Cowmanagement september-october 2015

V O LU M E 13 N O 6 SEP TEMB ER/O CTO BE R 2015

IN THIS ISSUE

M I L K I N G E Q U IP ME N T

FO O T C A RE

JO H N E’S DI SEASE

Focus on parlour testing and maximising liner life

Boot support is key to preventing ‘lameness’

Award-winning herd shares its control protocols

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CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Overalls off: enduro racing Roger Evans NMR Dairy Management News Vet column: teat-end damage CRV Avoncroft Breeding information ForFarmers Nutritional news/ Thompsons Nutritional News 46 Events and contacts 4 12 20 33 39 41 45

REPORT

14 Closely monitoring performance and an eye for detail are key to success for Brian Yates’ herd BREEDING

16 Selecting for fertile, efficient and ‘milky’ cows FEEDING

36 Making dry-cow management a priority/Robotics provide expansion solution

Brian Yates “We’ll keep challenging ourselves to improve efficiency” 14

Editor Rachael Porter Autumn sunshine

W

ith yet more reports of a tentative global milk price rise on the horizon, this autumn may see the financial squeeze finally loosening a little on UK units.

But, with volatility here to stay and the economic struggle far from over for many businesses, we continue our focus on packing our magazine with articles that offer tips and ideas on reducing costs, minimising losses, and increasing herd efficiency – be it through breeding, feeding or general management.

Disease is always a drain on resources – as well as cows’ health, fertility and productivity. So we’ve a timely article on how one award-winning unit is tackling Johne’s – a profit sapping disease if there ever was one – using strict but easy-tofollow protocols. Find out more on page 42 and see if it’s a model that you should adopt for your herd.

Producer health – or rather ‘lameness’ – is the topic tackled on page 8. As one of the physiotherapists we interviewed about foot care said: ‘No foot, no farmer.’

Can you really afford to be anything less than your best – or even out of action – this coming winter? Read our guide on how to care for your feet, to prevent mobility problems.

Our special focuses on milking equipment and we’ve practical and money-saving tips on maximising liner life potential, as well as an article on the benefits of dynamic milking machine testing.

Just 2% of UK units do this on an annual basis. But one leading milking machine tester explains why that figure should be much higher.

One producer who is feeling pretty high at the moment is Gareth Jones.

He’s the winner of our Rugby World Cup competition and the thrilled recipient of two tickets to see England play Wales.

Our congratulations go to Gareth, and we’d also like to thank everyone – more than 500 of you – who entered our exciting competition. There’s a photo of Gareth collecting his prize, from NMR’s Jonathan Davies, on page four.

Main article Foot care

Special Milking equipment

Cow health Johne’s disease

8

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42

Your feet – not just those of your cows – need support and plenty of TLC

We look at milking machine testing, liner lifespan, and a new parlour set up

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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An effective control plan has to be run ‘by the book’ if it’s to succeed

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C O W

TA L K

Just the ticket!

Gareth Jones has rounded off his summer by winning CowManagement’s coveted competition prize – a pair of tickets for the Rugby World Cup match, to see England take on Wales, at Twickenham on September 26.

“It’s the chance of a lifetime,” said Gareth, who helps to run Arfon Hughes’ 75-cow Friesian herd at Ffrith Isa, Llanddoged, in North Wales. “I entered the prize draw at the UK Dairy Day – although I’d seen it promoted at the Livestock Event and the Royal Welsh Show, I hadn’t got around to entering.”

Lucky for him, he popped onto the NMR stand at the Telford-based event and filled in an entry card.

Gareth will take his brother, Aleb, to the match. “It took a while to sink in that I’d won the tickets. I’ve never been to Twickenham so the chance to go and see a World Cup match there is just amazing.”

Gareth Jones (left) collects his Rugby World Cup tickets, for the England vs Wales game, from NMR’s national field manager Jonathan Davies

Robot rotary launched A fully automated robotic rotary milking parlour is now available in the UK. GEA says that the DairyProQ revolutionises the way large-scale dairies can capture efficiencies in robotic milking by reaching high throughput goals with significantly less labour, according to the manufacturer.

“This automatic system offers brings commercial dairies the efficiency of rotary parlours combined with the consistency of robotic udder prep and milking,” said the company’s Matt Daley.

Each stall unit on the rotary has its own robotic module and is designed to automate the entire milking process.

Teat-cup attachment, teat preparation (including pre-dipping, fore-stripping, and stimulation), milking and postdipping are done within the liner – all in just one single attachment.

The unit is automatically removed and back flushed between milkings, to sanitise the cluster between cows and to help to prevent the spread of mastitis.

Good year for grass silage – but an acid warning It’s been a good year for grass silage, according to Trouw Nutrition GB’s John Allen. Speaking at UK Dairy Day, he tabled results from the company’s analysis of 4,200 first-cut grass samples that showed, on average, higher dry matter content, increased energy levels and slightly lower digestible fibre compared with 2014’s results.

“The quality of this year’s first cut should lead to increased intakes and, fed ad lib,

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this should lead to an extra two litres of milk a day from forage.”

But Dr Allen warned producers that the increased sugar content and lower NDF levels this year would increase the rapidly fermentable carbohydrate content and increase the rumen acid load. “This will increase the risk of acidosis, so rations will have to be formulated carefully. Take care when selecting which energy sources to use in supplements. For example, adding ground cereals to the ration could increase acidosis risk too.”

A similar situation has been seen in this year’s second- and third-cut silages, but there is a word of caution regarding forage stability in these crops.

“Average pH in the 1,400 second-cut analyses, and in third cuts to date, has increased compared with 2014 levels.

For second cut, the average pH is 4.2.

This is not ideal and we would encourage producers to beware of secondary

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fermentation. Good clamp management will be vital this winter.”

Looking at wholecrop silage analyses, Trouw Nutrition results on 400 samples have revealed lower dry matter content and a similar nutrient value and intake potential to 2014. “The acid load is down in these silages compared with 2014, which is good news,” said Dr Allen. “This year’s wholecrop will balance well with the grass silage in terms of acid load and fibre index.”

In terms of rationing, Dr Allen encouraged producers to review their diets and to analyse silages regularly throughout the winter. “The acid load in this year’s grass silages means that rations will need finetuning. And monitoring silage quality on each farm remains vital. The range in silage quality between farms is unbelievable,” he said. “There’s still a lot of money wasted by producers who are making poor quality silages.”

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‘Cover’ your silage investment More care should be given when covering silage clamps to ensure quality forage preservation. That’s the message from Bock UK’s Will Wilson as maize silage machinery gets warmed up on dairy units across the UK. “With squeezed profit margins, efficiency in every aspect of a business is crucial and that extends to covering clamps properly,” he said.

“Silage losses from poor clamp systems or inadequate covering can be as high as 40% and, when you think of the many thousands of pounds that have been spent on growing the crop, the last thing you want to do is let it waste away in storage.”

Producers should consider different approaches to covering silage clamps that maximise silage quality and reduce losses to a minimum.

Sidewall sheets are essential for the longevity of any silage clamp. Concrete can be attacked by silage leachate, so a sidewall sheet that is at least two metres taller than the walls should be used.

This provides one metre of extra sheet under the silage in the clamp and one metre to be folded back onto the silage clamp when it is full. This also helps achieve an airtight seal at the shoulder.

A thin silage film layer against the silage

is also recommended to ensure an airtight seal. This should be thin enough to be drawn onto the silage but not so thin that it can be easily damaged.

Historically, silage film was punctured during the covering process but combined film and top sheets are now available.

Top sheets protect the film layer and complete the airtight seal. Running the top sheets over the top of the panels can divert rain away from the middle of the clamp cover and into the silage.

And covers should be weighed down with netting and gravel bags. Netting deters pests and birds, as well as adding weight to the covers. Double layers of bags around the edge of the clamp and single runs of bags across the width of the clamp every five metres, or on the cover joins, is best practice.

Clamps more than 10 metres wide should be covered left to right across the clamp. “Everyone wants to buy big cover sizes, but take into account the facilities you have on site,” adds Mr Wilson.

“Large covers can weigh up to one tonne per roll, so large sheets and wind can become a very dangerous combination.

Using more, smaller sheets may mean more overlaps, but those covering the clamp will appreciate it.”

Long-life cow Lliwe Rosette 25 crowned Lliwe Rosette 25, owned by B & V Davidson from Gretna in Scotland, was crowned the winner of the 2015 Genus ABS Long Life Cow Competition at the UK Dairy Day, held at Telford in September.

“The Long Life Cow Competition was created to celebrate cows that have made an outstanding lifetime contribution,” said Genus ABS’ Hannah Noble. “There are many attributes that contribute to a cow lasting for a long time in the herd,” she said.

“She will suit the management system, get in calf regularly across several lactations, and be a high yielder with good compositional and hygienic milk quality. And most importantly she will be profitable.

“To individual producers, the term longlife cow can have several meanings,” she added. “So the competition entry criteria were deliberately left open, allowing entrants the opportunity to describe

exactly what they believed made their cow a worthy competitor.”

Rosette was born in November 1998 and, as she approaches her eighteenth birthday, she is still going strong. She is now into her eleventh lactation and with a lifetime milk yield of 152,196kg – equating to an impressive average yield of 13,836kg – she continues to impress her owners. With her outstanding conformation and exceptionally low cell count – averaging just 76,000 cells/ml during her productive life – Rosette remains a firm favourite with the Davidson family.

“So far Rosette has produced more than 152 tonnes of milk during her lifetime, and has always got back in calf, despite having had two sets of twins and a period of ET,” said Craig Davidson, pictured with his son Adam. “I wish I could clone her because I don’t think I will ever milk a more profitable long-life cow.”

Lliwe Rosette 25, winner of the 2015 Genus ABS Long Life Cow Competition with her owner Craig Davidson and his son Adam

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Two feet – not four – but som

These boots are m Producers lavish a lot of care and attention of their cows’ hooves. But how good are they at looking after their own feet? We spoke to two physiotherapists and a boot manufacturer to find out why personal ‘hoof care’ is so vital text Rachael Porter

D

airy producers can spend a significant proportion of their working day, if not all of it, standing on concrete. And, just like their cows, this can leave them vulnerable to ‘lameness’. Depending on its severity, this can have catastrophic consequences for their dairy business. So says Gloucestershirebased physiotherapist Clare Woodward, who has 20 years of experience and comes from a farming background.

“It really is a case of ‘no foot, no farmer’,” she explains. “Standing on concrete is not what our feet were designed to do. It results in excessive pronation of the foot, meaning that the arch of the foot collapses and rolls inwards. As the feet pronate there is excessive biomechanical stress placed on the joints and soft tissues in the foot.”

She says that this can result in a number of painful conditions in the foot itself, such as bunions, corns, plantar fasciitis (a tightening of the soft tissues in the sole of the foot) and metatarsalgia (inflammation of the metatarsal joints at the front of the foot).

Correct footwear “Compensatory misalignment can then also occur throughout the rest of the musculoskeletal system, which can cause ankle, shin, knee, hip and even lower back pain.”

The good news is that, just as in dairy cows, ‘lameness’ is preventable – and it doesn’t need to involve a cattle crush and or a vet! The key focus here is wearing the correct footwear. “Producers wear Wellingtons for extremely long periods throughout the working day – not great footwear when it comes to looking after your feet as most don’t have a good, supportive foot bed. So it’s vital to invest in a good pair of boots that do – it’s important that the foot is supported. Ideally, producers should be wearing boots with a foot bed that holds the joints of the foot in a good biomechanical position,” explains Miss Woodward.

“This will optimise the position of the foot and

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Well worn: Wellingtons should be comfortable, support the arch and heel of the foot – and be waterproof!

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but some TLC is still required

e made for ‘milking’ prevent foot conditions from occurring, as well as optimising the position of the ankles, knees, hips and pelvis.”

She says that producers should take every opportunity they can to change into different footwear throughout the working day. “Something like a pair of leather dealer boots would be ideal.

Anything that’s supportive, breathable and easier to walk in.”

She says that good shock absorption is important too, again to prevent damage to the feet and lower limbs. As is good insulation. Cold feet lead to circulation problems and can result in chilblains and other ‘nasties’.

False economy “Cheap Wellingtons are typically pretty flimsy and flat in the sole. So, if nothing else, pay a bit more for your boots and look for a cushioned sole and a foot bed that supports the arch of the foot. You need something for the arch to ‘relax’ onto, that holds the foot in the correct position.

“And replace your boots when they’re worn out and your feet no longer feel supported – don’t wait to get a hole in them. It’s a false economy because if you damage your feet and require physiotherapy, you’ll spend around £45 per session. Since most conditions require quite a few sessions to sort out, the bill can run into hundreds of pounds, yet you can buy a decent pair or boots for much less than that – and save yourself a lot of money – as well as pain and hassle.”

Cornwall-base physiotherapist Torquil Dick, who is married to a dairy producer’s daughter, agrees that buying ‘economy’ boots is a recipe for trouble.

“Scrimp now and pay later applies to any footwear that’s simply not up to the job.”

His perfect boot has the all-important supportive foot bed, but also a cushioned heel, which helps to support the arch of the foot. “And I also like to see support under the big toe. A lack of support here is definitely linked to lower back pain.”

Inadequate footwear He says the starting point for any patient presenting with back pain is the feet. “We look at the footwear and the feet and work our way up.”

The number-one condition in ‘Wellington wearers’ and indeed anyone spending prolonged periods on their feet in inadequate footwear is something called ‘turf toe’, the inflammation of what’s known as the PIP joint in the big toe. “This is caused by over use, which occurs if the boots don’t fit properly – typically they’ll be too big or too wide,” he says.

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Comfort and support are vital Darren McMurran, Banbridge, Co Down.

320-cow herd, currently expanding to 500 cows, averaging 12,100 litres “Boot comfort is really important to me, particularly since I easily spend more than eight hours every day wearing them. I look for a pair of boots that give good ankle and leg support, and they’ve

got to be light – they can’t be clumsy.

And for safety reasons they have to have good tread, to offer plenty of grip.

“As one of the 2014 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup finalists, I received a complementary pair of Bekina boots and, compared with some other brands available, these tick all the boxes.”

they should be replaced as their shock absorption and support begins to diminish.

“It’s the same for Wellingtons. Buy some that put a spring in your step and, when you can’t feel that anymore, throw them away and buy a new pair.”

Producer survey

Sound investment: built for support

Plantar fasciitis – inflammation of the sole of the foot – would be next most common complaint and is the result of inadequate arch support. “So we’d recommend boots with greater support as treatment and prevention.”

Two other common conditions in boot wearers are Achilles tendonitis and policeman’s heel. The latter is an inflammation of the fat pad under the heel and the former is an inflammation of the tendon at the back of the foot, where the calf attaches to the foot.

“So make sure your boots are the correct size, they’re not too wide, and they offer support and cushioning to both the arch of the foot and the heel. Invest in some good boots and replace them when they start to wear and you feel that they no longer offer maximum foot support.

“Runners don’t wait for their trainers to fall apart before they replace them – they know that after so many miles

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A survey of more than 200 producers, carried out by Bekina Boots, during the past 12 months revealed that they spend an average nine hours per day, or more on wet days, wearing their boots. On dry days this was reduced to an average of over four hours.

And 63% of producers indicated comfort as the main factor when choosing a new pair of boots, followed by durability (22%), a non-slip sole (16%) and insulation (16%).

“So they are looking at the important factors that can protect foot health,” says the company’s Michelle Lofthouse.

“Half of the producers questioned replaced their boots at least once a year – that should ideally be a larger percentage. And leaking was the reason recorded by 82% of the respondents as to why boots were replaced, followed by worn out tread by 30%. There was no mention of comfort or foot support.”

She says that the company’s main concern is comfort and safety, with a focus on the well-being of the producer – particularly his feet.

“Our boots are made from polyurethane, which has three major characteristics that make them ideal for producers,” she explains. “It’s a flexible material,

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which makes for a comfortable and hard-wearing boot. It’s also durable and that is essential if our boots are going to offer value for money. Trails have shown that polyurethane lasts longer than PVC and rubber.

“And polyurethane is also lightweight.

Producers who wear our boots often report that their feet are less tired at the end of the day.”

Bekina boots also come with two types of insole – the standard and the ergonomic foot bed. The latter gives extra support to the heel and arch, and also offers a degree of cushioning.

Ergonomic fit The Agrilite comes with the insole and the Steplite X, which is a boot that’s also available in wider fittings, offers the more comfortable ergonomic foot bed.

“Both products – the insole and foot bed – are new and the standard insole now has three layers. The ergonomic foot bed has two layers and, thanks to the cushioning effect, it offers excellent shock absorption,” explains Ms Lofthouse.

Lab tests have also revealed that the boots offer thermal insulation in temperatures as low as –50°C, depending on the model of boot, keeping feet warm in the winter and even in extremely cold temperatures.

And the company says that producers can expect the boots to last for 12 months, when worn for eight hours a day. “This can be a longer or shorter lifespan, depending on the level of use,” says Ms Lofthouse. “So we advise customers to look out for signs that boots need replacing. Perhaps they no longer provide support or drip/anti-slip.

The sole profile is the most important criterion to consider, but too many producers still wait for their boots to start leaking – by then our boots are usually well past their best in terms of providing good arch and heel support and preventing ‘lameness’ problems.” l

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O V E R A L L S

Name: Location: Herd size: Hobby:

O F F

Neil Quinlan Cheshire 300 cows Enduro motorcycle racing

Neil Quinlan: “Once I had the bike there was no going back!”

Tracks and ‘muddy’ laps text Rachael Porter

A

n impulsive bid on eBay, six years ago, was the start of Neil Quinlan’s petrol-fuelled passion for enduro motorcycle racing. With just 15 minutes to go on the auction site, he bid £700 for an enduro motorcycle and won. “It literally got me off the starting blocks. I’d be talking about the sport with a friend, who is really into it, and had been thinking for a while about giving it a go. Once I had the bike there was no going back,” says Neil, who works as an assistant herdsman on a dairy unit in Tattenhall.

An enduro motorcycle has the deep suspension of a motocross bike combined with the features required to make it legal for any public-road portions of racing courses. Enduro is a form of motorcycle sport run on courses that are predominantly offroad and consist of many different obstacles and challenges.

“Bascially, in the races that I enter, you have two hours to do as many laps as possible. I’m still a ‘novice’, but I think I’m doing quite well at my level. I came fourth, out of 30, in one race and I was really pleased. If I can consistently get into the top three then I may look at moving into the next league – ‘sportsman’ – but there’s no rush. It’s all about enjoying myself and not winning.”

Neil had owned a motorcycle before, but never ridden off road.

“It can be very slippery on a muddy course and after five minutes you can be exhausted,” he says, adding that he will travel for up to 90 minutes to get to a race venue. “There are plenty of courses and races fairly close by, so me and my friend never have to go far to take part in a race or training day.”

He likes to race at least once a month, although he tends to get less frequently during the summer months when there’s more to do on farm. “When I find the time to go, it’s not an expensive hobby – to enter a race costs around £40 and then there’s the cost of petrol on top. But I’m not particularly mechanically minded, so if the bike does break down then I have to pay someone else to repair it.”

But he says that the adrenalin rush and the enjoyment he gets from competing is well worth every penny. “I used to play a lot of rugby. But it’s a rough game and I kept breaking my fingers and damaging myself – not great when you have to go to work because people are relying on you.

“This is still physical and there’s a bit of danger involved but so far – touch wood – I’ve not been injured. And I like the fact that I’m still learning. It’s challenging as well as exhausting.

For me, that’s the perfect way to unwind.”

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Closely monitoring performance and an eye for detail are key to success

Brian Yates A continued focus on attention to detail and improving efficiency is the game plan of ‘silver’ winning herd, with its sights set on winning ‘gold’ in the future.

Herd size: Average yield: Somatic cell count: Feed efficiency:

Castle Douglas

Always striving to improve herd performance, the runner up in this year’s NMR/RABDF Gold Cup competition now has his 227 11,707kg 108,000 cells/ml 1.63 litres/kg

A

ttention to detail paved the way to Brian Yates’, and his Castle Douglasbased team’s, success in this year’s NMR/ RABDF Gold Cup competition. His 227cow pedigree Logan herd, was runner-up and the recipient of the NMR Silver Salver when the winners were announced in July at the Livestock Show, in Birmingham.

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Silver winner with ‘gold’ standards sights on lifting the coveted trophy. We spoke to him to find out more about his plans for the next 12 months. text Rachael Porter

This is the second time that Brian has entered the herd, which is based at East Logan and managed with help from his wife Sheila, son Michael and daughter Anna, as well as herdsman Trevor Hough and general farm worker Leslie Craik, into the prestigious competition. The herd also qualified to enter in 2014.

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“We were absolutely delighted when they called out our name,” says Brian. “It was the first time we’d made the final line up – we made it into the top 20 in 2014. So we were over the moon to be runners up.”

He says that competition success has been a huge moral boost for the dairy

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staff: “It’s spurred us all on and now we want to win it. So we’re continuing to work hard to improve efficiency – we’re not going to do anything differently, but just do it better.”

Lifting the NMR Silver Salver has also raised the profile of the herd. “We were quite well known locally, but we’re now hearing from and speaking to people from right across the UK. More contacts with a wealth of dairy knowledge to share with us have to be a good thing for both our herd and our business,” adds Brian.

Feed efficiency His herd is housed all year round and fed a TMR. Average production, for the year ending September 2014, was 11,707kg at 3.97% butterfat and 3.13% protein, with 108,000 cells/ml.

Impressive yields are fuelled by the Yates’ use of the Keenan Pace system, which Brian says produces a consistent ration and also allows him to benchmark the performance of his herd. “It is monitored on a daily basis and changes can be implemented on farm and, if required, remotely,” he explains. Feed conversion efficiency stands at 1.63 litres per kilogramme of feed – the Scottish average stands at 1.34.

The herd calves all year round and its

fertility figures are also eye catching. The in-calf rate 100 days post calving stands at an impressive 65%, with just 3.6% of cows not in calf by 200 days. “We monitor activity levels, using pedometers and technology in our Westfalia parlour, to help us identify heats efficiently and we also have regular vet visits to pre-empt fertility problems and deal with any that we do get extremely quickly.”

Keeping a close watch on performance and an eye for detail aside, cow health is also key to the herd’s success and there has been recent investment in cow housing to improve both efficiency and welfare. A ventilation system has helped to create a clean and dry environment and cubicles are bedded with dry sawdust and Hydramix lime, which is less abrasive than hydrated lime.

Little tweaks “It’s the little tweaks, here and there, that make the difference. There’s rarely one thing that good health or fertility hinges on,” he says, adding that he is a great believer in the fact that things can always be improved.

The mastitis rate for the herd stands at just 10 cases per 100 cows, but he would like to see it lowered. “The cell count has been below 100,000 cells/ml

for the past 10 months and, again, we’ve worked hard at it.”

The herd is milked three times a day using a comprehensive routine that comprises dry wiping, stripping out and using a post-dip teat barrier. “We only switched to the Udder Gold barrier dip relatively recently. And we’re also using triangular-shaped liners in the parlour.

Both have helped to improve teat-end condition and, therefore, udder health.”

He’s also passionate about breeding.

Brian and son Michael enjoy showing their cattle and have had considerable success in the show ring, lifting championship trophies during the past few years “Our cows are proof that you can breed cows with show type and functionality. We’re looking for lifetime yields of at least 50,000kg of milk across five lactations and cows that live long and productive lives in a cubicle-based dairy system.”

The Yates family is now entering a period of consolidation, after investing in new facilities and a biomass boiler during the past three years. “We want to produce milk as efficiently as we can and maintain output while, at the same time, protecting the environment. And another on-going objective is to keep challenging ourselves to further improve efficiency.” l

‘Silver’ set up: the next 12 months will see Brian and his family pushing for even greater efficiency and a second chance to win gold

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B R E E D I N G

LON GE V Insight

in performance and genetic capacity

HERD

MANAGEMENT Improve by applying solutions

Plan

progress in performance and genetic capacity

HEAL TH

IENCY FIC EF

ION CT DU

Y IT

PR O

BREEDING WITH A PURPOSE

F E RTILIT Y

Every producer sets goals for his farm. These goals may differ, but the herd is always at the heart of the business. In this six-part series we set out to help you to improve your herd. Our fourth article focuses on breeding to improve fertility.

Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Production Part 3: Efficiency Part 4: Fertility Part 5: Longevity Part 6: Health

Balanced approach results in trouble-free cows with plenty of milk

Focus on fertility Breeding has a key role to play in improving herd fertility and it is possible to select for fertile, efficient and ‘milky’ cows, as one Scotland-based producer is proving. text Rachael Porter

F

ertility is something that all producers keep a close eye on, be they maintaining herd performance or looking to improve by reducing the calving interval or increasing the number of cows in calf 100 days post calving.

But how do producers know that they’re choosing the correct sires to help them focus on this breeding goal, when bull proofs offer so much information?

CRV’s Result Navigator tool has a role to play here. It allows producers to define a breeding goal and then if, for example, its efficiency they’re looking for it focuses on selecting the best bulls for fertility and all the traits that also help to achieve that – health has a key role to play here, as does calving ease.

CRV Avoncroft’s David Matthews reiterates that ‘targeted’ breeding is all about keeping it simple. “You really do

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get what you breed for, it’s as straight forward as that. And this tool, or approach, allows producers to keep whatever that may be in their sights but not at the expense of all the other vital type and production traits that are key to a cows’ long and productive life in the dairy herd Without good fertility, the road to building an efficient and profitable road is extremely long. So says Martin Wilson, who runs a 250-cow herd Broadlea Farm, Eaglesfield, near Lockerbie. He knows, first hand, just how important it is to breed for fertility and how it’s integral to longevity, efficiency and, ultimately, herd productivity and profitability.

He manages the commercial herd with help from two full-time staff, including herdsman Charlie Hannah, which is currently averaging 9,000 litres at 4.00%

C V CO EOEW W TM EMEA ALN N TA AJG GAEENM MUEEAN NRTTI SS1 EE/ PP2 TT 2 EE M 0M0BB9EE RR / 2O0 C0 T9 O B E R

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butterfat and 3.20% protein. “When I select sires for use on my herd, I want to maintain yields at around that level.

Milk is important but it’s not at the top of my list of sire selection criteria. Fertility is definitely one of my key parameters,” he says.

Recent years have seen replacement heifers bred from Dutch sires including Poos Stadel Classic Red and a few of his sons.

Longevity has been an issue in the past, particularly when, after his previous Cumbria-based herd was culled during the 2001 foot-and-mouth disease crisis, he bought in cows from other units to relocate and rebuild his herd in Lockerbie.

Restocked herd “I had better longevity with my previous herd and, after buying in stock and setting up my new herd, I struggled with longevity for quite a few years. And, again, that’s very much tied up with fertility – If you can’t get a cow back in calf and she’s not producing milk then she has to go.

“I think it took about 10 years to change the course of the herd and get it back on the track that I wanted it to be. That

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sires

fertility

current CRV Avoncroft Holstein bulls with high fertility Apina Norman Apina Health Ralma Oman CF Cricket Peak Tango Paisley Texel Beauty Debutant-Red

+13.5 +12.8 +11.8 +10.0 +9.1

current NZ Holstein Friesians with high fertility Deluca Deville Megabuck Delux

+15.7 +14.2 +13.2 +11.0

Table 1: Top fertiliy sires (UK figures, August 2015)

just shows how important it is to make informed breeding decisions and to be sure about what direction you want to take – and that you’re selecting the best possible sires to take you in that direction.

“I really upped my game with breeding after restructuring and it was a good eight or nine years before what I’d been doing really started to make an impact.

His breeding focus is on the type of the cow, rather than production. “I have totally capped cow size. Big cows are nice to look at but they don’t last. I’m looking for smaller cows with more ‘heart’ – plenty of chest width with dairy strength coupled with improved legs and feet.

That’s something we have always focused on,” says Martin, who now breeds all his own replacements.

“So tall and angular cows are a no no.

I want trouble-free cows – the kind of cows that just get on with it without too much intervention in terms of fertility and, indeed, health.”

Martin Wilson: “Breeding for fertility is very important”

He adds that, during early lactation, when the cow is freshly calved, is when milk is produced most efficiently. “Longer lactations, which are the result of poor fertility and not being able to get cows and heifers back in calf, mean that you’re often forcing them to milk – usually with expensive feed. So fertile cows, with tight calving intervals, are definitely more efficient, in my opinion.”

Continuous work The herd’s calving interval stands at 385 days and has been as low as 379 – impressive compared to the UK average of more than 400 days. “I don’t want to reduce it any further – I’m happy with that figure. And I’m also satisfied with my strong, fertile cows that are fertile, last well in the herd and also produce plenty of milk. What more could I ask for, other than more of the same?”

He admits that there’s always going to be room for improvement, but he’s happy

with his current trajectory and wants to maintain what he’s got. “It’s vital not to take your eye off the ball when selecting sires – one or two poor choices and all your hard work can begin to unravel.”

Ultimately his goal is to continue calving cows down cleanly and, in the case of heifers, at 24 months old. “We don’t want any difficulties, because that can cause fertility issues and we aim to serve cows 40 days post calving.”

Martin gets a cow back in calf for every 2.2 services. The percentage of cows back in calf 100 days after calving is 56% and by 200 days just 8% of cows are no in calf.

Management does play a role – just as it does in anything – but so does breeding.

“Work is on going. Resting on your laurels is not an option. It’s vital that we keep on top of things and that’s what we’ll do.

“It took almost a decade to get to this point, so I appreciate how important it is not to let things slip back,” he adds. l

Sexed semen With all this in mind, more red-andwhite Holstein bloodlines are being used.

Heifers are served with sexed semen, followed by a Limousin sweeper bull. And Belgian Blue semen is used on proportion of the herd to produce beef calves.

“Fertility has been an issue in the herd – as it has in many herds throughout the UK and the rest of the world. What’s key is to get cows and heifers in calf as soon as possible,” adds Martin.

“There are the two extremes – the tall, sharp and angular show cow who need special treatment to survive every lactation and then I also looked at cross breeding. But the milk yields are not as high as I’d like them to be. I like to think that by selecting for fertility and other type traits, and also avoiding sires with negative scores for milk yield, that I’m somewhere in the middle and breeding a ‘balanced’ cow.”

C O W M A N A G EC M O EWNMT A SNE AP GT E M EB N E R T / SOECP TT O EM B EBRE R2 021050 9

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The Dairy Show Stand no 53

The Dairy Show Stand no 53

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All makes, all sizes including Trioliet, Strautmann, Keenan JF, Hi Spec, Kuhn, Bvl, Etc.

Call us or visit our website for more details and photos

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• Premium quality calf hutches for 6–8 Calves up to 24 weeks • 9ft 10” x 7ft 10” x 6ft 6” (more space + better health) • Available with optional feed and gate system

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• Available in various sizes.

Call us now on 01789 205132 or 07721 442979 Elta House, Birmingham Road, Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire CV37 0AQ

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The ONLY professional dip and rinse system compatible with any cluster, any liner and any sprayable teat dip Two Year

0%

A major factor in controlling mastitis, AirWash Plus improves parlour efficiency by automatically dipping teats and flushing liners clean. AirWash Plus is the ONLY system that can be installed into ANY make or type of milking parlour, as well as ANY make and type of cluster assembly and liners. This allows farmers to choose the clusters and liners that suit their cows.

How the AirWash Plus system works 1. The cows are milked as normal. When the automatic cluster remover gives the signal that milking has finished, the AirWash Plus programme is initiated.

2. As the process begins a specially-designed Y-joint releases a measured amount of teat dip which is mixed with compressed air.

3. The compressed air propels the dip through the system towards the milking cluster where it is injected into the short milk tube. 4. The blast of air creates a fine spray of teat dip

1

2

3

Finance

inside the injector spray-nozzle situated in the short milk tube of the liner. The dip goes on while the teat is extended and evenly coats the teat end, while both the skin pores and the teat canal are still open and receptive to disinfectant and emollients. The teat has not been exposed to the environment prior to dipping.

5. After the cluster is removed from the cow it returns to the ‘park’ position and the teat cup is sanitised and rinsed repeatedly with compressed air and water. Dip residue on the inside of the liner is rinsed out and the entire liner is sanitised ready for the next cow.

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5

Call 01373 465941 or visit www.airwashplus.co.uk

Finance is subject to status and is based on the manufacturer’s recommended installed price. An initial payment of two instalments plus VAT will be payable upon signing, followed by 22 equal monthly instalments. Offer only available to UK customers. Offer may be withdrawn or varied at any time without prior notice. Terms & conditions apply. Full details available on request.

See us at the Livestock Event stand number MK 256 CM06_p19.indd CM01_p25.indd 19 38

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A

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W O R D S

F R O M

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Shropshire-based dairy producer and award-winning columnist Roger Evans shares his passion for growing and grazing root crops and his determination to produce a successful crop of kale.

Swede thieves!

A

few years ago we stopped growing maize – probably because of where we are and our height above sea level. Our crops looked OK, over the gate, but rarely came back with the energy analysis we were looking for.

Initially we moved to whole-crop cereals and these gave us the flexibility of being able to sell the grain if it was a good year for grass silage. But we’ve moved on again and now root crops are our most important crop.

We’ve got 16 hectares of fodder beet and we’ll probably feed half and sell half. We’ve got four hectares of stubble turnips that are grown as part of our ‘greening’ requirements. And we’ve got another 3.5 hectares next to a building that we will graze as well.

Grazing root crops in the winter with dry cows and in-calf heifers has become the norm for us. We’ve done it successfully in snow, heavy rain and extreme cold. We measure that success by how the cattle thrive, which they clearly do. The only limiting factor with cattle out on roots in the winter is that you don’t necessarily want to do it within sight of a road. If it’s a really wet day the cattle will huddle together and present a picture of abject misery.

But it’s not necessarily misery, it’s what cattle do, and you can go by a couple of hours later and they’ll all be grazing contentedly.

Nevertheless it’s a perception and we have to be careful of perceptions.

Fodder beet has a lot to offer. You can graze it, harvest it and cows love it. You can sell it. You don’t have to dry it. It’s got a wide harvest ‘window’ and it’s very high yielding. But growing root crops is not without its challenges.

There comes a time in a root plant’s life when it is very vulnerable.

The main problems occur very soon after there are a couple of leaves poking through. Those two leaves can be eaten by slugs or flies. They can be eaten so quickly that you wouldn’t believe it. Usually it is all down to the weather. If you get rain at the right time the plants will grow away quickly and away from the challenge. Otherwise you have to spray or use pellets.

The field of roots we grow next to a building are very important to us.

If the weather is really bad we can put the cattle in the shed and they can run outside to the roots whenever they want.

We alternate what we grow for crop health reasons. For the past two years we have tried to grow kale. For the past two years we have failed.

Each time something has eaten it. This year, on a wet Saturday morning, you could see the rows in the field. By Monday there wasn’t a kale plant to be seen. There are stubble turnips there now.

I won’t be beaten on this. I’ll try kale again next year and I’ll camp out in the field to keep an eye on it. Swedes are another option, but they have a question mark as well. Round here farmers steal swedes. Not for their stock, but for themselves! So any swedes handy to a road are fair game. One farmer gives bags of swedes away as Christmas presents. A swede needs frost to give it taste. If it’s stolen it tastes even better.

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BouMatic

« Sponsored by BouMatic »

Xcalibur 360EX rotary offers maximum efficiency and comfort Grosvenor Farms Ltd (GFL) employs more than 35 full time staff and has a multi million pound turnover. It is one of the largest farms in the UK, with 5,500 acres on the Eaton Estate. It is home to 1,400 dairy cows and 1,000 dairy heifers and produces all its own forage - 3500 acres of arable growing OSR, winter wheat and barley.

Merging 3 farms into one In 2013 it was decided to amalgamate three of its four dairy farms into one farm at Lea Manor Farm, Aldford. Today the revamped Lea Manor Farm is operational, cows are housed in two, 400 cow, four row, deep sand bedded free stalls, feeding on the outside of the building, with one further 200 cow building split between fresh calvers and close to calving cows. Protecting and enhancing the natural environment for future generations is an absolute priority to GFL management. The whole of the site has been sympathetically landscaped with hundreds of trees to minimise any visual impact. The new dairy farm boasts a 0.25mw solar pv scheme generating more electricity than it can use, the surplus being returned to the national grid.

Parlour investment The farm merger involved an investment in a new milking parlour with the key objective to produce highly nutritious milk by employing the highest standards of animal husbandry. When talking to dairy manager David Craven, you immediately notice his high focus on animal welfare and comfort in all its aspects. The BouMatic milking philosophy for quick yet gentle and complete milking of cows was right in line with David’s own milking performance requirements. After spending time researching different systems on offer, he opted for a BouMatic Xcalibur 360EX rotary parlour because he believes it offered the most efficient and sympathetic way to milk cows. “After visiting many other farms, we decided to go for this BouMatic Xcalibur rotary because it just met all of our requirements. We were looking for a reliable, tough parlour that was capable of milking a large herd, combined with improved cow comfort and operator efficiency.”

Improved cow comfort The BouMatic Xcalibur parlour with 60 milking points was installed by BouMatic’s official dealer Elite Milking Systems in 2014. This external rotary milking system is especially ruggedly built for continuous, around-the-clock milking and it is precision engineered to deliver unrivalled throughput and maximum efficiency. The low profile, cow-friendly platform eliminates an intimidating maze of pipes. “Cows are positioned safely on the platform and the rubberised floor ensures sure footing for the cows,” says manager David Craven. “We noticed that the cows enter and exit smoothly onto the platform,

improving their overall comfort during milking and that was exactly what we were looking for. We now milk 960 Holstein cows, three times a day in this milking parlour. Our cows are definitely more content, so they let down milk easier.”

Adjustable Handy Floor The Xcalibur parlour is also equipped with an adjustable Handy Floor, which can be lowered or raised according to the operator’s height and preferences.

“Thanks to the Handy Floor we have an ultimate access to our cow’s udders.

Moreover it is slightly resilient which reduces the strain of the leg muscles considerably.”

Detecting lameness accurately The new parlour also features a StepMetrix lameness detection system, which identifies and monitors automatically the soundness or lameness of every cow in the herd, typically detecting problems before visual symptoms become apparent. StepMetrix is many times more accurate than human observation could ever hope to be. The cows simply walk across the Step Sensor platform after each milking. The SMX Score Controller identifies each cow and analyses the force and duration of her steps. The result is a numeric value expressed as an SMX score for each hind leg that is automatically transmitted to the farmer’s PC. SMX scores are used to identify and track lameness on individual cows, groups of cows or the whole herd; track lameness relative to nutrition, treatment efficacy and lameness-prevention procedures; and, for a host of other useful herd management purposes.

Furthermore the Lea Manor Farm is equipped with a StepGuardian fully automatic, computer-controlled hoof bath system that eliminates time spent cleaning, filling, refilling and emptying the hoof bath. It reduces chemical waste by having a precise metering system to dispense the chemicals into the mixing chamber and it can be controlled remotely from a PC. “We were able to reduce our chemical waste remarkably and gain a lot of time with this StepGuardian hoofbath,” explains David. “We currently supply some 38,000 litres of fresh milk daily on a Tesco’s contract, through Muller-Wisemans. This exciting new dairy unit is an important step forward in improving all aspects of business.”

Contact Peter Wooldridge on 07595 718592

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M I L K I N G

E Q U I P M E N T

S PE C I A L

Testing, testing: ‘static’ and ‘dynamic’ checks are vital for good parlour performance. Page 24 New parlour: set up improves both milking management and herd efficiency. Page 26 Long-life liners: pointers to make sure you get the maximum number of milkings. Page 28 What’s new? We highlight some of the latest milking innovations. Page 31

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M I L K I N G

E Q U I P M E N T

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Dynamic ‘wet’ or ‘on-load’ parlour testing is key to optimising milking

Testing, testing... one, two, three

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The cows, the parlour and the milking routine should all be scrutinised if a thorough plant check up – with useful results – is to be successfully carried out. So says one of the UK’s most experienced milking machine testers. text Rachael Porter

S

tatic parlour testing is carried out on 98% of UK dairy units each year, yet just 2% currently also have an annual dynamic test. Yet it’s the latter that really tells you if cows are being milked properly and the parlour is truly functioning as it should, according to Genus milking systems technical manager Mark Scrivens.

“The reason that the percentage of units carrying out an annual static test is so high is because all milking machines must have one each year to meet farm assurance criteria. Most schemes also advocate dynamic testing – and with good reason – but it’s not compulsory at the moment. That said, I think it will become mandatory in the next two or three years.”

Mr Scrivens, who has been a milking machine tester for more than 30 years, likens the static test to a MOT on a car: “It’s a requirement, by law, to make sure that the car is safe to drive on the road.

And the static parlour test will, indeed, test the safety of the parlour and ensure that all its component parts are in working order. But it won’t tell you if it functions well at milking time.”

Milk-let-down reflex The dynamic ‘wet’ or ‘on-load’ test looks at every aspect of milking, through to washing out. It looks at the cows, the operators, the routine and the machine itself. “The machine can be perfect in the static test, but the dynamic test can show up all kinds of problems due to ‘operator error’ or an inadequate milking routine. Likewise, the machine can be in a poor state, but the dynamic test will highlight that the operators and the routine are extremely good,” says Mr Scrivens.

He adds that a dynamic test really does highlight everything that’s going on and can allow producers to identify milking ‘weaknesses’.

“A classic example is operators stripping, wiping and then leaving cows for too long before attaching the clusters – that happens when they try to tackle a long

row of cows in the parlour, rather than the recommended five or six at a time.

“By the time they reach the cow at the end of the row, the optimal time to attach clusters has passed. The milk-letdown reflex has been and gone. Attaching the cluster at that point puts a lot of strain on the udders and teat ends.”

Udder health Problems with ‘over milking’ can also occur if, again, the rows of cows being attended are too long for the operator to manage in a timely fashion.

“Maybe there are no ACRs or perhaps they are set incorrectly, which is more often the case,” says Mr Scrivens. “They either come off too early or too late and this is something that a dynamic test will pick up.”

The test literally examines what the cow experiences in the parlour and, for that reason, it’s as important as the static test – some would argue that it’s more important.

“When average milk yields were lower – say 20 years ago – dynamic testing would have been less relevant on many dairy units. But as milk yields, and the pressure on the parlour and the operator and the cow, have increased, the focus has definitely changed.

“Dynamic testing can help to safeguard teat-end condition and udder health.

And if producers have a problem with either, the test can help them to identify what’s causing it.”

Mr Scrivens says that during the past 30 years he has never carried out a dynamic milking test that hasn’t flagged up at least one thing that requires attention.

“And in some ways that’s a good thing, because it means that the test has been worthwhile and the producer can make changes and improvements.”

Back to the ideal routine, he says that prepping a maximum of six cows at a time is vital. “Prepping too many cows in one go is the most common ‘fail’ we see. Oxytocin release, which facilitates milk let down, persists for 90 seconds after prepping. So the operator literally

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has 90 seconds to put the milking unit on. “Any longer and the oxytocin release has finished and milk won’t flow easily.”

And as for ACRs, Mr Scrivens says that many in the UK are designed to detach when milk flow is lower than 200ml per minute. “The problem is that, with modern Holsteins, that levels needs to be around 400ml per minute, to avoid over milking. Many parlours are set too low and are dragging milk out of the udder. Leaving clusters on for too long can cause serious teat-end damage and this can leave the cow prone to mastitis infection and push up her somatic cell count.

“Just an extra 30 seconds has the potential to cause problems. If you think of it as one minute a day, during a 305-lactation, that’s 300 minutes of ‘dry’ milking the cow.”

He says that he’s seen parlours where the delay on the ACR is as much as five or six minutes. “And, when questioned about it, the producers just say ‘they were installed like that’.”

With so much attention to detail, the £300 or so spent for a dynamic milk test can be a great way for producers to check their parlour and routine is up to scratch. An in depth, unbiased report can aid trouble shooting and it’s a great way to get milking staff motivated and on board.

Recommendation report “It’s not about pointing the finger of blame – more often than not the operators are absolved and actually proven to be extremely good at their job. And when we write up a report, post test, we make recommendations that are clear and easy to understand.

We can also offer advice on how to implement any necessary changes,” adds Mr Scrivens.

The price of dynamic testing is fixed at around £300, no matter what the parlour size. But the benefits to be had are often the same, no matter what the size and type of milking system in place.

“And just preventing a handful of mastitis cases or preventing teat-end damage will soon see a return on the annual investment of £300.

“So it’s a cost that is easy to justify, even in these difficult financial times. In fact, producers run the risk of huge losses if their milking plant isn’t working or being operated correctly. When it comes to dynamic testing, I think it’s more a case of can you afford not to.” l

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Data capture and interpretation are key to herd improvements

Digging down into detail Investment in a ‘bells and whistles’ milking parlour upgrade, to aid health, fertility and performance monitoring, has seen one Wiltshire-based herd improve not only milk yields, but also calving index, udder health and overall efficiency. text Ray Meadon

V

olatile cereal prices and constant milk-price pressure have made it imperative for Becci Berry, from Brimstone Farm near Swindon in Wiltshire, to closely analyse all aspects of her mixed business in order to cut costs and improve efficiencies.

At the same time, investments in the dairy enterprise’s milking infrastructure and the adoption of a team approach to herd management have helped to make strides in fertility detection and mastitis control.

Becci farms a total of 365 hectares,

in a family partnership, where she runs a 180-cow dairy herd alongside the farm’s arable enterprise. The herd is currently averaging 8,800 litres and is milked twice a day through the unit’s 16:16 Fullwood parlour.

The 32-degree herringbone plant was originally installed in the 1970s, but has been updated at various stages, turning it from a receiver jar to direct-to-line plant. Fullwood’s AugerMaster in-parlour feeders have also been added.

Subsequent plans to improve the layout and functionality of the milking facilities

were being drawn up when Becci’s late husband, Richard, was diagnosed with cancer. Following his death in February 2011, Becci completed a number of the planned improvements with the help and guidance of local dairy engineers, MMT Services. The first of these projects was to install ACRs and cluster flushers.

At the same time, both rump rails were moved by a couple of inches to accommodate larger cows, and improvements were made to the parlour building for easier cow flow at the parlour exit.

‘Growing’ herd: housing has also been altered to accommodate larger cows

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Becci Berry: “Technology allows us to capture – and utilise – key data”

conversion efficiencies,” Becci explains.

“So we invested in a number of key technologies that would allow us, and the wider herd management team, to capture a number of key performance indicators.

“The pedometers act as an extra set of eyes and work in conjunction with the Afi-lite meters and Crystal software to flag up any unusually high activity levels and inform the milking operator where each cow is in her lactation. With that data easily to hand it is possible to make an educated assessment of the cow in question to determine if the high activity warrants any follow up treatment.”

Invaluable asset

In 2012, more improvements were made, with the parlour’s basic milk meters replaced with higher specification Afi-lite units, to give the operator full control of the milking process. The new meters not only record milk quantity, but also provide real-time electrical conductivity readings – an early indicator of mastitis – and allow the operator to access individual cow information during milking and to control pulsation for improved milk let-down stimulation.

The herd office was also updated, with the farm computer linked to the parlour and equipped with Fullwood’s Crystal herd management software. The cows were also fitted with Fullwood activity monitoring pedometers, which double as individual animal identification tags.

Individual performance “We had been milk recording, using NMR, once a month for a number of years. But wanted to get a clearer idea of how each individual cow was performing and remove some of the guesswork involved in measuring and managing the herd’s overall yield, fertility and feed

At the same time as the latest set of parlour updates, Becci also recruited a new herdsman, Mark Boylan. “Those couple of years were really difficult both personally and professionally,” Becci continues. “But Mark proved to be an invaluable asset and has worked hard to ensure the herd is managed as effectively as possible. He uses Crystal in conjunction with the Afi-lite meters to monitor conductivity during each milking and uses a California Milk Test to confirm any suspected cases of mastitis and administers treatment before clinical symptoms set in.

“We’re now getting half the number of chronic cases and hardly any repeat cases. As a result our average cell count has fallen from 300,000 cells/ml to 115,000 cells/ml and our vet bill has been more manageable.”

The new technology also makes managing the cows less stressful and less time consuming. “We can alter a cow’s feed profile and not worry about when it needs to be reset to a different level,” Becci adds. “The system is fully computerised, easy for us to interrogate, and takes a lot of the guesswork out of the job. We are producing milk more efficiently as a result.”

Table 1: KPIs for Brimstone Farm in 2012 and 2015

Key Performance Indicator percentage of cows pregnant after 100 day calving first service interval (days) calving index (days) percentage of cows eligible for service actually served percentage of cows eligible for service conceived percentage of service intervals 18-24 days percentage of service intervals >50 days

2012

2015

27 84 435 39 12 23 40

50 60 396 70 22 44 13

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Becci and Mark, and the wider herd management team, are working hard to prevent mastitis, improving fertility and maximise production efficiencies.

Early warning In order to achieve these goals, the unit is part of the Drove Veterinary Practice’s Dairy Early Warning (DEW) Club.

Each month, Alex McPherson produces a detailed report based on 30 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to build an overview of cow health and performance.

The report also highlights where the wider farm team can make improvements in order to reduce vet bills and improve herd performance.

Since joining the Dew Club in 2012, changes made by the team have resulted in some impressive improvements (see Table 1). For example, the percentage of cows pregnant after 100 days has risen from 27% to 50%, while the herd’s calving index has fallen from 435 days to 396 days.

“We knew from an early stage that we needed to improve fertility levels,” Becci explains. “And that’s as much about the health, welfare and nutrition of the cows as it is about having the right equipment in place to detect heats through activity monitoring. It wasn’t simply a case of fitting and forgetting the pedometers,” she continues.

“To make a real difference we’ve had to look at the data in detail and work as a team to interpret what the information was telling us and to fine tune each cow’s management parameters accordingly.”

Part of the reason for installing the Crystal software was to enable different groups of cows to receive different feed rations.

“As well as allowing us to observe and analyse each cow’s performance, it also lets us micro-manage the concentrate ration of any cows struggling to conceive,” Becci says.

The herd is still NMR milk recorded once a month, because it helps to generate even more data from which the team can make key herd management decisions.

They also keep a Bray board up-to-date in the farm office as it provides an easy and quick-to-view visual aid of the herd’s daily fertility status.

“They’re proven management tools so we see no reason to stop using them alongside the more modern systems. It all comes back to our philosophy of using and interpreting the data available to make more informed decisions on a day-to-day basis,” says Becci. l

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Liner life-saving advice to reduce wear and tear

Maximise your milkings Preserving the life of your milking liners can not only safeguard teat-end condition and udder health, but it can also save money in the longer term. We spoke to a milking technology specialist to find out more. text Rachael Porter

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ubber milking liners, manufactured using European compounds, should be expected last for 2,500 individual milkings. The key word here is ‘should’.

The reality is that some parlours have liners that are not achieving their life expectancy, and producers are then faced with the possibility of teat-end damage, and/or other udder health and milk hygiene problems, or changing their liners before their expected duration.

So says Dairy Spares’ Tim Evanson, who is eager to share some liner life-saving advice in these ‘austere’ times.

“With milk price still low, can you really afford not to check that you’re maximising your chances of liners lasting for as long as the manufacturer states that they will?” he asks.

He adds that new compounds, like TimePro, extend liner life by 20% – to 3,000 milkings – and silicone liners hope to achieve 5,000, but are proportionally more expensive.

Whatever material they are made from, and how ever long the expected life span, there are many factors that can cut this short and most, if not all, are within producers’ control. “If you know what could be contributing to liner degradation or damage on your unit, then at least you can try to do something about it,” says Mr Evanson.

Chemical attack Top of his list are dairy chemicals and particularly their correct use. These are designed by the manufacturers to work at specified dosage rates and temperatures and to optimise liner life it is important to follow these recommendations accurately. “If you do

not have an automatic plant then make sure that you measure the wash chemical accurately and add it to the correct volume of water.

“And avoid adding it to the wash water as it is being sucked into the pick up this could then go round as a big slug in a much higher concentration and not evenly dispersed throughout the wash. It is common for sodium hypochlorite to be used as part of the final rinse, as a chlorine-based disinfectant.

“This product is generally less expensive compared to other chemicals and, when dosed manually, can tend to be used more liberally and with less accuracy.”

Life expectancy “But chemicals used in excess could damage the structural integrity of liner surface and reduce its life expectancy.

This can be seen as black coming off the internal surface of the rubber liners or rubber tubing. And any liners that we receive for inspection that have a strong chemical smell will automatically raise alarm bells.”

Mr Evanson urges producers with automatic systems to make sure they are calibrated correctly.

“Check the chemical you use too – particularly if you’re switching brands.

Different strength products will require a different dose rate. It’s vital to measure chemicals carefully and make sure they are added to the correct volume and temperature of water – and mixed well before circulation. And, if you have ‘washing’ issues, don’t automatically think that more chemical is better.”

Next on Mr Evanson’s ‘hit list’ is jetters, or rather leaving the liner attached to

Tim Evanson: “Several factors can shorten the expected lifespan of liners”

the jetters in between milkings. “And by this I mean both the cups and the internal jetter,” he explains.

If they’re not removed they may stretch and deform the mouth of the liner and in some instances it can look as if the liner is twisted and misshapen. “The key thing to remember here is to remove them as soon as possible and certainly don’t leave them on overnight or all day between milkings.”

Shell size in relation to the liners is also important. “If you change your liner type or shape, always ask your dairy engineer if you have the correct sized liner for your shells. We insist on checking this information and always supply a set for free when producers are trying different liners for the first time.

This is a way to make sure they fit and wash properly and it also ensures that the producer is happy with the way they work in their milking set up.

“It’s important to remember that producers are paid on milk hygiene and not just quantity. So liners not only have to milk well, but they also have to

Left: Sharp edges on the nipple of the claw can result in a smile-shaped cut inside the short milk tube Middle: An example of a sharp milk claw nipple, typically the result of impact damage Right: Leaving jetters attached to liners between milkings can deform the mouth of the liner

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Liner limitations: if you know what’s contributing to liner damage on your unit, you can tackle it

wash well too – that’s just as vital.”

He explains that if liners don’t fit the jetters properly then they won’t wash well and it will eventually affect the liner performance and durability.

“Shells have to be in good condition too. Damaged and misshapen shells can limit the life of the liner.

“So it’s well worth checking the size and condition of your shells – and that you buy liners that fit them correctly. If not, they may not perform correctly and it’s a waste of money and time spent fitting them.

To get the maximum life from your liners, they need to be the right spec for your shells and claw nipples.”

Sharp edges Claws with sharp edges, usually from age, impact and being trodden on, will also shorten the life of liners.

“This can cut a semi-circle into the inside of the liner’s short-milk tube, which eventually punctures in a small outer hole. If you look at the inside of the liner short-milk tube, you’ll see a cut like a smile and it’s

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important, when you change a liner due to this sort of damage, that you check the nipple of the claw for sharp edges.

“If you don’t and you fail to remedy it, the new liner will simply be cut in the same way.

“It’s also worth running your thumb – carefully – over the edge of the milk nipples, both outside and inside, as sometimes the inside is sharper than the outside,” he adds.

Split liners Mr Evanson says that the diameter of the milk nipple can also be overlooked.

They tend to be three different sizes, some are square ended and some are chamfered. “So if you buy new claws and think you’d like to use the same type of liner that you used before, make sure that the nipple on the new cluster nipples suit the design and milk-tube size on the liners.

“It needs to stretch a little, to form a seal.

But if it’s over stretched then the rubber can be more prone to impact damage.”

Impact damage and sharp nipples can split liners milk tubes. And once split they have to be replaced – no matter how

SEPTEMBER/O CT O B E R

new they are. “You can see what’s caused it to split. If it’s a sharp nipple then that needs to be addressed. “Impact damage can be limited by reducing stress in the parlour, which may cause the cow to kick. In the autumn, flies can be a problem in the parlour. Improved fly control will improve cow and parlour operator comfort, as well help preserve your clusters and liners.”

His final piece of advice is to change all the liners in the parlour at the same time. Gradual or phase replacement is a definite no no, because it’s easy to lose track of exactly what has been changed and when. Don’t mix old with new.

“You can drive a car with bald tyres, but you’re taking a risk. It’s the same with milking liners. Failing to replace them when they’re worn and/or past their life expectancy means that you risk, among other things, teat-end damage, udder health and, ultimately, a reduction in productivity and efficiency,” says Mr Evanson.

“With the current focus on reducing costs, can you really afford that risk – particularly when you can take steps to avoid it?” l

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Laundering udder cloths and an innovative cluster design

Health and efficiency We take a closer a look at a couple of the latest milking parlour innovations, which the designers and manufacturers promise will improve cow health and herd performance. text Rachael Porter

Easy on the environment – and your pocket A washing machine has been launched that’s specifically designed for laundering microfiber udder cloths.

Having forged a strategic partnership with Sealed Air, the company behind Deosan, Electrolux, has developed and is now supplying a machine that can

efficiently disinfect reusable teat cloths, on a daily basis.

“By combining the benefits of the thermal disinfection programme on our industry-leading range of washing machines with Deosan’s microfibre cloths, producers can save money and minimise their environmental impact without compromising hygiene,” said the company’s Kurt Fryer.

He added that Deosan microfibre cloths, combined with a pre-treatment foam before being thermally disinfected in an Electrolux machine, could replace disposable paper towels and prompt significant savings on both the cloths themselves and waste disposal.

“Electrolux’s range of front-load washers could meet the laundry

demands of dairy units, no matter how large or small.”

With capacities ranging from 6kg to 28kg, the range of machines offers a balance between economy, wash performance and time, as well as a large door opening, easy-to-use interface, and low noise and vibration levels.

“UK producers are continually under pressure to find ways to increase their margins, particularly at the moment when milk prices are so low. By replacing disposable paper towels with reusable microfibre cloths, we believe that they can make significant cost savings through both reducing their waste, while increasing their yield and ensuring fewer cases of mastitis,” added Mr Fryer.

Light-weight cluster designed ‘for the modern cow’ A cluster, which the manufacturer claims has been designed with the modern cow in mind, has been launched by Milkrite.

The Impulse Claw 300 has a lightweight and ergonomic design, which not only makes the claw easier for the operator to handle but also reduces the overall weight of the cluster and improves cow comfort.

The cluster is made from a combination of quality components and made out of high quality material, including the market-leading Radel PPSU, which makes it extremely durable and gives it a long working life, according to the company.

It has been designed to be more compatible with the narrow rear teats

and strong udder cleft of today’s cows.

So the claw has ideally spaced nipples for optimal cluster positioning. The modular design also allows for milking in all parlour types, including milking through the rear legs as well as milking down the body of the animal, by rotating the claw lid 180°.

There will be many variations of the claw released, including with and without shut off, back flush options and a variety of ACR brackets available.

This flexible design means the claw has the ability to suit a variety of parlour types.

The claw, which will be available from November 2015, will also integrate Milkrite’s Impulse Air liner, which is a patented triangular mouthpiece

vented liner that the company says is proven to reduce mastitis, lower somatic cell count and improve teat condition.

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

July record breakers

Better dry cow decisions from new report A new Selective Dry Cow report introduced by NML (National Milk Laboratories) will help producers and their vets decide whether a herd should consider selective dry cow therapy.

“We have developed the report, that uses the herd’s bulk milk test results and, for NMR recorded herds, individual cow data, to provide a herd overview on dry cow management,” says NML director Ben Bartlett.

“There is increasing pressure to move away from the widespread use of antibiotics as a prophylactic treatment at drying off. Milk buyers are already focussing on this with Arla’s Arlagården quality assurance scheme requiring its suppliers to take a responsible approach to antibiotic use in the dry period. Other milk buyers are also focussing on this.”

NML’s Selective Dry Cow report identifies whether a herd is in a position to start using selective dry cow therapy. It is based on the evidence provided in the cow’s routine somatic cell count (SCC) test results, the herd bulk milk reports

NMR-recorded cows that achieved 100 tonnes in July 2015 have been ranked on their lifetime daily yield.

A full list is on the NMR website but here are the top three: 1. Cow 611 yielded 104,927kg in six lactations and has an LDY of 32.21kg/day. From T N Beeston and Sons, Shropshire.

2. Hemsington Shottle Hawthorn yielded 113,025kg of milk in eight lactations and has an LDY of 30.7kg/day. Maurice Cock, Devon.

3. Grosvenor P Wizard has an LDY of 30.41kg/day and yielded 106,846kg in eight lactations. From Grosvenor Farms, Cheshire.

and the mastitis pathogens identified in the herd’s milk from quarterly PCR bulk milk sample testing carried out by NML. Vet, and owner of UdderWise Global Mastitis Solutions, Peter Edmondson encourages producers and vets to carry out a full assessment of the herd before going down the selective dry cow therapy route. “This will involve looking at herd and individual cow cell count results, clinical mastitis data, bacteriology results from high cell count cows, and clinical mastitis cases, as well as an overview of mastitis management,” he says.

“Data is crucial and the NML Selective Dry Cow report will be of great assistance.

Once a detailed assessment has been made the vet can advise on suitability for selective dry cow therapy and how this is best managed and monitored on farm.”

The Selective Dry Cow report is available to all producers, whether milk recording with NMR or not, and costs £80 per year plus VAT. This includes quarterly bulk milk PCR tests.

Reports will be available to producers and nominated vets through NMR’s webbased Herd Companion service.

New look for www.nmr.co.uk A new NMR website goes live in October. A clear format and easy-tonavigate site, users will be able to find their way to the information on any device including smartphones and tablets.

Features to look out for are ‘My NMR’, which gives quick links to essential everyday information, and links to NMR social media, which has up-to-the-minute news on products, services and related industry news.

More vet support for NML

Eamon Watson

Eamon Watson MRCVS has joined NML as a veterinary adviser. He worked on a dairy farm and studied

at Sparsholt College, in Hampshire, before heading to Liverpool to study Veterinary Science.

Following graduation, Eamon worked in a mixed practice and then a specialist farm animal practice in Somerset, before heading back to the lab at Winchester as a veterinary investigation officer. There he carried out post mortem examinations on farm livestock, on-farm disease investigations and reported laboratory results to private vets.

Eamon has a master’s degree in the control of infectious diseases in animals.

His most recent experience has been in the epidemiology unit at Weybridge, working on antimicrobial resistance on dairy farms, surveillance for new and emerging diseases and bovine TB in Wales.

He joins the NML veterinary team, which offers technical support to the company’s health and disease testing services.

His experience will be particularly valuable on laboratory diagnostics and herd health, including Johne’s and BVD control, milk hygiene and testing for mastitis pathogens.

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

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F E E D I N G

Robots free up labour and allow business to grow

Robotics provide expansion solution A robotic milking system has proved to be the perfect replacement for an out-dated, labour-intensive conventional parlour and, coupled with the right nutrition, it’s allowing one Leicestershire-based dairy herd to push up cow numbers. text Lauren Chambers

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obots have proved to be a lifeline for the Collishaw family’s dairy business. The family partnership, comprising John, wife Molly and son Edward, installed three Merlin robots in 2011 at their unit, based at Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, and the business has been expanding ever since.

Parlour ‘bottleneck’ Prior to putting in the robots the unit followed a traditional system, with cows grazed outside in the summer, housed in the winter and milked twice a day. Yields were good, with the Holstein Friesian herd averaging 8,000 litres, but with the

milking herd numbering 150 head, the unit’s parlour was becoming a bottleneck and prohibiting any further expansion.

“The parlour was old and worn out,” explains Edward. “It was originally designed for 100 cows, which was making milking incredibly slow and causing issues for the number of cows we were putting through it. The parlour needed significant investment to meet the needs of our current herd, and to allow for future growth.”

The family was also facing challenges concerning labour. With John and Molly looking towards a time when they wouldn’t want to milk every day, and it

Robotic milking: cows each average 2.7 visits to be milked every day

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being too big a job for Edward alone, the family used relief milkers for a while.

However, they struggled to find people with the right experience in the local area, and felt they weren’t in control when they had to rely on temporary staff to look after the herd.

Everything was pointing the family towards investing in robots. “Robots had always been of interest to us, right from their introduction,” says Edward.

“However, like many producers, we weren’t confident to jump in and invest in them straight away. Instead we took our time and waited to see how they worked on other units before deciding that, in order to move the business forward, we had to take action. Robots seemed to be the best solution.”

The business was one of the first in the area to install robots, initially putting in three units, with a fourth coming on line in July this year in time for summercalving heifers. “The robots have freed up more time for us to spend managing the cows,” explains Edward. “The time we would have spent in the parlour is now spent monitoring the health, welfare and performance of our cows.”

New routine Edward’s new daily routine is straightforward. The milking units require only basic visual checks each day, such as looking for leaks and checking that all pipework is connected, as well as a quick milk filter change.

Edward then uses the unit’s computer Cosy calves: heifers calve at 24 months old

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Edward Collishaw: “Our ambition is to achieve a 10,000-litre average”

system to see if any cows are running late for milking and, if so, gets them to the machine. At the moment cows are averaging 2.7 visits to the robot per day and this is increasing. Heifers average three visits per day.

“Pre robots, we were seeing 8,000 litres per cow, with the introduction of the robots this quickly increased to 8,500 litres and this is rising all the time. Our ambition is to get closer to achieving 10,000 litres but we appreciate that this will take time,” says Edward.

Clearly set on the level of production he wants to see, getting cow nutrition right has been an important part of the jigsaw.

“We have found that if the cows have got the potential to give the milk, the machine will give it to you. So getting the diet right is essential,” he says. And, working closely with ForFarmers’ feed advisors Keith Colley and Andrew Torrens, Edward has found a diet that is working well.

“Initially we did face some challenges

when trying to get the ration right.

Switching to a new crop of maize silage with higher starch content did upset the cows a little, with the animals showing signs of acidosis, including cud balls.”

So, on the recommendation of his feed advisors, Edward introduced Rumibuff, a lactic acid buffering product, to the diet and this immediately had an impact.

He now keeps it in the diet to help keep things balanced, particularly during the transition to different silage cuts to minimise the risk of rumen acidosis and stabilise rumen pH. Currently the cows are on a base ration that provides maintenance plus 24 litres.

Individuals are then fed, to yield, via the robots with ForFarmers RH-1 18 dairy compound. This contains a unique concept called RumiGuard, which works together with Rumibuff fed in the feeder wagon. This nutritional approach helps to optimise rumen health and support the cow’s immune system for the many challenges she faces.

Optimum yield The ration has been designed to get the most out of the robots and to ensure that the cows visit the robot regularly enough to achieve their optimum yield.

It is also designed to ensure that the cows peak for longer and sustain that yield without putting fertility at risk.

“The diet is nice and settled,” explains Edward. “The robots flag up early signs of acidosis and ketosis, but we aren’t having any issues now. We don’t have

Collishaw’s milking herd ration • 18kg grass silage • 8kg maize silage • 8kg brewer’s grains • 1kg rolled wheat • 1kg lucerne hay • 1kg Nutrimaize 28 • 3kg bespoke ForFarmers blend • 0.05kg Rumibuff

any cud balls and dung consistency is good, so we are happy that the diet is consistent and working well.”

Milk quality is good, with butterfats averaging 3.87% in the summer and 4.00% in the winter. Protein is 3.40% and, because the family’s milk is supplied to local Stilton cheese makers Long Clawson, good protein content is essential for efficiency in the cheese vats.

Fertility is also good at the unit. Heifers calve at 24 months old and the family rears its own replacements, with some additional heifers bought in to facilitate herd expansion. The unit uses sexed semen, with a Hereford sweeper bull used for anything that is missed.

“We’re really pleased with the robotic units,” says Edward. “Some of the cows have taken longer to adjust to the robots than others, but they are now milking well, and we are moving closer to our 10,000-litre target.” l

Balanced ration: the herd’s diet is carefully formulated to maximise milk yield

C O W M A N A GC EOMWE M N T A NS AE G P T E M E M E N B ET R S/ EOPCTTEOMBBEERR 22001059

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F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A RY

R O B

P R A C T I C E

D RY S D A L E

West Sussex-based dairy vet, Rob Drysdale, looks at a common, but preventable, teat-end condition and offers some tips and pointers for spotting and treating it.

Dynamic testing is key to prevention and ‘cure’

Teat-end damage T

eat-end conditions are not only potentially painful for the cow, but they also leave her more prone to mastitis infection and threaten milk quality. Somatic cell counts can start to creep up in a herd with cows that are affected by hyperkeratosis, as can the incidence of environmental mastitis – particularly those caused by Coliforms.

Thought to be more common in during the winter and in high yielding herds, hyperkeratosis has been linked to extended exposure to vacuum, particularly under low flow rates. Keratin formation is a normal physiological response to the forces seen at the teat end during milking. But excess keratin is a sign that the teat end is being damaged during the milking process. I find it best to grade each teat end from zero (perfectly healthy), grade one (see photo), through to three (very roughened and cracking) then to ‘extreme’, which is when prolapse of the sphincter can be seen.

I rarely see bad cases – the problem is usually picked up when cows have grade one and two cases. It’s a condition that used to be quite common when more producers were focused on getting every last drop of milk out of the cow, sometimes putting weights on the cluster to do so. They were less aware of the damage that overmilking can do.

Low grade hyperkeratosis tends to be age related, with grade one and two cases typically developing in older cows. The udder has been subjected to more wear and tear. Once it develops and the teat-end sphincter is weakened, it tends to get worse with every lactation, particularly when the parlour or milking regime is less than optimal.

The encyclopaedia Hyperkeratosis Causes

Diagnosis and treatment

Can be the result of poorly maintained and calibrated milking machines, namely the pulsation vacuum; the milking process (usually poor milk let down at the start of milking or over milking at the end); or sometimes the cow herself, through accidental damage.

Symptoms Visual signs of teat-end hyperkeratosis, which can be graded with zero being non-existent and three being a chronic and severe case, can be seen. Most cows and heifers will score grade one immediately post milking, but quickly return to zero.

The cause of hyperkeratosis can be found through a process of elimination. Look at the parlour, the milking process (how staff milk the cows) to identify causal factors and then rectify these as a means of treatment. In severe grade-three cases, where the teat end has actually prolapsed and may be bleeding, a freezing spay can be applied at drying off to give the teat end the chance to heal and recover.

Prevention Good milking machine maintenance and regular dynamic testing are vital. Check the regulator at least weekly, if not at every milking, to ensure that vacuum is not too high or fluctuating during milking. Encouraging good milk let down reduces stress on the udder at the start of milking and ACRs can reduce the risk of over milking.

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BREEDING INFORMATION

Cross breeding with Fleckvieh GLOBAL 2015 CKVIEH 2015 GLOBAL FLECKVIEH FLE

| BETTER LIFE BETTER COWSBETTE R COWS | BETTER LIFE

Analysis of data in The Netherlands from 9,000 F1s (Holstein x Fleckvieh), 1,700 F2s (Holstein x Fleckvieh x Fleckvieh) and 900 F2s (Holstein x Fleckvieh x Holstein) cross-bred cows revealed some impressive results.

Compared to other breeds, Fleckviehs have many superior traits.

Fertility, body condition score, somatic cell count, maternal calving ease, and rump angle are all exceptionally good.

And Fleckvieh sires also have the best calving interval, the highest calf viability and the highest meat index, as well as

above average persistency and excellent hoof health.

To maintain and improve milk production, producers are advised to select Fleckvieh sires with the highest production to add to the advantages of improved fertility and health.

For a copy of the latest CRV Fleckvieh catalogue, contact CRV Avoncroft for free on 0800 7831880.

Milk solids are highly heritable Higher fat and protein percentages can result in more value per litre of milk and, therefore, a larger milk cheque. Actual fat and protein yield has a heritability of between 40% and 50%, but fat and protein percentages have a heritability of between 60% and 70%.

Also it’s not always understood that although feeding will have a large effect on yield it will have a smaller effect on butterfat and protein percentages.

Herd profitability can be improved by selecting bulls with positive breeding values for fat and protein (see Table 1).

In addition, this improved genetic ability for higher components is cumulative and leads to more profit from milk.

fat% Delta WiFi Vero Crown

protein %

+0.27% +0.21%

Delegate van de Peul D’n Driehoek Nilson

+0.16% +0.15%

Table 1: CRV Avoncroft’s top fat% and protein% sires Table 2: Heritability of production and type traits (source: Holstein USA)

trait

h2

milk yield fat percentage reproduction stature strength body depth dairy form rump angle thurl width rear legs – side view rear legs – rear view foot angle

trait

0.2 0.5 0.04 0.42 0.31 0.37 0.29 0.33 0.26 0.21 0.11 0.15

fat yield protein percentage milking rate feet & legs score fore attachment rear udder height rear udder width udder cleft udder depth front teat placement teat length final score

h2 0.2 0.5 0.3 0.17 0.29 0.28 0.23 0.24 0.28 0.26 0.26 0.29

Target your heifer-rearing costs replacement % 25% 35% 55%

lifetime production (kg)

rearing costs per litre of milk (ppl)

37,500 26,000 10,000

2.6 3.8 10.0

Table 3: Cost of rearing – assuming £1,000 cost per heifer, first-lactation yield of 8,500kg, second lactation of 9,000kg, and third and fourth lactations of 10,000kg Table 4: Numbers of young stock needed in a 120-cow herd

age at first calving 22 months 26 months

25% 60 70

replacement rate 35% 84 98

45% 106 126

The average cost of rearing a herd replacement is currently estimated to be around 2.6ppl, according to AHDB Dairy.

Replacement rates higher than 25% and an age at first calving older than 24 months significantly increase both the number of young stock needed for replacements and also reduce their lifetime production, which will in turn increase their rearing costs.

So use TalentScan to test for the most promising animals and ensure that valuable resources are only used for rearing the very best young stock.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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C O W

H E A LT H

Karen and Tom Halton consider Johne’s control all part of good herd management

No herd is too large for a team check list to tackle Johne’s disease

Ordered approach to Johne’s earns recognition An effective Johne’s control plan needs to be run ‘by the book’,

procedures and commitment from their team – enough to earn

in 2012 led to one of three herds being sold reducing numbers by 200. In spring 2015 the remaining two herds merged, which led to greater efficiency.

“One herd and one parlour and all the youngstock reared on site was much easier to manage,” says Tom.

them a top prize in the Herdwise competition 2015.

Stricter controls

particularly in large herds. An east Cheshire-based farming couple has demonstrated this, with robust standard operating

text Karen Wright

T

om and Karen Halton are the proud runners-up in the inaugural Herdwise competition, run by NML. And it’s no mean feat. Their 450 crossbred dairy herd is the largest dairy herd among the four finalists. Their use of standard operating procedures displayed around the farm, to ensure consistent management by all staff, was applauded by the competition judges NML vet Karen

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Bond and dairy producer and chairman of the National Johne’s Action Group Lyndon Edwards.

The all-year-round calving herd is managed for high performance, health, fertility and longevity. Average milk yield is 9,200kg with high yielders milked three times a day, but maximum use is still made of grazing land.

A change in the structure of the business

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This move, along with Karen taking on full responsibility for calf rearing, has helped to progress their Johne’s control plan. “We’ve used Herdwise since 2009 to routinely test each cow’s milk for signs of Johne’s as part of our NMR service. We knew we had Johne’s ‘grumbling’ in the herd. The Herdwise results meant we could identify the affected cows.”

Tom admits, though, that at this point they were not doing much more than flagging up infected cows and culling them. And this was only once signs of

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scours or weight loss were detected.

“We were monitoring, rather than controlling, Johne’s and the more we learned about it the more we realised that we needed to do more to prevent it spreading to other cows.”

Not ones for doing things by halves, the Haltons now have a rigorous control plan in place and one that impressed the Herdwise judges.

Any cow with a Johne’s disease positive result is now red tagged and a list of ‘red’ cows is given to the RMS technician and pinned up in the dairy. “We used to just red tag positive cows, but for the past 12 months we’ve also red tagged ‘likelies’ too, such as those with infected dams or with one positive test,” adds Tom. “We’re being ‘stricter’ and reducing the risk of spread. Hopefully this will pay off in the long run. We have 75 cows tagged red with 28 of these having positive results and the rest may or may not be positive at some stage. We’ve been a closed herd for the past 10 years, so as long as we reduce the risks of spread within the herd we should see Johne’s reduce significantly. The good news is that we now have fewer red heifers in the herd.”

Camera in the calving yard Reducing the risk of spread at Chance Hall Farm includes breeding any ‘red’ cow to a beef bull. All calves, across the herd, are snatched at birth. And it’s at this point that Karen’s diligent recording process comes into play.

“We have a camera in the calving yard, which feeds into the kitchen, so we can monitor cows about to calve and make sure someone is on site,” she says. “I’ve also set up a diary for recording vital information such as where a cow calved, when the calf had its first colostrum – which should be within three hours of birth – and the source of the colostrum and quality.”

Access to quality colostrum is made as easy as possible, thanks to Karen’s rigorous approach. Newly calved ‘clean’ cows, with absolutely no record of Johne’s, are milked soon after birth and this colostrum is tested with a refractometer that gives a reading within a few seconds. This milk is then stored in a yellow bucket, which is clearly labelled with the cow number and the immunoglobulin reading. Once the colostrum is fed the details are then added to the calf’s records.

The data is kept on the dairy PC and can be used, particularly if any problems

emerge further down the line. “Calves born from ‘clean’ heifers that then test Johne’s positive can be tracked. And we know, from the records, that if the calf was born overnight and had chance to suckle she could be at risk – this is clearly recorded too.

“We also have strict protocols for cleaning and sterilising the colostrum storage and feeding equipment,” adds Karen. “We wash everything at 80°F to make sure we kill any bugs. And I’d like to go a step further here by steam cleaning – something that is on my wish list.”

The Haltons have already invested in a pasteuriser, but they will still keep accurate records of the source of colostrum for each calf. “And even though we’d like to build up a bank of colostrum, we won’t use any from infected or at risk cows.”

High hygiene standards High hygiene standards extend to the calving pens too. ‘Red’ cows calve separately and all calving pens are thoroughly washed and disinfected once the cow moves into the milking herd.

Although keeping a careful record of events and adhering to strict rules around calving and calf rearing fits into the Johne’s programme (they keep a list of protocols pinned up in the calf house for all staff to refer to), the couple regard it as all part of good herd management.

“We have a team of six, plus relief milkers and it’s vital that we all take the system on board and ensure that it works,” says Karen. “We pay our team to go to vet meetings and workshops – and not just on Johne’s. Staff training is important here.”

Looking at the bigger picture – and despite a depressed milk market plus TB restrictions – Tom wants to maintain and improve herd efficiency. “Good calf management and Johne’s control is part of this. Our crossbreds have added to feed efficiency, fertility and herd health.

Longevity is improving all the time.

Reducing Johne’s and bringing it well under control will add to this.” l Top: Colostrum from cows with no Johne’s infection is collected and stored in clearly labelled yellow buckets that are cleaned at high temperatures Bottom: All staff are instructed to record full calving and new born calf feeding details including times of feeds and colostrum quantity and quality

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EXPERTS IN BARN TECHNOLOGY AND DAIRY COW COMFORT

Etscheid Milk Pasteurizer By the pasteurization of the milk over 95% of the pathogenic germs are killed.

Dangerous pathogens such as E coli, staphylococci, enterococci, etc. are reliably killed with this method. The milk protein is denatured only slightly, the vitamins are preserved almost completely.

Pasteurizing the milk is thus an effective method to utilize the milk of cows with udder problems in calf breeding, without causing an increased risk from diarrhoea. This also allows the use of non-marketable milk as a valuable feed for calves. Features: • Agitator permanently mounted on the lid • Thermostatically controlled heater 8,4 kW • Outlet disc valve NW 50 • Control board with electronic thermostat • Controls with pasteurizer program and keeping warm program • Delayed start of the program possible • Sensor sits in the milk • Digital display of the milk temperature • Heating and cooling possible

Cal Drench Plus • Prevents calcium deficiency during calving • Contains vitamin B complex, which stimulates the appetite • Quick and secure application with the drench method • No irritation of the oral cavity or the esophagus Cal Drench Plus contains food grade calcium, propylene glycol, and B-vitamins.

The calcium replenishes blood calcium that is lost at calving, propylene glycol provides an energy boost, and B-vitamins stimulate the appetite.

Vicky Huelin, Freedom Farms, Jersey “It’s literally been a life saver for us. So much quicker and less damaging than an injectable, and has the B12, and other goodies. We use it at any time of stress or illness as a support to the cow as well as peace of mind for us. Our breed society want some to give to cattle who are being exported, as a safeguard for the ferry and road journey.”

Vicky Huelin

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NUTRITIONAL NEWS

Caustic wheat available and ready to use on farm Treating grains with caustic soda can be difficult without having the right machinery available, as well as knowledge and experience.

But the good news is that ForFarmers’ DML supply the treated grains ready to use on farm, says the company’s marketing manager Brian Doran.

“This takes much of the guess work out of the equation, providing a more

consistent and reliable product ready to feed on farm,” he explains.

Caustic treated wheat provides a slower release of fermentable energy to the rumen due to its larger particle size and alkaline nature, which is nutritionally better for the cow.

“And some of the grains escaping rumen degradation provide rumen bypass starch, which can be beneficial for high yielding dairy cows,” adds Mr Doran.

Typically feeding up to 5kg/day, palatability and intakes are good. And there is no dust or separation in the mix. Stored in feed bays, keeping quality is good with monthly deliveries.

However it can also be clamped and stored for the winter.

Effective rumen buffering important this winter Looking ahead at this year’s silage results sees that fibre levels are lower and retained sugar levels are higher, resulting in silage of higher ME than 2014. But producers must pay close attention to indicators such as silage rumination index and acidosis index, particularly on first-cut silage. So says ForFarmers’ David Gabbott.

“Freshly-calved cows, which receive high levels of feed to meet energy demands, may find their natural rumination process is insufficient to meet the acidosis challenge. So additional buffering may be required,” he explains.

Lactating dairy cows can produce more than 200 litres of alkaline saliva every day, recycling more than 2.5kg per day of sodium bicarbonate into the rumen.

Recent work shows that sodium bicarbonate has only a short-term buffering effect in the rumen and if feed is supplemented with sodium bicarbonate once or twice during the day much of the buffering effect is lost, either in the TMR mix or shortly after feeding. Many conventional rumen buffers use sodium bicarbonate, but ForFarmers’ Rumibuff contains a balance of carefully selected natural marine algae and antioxidants.

The product’s honeycombed structure increases the surface area and breaks down more slowly than conventional buffers, providing a continuous action that counteracts the acid produced by the diet – particularly when starch fermentation is at its maximum.

Rumibuff is also a sustainable source of bioavailable minerals and trace elements, which are deposited naturally from the sea.

Together with a combination of antioxidants and vitamins, this helps to condition the rumen microbes for increased dry matter intake and improved performance.

More information is available from ForFarmers DML on 0870 0500 306 or visit www.ForFarmers.co.uk Rumibuff’s honeycombed micro structure

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Large crops weigh on feed market This month’s USDA report increased the predicted US soyabean crop yield slightly, up from August’s surprising figure of between 46.9 to 47.1 bushels/ acre.

Although a small increase, soyabean stocks are now forecast to be double that of 2014, says ForFarmers’ Colin Shepherd.

Hipro Soya now represents the best value of the three main protein sources for ruminants in the UK, rapemeal and distillers’ grains being the other two. Cover has already been taken by customers who have thought back across the past three years and seen a forward price ranging from between £320/t and £350/t delivered and spot prices well above £400/t.

Current forward prices of around £270/t, and possibly lower, should be considered to underpin some cover during the next 12 months.

Rapemeal and distillers’ grains remain the products to cover in the spot market for now.

They have not come under real pressure yet and they may not, given the low supply from the ethanol industry (distillers’) and from Canada and Australia (rapeseed).

Syrups are tightening up for the winter, so covering moist and liquid feeds at the current low prices could be beneficial.

With regards to cereals, the wheat market seems to be bouncing somewhere along the bottom, for this winter’s prices.

The UK wheat and barley crop is a bumper one and the US is in line for a huge maize crop. There are concerns about the size the French maize crop, given the hot and dry weather during their summer.

But the EU wheat crop is predicted to be 147.5MT – up 3.5MT on 2014 – so there will be opportunities out there this winter.

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS October 7: October 20: November 6-15: November 11: November 18: December 10:

The Dairy Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Welsh Dairy Show, Nantyci Showground, Carmarthen Royal Winter Fair, Toronto (Canada) British Mastitis Conference, Sixways Stadium, Warriors Way, Worcester Agriscot, Edinburgh, Scotland Royal Ulster Winter Fair, Eikon Exhibition Centre, Balmoral Park, Lisburn (Northern Ireland)

2016 January 5-7: January 18-20: June 1-4: July 6-7:

The Oxford Farming Conference, Examination Halls, Oxford British Cattle Conference, Telford Hotel & Golf Resort,Telford, Shropshire Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Livestock Event, NEC, Birmingham

Autumn calving: a proud mother tenderly tends to her new-born calf Picture: Harrie van Leeuwen

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 Lauren Chambers, Roger Evans, Allison Matthews, David Matthews, Ray Meadon 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, Thompsons and ForFarmers.

If you think you are eligible, please contact: NMR Customer Services, Ground Floor Building 26, Pannal Industrial Estate, Station Road, Harrogate HG3 1JL Phone 08447 255567 E-mail customerservices@NMR.co.uk www.isubscribe.co.uk

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

Airwash Plus ..............................................19 Alta ...........................................................38 Ark ..............................................................7 Biotal .........................................................21 Boer Housing Systems Ltd, De ...................34 Boumatic ...................................................22 Clusterclean ...............................................13 Concept Cowhouse Ltd. ......................18, 40 Cosycalf.....................................................34 Cowsfeet ...................................................13 CRV Avoncroft Ltd./CRV .............................6 Dairy Master..............................................11 Dairy Spares ................................................7 Devenish Nutrition.....................................48 DP Agri......................................................44

Easyfix .......................................................34 Enegis ........................................................18 Enviro Systems...........................................11 Farmplus....................................................18 ForFarmers/Thompsons ...............................2 ForFarmers ................................................32 Hoofcount .................................................32 Intershape .................................................40 Joskin ........................................................13 Mole Valley .................................................7 NMR ...................................................35, 47 NWF Agriculture........................................32 Spinder ......................................................18 Teemore Engineering Ltd. ..........................40 Vervaeke ...................................................13

COMING UP

C a l f rear in g sp ecial November (October 27) – The next issue will feature our annual, and extremely popular, calf rearing special. We’ll focus on how to maximise heifer growth efficiency and potential.

Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Klare Evans (12) and Mark Pasveer (46).

Disclaimer

CowManagement does not necessarily share the views expressed by contributors. No responsibility is accepted for the claims made by advertisers. No responsibility can be accepted by CRV Holding BV for the opinions expressed by contributors. Whilst every effort is made to obtain reliable and accurate information, liability cannot be accepted for errors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher.

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

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