CowManagement september 2012

V O LU M E 10 N O 6 SE PTE MBE R 2012

IN THIS ISSUE

F E E D IN G

COW HEALTH

LIVESTOCK 2012

Timely tips on feeding ‘variable’ silage

Lungworm update and the latest on Johne’s

Our annual preview of what’s on and what’s new

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CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Overalls of: Scout leader Veterinary practice: Lungworm NMR Dairy Management News Business update: interest rates Avoncroft Breeding Information/ Thompsons Nutritional News 62 Events and contacts 5 14 43 51 54 59

REPORT

16 Tom Appleby COLUMN

18 Roger Evans H E A LT H

20 Johne’s disease FEEDING

24 Cost-effective feeding BREEDING

56 August bull proofs OVERSEAS

44 South Africa

Tom Appleby “Cross breeding was a natural progression” 16

Main article Silage strategies

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Tips to help you balance variable silage this winter

Editor Rachael Porter A grand day out

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hat a summer – if you can call it that! Wetweather pressure on grazing and silage making, downward pressure on milk price, upward pressure on costs and, ultimately a lot of pressure on you.

So a day at Livestock 2012 could be just the respite that you – and your business – need. A chance to meet up with friends and like-minded producers, as well as take advantage of all the free information that’s on offer, be it in the form of one of the many seminars that are being run throughout the two-day event or a chat with a consultant, nutritionist, vet or other technical expert on one of the many stands.

Bring your problems to the show and you should go home with a solution or two – as well as a fresh pair of eyes on your business. Time away from the herd can be part of the answer as it helps to put things in perspective.

We hope we have one or two, at least, solutions or ideas for any feeding problems you may encounter this coming winter. Page 24 has an article on costeffective feeding, to beat the rising price of bought-in feed. And on page eight we look at how best to balance rations when silage quality is less than ideal.

Lungworm thrives in the conditions we’ve had this summer, so we’ve a timely reminder on what to look for and how to treat and prevent this damaging and costly disease on page 43. Johne’s is another disease that should be on all producers’ radar and we’ve an article that explains why and how producers can go about screening for and monitoring it within their herds on page 20. Read it and find out why ignoring this disease is not an option.

Roger Evans is in a positive mood on page 18, and it’s not just because his latest book is set to be launched on CowManagement’s stand at Livestock 2012.

Gold Cup Finalists line up

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Special Livestock 2012

Six dairy herds fought off 450 other qualifying herds to make it to the Gold Cup final

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A preview of Livestock 2012, a must-see for progressive producers

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C O W

Free dairy-housing guide DairyCo has produced a cow-housing guide for producers that covers a multitude of management systems, highlights legal and welfare regulations and includes action points that, it says, will make a difference on UK units.

‘Dairy housing – a best practice guide’ includes more than 17 chapters covering topics such as cow behaviour and comfort, lighting, ventilation and biosecurity.

It also includes a range of specific building layout examples and worked calculations, plus examples of further reading. The guide will be launched at Livestock 2012.

Producers can request a hard copy by calling the DairyCo publications line on 024 7647 8702, or by visiting the DairyCo website, www.dairyco.org.uk

Trim tails with style Light, fast and robust – that’s how the distributor of the Tailwell2 Power Tail Trimmer describe its latest piece of kit.

The machine, which can be used on any drill with a 14v battery unit, trims a tail in just 10 seconds and is available from UK stockists Agrihealth.

Cylindrical cutters give an all-round trim from one pass up the tail with no risk of cuts to animal or operator. Weighing less than half a kilogramme, this easyto-use trimmer should make tail trimming in the milking parlour or cattle crush simpler and safer.

TA L K

Package focuses on efficiency A consultancy package from Promar International should help producers drive extra efficiencies from their businesses, helping to offset the effects of the current milk price squeeze.

So says consultant Emma Thompson, adding that vast majority of producers have taken action to reduce costs. “But it will never be possible to sort the current situation solely by cutting costs, buying less or buying cheaper.”

On many units there is still scope to improve efficiency of operations and in so doing remove costs or spread costs over more litres.

“By analysing businesses closely we are able to identify areas where efficiency can be improved and in many cases significant cost reductions can be achieved or performance increased substantially,” she explains.

The Dairy Consultancy Programme has been developed to identify areas where efficiency improvements can be made, to develop a plan to deliver the improvements by identifying and addressing root causes and then to monitor progress. It is based around monthly consultancy visits and structured in depth physical and financial benchmarking.

“The aim of the service is to analyse individual businesses and to develop a tailored plan that helps increase margins and profitability. We will identify the priority areas where larger improvements should be possible and then seek to achieve some quick wins while driving longer-term gains.”

Give your girls some stick With the majority of all bulling activity taking place between 6pm and 6am, good heat detection is essential for efficient reproductive management. And LA-CO’s All-Weather Paintstik livestock marker, one of the easiest methods of marking the rumps of cows to be bred and this simple solution, is now available to UK producers.

At a time when cow fertility is in general decline, the stick offers a low-cost means of improving submission and conception rates, according to distributor Brian Hyde.

“Each stick is about 12.5cm long, making it ideal to keep close to hand in an overalls pocket, and one stick will mark around 30 cows, with three or four strokes per cow being all that is required,” he says.

He adds that the paint is weather resistant and recommends ‘touching up’ marks just once a week.

Non-toxic and highly visible, the stick marks wet or dry hides and is available in three fluorescent colours - orange, pink and green – as well as matt colours including blue, red, orange and green.

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

Tips to help you balance vari

Planning and Late with silage making and worrying about variable quality – and possibly low stocks?

We spoke to a producer and two leading UK nutritionists for some practical advice on how to put a balanced and consistent ration in front of your cows this autumn and winter. text Rachael Porter

“I

was a month late with first cut and almost two months later than usual with second cut.”

This all-too-familiar story is shared by producer Jim Kirk, who runs a 350-cow herd near Okehampton in Devon. And he’s not alone. Producers all over the UK have struggled to make silage at the ideal time, with cutting delayed on many units by up to two weeks.

The lateness of some silage cuts has been unprecedented, with second cut being taken as late as the end of July in some areas, and many herds have been re-housed at one point or another because grazing land is simply too wet.

To add insult to injury, these resulting ‘late’ silages are less than ideal quality – with some being wet and therefore acidic and others being excessively ‘stemmy’ and low in D value. So there are more feeding and management difficulties in store for some producers this coming winter.

Jim is certainly concerned about how his forage will feed out this winter. He says he’s fortunate that he’s still got enough in the clamp, even though he’s taken fewer cuts than usual this year – just three instead of the usual five.

Quality concerns “First cut here is usually the second or third week in April and then we cut every six weeks after that throughout the summer. I should be able to get a third cut in the first week of September and then I’ll have more than enough silage in terms of quantity.

But I am concerned about quality – D value is looking low.”

He’s already feeding some first-cut silage and says that the cows are enjoying it. “Thankfully it’s not too acidic, but both the ME and D value are down so we are balancing it with a blend. And we’ll continue to monitor silage quality as we move through the

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ance variable silage this winter

and analysis clamp to make sure that we continue to put a consistent ration in front of the cows.

“We’ll keep a close eye on things as we move into autumn and winter. We’re fortunate that we do have some silage left over from 2011 and we can feed that too, to help improve forage quality. But that’s not going to last all winter.”

On the plus side, he harvested his wholecrop wheat in July as usual. “It was a good crop, perhaps a little light in terms of yield, but good nonetheless. “Maize, however, is another matter entirely. It’s looking terrible. It’s shorter than usual – just up to my waist – but already I can see tassels are out. I usually harvest it during the first week in October, but I expect that will be delayed this year too.”

Jim says that one thing he won’t delay is seeking advice on how best to feed out his silage and how to balance rations this winter.

Feeding out It’s all about planning when it comes to feeding out ‘variable’ silage.” according to NWF’s Tom Hough.

“There will be producers out there avoiding the issues and taking a ‘last-minute’ approach and if ever there was a year when that could really land you in trouble then this is it,” he says.

The first step is to get your silage analysed. “And do it now, so you know what you’re dealing with,” he says “There are some good silages out there. It’s not all bad news, but there is huge variability and different silages will represent different feeding challenges.

“Wet acidic silages will threaten rumen health and will need careful balancing, perhaps with the inclusion of some longer drier fibre sources.

“High NDF, high DM, low ME silages will need some starch to drive production and this starch should contain a high proportion of bypass starch to Table 1: Average grass silage results to 08.08.12 (source: Frank Wright Trouw Nutrition 2012)

dry matter (%) intake potential (g/kg) D value (%) ME (MJ/kg) NDF (%) sugar (%) pH lactic acid (g/kg) VFA (g/kg) PAL (meq/kg) crude protein (%)

1st cut

2nd cut

wettest 20%

driest 20%

31.1 102.3 67.9 10.9 46.2 2.6 4.1 68.2 22.6 722 13.8

30 98.3 65.2 10.4 48.2 2.6 4.1 65.1 26.8 745 13.1

20.2 89 66 10.6 49.6 2.2 4 96.3 31.9 903 13.6

44 113.5 68.3 10.9 45.1 3.2 4.3 40.9 15.5 678 13.5

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A RT I C L E

Silage results – it’s not all bad news The results of the first 455 samples analysed so far this year show that, on average, silage quality is similar to 2011, but as ever there is a huge range and wet silages in particular will present some feeding challenges.

So says Frank Wright Trouw Nutrition’s John Allen, adding that the average grass silage has a dry matter content of 31.6%, only 1% lower than 2011. “ME is slightly down by 0.2MJ/kgDM at 11.1 MJ/kgDM, and crude protein, averaging more than 14%, is similar to 2011.”

The fermentation quality of these initial samples is good with lactic acid, VFAs, pH and ammonia nitrogen levels all within the normal range.

“The problem this year is that the average masks a wider range than usual which makes it even more important that producers get clamps

analysed accurately before they start planning winter rations.”

“The wettest 20% of silages have an average dry matter of just 20.7% and will certainly be the most difficult to feed,” he continues. “They will have a negative impact on rumen activity, cow performance and health and will need very careful balancing.”

Dr Allen points out that there is a greater risk of rumen acidosis with wet silages as they are higher in lactic acid and potential acid load. Saliva production is much lower when feeding wet silages so the cows natural buffering against acidosis is reduced.

To overcome this it will be necessary to add some rumen active fibre from either straw or drier forages and to consider adding rumen buffers or yeast.

preserve rumen health. “And with very dry silages considering including molasses in the diet to improve intakes and boost rumen performance, particularly where silage proteins are low.

“The sooner you know that the quality, the sooner you can get some advice and plan how you’re going to balance rations.”

He stresses the need to monitor performance closely and to change diets gradually “If ration changes are imminent and silage stocks from one clamp are running low then pick up the phone to your nutritionist as soon as possible. The rumen needs time to adjust and gradual changes to the ration will help to avoid any drop in milk yield or digestive upsets.”

Mixing silage Some producers will have first and second-cut silage in separate clamps, while others will have one on top of the other. “Whatever you have, it may be worth considering mixing both silages within the ration. I know producers hate having two clamps open at the same time, but this is an exceptional year and may require things to be done differently,” says Mr Hough.

“It could help to balance poor silages to some degree, particularly if your first cut is wet and your second cut is stemmy.

And it may also help you to put a consistent ration in front of your cows for the entire winter.”

“Assess silage stocks and as you move through a clamp, or change to a different one, make sure you know exactly what you’re feeding and how it should be balanced. l

Fertiliser trial helped to boost silage yields Another thing that’s stood Devon-based producer Jim Kirk in good stead in a tough year is his policy of reseeding at least 25 hectares of grassland each year, following wholecrop wheat, and his is involvement in a fertiliser trial in the spring.

Yara has recently conducted a grassland trial on the farm to demonstrate the potential of grassland and the role that fertilisers can play.

For the Yara ‘grass challenge’, one of his fields was selected, which was reseeded in August 2011. A soil test taken prior to reseeding revealed a pH of 6.5, P index 3.3, K index 1.5, Mg index 5.7, and a low sulphur status.

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Slurry was applied in late December at a rate of 40m3/ha, which was tested to reveal higher N, but lower P and K content than standard values. So a fertiliser programme was then devised with a recommendation of 470kg/ha of Sulphurcut 22-4-14+7.5%SO3, which was applied on March 10.

A yield improvement of more than 8% was seen with the NPKS application – 27.56tDM/ha compared to 25tDM/ha for the nitrogen-only application.

“This response came from additional N, K and S applied to meet the crop requirement. Often the amount of manure applied is unknown, and the majority of producers do not

se p tem b er

analyse their manure,” says Yara’s Nigel Hester.

The overall first-cut yield for the trial field was measured at 27.6tDM/ha, and showed a 4% increase in D value and ME, and an impressive 37% increase in crude protein.

“In a year like this, following best practice when applying fertiliser is more important than ever, both in terms of maximising yield and quality.

The true potential of grass is largely untapped throughout the UK. Yet it offers great opportunities to producers in good grass growing areas, when all the main limiting factors are addressed,” he adds.

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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O V E R A L L s

Name: Location: Occupation: Hobby:

O F F

Howard Ball Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire Relief milker Scout leader

Howard Ball: “It’s an excuse to be a kid – without getting into trouble!”

Be prepared! text Rachael Porter

R

elief milker Howard Ball swaps cow collars for scarf woggles once a week, ditching his work overalls for smarter attire – a freshly pressed scout leader uniform. Based near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, Howard, who is also a foot trimmer and freeze-brand technician, says that presiding over a scout meeting is slightly more challenging than looking after cows.

“Teenagers can be a little more unruly and can sometimes answer back, but they’re often just as messy. It’s nothing I’ve not seen before – I’ve got three children of my own,” he adds.

On the whole he says they’re great boys and girls and he really enjoys helping out in his spare time. He must do – he’s been working with the 4th Melton Mowbray Scout Group for the past eight years and says he’s loved every minute of it.

“I started as a parent helper, going along as extra support when my then five-year-old daughter went on a Beaver camp,” he explains.

“One of the leaders said I should join up – I used to be a cub and a scout and I made the mistake of saying that I really enjoyed it.

So I couldn’t really say no, could I?” he jokes.

“I then helped to organise a fund-raising trip to the top of Snowdon. We were having a big push to pull together enough money to build a new scout hut. And the other leaders sprung a surprise investiture ceremony on me when we got to the top. It was a really special moment and obviously I was committed after that,” adds Howard.

His weekly commitment is to run and supervise the scouts’ meetings every Monday evening, between 7.15 and 9.15. But he also helps out with the cub group and then there are weekends away, fund-raising events and summer camps. “Lots and lots of fun things going on – all year round,” he says.

“And I really enjoy it all – it’s totally different to what I do on a daily basis, but with the added bonus of still being outside. I can’t stand being cooped up indoors, so this really is the perfect pastime for me.

“I love the countryside and this also gives me the opportunity to view it from a recreational view point – rather than just a business one,” he says.

It’s not just the scouts that get to try out new and fun outdoor pursuits either. Howard has learnt to sail, canoe and climb since he joined. And his social life has improved too. The leaders often get together outside the formal meetings for meals and drinks.

“They’re a very friendly and fun loving bunch of people with a real zest for life – just like the scouts.

“It feels good knowing that you’re, as they say, giving something back. Although I really enjoy being a leader, so it’s hardly a sacrifice.”

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H E R D

R E P O RT

‘Early adopters’ share their reasons for switching to cross breeding

The Appleby family (James and Tom) A change in farming system – to generate more profit – triggered a switch to cross breeding Worcestershire and cows that are better suited to grazing and autumn calving.

Number of cows: Expanding to: Average yield: On-farm processing:

300 400 by 2013 6,500kg 5% of milk output

I

ce-cream processing, an organic system and a ghost – the Appleby family’s dairy unit, based at Bretforton House Farm near Evesham in Worcestershire, has it all going on. But it’s the cross breeding – using Norwegian Red sires on Holsteins and using Jersey sires for the second cross – that’s really causing a stir, according to Tom Appleby.

He’s the third generation of his family to run the unit and the third generation of

Breeding for profit – not more milk Cross breeding is a key part of a continually developing Worcestershire-based dairy business. It’s all about having the right cows to suit the system, according to former pure Holstein breeders, who now run a mixed herd. text Rachael Porter

‘early adopters’ to stamp his mark on the herd. His grandfather Roy milked British Friesians back in the 1950s and he was one of the first producers to import some Canadian Holsteins. “He shared a plane load with another breeder and from then on he took the Holstein route,” says Tom. His father, James, was one of the first producers to switch to TMR feeding in the early 1970s. “He and my grandfather

found that they needed to move to a TMR feeding system in order to get enough feed into these large, milky Holsteins that they were breeding. And the response of the cows to the feeding system was phenomenal. Milk yields soared and Dad was smitten.”

Yields were up around 9,500kg and 10,000kg in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but Tom says that they became disillusioned in the late 1990s.

Grazing focus: cross breeding is just part of the overall change to a more pasture-based system

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A ‘spooky’ way to add value Processing ice-cream on the farm adds some value to the herd’s milk.

But the enterprise, which uses about 5% of the herd’s annual output, is run entirely separately from the main dairy business by Tom’s wife Nicola and his mother Susan.

“We sell milk to the business at the same price that we get paid by the dairy on our standard organic contract,” explains Tom, adding that

The ‘red’ factor: Tom is pleased with his first-cross Holstein x Norwegian Reds

“Dad and my mum Susan decided to take the organic route. They could see that the system wasn’t sustainable and decided to add value to the milk, rather than simply producing more and more of it.”

So they reduced cow numbers to 150, to reduce the farm’s stocking rate, and organic conversion finished in 2000.

“We continued with Holstein breeding until 2008, when we then started to

cross breed. It was a natural progression really – part of the overall change to a pasture-based system – but also an important one. The cows have to suit the system and pure Holsteins are simply not compatible with what we’re trying to do here,” says Tom. That said, he stresses that they will continue to use Holstein and Friesan bloodlines as part of the breeding programme: “If we need to inject a little more milk into our cows or perhaps improve udder conformation, for example.”

More profit Back in 2008 the herd was still being milked three times a day and Tom says that they felt that a shift of emphasis from productivity to profitability was needed. “We were being paid a strong price for our milk, but we just weren’t seeing much of a profit on that because our feed costs were just so high.”

So the family called in dairy consultant Tony Evans. “He went through everything, to see how much money we were really making and what our biggest costs were. And then laid it out for us in black and white – or not, as it were.

“Both feed and vet bills were high and fertility was poor. So after some research, and visiting herds that have adopted the system we planned to implement, we took the plunge with cross breeding.”

All Holsteins in the 300-cow herd have been crossed with Norwegian Red and the resulting heifers and cows will be crossed with Jersey sires.

“And the plan now is to use Fleckvieh as the third cross and to just use Jersey on heifers.”

The current herd, which is averaging 6,300kg of milk, comprises 200 Holstein, 30 British Friesian, 25 Jersey crosses and 25 Norwegian Red crosses.

So, why Norwegian Red? “There were so

the ice-cream business is very busy in the summer.

Its turnover for this period is equal to 25% of the entire dairy business’ annual turnover. A total of 15 flavours of ‘Spot Loggins’ ice-cream – the brand is named after a local man whose ghost is said to haunt the site of a filled-in well on the dairy farm – are sold wholesale to local retailers and caterers.

many options, so again we spoke to other breeders to find out what had worked for them,” explains Tom. “We had mixed feed back about Jerseys, but they’re good on fat and protein and feet too, of course.

So we plumped for them as a second cross. And we’d already dabbled with some Norwegian Red semen and were happy with the results, so felt that had to be our first cross. We were also impressed with the sire proving system in Norway, with its emphasis on health and management traits.”

They’re also slightly bigger and give more milk and Tom says that he thinks they’re more suited to an autumn calving system. The next step is to move to autumn calving. “We have two tight blocks at the moment – one in the spring and the other in the autumn – and we’re gradually moving towards autumn only.”

Premium price He says that the farm’s climate tends to be very dry in the summer. “That’s great in a year like this one, but more typically we run out of grazing in July and August.

And our milk buyer is also willing to pay a premium for autumn milk.”

Tom and his father also plan to push cow numbers up to 400 within the next 12 months. “We’re going to fill the feed passage in the existing cow house with cubicles and switch to feeding silage in outdoor troughs and cake through the parlour,” explains Tom. His aim is to milk a medium-sized cow that has the genetic potential to produce 7,000kg of milk. “And I think we’re on target to achieve that. But the beauty of the system we have now is that it’s flexible and it’s changing all the time.

By the time we get to having to select a breed for the third cross, things may have changed again – and we can adapt accordingly.”l

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F E W

W O R D S

F R O M

R O G E R

E VA N S

A rallying call for change from award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based producer Roger Evans. And it’s aimed at producers – not milk buyers or processors.

Survival of the fittest I

’ve been to the Royal Welsh show for four days, talking to producers.

Friends who knew where I was going and what I was doing reckoned I’d get a rough ride. Not a bit of it.

Obviously there was a lot of talk about milk price and demonstrations, but First Milk members reckon they have done the right thing and are in the right place.

Since deregulation there has been a cash-flow benefit to being a direct seller, but the industry has changed beyond belief this year.

There have been two major mergers already in 2012 and, believe it or not, there is an even greater change creeping up on us with the end of milk quotas.

Once again producers find themselves out on picket lines, but they’ve done it before and it didn’t change anything.

Being part of a cooperative, which adds value to what we produce and gives us some control of our destiny, has a comfortable feel to it.

Producers need to change now, whatever the outcome of present pricing difficulties. What has worked in the past will not fit in the future.

So there were no ‘finger wagging’ conversations at the Royal Welsh, but plenty of discussions about survival.

More milk from forage and grass were a common theme, but one conversation sticks in my mind.

A family told me that they were putting all their cows to sexed semen.

At the back of my mind I was thinking, there’s confidence for you – they’re planning to expand by breeding more replacements against this background of price cuts and strife within our industry. So I asked them what bulls they were using.

I was weighing up the options in my mind: high yielding Holsteins, giving 10,000 litres a cow a year; or British Friesian, good yields with good components and longevity and a good saleable bull calf as an additional bonus.

Or would it be cross breeding to take advantage of hybrid vigour and longevity and fertility and probably higher fat and protein?

I was wrong on all counts and miles wide of the mark at that. British Blue.

They were going to replace their dairy herd with a suckler herd. By my reckoning it would take between two and three years to wind the dairy herd down and replace it with the beef herd.

Their first beef cattle would be saleable in just a little more than two years.

By coincidence I had identical conversations with two other families later the same day. It seems that for some dairy producers, enough is enough.

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H E A LT H

Producers should ‘get off the fence’ and tackle Johne’s control

Avoid assumptions on Johne’s status!

All producers need evidence, in the form of test results, to support the Johne’s disease status of their herd. Despite more producers adopting surveillance and control measures in the past few years there are still many who either assume that they are Johne’s-free or who are simply carrying on in blissful ignorance and doing nothing. Both are dangerous routes as left undetected and ignored the problem will get worse. text Karen Wright

I

n 2009 Defra estimated that 34.7% of GB herds were affected with Johne’s.

Many claimed this was a gross underestimate and since then milk buyers, vets and advisers have worked hard to get an increasing number of producers involved in control schemes.

And there’s no excuse for any producer dismissing Johne’s. There are schemes like MyHealthyHerd with added biosecurity checks, and milk testing services from NMR – which now offers a comprehensive range of tests from the new advanced 30-cow screening to routine individual quarterly cow milk

Start now!

NMR is offering special deals on its auto 30-cow screening test during the two days of the Livestock Show, on September 4 and 5. If the results from this first test show that there is no sign of Johne’s in a herd then NMR will reimburse the cost of the test. This offer only applies to those committing to quarterly 30-cow tests, not those opting for an ad-hoc 30cow test.

If the test shows a presence of Johne’s, NMR will recommend further tests in consultation with the herd’s vet.

20

Karen Bond: ‘Plenty of herds claim they don’t have Johne’s yet haven’t tested’

tests. These are all tools that are combined in a logical control plan operated by many progressive dairy vets.

Trading advantage The UK dairy industry is encouraging producers to assess their herd and implement a Johne’s control or surveillance plan. One reason is to ensure that the UK is keeping up with other leading dairy countries that have coordinated national schemes in place – Holland, Denmark and soon Ireland to name a few neighbours. And some are working on securing a trading advantage based on evidence of their Johne’s status.

But a key reason for control is to protect herd health and welfare and, ultimately, profitability. It has been shown that Johne’s infected cows are more susceptible to lameness, mastitis, high cell counts and can also have fertility problems.

“There are plenty of herds out there that claim they don’t have Johne’s, yet haven’t even tested for it,” says DairyCo vet Karen Bond. “These are mostly farms that have never seen a clinical case and so assume that they don’t have Johne’s disease.

Yet infected animals may have been removed for other reasons – that may well be Johne’s related – before they

have a chance to develop clinical signs.

Johne’s is not the whole answer as there will obviously be other factors that predispose the animals to say lameness or mastitis, but it could certainly be a contributing factor.”

And where Johne’s is being allowed to ‘live’ in the herd undetected, it is being given the chance to spread, unless rigorous biocontainment measures are in place. If infected animals are sold, the disease could also spread to other herds.

While there is actually no such thing as a Johne’s-free herd, they can be accredited tested free. “However, you certainly cannot make this claim without having tested,” she adds. “Producers should not assume any herd is Johne’s free without evidence.”

Pre-purchase checklist Buying animals with Johne’s is always a risk and DairyCo and NMR are encouraging producers to ask the right questions at the point of purchase.

DairyCo will have a pre-purchase checklist available on its website as of September. Questions to ask vendors include: • Does the herd have accredited free status?

• Has the herd ever vaccinated for JD? • What type of testing does the herd undertake? It’s important to know the level of testing, particularly if the seller

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24-08-2012 12:22:02

Johne’s – the real costs

is claiming freedom off the back of a couple of negative bulk milks.

• When did the last test take place?

• What are the results?

• Has there been a diagnosed case in the herd?

“We cannot stress strongly enough the need to ask about herd status rather than that of the individual cows. Testing the individual to be purchased is only useful for older animals and should

minimised, control is labour intensive and therefore costly. Managing cows according to their risk level is far more labour and therefore cost efficient. This is risk-based management, where control measures such as separate calving pens for infected cows only are in place, achieves good results.

The effectiveness of each control scenario is reflected in the revenue/cow. In the ‘do nothing’ scenario the herd doesn’t incur

any control costs, so net revenue per cow is higher at the start, but this gain is short-lived as Johne’s spreads.

Revenue per cow in the test and immediate cull scenario is constant because the control costs never diminish.

The best route again is a risk-based approach and culling ‘red’-infectious cows. Over time, as Johne’s is brought under control, the revenue per cow will increase.

Figure 1: Within herd spread of MAP

Figure 2: The costs of Johne’s

no control test and imidiate cull optim. management all cows risk based + cull ‘red’ cows annual net revenue/cow-year

100 JOƀDFDUFE BOJNBMT

The implications of a range of Johne’s control measures are shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1 shows how Johne’s can spread within the herd under a range of management controls. Figure 2 shows the affect on revenue per cow under a range of controls.

One scenario is simply do nothing, which will result in increased prevalence in the herd to the point at which the herd is no longer commercially viable. In short, as Johne’s spreads it gets to the point that the impact of the disease on the technical performance of the herd is so marked that the herd has to give up.

The next scenario is test and cull. This is simply tackling the symptom and not tackling the cause. Johne’s is still allowed to spread within the herd as other animals will be infected.

The optimum management of all cows works well. This involves maximum control such as separate calving pens for all cows whether they are infected or not. So while spread within the herd is

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always be in conjunction with herd information,” adds Mrs Bond. “Of course the vendor is not obliged to share this information. But an answer of ‘I don’t know’ or a refusal to answer is an answer in itself!”

“Those considering themselves ‘free’ need to undertake routine surveillance and it is equally important that producers don’t just screen for Johne’s but that they also control the disease – a 30-cow

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no control test and imidiate cull optim. management all cows risk based + cull ‘red’ cows

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screen with negative results is not the end of the route.

“An ideal place to start is a herd risk assessment and a 30-cow screen with animals selected either automatically or by the vet. Johne’s is an insidious disease and it may not be detected immediately, but we have to keep looking routinely or there is the potential to miss infected animals and allow it to develop and spread.” l

Industry takes on Johne’s-control role Taking an active role in Johne’s control, Dairy UK established the Johne’s Action Group to raise awareness of the disease among producers, purchasers, milk testing laboratories and vets and to encourage the sharing of good practices. The group is not necessarily seeking to promote a single veterinary approach, though Dairy UK’s Ed Komorowski admits that such an approach would help producers and reduce confusion.

“But as a group we are seeking to promote veterinary approaches which take into account the characteristics of the disease, use appropriate testing methods, and allow producers and vets to manage their own situation in an

economic fashion,” he says. Looking ahead, he can see that producers with accredited tested free herds could provide low risk replacement animals.

“But this requires producers to become aware of their Johne’s status, and to work with their vets in managing their herds accordingly,” says Mr Komorowski.

Dairy UK and DairyCo are hosting a conference ‘Johne’s – Moving the agenda forward’ on Wednesday October 10 at Sixways Stadium in Worcester. It is aimed at a wide audience including producers, advisers, vets and the animal health industry.

More information is available from Ian Wakeling at iwakeling@dairyuk.org

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H EA L T H

Take effective and logical routes to Johne’s control

Where are you on the Johne’s journey?

Johne’s control mechanisms for all herds need to be sufficient to detect and prevent re-emergence of the disease. Fortunately, Johne’s disease control plans have come a long way in the past few years thanks to a number of industry initiatives. text Karen Wright

W

orking with vets, NMR has developed comprehensive milk test services that are available to all producers. Depending on the status of the herd, this may involve little more than routine surveillance or it may mean a period of quarterly cow milk tests.

Set out simply, Figure 1 shows a logical approach to dealing with Johne’s. “The first stage of this journey is to establish the Johne’s status of the herd and then implement a control or surveillance plan,” says NMR’s Healthcheck manager Steve West.

“We need to know if there are opportunities for Johne’s to enter the herd or to spread within the herd so an assessment of the disease risk is an important starting point. Modules are

built into schemes such as MyHealthyHerd to make sure these assessments are comprehensive yet simple to follow.”

Following this assessment is a 30-cow screen. This is targeted at the animals most likely to be affected by the disease.

Age, cow health and production will influence this selection and the most vulnerable cows can be identified by the vet or by using NMR’s new auto 30cow screen that bases its selection on the cow’s recent milk records and management data.

“We emphasise the need for Johne’s results to be discussed with the vet to determine the route ahead,” adds Mr West. “If no disease is found in repeated 30-cow screens then a control plan and the routine 30-cow screen

Figure 1: Johne’s strategy diagram

low risk herd

demonstration of high health

no disease found

22

high risk herd

disease found

control plan and herdwise

30-cow screen

no disease found

control plan and herdtracker or herdwise

control plan and herdtracker

control plan and herdwise

surveillance service HerdTracker may be recommended. If disease is found a higher level control plan that involves screening all cows routinely may be the route ahead. Herds wishing to demonstrate high health status may also wish to follow this route.”

“The testing strategy and the control programme will be dependent on many factors and should be decided in consultation between the producer and their vet,” says DairyCo vet Karen Bond.

“It is crucial to have vet involvement from the outset to decide on the most appropriate course of action and to provide help in interpreting test results – an area that can otherwise be very confusing for producers.”

CHeCS acredited disease risk assessment: entry and spread

30-cow screen

Steve West

ongoing veterinary review of prevalence, control plan adherence and risk assessment

Steve West adds that producers can have their own goals and those wishing to sell cattle may wish to demonstrate a higher level of control. “If a producer has aspirations to be CHeCS accredited then they will have to continue to carry out routine tests across the herd,” he says.

“Alternatively, some producers will be monitoring Johne’s purely for the wellbeing of their herd. In this case, a herd that has been on Herdwise and screening all cows routinely but has had repeated negative test results for two years may, in agreement with their vet, reduce the level of screening to auto 30-cow quarterly tests. This all depends on biosecurity measures in place on the farm and on the level of infection originally detected in the herd.” l

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Come and visit us on stand No MK-363 at the Livestock 2012

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M A N A G E M E N T

Feed decisions: there are ways of economising when formulating rations without compromising

Plan for the long term by making calculated short-term decisions

Ease winter-feeding worries With a break-even estimate of 30ppl and a milk price of 26ppl the figures just don’t add up, leaving a shortfall of 4ppl for the average herd. The cost of feed, fertiliser and contracting are showing no sign of decline, so we asked a dairy financial consultant: where do we go from here? text Allison Matthews

24

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eed prices are rising rapidly, which could potentially add around 2ppl to production costs this winter. When this is combined with a falling milk price there is a need to make tough decisions, but producers must ensure that shortterm changes don’t create long-term problems. Independent dairy consultant Jason McMinn uses the figures that are available to give some frank suggestions to producers.

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production costs per litre

Jason McMinn: “Don’t panic and don’t avoid looking at the figures”

Stephen Agnew: “Cows not paying their way should be removed from the herd”

“At the moment many producers are not in a position to make dramatic changes.

Feed prices are rising rapidly and this will add around 2ppl to average costs this winter, which means a break-even of 30ppl when feed price is between £280 and £300/tonne.

“With the milk price continuing to struggle at 26ppl, for the average producer this is leaving them 14% below their required income,” explains Mr McMinn.

With many herds calving all year round, those that follow a system of spring or autumn calving have a better fertility on average as they concentrate on fewer tasks at any one time.

When businesses are streamlined to ensure longevity, corners can be cut.

Working out feed cost per litre and paying more attention to detail can lead to a saving of 1ppl or more, according to Mr McMinn.

“Ensure that the quality of cereals is assessed and beware of moist batches.

All feed should be stored properly, preferably in a bin as cheap feed is expensive if you have to throw out the final 10% in April because it’s damp.”

Tough decisions Dairying is on at least a three-year cycle and making changes today can have a negative impact much further down the line. Currently damage limitation may seem to be the only option for many producers and the feed bill is usually the first on the chopping block.

As many herds are accustomed to a greater feed rate per litre, Mr McMinn warns that having a knee-jerk reaction and cutting the concentrate levels may cause problems in the future.

“Feeding a lot less meal will help costs greatly, for a while, but for most producers it will have adverse longterm effects on both cow condition and fertility. There are ways of economising without compromising.

“Carry no passengers, and cull any cows not paying their way,” he says.

Thompsons’ ruminant specialist Stephen Agnew also acknowledges the impact of unproductive cows. “Poor weather conditions this summer are likely to put a strain on forage stocks, so it is essential that cows not paying their way are removed from the herd. Despite this, it’s important that producers still feed cows to meet the nutrient requirements as a dip in milk yield, herd health or fertility can prove a more expensive consequence.”

As herd size has increased many producers still expect one bull to do the same job on double the number of cows.

summer grazing average autumn calving/

milk sales stock sales minus replacements total income

27.52 3.44 –5.26 25.7

27.53 3.9 –5.52 25.92

concentrate costs forage costs vet costs bedding/straw other dairy costs variable costs

8.64 1.66 1.17 0.46 1.25 13.17

8 1.84 1.15 0.36 1.16 12.51

repairs & running costs wages & contracting interest ground rent utilities other overheads production costs

2.28 2.13 1.28 0.84 0.88 0.61 8.02 21.19

2.4 2.27 1.22 0.89 0.92 0.67 8.38 20.89

capital/drawings/tax plus heifer rearing break-even price cow mortality rate live cull/sold rate ave cow price production cost/heifer

4.8 1.82 27.8 4.70% 23% 833 1,273

4.61 1.61 27.11 3.90% 21.20% 762 1,266

Forage options

Table 1: Break-even milk price, includes personal drawings and HP and loan capital repayments (June 2012 average costings)

To get an idea of where things may be going wrong it is vital that producers don’t panic and don’t avoid looking at figures. The interrogation of the data available on overheads and feed and forage costs, as outlined in Table 1, can provide a good starting point.

Wet weather in 2011 and 2012 has left many short of silage. These producers have to choose between purchasing increasingly expensive silage or feeding a stretcher such as soya hulls or moist feed.

Where silage stocks are an issue, Mr McMinn acknowledges that younger calves can be fed on straw and meal as cost effectively as bought in silage, but warns that these decisions have to be based on the financial data available.

“The price of straw is variable and will dictate decisions, but sharper analysis of the figures should highlight the best way forward.

“With disappointing yields in 2011 and this year not looking promising, the viability of maize and whole-crop are also up for debate.

“If low milk prices persist the impact of these crops on cash flow may prove hard to justify,” he says.

“The decision should depend on yield per cow, as a low yielding herd will not justify the additional expense of alternative forage.”

This summer has kept a lot of cows indoors but the main thing is to be ready to graze when conditions allow.

“April is typically the driest month and July the wettest, so use what you know to make use of early turnout.”

Table 1 shows that a housed herd has a higher feed rate per litre, which sets the bar higher for milk yield required per cow.

It is also evident that a housed herd requires a higher replacement rate than a grazed herd, as cows don’t seem to last as long on average.

“The herds with good grass and forage utilisation tend to be more efficient in other areas.

“These herds will be mostly autumn calving and striving for an earlier than average turnout with low yielding cows, in particular out day and night,” says Mr McMinn.

“It is small short-term changes like this that can make a big difference to the overall picture of profitability.” l

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G O L D

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Who will be on the podium at the dairy industry ‘Olympics’?

Six in final heat for Gold Cup While crowds of proud British fans flocked to London 2012 venues an equally proud team of judges marvelled at the strength and depth of six British dairy herds, who have fought off 450 other qualifying herds, to make it to the final of this year’s NMR/RABDF Gold Cup. text Karen Wright

“T

hese are six very worthy finalists,” says RABDF Chairman David Cotton, who visited all the units with this year’s other judges Bryan Thomas, ex-director, NMR, and 2009 Gold Cup winner Geoff Spence.

“They are all family businesses of different sizes but with an ambition to grow and develop for the next generation.

They all keep meticulous records

that they use to help direct the business and value their relationships with staff, understanding the importance of working as a team.” Renewable energy is being taken up on most of the farms along with other methods of reducing their carbon footprint.

“Different breeds – we had one Ayrshire herd this year – and management systems, from housed all year to summer

grazing and both pedigree and purely commercial herds, demonstrate how progressive producers develop their businesses to make the best use of their resources and balance this with meeting market demands for milk or for milk and genetics.

“Selecting a winner is a difficult challenge for the judging panel.” All will be revealed on September 4! l

Gilmour Lawrie, Monkton, Ayrshire In just 12 years, Gilmour Lawrie has established a high-genetic blendedpedigree Ayrshire herd and is now making further investments for the future at Sandyford Farm.

Gilmour took on the farm after the 2001 foot-and-mouth epidemic.

Today half the 240 Brieryside cows are red and white with the remainder pure Ayrshire. Now farming with his son

Kevin and Gilmour Lawrie with Brieryside heifers

28

Kevin, and in partnership with his brother Jim, there are plans to increase numbers to 300 cows along with forage and cereal cropping of the 445 hectares.

To accommodate this expansion, cow housing is being extended with a new building providing 50 more cubicles and housing a new rapid-exit milking parlour with heat detectors and other management aids to help improve herd fertility. “Our current calving index is 418 days and we’re aiming for 400 days,” says Gilmour.

Of the herd, 52% have had four or more lactations with a number reaching nine lactations. While more heifers will be retained to increase cow numbers, some surplus heifers have been sold recently.

Average production is 9,359kg of milk at 4% fat and 3.37% protein on three-times-a-day milking. Cell count is 121,000 cells/ml and milk is sold at a premium to First Milk on a Nestle contract, which goes to make chocolate crumb to coat Kit-Kat biscuits.

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Tim and Marion Gue, Steyning, West Sussex The Huddlestone pedigree herd has increased in size to 400 milking cows and is run by Tim and Marion Gue with four full-time staff, including two herd managers who share day-to-day management. One focuses on health management, including mastitis, and calving. The other is charged with foot trimming and record keeping. Fertility is a vital area of herd management and benefits from having both their eyes on the

ball – they share responsibility here.

“We’re not chasing yields, despite the increase and the high figures,” explains Tim. “And we’ve altered our breeding policy from increasing indices to focus more on better fertility and longevity alongside sound conformation and production.”

While yields have increased by 250kg during the past 12 months, calving interval is predicted to fall by seven days to 400 days. “Everything has improved

Back row: Tim Gue, Marisuz Serdynski, Piotr Serdynski, Sam Picot, Adam Christian.

Front row: Anthony Trigwell, Marion Gue, Neil Stokes

Tim Gue

across the board – we’re fine tuning.

And fewer empty days are contributing to increased milk yield,” says Tim. Recent investments include building a house on the farm for one of the dairy managers. And a new cow house has also been built, which has space for 120 cubicles. But, for the moment, Tim thinks he’s going to use it as a straw-bedded yard.

Average production stands at 11,058kg of milk at 3.82% butterfat and 3.12% protein on three-times-aday milking. Average cell count is 117,000 cells/ml and milk is sold to Tesco via Arla.

Matthew Rowe, Liskeard, Cornwall Matthew Rowe milks 360 cows in partnership with his parents at Tredinnick Farms.

The 228-hectare farm adjoins Bodmin Moor, making pasture management somewhat challenging.

They paddock graze and get about 2,500 litres from forage, but feel

there’s scope to increase this further.

“In 2011 we built a new shed for 150 cows to improve welfare and create space to expand,” says Matthew. “We’re aiming to increase to 400 cows by Christmas, and have invested quite a lot in breeding replacements. We also want to increase yields by 500kg to Matthew Rowe

The team at St Treddinick

1,000kg through better health and longevity.”

The cows calve all year round and are now run in groups comprising dry cows, heifers and older cows. “It’s made a huge difference. The heifers are not being bullied by the older cows so they are a lot more content.

They’re milking better and their feet are better. We really want to look after them because they are the future of the herd.”

The Holstein herd averages between 3.2 and four lactations. Milk yield averages 8,956kg at 4.13% fat and 3.22% protein on twice a day milking with a cell count of 189,000 cells/ml.

The calving interval is 410 days.

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Miller Family, Evesham, Worcestershire Mike and Shan Miller and sons Paul and Steven run the 320-cow Shanael herd on a 336-hectare tenanted unit.

In 2011, as runner-up in the Gold Cup, they won the NMR Silver Salver.

During the past 12 months they have increased herd size and taken on more land. And they have also stepped up fertility and health management, monitoring individual cows and trends through InterHerd.

“We have facilities for 350 cows in the milking herd and by the end of the year we should hopefully be fully stocked. It makes sense to maximise the use of our buildings and parlour,” says Paul.

The Millers are purchasing animals from quality pedigree herds. “We look at type and production carefully and only buy BVD and IBR vaccinated stock from Johne’s-free herds then stick to strict protocols on the farm.”

Management is overseen by Mike, with Shan looking after the calves and accounts and Steve and Paul taking on cropping and cows respectively.

Average yield is 12,199kg of milk, at 3.6% fat and 3.08% protein on three times-a-day milking. Calving interval now stands at 410 days and average cell count is 176,000 cells/ml. Milk is sold to Cotteswold Dairy in Tewkesbury on a liquid contract.

The Miller family from left to right: Steven, Katie (sister), Paul, Carlyn (Paul’s wife) with Ava, Shan, Amy (sister), Michael Miller

Neil and Michael Christensen, Pilton, Somerset

Neil and Michael Christensen

Neil Christensen, his father Finn and his brother Michael milk 517

Holstein cows at Steanbow Farms.

With 200 hectares of pasture taken up by the famous Glastonbury Festival each summer, the family made a drastic change to the farm strategy about five years ago – and haven’t looked back.

They opted to house the cows all year round and changed the dry cow ration to combat high potassium levels in the grass. The cows are split into five groups, with the dry cows now fed on maize silage and straw. “If we feed just 2kg of grass we get problems with milk fever and cystic ovaries,” says Neil. “The soil indices would suit arable, but they are very challenging for the dairy.

“Looking back, given the current performance and profitability, it was certainly the right decision,” he adds.

“The cows and staff are much more settled and the unit is working really well now. Our focus from here will be on getting more milk from forage and being more efficient by doing everything a little bit better.”

Herd averages are 10,521kg of milk at 3.78% fat and 3.13% protein on three-times-a-day milking.

Cell counts average 104,000 cells/ml with a calving interval of 387 days. Milk is sold on a Dairy Crest Sainsbury’s contract.

David and Harry Hodgson, Burgh by Sands, Carlisle The Hodgson’s 145-cow Wormanby Holstein herd is bred for longevity which means that, as well as milk sales, they have up to 40 newly calved heifers for sale annually along with breeding bulls. This amounts to a third of the business’ gross income.

David and his father Harry manage the 122-hectare unit with some relief help. A new cubicle house for 105 cows allows year-round housing of the majority of the milking herd.

“We are reaping the benefits of the new housing all the time. Yields have increased by 500kg a cow and we have

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only had six cases of mastitis within the past 12 months since we started using the building,” says David.

The Hodgsons don’t under-estimate the importance of breeding the right type of cow.

“Then, if you feed her correctly, the milk will follow. We aim for cows to achieve 50,000kg within five lactations.”

Average milk production is 10,761kg at 3.76% fat and 3.12% protein on twice-a-day milking. The current cell count is 128,000/ml and the calving interval is 425 days. Milk is sold to Arla on a liquid contract.

David and Harry Hodgson

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SEPTEMBER

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L I V E S T O C K

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P R E V I E W

What’s on and what’s new? There’s a wealth of free information, all to help you maximise profitability.

And we round up just a few of the products and services at the two-day event. Page 36 Roger Evans’ latest book will be launched on CowManagement’s stand. Page 39

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A must-see for progressive producers, with a wealth of free help, information and advice

It’s show time!

You can pre-book your Livestock 2012 tickets on line and take advantage of discounted rates. Visit www. livestockevent.co.uk.

The Farm Health Planning seminars are returning, due to popular demand. And this year they repeat 2011’s joint producer-vet approach.

There are plenty of reasons why you should make the time

Health issues

to visit Livestock 2012 in September. Not only will there be the regular free business and cow management seminars, but there will also be vets and technical experts on hand to offer timely advice about any management problems or business opportunities that you’d like to discuss. text Rachael Porter

A

fter one of the most challenging summers since records began, a day’s respite – away from the daily grind – could be just the tonic for both you and your business. And where better to spend it than at this year’s Livestock 2012, on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 September at the NEC in Birmingham. Space is booked up with more than 500 exhibitors, including 120 new exhibitors. A total of 103 new products and services will

be launched at the event and there will also be 60 seminar sessions each day.

“There’s a fantastic range and choice of help, advice and information during the two-day event – and it’s all free,” says RABDF chief executive Nick Everington.

He stresses that the cost of an entry ticket to the exhibition – £20 on the gate or £17 in advance – is extremely small when you consider the wealth of free information available in the seminar sessions alone.

A producer will introduce each seminar with their vet explaining how they are working together to solve a particular health challenge. Key issues coming under the microscope for producers will be the mastitis, fertility and lameness, together with some new ones such as liver fluke and IBR. If nutrition is your thing, there are the Feed Science forums. These will offer practical science-based advice and the latest ideas on feeding and will feature 20-minute presentations delivered throughout the two days by some of the UK’s leading nutritionists and technical specialists. Subjects include alternatives to soya, developing best practice for heifer rearing, and links between metabolic disease and poor fertility.

Business debates on both days will cover how to add additional livestock enterprises, diversify or make a ‘fresh start’ and will also include the benefits of farm assurance, the new professional register for dairy producers,

Control system puts producers in the picture Innovative parlour software, featuring the first milking-point-mounted LED colour display available in the UK, will give producers new information to help them streamline cow performance.

The M37LED and iFeed LED systems from milking parlour specialists Vaccar, in partnership with Panazoo, have been designed to make full use of the data that can be collected during milking by making it available in a ‘real time’ and highly visual form.

And the good news is that they can be retro-fitted to any make or configuration of milking parlour.

The M37 LED system is based on an ICAR-approved milk meter with both options allowing individual cow feeding at each point, along with optional automatic identification and segregation.

“Analysing the information produced

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as a cow is being milked can give a real insight into how she is performing, her health and how well the milking routine is operating,” explains the company’s Simon Larner.

“Changes in the physical characteristics of the milk and assessment of milking speed can indicate potential problems.

“By having a display screen on every milking point it is possible to get a quick and visual assessment of performance, allowing prompt and effective corrective action to be taken. The system provides a

graph of milk flow as each cow is being milked.”

Mr Larner explains that the 30-second flow rate is an excellent way to assess the effectiveness of pre-milking routines and milk let down.

Observing flow rates at the end of milking will indicate the extent of any over and under-milking. This data can help to reduce the physical damage to the teat as a result of incorrect milking.

The screen also automatically highlights potential problems by changing colour if triggered by certain events. The normally blue screen turns red if milk temperature deviates from the norm. High milk temperature is an indicator that the cow’s temperature is elevated which indicates she is fighting an infection.

The systems include an automatic conductivity reader giving an indication of high cell counts and the screen turns yellow if the cell count has increased.

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Big returns for better hygiene A more well-rounded approach to hygiene management will help improve milk price and drive a better return on investment, according to hygiene management specialists Deosan.

According to the company’s Rob Kelly there is still scope for producers to increase the income received from hygiene payment schemes.

“A proportion of herds still fail to maximise Bactoscan and cell count payments and, as hygiene income has increased as a proportion of total milk price, the importance of doing so is even greater. Improving this situation will not necessarily be easy and the supply trade needs to work closer with producers to

help them realise this additional income.

He says that one of the problems is that hygiene battles with other areas to be a priority on farm and the general response to a rise in cell counts is to change chemicals, rather than getting to the real root cause of the problem.

“The reality is that a huge range of factors will contribute to hygiene results on farm, such as housing, staff training, and milking machine management. They all need to be considered before finalising a programme designed to improve the situation and this is what we are committed to helping farmers achieve.”

Enter Farm Intelligence – a holistic approach to hygiene management. The

company is launching this at Livestock 2012. It is based on a comprehensive review of hygiene management practices and the development of a thorough programme to deliver a measured return on the total investment on hygiene.

“The whole focus is on treating hygiene management as an investment, rather than a cost and our aim is to deliver a higher return while reducing risk. Our experience is that producers who take a more rigorous approach to hygiene management benefit from a higher milk price, as well as reducing other problems associated with poor hygiene including producing more saleable milk and saving time,” says Mr Kelly.

opportunities and innovation in the sector and what differentiates the most successful dairy producers.

at this year’s two-day show. Figures show that the gap between the top 25% of dairy producers and the bottom is widening, but he that it’s within producers’ means to reverse that trend and improve.

“Benchmarking is the key and it has to be at a level that goes further than simply comparing gross margin. It has

to include every aspect of the dairy business. And it has to be warts and all to be of any real value.”

He’s urging producers to get together and set up benchmarking groups and says that Livestock 2012 presents the perfect opportunity to discuss this idea.

“You need a facilitator and group members have to be prepared to share

Performance ‘gap’ The latter is something that’s of particular interest to head of Barclays Agriculture’s Martin Redfearn and he’s expecting there to be plenty of positivity

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There’s an app for that...

Producers can now quickly assess the rumen acid load coming from their forages and so more easily mitigate the risk of acidosis in their stock, thanks to the launch of an innovative smartphone and webbased application from FiveF. The company will unveil its Alkalator App at Livestock 2012.

“Acidosis affects most herds in the UK and is a major cause of suboptimal cow performance,” says the company’s Malcolm Graham.

“Until now producers have not had a quick and easy way of assessing the base acid load coming from their forages.”

The Alkalator allows producers to key in their latest forage analyses

and establish the fermented crop’s base acid loading effect – be it very high, high, medium or low.

“Once you have a better appreciation of the base acid load from your forages, you can then take the necessary steps to neutralise the damaging effect in the rumen before it happens; by formulating in levels of an alkaline dietary component, such as AlkabupHa, or feeding more alkaline forages such as alkalage or alkagrain.”

The app is free and runs on Android mobile phones, as well as being available as a download file from the company’s website. It is also planning to develop iPhone and web-based emulator versions of the new app.

Trimming tips: on lookers pick up a few hoof-care pointers at the 2011 event

Martin Redfearn: “Benchmarking is vital”

everything. It’s the ‘show and tell’ aspect of this approach that makes it work. The value of comparing how you do something with how someone else does it, with greater success, can never be underestimated.

“It’s not just about seeing that others are performing better, it’s about asking them how they do it and understanding what you need to do to get the same level. “Benchmarking is, in essence, producers helping each other to improve their businesses,” says Mr Redfearn, stressing that it’s not anti-competitive.

“Some people think it is. But producers are not competing with each other – there’s a market for everyone’s milk. The battle here is contained on farm and it’s to produce milk as efficiently and profitably as possible.”

Here are just a handful of the products and services that will be launched at the event, designed with your herd and business in mind. l

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Roger Evans’ latest book will be launched on CowManagement’s stand

Hot off the press!

H

e’s still CowManagement’s most popular ‘read’ – our most recent survey showed that you love Roger Evans’ column with more than 75% of respondents saying that they read it before they read anything else.

So it’s no surprise that both his first and second books were a sell out! And now

you can read his third, A Farmer’s Lot, which is set to be published in September.

This book is another compilation of his columns from the Western Daily Press – written is his usual inimitable and awardwinning style.

When polled, the paper’s 50,000 readers

Roger Evans

also said that Roger’s column was the first page that they turned to when they picked up their copy.

Personally signed To add to the feel-good factor, which invariable accompanies one of Roger’s columns, you can also get your own personally signed copy of his latest book from the CowManagement stand at this year’s Dairy Event.

We’re offering it at a special discounted price of £10 – that’s £2 off the recommended retail price.

The book is set to fly off the shelves as producers clamour to share more highs and lows of daily life on his Shropshire-based dairy farm.

Roger will be on the CowManagement stand, BM-197, at 10.30am, 12.30pm and 4.00pm on both days of the show.

So if you’d like him to personally sign your copy – I’m sure he’ll bring a pen – then come along and meet the man himself.

And the CowManagement team will also be on hand to hear any thoughts, views and ideas you may have about our magazine. Reader feed back is vital as it helps us to ensure that we produce a magazine that’s packed full of interesting and useful information to help you with the day-to-day management of your herd. We all look forward to welcoming you on September 4 and 5 at stand number BM-197. l

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F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A RY

S T E V E

P R A C T I C E

B O R S B E R RY

Vet Steve Borsberry, from 608 XL Farm Vets, in Warwick, shares some tips on disease prevention and tackling health problems in dairy herds, drawing from his many years of on-farm experience. Here he takes a closer look at a problem that’s exacerbated by high rainfall.

Late-summer cough? It could be lungworm

Wet-weather scourge T

his summer – if you could call it that with the highest rainfall on record in some parts of the UK – has proved ideal for lungworm. It used to be considered a disease of firstseason grazing cattle, but vets are seeing increasing numbers of outbreaks in adults.

July to September is when it usually manifests itself. In the most severe cases it can be fatal. Cattle can die as a result of an acute allergic reaction to the parasite living in their lungs.

Other symptoms include coughing and producers report cows and heifers that are losing condition and performing poorly – in terms of both production and fertility. And at this point it’s almost too late. Much of the damage to the animal’s lungs – and the producer’s pocket – has been done. As with so many diseases and conditions, prevention is the best option.

Signs can vary from a slight cough to acute respiratory problems or even sudden death. Daily liveweight gains in youngstock can be severely affected and, in milkers, yields can be reduced by as much as 8kg of milk per day. Calving index can also increase by up to 30 days and more services per pregnancy are required. One producer estimated an outbreak in his dry cows cost him £20,000 – seven died and the rest had reduced milk yield in the following lactation.

The encyclopaedia Lungworm Causes

Diagnosis

Parasite – the lungworm. The adults are white thread-like worms that live in the air passages leading to the lungs.

Hundreds of worms may be present in heavily infected animals.

Adult female worms can produce many thousands of eggs that contain a first stage larva. The eggs are coughed up with mucus and swallowed. The larva emerges from the egg in the gastrointestinal tract and leaves the body in the faeces where development to the infective third stage larva takes place.

Relatively easy to diagnose due to coughing. Can also blood sample to see if cattle have been exposed.

Symptoms Coughing, body condition loss and poor performance. Fatal in severe cases. Outbreaks are typically between July and October.

Treatment Any signs of coughing in cows needs urgent treatment with a suitable worming product to kill the parasite. Speed is the key as after treatment coughing may worsen for between 24 and 48 hours. Administering anti-inflammatories can help to ease coughing and lung inflammation while the treatment takes effect.

Prevention There is a vaccine (Bovilis Huskvac) and approximately 140,000 cattle are vaccinated each year. It’s an oral vaccine given between six and two weeks prior to first season turnout and some cattle are given a booster with one dose prior to the subsequent grazing season. Strategic worming is an option, but this cannot be relied upon to ensure that animals develop immunity.

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Tineke Dekker: “Producers are entrepreneurs and focused on milk price”

Selling semen in South Africa Since February 2011, the Dutch breeding organisation CRV has been running an AI business in South Africa. And during the past year a third of all the bull semen sold here came from New Zealand CRV Ambreed and that share is rapidly increasing. text Inge van Drie CRV’s Tineke Dekker

I

t is one of the newest branches of the CRV business tree. Since February 2011, the South African firm Xseed Genetics – in the meantime renamed CRV Xseed – became part of the Dutch breeding organisation CRV. The company does not have a long history.

Xseed began trading a few years ago when employees of the South African AI cooperative, Taurus, started up on their own. They conquered the market very quickly. CRV Xseed is currently the market leader in South Africa, says deputy general manager Tineke Dekker.

“In 2011 we sold about 200,000 straws.

Beef cattle account for about 10%, while Holstein and Jersey both make up 45% of sales.”

Together with the South African general manager Roy Dixon, one of the five

founders of CRV Xseed, Mrs Dekker is responsible for the day-to-day management of the company. In addition to an administrative assistant the organisation has just another 15 employees. They are all representatives who go out on the road every day.

Business-like approach There is no network of inseminators in South Africa. The rate of DIY AI is close to 100% and all farms inseminate their cows themselves. Every month the representatives top up the nitrogen tanks.

“It’s a good way to bond with customers,” Mrs Dekker. “The representatives always have a reason to drop by a farm and the producer can also readily use the nitrogen. If you are ever at a farm a

producer may well buy some straws from you.”

An average farm in South Africa has 209 cows, but the differences per region are huge. The average farm in the Eastern Cape has approximately 500 cows and due to the size of these farms, those running them are more business orientated. “South African producers are real entrepreneurs. Some of them are very much geared to milk prices. If they don’t like the price they will quickly go to the competitor. At the same time the product and also emotions play a big part.

“Producers do not have much faith in a bull advisory programme or the knowledge of the representative, but place more value on their own opinions,” says Mrs Dekker.

South African dairy facts Total milk production in South Africa in 2011 was around 2.6 billion litres from an estimated 600,000 cows.

On average, the cows produce 17.6kg of milk per day. The dairy market has a number of large, nationally operating

players like Parmalat, Clover, Dairybelle and Nestlé, but also a substantial number of small dairy producers who work in particular regions. The number of dairy producers has halved since 2003.

Around 50% of the milk is processed into

pasteurised milk (52%), sterilised milk (28%) and yogurt (13%).

On balance, South Africa is not a net importer or exporter of dairy products.

South Africa exports but also imports dairy products from abroad.

Milk-producing landscape: New Zealand-style grass-based systems are popular with some South African milk producers

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30 dairy units (%)

25 20 15 10 5 0

0-50

51-100 101-200 201-300 number of cows/dairy unit

>300

Figure 1: Distribution of dairy units according to number of cows (source: SA Milk Producers’ Organisation)

There is another reason for their business sense. They have to draw on all their resources in order to make a decent living. In 2011 the average milk price was about 22.5ppl and South African producers cannot rely on support from their government.

That has led to a substantial shift. Many producers have given up working in the sector during the past few years. In the period from January 2009 to June 2011, around 900 producers left the industry.

This is around a quarter of the total number of herds. In January 2012, according to the South African Milk Producers’ Organisation, South Africa still had some 2,500 farms.

Most of the milk is produced in the coastal provinces where rain fall tends to be highest.

South African producers run various systems. Some work with a TMR system, with cows housed all year round. The New Zealand-style grass-based system is being developed here and involves the cows being kept outside all year round.

Depending on grass growth, cows are also fed roughage and concentrates.

“We have noticed that there is great interest in New Zealand genetics. In 2011 a third of the semen we sold originated from New Zealand CRV Ambreed and that share is increasing. Producers want cows that are not too big, calve easily and are fertile.

“The TMR-fed herds choose bulls that score highly for TPI. Interest in crossbreeding is also increasing,” Mrs Dekker points out.

A disadvantage for CRV Xseed is that the marketing of cross-bred bulls is not permitted in South Africa. There are also restrictions on the use of genomic bulls.

“The breed societies see genomic bulls as test bulls. So we may only import 1,500 straws per bull.”

AI station CRV Xseed does not have its own breeding programme. “We do test a number of bulls from South Africa. We do this in order to be able to offer a quality product and it is also good to show interest in the market and to be able to meet customers’ requirements,” says Mrs Dekker.

“South African producers prefer a mixture of foreign and domestic products. It isn’t easy to obtain official breeding values because fewer than 20% of producers milk record.”

Growth in the South African market is one of the most important aims of CRV. “South Africa is a growth market. That was one of the most important reasons why CRV invested in this market, as well as, for example, the relatively stable political and economic situation in the

Good employer: agriculture is the main provider of work in South Africa

country,” says Mrs Dekker, who is now working hard to ‘professionalise’ the organisation.

“I would like to make it more structured.

If we wish to grow further that is one of our main requirements.”

An AI station is also on the organisation’s wish-list. “We are now stabling bulls at a private bull stud. Our own bull stud would provide more opportunities, for example in the field of exports. Southern Africa is much bigger than South Africa.

There are also cattle In Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Mozambique. It would be nice if we could also market our bulls there.” l

Tula Gildenhuys: “Pasture management is an art”

Even though it is winter, the sward at Lourens and Tula Gildenhuys’ unit looks healthy. In Kareedouw, in the Eastcape province, the two brothers milk 800 Holstein cows. The herd is averaging 8,000kg at 4% fat and 3.35% protein, or 600kg solids per year. No housing is provided and grass is a major part of the herd’s ration. In the milking parlour – a

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20:40 swing over – the cows are fed concentrates and close to the parlour they are also fed extra forage, as required. “We aim for 55% of dry matter intake coming from grass, 15% from grass silage and maize silage and 30% from concentrates,” says Lourens.

At the moment the milking platform – the area used by the herd – comprises 192 hectares. Every week Tula does a farm walk to monitor grass growth. It takes him five hours to measure the grass cover in the 143 paddocks, each of them between 1.2 and 1.5 hectares. “Pasture management is an art. It’s not exact sciences. You have to do a lot of observation. If the cows start eating on their way to be milked, you know you have to give them more.”

The cows are divided into three groups:

heifers, early lactation and high yielding cows, and late lactation. “The fresh cows are closest to the dairy, the heifers and late lactations cows can walk further.”

Lourens and Tula manage a split calving season. Around 45% of the herd calves in the autumn and 55% in the spring. “We can’t have just one calving season. Our milk buyer won’t allow us. But the advantage is that we don’t have to cull cows that don’t get in calve quickly enough.”

Lourens and Tula have a permanent staff of 22 people. “Bailing, planting and fertilising, as well as fixing the fence and building property – we do it all ourselves.

The agricultural industry is the main employer here and we feel we have a social responsibility to create work.”

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

Keeping parlour bugs at bay

What’s lurking in the parlour and could threaten your Bactoscan scores?

It’s now much easier to find out. NML is offering a parlour hygiene test using a fresh bulk milk sample already collected as part of its payment testing service.

For £25 a test, NML will establish the key types of bacteria present in the milk. This information can be used to prescribe the best course of action to

deal with any problems and to remedy the problem. For example, does the problem lie with cooling milk in the bulk tank or is it a problem elsewhere in the parlour?

“We have carried out a number of parlour hygiene tests where Bactoscans were above normal for the farm,” says NML’s Steve West. “Average Bactoscan results halved after the testing, although individual results varied depending on how well the problem had been rectified. But these results show how beneficial this new service is to producers.

“It is also interesting to note that more than half of the bulk milk samples tested had significant psychrotrophic bacteria counts that were well above target levels. This type of bacteria grows at refrigeration temperature and can often become a problem when tank cleaning procedures are not rigorous enough or where there are issues with the speed of milk cooling. The bacteria can also be found in water and bedding, so teat hygiene can also be an issue.”

NML says that the real benefit of the hygiene test is its convenience and cost effectiveness in being able to pinpoint any problems and focus attention in key areas for a minimum cost and no extra sampling.

Results with guidance notes are available off a secure web site.

Win an iPad NMR is giving away two iPads – one at Livestock 2012 and another to the overall competition winner from the three regional autumn dairy shows.

“We will be demonstrating the use of iPads for accessing iReports on the show stands,” says national field manager Jonathan Davies.

“Producers will be able to see their reports ‘live’ on screen and we will demonstrate the added flexibility of iReports compared to standard NMR reports, such as ranking cows on cell count, or grouping PD positive and PD negative cows at the click of a mouse. Or clicking on an individual

cow to get all her data up on screen.”

Visitors to the show stands need to complete some simple questions on milk testing services and, if correct, their name will be added to the prize draw.

Top cows in June June’s top three cows that have broken the 100-tonnes of milk production barrier and are leaders in the lifetime daily yield (LDY) rankings are listed here.

The full list is on the NMR website.

1. Bixleypark Cassia 8. This sixth lactation cow has given 102,008kg of milk and has an LDY of 31.94kg/day. She is owned by J R Colman, Kirby Bedon, Norfolk.

2. Chalclyffe Mtoto Wallen VG86. In her seventh lactation, she has yielded 104,885kg of milk and has an LDY of 31.64kg/day. She is owned by Nick Cobb, West Chaldon, Dorset.

3. Cherrytree Ascort Wilma. Also in her seventh lactation, she has given 108,490kg of milk and has an LDY of 27.60kg/day.

She is owned by M J Thomasson, Woreston, Cheshire.

Invitation to Gold Cup party

Visit the NMR stand at Livestock 2012, at the NEC in Birmingham.

Among this year’s new features is the automated 30-cow Johne’s screening facility for NMR customers and a team of ‘roving’ iPad specialists who can demonstrate individual herd reports at the touch of the screen.

And all producers are welcome to join the Gold Cup celebrations on the stand at 4.30pm on Tuesday September 4. The six finalists will be there and the winners of the NMR Silver Salver, the Gold Cup and the Chris May Memorial Salver will be announced.

For more information on NMR products and services contact customer services, 0844 7255567, NMR web address: www.nmr.co.uk, NMR email address: customerservices@nmr.co.uk COW MAN AG E ME N T

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b u s i n ess

u p d ate

Look for positives and opportunities during the tough times ahead

Vested interest The current low interest rates are set to continue, but there’s downward pressure on milk price and input costs remain high.

So what impact will all this have on your business’ finances?

We have an update from the AMC’s Martin Waite. text Rachael Porter

L

ow interest rates and a weak pound still represent good news for producers, which is somewhat thin on the ground at the moment, So says the Agricultural Mortgage Corporation’s regional manager Martin Waite.

“The continuation of low interest rates remains a definite plus for producers, particularly those looking to borrow to invest in their farms,” he says. “And, just as I stressed six months ago, businesses planning to invest should really get on and do it now, while both fixed rates and variable rates remain relatively low.”.

The Bank of England (BOE) shows no sign of increasing interest rates. “In fact there is even talk of a base rate reduction as we stand today,” says Mr Waite.

“Although I do think that that was an idea that was put out there to gauge reaction and, as result, probably won’t happen as it wasn’t well received.

“The stuttering economy means that the BOE is likely to keep the rate at its historically low level of 0.5%. Dropping it further wouldn’t really change anything or help in any way.

The BOE wants to stimulate demand so it will be looking to keep rates on hold, focusing on injecting more money into the economy through another round of quantitative easing.

Fixed borrowing rates are not solely determined by the Bank of England bank rate,” adds Mr Waite. “The fixed rate cost of funds moves independently of the bank rate. Current expectations are that five and ten year fixed rates will remain fairly steady during the next six months.

AMC is finding that producers are still taking advantage of the unique period of low interest rates to invest in systems

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SEPTEMBER

that allow them to increase output and produce more efficiently.

“They see this as a strategy that enables them to benefit from the rising demand for their products while at the same time helping to offset the impact of rising input costs and fluctuating prices,” says Mr Waite.

“But, although a base-rate rise is extremely unlikely in the short term, borrowers should not assume that the base rate will stay at this exceptionally low level for the longer term,” warns Mr Waite. “It will eventually have to rise.”

He adds that short-term economic prospects might be uncertain, but for producers there is a very positive longterm future. Interest rates will not stay low indefinitely but their current levels represent a real opportunity for producers to build and strengthen their businesses for the future.

So, it’s mainly good news for producers who are sorely in need of some at the moment. They face potential increases in winter feed costs – due to excessively cold and wet weather in the UK and other parts of the world.

“We will be running into winter with poorer quality silage meaning that additional feed will be required on some units to keep milk yields up. If not, producers may see milk yields dip and costs may increase – or incomes will fall.

And that’s before we’ve even considered milk price.

There are some tough challenges ahead, but it’s also important to look for opportunities. “There are plenty of independent advisers out there, so tap into their knowledge and expertise and talk through any tricky areas or ideas with them sooner rather than later.”

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B U L L

P R O O F S

Buckeye son rises to the top of the daughter-proven rankings

Levi finally heads sire list Former Gold Cup finalist and respected Holstein breeder Willy Ley shares his views on the latest daughter-proven and genomically-tested lists following the August bull proof run. text Rachael Porter

T

here’s a change at the top of the Profitable Lifetime Index rankings, published in August by DairyCo Breeding+, but close analysis of the figures reveals continued stability among the leading Holstein bulls.

And it’s not the number-one daughterproven bull, Morningview Levi, who has now finally risen to the leading position helped by an improved daughter Fertility Index of +5.7, which has caught renown breeder Willy Ley’s attention.

It’s the connections between the daughter-proven and genomically-tested lists that have got him all fired up.

Exciting times “To me what’s most fascinating this time around is to see how intermingled the two lists are. A bull like Planet, for example, who is at number 18 and still rising through the rankings in the ‘conventional’ list, has a grandson who’s third and a son who is 16th in the genomic list. It’s all a bit topsy-turvy and it’s also exciting,” he says.

“You could say that Planet has been or will be somewhat ‘usurped’ by his grandson McCutchen and by his son Bookem. Why would a breeder use Planet when they can use either of the

Good production

Willy Ley

younger generations and predict, with a degree of certainty, that they’ll get genetically-superior daughters from them.

“You could have a great grandson in the genomic ranking before you even get a daughter proof of a sire’s son. It’s mind blowing to see just how quick the genetic progress within a herd has the potential to be.”

Willy has used Planet on his herd: “We’re milking some of his daughters – they’re just coming to the end of their first lactation. And they’re great. Fat and protein could be a little higher, but they’re some of the best heifers we’ve seen for years.

“I have been using some Bookem semen and have some yearlings on the ground.

Guarini

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C VO E EWT M E EALNT A JGAENMUEANRTI S1 E/ P2 T 2 EM 0 0B9E R

CM06_bullproofs 56

But it’ll be McCutchen that gets my attention now – why use the grandfather or the father when you can have the next and improved generation now? I suspect a lot of breeders will feel the same way.

“But, that said, there will always be breeders who prefer to stick with conventionally proven sires.”

So, back to the conventional rankings and the leading Buckeye son. From an O Man x Durham dam, he goes back to the famous Whittier-Farms Lead Mae EX95. Now with a PLI of £256, Levi sums up all this index stands for, transmitting good production and superior fitness.

“I haven’t used Levi, but I did use Buckeye. I have to say that I didn’t get on well with his daughters and found them a little narrow in the rump, so I avoided his son. But, with figures like that, maybe I shouldn’t have,” says Willy.

He hasn’t used any semen from secondranking bull on the list Guarini. Having risen two places, this German-bred Goldwyn son is the best somatic cell count improver in the top 100 (SCC Index –31) and who now weighs in with a PLI of £249.

“I plumped for his brother Wyman. I think he caught my eye first and we’ve some of his calves on the ground that look promising.

Number-three bull, Lynbrook Jancen (PLI £246) is a former number-one sire and exhibits all the commercial strengths for which he is well known, while fourth

Morningview Levi

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+25.9 +25.4 +23.0 +18.1 +22.7 +20.4 +28.0 +15.2 +22.6 +23.3 +25.9 +31.8 +23.2 +31.5 +19.0 +18.9 +24.1 +26.4 +25.8 +25.2

2.3 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.7 1.8 1.2 2.2 1.1 0.0 3.2 2.9 0.1 2.6 1.4 1.9 2.3 2.2 1.0 2.1

TM

0.4 5.7 0.4 2.4 0.5 1.9 0.4 2.2 0.4 6.8 0.4 4.6 0.4 –0.6 0.7 5.3 0.3 3.6 0.3 –2.5 0.3 4.7 0.3 0.1 0.3 –0.9 0.1 0.0 0.2 5.9 0.4 6.6 0.1 1.4 0.5 1.9 0.1 4.9 0.2 1.9

udder

–16 –31 –13 –20 –18 –18 –25 –24 –23 –11 –9 –10 –16 –6 –6 –22 –5 –5 –14 –13

F&L

ind.

256 249 246 241 238 236 235 234 232 230 228 225 223 223 220 219 217 214 213 213

fertility

+0.06 +0.05 51 +0.01 +0.08 47 +0.20 +0.13 54 +0.23 +0.08 47 +0.03 +0.05 43 +0.06 +0.04 41 –0.01 –0.01 52 +0.18 +0.04 39 +0.13 +0.09 50 +0.20 +0.05 56 +0.01 –0.02 49 –0.07 +0.01 54 +0.15 +0.05 53 +0.00 +0.07 57 +0.20 +0.09 47 +0.08 +0.10 39 +0.20 +0.08 57 –0.13 –0.05 40 +0.06 +0.09 51 +0.08 +0.09 51

dCE

%

lifespan

+31.9 +23.5 +31.2 +32.5 +25.0 +26.0 +35.0 +29.0 +29.2 +39.7 +33.9 +31.5 +36.4 +30.8 +30.2 +19.9 +38.0 +26.3 +27.3 +27.6

SCC

+680 +572 +384 +353 +579 +533 +903 +362 +458 +589 +843 +955 +584 +789 +356 +332 +539 +956 +572 +534

protein

83 75 75 94 78 80 83 83 79 95 83 85 78 83 72 87 86 95 78 85

£PLI

Genus Bullsemen.com Bullsemen.com Cogent Bullsemen.com Sterling Sires Bullsemen.com Bullsemen.com Viking Genetics Cogent Semex Dairy Daughters GB Bulls WWS UK Sterling Sires Genus Alta Dairy Daughters Avoncroft Genetics Bullsemen.com

conformation

£PIN

O Man O Man Manat Garter O Man O Man BW Marshall Zade Lukas Major BW Marshall Durham Shottle Aaron Lancelot Laudan Mark Sam Amel Jesther BW Marshall

fat%

Buckeye Goldwyn O Man Goldwyn Goldwyn Goldwyn O Man O Man O Man Shottle O Man O Man Goldwyn O Man Goldwyn O Man O Man Taboo O Man O Man

functional traits

prot. kg

Morningview Levi Guarini Lynbrook Jancen Ballycairn Tiergan Goldfire Danillo Co-Op Oman Logan Whitman O Man Awesome Andy D Omar Cogent Twist Mainstream Manifold ALH Dakota Smiddiehill Saratoga Long-Langs Oman Oman Gomez Laurelhill Classic Ufm-Dubs Altaesquire Ensenada Taboo Planet Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls Co-Op Oman Loydie

mat. grandsire supplier

fat kg

sire

milk

name

rel.

production

1.59 0.84 1.31 1.89 2.14 2.32 –0.09 –0.41 –0.29 1.28 1.64 1.67 2.04 1.19 1.86 3.33 2.26 2.97 1.05 0.21 0.61 0.74 –0.12 0.16 0.66 0.11 0.42 1.66 0.64 1.12 0.11 1.08 0.99 1.80 –0.11 0.44 — — — 0.99 1.51 1.69 1.96 0.74 1.26 0.06 1.42 1.25 1.14 0.21 0.56 1.49 2.57 2.45 0.25 0.01 0.20 1.43 0.08 0.59

Table 1: Top 20 sires available in the UK ranked on PLI (source: DairyCo Breeding+ and Holstein UK)

position features the leading UK-bred and tested bull, Ballycairn Tiergan.

Tiergan’s PLI at £241 has scarcely changed since the last proof run, as improvements in Fertility and Lifespan Indexes have been countered by a slight reduction in yield.

However, he holds the position of the highest percentage fat improver in the top 30.

In fifth position, Goldfire is the full brother to second-placed Guarini. With a PLI of £238 and a Fertility Index of +6.8, Goldfire is the best daughter fertility improver in the top 10.

In sixth position is newcomer, Danillo (Goldwyn x O Man), who is the highest type transmitter among the leading bulls. From the popular Markwell Bstar Raven EX95, Danillo is also the only bull from the Netherlands in the top 10.

Different view Willy is surprised by how much the addition of the genomic list has changed his view of the bulls available. “It’s also doubled the choice of sires, in my opinion.

“There are so many bulls with a PLI of more than £200 – there’s something for

everyone – and it should be easier than ever before to avoid inbreeding.”

Willy admits that he’s drawn to the genomic table: “It’s a little more exciting, but then only in comparison with the conventional list – it’s interesting to view the two side by side,” he says, adding that he thinks many other producers will feel the same.

“But there will always be people who like to play it safe – and that’s a good thing too.

“Daughter proofs add a ‘safety net’ and a degree of stability to the whole job.

They’re still very important.” l

Efficient top-notch performance with red-and-white sires There are no weaknesses in the transmission pattern of red-and-white genomics bull De Vrendt Aram (+242 NVI), according to Avoncroft. A high milk yield (+649kg), good longevity (+584 days), great udder health and strong conformation, he has it all.

And, as an added bonus, he has an interesting pedigree with Award x Fiction.

In the list of daughter-proven bulls, Ju Tobias is CRV’s highest ranked bull with +187 NVI. This Lionel son out of a Kian daughter transmits a high milk yield (+906kg)

and very good conformation (112), which he already displayed with his daughter group at the All-Holland Dairy Show in June. With a calving ease score of 111 he is very suitable for use on maiden heifers.

The captain of this ranking is Topspeed Kodak (+217 NVI, Kevin x Stadel). He retains the pole position he acquired in the April 2012 index run.

With his consistent scores, where he excels in longevity (696 days) and calving ease (112), he is an animal of outstanding quality.

Topspeed Kodak

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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BREEDING INFORMATION

Firm foundations for efficient farming CRV’s new bulls excel in production, longevity and health.

A Manager son from a Riethil Swamo Delta Jordan daughter, Delta Refiner (£152 PLI) descends from the famous Art-Acres Tex B family that has already produced bulls like Delta Paramount and Win 395.

Refiner climbed in the previous index run, but now he has improved his figures even more. His management traits are strong right down the line, including 107 udder health, 107 hoof health and 108

calving ease. On top of that he has a fantastic conformation score (111) with a truly outstanding udder score (110).

Refiner combines +519kg of milk and +36kg of fat and protein with –20 somatic cell count so will have broad appeal, particularly with his different pedigree.

Refiner is available from Avoncroft for free on 0800 7831880.

Refiner daughter Bessie

Refiner daughter B Griet 114

Brown Swiss show their strength German Brown Swiss strengthen their position by topping the August available Brown Swiss bull list with the top five £PLI bulls all being available from Avoncroft. From the world’s largest Brown Swiss breeding programme in Germany, Huray is once again the top German indexing bull and Payssli is the number-one type bull.

UK available Brown Swiss: Huray £176 PLI, Ettal £175 PLI, Prohuvo £175 PLI, Prossli £159 PLI, Payssli £158 PLI. For further information call Avoncroft.

Payssli daughter Ilona

US genomic bulls now available Avoncroft now has access to wide portfolio of US genomic-tested bulls from CRV. The breeding values of these US InSire bulls perform to an outstanding level.

With a GTPI of 2,409 Cookiecutter MOM Hunter (Man-O-Man x Shottle x Goldwyn x Champion) tops the list. Combined with a GPTAT +3.04 and also available as SiryX sexed semen he makes an attractive package.

The international type sensation Mars Yorick, (Atwood x Shottle x Champion x Durham x Juror) weighs in with GPTAT +4.15 and GTPI 2,121. Yorick combines very high type with excellent milk production, good components and low somatic cell counts.

Demanding special attention is the new Man-O-Man son Windsor-Manor MN Zmaster with a genomic proof of 2,373 GTPI and a GPTAT +2.37.

Table 1: US genomic-tested bulls from CRV

name

sire

mat. grandsire

GTPI

GPTAT

Cookiecutter MOM Hunter Windsor-Manor MN Zmaster Bertaiola La Marpac Lowlands Highlight Ensenada Iota Pepper Tom-Anna Man-O-Man Clear-Echo M-O-M Heman GlenToctin Fred Laken Brandt-View Cornelius Weigeline Freddie Jepsen Welcombe Beacon Greer Honeycrest Gloss Racey Richmond-FD Barrow Weigeline Planet Katana Welcombe Melbourne Horstyle Trigger Tabor Mars Yorick Claytop JS Predestine Melarry Bowser Fuji Gil-Gar Trigger Herbst Ladys-Manor Observer Siren Pine-Tree Boliver Mandeo Vision-Gen Monk Bomaz Russell 1097 Kellercrest Bronco Loren Schilldale SHTL Brewster

Man-O-Man Man-O-Man Superstition Man-O-Man Iota Man-O-Man Man-O-Man — Superstition Freddie Beacon Russell Bowser Planet Sebastian Trigger Atwood JetStream Bowser Trigger Observer Boliver Silver Russell Bronco Shottle

Shottle Shottle Active Goldwyn Shot Alan Mac Goldwyn — Colby Ramos Planet Bolton Jeeves Elegant Shottle JetStream Shottle Toystory Ramos Goldwyn Auden O Man Million Ramos Shottle Goldwyn

2,409 2,373 2,341 2,282 2,280 2,278 2,258 2,243 2,207 2,178 2,170 2,157 2,144 2,141 2,133 2,126 2,121 2,073 2,070 2,002 1,974 1,973 1,945 1,916 1,889 1,806

3.04 2.37 2.30 3.15 2.60 3.03 2.59 3.00 2.54 1.82 2.20 1.16 2.29 2.73 2.30 2.58 4.15 1.92 1.87 2.09 2.27 0.84 1.60 1.14 1.40 2.41

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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24-08-2012 16:28:35

MARS YORICK

(Atwood x Farnear-TBR Shottle Bailey VG87 x Palmcrest Blackcap EX90 (Champion) x Regancrest-RH Durham Bliss VG89 x Regancrest Juror Brina EX92)

L A N O I T !

A N N O R I E T T A S N I N E S E P Y T

GPTAT

+4.19

GTPI 2196

Combines a sky high type with: – Excellent milk production – Good components – Very low somatic cells www.avoncroft.com

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS September 4-5: September 11-14: October 2-6: October 3: October 16: October 17: November 2-11: November 13-16: November 21: December 13:

Livestock 2012 (formerly the Dairy Event), NEC, Birmingham Space, Rennes (France) World Dairy Expo, Madison (United States) The Dairy Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Welsh Dairy Show, Nantyci Showground, Carmarthen British Mastitis Conference, Worcester Rugby Club, Worcester Royal Winter Fair, Toronto (Canada) EuroTier, Hawnnover (Germany) AgriScot, Edinburgh (Scotland) Royal Ulster Winter Fair, King’s Hall Complex, Belfast (N Ireland)

Grazing days: summer has finally arrived Picture: Chris Spence

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

Editorial team Chief Editor Jaap van der Knaap Editor Rachael Porter Phone 01394 270587 E-mail rachael.porter@virgin.net Editing, design and production Veeteelt Contributing writers Inge van Drie, Roger Evans, Allison Matthews, David Matthews and Karen Wright Publisher Rochus Kingmans

Chief editor’s address P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands Phone 0031 26 38 98 821. Fax 0031 26 38 98 839 E-mail cm.office@crv4all.com internet www.cowmanagement.net

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

If you think you are eligible, please contact: National Milk Records, Customer Services, Skipton Road, Harrogate, North Yorkshire HG1 4LG. Phone 0870 1622547 E-mail customerservices@NMR.co.uk www.isubscribe.co.uk

Advertisements Julia Hughes, NMR. Phone 01249 467224 Willem Gemmink, Froukje Visser P O Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands, Fax 0031 26 38 98 824 E-mail willem.gemmink@crv4all.com

Illustrations/pictures

AB Vista......................................................13 ADF............................................................30 Airwash......................................................23 Alltech Ltd Alta............................................................27 Ambic.........................................................12 Ancotec......................................................40 ATL Agri.......................................................6 Avoncroft/Thompsons..................................2 Batchelor Enterprises...................................32 Bayer Animal Health Division......................15 Bekina........................................................30 Biotal............................................................7 Boehringer Ingelheim..................................64 Boer Housing Systems Ltd, De..............11, 58 Brian Hyde............................................11, 13 Cogent.......................................................50 Cow Comfort.............................................13 CowCare Systems.......................................34 CowManagement.......................................41 Crossgates..................................................52 CRV............................................................60 DeLaval......................................................58 Deosan.......................................................58 Dp Agri.......................................................49 Effective Micro-organisms...........................11

Enviro Systems............................................52 Farmacy......................................................26 FarmPlus.....................................................26 Fullwood....................................................47 Future Genetics............................................6 GEA Farm Equipment.................................34 Lallemand...................................................61 Micron Bio-systems......................................4 Moore Concrete.........................................26 Nedap Agri.................................................32 NMR..........................................................63 Nordic Star.................................................53 Northern Dairy Equipment Ltd....................48 Pearson International..................................12 RABDF........................................................33 RE Buildings................................................12 Semex........................................................55 Spinder.......................................................52 Vervaeke....................................................40 Vétoquinol..................................................42 Loose inserts: Avoncroft Teemore Schippers UK

Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Andy Baker (14), John Teale (16), and Merial Animal Health (43).

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.

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COMING UP

C a l f - rear in g sp ecial October (October 16) – Our annual, and extremely popular, calf-rearing special should provide some food for thought as we head into autumn. And we’ll also take a closer look at the health, nutrition and management issues that are most relevant at this time of year.

september

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