Cow management april-may 2016

V O LU M E 14 N O 3 APR IL/MAY 2016

IN THIS ISSUE

BUL L P R O O F S

M ILK FRO M FO RA G E

H O USI NG

We take a closer look at April’s sire lists

Comparing two similar units highlights best practice

Home improvements on a tight budget

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CO NTENT FEATURES

Cow Talk Overalls off: darts Roger Evans NMR Dairy Mwanagement News Vet column: mastitis in freshly-calved heifers 39 CRV Avoncroft Breeding Information 45 ForFarmers Nutritional News/ Thompsons Nutritional News 46 Events and contacts 5 10 18 29 33

REPORT

12 Maximising milk from forage is key driver for Leicestershire-based herd FEEDING

14 Examining transition-cow rations/ Maximising litres from grass BREEDING

30 Grazing ability and high constituents are vital for block-calving system 42 April bull proofs H E A LT H

36 Focus on Johne’s yields progress

Gaynor Wellwood “We aim to produce 1kg of solids per kg liveweight” 12

Main article Milk from forage

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Quality grazing and conserved forage are key to profitability

Editor Rachael Porter More from forage

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aking the most of grass is the topic running through this, our late spring issue. We have a herd report on a Leicestershire-based unit that’s producing an impressive 5,000 litres from forage and is working to increase that figure further. Setting targets and meticulous grassland management is just part of the business’ recipe for success. Find out more on page 12.

We’ve also spoken to a consultant to find out what’s behind the vastly different farm profits of two almost identical set ups that he’s been working with. Again, it seems that the approach to grassland management – both grazing and silage making – is what makes the difference.

He explains how a head start of just two weeks puts one of the units in the driving seat when it comes to forage quality and quantity on page 6.

The producer featured on page 30 also looks to grazing to maximise both his herds’ productivity and profitability. But he’s also focused on breeding to ensure he has the best cows and heifers to suit

his management systems. One of his herds is milked once a day, and we’ll have more about that in our next issue.

We have our regular update from Roger Evans, who’s feeling a little despondent at the moment. Find out why on page 18. If he doesn’t raise a wry smile, we’re sure our Overalls off star will. Scott Mitchell is a former producer, who is now rearing beef from the dairy herd.

And, at 45 years old, he was also crowned World darts champion in 2015. Find out more about the path he’s taken and why he says he’ll stay amateur, rather than turn professional, on page 10.

And, if you want to know more about him or try your luck and dart-throwing skills against him, he’ll be on our stand at the Livestock Event on Wednesday July 6.

By way of co-incidence, we’re running a dart throwing competition on the stand during the two-day event, so please make a note in your diary to come along and say ‘hello’ and take your chance to win a prize.

Feeding Lucerne

Special Housing

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Protein-rich but underutilised forage crop supports rumen health

Maximum impact: low-cost improvements can increase comfort and efficiency

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C O W

TA L K

Improve silage quality to weather milk price lows Despite the 30% fall in milk price during the past two years, more price cuts are on the way and recovery is unlikely until 2017. So says Richard King, a partner in The Anderson Centre, who added that while some costs have also fallen, they have not dropped enough to offset the lower milk price.

“Producers must react,” said Mr King, at a recent industry briefing in London.

“They can feed more concentrates, deliver more milk from conserved forage or increase milk from grazing.

“Feeding more concentrates is expensive and grazing systems can only work with the right cow on suitable soils and farm layouts. But most producers could increase milk from feeding better quality silage.”

Germinal GB’s national agricultural sales manager Ben Wixey highlighted

areas where producers could improve silage quality without too much investment. These included reseeding with mixtures of higher yielding ryegrass varieties, which have heading dates within 10 days of each other, and cutting in the afternoon when sugar levels are highest.

Ecosyl research and development manager Philip Jones agreed that cutting at a D value of 72 is ideal – after this digestibility and crude protein contents start falling away.

He explained how some producers could lose almost a third of their silage through losses out in the field, in the trough, at the edges of the clamp, as well as the fermentation process going on inside the clamp.

“Producers need to drive the sugars in the grass to convert to lactic acid as

Ben Wixey

Philip Jones

quickly as possible,” said Mr Jones.

“Common mistakes include having too much nitrogen fertiliser applied too late, soil and slurry contamination, wilting for too long, and ineffective compaction and sealing of the clamp.

“Using a good inoculant will ensure there are enough of the right bacteria in the silage to ensure a good fermentation.”

Parasite risk difficult to predict this year All cattle being turned out to grass this spring will be at risk from gut and lung worms. So it’s important to have an understanding of the on-farm situation when planning control strategies. “There is no uniform approach to parasite control and different systems, operating in different areas of the country will experience varying levels of disease risk,” says COWS (Control of Worms Sustainably) technical representative Andy Forbes, from the University of Glasgow’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

“It’s often thought that a hard winter

will kill-off parasites, while mild and warm conditions will see them multiply and thrive. But this is not always the case. Parasites are effected by the weather in different ways.”

While the weather is an important element that must be considered at a local level, there are several other risk factors to take into account when developing a parasite control strategy.

Dr Forbes explains that dairy calves in their first grazing season are particularly vulnerable at turnout.

“As dairy calves will be weaned, their

grass intake will be much greater than that of suckler calves, which heightens the risk of them ingesting infectious larvae. Additionally, research has indicated that milk can limit the impact of stomach worms. Dairy calves will no longer have milk in their diet, potentially making them more susceptible,” he says.

“We also have to think about housing periods when determining the level of risk.

“If cattle have been brought in later in the autumn and turned out earlier in the spring, the residual population of parasites on pasture is likely to be greater than if pastures have been left empty for several months.”

Dr Forbes advises producers to work with their vet or SQP to plan ahead and implement an effective and bespoke control plan for this grazing season.

New calf and beef research facility opens Trouw Nutrition has opened a calf and beef research facility, close to Boxmeer in the Netherlands. “With state-of-theart infrastructure and equipment, this new research farm will engage in advanced studies alongside the group’s two dairy facilities in Boxmeer and

Burford, in Canada, to accelerate innovation in ruminant nutrition,” said the company’s R&D director Leo den Hartog, at the official opening ceremony in April.

The research farm consists of four main sections: a free-stall barn for growing

cattle; and two sections dedicated to rearing calves, one with individual calf housing and the other with group pens with automatic feeders. It also includes a metabolism unit for physiological and digestibility studies, with calves and larger young stock.

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M A I N

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Quality grazing and conserved fora

Early start makes al We take a close look at two 190-cow herds that are both run on similar systems, with the same staffing levels and comparable output, and find out how grassland management plays a key role in their differing levels of farm profit. text Rachael Porter

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ake two units, comparable in every way except for profitability, and there’s an unmissable opportunity to really learn how to improve the bottom line. So says LIC UK’s consultant Piers Badnell, adding that the difference between two very similar units, which he has worked closely with, is the result of better forage utilisation.

“The two herds, which will remain anonymous, provide a real insight into just how much of a difference forage management and utilisation can make when it comes to either realising a profit or a loss – even in this current tough economic climate,” he says. “In fact, the unit that wasn’t performing so well has already improved by implementing some of the management approaches gleaned from the unit with the higher comparable farm profit,” he adds. “And it’s a model that could make a huge difference to units all over the UK this coming season.”

One difference The units he looked at are, indeed, very similar in terms of farmed area, cow numbers (around 190 milkers), and staffing. Both are run by two brothers and one full-time employee. The type/breed of cow on the units are also the same and both are averaging around 7,900 litres, sold on the same milk contract and with similar calving patterns. “One is calved in a tight autumn block and the other in an autumn/ winter block,” Mr Badnell says.

The two units are also fairly close geographically, with similar soil types (some very heavy and some on the medium/heavier side), topography and climate. “To all intents and purposes, they are almost identical except for one major difference – their comparable farm profit. One is excellent and has been consistently good during the past ten years, whereas the other is, unfortunately, not so good.”

The good news for the less profitable unit is that improvements can be made, with relatively little

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ved forage are key to profitability

es all the difference First bite: the more profitable unit utilises grass, typically, two weeks earlier than the other herd and this really does make a big difference to profitability

investment, to bring the CFP in line with the ‘better’ unit.

The first step is to identify the differences that make one unit so much more profitably than the other.

“And a close look revealed that it comes down to one key thing – the quality of forage and the producers’ ability to grow and utilise it. Their faith/trust in what quality forage can do also makes a huge difference,” he adds.

So how does the one farm use forage to drive profit so efficiently? “The basis of this is quality, quantity, preparation, targets and protocols. On the more profitable unit, a silage ME target of 11.5MJ/kg is achieved m ost years and nothing with an ME below 11MJ/kg has been produced during the past decade, including grass silage, whole crop and maize. And Piers Badnell: ”The higher profit grazing is rotational and herd takes a targeted approach managed well to produce to grassland management” quality leaf and in excess of 12MJ/kg ME. “Forage yields are high too. For example, first-cut grass silage is taken two weeks earlier than the neighbouring farm and this means that the quality is higher. Because the cut is taken earlier, yield may be marginally lower than if it was cut at the more traditional time. But the earlier cut means that it is also earlier on the growth curve, so aftermaths regrow quicker and ‘better’ and, as a result, second cuts offer higher yields and quality. So, overall, this unit produces better quality silage and more of it.”

Timely cut The other advantage of cutting earlier than neighbouring units is that competition for the contractor is reduced, so they are better able to pick and choose when they cut. This producer has a meeting with their contractor early in the year to discuss their requirements and potential timings.

“The ‘second part’ to this quantity story is that they maximise the quantity of quality forage eaten by their cows,” adds Mr Badnell. “The aim throughout the year is to get cows to eat between 16 and 17kg DM of forage per cow per day – be that grass during the grazing season and or silage while housed.

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Best of both worlds: an early first cut ensures consistently good quality silage – and plenty of yield for the rest of the season

“During the housed period the troughs are never empty. The brothers who manage the unit say that if they become empty that will cost them between one and 1.75 litres of milk per cow per day.”

Between 4kg and 5kg of concentrate is fed in the parlour at peak production, but no more. “The cows’ remaining requirement for maintenance and yield comes from forage.”

Mr Badnell stresses that it is all very well producing quality forage: “But the cows also need the opportunity to eat large quantities of it, which means plenty of available time – and space. ‘Escape routes are also important so heifers and cows of lower social hierarchy are able to have maximum time at the trough.

Forage utilisation The difference in forage utilisation between the units is also highlighted by the contrast in bought-in concentrates.

The more profitable herd’s stands at 1.25t/cow and the other at 3.1t/cow. “At a cost of £200/t, that alone is a £370 per cow difference. Not only does the lower CFP herd fail to produce consistently good quality silage, but it also fails to challenge the cow on what has been produced, resulting in a greater reliance on concentrate feed.”

Data from AHDB Dairy Milkbench suggests that an extra 1p spent on feed per litre has an effect on total cost of production of between 1.3ppl and 1.6ppl due to the costs associated with feeding

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extra feed, such as diesel, labour and machinery costs.

Back to the difference between a good and an average farming business, one unit is prepared for opportunities and this comes back to planning. If the swards have cover on them in January and conditions are good, cows will go out for a few hours in the morning. The brothers say this is worth between £40 and £60 per day. By contrast, their neighbours would not think about turning cows out until April. “Their cow tracks are by no means ideal or extensive, but what they do have they utilise fully.

“Preparation is key here and this includes having fertiliser ordered and delivered in plenty of time, including silage additives and sheets, so that when the weather windows appear they are ready. Nothing too radical here but, as one of the brothers says: ‘I always like to have my ducks set up in a row’,” says Mr Badnell.

Set targets There are also some basic targets that the two brothers set for their more profitable unit, which rarely change year on year.

These include applying fertiliser at the correct time and using slurry where possible and trusting its worth. They have taken samples of slurry in the past by stirring the pit thoroughly and then taking a number of samples to get a good sample.

“It’s worth noting that if your management system stays roughly the

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same then the analysis of your slurry will remain the same.” Forage quality targets are set as a ‘no debate’, as well as 5,000 litres of milk from forage. “Concentrating on quality and quantity of forage in the diet is vital. Get this right and milk yield will follow,” adds Mr Badnell.

“The higher CFP herd also has a routine that works and they stick to it. There’s no silage feeding if there is enough grazing, dry cows are grazed on a field near the house that has never had fertilizer or been used as a dumping ground for slurry.”

The brothers are basically prepared when it comes to forage management and reseeding is also integral to maintaining productive swards for cutting and grazing. They have a plan and it’s flexible – it can be tweaked if and when necessary – and they’re prepared to spend money on their swards to get a greater return.

But Mr Badnell stresses that it’s the twoweek head start on silage making that really makes the difference between the two businesses. “Added to this is faith in the forage and challenging it with the right cow. The other lower CFP business produces lower yields and starts its grass silage/grazing season too late.

“Quality is lower, as a result, and they struggle to make the most of their grazing and silage swards for the rest of the season, which is why their fallback position depends on expensive bought-in feed.” l

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O V E R A L L S

Name: Scott Mitchell Location: Bransgore, Dorset

O F F

Enterprise: 50 head of beef from dairy herd Hobby: Darts

Scott Mitchell: “I bought my dad a new tractor when I won the title”

One hundred and eighty! text Rachael Porter

‘H

obby’ is a bit of an understatement when describing Dorset-based producer Scott Mitchell’s pastime. He was crowned World darts championship in 2015. But, despite his success, he’s chosen to remain at amateur level in the sport he’s grown to love during the past 30 years.

“I think my day job – rearing 50-head of beef cattle from a neighbouring dairy unit – actually contributes to my success as an international darts player,” says Scott, whose nickname on the darts playing circuit is ‘Scotty Dog’.

He’s convinced that farming serves to keep his sport in perspective and ensures he’s suitably relaxed when he’s playing. “I think being out in the fresh air puts me in a good frame of mind when I step up to the oche. I’m not overly stressed or wound up and playing darts is my escape from any every-day pressures.

“If I decided to do it professionally then there would be pressure on me to continue to win and it would certainly take the pleasure out of it.”

Scott, a former dairy producer, began playing at 18 in a Young Farmers’ Club darts team. People told him he had a real talent: “But I thought it was a bit of an old man’s game. So I did motorcross for a few years and then played football. When I gave that up, the team bought me a darts shirt as a goodbye gift. That marked the start of an exciting decade.”

He began playing in the local league and then progressed to county level: “And I haven’t looked back since,” says Scott, whose ‘walk-on’ music when he’s competing is ‘Who let the dogs out?’ by the Baha Men. This is preceded by the countdown from the Thunderbirds theme tune.

The pinnacle of his darts career, so far, has to be the World championships at Lakeside in January 2015. “I won a big cash prize and I always promised my dad I’d buy him a tractor if I hit the big time. So he got his tractor and I got the World title I’d always dreamed of.”

Scott plays in competitions most weekends and also plays exhibition matches and makes personal appearances. “It’s surreal, but I’m enjoying it and taking it in my stride. Being laid back is essential. A pub match is nothing like playing in front of a 2,000-strong crowd. But I’m able to deal with it. The only pressure I feel is when people see me as a World-champion figure, rather than just a 45-year-old amateur darts player.

“Darts is a much larger part of my life now compared to 10 years ago and I guess I do take it more seriously. But for me it’s still good ‘R&R’ and I really enjoy it. And, with my feet firmly on the ground, it should stay that way.”

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Focused approach allowed growth and expansion

Targets drive dairy herd performance

Wellwood family Setting performance targets – and meeting them – has contributed to the continued growth and success of this Leicestershire-based dairy business.

Herd size: Average yield: Unit size: Milk from forage:

Performing within the top 10% is where one LeicestershireSaltby

based spring calving herd positions itself. But there’s no room for complacency and targets are reviewed annually for key performance indicators, while honing the team’s dairy cow

288 milkers 5,840 litres 138 hectares 5,000 litres

management skills and making best use of the farm’s resources. text Karen Wright

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ieran and Gaynor Wellwood met after attending Reaseheath College, Cheshire, and launched themselves into careers in the dairy industry – in Gaynor’s case, and more latterly, running motivational and entrepreneurial discussion groups on behalf of Andersons.

“We managed a dairy unit in Cornwall before getting our first 15-hectare county council holding in Devon,” says Kieran, who cut his teeth on grass-based dairying while working in New Zealand for two years. “I decided then, that my aim was to have my own cows managed on a grass-based system.”

Just twelve months later the couple then moved on to a 29-hectare Devon-based unit, where they doubled cow numbers to 60. A third unit with Devon county council enabled further growth in cow

numbers to 130 head. Eight years on from that and Kieran and Gaynor got their next opportunity to move up the dairying ladder by securing a 10-year FBT on a 138-hectare unit on the Saltby Estate, near Melton Mowbray.

“We’d got into a routine of looking at the potential of the business in a 10-year timeframe,” says Gaynor. “We look to make any investments in the first three years and only if it’s essential. With a short-term tenancy, we’ve always had to progress quickly.”

Tighter targets Five years into their tenancy and the cross-bred and New Zealand genetics herd of 288 cows had an NMR average, for 2015, of 5,840 litres of milk with 489kg of solids – 5,000 litres came from forage. They fed just 402kg of

cows in milk milk yield (litres/cow) solids (kg/cow) milk from forage (litres/cow) concentrates (kg/cow)

actual 2015

target 2016

288 5,840 489 5,000 402

301 6,000 520 5,300 300

Table 1: Targets for 2016 vs 2015 production

concentrates per cow in the parlour on a flat rate. Targets are set for 2016 to increase milk from forage and reduce concentrate use (see Table 1). The aim is to produce 1kg of milk solids per kilogramme of liveweight.

With a year’s work experience on a New Zealand dairy unit under his belt, as well as some hard graft at home, son Rory is taking on more of the management responsibilities, particularly grassland

Milking herd gets fresh grass twice a day

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Heifers are bred and trained to rely on high forage diets

production. Gaynor is particularly keen that individual skills are put to best use in the business. Rory has taken on the technical management of the grassland and the dairy herd fertility, with both areas seeing significant improvement year on year.

Consistent quality “We aim to produce quality grass and make sure we offer high energy grass or silage of 12ME consistently to the milking herd,” says Rory. “Cows are on a rotational grazing system and I monitor grass growth using a plate meter every week throughout the grazing season. All grassland data is utilised using the Agrinet program and we apply 200kg of bagged nitrogen throughout the season.

Soil indexes are monitored to ensure all

elements are on target to optimise grass growth.”

Rory pre mows where necessary after the third rotation to maximise dry matter intakes. If there’s a surplus of grass then paddocks are taken out for silage. Annual rainfall is 585mm, however irrigation is possible from a lake that holds 30 million litres of water. “This helps to keep the grass growing and it’s particularly useful in building up an autumn feed wedge.

It means we can graze until the end of November each year. The irrigation can result in an increase in dry matter of between two and three tonnes per hectare.”

Cows are on a 12-hour break, so they get fresh grass twice a day and a reasonable network of tracks means that, even on the heavy clay, cows can graze as early as February.

“We push our cows hard at grass and we aim to consistently grow high quality grass throughout the season. Utilisation is currently at 85%. Ensuring the consistency of the grass and silage means that lactation yields are maintained whilst reducing concentrate usage.”

Around 70% of the cow’s lactation requirements are met from grazed grass.

The Wellwood’s are Arla members and milk is sold on a manufacturing contract, to produce Stilton cheese at Arla’s Tuxford and Tebbutt dairy.

Calving is in a 12-week block from mid-February. Heifer replacements are bred using New Zealand genetics. “We’re breeding the right type of cow for our

system. They have the ability to produce high solids milk from grass and we’ve trained them to rely on a quality forage diet,” adds Rory.

Heifers are weighed regularly from birth to calving to make sure they are maintaining a 0.8kg/day growth rate during the two-year rearing period, so they calve down at target weight. “Our heifers and cows calved down in good body condition this spring and strong signs of bulling are evident as a result of this. We start serving on May 10 and aim to achieve 80% of cows and heifers calving in the first six weeks of the block.

We exceeded our target this year – 81% calved in the first six weeks.”

Maintain resilience Looking ahead, Saltby Dairy’s short-term target is to be resilient under economic pressures and to maintain a low cost of production. All partners meet regularly to review financial performance and are all party to preparation of the annual budget. Budget monitoring is critical to ensuring that costs of production are controlled.

Gaynor is adamant that the skills on the farm have to be balanced with realistic targets and that young people with ambition are given responsibilities, as they have done with Rory. Despite the challenges currently faced by the dairy industry, both Gaynor and Kieran want to see their son realise his ambition to develop his own dairy business in future. l

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F E E D I N G

The best return on investment means examining transition-cow rations

Maximising returns on diet investments In order to manage variable forage quality, one dairy producer has adjusted his close-up ration to give his fresh calvers the best possible start to their lactation. We spoke to him and his nutritional consultant to find out more. text Emily Ball

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roducer Andrew Paterson milks 220 cows, managed on an all-year-round calving system, at Woodend Farm in Balfron, Stirling, and has to cope with some pretty wet conditions.

“On average we get more than 1,830mm of rain a year here, and sometimes, like in 2015, we get substantially more,” he says. “In 2015, cows were turned out at the beginning of June and were back in for most of July and August because conditions were just too wet.”

Regular analysis The high rainfall has a huge effect on the quality of the grass silage that Andrew makes. “I try to go in early for first-cut grass silage, to ensure quality if not quantity, but it’s not always possible and we certainly have more problems with second and third cuts. We often find cuts are late and the crop can, therefore, be mature.”

He uses dry NIR forage analysis and forage mineral analysis to get a clear picture of silage quality and the variability between cuts. Dry matters can be high or low – sometimes as low as 26% or as high as 46%. “Energy and calcium levels can also be hugely variable and protein levels are a real issue for us. We’ve got some of 2015’s second-cut silage in the clamp at the moment with a crude protein at 8%.

“With these quality variabilities it can be an uphill struggle to keep transition cows on a balanced ration. We were suffering a bit with metabolic problems after calving and I felt cows lacked energy right at the beginning of their lactation,” he adds.

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ForFarmers’ technical manager Philip Ambler began working with Andrew three years ago and started by reviewing the herd’s technical and financial performance.

“We sat down and reviewed the progress made at the unit,” says Philip. “It was all about working out where to concentrate Andrew’s efforts in the future. The milking herd was performing well and we identified the transition period, particularly the close-up period, and heifer rearing, as two areas that could have a significant impact on future performance.”

Colostrum yield Research shows that more than 80% of health and performance problems occur due to management or nutrition issues during the transition period. It also highlights the effect diet in the transition period can have on colostrum yield and quality and, therefore, the subsequent performance of the calf.

“Forage quality, particularly protein levels, were a real issue for the transition diet and it was only Andrew’s close attention to detail that meant cases of milk fever and retained cleansings weren’t becoming a significant problem,” says Philip. “Milk yields seemed to be taking a while to get going once cows had calved, and we both felt the key lay in the close-up diet.”

Both Andrew and Philip insisted that everything added to cow rations had to be justified financially. They looked for the highest rate of return for their investment and the dry period, particularly close up, was ideal.

Andrew Paterson: “Cows are calving more easily and we’re seeing fewer cases of milk fever”

“By getting dry-cow nutrition right we can calve healthier cows that ‘hit the ground running’ at the start of their lactation and are more effective when it comes to feed efficiency,” says Philip.

“I think of it as having a number of bank accounts with different rates of interest.

It makes more sense to invest in the account giving 5% than the account giving 1%.”

He and Andrew made a change to the close-up diet, with the milking ration remaining the same in order to accurately assess any progress made.

They kept to the base diet of grass silage, finely chopped straw (to avoid sorting) and the milking blend, and added a ForFarmers TRANSLAC product (complete transition cow compound), which includes a calcium control system to help manage the mineral variations within the forage. Simplicity and consistency were key aims when it came to developing the ration.

Milk fever “Close-up cows get the base diet top dressed with 2.5 kg of TRANSLAC Advance for the two weeks before calving,” says Andrew. “With our previous dry-cow diet we had a milk fever prevention index (MPI) of 75 or 78 and this explains why we did see problems from time to time. But with the new ration we’re seeing late 90s if not 100 on the index.

“Since the changes to their dry-cow diet,

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Dietary challenge: dry-cow rations impact on colostrum quality and, therefore, calf immunity and health

cows are calving down easier. We have fewer issues with milk fever, and I have had between 10 and 15 calves during the past two weeks with no calving difficulties or metabolic problems.

“It’s one of those things you tend not to notice until you realise you keep coming into the shed in the morning and there is another calf born overnight, without any issues,” he adds.

Strong start He and Philip have also noticed that cows are coming into milk strongly at the beginning of the lactation. “They seem to be starting the lactation fully prepared. Cows yields are peaking

higher and sooner than previously and the lactation curve is flatter, with a slower rate of drop off towards the end.

“We’re not seeing the ebbs and flows in the lactation curve that we used to,” says Andrew “They seem to be coping with the variation in forage quality so well. We’ve kept the milking ration the same, so we know this must be linked to the changes in the dry-cow diet.”

This improved close-up ration has improved colostrum quality and quantity. Andrew has also noticed an improvement in calf growth rates and is seeing fewer scouring calves.

“And we haven’t gone all out to chase that extra milk,” says Philip. “Instead

we’ve sought to identify barriers that were preventing the cows from being able to express their natural potential and looked to correct them – in the most economical way. We provide the cow with the feed she needs to make the most of her natural efficiencies.”

“The costs of issues around calving tend to be hidden, but they are there,” adds Andrew. “Milk production has also become stronger and more consistent and, most importantly for me, I’m milking cows that just seem to be getting on with it. They calve more easily, they don’t have as many metabolic issues around calving, and they hit milk production in fine form.” l

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Shropshire-based producer and award-winning columnist Roger Evans recalls the injustice – and pain – of a childhood punishment and explains why he feels the same about the current milk-price situation.

It wasn’t me!

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ow much milk is too much milk? How much milk is enough?

It’s a struggle to know the answer to either of these questions.

We are told on a regular basis that there’s too much milk for some.

And, just in case we don’t believe the message, we get a reminder – a monthly milk statement that pays, for most of us, a milk price below the cost of production. I saw a cartoon on television the other evening that was drawn by the author William Thackeray. It showed a little boy getting caned on his bare backside by a burly schoolmaster. The caption read: ‘But it wasn’t me’. I shan’t progress the theme about burly men and boys’ bare bottoms in the interests of decorum. Instead I will concentrate on the boy’s plea of ‘it wasn’t me’ because that’s just how I feel about the ‘too much milk’ situation.

It isn’t me, because we are selling just about the same amount of milk that we’ve been selling for three years now. In fact, truth be told, we were a bit low on heifers calving this year so it could be a bit less. We use quite a lot of sexed semen, but three years ago we must have chosen the wrong sex. And because we’ve been a closed herd for some time now, we didn’t really want to go out and buy in some more cows.

I don’t intend to occupy any moral high ground on this milk supply issue because a few months ago we costed out the option of buying extra cows, we even looked at increasing the herd. The results were marginal, even then, and we’ve been notified of two price cuts since.

Of course milk buyers try to expose extra litres to the reality of the market place by various devices like A plus B pricing. The A price is a sort of standard price and the B price is aligned to market forces and the spot price.

The extra litres are usually related to the production of the previous year, which brings me back to the second of my opening questions: ‘how much milk is enough?’.

I wonder if going back one year is enough. If we go back one year, next year, and there is too much milk this year, going back to this year won’t do the job, will it? Perhaps we should go back to the production levels of two or three years ago to determine our base year.

It’s not that I’m against expansion. As I said, I seriously looked at it myself. It’s just that I think that if it’s the extra production that is driving down milk price then it’s that extra production that should bear the cost. If and when we go from this bust scenario to one of boom, then the ‘expanders’ will get full benefit and there’s no problem with that.

The irony of the present system is that if our herd number increases, as heifers calvings return to their norm, their milk will be penalised.

But if production was compared to what it was two or three years ago, it wouldn’t.

I had the cane when I was at school, I still resent it. I resent it because it was for something I didn’t do. Because it was for something I didn’t do, I can still remember the pain. Our business is in pain now. It’s pain we will remember for a long time and, once again, it’s for something we didn’t do.

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Lucerne is an under-utilised forage crop on UK dairy units

Protein-rich forage supports rumen health

Have you woken up to the possible benefits of growing and feeding lucerne? Read on and see if it’s something that you could, or should, be adding to your unit’s crop rotation and dairy herd rations to boost returns from forage and rumen health. text Matt Mellor

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or a crop that ranks as the world’s largest forage source, lucerne is surprisingly under-utilised in the UK, according to Jérôme Vasseur from French plant breeding company JouffrayDrillaud. Speaking recently at a series of meetings, organised by forage experts Germinal, he said that it could be a far greater component of dairy rations on a large number of units, delivering high quality home-grown feed to help cut reliance on bought-in feed.

“Lucerne is a highly productive crop, with yields of between 12t DM and 14t DM per hectare achievable in many

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parts of the UK from three or four cuts,” he said. “The forage produced is high in protein, rich in minerals, and has a high quality fibre content. Managed well, crops can perform for up to five years and, as a legume, it requires no nitrogen fertiliser inputs.”

He adds that lucerne does require free draining land and a soil pH of 6.2 or higher. “And it is also important to use varieties of the appropriate dormancy rating for northern Europe, but suitable conditions do exist throughout the UK.” According to Germinal’s Ben Wixey, there is now a lot of new interest in

Lucerne is capable of producing between 12tDM and 14tDM/ha of high-fibre forage, rich in protein and minerals

lucerne as UK producers look for ways to boost returns from forage and reduce costs of production, but historically the amount grown in this country has been negligible. “We estimate that the current UK area of lucerne to be between 5,000 and 6,000 hectares, which is a fraction of a percent of the temporary grassland area and less than 5% of the forage maize area,” he points out. “Considering the benefits that lucerne offers, there is definitely potential for the area of lucerne to increase in the UK. Our aim is to provide the expertise required to help producer to capitalise on what can be a very effective forage crop.”

Real advantages Mr Wixey explains that establishment is critical with lucerne and there is perhaps less margin for error than with other forage crops at this stage. However, with the right understanding of seed bed

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Ben Wixey (left) and Jérôme Vasseur: “Lucerne offers UK dairy producers an opportunity to boost returns from forage”

requirements, seed rate, drilling depth and early management, this crop can offer real advantages.

Lucerne can be sown in the spring, typically from mid-April or when soil temperatures reach 8ºC and the risk of frost has passed. It would then yield two or possibly three cuts later in the same season. Later sown crops (up to the middle of August) would provide three or four cuts in their first full season the following year. Spring sown crops can be undersown with barley or oats, with the cereal acting as a nurse crop to outcompete weeds and the first cut being taken as wholecrop cereal.

Mr Vasseur adds that plant breeding developments and seed treatment technology have combined in recent years to make lucerne more suited to northern European climates. “Varieties with dormancy ratings of 4 and 5 are

ideally suited for anywhere in the UK, and there are now strong performing options available, such as Timbale and Galaxie,” he says. “In addition, preinoculation of seed with the rhizobiumtype bacteria required for nitrogen fixation is possible, and seed is available with a nutrient coating to boost and secure establishment.

“We also supply seed in calibrated packs that provide an optimum seed rate per hectare, to help growers to achieve the correct plant populations.

“Traditionally lucerne seed rates have been measured in kilogrammes per hectare, which is far less reliable and can easily result in over or under seeding.”

Rumen conditioner Lucerne has been an important part of the dairy ration at Rix Farm, based at Bolham in Devon, for the past decade.

Initially grown for its protein content, it is now seen by the Frankpitt family as being as important as a rumen conditioner for their 320-cow Holstein herd, which has an average yield of 10,500 litres at 4.1% butterfat and 3.3% protein.

“Without lucerne in the ration we’d need to feed chopped straw. This is lower in energy and protein, so we’d have to feed more of it,” explains James Frankpitt. “Lucerne also has a good intake factor.”

James Frankpitt: “Lucerne silage acts as a rumen conditioner and complements grass silage and maize in the milking ration”

Lucerne facts • Yield potential of between 12t DM and 14t DM/ha each year • Between 19% and 28% protein, high in fibre, rich in minerals • Fixes nitrogen, so no N fertilisers required • 30 million hectares grown worldwide • UK area <0.5% of temporary grassland and <5% of forage maize

The forage crop is grown across 16 hectares, with the silage typically delivering between 19% and 22% crude protein, between 10.9 and 11.2MJ/kg ME and between 38% and 40% dry matter with a D-value of between 68 and 70. It is fed in a TMR alongside maize and grass silage as complementary forages.

Having moved onto a cheese contract about two years ago, Mr Frankpitt says that balancing milk yields and constituents is always a challenge, but lucerne definitely helps to keep butterfat above 4%.

“If you keep rumen health and condition right, the butterfat tends to follow,” says James, who runs the unit with his parents Michael and Alison.

With 10 years of experience, the family has learnt how to get the very best from the crop. Above all, they place selecting the most suitable fields and good establishment as the top priorities.

“We aim for a soil pH of around 7 and tend to use fields that are slightly sloping and free draining,” explains Mr Frankpitt. “Lucerne doesn’t want to lie wet or you will get a problem with grass coming through and it will kill off the plants.”

Soil-to-seed contact When following grass or maize, the field will be sprayed off prior to drilling to ensure that the lucerne is sown into a ‘clean’ seed bed. After spraying, slurry will be applied and ground will be ploughed, and sub-soiled if required, before being power harrowed, rolled, drilled and rolled again.

Rolling is an important step to ensure good soil-to-seed contact. No slurry will be applied until the spring.

The Frankpitts grow lucerne varieties Timbale and Galaxie from Germinal and – with the required time and effort applied to establishment – they expect crops to last for four or five years. l

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Maximum impact: low-cost improvements can increase comfort and efficiency. Page 24 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new? A round up of some of the latest dairy equipment. Page 26

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Creating a more comfortable and productive environment on a budget

Space – the final frontier If overstocking or slightly cramped conditions are holding your herd back, there are some relatively quick, easy and inexpensive fixes that could boost herd comfort, welfare, health and efficiency. So, with many herds now outside for the summer, what are you waiting for? text Rachael Porter

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Owen Atkinson: “Creating more space for your cows can be done on a tight budget”

pace can be at a premium on many dairy units – particularly those that have expanded in recent years.

And with milk price continuing to be under so much pressure, it can be difficult to justify investing in cow housing and equipment. But some modifications can be done at low- or no-cost and they can make all the difference when it comes to better health, welfare and efficiency.

So says Shropshire-based CowSignals vet Owen Atkinson, who says that he’s visited many units where something as simple as removing or repositioning a cubicle head rail really can make a huge difference when it comes to increasing lying times. “And longer lying times not only help to reduce and prevent possible lameness problems, but they can also increase productivity.

More time spent lying down means that cows will spend longer cudding and this makes for more efficient utilisation of the ration. There’s so much more to improving cow comfort than meets the eye.”

Limited space One producer who Owen has worked with, Cheshire-based Tom Halton, reconfigured his 180-cow herd’s cubicle shed, which was originally built for 160 cows, a few years ago.

“The catalyst was a problem with lameness – there just wasn’t enough space because milking cow numbers had increased slightly,” says Tom. His solution was to remove the central feed passage from the shed and install an additional row of 80 cubicles in its place.

An outdoor feed yard, with a covered feed trough at its centre, was then

installed next to the cow house. “We knocked down an old parlour next to the cow house and used this area to create the yard.

“The existing cubicles were too small and the passageways and feed passage were also too tight. Cows just didn’t move around freely or easily – space was just too limited and lying times were poor,” says Owen, who adds that Tom called him in to help him put his plan into action. “It was his idea to create an open but inviting feeding yard alongside the shed. He just wanted some help on how to go about it.”

The same shed now comfortably accommodates 240 cows, but they’re much more comfortable, according to Tom. The 4.5m wide central feed passage has gone: “It really was a waste of space and there’s now an easy-to-access yard adjoining the shed that offers the cows

Lunging space: a sledge hammer was all that was needed to improve cow comfort in these cubicles

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Feed yard: the cows like to leave the cubicle shed to eat from the covered feed trough

the ideal 60cm per head feed barrier space and plenty of space to move around freely. The more timid cows in the herd can also make a quick exit if they want to. There are no dead ends or tight corners and I think the cows really like to be outside while they eat.”

The trough is covered with a canopy, which keeps the feed and the cows dry in wet weather and offers shade during warmer, sunny days. And, most importantly, lameness has improved dramatically. Tom mobility scores the herd regularly and he’s seen a 10% reduction in lameness cases since he modified the shed three years ago. “And most of that improvement occurred shortly after the changes were made.”

Calmer cows Milk production has also increased slightly, on the same ration, because intakes have improved. This is due to better access to the feed and also improved lying times. “The cows are a lot calmer in this shed how – there’s no ‘scrabbling’ about and I often walk in to find cows either lying down or in the feed yard eating. It’s not often I see cows just standing around,” he says.

“Best of all, the modifications cost five times less than building a brand-new shed. We were able to do quite a lot of the work ourselves, because it wasn’t too complicated. It was very much a case of working with what we had and moving

things around. It wasn’t a massive job and it wasn’t too expensive. The additional cubicles were second-hand and we installed them ourselves. We also built the feed trough and canopy.

“Besides, I’m sure we recouped the investment in reduced lameness cases alone during the first year. It’s more than paid for itself if you factor in the additional milk production from the same ration. And then there’s better fertility too, which is more difficult to put a cost on. But that has also improved because cows are better able to express their heats and bulling behaviour in a more spacious and cow-friendly shed.”

Owen is also impressed with the new shed configuration and admits that he’s taken Tom’s idea and helped other producers to do the same to their cow houses to create more space. Other ‘easy fixes’ include taking out the front on cubicles and raising neck bars to create more ‘lunging space’. “If cows find it difficult to get in and out of cubicles, they won’t lie down. And this has lameness and lying time/ cudding repercussions,” he explains.

Fresh eyes Neck rails are often positioned too low in older cubicle houses, according to Owen. “So it’s well worth checking to see if you could have a ‘space’ issue here.

Cows will adapt to their surroundings and you may not notice a problem with

cows refusing cubicles, so a fresh pair of eyes is often useful here.”

The good news is that this is a ‘cheap and cheerful’ modification that can, again, really help to improve cow comfort and lameness and, therefore, efficiency. “You will see the return on investing a little time to tinker with a neck rail – be it in a cubicle or a feed fence. It’s often time that’s needed here – not money.”

He cites another producer who had wooden kennel cubicles with solid fronts to separate them from the feed passage, but this was also creating a cow comfort issue for his larger cows. “Lying times were not great. The cows had outgrown the cubicles, which were quite old but still serviceable. All that was needed in this instance was a sledge hammer to knock the wooden fronts off them and, again, give the cows more lunging space, fresh air and light. And it worked a treat.

Cows are lying down for longer, lameness has improved and milk yields have increased slightly,” says Owen.

A few sessions with a sledge hammer may be just the ticket for stress relief in the current tough economic climate too.

“But before you get stuck in – be it knocking out or repositioning rails, bars or cubicles – take some advice on how to best go about it. That will ensure that the results of any space-making modifications are rewarding – for you, your cows and your business.” l

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A gel-foam mattress, a watering system for calves, and silage sheeting

Innovative solutions We take a closer look at some of the latest dairy-specific products to hit the market, which are all designed to improve livestock health, welfare and performance.

Gel mattress offers increased cow comfort A gel mattress has been launched by Dutch company Agriprom. The Agriflex

mattress has a gel foam and latex core that, says the company, offers superior cow comfort compared to some other cubicle mattresses and bedding products. The combination of elastic gel and a product called Energetic Ecolatex guarantees good weight distribution and cow comfort. The 4.5mm-thick mat cover is made from 100% rubber, which is reinforced with a nylon layer. This ensures that the mat retains its shape and size, whatever the temperature. The

top of the mat is finished with a ‘tissue’ profile for optimum grip and the surface can be cleaned with a pressure washer.

The gel core comprises a 50mm-deep laminated underlay, which consists of three layers: ‘Energetic Ecolatex’ provides elasticity and prevents the mattress from losing its shape; the gel foam layer provides weight distribution and support; and the bottom layer is a water-resistant ‘Ecorub’ layer, which protects the mattress against moisture.

Self-filling covered water bowl for calves Providing calves with constant access to clean fresh water could be made easier by installing a Milk Bar Pen Waterer into their pens. This compact covered water bowl holds eight litres of water and includes a float valve, which ensures the level is replenished as needed. The cover prevents dust, bird droppings and calf faeces from contaminating the water and this can also help to prevent scours.

A single waterer will support up to 15

calves. It has a height of 575mm, width of 275mm and length of 330mm, and a drain to aid cleaning. A single waterer retails at £105 +VAT. “Water is needed in the rumen of young calves so that the microbial population can increase,” says Dairy Spares’ Jeff Radnor. “This then allows calves to increase their intakes of feed. So installing a pen waterer will promote the drinking of water, and help promote live-weight gains.”

Innovative silage sheet now more widely available Silage clamp and cover specialist Bock UK has agreed a deal with leading agricultural supply company Wynnstay Group.

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The move means that group will supply the company’s innovative Kombi2Plus cover, which it claims delivers improved silage clamp performance.

“As a leading agricultural supplier, we are always looking for the next innovative product that will increase efficiency and save time on the farm,” says Wynnstay’s Gareth Jones.

“The Kombi2Plus silage sheet does this by incorporating the ‘cling’ underlay and tough upper sheet together. This helps to improve silage quality while, at the same time, revolutionising the

labour intensive task of sheeting up.”

The product will now be stocked in 53 stores across the Midlands, North West and South West England and Wales.

“Anaerobic digestion plant operators were the early adopters of this silage clamp cover technology,” says Bock UK’s Will Wilson.

“But as dairy producers continue to push for on-farm efficiency and performance, they are beginning to looking at this new innovation.”

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Silent Herdsman update Israeli Farm Management Solutions provider Afimilk has acquired a full stake in the Silent Herdsman health and heat detection system. NMR will continue to market and support the smart collars and monitoring system in the UK, which provide heat detection and cow health information. “We will be the main point of contact for new and current users,” says NMR’s Silent Herdsman manager Andy Paine.

“Silent Herdsman is designed and manufactured in Britain and its highspec merits are an attractive addition to Afimilk’s dairy technology portfolio.”

HerdWise changes The traffic-light system used in HerdWise is based on Danish research and is used throughout the world for Johne’s disease quarterly testing programmes. Within this system, a cow’s classification is based on her most recent four test results. This means that a cow that had been ‘red’ (two positive tests) could revert back to ‘amber’ or even ‘green’ if she has further negative results.

But recent research shows that cows that have been classified as ‘red’ should be treated as a risk for their lifetime, even if they have subsequent negative tests. To reflect this, cows screened using HerdWise, which have ever been classified as ‘red’, will remain flagged ‘red’ for life, regardless of subsequent test results. This means that users may see a change in the number of red cows on their next HerdWise report.

Top cows Berkshire-based cow, Line 2285, is top of February’s table of NMR recorded cows breaking the 100-tonnes-of-milk-produced barrier in their lifetime and ranked on lifetime daily yield (LDY). From Mapledurham Trust Farm, Reading, she produced 105,694kg of milk in seven lactations and has an LDY of 31.88kg.

Second is Mansfield Bradley Olive, from Stranger and Sons near Shaftesbury in Dorset, with 100,682kg of milk in six lactations and an LDY of 29.51kg.

Third is Line 144, from Sedgewick and Sons near Stockton on Tees in Cleveland, with 102,219kg of milk in seven lactations and an LDY of 29.36kg.

A full list of cows achieving 100 tonnes of milk and ranked on LDY is published on the NMR web site.

Gold Cup open day

South west leads the field

Nigel Allin

Loretta Dennis

First-class customer service and top quality data are the key forces behind NMR’s new field structure, which has been rolled out in the south west this spring with other regions set to follow.

“Our data quality team will deal exclusively with key milk recording services,” says national field manager

Jonathan Davies. “And our newly formed customer services team will be trained to a high level in our core services and in our increasingly broad product portfolio, including female genomic evaluation, energy balance testing and genetics.”

The restructure in the south west sees Jo Carless re-join the field team as a customer account manager and new area managers in the data quality team are Loretta Dennis and Nigel Allin for Cornwall and North Devon respectively.

Nigel has a wealth of practical dairy farming experience in Devon and has worked for NMR as a milk recorder and area co-ordinator.

Loretta worked for Robert Wiseman Dairies for six years, then joined NMR as an area co-ordinator.

Neil Baker

NMR RABDF Gold Cup winner 2015, Neil Baker will be opening his farm gates to all producers at Haselbury Plucknett, near Crewkerne in Somerset, on Wednesday May 25 from 10.30am.

Visitors will be offered an insight into the management of this high-health-status herd of 1,700 cows, which is averaging 11,000 litres at 4.0% butterfat and 3.5% protein.

Pre-registration is essential. Visit www.rabdf.co.uk or call 0845 458 2711.

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

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Paul Dean Running two herds on slightly different systems could make breeding complicated, but this family-run unit takes a simple, but effective, approach.

Herd size: Average yield: Conception rate: OAD milk solids:

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400 cows (in two herds) 3,500 litres & 5,800 litres Between 65% and 70% 5.1% fat & 4.1% protein

Ideal mix: Ambreed sires produce daughters that suit both management systems

Grazing ability and high constituents are vital for block-calving system

Cross-breeding for fertility, health and milk solids It has the potential to be complicated, but a simple approach to cross breeding is allowing one Cheshire-based producer to rear replacements for two herds managed on slightly different systems. text Rachael Porter

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change in breeding policy and management system have not only resulted in a robust and productive herd of cattle, but have also helped producer Paul Dean to adapt to the current milkprice crisis slightly better than his business would have done 15 years ago.

Paul runs the family business – spread across two units that are just one mile apart and on the edge of the Peak District

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– in partnership with his brother Alister.

The original family-owned herd has expanded from 80 cows during the past 15 years to 400 milkers, which are split into two herds. The herd that is based at the original ‘home’ farm, is milked once a day and, due to the steep contours of the unit’s land and the farm layout, this herd is all spring calving.

The second herd is split 65:35 into spring

and autumn calving. This second recently acquired contract-farmed unit is less exposed and more suited to that calving and management system.

“The two herds have different milk contracts. The spring calving herd has a milk solids contract with Arla. If you’re going to milk once a day, in a bid to cut costs, then you have to have a solids contract. It’s the only way to make it pay,” says Paul.

“We saw milk volume drop by between 20% and 25% when we moved to once a day. But as milk production per cow drops, fat and protein yield increases, so the figures add up.

The second herd has a liquid milk contract with Wisemans and is milked twice a day. This herd has a greater

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proportion of black-and-white Holstein/ Friesian cows, compared to the once-aday herd with more Jersey genetics.

we expected they would and their type suits our systems perfectly.”

Insight: genetic foundations

Fertility is important in block-calving systems. “It’s the number-one trait we look at when selecting sires. No calf means no milk, fat or protein. It all starts there. So we would be unwise to select a sire with fantastic components but poor fertility. We definitely look for a plus score here, as well as calving ease.”

The spring-calving herd calves during a nine-week period and to keep this pattern tight Paul says that they really have to get as many cows in calf to first service as possible. Between 65% and 70% of the herd hold to first service and he says that just 7% will be empty after the nine-week service interval. “And we’re working on improving that, with help from genetics.”

As well as good fertility, cow size is spot on too. “We don’t want cows that are too large – we’re looking for an average of 450kg. Compact is the key word here – a cow that’s small and ‘tidy’, but with good body capacity for forage. And she’s got to be able to walk a fair distance too.”

Friesian genetics add robustness to the Jersey elements. “They’re just a little stronger than a straightforward Jersey cross.”

That said, the Jersey genetics are important, particularly in terms of their tough feet and good temperament. “The mix of the two is ideal, the resulting T H E

Paul Dean: “Our breeding policy is relatively simple, but it works well”

heifers and cows move around well and they’re not stubborn. We feel they offer the best of both breeds.

With expansion complete, the Deans now only need to rear heifers from the spring calving herd. And currently Paul’s using sires that are around 60% Friesian.

“That’s the way we’re ‘tweaking’ things at the moment. We may opt for a higher percentage of Jersey in the future. It’s something that’s continually evolving and our milk solids, as well as cow health and fertility, will signal the direction we need to take.

“For now, we’re pleased with the cows and heifers that we’re milking – and the breeding direction that we’ve taken.

“It was a different route to many other more Holstein based herds, but it’s paid off for us. And it’s certainly allowed us to adapt and thrive in the current economic climate.” l

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He began cross breeding with Jersey semen 15 years ago, when the then 80cow herd calved all year round. “We started down the cross-breeding road because we wanted to extend our grazing season and that meant breeding heifers that were more suited to grazing, particularly with the conditions we have at the home farm.

“A switch of system, to block calving with more emphasis on milk from forage, demanded a different cow. Jerseys offered the type and milk solids production that we were looking for. We needed a more robust cow and we also felt that the black-and-white cows that we were milking were too ‘fine and frail’ for a more extensive set up.”

Some of the ‘robustness’ he is currently enjoying in his herd has since been added to with the introduction of Friesian genetics. “The breed also adds some milk protein. Jerseys offer plenty of butterfat, but we needed to balance that.”

So the Ambreed crosses offer the best of both worlds, as far as milk solids go. And milk solids are certainly high. The oncea-day herd is yielding 3,500 litres at 5.1% butterfat and 4.1% protein. The twice-aday herd is averaging 5,800 litres at an equally impressive 4.8% butterfat and 3.7% protein. “So the breeding for milk solids is certainly there and these cows perform well on our systems,” adds Paul.

Sires in the flask this year include Selwyn and Overdrive. Bulls used in recent years include Megabuck, Pater and David. “And we’re really pleased with all of them,” says Paul.

“The daughters are performing just as

PRODUC TIO N

Plan: milk solids

EFF ICI E

Cow numbers expanded steadily with a mixture of home-bred and bought-in heifers. “But we only bought in cattle once – we’re now closed again and use all our own replacements,” stresses Paul.

The two herds share the same breeding policy – cross breeding with Jerseys began 15 years ago and crossing has continued, with CRV Avoncroft’s Ambreed sires, for the past three years.

Both herds are now on track to comprise the same type of cows – a mix of two thirds New Zealand Friesian and one third New Zealand Jersey. “Another generation or two and all out cattle will be cross-bred to produce this mix of genetics,” adds Paul.

Improve: future plans

T FER

IL

What traits are key to suit the management of the Dean family’s herd?

5 Fertility This is vital to the success of a block-calving system.

4 Efficiency Compact cows with good body capacity and not too heavy, to help avoid sward damage.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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I

3 Health A healthier and troublefree herd makes for easier cow management.

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F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A RY P H I L

P R A C T I C E

E L K I N S

Mastitis in freshly calved heifers is increasingly coming under the spotlight on many dairy units, according to Cornwall-based vet Phil Elkins, from Westpoint Farm Vets. Here he explains why and how to tackle it.

Take steps to improve hygiene and safeguard heifer immunity

Avoid infection ‘catalysts’ T

he number of cases of mastitis in freshly calved heifers is fairly static across our clients’ herds, but it’s more noticeable now that the ‘back ground noise’ of mastitis in older milking cows has been turned down. Mastitis in heifers, both clinical and sub-clinical, is now an area where we are looking to improve.

Bacteria responsible for mastitis in heifers are typically environmental, the most common being E coli and Strep Uberis. But it is really important to use diagnostics and consult with your vet to ensure that the correct treatment is being used for heifers with mastitis. Don’t assume that the mastitiscausing pathogen is the same as that causing cases in older cows.

The catalyst to picking up infection in heifers is typically an event during the two weeks prior to, or a week to 10 days after, calving. Just before calving her immune system changes and as the heifer’s udder ‘bags up’ it loses some of its natural antibacterial properties.

Post calving, when the calf suckles for the first time or colostrum is taken, the natural teat seals are broken, which also leaves the udder more prone to infection, as does milk leakage prior to calving. So a focus on hygiene is key. Keep pre-calvers, particularly their udders, as clean as possible.

Housing should be bedded with fresh, dry straw.

Also keep stress to a minimum, as this can suppress immunity.

Avoid mixing groups of heifers and drastic or rapid changes in their ration. Nutrition is also important and selenium, in particular, plays a key role in supporting the immune system.

Selenium deficiency can be a problem in heifers.

The encyclopaedia Mastitis in freshly-calved heifers Causes Environmental pathogens, predominantly E coli and Strep Uberis, are the usual suspects. Heifers succumb to infection due to a dip in immunity in the pre-calving period, which can be exacerbated by stress.

Symptoms Typical signs of udder infection, including hot, inflamed and painful quarter/quarters, either with or without clots.

Prevention If there’s a severe problem in the herd, ask your vet to test to see what pathogens are causing the problem and, in the short-term, discuss the possible use of therapy to help prevent cases. This approach is second to management, which must focus on hygiene, reducing stress to protect the immune system and nutrition. Using prophylactic antibiotics and/or teat sealants is a last resort.

Treatment Seek an accurate diagnosis as to the pathogen causing the mastitis so an appropriate and effective antibiotic treatment can be administered.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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H E A LT H

There can be no half measures when it comes to Johne’s disease control

Focus on Johne’s yields progress Calving time presents the greatest risk of Johne’s disease transmission, with calves exposed to an environment that is potentially contaminated with highly infectious bacteria.

Accurate screening and recording, combined with scrupulous attention to detail, are key to keeping one step ahead of Johne’s, as shown by two of 2015’s NMR HerdWise competition finalists. text Karen Wright

O

rganic producer Tim Downes farms with wife Louise and his parents John and Chris at Longnor in Shropshire.

Together, with three full-time staff, they run a 300- cow spring-calving herd of NZ Friesians and Scandinavian crossbreds and sell their milk to OMSCo. The Downes have been screening

quarterly for Johne’s with the HerdWise programme for the past four years. A growing interest in Johne’s control from his milk buyer, and the fact that he had bought in young stock of unknown status, prompted Tim to monitor his Johne’s status and, with the help of his vet Nathan Loewenstein from Shropshire

Louise and Tim Downes: “Only 3% of our cows are now in a risk category”

Farm Vets, actively controls the disease in his herd.

In the first year of HerdWise screening just under 10% of the herd fell into the red (high risk) and amber (medium risk) category.

“Having developed a protocol to manage these cows, particularly around calving time, that everyone understands and follows, only 3% of our cows are now in the risk categories and less than 1% are red cows,” says Tim.

Risky cows isolated All known red and amber cows are bred to beef and are isolated in a separate yard during the dry period to avoid faecal contamination of the ‘clean’ calving pens. “If a cow flags up as a red or amber animal after serving to a dairy insemination we will plan to snatch the

Calves from Tim and Louise Downes spring calving cross bred herd that is now closed to minimise disease risk

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calf at birth,” he explains. These cows are clearly identified and CCTV in all three of the farm’s calving yards allow Tim and his staff to carefully monitor the close-up calvers.

“Snatched calves are delivered onto a clean towel and transferred immediately to the calf trailer and put into a clean calf pen where they will be given two, three-litre feeds of stored colostrum from known low risk – or green – cows.”

All frozen colostrum is labelled with the cow’s number and the recipient calf’s number is also recorded so that they can trace any animals that were fed from a cow that subsequently goes red or amber on a screen.

“As an organic producer we are required to feed whole milk to our calves for 12 weeks, so the potential for Johne’s spread in our young stock is considerable if infectious cows go undetected,” he stresses.

Two strikes policy After calving, milk from known red and amber cows is excluded from the calf milk pool. “First-time calving heifers are also an unknown entity, so we let them feed their calves once and then discard the rest of this first milk to minimise the risk of infection. We have considered pasteurisation, but it is expensive and goes against our organic principles of feeding a natural product,” he argues.

Tim and his team now run a closed herd and while it is not practical to cull red Johne’s cows routinely, they are managed out of the herd if they start to have health or productivity issues.

“Instead of three strikes and you’re out, we have a two strikes policy with the red cows,” says Tim. Johne’s is very difficult to get ahead of because of the long latent period and its tendency to drop below the screening radar even in infected cows. But Tim feels that it is important to be proactive.

“As organic producers, we owe it to our consumers and to our cows to control a disease that can have such an impact on animal health,” he concludes.

Somerset-based producer Kari Dunford has been a HerdWise user since she took over the running of Southwood Common Farm, at Evercreech near Shepton Mallet, five years ago, following the death of her husband. As a vet and with the help of her five staff members she has thrown herself into improving the health status of both her spring- and autumn-block-calving herds, totalling just under 500 cross-bred cows.

“Before my husband passed away, the herds underwent a period of rapid expansion with cattle introduced from numerous sources in the UK, France and Romania. So I was very conscious that we were likely to have been exposed to Johne’s disease,” Kari explains.

She particularly likes the flexibility of the HerdWise service, which allows her to carry out two consecutive monthly screens in March/April and September/ October so that she can catch all the cows after calving but before serving.

“This allows us to only breed ‘green’ cows to dairy and to know, well in advance, which cows have to be isolated at calving time,” she adds.

Any cow with two consecutively high results is ‘red tagged’ for life and gets a red ankle strap. A ‘J’ is also added to her identity number in InterHerd. “It also means that we can accelerate culling if these cows show up as problem breeders or have mastitis issues.”

Red tags on calves Any cow that slips through the net and goes ‘red’ after serving is kept in a separate barn and the calf is snatched after birth and fed stored colostrum from known ‘green’ cows. All heifer calves born to red cows are also red tagged so that they can be monitored throughout their life.

“Knowing the Johne’s status of the cows has become even more important as we

Kari Dunford: “Herds ignoring Johne’s are storing up problems”

have started vaccinating for Rotavirus, which is given to the cows and then transferred to the calves via colostrum.

Colostrum is pooled for three days after their initial two bags of colostrum on day one,” explains Kari.

“Progress is frustratingly slow, but using our current protocols we can keep the Johne’s situation under control. We have closed the herds and a year ago about 8% of the herd were red tagged cows and that is now down to 4%. In spite of the frustrations, doing nothing is not an option and herds that ignore Johne’s are storing up a lot of problems in the future.” l Finalists in the 2016 HerdWise competition will be named in June and the winner will be announced at the Livestock Event on July 6, NEC, Birmingham.

Calves from ‘red’ cows are identified at birth on Kari Dunford’s farm

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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BREEDING INFORMATION

Genomic sires take centre stage The latest April bull proof index run has highlighted three top genomic bulls and a remarkable new daughterproven bull, Browning, to improve the herd with profitable easy-to-manage and efficient daughters.

The daughters of Willem’s Hoeve R Browning (Snowman x Ramos, £442 PLI) give extremely high milk yields (+863kg) with a remarkable +59.6kg of fat and protein combined. With a total score of 114 and an udder score of 112, he does an excellent job in improving conformation. CRV expects a great demand for this top-class bull. He’s available priced at £18 a straw for 50 or more straws.

In the genomic-sire list, Delta Norbert Red (Bookmark x Stellando, £590 PLI) Delta Norbert

will give a significant boost to the efficiency of any herd (+14%) by passing on excellent milk production (+395kg) combined with very high longevity (+844 days). Norbert daughters are expected to be able to achieve this production with ease, in view of his high score for Better Life Health (+7%).

This is thanks to traits including outstanding inheritance of udder health (107), fertility (102) and hoof health (104). The Apina herd can be found on both sides of his pedigree. The sire Bookmark leads back to the Massia family and, in the maternal line, we find grand dam Apina Nadja EX90 – the dam of Apina Norman. He’s priced at £14 a straw for 50 or more straws and sexed semen costs £32 per straw.

With Peak Tango Paisley (Tango x Uno, £650 PLI), CRV has another bull more than 2,500 GTPI from its US breeding programme. This Tango son with +699kg of milk and more than 52kg of fat and protein in his index is a production improver. He also has a fertility index of +11.5. dd to this his very high score (+0.6) for lifespan and easy calving status and you know that this is a ‘hit the mark’ sire. Paisley goes back to Rudy Missy (fifth dam of Paisley) like Supersire, Mogul, Balisto and other well-known bulls from this family. He’s priced at £17 a straw for 50 or more straws and sexed semen costs £27 per straw.

Browning daughter Willem’s Hoeve Superstar 1140

New genomic sire Flevo Genetics Whatsapp RF Flevo Genetics Whatsapp RF (Supersire x Superstition, £542 PLI) scores very well for efficiency (+5%) and health (+8%).

He transmits +427kg of milk and +38kg of fat and protein combined. His components are excellent with +0.06% fat and +0.04% protein.

This red-factor carrier has a calving ease of 114, so very easy calvings can be expected and he will also sire daughters that can produce for longer than average with a longevity of +595 days.

He’s priced at £17 a straw for 50 or more straws.

To order semen, and for your free copy of the Spring Dairy Guide, call 0800 7831880.

KHW Super Aderyn, dam of Whatsapp RF

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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B U L L

P R O O F S

Proven bulls ‘somewhat dull’ in comparison with young-sire rankings

Genomic sires cause a stir Lancashire-based Holstein breeder and former NMR/RABDF Gold Cup finalist James Tomlinson shares his thoughts and views on the latest lists of proven and genomically-tested sires. text Rachael Porter

T

here’s nothing particularly exciting about the latest daughter-proven sire rankings, is the honest opinion of Lancashire-based producer James Tomlinson. He readily admits that the genomically-tested young sire list is more ‘attention grabbing’, following the April bull proof run. “To be fair, April, for some reason, is never the most exciting bull-proof run. But there really was nothing that grabbed me in the proven rankings this time – it’s very much ‘same old, same old’,” he says.

There has been some movement in the proven rankings, published in April

by AHDB Dairy. Moving back to the top is Gen-I-Beq Lavaman, with a PLI of £626. Producers aiming to increase milk components will appreciate Lavaman’s positive fat (+0.10%) and protein (+0.15%), which he combines with outstanding daughter fertility (Fertility Index +13.5). “He has ‘jiggled around’ a bit in the rankings and he’s been in the top 10 for a while, as has the sire ranking in second position, KingsRansom Erdman,” says James.

With a PLI of £622, this former numberone sire’s daughters are among the least cost to maintain in the top 20, reflected in his Maintenance Index of –19. Erdman

James Tomlinson: “A genomic list like this is just what breeders have been waiting for”

is also one of the breed-leading longevity transmitters (Lifespan +0.7), which he combines with an outstanding Somatic Cell Count Index (SCC –20).

Eye-catching sire In third position with a PLI of £591 is Teemar Shamrock Alphabet (Shamrock x Ramos). But it’s the number-five sire that catches James’ eye. No-Fla Emulate 30309 (Bookem x O Man) gains 40 £PLI points to make it into the top 10 (PLI £568), transmitting a high weight of fat and protein and solid fitness all round.

“He’s the only sire new to the top spot and he’s certainly got decent type and good milk production. That said, I don’t

Gen-I-Beq Lavaman

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think I’ll be ordering any straws because, for me, this run has been very much about the genomic sires. That’s the list where all the excitement is this time around.”

James says that, with every proof run, his confidence in the young-sire list grows: “And the other breeders that I speak to all feel the same. I was cynical at first – it was sensible to dip a toe in to start with. But during the past 12 months our use of genomic sires has gone from 20% of the bulls we use across the herd to 70%.

“Once you have calves on the ground by genomic sires – and certainly once you have them milking in your herd and see their sires making strides up the daughter-proven rankings – it’s proof enough for me that the genomic technology is accurate and that it can be trusted.

“You still have to make sure that you pick the sires most suitable for use on your herd, but there are plenty to choose from and the information is all there.”

Eagerly awaited Many in the Holstein breeding industry agree with James that the young genomic sires represent the most eagerly awaited bloodlines and this proof run won’t leave them disappointed.

Despite the long-term leader, SandyValley-I Penmanship, retaining his number-one position, with a genomic PLI of £720, there are no less than three brand new bulls in the top five on the list and many more new sires throughout the ranking.

S-S-I Shamrock Mystic

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F&L

udder

TM

1.14 0.38 0.10 1.33 1.29 1.99 1.21 0.63 0.72 1.10

1.23 0.43 0.40 1.23 1.57 2.11 1.37 0.94 1.33 1.46

Numero Uno Supersire Supersire Numero Uno Shotglass Brewmaster Mogul Goliath Numero Uno Numero Uno

Semex WWS Bullsemen.com/AIS Alta/Global Genetics WWS Bullsemen.com/AIS Sterling Sires Genus Genus Genus

67 67 67 67 67 67 67 67 67 68

+631 +828 +880 +665 +745 +794 +810 +449 +387 +719

+29.1 +40.1 +40.5 +32.3 +36.0 +40.3 +26.7 +32.9 +23.9 +32.4

+25.9 +24.8 +30.1 +26.5 +25.2 +30.4 +25.8 +21.5 +18.2 +25.4

+0.05 +0.06 +0.09 –0.02 +0.07 +0.02 +0.07 +0.06 +0.08 +0.01 +0.10 +0.05 –0.06 –0.01 +0.18 +0.08 +0.10 +0.07 +0.05 +0.02

720 720 697 693 687 682 680 679 669 661

16 7 6 7 8 3 –4 14 13 2

Goldwyn Ramos Ramos Shottle O Man Shottle O Man O Man Ramos Jordan

Semex Bullsemen.com/AIS Genus WWS WWS WWS Semex Alta/Global Genetics TAG UK CRV Avoncroft/AIS

98 85 82 80 83 83 80 76 83 84

+346 +515 +489 +512 +718 +599 +495 +483 +163 +469

+22.2 +24.2 +18.2 +24.5 +33.7 +27.2 +17.4 +19.8 +16.3 +25.5

+23.4 +15.6 +17.8 +18.8 +22.1 +20.6 +15.9 +18.4 +12.4 +23.7

+0.10 +0.15 +0.05 –0.01 –0.01 +0.02 +0.05 +0.03 +0.06 –0.01 +0.04 +0.01 –0.03 +0.00 +0.01 +0.03 +0.12 +0.09 +0.08 +0.10

626 –8 –3 622 –19 –20 591 –16 –6 574 9 –15 568 13 –12 565 12 –14 559 –5 –11 556 3 –17 552 6 –15 548 6 –12

% fat

Enforcer 1stClass 1stClass Davinci Chops Balisto Supershot Rocky Monterey Supersire

dCE

1.18 0.37 1.11 0.62 1.75 1.35 1.40 0.97 2.01 1.34

genomic sires Sandy-Valley-I Penmanship S-S-I 1stClass Flagship Triplecrown Gatedancer Peak Alta Painter Bacon-Hill Hurricane Barbarossa Bush-Bros Deify 355 Apina Nadal Larcrest Calumet Seagull-Bay-Mj Solaris

fertility

lifespan

0.1 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.5 0.7 0.4

maint.

1.89 3.02 2.70 2.35 2.95 1.72 1.93 2.19 3.63 1.37

£PLI

SCC

in % prote

kg prote

1.60 2.82 2.77 2.11 2.80 1.35 1.66 1.84 3.57 1.34

kg fat

1.84 2.12 1.11 1.81 2.24 2.41 1.67 1.91 2.04 1.02

mat. grandsire supplier

milk

0.7 12.2 0.1 0.6 9.2 0.4 0.5 5.4 0.7 0.7 5.5 –0.2 0.5 8.2 0.4 0.4 2.6 0.3 0.6 11.6 1.2 0.6 9.9 0.4 0.7 9.0 –0.2 0.6 9.4 0.4

sire

rel.

–17 –20 –16 –18 –17 –20 –12 –16 –22 –14

name

daughter-proven sires Gen-I-Beq Lavaman Man-O-Man Kings-Ransom Erdman Planet Teemar Shamrock Alphabet Shamrock S-S-I Shamrock Mystic Shamrock No-Fla Emulate 30309 Bookem S-S-I Bookem Morgan Bookem No-Fla Debut Shamrock Tollenaars Alta Micro Plan De-Su Ransom Robust Delta G-Force Man-O-Man

conformation ind.

functional traits in

production

13.5 1.1 13.2 0.6 13.3 2.3 13.1 –0.3 10.0 –0.7 9.1 –0.8 12.2 2.1 11.9 1.0 9.7 1.1 4.2 0.9

Table 1: Top 10 daughter-proven and top 10 genomic sires available in the UK ranked on PLI (source: AHDB Dairy and Holstein UK)

Sharing the number-one spot with Penmanship – who continues to impress with breed-leading daughter longevity (Lifespan +0.7) and excellent daughter Fertility Index (FI +12.2) – is new entrant, S-S-I 1stClass Flagship.

“He’s certainly got my attention.

Ordering some straws is firmly on my ‘to do’ list,” says James.

Strong cow family Flagship (Alta 1stClass x Supersire) is the higher milk and fat transmitter of the two bulls, with 828kg milk and a massive 40.1kg fat, and has an impressive Type Merit of 3.02. “And he’s a bit of an outcross and has a strong cow family. He ticks all the boxes.”

De-Su Ransom

The third newcomer is another son of Alta x 1stClass from a Supersire dam.

Triplecrown Gatedancer weighs in with a PLI of £697 and transmits a marginally higher weight of fat than Flagship – and the highest in the top 20 – at 40.5kg.

He combines this with solid fitness ratings.

Sire stack And Peak AltaPainter (Davinci x Numero Uno) makes his debut in fourth position (PLI £693) thanks to outstanding daughter longevity predictions (Lifespan +0.7). “He’s another sire that I’m excited about and he has an interesting sire stack,” says James.

The complete breeding pattern of Bacon-

Hill Hurricane (Chops x Shotglass) earns him fifth position and a PLI of £687.

And Barbarossa (Balisto x Brewmaster) is new in sixth place with a PLI of £682 and has the highest weight of protein in the top 10 at 30.4kg and a good SCC of –20.

With such a variety of high genomic young sires on offer, it’s hardly surprising that more than 50% of all UK Holstein inseminations are now with genomically-testing sires. “This wide choice – and quality – is what breeders have been waiting for,” says James.

“There’s something for every herd, without compromising on any of the important traits. There are simply so many good sires to choose from.” l

Delta G-Force

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NUTRITIONAL NEWS

Colostrum quality and quantity impact on calf immunity Funds activity rallies soya market

Research in the UK and across Europe has shed new light on just how close the relationship is between the transition diet and colostrum yield and quality.

The 2015 ForFarmers study, involving 1,900 cows and 1,500 calves in the UK, Germany and Netherlands, showed that almost 40% of cows were producing fewer than three litres of colostrum at their first milking. It also revealed that 20% of cows produced colostrum of poor quality (with fewer than 50g immunoglobulins per litre), in that first milking.

The study looked closely at transition cow nutrition, focusing on crude protein (CP) levels in the close-up diet

of the cows and what effect, if any, it had on the calf. Calves from cows with less than 12% CP in the close-up diet were shown to have a higher risk of failure of passive transfer of IgG (calves were shown to have less than 10 mg/ml serum IgG), compared to those cows fed between 12% and 14% CP and those fed more than 14%.

“If you have a nutrition programme for the final three weeks of the transition period, it boosts the number of antibodies in the calf’s blood and increases the immunity of the calf, via the high quality colostrum it receives and better development of the calf in late gestation,” says ForFarmer’ Nick Berni.

Focus on transition-cow management Correct nutritional management of the transition cow is critical for improving milk production in the following lactation – and minimising the risk of metabolic problems and maximising calf health.

The transition period can be broken down into key stages and each one has its own specific nutrient requirements that help to improve health and performance. This spring sees the launch of ForFarmers’ TRANSLAC nutrition programme, designed to provide key nutrients for each stage via specialist compound feeds, farm packs and minerals.

By focusing on key areas of transition cow nutrition significant performance improvements and cost savings can be

made. This could realise more than £11,000 or 1.5 ppl per 100 cows. The programme is designed to improve performance by giving the cow and calf the best possible start.

For more information call 08457228853 or visit www.forfarmers.co.uk

Although Brexit continues to hit the headlines, it’s worth keeping an eye on Chicago Board of Trade (CBoT) activity. UK soya values are vastly higher week on week as the funds have been active.

It started with them covering in short positions, but quickly turned into frenzied buying as they strove to rally the market higher mainly on weather concerns. In a period of just 10 days, soyabean meal prices moved up £40/t and rapemeal £30/t, says ForFarmers’ Phil Watkins.

Brazil’s soya harvest is almost finished, but the recent heavy rains in Argentina have slowed harvest to a standstill and even ‘washed-out’ up to a million hectares.

Coupled with other problems, the trade feeling is that three million tonnes may have been lost, reducing the crop from 60 to 57 million tonnes. Looking forward, April to June and possibly July positions are expected to remain firm, mainly on the back of vessels being delayed out of Argentina.

Resulting ruminant compound feed prices could increase by up to £10/t during May. Other proteins such as rapemeal and wheat distillers’ have firmed in sympathy with the soya market. But distillers’ may still be available from some suppliers at very attractive values versus the other proteins.

Looking at energy feeds, the wheat and maize futures rally of late April, where cereals and byproducts moved up by between £4 and £7 per tonne, has eased off and traders are now focused on weather reports to provide market direction.

It is still worth considering alternatives, such as bread and biscuit meals, as they represent good value for money at the moment.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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