip side of this is a mountain of skim milk powder (SMP) in intervention that is, inevitably, ‘dragging’ on milk price. And this is exacerbating the butter shortage as processors direct more milk into cheese, to reduce ‘low-value’ SMP production.

Spring production in the UK was slow, which has also helped to firm up prices.

There wasn’t the usual glut of milk and certainly not enough to rebuild depleted butter stocks, despite a slight recovery during the summer. The same can be said for the rest of Europe. Germany and France, in particular, saw a dip in production due to cold weather.

Firm prices “Farm gate milk prices, currently averaging 28ppl, have yet to fully catch up with the market, which is why buyers have continued to pay more as the summer progressed,” says Miss Clayton.

“This rate of increase has slowed down, but some buyers have announced price increases during the next couple of months, which is good news for producers. Even where there are no increases, prices are expected to stay level. This is also why the reduction in some commodity market prices are not

expected to have a negative impact on farm gate prices in the short term.”

Miss Clayton adds that it’s surprising that more buyers and processors are not paying more for butterfat, to incentivise producers to chase solids rather than milk yield. “Milk price has gone up, but buyers have not changed how they pay for milk. There have been very few contract alterations.”

As CowManagement went to press, only one cheese maker, Barbers, had specifically adjusted its butterfat payment upwards. “Volumes are increasing, but constituents are also needed to increase the value of that milk and meet market demand. The industry must be careful about the signals it sends to producers. Does it want more volume or a ‘different’ type of milk?”

Other key market drivers, looking forward, include the New Zealand spring flush, which is just about to begin. “It will have an impact on global milk prices, but just how will depend on the strength of their milk production. And EU production is something else to watch. Any increase in milk production in spring 2018 beyond what is needed to rebalance stocks could have a downward impact on prices.

“However, Chinese demand for dairy is starting to pick up again and this could help to counteract any increase in supplies, limiting any downward pressure on milk price.”

Of course, there’s very little that individual producers can do to influence any of that. But they can make sure that production is carefully aligned with their buyer’s contract to help mitigate any potential volatility. She says that this is where producers can take the lead and be proactive. “Communicate with them and make sure that you are servicing the market that you – and they – are in.”

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Jersey and Friesian cross-bred herds shine through

Going for gold The 2017 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup competition finalists have been announced and, in the first of three articles, we take a closer look at two of the six herds. First up we profile a Jersey herd and a grassland-based spring calving herd, which are both in the running to win this coveted award. text Karen Wright

Thomas Dickinson, Doncaster, South Yorkshire

Thomas Dickinson

Thomas Dickinson took on the management of his family’s 163 hectare dairy and arable unit in 2013, succeeding his parents John and Susan.

Switching to Jerseys, from Holsteins, 10 years ago has given the business a stronger relationship, and a more sustainable contract, with milk buyer Longley Farms. “We’ve no regrets and we like the fact that our milk is used for high-end products, like Longley butter and yoghurts,” says Thomas, adding that they must meet strict criteria and register all stock with the Jersey Cattle Society. “That’s so that customers buying Longley are guaranteed genuine Jersey milk products.”

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Also keen to promote their milk locally, they have set up a vending machine at the village pub. This sells around 400 litres of milk a week. “It promotes the industry in much the same way as Open Farm Sunday. Interaction with the public in a positive way is important.”

Now with 270 cows, there are no plans for further herd expansion. “Housing is limited,” says Thomas. “We can only accommodate 190 cows in cubicles so we always have a group of cows outdoors throughout the year.”

Day-to-day responsibility for the herd lies, predominantly, with herd manager Richard Saxby, assistant Josh Szczoczarz and dairy worker Andrew Jennings.

Breeding goals The Thurlstone herd meets Longley’s requirement for a year-round milk supply and also maximises its use of grazed grass and home-grown forages by block calving 40% of the herd in spring and the remaining 60% in autumn.

Around 60% of milk is produced from home-grown forage – mainly grazed grass with lucerne, fodder beet, grass and maize silage fed in a TMR. Keen to maintain genetic improvement,

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Thomas and Richard set breeding goals to improve milk quality and maintain feet and legs. They use a mating program to help maintain type and avoid inbreeding. And they are genetically evaluating the herd, to give them a base with a view to genomic testing young stock. Mating is in two 10-week blocks and around 55% of cows are in calf at 100 days. “We breed between 65% and 70% of the cows to dairy bulls and we’re using more sexed semen. It costs £1,500 to rear a heifer to calve at two years old, so I want to make sure it’s money well spent.”

During the next 12 months, Thomas

Herd facts System: Herd size:

Average yield: SCC: Calving interval:

Spring and autumn block calving 270 Jerseys, plus 183 followers and 100 Hereford x Jersey store cattle 5,675kg of milk, at 5.6% fat and 4.0% protein 136,000 cells/ml 383 days

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wants to reduce borrowings significantly.

“We’re not planning any major investments, but we will make improvements,” he says, adding that in 2016 they spent £30,000 on new cubicle mattresses and toppers. And they have a

regular programme of maintaining cow tracks and fences. His focus is to make even better use of the farm’s resources and play to its strengths. “It’s really important that you know your own farm, its limitations and its strengths

and that you manage it to the best advantage, providing a good environment for both cows and staff.

We must also ensure we’re working closely with our milk buyer to produce the right product for the market.”

Andrew and Rachel Giles, Glasbury, Herefordshire

Andrew Giles

Just four miles from Hay-on-Wye and sited on 174 hectares of grassland at Glasbury, Andrew and Rachel Giles follow some fundamental principles in managing their dairy unit. “You must look after the soil and the grassland, and monitor growth religiously,” says Andrew, adding that it’s equally important to breed the type of cow that can perform well on the system.

“For us that’s a cross-bred Friesian that isn’t too heavy, so the herd can graze from February to November on a tight stocking rate without causing damage to the land. She must have superb fertility to fall into the spring block calving pattern – we look to complete calvings in 11 weeks and get more than 75% back in calf in six weeks,” he says, adding that in 2016 they achieved 78%.

The couple breed for milk quality and health traits, using a mix of Friesian and Jersey genetics and select bulls that will maintain milk quality and cow size.

“We calve heifers at 23 months old and achieve this by weighing young stock at regular intervals so we know they are on target. And our replacement rate is 22%.”

Fundamental to the success of the herd is the team. The unit is run by Andrew and Rachel, farm foreman Tom Williams, who has a small equity share in the business, herd manager John Thomas, and assistant herdsman Tom Freeman.

Once the cows calve they are turned out, weather-permitting. Half the land is on

alluvial loams and the other is on higher ground with shallower soils. It’s all freedraining, so the 1,200mm of rain a year is not a problem.

“Our main job, and key to success here, is grass farming,” says Andrew. “Our aim is to grow and utilise the maximum amount of grass that the soil type and weather allows – currently 13 tonnes of dry matter per hectare.”

Starting in February, grass is measured weekly and recorded on Agrinet. This helps to produce a grazing plan that meets the cows’ nutritional needs.

Body condition Having cows in the correct body condition score at calving is also important and preparations start early by moving the heifers to once-a-day milking from September each year and grazing them in the more outlying paddocks.

“We want cows to calve and transition into the milking herd easily and start cycling,” explains Andrew. “When you’re calving 550 cows in 10 or 12 weeks you don’t want many retained cleansings. And cases of milk fever are a nightmare. These disorders are largely preventable with the correct management.”

AI starts in May and all cows are bred to dairy bulls for the first five or six weeks,

Herd facts System: Herd size:

Average yield: SCC: Calving interval:

Spring calving, grass based 550 cross-bred Friesian cows, plus 275 young stock 5,316kg, at 4.43% fat and 3.50% protein 130,000 cells/ml 375 days

then easy calving beef bulls are used.

“We’re achieving submission rates of between 90% and 95% in three weeks and conception rates of between 55% and 60%. And 78% of our cows are usually in calf at six weeks.”

Performance is carefully monitored – be it by NMR, Agrinet, through the Arla farm assurance schemes and, importantly, with their local discussion group Wye Graze, which sets benchmarks for similar dairy units in the area.

“The aim here is to control costs and be technically efficient in order to make sure that we make a profit even when milk prices are low, like they were in 2016. This, I think, is an important factor in encouraging young people into dairying.” l

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BREEDING INFORMATION

First UK-bred Hotline calves born The first offspring of sire Peak Hotline have been born on David and Brenda Lawrence’s Cumbria-based unit. The two heifers and a bull by the Hotrod x Mogul sire are already demonstrating strength and quality, according to David, particularly in their legs.

David, and his sons Michael and Richard, who make most of the breeding decisions for their 200-cow Lynholme pedigree herd, were attracted to Hotline because he’s a good all-round sire, with strength, width and body depth, excellent rear legs rear view, and scores 2.16 locomotion. There are 30 more Hotline calves yet to be born on the unit.

Kian daughter breaks 10-tonne fat-and-protein barrier Beautiful and long life – that’s the description fitting Dennenburg Martina 44. She’s the Kian daughter, owned by the Dutch Meulenbroeks family from Lage Mierde, and she recently broke the 10,000kg of fat and protein barrier this summer, with a yield of 126,421kg of milk, at 4.54% fat and 3.40% protein, in 3,550 days. The EX91 Martina is the seventh daughter of the Dutch red-and-white bull Kian to produce 10,000kg of fat and protein.

Martina has also been successful at several shows, winning the senior title at the CRV Cow Expo in 2009.

Dennenburg Martina 44

Tim joins CRV Avoncroft team

Tim Martin

Tim Martin has been appointed as a sales representative for CRV Avoncroft. Tim is a dairy producer and also comes with a wealth of experience from the wider dairy industry.

Formerly working for Genus, as well as the MMB and Semex, Tim was also one of the first ET technicians. “I started working in the AI industry in the late 1970s, when bulls were predominantly tested through the DPTS scheme, and bulls proofs only occurred once a year.

There were virtually no US genetics available.

“Now, due to genomics, the rate of genetic gain is now phenomenal and the mind boggles at what further advances modern-day technology will bring,” says Tim. He will be responsible for sales in the Lancashire area.

New Zealand grazing experts visit the UK

Sue Duffy

John Preece

Interested in finding out more about how grass-based farming systems are operating in New Zealand or do you want to get more insight in the breeding philosophy behind our CRV Avoncroft Ambreed product? From November 13 until December 2, New Zealand grazing experts Sue Duffy and John Preece are visiting the UK. Sue was raised on a dairy farm and has been working for CRV for more than 14 years. She is returning to the UK for the third time in the past two years. “Dairy genetics is a passion of mine and I enjoy helping producers to select the best bulls for the traits they’re looking for. This year I believe that we have selected a good cross section of bulls, suitable to meet all the objectives of UK producers,” she says.

John Preece grew up on a farm in a small farming district area called Matapu. He has spent the past seven years with CRV Ambreed promoting the genetics, products and services to around 400 producers. “I am looking forward to helping them to breed well balanced and long-lasting cows.”

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Exhibiting at UK International Centre For BouMatic, it really is all about meDairy andDay, my Telford cow. Every system, every program, every product BouMatic develops, is designed for my cow’s comfort, health and 2017 performance.

Milking gently, quickly and completely is BouMatic’s on Stand No. H1-97.

13th September commitment to my cows. Improving the productivity and profitability of my herd is BouMatic’s commitment to me. I am here Tel No.: 667676 Website: www.dairyspares.com to stay, today, tomorrow, for01948 generations to come.

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FORAGE FOCUS

Excellence in Farming Award 2017 finalists announced Fertiliser decisions

Left to right: ForFarmers’ Neil Richardson, Heulwen and Lori Evans, and Lisa Hambly

Left to right: ForFarmers’ Neil Richardson, Samuel Cole, and Ann Combes

Left to right: SRUC’ Hugh McClymont, and ForFarmers’ Rachael Kennerley and Nick Johns

Left to right: ForFarmers’ Neil Richardson, Keith Davis, and Lisa Hambly

A group of producers at the top of their game have been named as finalist in the regional rounds of ForFarmers’ Excellence in Farming Awards 2017.

The north and south regional finalists were announced at UK Dairy Day, in September, and at The Dairy Show in October, for each of the three award categories: dairy feed efficiency, forage manager of the year, and young stock producer of the year.

ForFarmers’ Karen Wonnacott revealed the names of the finalists at both events and said that she was extremely

impressed with the standard of this year’s entries.

“Each finalist really deserves recognition for their attitude and approach to farming,” she said. “The attention to detail is really impressive and producers have demonstrated a genuine desire for continued improvement.”

These finalists now go through to the national competition, with the overall winner in each category being announced at an event in London in November.

Area finalists Northern area – Dairy Feed Efficiency Award: A M E Wannop, of Heaton Hall Farm in Lancashire, and T J & S R Sinnott, from Ivy House Farm in Warwickshire.

– Forage Manager of the Year: J G Hughes, from Ynysgain Fawr in Gwynedd, and W L Smith & Son, from Brook House Farm in Cheshire.

– Young Stock Producer of the Year: SRUC Crichton Royal Farm, Dumfries, and W W Neilson, from East Brackenridge Farm in South Lanarkshire.

Producers should not only consider when to buy, particularly if there are low cost financing options available, but also which fertiliser to purchase.

It is also worth considering sulphur and selenium. Due less atmospheric pollution, current rates of sulphur deposition are enough for only 50% of the requirement for a single cut of grass silage. And adding sulphur can improve dry matter yield by as much as 27.5%. The quality of grass protein, due to the N:S ratio and higher amounts of sulphur containing amino acids methionine and cysteine, can also be improved.

Nutri Booster, available from ForFarmers, is a CAN-based granular nitrogen compound fertiliser, which contains sulphur and sodium, as well as selenium and magnesium.

The sulphur increases nitrogen utilisation, sodium improves grass palatability, and selenium boosts the cow’s immune system and fertility. Magnesium is important for preventing grass staggers and boosting chlorophyll production in the plant. Around 88% of soils and 83% of grass samples are low in selenium, but the positive effect of the trace element on mastitis and herd fertility is dramatic at around 50% improvement. ForFarmers also supplies Stock Booster, a compound prilled NPK fertiliser containing sodium and selenium for use on grassland to help selenium levels.

Soil test to ensure correct policy

Southern area – Dairy Feed Efficiency Award: F G Luther & Son, from Hill Farm in Dorset, and Cox Lake Farm Ltd, Pembrokeshire.

– Forage Manager of the Year: T H Davis & Son, from Daniels Farm in Gloucestershire, and the Evans family, from Parc-Cynog in Carmarthen – Young Stock Producer of the Year: Cole & Sons, from Treble House Farm in Somerset, and John Heller, from Acland Farm in Cornwall.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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H E A LT H

Deadlines mean that it’s time to implement and act on disease control plans

It’s time for Johne’s action With 26 milk buyers already signed up to the National Johne’s Management Plan, the time has come to set new deadlines and rules for compliance. We explain what this means for producers. text Natalie Wragg

The success of the first phase of the NJMP has raised the level of understanding across the industry and has put producers and vets in a strong position to move forward and reduce the prevalence of Johne’s in the UK dairy herd.

Veterinary advice

T

he second phase of the National Johne’s Management Plan was launched earlier this year and Action Johne’s has now set out the deadlines for compliance with this industryled scheme. While phase I of the National Johne’s Management Plan (NJMP) was focussed on education and raising awareness of Johne’s disease, this second phase calls for action in tackling the disease, through robust

management on farm. “It is increasingly rare to come across producers who don’t know something about Johne’s disease, whether that is through their vet, attending a meeting, or reading something in the farming press,” says NMR vet advisor Karen Bond. “This is in stark contrast to a decade ago when it was often regarded as a subject to be avoided, and certainly not something to be talked about in public.”

With more than 620 vets accredited by the BCVA as trained in Johne’s veterinary advice, and more than 82% of the UK milk supply pool already within the Action Johne’s initiative, the time is right to set the deadlines for compliance, according to the chair of the Action Johne’s group, Lyndon Edwards.

“Red Tractor standards were also revised recently and they now include having a Johne’s management plan, so we look

Take action: phase II of the NJMP requires robust management plans to be drawn up and followed

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Action Johne’s six strategies

Karen Bond: “Declaration can only be signed by a vet who has completed training”

Lyndon Edwards: “Awareness of the NJMP is rapidly growing”

forward to helping the industry work together to manage this issue on farm.”

With 26 milk purchasers involved with the initiative, Action Johne’s felt that it was important to set out a formal structure for compliance so every producer knows what is expected of them, regardless of their milk buyer. So a new producer and vet declaration has been created, setting out exactly what needs to happen for a herd to be compliant with the NJMP. And this must be completed by October 2018 (some milk purchasers may seek to complete before this date).

In order for the herd vet to sign the declaration, three steps need to be taken: 1. An on-farm Johne’s risk assessment.

This will be carried out by the herd’s vet, ideally using a formal risk assessment tool. Risks of disease entry and spread will be identified.

2. An assessment of herd Johne’s status.

This requires a screening test. The

minimum testing requirement to determine status for the NJMP is either a targeted 30-cow screen or a cull-cow screen. Bulk-tank testing for Johne’s disease is not an acceptable screening test for the NJMP due to its poor sensitivity. Discuss the best option for your herd with your vet.

3. A written Johne’s management plan.

This will be based on the findings from the first two steps and must be agreed between the producer and vet.

One of the six NJMP strategies will be selected and then a bespoke management plan created for the herd, which fulfils the objectives of the NJMP and sets out the management tasks required.

Declaration form: vets and producers must jointly draft and sign

Latest research The declaration can only be signed by a vet who has completed the training and passed the assessment to become a BCVA-accredited Johne’s advisor. This training is designed to ensure that vets fully understand the principles of the NJMP and how to select the correct strategy for each herd, and that they are fully up to date with the latest research.

“The pass mark for the accreditation test is 100%, so you can be sure that if your vet has done this training they definitely know their stuff,” says Mrs Bond.

Producers then need to sign the declaration to confirm that they have agreed the written plan and that they will adopt it on their unit. This process will be repeated annually to update the risk assessment, ensure the management plan is still appropriate, and to make any necessary alterations.

“It’s important to ensure that your herd adopts the most appropriate strategy and that your plan is robust. This will require significant input from your vet,” says Mrs Bond. “This isn’t something that can be done during a PD session, nor can the form just be signed off while

1. Biosecurity protect and monitor 2. Improved farm management 3. Improved farm management and strategic testing 4. Improved farm management, test and cull 5. Breed to terminal sire 6. Firebreak vaccination For further details on the control strategies, visit www.actionjohnesuk.org

you pick up a bottle of penicillin from the practice. To ensure that the Johne’s management plan will work, the herd vet must carry out a thorough risk assessment and put together the plan.

This process is likely to take a couple of hours and will need to be paid for by the producer. It may seem like a lot of money, but having the wrong plan will cost you much more.”

Control plan Many producers will already be well on the way to successfully managing Johne’s and for them working with their vet to put in place a robust control plan will just be ‘business as usual’. The only difference will be an extra form to sign.

“For those who have not already engaged then now is the time,” adds Mrs Bond.

“There are more than 620 accredited vets, across the country, ready and waiting to help their clients tackle Johne’s. The knowledge and tools are available to effectively manage Johne’s on each and every dairy farm, regardless of management system, herd size or disease status. So talk to your vet and get started today.”

“We have seen huge steps forward in the awareness of the National Johne’s Management Plan so far and we look forward to the continuing engagement and support of the industry,” adds Mr Edwards. “The NJMP plan will help to reduce the prevalence of Johne’s on farm and provide future sustainability for producers and the whole supply chain, as well as providing opportunities for future trade in an increasingly competitive market.” l Check to see if your vet is fully trained at www.actionjohnesuk.org

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DECEMBER 8: Cow Health Book your advertisement now!

Deadline for reservation: November 27 Call: Jonathan Davies, 07970 017243

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B R E E D I N G

Quick, easy and hassle-free system breeds uniform and easy-to-manage milkers

Precision breeding Using a computerised breeding program has not only freed up more time for herd management but it’s also increased the rate of genetic gain on one Cumbria-based unit. We explain how and why this win-win solution works. text Rachael Porter

M

ore precise breeding and improvements in genetic gain are just two reasons why one Cumbria-based producer is pleased that he’s now using a computerised mating program.

In a bid to breed trouble-free, easyto-manage and ‘uniform’ herd, Adam Chippendale has been using SireMatch for eight years. And today he wonders how he managed without it.

“I knew that there was more that we could do to improve the rate of genetic gain in our herd,” says Adam.

“But I simply didn’t have the time or expertise to match cows, heifers and sires more precisely. I was also worried about in-breeding. So SireMatch seemed like a good solution.”

Adam isn’t afraid of adopting technology on his unit, based at Wharton Hall near Kirkby Stephen, which is home to his

44

190-cow Holstein herd. Six years ago he installed three Lely A3 robots to milk the expanding herd and he’s just invested in a fourth. Breeding is also playing a key role here by optimising teat placement and milking speed for automatic milking.

Breeding had previously focused on using high PLI bulls. But cows milked through robots need slightly longer teats that are further apart, and udders still need to be high with good attachment, according to Adam.

“So that’s something we’ve been able to select for using SireMatch and already we’re seeing a difference in the heifers that are coming through.

“I’m not sure that we’d have seen that rate of progress if sire selection had been left solely to me,” says Adam.

Feet are important too – cows must have

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Adam Chippendale: “Cows are more uniform and have greater dairy strength”

good locomotion to ensure that they visit the milking robots regularly.

Adam admits that longevity has been a problem in the past, so it is another key selection criteria when deciding which sires to use on his herd.

Long-life cows “Cows were simply not completing as many lactations as I’d have liked. That was brought into sharp focus when I first visited the Netherlands.

“I saw many herds with long-life cows and I was impressed by their robustness.

There are a lot of 100-tonne cows in Holland and that’s something I aspire to. I haven’t produced one yet, but I’d like to think that there are now a few cows and heifers with the potential to achieve that milestone in my herd.”

Adam has also recently started using sexed semen on his best cows: “If they’re good enough then I want heifers from them,” he says, adding that 70% of the semen in his AI flask is SiryX.

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“I’m also looking to expand the herd a little more, to around 200 milkers. But I want to do it gradually and with my own replacements.”

His herd is currently averaging 10,700kg, at 4.08% butterfat and 3.40% protein.

Adam saw a 10% increase in milk yield when he switched to an automated milking system. Cows are milked, on average, 3.5 times a day.

Apart from economies of scale and greater milk production, Adam says that expanding cow numbers will also help to produce more waste to ‘feed’ the micro anaerobic digester plant that he installed on his unit in April 2017.

“It’s a small 44kW plant and I’m still trying to gauge how much manure I need to run it. I won’t know until it’s all

up and running. But more cows will help there too. I must stress, though, that the AD plant is not a key driver.”

Sire knowledge With so many aspects of his dairy unit to juggle, it’s little wonder that a program that takes the guesswork and hassle out of matching cows and heifers to the best sires is proving invaluable.

CRV Avoncroft’s Alan Mason helps here.

The starting point for using SireMatch is defining the herd’s breeding goals.

Alan and Adam have regular and indepth discussions about the type of cow that Adam wants to breed and milk.

“So teat placement and longevity have figured high on my list of priorities.

And, for the past few years, we’ve also be

Farm open day Adam is hosting a farm open day, in conjunction with Solcap Energy, on November 23, between 10.00am and 2.00pm.

To register your interest, please telephone The Farmer Network on 01768 868615.

paying more attention to fat-and-protein yield,” says Adam, explaining this his milk buyer, Arla, pays a premium for high butterfat. “All the key breeding parameters are considered and entered into the computer program.

“I couldn’t do it better myself – even if I had the time. Alan also has the expertise and he knows the sires that are available too,” says Adam.

Daughters milking in the herd include: Classic, Fidelity, Kodak, Big Winner, Cricket, Crown, Fantasy and Goli. And sires in the AI flask today include: Clown, Magister, Abel, Ticket, Whatsapp, Kodak, Webmail and Ranger.

Any cow that Adam doesn’t want to breed replacements from is served with conventional black-and-white semen: “And any poor cows are served with Belgian Blue. My best cows and maiden heifers are served using SiryX semen.”

Heifer testing

AI flask: just a handful of sires are used on the herd at any one time

At some point in the future Adam also wants to start genomically testing his heifers. He believes that this will allow him to be even more selective in his use of sexed semen and it will also mean that he breeds heifers from only the very best animals in his herd. This will speed up the rate of genetic gain even further.

“We could even sell some surplus heifers too – and that’s certainly the plan. We’d welcome the additional income stream and it would be nice to able to be choosier about the heifers we keep as replacements for our herd.”

It’s becoming more difficult to choose between heifers at the unit now. “I can now line them up and they’re all uniform in size and they definitely have more strength.

“They also have good teat placement.

I’m certainly very pleased with what I see and it’s not taken many generations of breeding to get here.

“I’m not sure I’d be looking at a line of heifers like that, particularly so soon, if I didn’t use SireMatch.” l

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS November 3-12: November 15: November 15: December 14:

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

2018 January 3-5: January 22-24: February 7: May 10: May 16-19: May 30-June 2:

Cosy calf: new arrival signals the beginning of autumn calving Picture: Harrie van Leeuwen

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

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

Editorial team

Chief Editor Jaap van der Knaap Editor Rachael Porter Phone 01394 270587 E-mail rachael@reporterjournalism.co.uk Editing, design and production Veeteelt Contributing writers Emily Ball, Alice Booij, Lauren Goringe, Phil Eades, Roger Evans, Allison Matthews, Rachel Queenborough, Natalie Wragg and Karen Wright Publisher Rochus Kingmans

Chief editor’s address

P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands Phone 0031 26 38 98 821.

E-mail cm.office@crv4all.com internet www.cowmanagement.co.uk

Subscriptions

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

If you think you are eligible, please contact: National Milk Records plc, Fox Talbot House, Greenways Business Park, Bellinger Close, Chippenham SN15 1BN Phone 03330 043043 E-mail customerservices@NMR.co.uk www.isubscribe.co.uk

Advertisements

Jonathan Davies, NMR. Phone 07970 017243 E-mail jonathand@nmr.co.uk Marco Jansen, Froukje Visser P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands, E-mail marco.jansen@crv4all.com

Illustrations/pictures

Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Ruth Downing (8, 37), Derek Pelling (10-12), Eveline van Elk (14), Wayne Hutchinson (44-45) and Mark Pasveer (44).

Alta ...........................................................16 Ambic ..........................................................9 Animax ......................................................48 Bayer .........................................................22 Biotal .........................................................21 Concept Cowhouse Ltd. ............................20 CowCare systems ......................................18 CosyCalf ....................................................36 Cowsfeet ...................................................20 CRV Avoncroft Ltd./CRV .............................2 Dairymaster UK Ltd. ..................................13 Dairy Spares ..............................................34 De Boer Housing Systems Ltd ....................42 DP Agri Ltd................................................38 Easyfix .........................................................9 Farmplus....................................................20 FiveF Alka Ltd. ...........................................34 ForFarmers ................................................43

Holm & Laue ...............................................4 Holstein UK ...............................................30 Intershape .................................................34 MSD Animal Health ...................................29 NMR ...................................................35, 47 Pyon Products ...........................................13 Quill Productions .......................................30 Spinder ......................................................20 Teemore Engineering Ltd. ..........................42 The Calf Company Ltd...............................42 Thompsons ................................................43 Trouw Nutrition .........................................13 VDK Products ............................................38 Volac .........................................................20 Insert: VUXXX

COMING UP

C o w - healt h sp ecial December (December 8) – We focus on cow health in this issue’s special and we also take a closer look at the benefits of regular in-parlour feeder calibration.

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.

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

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