CowManagement UK december 2013 by CRV Uitgeverij/CRV Publishers

NAG NAG

EARS

V O LU M E 11 N O 8 DE CE MBE R 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

C O W H E A LT H

FO RWA RD TH IN KIN G

C RO SS BREEDI NG

Tackling mastitis and shortening the dry period

Could milking 20,000-litre cows become reality?

Fleckviehs offer plenty of milk and valuable bull calves

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3 Gofast daughters - Newhouse Sneeker 486 (L) - Sneeker 488 (M) - Sneeker 487 (R)

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Maximise milk, every day. Researched by:

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09-10-13 11:49

CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Overalls off: Father Christmas Roger Evans NMR Dairy Management News Business basics: Simplification Avoncroft Breeding Information/ Thompsons Nutritional News 54 Events and contacts 4 10 18 25 43 51

REPORTS

12 Fleckvieh genetics are the way forward for Brian and Terry Barnes FEEDING

16 Keeping inputs and outputs on track is key to maximising profit BREEDING

22 Sneeker cow family is key to genetic progress with plenty of production and type MANAGEMENT

46 Hassle-free milk PD testing leaves vet time free for problem cows

Brian Barnes “Lameness in Fleckviehs is unheard of in our herd” 12

Editor Rachael Porter Festive cheer

elcome to the final issue of 2013, which we’re sure has some useful and positive articles to lift producers’ spirits during these cold and sometimes gloomy winter days. Flick to page 10 if you need a quick fix. Our ‘Overalls Off’ interview is bound to put a smile on even Roger Evans’ face. He’s not having such a good time at the moment and he explains why on page 18. But he knows he’s not alone. I’m sure his column will resonate with far too many of you. Turning to issues that producers can do something about, our cow health special focuses on mastitis prevention and shortening the dry period. Yes, the two can go hand in hand. And both can go someway to reducing costs and increasing milk production. We also have the latest on the UK’s strategy to promote the responsible use of antibiotics and find out what vets and producers are already doing to reduce usage, increase herd health and save costs. Better health and fertility are just two of the benefits being enjoyed by Brian and Terry Barnes since they began cross breeding their herd. Find out how their Fleckvieh-cross herd is performing – both in and out of the sale ring – on page 12. Yields are good, but not even close to the 20,000 litres that one leading dairy professor believes cows could be producing in the not-so-distant future. Karen Wright went along to his inaugural lecture to find out more. Read her report on page eight. The CowManagement team wish you all a happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

Main article 20,000-litre cows

Milking Changing liners

Special Cow health

Cows and producers are heading towards 20,000 litres by using technology to aid management

Cluster exchange scheme saves time and helps to improve milk quality

The latest on tackling udder health problems and reducing antibiotic use

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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C O W

TA L K

Calf guru highlights factors affecting immunity Far too many calves get sick and die in the pre-weaning period, where rates in the US and UK are quoted as 14% and 11% respectively, according to Provimi calf research and technical manager Jim Quigley. Speaking at the company’s recent Animal Nutrition Seminar, he quoted research from Pennsylvania State University that showed that for each day a calf was sick her first lactation yield was reduced by 126kg. “Recent evidence suggests that neonatal calf health is influenced before, at, and after calving,” said Dr Quigley. “Research from China showed that cows on lower energy diets in the 21 days pre calving produced calves of lower birth weight and shorter in length. And cows

suffering heat stress produced calves of lower birth weight.” As for post calving, the timing of feeds and quality of colostrum plays a part in the calf’s immunity with the effect of bacterial infection through handling impacting on colostrum quality. “Age at feeding, colostrum quality and method of feeding will also affect the calf’s ability to absorb the valuable immunoglobulin fraction in the colostrum,” he said. And approaching weaning, where the calf’s passive immunity is declining and its own active immunity takes over, can leave the calf susceptible to disease. “Supporting gut health is essential and including functional ingredients in the milk replacer and creep feed will help

Jim Quigley

achieve this. Provimi trials, where the supplement NuStart is included in calf diets, has shown a positive response in calf health and productivity.”

Post-calving ‘reviver’ offers rapid rehydration

Bull-calf premiums

Promptly replacing fluids and electrolytes lost at calving will encourage cows to be more active and eat sooner, which can have an impact on how well they settle into lactation. Post-calving dehydration, a condition that affects all calving cows, is due to a combination of two factors. The first is that cows will lose around 50 litres of fluids and salts when they calve. The second is that cows reduce their food and water intake in the hours leading up to calving. With reduced intakes and increased fluid loss, postcalving dehydration is inevitable. “While all cows will be dehydrated at the end of calving, the problem can be worse in cows that suffer a prolonged calving, particularly as they will have

Producers of dairy-cross bull calves are reaping premium prices compared with their black-and-white counterparts, according to data collected by cross breeding specialists Geno UK. Some four-week-old Fleckvieh bull calves have attracted prices of £300 a head, up to six times more than pureHolstein bull calves. “The market for cross-bred bull calves is strong at the moment,” says managing director Wes Bluhm. “We are seeing three- and four-week-old Belgian Blue-cross-Holstein calves selling at between £250 and £300 and the Fleckvieh-cross calves are averaging between £200 and £300 compared with pure-Holstein bull calves that will sell at between £45 and £55.”

had lower feed intakes for a longer period,” explains Frank Wright Trouw Nutrition International’s Matthew Stott. “The sooner she drinks after calving then the sooner the balance is restored, and it is important to meet the cow’s requirements.” Mr Stott stresses that because water has no electrolytes it will not rehydrate cows as well as a product that supplies the necessary salts. “The most effective way to rehydrate cows is to use a formulated electrolyte solution, such as Farm-o-San Reviva,” he says. “This contains a balanced source of key electrolytes along with vitamins and rapidly available energy to give the cow a post-calving boost.”

Dual-action bedding machine A unique bedding machine, which applies powder disinfectant and sawdust to cow cubicles in one pass, has been launched in the UK by Devon-based cow comfort specialists DP Agri. One of the hoppers that comes with the Flingk CS700 bedder can be filled with either powder disinfectant or lime, while the other can contain sawdust or wood shavings, explains the company’s Rob Doran. He adds that the Flingk range of products

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is made in Holland and is renowned for its high quality and durability. “The disinfectant is applied to the cubicle first and then immediately covered with the sawdust or wood shavings, to protect the cows’ udders,” says Mr Doran. “The quantity of each material is regulated by independent valves, which slow down or speed up the belt drives.” The bedder will cover about 150 cubicles before it needs re filling.

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C OWM ANAGEMENT

DECEMBER

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

Cows and producers are heading for 20,000 litres by u

20,000-litre cows – sc The Royal Agricultural University’s Toby Mottram believes that sensor-based technologies, which detect problems before they start, will play a major part in managing long-life cows that produce 20,000 litres. text Karen Wright

“I

mproved milk yields in British dairy herds will arise from more proactive cow management, improved nutrition and better disease detection.” So said Toby Mottram at his inaugural lecture in October. He supported his argument for higher yields with environmental rationale. “Higher yields would mean fewer cows. We would need one million fewer cows to produce the same amount of milk as we do today. “This would reduce methane emissions by 30% and, with improved longevity, the demand for heifers could be reduced by 75%. Valuable land would be released allowing for more extensive systems.” Professor Mottram added that he could see consumer and retailer demands leading to legislation that specified that all cows must spend some time outdoors grazing. Delving back 60 years, the then Principal of the Royal Agricultural College Bobby Boutflour lectured on achieving the 2,000 gallon (9,000 litre) cow. At a time when Toby Mottram: ‘‘Higher yields average yields were 400 gallons, the RAC would mean fewer cows” Steadings herd of 22 cows of mixed breeding were paving the way to these higher yields. Milked three times a day, fed to yield by hand and housed in a byre, they were averaging 1,987 gallons (9,021 litres), land stayed in the herd for between seven and eight lactations and gave their highest yields in their fifth to seventh lactations.

Next level “Sixty years on, and with a great deal of ‘genetic’ progress under our belts, and this herd would still be in the UK’s top 50% for production,” said Professor Mottram. He puts this early success down to management techniques. He sees the same attention to detail taking today’s cows to the next level. But this step forward will not be without agricultural technology – agritech – and under his Professorship’s remit he will endeavor to train the next generation of technologists.

C OWM ANAGEMENT

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tres by using new technology and improving management

– science fact or fiction? Professor Mottram has a good track record on which to base his future work. He established the rumen pH sensor that is now sold worldwide by eCow. A bolus placed in the cow’s rumen detects changes in pH and through diet changes this can be rectified before production problems occur. The sensor has not only been highly successful in West Country forage based systems but also in more controlled housed systems, where it can pick up problems and help in the detection of sub clinical problems. He was also instrumental in using wireless technology in heat detection systems where a motion detector can pick up movement in 3D with results relayed to a PC.

Missed opportunities “Looking ahead, the three research priorities that will contribute to higher yielding and longer living cows are management, housing and silage,” he said. He emphasised the need to look at lifetime yields – not annual production. “We must focus on high lifetime yields from long living and healthy cows.” In terms of technology, milk progesterone analysis, lameness monitors, calving detection devices and, of course, robotic milkers will all play a part in improving management and milk yields. New sensors within the rumen bolus will allow nitrogen balance and fatty acid levels to be monitored. “There are missed opportunities – why aren’t cows reaching their potential? We have cows with much bigger engines but we’re not using them.” And while genetics has contributed to today’s cows, he feels that breeding companies have concentrated on breeding cows to cope with management limitations. “Instead, we should be solving the root cause of the problem. “For example, why do we make our cows walk on concrete? It hurts their feet and any slight lameness problem is highlighted. In contrast, I see cows on rubber mats galloping around. But research into concrete isn’t fashionable and hasn’t attracted funding so development in flooring has been overlooked.”

Cow comfort He sees the need for some work to be done here in improving flooring material for cow housing. “Making things comfortable underfoot and our cows will inevitably perform better. That’s not difficult to work out. “Improved housing means keeping cows in family groups, providing comfortable beds in well ventilated buildings, and providing soft walking surfaces.” Professor Mottram was involved in some of the early

movement detectors for lameness, but he can now see a far simpler system that uses ‘face’ recognition on smart phones. He is seeking funds to develop the algorithms. “All we need to do is time how long it takes a cow to move between two points in the yard – the system will recognise the cow and record the time taken. If she’s got a problem she will be slower due to lameness – even if this isn’t obvious to the naked eye. It’s at this point that she needs treating before there’s a real problem that affects her fertility and yield. Once we have the software, we should be able to build up a picture on the system and we will be able to monitor lameness automatically.” There’s scope, too, to improve silage analysis through improved technology. “Forage quality changes as we work through the clamp,” he added. “It would help to know silage quality on a daily basis. We need to analyse silage at the front of the clamp and then feeding can be adjusted according to the quality.”

Welfare standards Dismissing claims that high production cows suffer short and brutal lives, Professor Mottram argued that higher yields mean fewer cows and with fewer cows to manage their welfare can improve. “High production has got to mean higher welfare standards and herd management has to be more professional,” he said. An added benefit of fewer cows is the reduction in pollution and the increased efficiency of dairy production. “The margin over feed could potentially increase from around £1,000 per cow to £5,500 per cow, given the correct management and technology tools.” So Professor Mottram’s vision for 2053? “For welfare reasons cows will spend between two and five months outside and this could well be legislated for. We need older cows to teach heifers how to graze. “Buildings should be improved to better replicate outdoor conditions – flooring and ventilation improvements are needed and cows should live in family groups. “Robots should do the menial work to overcome the shortage of skilled herdsmen and sensors, that are linked to third parties such as vets and buyers, will be used. “Practical appraisals of the knowledge of forages should help improve the quality of feed on offer and help to target 50% dry matters. “And, of course, the goal is seeing more cows achieve yields of 20,000 litres with an average lifespan of 12 years,” adds Professor Mottram. l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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O V E R A L L S

Name: Location: Herd size: AKA:

O F F

Bryan McNab-Jones Gloucestershire 170 cows Father Christmas

Bryan McNab-Jones: “Playing Santa Claus is a privilege”

Ho, ho, ho... text Rachael Porter

onning his luxurious white fur-trimmed red suit and black boots, plus a sprinkling of the obligatory pixie dust, transforms Bryan McNab-Jones from dairy producer and into Father Christmas every December. He’s been ‘helping’ Santa Claus by paying a festive visit to his local schools and nurseries for the past 10 years and says he can’t think of a better way to lift his spirits on a cold December day and get him in the mood for Christmas. It all began with dressing up as Santa for his own children and then, when he became a governor at their primary school, he began taking Christmas wish lists from, and captivating, a wider audience. Although it’s not essential to be big to play Father Christmas, Bryan thinks it helps and he maintains his stature partly by enjoying the cheese that he and wife Liz make on farm. “I’ve had to have my suit let out a little this year – just as I do every year to be honest – but at least that means that I don’t need any extra padding,” he says. Other than a little tailoring, his hobby costs him very little and he gets an awful lot in return. “I did buy an expensive suit a few years ago – the whole shebang with a white-trimmed red outfit, a cloak and a white wig and beard. It’s wearing very well and was worth the investment. “Playing Santa is great fun and I enjoy bringing a little magic and excitement to the schools and nurseries that I visit,” he says. “I actually feel very privileged to do what I do.” His ‘busy’ season starts in early December and comprises visits to between six and eight schools. He doesn’t get paid, obviously, but perks include the odd mince pie and a bottle or two of beer. He says that the reaction he gets from some children can be touching and amusing in equal measure. “Some children are terrified of this enormous red-suited, white-bearded stranger. But most are either very excited or wide-eyed with wonder.” One of the most memorable moments he can recall was when he went along to his twins’ playgroup several years ago when they were about three years old. “One of them said to Liz, why is daddy dressed up as Father Christmas? We just explained that daddy was helping out because Father Christmas was so busy. They seemed to buy that.” Bryan also recalls another child who complained that his boots were smelly: “That was an odd one, but it made me chuckle.” Another time he turned up at a school and he’d forgotten his suit. “So I borrowed the one that they had there and, of course, it was way too small for me. I squeezed into it, somehow, and all was fine until I sat down and then I split the seams. The children didn’t notice, but the teachers did and they all thought it was very amusing!”

C OWMANAGEMENT

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DECEMBER

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Willem van der Horst ƒ Ad_Layout 1 04/07/2012 14:46 Page 1

+23% “We installed the first of our Merlin robots fifteen years ago, and they’ve yielded impressive results ever since.” /Willem Van der Horst Cothen, Netherlands The family is one of 140 farms that owns the Delta Milk Cooperative, founded in January 2011.

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In 1997 the Van der Horst family was the first farm to install a Merlin robot in Holland. Over the past 15 years their pioneering approach has obviously paid off, as they have replaced the original two Merlins with later models and are planning to add a third in the near future. Theresultsspeakforthemselves.They’veachieveda23%increasein yield,whencomparedtotheirearlierparlour,andtheyareproducing 1.3m litres of milk a year from their dairy farm. And as if that isn’t impressive enough, the Van der Horsts have three cows each of which has passed the magical 100,000 litres mark. As Willem put it, “I was hardly out of school when we installed our first Merlin robot and the benefits have been adding up ever since”.

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29-11-13 08:55

H E R D

R E P O RT

Fleckvieh offers good health, good fertility and trouble-free milk production

Bavarian breed’s offers benefits Switching to Fleckvieh is improving cow longevity and ease of management, without compromising milk yield in many UK herds. And an added benefit is more valuable bull calves. Here’s what one Cumbria-based producer has to say. text Rachael Porter

trip to Austria more than 20 years ago was the spark that lit Brian Barnes interest in the Fleckvieh breed. And today he and his son Terry are five years into a cross breeding programme that’s seen their herd’s healthy, fertility and profitability move forward in leaps

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DECEMBER

and bounds. The 100-cow herd, based near Kirby Lonsdale in Cumbria, was originally Holstein but is now about 50% Fleckvieh, according to Brian. “We’ve some second-cross heifers that are about to calve now, so we’re quite excited to see how they’ll milk,” he says, adding

that he’s no apprehensions whatsoever. “The first crosses milk really well – with plenty of volume and constituents. We’re definitely heading the right way with this breed and eventually we will be milking a pure Fleckvieh herd.” He and Terry first used Fleckvieh semen 10 years ago and the resulting heifers were what Brian describes as ‘superb’. “But we then struggled to get hold of any Fleckvieh semen, so we dabbled with some Norwegian Red and Montbelliarde sires.”

Sourcing semen He says he wasn’t so struck with these cross breds in his herd so he was glad when he sourced some more Fleckvieh semen from Geno UK. Avoncroft also sells Fleckvieh semen. “The Monty crosses just didn’t cut it on our unit. I wasn’t so keen on their temperament and I’d seen just how much better the Fleckvieh crosses were. These are cattle that carry some meat on them, but milk and calve easily. They also have good fertility and health and we find them easy to manage. They will also look after themselves.” His Holstein herd was struggling with lameness and fertility problems. The

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Hardy breed: the Fleckviehs suit the Barnes’ climate and management system

Fleckvieh cattle. The Barnes’ have no trouble getting them back in calf.

Milk quality

former is now down to less than 1% of the herd and those with problems are Holsteins. “Lameness in the Fleckviehs is unheard of in our herd. We’ve yet to see any problems. “Holsteins simply didn’t last in our herd, due to health and fertility problems. We’re seeing six or seven lactations with the Fleckvieh crosses – double the number of lactations we were getting from our Holsteins.” Fertility isn’t an issue with the

And they have found that the Fleckvieh crosses are more persistent in their lactation – they give higher yields for longer. “So we’re in no rush to dry them off. The milk quality also seems to increase later in the lactation, with some touching 5% butterfat towards the end,” explains Brian. Cows and heifers are dried off four or five weeks prior to calving. “And I’d say that there’s only one negative to Fleckviehs at this point and that’s that you have to feed them carefully through this transitional period because they have a tendency to put on too much condition and become fat.” The only other drawback of the Fleckvieh switch is that the Barnes are having to be patient. “We want to increase herd numbers, but we have to wait for our youngstock to mature. It’s difficult – if not impossible – to buy in milking Fleckviehs and we’re only seeing about three heifers in every 10 calves born. “Terry is even more of an enthusiast for the breed than I am, so I know I just have to be patient. If I went out and bought some Holsteins to keep herd numbers up I know I’d get into a lot of trouble. He wouldn’t be pleased because we want to remain as a closed herd.”

Hardy grazers And the breed is just too well suited to the unit’s topography and climate for the business partners to consider milking anything else. “We’re in a valley here. The weather can be quite good, but it’s also very changeable. Fleckvieh thrive in both hot and cold weather. When I saw those Fleckviehs in Austria

Tomorrow’s milkers: Terry and Brian are keen to increase the size of the milking herd

Brian and Terry Barnes Father and son agree that Fleckvieh genetics are the way forward on their Cumbria-based unit. The breed offers milk, longevity and higher value bull calves. Herd size: Average milk yield: Butterfat and protein: Average calf price:

100 milkers 7,500 litres 4.40% and 3.45% £300 (2013)

they were 4,000 feet up a mountain in driving rain and still grazing! They are very good grazing cattle.” The Barnes’ herd calves all year round and is fed on grass silage, plus a blend, during the winter month. Cows graze from May to November. First cross heifers typically produce around 7,500 litres in their first lactation, with good constituent levels of around 4.4% butterfat and 3.45% protein. “We were on a cheese-producing contract, but we’re in the process of moving to Dale Farm at Kendal. We’ll get a better price for our milk and it’ll be used to make yoghurt,” explains Brian. Another big plus is the value of bull calves. Calf prices averaged around £250 in 2012 and Brian thinks this figure will be more than £300 for 2013. “I sold an eight-week-old second-cross Fleckvieh bull calf for £412 in October. I think that was the record for this year so far. “Our accountant worked out that it’s adding an extra 1.3ppl to our milk price. So I’m extremely pleased with calf sale revenues.” Cull cow prices are good too and Brian says he sees an extra 50p/kg for the crosses compared to Holsteins: “That works out as an extra £250 a head. It really is a pleasure to go to market to sell stock these days. I never come home disappointed. “We really do feel as if the Fleckvieh offers a double bonus – better quality milk and higher value calves. We’re really happy with the direction we’re taking with our herd’s breeding – and the direction that that’s taking our management and bank balance!” l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Kirby Lonsdale

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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F E E D I N G

Keeping inputs and outputs on track is key to maximising profit this winter

Feed your profit margins If ever there was a year to boost intakes and output, this is it. So how do producers achieve this without falling into nutritional pot holes? We asked a nutritionist and a vet to explain how the road to driving intakes can be a bit straighter and a lot less bumpy. text Allison Matthews

here is a large variation in silage quality and many cows have a ‘light’ condition score, so the obvious answer is to increase feed rates, particularly with the current milk price to concentrate

ratio. But if the overall diet isn’t managed it can lead to problems at farm level that will eat away at profit margins. Alleviating negative energy balance (NEB) by maximising both forage and

concentrate intakes is vital if this is going to be a successful winter, explains Thompsons’ dairy nutritionist MaryJane Robinson. “Although the target for daily forage intake per cow is 12kg, many producers are struggling to achieve 10kg with poor quality silage pulling that figure down to 8.5kg in many cases. One kilogramme of dry matter can have the financial benefit of an extra two litres of milk and, considering the current milk price, any additional litres would significantly help the milk cheque.” Forage quality will drive intakes and on

Dairy diet: forage quality is driving intakes on many UK units

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many units it will act as rumen fill with cows being fed concentrates up to 0.45kg per litre to push performance. It has an important role, but as Ms Robinson points out there is more to managing silage than just balancing it in the diet. “Many first cuts are indicating high dry matters, which can prove slightly problematic in terms of heating. With wide clamp faces, silo control is important.

Potential problems In between getting silage analysed, producers should monitor how silage looks and smells as they work through the clamp. This gives a good indication of any potential problems. In terms of cow environment, feed bunkers should allow for 60cm per cow and be cleaned out on a regular basis to ensure producers are constantly supplying fresh silage and maximising intakes.”

Mary-Jane Robinson: “There’s more to managing silage than just balancing rations”

Aurélie Moralis: “Fluke infection can reduce milk yield by as much as 8%”

Unfortunately the buck doesn’t stop with the silage and, as large animal vet Aurélie Moralis explains, there can be many unseen bumps in the road that get in the way of boosting intakes. “Sub-clinical parasite burdens, such as liver fluke and gut worm, will reduce the cow’s appetite and feed intake. This will impact on milk yield, composition, body condition score and fertility. “Fluke infection can reduce milk yield by as much as 8% and increase the calving interval by more than four days. A bulk tank analysis is a good starting point to design a parasite control plan by measuring antibody levels in the milk. It can be used in conjunction with faecal samples and details of liver condemnation to draw up a complete picture. The vet can then advise on the appropriate treatment required.”

viral infections, such as IBR and BVD, which can also impact on farm profitability. “IBR is a respiratory virus that can lead to a sudden milk drop in lactating dairy cows. An underlying BVD problem with the possibility of persistently infected (PI) animals in the herd will hold the cows back from reaching their full potential. Vaccination, as well as removing PIs from the herd, will have a major impact on overall health,” says Ms Moralis.

Balancing energy If producers are at a point where intakes should be maximised Ms Robinson explains the technical reasons why selecting a glucogenic compound, which is balanced through the TMR with a blend, will make the best use of the silage available. “Glucogenic nutrients are derived from propionic acid, digestible by-pass starch, and unused protein. Maize is an excellent glucogenic raw material and, with current cereal prices encouraging the use of more starch this year, it is advantageous if the total diet is balanced.” Benefits include increased energy balance and reduced fat mobilisation, which reduces non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs), blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) and triacylglycerol (TAG) in the liver. This also contributes to an improvement in fertility. “By working with your vet and blood sampling a small proportion of cows for a metabolic profile, producers can get an insight into the energy status of fresh cows.” The vet may also be required to identify

Take control Dry cow management undoubtedly impacts on subsequent lactations. Assessing body condition scores 16 weeks prior to calving and ensuring they will be hitting between 2.75 and 3.25 is all part of managing an eight-week dry period. “The transition period – both the close-up dry period and early lactation – are vital to try and maximise dry matter intakes from forage, with the critical period 21 days pre and post calving,” adds Ms Robinson. “Feeding concentrates during the closeup dry period, when the calf is taking up more space, allows requirements to be met but also acclimatises the rumen papillae to starch, which can reduce the risk of acidosis post calving. “In early lactation, building up concentrates during an 18-day period can minimise the risk of metabolic diseases such as clinical acidosis, SARA and displaced abomasum. “Feed space in the dry period should be increased to 75cm per cow to optimise dry matter intakes from forage,” she says. “The emphasis this winter must be on maximising litres profitably. Producers must balance nutrition with herd health by using tools, such as monthly milk recording, to give a foundation for the nutritionist and vet to work from and make educated and informed suggestions for improvement.” l

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F E W

W O R D S

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E VA N S

Award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based producer Roger Evans shares his TB testing and reactor woes, but he knows that there are other producers who are much worse off than he is.

Fighting fog W

e’ve been shut down with TB now since July, when one cow went down. Following the next 60-day test we lost five more. I’ve not counted the days, but it won’t be long before the next 60-day test. The most frustrating aspect of all this is that there is nothing at all that I can actually do to make things any better. I’ve just got to wait and see what happens. It’s like fighting fog – you can’t land a telling blow. So the next test could be clear, it could be five more, it could be 50. No one knows. What a way to run an important industry. What a way to produce food! There’s a producer not far from here who buys beef-cross heifer calves and sells them as either bulling or in calf. He’s got 230 head and 42 went down on a test in November. He’s in a 12-month testing parish, so where did that come from? I could lose 42, but I don’t know that and nor does anyone else. So what have I learnt about being closed down thus far? My first concern was what would I do with the calves I normally sell? You can sell theses calves, if you isolate them, at a TB-restricted market. But if they are dairy bulls you just don’t want to go there. Keeping them until they are five or six months old and selling them as weanlings is worse than selling a month-old black-and-white bull for £10. Believe me. I’ve seen it happen. So what do you do to avoid that? You use sexed semen, that’s what you do. You simply avoid having these bull calves born in the first place. So you end up with too many replacement heifer calves. So what, you’ll probably need them because you might get a big hit at your next 60-day test. A little bit better, but only just, are beef-cross heifer calves. So we are going to keep them. They should be worth money one day, particularly if a good calf goes into your rearing system that’s worth only £50. Rearing these extra calves can stretch the resources that you usually devote to rearing replacement heifers, so you need to be mindful of that. Rearing replacement heifers has to come first in all this – the rest of it is only a salvage operation. We’ve never used calf hutches here, but they could be the solution to reducing pressure on calf housing. They’re not too expensive and they’re hygienic and easy to place about the yard. But it’s just another item of extra cost that you don’t need, never mind all the extra work of the testing itself. Probably most disappointing in all is that we had finally reached the point where we had a closed herd. We cannot, and will not, allow our milking herd numbers to be eroded. We’ve lost six cows now and that is enough. Lose any more and we will replace them with bought-in stock. And so there is a sort of self fulfilling downward spiral taking place. The more you have to buy, the more chance you have of perpetuating the TB cycle and problem. You could feel sorry for yourself in all this, so it’s best to keep going to the pub (as long as you can afford it). It isn’t the drink that helps, but it’s where you will hear plenty of stories of others who have bigger TB problems. And isn’t that just a disgrace?

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FA M I LY

Cow family is key to genetic progress with plenty of production and type

Sneekers steam ahead Success for the Newhouse Sneeker family is thanks to a continuing focus on production and the key role played by Sneeker 247. We spoke to her breeder to find out more about this exceptional cow and how her sons and grandsons are serving to spread her genetic influence. text Inge van Drie

Jan Nieuwenhuizen: “I prefer to use bulls with an Inet of a minimum of 300”

he genes of the Newhouse Sneeker cow family, belonging to Jan and Pauline Nieuwenhuizen in the Netherlands, are spreading quickly at the moment. After the success of Sneeky and Ricky, it is now the turn of Banker and Gofast. And as far as the genomic bulls are concerned, Skyfall and Clever are already on their way. Sneeker 247 plays a major role within the family. She is now nine years old and her lifetime production amounts to almost 90,000kg of milk with 4.41% fat and 3.58% protein. Nevertheless the powerful body of Newhouse Sneeker 247 shows no trace of wear and tear. Less than a month ago she boosted her final score up to 89 points. “With 89 points for feet and legs,” says her breeder Jan Nieuwenhuizen. “For her age she has very good quality legs.” As if to give more clout to these words, the strong O Man daughter walks away from the feeding rack at a robust pace. “She is an easy cow to work with, but she is definitely the boss in the herd.

“She calmly pushes other cows out of the way at the feeding fence,” adds Jan. Newhouse Sneeker 247’s influence in the herd is considerable. In total she has 22 daughters in the herd. “Individually they all score above the 100 lactation value”, says Jan. Sneeker 247’s genes are also steaming ahead outside the herd, due to her large number of male descendants. Two of them in particular stand out at the moment: Newhouse Banker, via Mascol daughter Newhouse Sneeker 307 who is a grandson of Sneeker 247; and her son Newhouse Gofast. Both Goldwyn sons combine an excellent NVI with highquality type and above-average health breeding values.

AI-bull status The two Newhouse bulls are not the first ones from the family that have reached the status of an AI bull. It all began with Newhouse Sneeky. In the first instance the Jimtown son was not suitable for a place on the bull map, due to his poor

Fidelity daughter Newhouse Sneeker 472, VG88 Production: 2.02 294 10,168 4.63 3.34

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figures for development. But with the increase in attention to lifespan the support for Sneeky also grew. Two years later Major son Newhouse Ricky followed. Both bulls go back to the original cow Sneeker 125 (a Sunny Boy daughter), who was registered with 85 points and was a thoroughbred dairy cow that made the annual ranking of top producers several times in her province. In total she produced 96,141kg of milk with 4.81% fat and 3.82% protein. “She was the first Sneeker that we flushed”, says Jan. The Ingrid family – known particularly for Newhouse Ronald – had been in the picture with AI organisations for several generations. In the meantime the tables have been turned. The Sneekers have outpaced the Ingrids in the cubicles. Some 80% of the herd now consists of Sneekers, according to Jan. From the original cow Sneeker 125, Jan bred Sneeker 138. He combined this full sister of Sneeky, who produced a total of

Goldwyn daughter Newhouse Sneeker 378, VG87 Production: 2.01 791 25,749 5.04 3.75

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84,388kg of milk with 4.85% fat and 3.53% protein, with Addison. This pairing resulted in Sneeker 171, one of Jan’s favourites, who has since left the herd. “She had so much style and she was the perfect cow on our unit.” The Addison daughter was registered with 89 points and produced a total of 79,064kg of milk with 4.38% fat and 3.63% protein. A flushing with O Man resulted in the above-mentioned Sneeker 247. “In the beginning I was not so enthusiastic. She was rather fat and initially produced just 25 litres. Her mother had so much power and was a magnificent cow. I couldn’t say the same about this cow.” But things changed and slowly but surely Sneeker 247’s talents came to the fore. “She starts her lactations slowly, but she persists for a long time. She’s been in her third lactation for more than 600 days and is still producing 35kg of milk per day,” says Jan.

Production index This ability to do things independently comes in use among the 120 cows at the Dutch Zevenhoven, where the cows are not mollycoddled. “Our cubicles are relatively small. In order to obtain the maximum number of litres of milk from the herd we endeavour to achieve high milk production and we milk three times a day.” The cows record a rolling annual average of 11,813kg of milk with 4.23% fat and 3.41% protein and the cell count during the past two years remained below 70,000cells per ml. Production is also important to Jan when setting breeding goals. “We aim for cows that have a high lifetime production with good udders and legs. A high Inet is

O Man daughter Newhouse Sneeker 247, VG89. Production: 7.07 608 27,086 4.34 3.42

therefore a main factor in the choice of bull. I prefer to use bulls with an Inet of a minimum of 300. At the end of the day we earn our living from producing milk.” The Sneekers fit perfectly. “They score highly for Inet, produce a lot of milk, and fat and protein, and live a long time,” says Jan. His view is shared by CRV sire analyst Eric Lievens, who visits Zevenhoven regularly. “The Sneeker family is every inch Inet oriented and now, with a bull like Goldwyn, it also has type. The family also has an above average score with regard to cell count and fertility. “Moreover, the cows are not pampered – in the cubicles there is a natural selection with regard to hardness and durability. “Within CRV the Sneeker family is currently one of the most used families”, adds Eric Lievens. He has several animals

N. Sneeker 125 (Sunny Boy) N. Sneeker 137 (Labelle)

N. Sneeker 138 (Jimtown)

N. Sneeker 149 (Fatal)

N. Sneeker 171 (Addison)

N. Ricky (Major)

N. Sneeker 330 (Shottle)

N. Sneeky (Jimtown)

N. Sneeker 247 (O Man)

N. Sneeker 307 (Mascol)

N. Sneeker 364 (Goldwyn)

N. Sneeker 378 (Goldwyn)

N. Sneeker 451 (Jeeves)

N. Gofast (Goldwyn)

N. Banker (Goldwyn)

N. Skyfall (G-Force)

N. Sneeker 472 (Fidelity)

N. Sneeker 469 (Cricket)

N. Clever (G-Force)

under contract and each one scores around 300 NVI. A considerable number of them go back to Sneeker 247, like two Cricket daughters and a Fidelity daughter that is registered with 88 points and is from different full sisters of Gofast. With the yearlings, among others, an Epic, a Hill and a G-Force descendant may be of interest.

Genomic bulls The excellent results are also due to Jan’s confidence in genomic selection. “He dares to take risks. He has also used young bulls as bull fathers.” For Jan that is only logical. “Breeding gives an enormous drive, but it must take place in an efficient way. Genomic selection is a good aid to this. At an early stage you can already see which genes an animal possesses. “Of course we take into account a certain range and the basis remains that you take a good look at the animal to be paired, but at the moment 80% of the bulls we use are genomic.” There are also Newhouse bulls on the insemination list, such as Gofast and the newest male offspring of the family Newhouse Skyfall. The semen of the G-Force son from a full sister of Gofast, which was recently used as InSire test bull, recently sold out within a few days, just like that of his nephew. Newhouse Clever (G-Force x Goldwyn). “With flushing we use Skyfall intensively. And, if things go well, we also use him on the Sneekers,” says Jan. “Breeding cattle with top-quality genetics give us a buzz.” l

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

Six steps to Johne’s control NML vet Karen Bond spelt out the six strategies for Johne’s control devised by the National Johne’s Action Group at November’s Agriscot. “It’s time to raise the awareness and explain what producers can do to control the disease,” explained Mrs Karen Bond: “There’s a Johne’s control strategy for each herd”

Bond, who chairs the technical group. “Every herd, regardless of size, management system, calving pattern and disease status, could fit into one of these six control strategies,” she said. “Producers and their vets have to work out which ones are right for them.” The six strategies devised by the Group are: • Biosecurity – protect and monitor • Improved herd management • Improved farm management and strategic testing • Improved farm management, test and cull • Breed to terminal sire • Firebreak vaccination. “We are supplying far more details on these strategies, but our initial aim is get producer and vet commitment and support this national control programme. “It’s important that the UK industry takes action now – we are already behind much of Europe. And, on top of this, the disease is costing UK producers too much money through loss of production, poor welfare and increased culling rates.” See the informative new YouTube video from Canada: bit.ly/HJhnjv

Full steam ahead for BVD NMR’s involvement in the BVD eradication stakeholder group has led to the development of comprehensive monitoring tests for beef and dairy herds, packaged in Steps 1 to 3 with Step 3 to be released soon. NMR’s Tag and Test service, its bulk milk tests using PCR technology to detect the virus or the ELISA test on bulk or individual cow milk samples to detect BVD antibodies, along with its BVD blood testing service are integrated into the BVD surveillance service options. “The options available are designed to cover the needs of all producers and help them meet their statutory requirements,” says NMR business manager Laurence Loxam. “We use milk samples already collected through the NMR recording service

so no further sampling is required. And the reporting system is equally streamlined – results are back quickly in a logical and clear format.” NMR Nordic Star Tag and Test is integrated into its BVD control steps

New directors

Jonathan Davies and Ben Bartlett

NMR has appointed two new executive directors to its main Board; Jonathan Davies and Ben Bartlett. Jonathan studied at the Welsh Agricultural College, Aberystwyth and the University of Reading. He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. His career includes time with Genus Management and Milk Marque. He is currently NMR national field and marketing manager. Ben has a degree in agricultural economics from the University of Reading and has worked as an economist with MAFF in London then the MLC. He is a director of the NMR Group’s NML and Independent Milk Laboratories in Ireland.

Production heroes Here are the top three NMRrecorded cows that have reached 100 tonnes of milk during September, ranked on Lifetime Daily Yield (LDY). 1. Dolores 80 – milk yield of 104,926kg in five lactations. LDY of 28.95kg per day. J H Dorrington, Bourne, Lincs. 2. Tiptoe Outside Cactus 61 – milk yield of 100,322kg in seven lactations. LDY of 28.67kg per day. W C Hill, Cold Newton, Leicester. 3. Ardingly Lee Jessie – milk yield of 109,267kg in nine lactations. LDY of 27.79kg per day. D Goodwin, Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

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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M I L K I N G

Swapping scheme saves time and helps to improve udder health and teat condition

Liners changed – without pain Is it time that you let an exchange scheme take the strain when it comes to changing liners? We spoke to two producers who are enjoying the benefits of a hassle-free service that also offers a trouble-shooting inspection to aid parlour cleaning performance. text Rachael Porter

he words ‘changing liners’ is enough to make most producers grimace and maybe feel a little guilty as it’s a job that’s long overdue. Some will even shudder at the thought of the best part of a day spent in a cold parlour, wrestling with clusters, grazing their knuckles and muttering the occasional expletive. Little wonder then that, costs aside, producers tend to change their liners less frequently than they really should. And it was with this in mind that Milkrite’s product manager Paul Hunt pursued the idea of setting up a cluster exchange scheme to not only help producers save time and hassle when changing liners but also to ensure that it’s a job that’s done more regularly. “We offer a managed system – from start to finish. And a survey among our customers highlighted that it was the time saving aspect of the scheme that they like the most. But that’s only part of it,” he says. There’s also the cluster inspection service. The old clusters are labelled up and sent back to Milkrite, who then split them open and ‘grade’ what they find. Any signs of parlour problems – for example maybe the clusters or individual liners show signs that the parlour isn’t being washed at the correct temperature – are flagged up with the producer. “The old liners tell them what the problem is and where it is, if it’s just one milking unit or the whole parlour that’s not washing properly.” To date 400 producers, from across the

UK and Northern Ireland, are signed up to the scheme. “The price of the scheme varies from unit to unit, but all will agree that it’s money well spent. When you’re working with a £2,000 animal, you can’t scrimp on liners. Changing them regularly and ensuring that they’re milked out quickly and easily – with no slippage – has udder health and milk quality benefits,” says Mr Hunt. And when you think of the time saved on changing liners, and the broken cluster components that are replaced for free as part of the package, not to mention the trouble-shooting feedback on the old liners, it’s an investment that soon pays for itself. “We do have an app that we use to show the benefits of using the scheme to prospective customers – the savings soon add up. Time is money, so the labour saving is considerable and preventing just one case of mastitis and improving teat condition across the herd are also significant cost saving benefits.”

Time saving Rob Prichard has seen those benefits for himself. He runs a 200-cow herd at Llanishen on the Welsh Borders, in partnership with his father Clive, and he was one of the first producers to join the scheme. “The catalyst for me was the sheer amount of time that it took to change the liners on all the clusters in our 16:32 herringbone parlour,” he says. “It was a horrible job and very time

Paul Hunt

consuming – no one wanted to do it – and the new liners would just sit there waiting. It was one of those things we were all guilty of putting off for as long as we could.” But not any more. It’s now an easy job, taking less than an hour. “The boxes with the new clusters, already fitted with fresh liners, arrive in the morning. We get on and do the job that day – it’s a matter of detaching and re-attaching three pipes per cluster to change them. We mark up the old clusters, so we know where they were in the parlour, and put them back in the boxes. And then we make a phone call for them to be picked up. That’s it – job done for another three months.” Rob says the liners are now changed four times a year: “But we used to change them just twice a year, which wasn’t often enough. Liners ideally need changing after about 2,500 milkings.” So far they’ve had no problems reported back about the old liners through the liner inspection service. But Rob says it’s good to know that if there was a problem he’d be able to pin point where it was and sort it out quickly and easily.

Liner performance He’s also impressed with how well the triangular liners perform. “There’s very little liner slip and, as a result, the cows milk out quickly and quietly. They seem much happier in the parlour and when you look at their teat condition you can see why.” The triangular liners mean that the teats are kept dry during milking – their design draws milk away from the teat end. “For me it’s great value for money. It saves time, ensures that liners are changed when they should be, it flags up any parlour problems and our cows’ teat condition is excellent. “It’s quick, easy and hassle free – we certainly don’t miss the old system. Russell Churchouse and his father John have been using the Cluster exchange scheme for two years. They run a 280-cow herd near Shepton Mallet, in

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Liner inspection: scheme flags up problems with individual units or the parlour

Quick change: swapping whole clusters, rather than individual liners, saves time

Somerset, and found out about the scheme during the visit to the Dairy Show. “We were in the process of installing a new parlour and were looking around for some clusters when we saw the details about the scheme.” Russell worked out that, once he’d factored in the time required to order and replace liners for their 24:48 herringbone parlour, the scheme represented good value for money. “It would take a day to do a job like that – now it takes just an hour. And it’s a job that anyone is happy to do – it’s not difficult.” Russell also likes the peace of mind that comes with knowing that the old liners will go back and be split open to detect any parlour problems. “We’ve had no issues reported so far, which is obviously good. But even if there was a problem, such as a cluster not washing properly or a liner being pinched, we’d be able to get the to root of it quickly.” His liners are changed every six months – the herd is run on a low-input system, with calving in February and March. The average SCC for the herd is 60,000cells per ml and in 2012 there were fewer than 25 cases of mastitis per 100 cows. “We’re expecting that figure to be even lower for 2013 as we’ve had fewer cases.” Russell says that teat condition is good – thanks to the triangular liners. “The cows milk out well and the milk is kept away from the teat end. It all contributes to protecting and maintaining good udder health. “I’m certainly pleased with the liners and the scheme.” l

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Antibiotics: What strategies are being put in place to help promote responsible use? Page 32 Longer lactations: the health and fertility benefits of shortening the dry period. Page 34 Mastitis control: tackling udder health problems with a comprehensive plan. Page 36

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UK strategy and proactive vets and producers should stall introduction of mandatory scheme

Reduce your antibiotic use What is the UK’s strategy for working towards ensuring the responsible use of antibiotics and addressing the challenge of antibiotic resistance? We spoke to two leading dairy vets, as well as the National Office of Animal Health, to find out what’s happening now. text Rachael Porter

he issue of antibiotic resistance – and disease prevention with a view to reducing the need for treatment with antibiotics – has politics and science at its core, as well as cost saving and improved herd health benefits for producers. Reducing use on your unit will, inevitably, be the result of improved herd health. So what are you waiting for? The UK’s five-year strategy on antimicrobial resistance was published in September by the UK Department of Health. This strategy document was jointly produced by the Department of Health and by the Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). The document outlines the actions required in the UK to address the challenge of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and the steps needed to address this issue in both human and veterinary medicine. In the overall context of antimicrobial resistance and the implications for human health, the good news for producers is that the introduction to the document does contain the following statement: ‘Increasing scientific evidence suggests that the clinical issues with antimicrobial resistance that we face in human medicine are primarily the result of antibiotic use in people, rather than antibiotics in animals’.

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It seems that livestock producers are no longer the scapegoats when it comes to resistance issues in human medicine. That said, everyone involved in agriculture and in the animal health industry acknowledges the need for a true ‘one health’ approach with both human and veterinary medical professionals and researchers working together to help slow down the development of resistance by reducing the need for antimicrobials to be used and, where their use is required, by using them in a responsible manner.

Strategy goal The National Office of Animal Health’s (NOAH) technical executive Donal Murphy says that the overall goal of the strategy is to slow the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance by improving the knowledge and understanding of resistance and conserving and maintaining the effectiveness of existing treatments. It is also trying to create an environment that will help to stimulate the development of new antibiotics, diagnostic tests and alternatives to antibiotics for the treatment of people and animals. “There is a focus on the need for more research in the development of new antimicrobials and also the development of diagnostics to enable quick accurate disease diagnosis. This would help

vets to, firstly, decide whether an antimicrobial is needed and, secondly, to decide on an appropriate choice of antimicrobial for the condition they are treating,” he says. In relation to the use of veterinary medicines in agriculture, the strategy document acknowledges much of the good work that has already been done to promote responsible use of antibiotics and disease prevention and bio-security, by organisations like the British Veterinary Association (BVA) and by the Responsible use of Medicines in Agriculture Alliance (RUMA). “There are calls for an increase in the level of access to relevant training on responsible use of medicines for producers and their staff. Another message is the encouragement to livestock producers to adhere to guidance on bio-security, animal husbandry and farm health planning to reduce disease risk, so removing the

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Ed Hewitt: “Producer attitudes are changing”

James Allcock: “We’re analysing our data”

using farm bio-security and vaccines, appropriate housing design and animal husbandry to prevent disease where possible are essential. Where antimicrobials are prescribed then the vet’s instructions must be followed accurately and the use needs to be recorded, as is already required by law.” He adds that the Department of Health will work with Defra to develop a programme for implementation of the strategy. A work programme will be developed with time scales for delivery of actions and an annual update report on progress, outputs and outcomes will be produced. “By working with their vet to develop and use appropriate farm health plans, producers can help to ensure the ongoing effectiveness of antimicrobials. And vets will be able to access these important medicines to maintain animal health and welfare where they are required.”

Proactive approach need for treatment with antimicrobials where it is possible to do so. “While many producers already do this, the strategy wishes to see continued ongoing focus on disease prevention,” adds Mr Murphy. Another area within the document of relevance to producers is an aim for exploration of the options for collection and analysis of veterinary medicines prescription data including the use of local audits. Essentially what this means is that there will be more focus on seeing what and where antimicrobials are being used and in what quantities. A similar scheme is already mandatory in The Netherlands. While vets and producers are already required to maintain vet medicine records there may in future be greater collection and analysis of this data. “Most producers will already be aware of what is required from their perspective – continued focus on disease prevention

Vet James Allcock, from Shropshirebased XL Vets practice Lambert Leonard and May, says that he’s disappointed by how many progressive producers still miss opportunities to prevent infectious diseases through the use of vaccines and changes in husbandry. “But I think that’s our fault – some vets have been too compliant and helpful at times. And we have helped to create a culture where quick fixes with antimicrobials seem like the easy option. “Now we’re actively working towards changing that and increasing respect for antibiotics, which are invaluable and must be treated as such.” A proactive approach should help to stave off any mandatory schemes and satisfy the requirements of the UK strategy. “A system of record keeping is already in place in both vet practices and on farm. And there is some potential to tighten things up a little. We’re just talking about a step change.” “We’ve introduced several measures

at our practice already, which are all designed to ‘start a conversation’ with our clients about antibiotics. For example, we now stick a black-and-yellow hazard label on ‘at risk’ antimicrobials, such as the fluoroquinolones. Producers ask what the label is for and we say it’s a reminder to use it strictly in line with the instructions of the prescribing vet.”

Data analysis The practice has also looked at client data and antibiotic use on a per-head-ofcattle basis. “We identified the top 10% of producers and spoke to them about their use of antibiotics. Just bringing it to their attention makes them more mindful of their usage and we’re also working with them to improve disease prevention through husbandry and better management.” Training and hands-on seminars are also on offer and advice on reducing antibiotic use also features in the practice’s newsletter. “We talk about the average spend for a typical unit. We get them thinking about how much disease and antibiotics are costing their business – and how much they could save,” says Mr Allcock. Vet Ed Hewitt, from the Ayrshire-based XL Vets practice Armour Vet Centre, agrees that producers need to be actively educated about the appropriate use of antibiotics and the importance of protecting the efficacy of these products. “We don’t prescribe many of the more contentious antibiotics, such as the fluoroquinolones. We tend to prescribe a lot of vaccines and encourage a more proactive and preventative approach to disease control so producers won’t need to use antibiotics.” He says that producer attitudes to antibiotics are changing and the more progressive herds are reducing their use: “Whether that’s because they don’t want disease or they don’t want to use antibiotics, it’s hard to tell. Either way, if they’re preventing disease and reducing their use of antibiotics it’s a win. l

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Donal Murphy: “A ‘one health’ approach is needed”

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Research delves into effects of shorter dry periods on health and fertility

Short and sweet? Shortening the dry period could have positive health, fertility and milk production benefits, but more research is needed to ensure that science and husbandry keep pace with the modern dairy cow. We spoke to a leading dairy research scientist and a vet to find out more. text Rachael Porter

he practice of drying off cows at six to eight weeks before calving dates back to the early 19th century and has been widely applied in dairy herds ever since. But some researchers, vets and producers are beginning to question this practice, particularly after some studies shed a different light on the long tradition of a dry period for dairy cows. Cows that were continuously milked – with no dry period – showed an improved energy balance, as well as health and fertility, in the following lactation. Today cow characteristics, such as negative energy balance and the incidence of metabolic disorders and reduced fertility, and societal concerns, like compromised animal welfare, antibiotic use and high labour costs, contribute to the current discussion on how to optimise dairy cow management. With this in mind, scientists at the Dutch Wageningen University felt that the potential to improve cow health and fertility by a shortened dry period justified a re-evaluation of the dry period length of the modern high-production dairy cow. “We set out to review the current knowledge on dry period length in relation to energy balance, fertility and cow health,” said study leader Ariëtte van Knegsel. On-going experimental work was included in the review. This randomly assigned animals to dry period length treatments – either zero or 30 days dry – and included a

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control group, which had a conventional dry period of approximately eight weeks.

Other benefits The study found that shortening the dry period of dairy cows, or even omitting the dry period, can have advantages when it comes to managing health and fertility of high producing dairy cows. A shortened dry period is also known to be beneficial for fat and protein production and could lower veterinary costs and ease cow management. “Practical evidence is limited at the moment, probably due to questions and uncertainties concerning the management of cows with a shorter dry period,” says Dr van Knegsel. “Firstly, shortening the dry period costs milk in early lactation and experimental studies on subsequent lactation milk yields and persistency are lacking. Table 1: Milk production and energy balance of dairy cows with a prior dry period of zero, 30 or 60 days.

dry period length (days) 0 30 60** number of cows 56 pre calving*: week –8 to –1 milk (kg/day) 13.8 energy balance (kJ/kg) 76 body condition score 3.1 post calving: week zero to 14 milk (kg/day) 32.7 energy balance (kJ/kg) 39 body condition score 3.0

7.7 75 3.0

0.0 160 3.0

38.7 -59 2.5

43.3 -132 2.2

* Week –8 to –1 relative to calving: milk production variables are the average during eight weeks ** Average daily production during ﬁnal eight weeks before calving

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Ariëtte van Knegsel: “Optimal dry period length could be different for every herd”

Rob Drysdale: “Some clients are reducing the dry period down to around 42 days”

“Secondly, there is a strong link between the dry period and mammary health. On the one hand, the start of the dry period is known as a period with increased risks for new mammary infections – particularly for cows with high milk yields prior to drying off. “But, on the other hand, during the dry period antibiotics are applied to treat subclinical mammary infections and prevent potential new infections.” Dr van Knegsel adds that there are also indications that colostrum quality, or immunoglobulin concentration, from cows with no dry period is reduced. So the effects of dry period reduction on total calf health and well-being are unknown.

zero and 30 days compared with 60 days. Some UK producers are already shortening the dry period and it certainly has benefits, according to dairy vet Rob Drysdale, from the West Sussexbased Westpoint Veterinary Group.

Net returns

More milk: shortening the dry period also extends lactation length

The effects on net farm returns will also contribute to the decision to shorten or eliminate the dry period. “This will depend on extra milk yield pre calving, reduction in milk yield during the complete lactation, the extent of increase in milk fat and protein, and the reduction in veterinary and labour costs associated with the occurrence of metabolic disorders and reduced fertility,” she says. “The optimal dry period length is expected to be dependent on milk production, persistency, health status and labour availability. Therefore, it could be different for each herd or individual cow and a cow- or herdspecific strategy may be the best approach.” Dr van Knegsel and her team are currently studying the effect of conventional (60 day), short (30 day) and no dry period in a herd of 168 cows during two successive lactations. Preliminary data (see Table 1) show an improvement in body condition score (2.9 versus 2.6) and greater body weights (686kg compared with 661kg) in early lactation after a dry period of between

Practical view “Some of my clients are being proactive in this area and together we’re looking at reducing the dry period down to between 40 and 42 days. That said, I’d never recommend a dry period shorter than 36 days and any move towards reducing the number of days dry should be strategic – not accidental. “It should also suit the individual animal. We’re only looking at healthy cows that are giving lots of milk in late lactation and with no mastitis or cell count issues.” Mr Drysdale’s experience is that a 42-day dry period has no impact on yield in the following lactation and adding an extra 20 days to the previous lactation can result in an extra 500 litres of milk for some cows. It’s also beneficial on units with limited dry cow accommodation and it helps to simplify management. “All dry cows can be fed the same ration and can be run as a single group. This eliminates the ‘far off’ period, when many cows tend to be put outside in a field and forgotten about.” He believes that if cows are healthy then there’s no reason for the dry period to be any longer than 42 days. First lactation heifers are the exception – drying off later can impact on the second lactation to the tune of around 10%. “No one can really explain that at the moment. But we know that it happens.” Older cows, conversely, benefit from better fertility and milk yield when there dry period is shortened. “They avoid the negative energy balance – or its severity is certainly reduced – in early lactation and this has a positive effect on their ovaries and oocyte production.” l

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Planned approach to mastitis control pays off

Enough is enough Unacceptably high levels of mastitis were the trigger for adopting a structured control plan to tackle the problem – once and for all – on one Devon-based unit. And it’s an approach that’s paying considerable dividends, just 12 months down the line. text Ann Hardy and Karen Wright

By the book: cows are tubed with cleaned and gloved hands

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ike any producer whose herd is experiencing between 75 and 80 cases of mastitis per 100 cows per year, James Frankpitt knew he had to tackle the problem. Returning home from university in 2009, to Rix Farm in Tiverton in Devon, responsibility for running the dairy was handed to him, while his father and brothers concentrated on other enterprises on the family’s substantial tenanted holding. “We had worked on it for years,” says James. “But we’d never really got to the root of the problem, and the situation had just rumbled on.” Health problems were exacerbated as the herd continued to gradually expand increasing from 180 to 300 milkers during a six-year period, putting pressure on the business to find additional space for the rising head count.

Farm data Cattle were squeezed into every available building, many of which were traditional sheds in the farm’s 19th century courtyard, and most were deep-litter bedded on straw. It was the lack of a structured approach to tackle mastitis that finally led the herd’s vet Andy Biggs, from the Vale Group, to suggest the DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan, which James and his family were happy to take on board. The process began with an in-depth analysis of farm data from NMR milk records and clinical case records in Interherd and Interherd+, along with a detailed questionnaire and farm observations. After veterinary interpretation by Andy, an initial report was produced for the farm that prioritised areas to target.

“This process not only identifies the main origin of the problem, but it also helps to prioritise how it should be addressed,” says Andy. “For Rix Farm, the dry period was highlighted as the origin of most cases, while bacteriology, dominated by Strep uberis, also confirmed this to be the case.”

Stocking density James and the team responded by taking every measure possible to relieve pressure on dry cows and heifers – as both groups were seeing mastitis cases within less than a month of calving. “In the summer we put the far-off dry cows out to grass and when they had to be housed, we rented a neighbour’s building,” says James. “This could be stocked less densely than our own and was also far easier to keep clean.” Housing for cows at calving was also improved, with calving boxes provided that were both cleaner and more comfortable. At the same time, the drying off routine was revised. Dry cow tubes were changed to target Strep uberis, rather than Staph aureus, and problem cows were given longer acting products. Teat sealant was used on every cow and a far more hygienic routine was put in place. “The cows for drying off now come back into the parlour after milking and they’re cleaned with surgical spirit and cotton wool. “Tubes are inserted ‘by the book’ – with clean and gloved hands – and they’re sprayed afterwards,” says James. A problem identified with the milking parlour was also resolved and gradually the measures taken started to pay off. “Within a year, the 75 to 80 mastitis

cases had declined to 44, and now we’re currently running at 28 cases per 100 cows per year,” says James. “Antibiotic use has also declined more than pro rata as the fewer cases now being dealt with tend to be easier to cure.” The impact this improvement has had on the farm, in terms of its bottom line and morale, has been profound. “The team has worked hard to get these improvements and has had an uphill battle in some of the older buildings,” says Andy. James’ new-found confidence led on to his proposal to build a new dry cow shed, which he has been able to justify to his family on the strength of results so far achieved.

Continued improvement “The shed is modern and light and airy with plenty of access to feed and water with comfortable, sand-bedded cubicles,” he says. “We’re confident this and other measures – including the introduction of three-times-a-day milking – will continue to improve mastitis levels, as well as drive up production this winter from 9,600 litres towards 10,000 litres.” But the shed is just one step in a much longer journey, which Andy says will be on-going as the DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan continues. “We’ve identified one pinch-point and that has now been addressed,” he says. “Now we’ll move on to the next area of greatest return. The plan provides the framework for the classic ‘measure, manage and monitor’ approach and it’s important that the situation is regularly reviewed.” James has no hesitation in continuing

New shed: improved cow housing, with sand-bedded cubicles, has played a key role in reducing the incidence of mastitis

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No holding back on mastitis details Taking a simple step and logging clinical mastitis will allow big strides in udder health improvements Don’t blame the milk recorder, but instead improve access to clinical mastitis data and make better use of it. That is Devon-based vet Andy Biggs’ message to producers and his vet colleagues. “How is the milk recorder meant to collect details of mastitis cases and treatment when every tube used for every cow is written in the farm diary and all jumbled up with other herd information?”

Beneficial data While encouraging producers to keep better mastitis records, Mr Biggs also lays some of the responsibility at the feet of fellow vets. “How many vets have really explained to their clients just how beneficial this data could be? “Logging mastitis cases with milk records, that already hold calving dates, stage of lactation and lactation number, we can quickly see the number of mastitis cases and when they are mainly occurring. This really starts directing us towards the root cause of the problem.” He points out that if the data shows that the majority of clinical cases are occurring in early lactation then the problems are likely to have originated in the dry period and so the dry, transition or calving cows are the areas to look at. If cases are occurring mainly in mid and late lactation the problems

with the process and believes mastitis on the farm can drop below 20 cases per 100 cows per year. Equally, he says he would not have had the confidence to make the

are likely to be ‘lactation origin’ and so the key areas to look at are any problem high cell count cows, the parlour and milking routine, housing and the cow’s environment. “This lack of readily available and complete clinical mastitis data is the scenario on around 80% of dairy farms and it’s a worldwide problem,” he adds. Having just returned from an overseas seminar he can see that the lack of clinical mastitis recording – both current and historic – is holding back progress in cow health in many dairy producing countries. “Many producers seem to resist adding this data to the milk records or they don’t really understand its importance. We need a change in mindset from both producers and their vets. It might seem obvious, but just with this little bit of extra information many herds could propel themselves into much higher levels of mastitis management. And it wouldn’t cost any more or take any more time, but it would be a worthwhile discipline.”

Specific column To this end, Mr Biggs has been working with NMR to improve clinical mastitis management in its 2014 Herd Management Diary. A specific column is dedicated to recording the first treatment of any clinical case of mastitis treated. “All the producer has to do is put a cross in one of the four boxes and write the

changes he has made without the support the DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan gave, despite having an earlier idea of where the problems lay. “That’s not uncommon on any farm,” says Andy.

Data detail: clinical mastitis recording is vital to tackle the disease

cow’s line number alongside. The recorder looks in one place and picks up the information, adds it to the records and it then gets included in the monthly report. Over time, we can pick up the frequency and timing of cases. We can do a great deal with this information.” A dairy mastitis guru, Mr Biggs carries out workshops for vets and producers around the country and uses local herds as case studies. “All too often we struggle to find a herd with mastitis problems with good records – we find that those we have used historically tend to improve and we have to find another herd to use at the workshops. So the value of decent record keeping for clinical mastitis speaks for itself.”

“They have to have the plan to get past the problem, and that means identifying priorities that will bring the greatest returns, and not just facing a long list that is too daunting from the outset.” l

Working with vet Andy Biggs (right), and the DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan, has helped James Frankpitt to improve his herd’s udder health

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B U S I N E S S

B A S I C S

C H A R L E S

H O LT

Charles Holt, an independent consultant with the Farm Consultancy Group, talks about important, but often overlooked, business issues facing dairy producers today. Here he explains why simplifying your business could reap financial – as well as personal – dividends.

Charles Holt: “Are you wearing too many hats?”

Keep it simple, stupid M

any producers should make 2014 the year they resolve to simplify their business. An increasing number of producers – eager to avoid standing still – are struggling with an expanding portfolio of diversifications to their main dairy business and seeing very little in return for their efforts. For these producers, a review is long over due. This should serve to not only re-focus their business activity on what’s profitable, but also to reduce stress levels and, in some instances, give them their life back. Typical ‘extra curricular’ activities on dairy units include rearing beef calves to sell as stores, contract work, arable enterprises, free-range egg production or milk processing. And there’s nothing wrong with any of these as an additional enterprise if they’re profitable and not detracting from the core business. In some instances, however, they are a drain on the producer’s time and resources – and the business’ bank balance.

Too much There’s a lot to juggle when managing a dairy unit – it’s an enormous job in itself and there are plenty of ‘balls’ to keep up in the air. If adding a contracting business, for example, means that some of those dairy ‘balls’ are being dropped a little too often then it begs the question of whether you’re trying to do too much. If you’re not sure if your business is overly complicated then get an outside view. Call in a consultant or an existing adviser – it does not have to be expensive. And be honest about how much time you’re spending on different areas of your business and how much of a return you’re seeing. Most producers will have an inkling that something’s not right – or a family member will have flagged it up – typically because there’s little profit to

be seen for an awful lot of input. If your business is over complicated, there are solutions. The first – and most obvious – is to cut out the non-profitable enterprise. That’s not as simple as it sounds because it can be something that you enjoy doing. If that’s the case then admit it and accept that it is a hobby and must not be a distraction from the core, profit-generating business. You should limit the time and capital you allocate to the ‘hobby’. If there is extra profit to be made, but you’re run ragged, then the key word is ‘delegate’. Could you hand over responsibility for that part of the business to a son or daughter? If it’s profitable, is it worth taking on staff to manage the enterprise? Delegating is never as easy as it sounds. I still visit families where the 80-year-old father has a firm hand on the cheque book and his middle-aged son has little responsibility. So if you say you’re going to delegate then please do delegate! Using a contractor for some jobs can also ease the work burden, but again the emphasis has to be on the figures. Make sure you’re not paying someone to spread slurry so you can waste time on a non-profit-making enterprise . If you still can’t let go of your ‘struggling’ additional enterprise, spend some time with your consultant looking at how much more profitable your business could be if you re-focused on dairying or looked at a more viable alternative. In some cases, the biggest benefit of simplification is to the family’s life. Time off can be difficult to find, but it is crucial to your sanity – and often to your marriage. Make sure you build in some down time. It’s important that any dairy business keeps moving forward. It’s not good to stand still. But it’s also important that producers don’t do something just because they’ve always done it.

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RY PRO DUC ERS THE FIRS T CHO ICE OF DAI

CowManagement has a good all balance of articles that cover aspects of dairy management.

09-10-13 15:16 Mediakit2013_06CowManUK.indd

...AND ALSO THE COWMANAGEMENT 2014 PUBLICATION DATES! If you want to receive this brochure, please call: 0031 26 38 98 820 or e-mail willem.gemmink@crv4all.com

CM08_p44.indd 6

C OWM ANAGEMENT

DECEMBER

20 1 3

28-11-13 14:04

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM08_p45.indd 11

D E CE M B E R

2 0 1 3

28-11-13 14:41

H E A LT H

Hassle free milk PD testing leaves vet time free for problem cows

Milk PD test ideal for fertility-conscious herd Extensively grazing an organic cross-bred dairy herd calls for intensive management. Devon-based Graham Vallis has to keep a firm grip on calving pattern if the system is going to work. Profitability relies on low cost milk production achieved by maximising milk from grass and using the latest ‘tools of the trade’ to maintain a tight calving pattern. text Karen Wright

raham Vallis, and his two daughters Laura and Emily, target 150 of their 190 cows to calve from February to April and between 30 and 40 to calve in a sixweek block from mid September. This suits their 172-hectare grassland unit on Devon red soils at Bradninch, 10 miles east of Exeter. There’s usually plenty of grass through the spring then drought conditions hit mid summer before an autumn flush of good grass.

No delays A mainly spring calving herd means that 80% of the herd’s 5,000-litre average can be achieved from grass and forage. But

this does call for careful management. “We have to maximise grazing and feed times,” says Graham, who converted to organic in 1996. “We have learned to avoid delaying cows from feeding post milking, particularly in the grazing season. They get hungry then gorge themselves on clover and this can cause bloat and other metabolic problems. Holding cows back for AI or PD checks for a couple of hours in the morning is a no-no.” The Vallis’ system has evolved from a more traditional autumn and winter calving Holstein herd to an organic crossbred herd with cows – a mix of Friesian,

Ayrshire and some Jerseys – more suited to their grassland farm. The milking herd grazes from February to November, relying on grass apart from in mid summer when the diet is supplemented with kale and forages. “By this stage the small group of autumn calvers – that help to even out our milk production profile – are dried off so that takes the pressure off the grass,” he adds. In the short winter housed season cows are fed soya and home grown oats – wholecrop or crimped – with concentrates kept to just half a tonne per cow. By this stage the spring calvers are approaching the end of their lactation. “We keep the system simple and stress free,” says Graham. “That way we can manage the cows well and minimise any hassle for both them and us. Yet we keep looking for improvements as we want to keep the business progressing.

Whole herd PD “During the past 12 months we’ve made two significant improvements to fertility management. Both of my daughters are now fully trained to carry out all the AI work. So as Laura milks, any cows for serving are inseminated by Emily immediately as they leave the parlour –

Milk PD test for all – through recording or ad hoc kits In just six months since its launch NMR’s PD milk test has been used in 15% of dairy herds. Available to all producers, the test uses samples already collected for NMR milk recording. Specially designed easy-to-use kits are available for non-NMR herds or for ad hoc testing. Those recording with NMR can make life even easier by using the auto-select option where cows are tested at a defined interval post service. Results are available by email or from the Herd Companion website, where a dedicated iReport shows the results of all cows with PD test results. “NMR’s pregnancy test service has been shown to be highly accurate from 35

days post service,” says NMR’s Justin Frankfort. “It can work alongside veterinary PD work as an additional check. It is particularly useful in identifying animals that have previously PD’d positive but have reabsorbed the embryo – this is the case in 7% to 10% of cows within 100 days of service. “We have trialled the service alongside veterinary PD tests and found a 97% correlation in results, demonstrating the accuracy of the test.” New milk PD test uses samples already collected for milk recording or provided in purpose-designed kits

C VCO EOEWW TM EMEAA LNTNAAJGA GEN EMM UEA ENN RTIT S1DE/EP2CT E2 EM M 0 0BB9EE R R 22 00 10 39

CM08_NMRFeature.indd 46

28-11-13 13:02

Emily, Graham and Laura Vallis

A tight calving pattern is essential for cows at Bradninch

their trip back to the field or feed face is only delayed by a few minutes. The second step forward was the use of the new milk PD test introduced by NMR. The whole milking herd was tested in August using the NMR milk sample already collected for quality testing. “We start serving them at the end of April for exactly three months. The first services are with sexed semen and then I use some young bull semen before I put the bull in. Ideally cows would be PD’d at a set interval post service but I’ve always avoided this, particularly in the grazing season, as it’s too stressful for the cows and too much hassle for our system. Instead I’ve relied on picking up any repeat services and then PD’d cows at drying off. But there’s always been some that escaped the net.” From 141 cows tested in the first milk PD test, 10 came back as non-pregnant, so will be sold, and 15 were inconclusive so these were re-tested at the next milk recording free of charge. “By the time we’d got our second set of results we were down to just a few cows with question marks over them,” adds Graham. He does point out, though, that care must be taken at sampling. “The recorder was well versed about this due to the sensitivity of the test and the need to ensure there wasn’t any crosscontamination of milk. If a bit of the previous cow’s milk gets into the sample pot you could get a false reading – it just means taking a few seconds more to make sure the pipes are empty between each cow. “The test has given us some really useful management information and we got the vet to investigate any problems. And we’re happy with its accuracy. This year we’ve also PD’d cows manually at drying off and so far we’ve only picked up two that we thought were pregnant from the milk test that aren’t – it maybe that they have lost their calves in the interim.”

Good value While Graham admits that the hasslefree aspects of the milk test really appeal, he sees it as an addition to the vet not a replacement. “It means that the vet’s work can be targeted towards problem cows. My eldest daughter Becca is our vet so I am not trying to avoid the vet! But using this extra tool – on samples we’ve already paid to be collected – makes a lot of sense. We’re getting a lot of information for not a lot of money.” l

CCOOWWMMAANNAAGGE EMME ENNT T S DE EP C T EM B E R

CM08_NMRFeature.indd 47

2 0 0 19 3

28-11-13 13:03

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C OWM ANAGEMENT

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CM07_p37.indd 37

28-11-13 14:40

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to all Brown Swiss friends!

PROGENY SP X ERME

HURAY - Holli

Progeny tested GBS sires available in UK:

HURAY ETTAL

ETTAL - Domino 3rd lac

PROSSLI PAYSSLI VINOLD HEGALL JOSCHKA HEGALL - Belinda

German Brown Swiss = combination of profitability and pure protein power!

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CM08_p50.indd 6

28-11-13 14:46

BREEDING INFORMATION

First-insemination sires During the past year Dutch producers have used a wider range of bulls. From the list of first inseminations for the 12 months beginning September 2012, it is clear that Dutch producers have used a wider choice of bulls, with excellent quality and with a variety of pedigrees in both black-and-white and red-andwhite bulls. In the past only a few bulls were responsible for high individual sales, but there are now more bulls used on a larger scale. The red-and-white bull Kodak (s. Kevin) leads the list followed by the black-andwhite bull Cricket (s. O Man) and the red-and-white bull Fidelity (s. Kian). Other popular bulls also marketed in the UK are Impuls (s. O Man), Atlantic (s. Ramos), Pilot (s. Mascol) and the new number-one NVI-ranked red-and-white bull Camion (s. Fender). Dutch producers have taken to

sire

number of ﬁrst inseminations

Topspeed Kodak Ralma O-Man CF Cricket Delta Fidelity Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls Delta Atlantic Slotbooms Pilot Camion van de Peul

38,375 33,377 33,074 32,828 23,697 20,368 16,378

Table 1: First inseminations in The Netherlands between September 2012 and August 2013.

Brown Swiss bulls The latest German Brown Swiss bulls available from Avoncroft can be viewed on the company website at www.avoncroft.com or call 0800 7831880. SPERMEX - Your reliable source of top genetics for all your breeding requirements!

Ettal

HB: LOM: born:

DE 09 32230236 EMSTAR (M) DE 09 16423606 EMORY *TM ELLI DE 09 16760083 VINBREI 3/2 9.504 3,69 3,67 700 ENZ DE 09 32452673 DENMARK *TM US 189.181 TRADITION 13.225 4,23 3,67 1045 KRONE DE 09 30139969 PATRICK (M) 15.208 4,75 3,65 1277 4/4 13.777 4,05 3,57 1051 KAPRI

KOBRA

Leider kein Bild vorhanden

genomics in a positive way with no fewer than seven genomic InSire bulls appearing in the top 30 first inseminations during the 12-month period. Bulls include: G-Force (s. Man-O-Man) and Stellando RF (s. Fidelity), Direct (s. Fidelity), and Aram (s. Award).

10/343365 DE 09 41054088 * 01.08.2006

ETVEI *TW *TM

9/9 HL: 5.

aAa: 246153

KK: AB

✔ Breeding values date 13.08.2013

TMI 121

88%

MI 110

93%

Milk Milk kg Fat % Fat kg Protein % Protein kg

+206 +0,18 +22 +0,04 +11

Beef

FW 101

Daily net gain Carcasse perc.. EUROP trade cl.

76%

110 95 91

Fitness

FIT 121

Longevity Persistency Somatic cell count Milking speed RZR (fertility) Calving ease (p/m) Stillbirth (p/m)

111 96 113 103 -1 % 111 118

78%

103 112 118

✔

LINEAR DESCRIPTION: trait Frame Rump Feet & Legs Udder Final Score Muscling Height at cross Chest width body depth Backline Rump length Rump width Rump angle Thurl position Hock angularity Hock develop. Pasterns foot angle Fore udder length Rear udder width Rear udder height Susp. ligament Udder depth Fore udder attachment Udder balance Teat length Teat thickness Teat placement (front) Teat placement (rear) Teat direction (rear) Udder cleanness

Index 113 111 103 117 117 97 113 107 109 99 113 98 97 112 100 101 96 92 89 97 102 109 122 107 118 103 109 110 100 99 115

trend

light small shallow shallow weak short narrow ascending in the back straight swollen weak low angles short narrow low weak deep loose staged short thin wide wide outwards add. teats

53 daughters 100

112

124

trend

heavy large deep deep strong long wide sloped in the centre sickled dry strong steep angles long wide high strong shallow tight inclined long thick close close inwards clean udder

SPERMEX - Your reliable source of top genetics for all your breeding requirements!

Hegall Ettal - Domino 3rd lac

HB: LOM: born:

10/343905 DE 09 41920045 * 23.06.2008

HUSJET *TM

ETTAL Kita st

KORAL

SPERMEX GmbH

Leider kein Bild vorhanden www.spermex.de

3/3 HL: 3.

Ottostraße 26 | 85521 Ottobrunn GERMANY | T. 0049 (0) 89665906-40 | F. -42 | e-Mail: info@spermex.de

TMI 124

Breeding values date 13.08.2013

Milk

MI 131

Milk kg Fat % Fat kg Protein % Protein kg

Two black-and-white Topspeed Kodak daughters: Marijke 303 and Corrie 141

79% 82%

+1069 +0,02 +47 +0,01 +39

Beef

FW 94

Daily net gain Carcasse perc.. EUROP trade cl.

82%

96 91 99

Fitness

FIT 94

Longevity Persistency Somatic cell count Milking speed RZR (fertility) Calving ease (p/m) Stillbirth (p/m)

94 94 97 107 +3 % 122 108

67%

98 93 104

DE 09 35939809 HUSSLI DE 08 08024689 HUSUM FAMOS DE 09 10457193 JETWAY ET (M) *TA 3/2 9.427 4,81 3,69 802 FUCHSI DE 09 40199745 GENERAL *TM DE 09 31632055 GORDON *TW *TM 12.098 4,09 3,63 935 KAETHE DE 09 36948938 PRONTO 15.891 4,32 3,74 1281 3/3 9.772 3,72 3,37 693 KATL

aAa: 243615

KK: BB

✔ A2A2

✔

Index 105 101 111 104 107 84 103 95 110 92 99 104 95 113 98 102 105 101 117 113 115 104 95 97 100 100 96 103 105 97 86

trend

38 daughters 100

112

124

light small shallow shallow weak short narrow ascending in the back straight swollen weak low angles short narrow low weak deep loose staged short thin wide wide outwards add. teats

trend

heavy large deep deep strong long wide sloped in the centre sickled dry strong steep angles long wide high strong shallow tight inclined long thick close close inwards clean udder

SPERMEX - Your reliable source of top genetics for all your breeding requirements! HEGALL Belinda

Joschka

HB: LOM: born:

HEGALL Tagine

10/352640 DE 09 41422868 * 07.03.2007

SPERMEX GmbH JUFAST

DE 09 13397955 JUPITER *TM

www.spermex.de Ottostraße 26 | 85521 Ottobrunn GERMANY | T. 0049 (0) 89665906-40 | F. -42 | e-Mail: info@spermex.de

US 185.302 SIMON DE 09 16669001 STRIFAST 7/7 11.025 4,45 3,71 900 HEDINA DE 09 36436564 NOFAK *TW DE 09 16604780 NORFSOVIC 9.918 3,75 3,72 741 REBECKA DE 09 34464465 HUSSLI 11.802 3,64 3,77 875 1/1 7.537 4,19 3,75 598 REBE HERRIN

RIBANA

Leider kein Bild vorhanden

Breeding values date 13.08.2013

7/7 HL: 5.

TMI 125

83%

MI 117

87%

Milk Milk kg Fat % Fat kg Protein % Protein kg

+584 +0,02 +26 +0,03 +23

Beef

FW 91

Daily net gain Carcasse perc.. EUROP trade cl.

80%

94 91 92

Fitness

FIT 117

Longevity Persistency Somatic cell count Milking speed RZR (fertility) Calving ease (p/m) Stillbirth (p/m)

109 107 122 103 -3 % 99 103

70%

103 112 100

aAa: 432516

KK: BB

✔

Index 101 102 110 111 114 97 101 96 102 102 95 103 94 111 91 96 102 104 114 100 99 96 108 101 109 96 83 94 92 107 94

trend

42 daughters 100

112

124

light small shallow shallow weak short narrow ascending in the back straight swollen weak low angles short narrow low weak deep loose staged short thin wide wide outwards add. teats

trend

heavy large deep deep strong long wide sloped in the centre sickled dry strong steep angles long wide high strong shallow tight inclined long thick close close inwards clean udder

SPERMEX - Your reliable source of top genetics for all your breeding requirements!

Payssli

JOSCHKA - Sina

HB: LOM: born:

10/435070 DE 08 13034326 * 28.08.2005

PAYOFF *TM

InSire genomic selection CRV uses a lot of genomic selection, or selects bulls and cows on the basis of markers. There is a clear relationship between the genomic breeding values of InSire bulls and the actual performance of their offspring. CRV compared the marker breeding values of heifers from the CRV breeding programme with the actual performance of these animals at a later stage in life.

Breeding values The results clearly show that the actual production of the animals, which were a minimum of 150 days into their first lactation, were, on average, corresponding well with their genomic breeding values. We also can see the same picture with regard to type data.

SPERMEX GmbH

Breeding values date 13.08.2013

98%

+573 -0,10 +16 -0,04 +17

Beef

FW 91

Daily net gain Carcasse perc.. EUROP trade cl.

FIT 118 110 112 107 106 +0 % 96 98

SPERMEX - Your reliable source of top genetics for all your breeding requirements!

Breeding values date 13.08.2013

Milk Milk kg Fat % Fat kg Protein % Protein kg

Beef Daily net gain Carcasse perc.. EUROP trade cl.

Fitness Longevity Persistency Somatic cell count Milking speed RZR (fertility) Calving ease (p/m) Stillbirth (p/m)

MI 109

99%

+451 +0,05 +23 -0,05 +12

FW 103

94%

97 105 107

FIT 122 116 107 117 97 +1 % 110 94

95%

102 104 117

✔

BLOOM

✔

Index 119 113 109 126 136 97 118 107 112 100 118 105 95 106 97 96 100 110 114 113 122 115 118 120 102 94 92 114 108 111 102

trend

193 daughters 100

112

124

light small shallow shallow weak short narrow ascending in the back straight swollen weak low angles short narrow low weak deep loose staged short thin wide wide outwards add. teats

trend

heavy large deep deep strong long wide sloped in the centre sickled dry strong steep angles long wide high strong shallow tight inclined long thick close close inwards clean udder

10/435029 DE 09 37108856 * 26.07.2003 Payssli - Prinzess US 191.184 ENSIGN ET *TA Payssli - Marylin US 184.138 SIMON PRESENT US 833.043 EMORY *TM 5/5 12.897 4,75 3,46 1059 PRISCILLA DE 09 33528328 HUSSLI DE 08 08024689 HUSUM 10.445 3,84 3,61 778 GABI www.spermex.de DE 09 10324564 PATRICK (M) 10.948 4,03 3,89 867 SPERMEX 5/4 9.573 GmbH 3,90 3,73 731 Ottostraße GRETA 26 | 85521 Ottobrunn GERMANY | T. 0049 (0) 89665906-40 | F. -42 | e-Mail: info@spermex.de

6/6

98%

109 117 111

KK: BB

HB: LOM: born:

HL: 1.

TMI 121

88%

aAa: 243165

PRONTO

GOLDFEE

Leider kein Bild vorhanden

88%

103 91 77

Fitness

aAa: 243615

KK: AB

✔

Index 90 96 112 105 101 83 99 84 84 73 93 105 108 98 102 125 101 88 100 103 116 103 105 97 92 97 101 103 102 98 99

trend

894 daughters 100

112

124

light small shallow shallow weak short narrow ascending in the back straight swollen weak low angles short narrow low weak deep loose staged short thin wide wide outwards add. teats

trend

heavy large deep deep strong long wide sloped in the centre sickled dry strong steep angles long wide high strong shallow tight inclined long thick close close inwards clean udder

SPERMEX - Your reliable source of top genetics for all your breeding requirements! Prossli - Ulena 2nd lac

SPERMEX GmbH

Prossli Ceres

Vinold www.spermex.de

Ottostraße 26 | 85521 Ottobrunn GERMANY | T. 0049 (0) 89665906-40 | F. -42 | e-Mail: info@spermex.de

COW MAN AG E ME N T

HB: LOM: born:

10/356300 DE 09 42530314 * 19.01.2008

VINOZAK *TW

DE 08 08379326 VINOS DE 09 10075535 VIGATE DORA DE 08 01470629 ZAK (W) 7/6 9.350 3,94 3,59 705 DONI DE 09 37108864 PRONTO US 191.184 ENSIGN ET *TA 9.928 4,26 3,37 757 GOLDFEE DE 09 33528328 HUSSLI 10.407 4,31 3,52 815 6/6 10.445 3,84 3,61 778 GABI

GALAXY

Leider kein Bild vorhanden

5/5 HL: 5.

aAa: 243156

KK: AB

✔ Breeding values date 13.08.2013

Milk Milk kg Fat % Fat kg Protein % Protein kg

Beef Daily net gain Carcasse perc.. EUROP trade cl.

Fitness Longevity Persistency Somatic cell count Milking speed RZR (fertility) Calving ease (p/m) Stillbirth (p/m)

VINOLD - Ulli

SPERMEX GmbH

CM08_avoncroft news.indd 51

94%

MI 112

Longevity Persistency Somatic cell count Milking speed RZR (fertility) Calving ease (p/m) Stillbirth (p/m)

DE 08 12171314 HUSSLI 10.572 4,53 3,76 876 BOUNCE 11.595 4,63 3,68 964

6/5 HL: 3.

TMI 120

Milk Milk kg Fat % Fat kg Protein % Protein kg

Prossli

US 187.668 EMORY *TM US 847.907 COLLECTION *TM *TA 13.188 4,47 3,48 1049 PATTY *TM DE 08 08024689 HUSUM US 883.900 EVEN *TM

COLL POLLY 4/4

BOUNTY

Leider kein Bild vorhanden

A list of the advantages of genomics for the cattle breeder include: • Faster genetic progress. • The reliability for production is the same as for a cow with three lactations. • Greater understanding of the health characteristics than ever before. • More targeted selection and savings in breeding costs. • Higher yields from production and/or sale of breeding cattle. • A better choice of bull is possible owing to improved understanding of the actual qualities of a cow or yearling. • Genomics provide a framework for breeding in a targeted way with regard to health, durability and fertility. For a full list of the InSire bulls call Avoncroft, for free, on 0800 7831880.

US 193.627 PRELUDE *TA

www.spermex.de Ottostraße 26 | 85521 Ottobrunn GERMANY | T. 0049 (0) 89665906-40 | F. -42 | e-Mail: info@spermex.de

TMI 125

85%

MI 129

91%

+1052 +0,03 +47 +0,01 +38

FW 114

83%

124 98 104

FIT 92 93 101 109 103 +3 % 90 84

72%

103 92 89

✔

Index 111 103 108 107 113 78 119 92 109 86 113 109 105 100 100 110 105 96 115 124 122 115 97 98 96 78 101 120 112 113 101

trend

light small shallow shallow weak short narrow ascending in the back straight swollen weak low angles short narrow low weak deep loose staged short thin wide wide outwards add. teats

50 daughters 100

112

124

trend

heavy large deep deep strong long wide sloped in the centre sickled dry strong steep angles long wide high strong shallow tight inclined long thick close close inwards clean udder

VINOLD - Olga

www.spermex.de Ottostraße 26 | 85521 Ottobrunn GERMANY | T. 0049 (0) 89665906-40 | F. -42 | e-Mail: info@spermex.de

D E CE M B E R

2 0 1 3

28-11-13 15:09

NUTRITIONAL NEWS

Silage analysis update Online Milk Manager

Managing intakes will maximise production

With more than 1,000 results of grass silage analysis now back for the 2013 season, Thompsons have a clearer picture of some of the issues facing dairy producers this winter. Averages are detailed in the table below and, although they make for interesting reading, they do hide much of what is important in terms of the messages that should be taken from this set of results. First-cut results confirm that the majority of producers ensiled reasonable quality grass, despite a very difficult spring, with satisfactory averages for both ME and crude protein. Average dry matter is relatively high at almost 29%, however one in five of this year’s first cuts are more than 35% DM. In such a situation both aerobic spoilage at the face and barrier become apparent and a little and often approach to feeding will be beneficial to intakes and minimise the likely Table 1: Comparison of more than 1,000 silage results

dry matter (%) ME (MJ/kg DM) crude protein (%)

first-cut averages

second-cut averages

28.7 10.6 12.0

27,6 10.6 12.3

impact of mycotoxins. With elevated feed rates due to the current economics of dairying it will also be important to keep a close eye on sorting of the TMR and subsequent SARA related issues. Addition of water, moist feeds or molasses will be necessary to reduce this risk in some situations. Second-cut analyses have been the disappointment of the year for many producers. Again the averages hide the real story, but with an average ME of 10.6 it could be wrongly assumed there should be no major issues. A closer look shows that 42% of this year’s second cuts are below 10.5 ME indicating that many second cuts grew for between eight and 10 weeks before being ensiled. This material is presenting a challenge in terms of driving performance, particularly for those producers feeding it for the next few months and hoping to take advantage of positive milk price. Increasing feed rate to take account of this is imperative with these forages and the current milk-to-feed-price ratio making this scenario positive this winter. Importantly these forages will require significant cereal inclusion in the complementary concentrate to drive the total fermentation of the diet and subsequent performance.

Milk manager is a confidential dairy costings service that has been offered to Thompsons’ customers for several years. More recently a monthly report has been generated, which gives producers the opportunity to compare their own performance against the robust milk manager dataset. Milk Manager is now going live and will be available online. Using a simple input method reached through the home page of Thompsons’ website, producers will enter a unique security code to access their own milk manager where they can put in their figures and automatically generate a monthly and rolling average report. For more information view the demo at www.thompson.co.uk or to be part of the milk manager dataset contact allison. matthews@thompson.co.uk.

Winter dairy fair festivities Don’t miss the annual opportunity on Thursday December 12 to join us for a cup of soup at the Danske Bank Winter Dairy Fair in the Kings Hall Pavilion 1 at stand 175. With a relaxed Christmas atmosphere, the dairy fair gives everyone the chance to discuss their herds’ performance to the Thompsons’ team including the benefits of Rumitech365, Availa 4 and the new Milk Manager data recording service. At 2.30pm the winner of our Facebook competition will be announced. This will see 25 lucky people go home with woolly hats and one will also win a £100 voucher to spend at PC World. Have a look, then ‘like and share’ at www.facebook. com/thompsonsfeedinginnovation.

For more information on products and services of John Thompson & Sons Ltd: Tel 028 9035 1321/Fax 028 9035 1420. www.thompson.co.uk COW MAN AG E ME N T

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NEW

More Than Just Heat Detection New: Nedap Smarttag Neck for Heat Detection with Eating Monitoring Increase the milk production of your entire herd and your business results with Nedap Heat Detection with Eating Monitoring. This technology provides you with timely information about animals in your herd that are in heat or have possible health problems. It will save you time and you are in control to achieve and maintain optimal production results from each animal - regardless of the size of your herd. • Highly accurate heat detection 24/7. • At least 90% detection rate. • Eating Monitoring detects possible health problems.• Detection up to 1,000 metres around the antenna. • Optional ISO identification for management applications (ISO).

Nedap Heat Detection

• Thanks to its optimised shape and weight, Smarttag stays neatly in position at the base of the neck. • More control over each animal’s production performance: fast payback-time.

Various suppliers within the dairy industry utilise Nedap’s heat detection technology. Ask your milking machine dealer or cattle improvement representative. For additional information see nedap.com/livestockmanagement

nedap.com/heatdetection

alkabupha ad 125x88

3/10/13

17:26

Page 1

“The high PROTEIN feed solution for digestive problems”

FREE

Alkalator

Vig-o-Comfort Group Calf Hutches

This unique approach to improving digestion and rumen function transforms the diet BEFORE consumption

  

A cost effective protein source NOT a supplement

Effective usage usage rates rates are cancalculated be accurately calculated from Effective directly from feed feed characteristics and Acid Load characteristics

Call FiveF on: 01200 445525 for more information and your local merchant

www.alkabupha.fivefllp.com 52

CM08_p52.indd 6

C OWM ANAGEMENT

DECEMBER

Vig-o-Comfort Group Calf Hutches Premium Quality calf hutches for 6-8 calves to 24 weeks 300cm x 240cm x 200cm– more space=better health

with optional feed rail and gate system. •Available Premium Quality calf hutches for 6-8 calves Phone Enegis Ltd on 01789 205132 or 07721442979 to 24 weeks • 300cm x 240cm x 200cm – more space = better health • Available with optional feed rail and gate system.

Phone Enegis Ltd on 01 789 205132 or 07721442979

20 1 3

28-11-13 15:40

Mycotoxin protection UltraSorb

Mycotoxin Binder Protects against the toxic effects of mycotoxins in forage and grain based rations

Minimises the impact of mycotoxins on milk production Makes harmful toxins inactive or unavailable to the animal

Improves fertility and reproductive performance

Ultrasorb - ultimate protection against the damaging effects of mycotoxins Find out more: E: info@abvista.com T: 02894 473478 W: www.abvista.com

Ultrasorb is manufactured by Micron Bio-Systems and distributed in the UK by AB Vista

Shield ad - MM version.indd 1 CM06_p04.indd 4

Âľ

B I O - S Y S T E M S

09/08/2013 13:37:08 21-08-13 12:57

C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS December 3-8: December 7: December 12:

Agribex, Brussels (Belgium) Holland Holstein Show, Zwolle (The Netherlands) Royal Ulster Winter Fair, King’s Hall Pavilions, Balmoral, Belfast (N. Ireland)

2014

Sunrise during the last grazing days of 2013 Picture: Harrie van Leeuwen

January 6-8: January 20-22: February 22March 2: March 5: March 8: July 2-3: September 17:

The Oxford Farming Conference, the Oxford University Examinations School, Oxford British Cattle Conference, Telford Golf and Spa Hotel, Shropshire SIA, Paris (France) Agro Nord Dairy Show, Aars (Denmark) Borderway UK Dairy Expo, Carlisle Livestock Event, NEC, Birmingham UK Dairy Day, Telford International Centre, Shropshire

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, Ann Hardy, 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

ADF milking...............................................50 Alta ...........................................................21 Ambic Equipment Limited ..........................40 Avoncroft/ Thompsons ................................2 Biotal .........................................................56 Birdgard.....................................................48 Boer Housing Systems Ltd, De .............15, 40 Boumatic ...................................................48 Cogent ......................................................24 Cosy Calf ...................................................44 Cow Comfort ............................................48 Cowsfeet ...................................................44 CRV...........................................................41 Dairy Management......................................6 Dairy Spares ..............................................45 DP Agri................................................19, 42 Enegis Ltd. ...........................................15, 52 Enviro Systems...........................................40 Farmacy.co.uk .............................................5 Farmplus....................................................20

FiveF..........................................................52 Fullwood ...................................................11 Healty Hooves .............................................6 Intershape .................................................20 Lallemand ..................................................49 Micron Bio-Systems ...................................53 Moore Concrete ........................................15 Nedap .......................................................52 NMR ...................................................14, 55 Platts .........................................................40 Quill Productions .......................................45 Rumenco .......................................28, 29, 39 Semex .........................................................7 Spermex ....................................................50 Spinder ......................................................20 Teemore Engineering Ltd. ..........................15 TH White...................................................30 Vaccar .......................................................20 Vervaeke .....................................................6

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

Illustrations/pictures

COMING UP

M a i z e sp ecial

Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, John Eveson (12-13, 18) and James Watkins (10).

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.

January (January 28) – We’ll start 2014 with our annual maize special. This issue also contains an article on farm safety and another about increasing the value of male dairy calves.

Printer Classic Printing Phone 01452 731539 ISSN 1570-5641

C OWM ANAGEM ENT

CM08_contacts.indd 54

DECEMBER

2 0 1 3

29-11-13 14:16

Trade in your old heat detection system and get up to ÂŁ10* per collar off in part exchange

The next generation of

mobile Heat Detection is here

By using 3D Motion Detection technology, Silent Herdsman collars take Heat Detection on to another dimension. On-board data analysis software records patterns of behaviour, giving you insights you can turn into a healthier herd and increased productivity. This is because Silent Herdsman collars can be upgraded as new alerts become available, your new Heat Detection system is well and truly future-proofed. To find out more or to arrange an on-site demonstration of how Silent Herdsman 3D technology could boost the profitability of your herd, call us now on 08447 255567

www.nmr.co.uk *terms and conditions apply speak to NMR for details

CM07_p02.indd 2

09-10-13 10:10

Every bite counts

Get more from forage

Rumen specific live yeast reduces acid loading and increases fibre digestibility, which improves feed efficiency ensuring more milk from the same forage.

Squeeze out every last drop rumen specific live yeast reduces acid loading and increases fibre digestibility, which improves forage intake ensuring more milk from forage. Why not ask BIOTAL how much extra money you can make through improved feed efficiency? Contact your local Biotal distributor or Biotal Regional Business Ask BIOTAL how much extra money you can Manager

Jayne Dandy Sam Phelps Gareth Jones make today 07884 through improved feed efficiency 07825 547 642 312 382 07866 315 684

Mike Burns 07966 513990 NW England & Yorkshire

West Midlands

Wales

delivering forage and nutrition technologies iotal co u

tel

delivering forage and nutrition technologies Biotal Ltd tel: (029) 2054 7050 www.biotal.co.uk FARMER Sept SC advert 2013.indd 1

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Cheshire, Staffs & Derbys

part of the

group

part of

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