CowManagement april/may 2013

NAG NAG

E

ME

NT

S

NT

AR

W

CO

ME

10

EARS

Y

YE

MA

CO

MA

E

W

V O LU M E 11 N O 4 APR IL/MAY 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

C AL F R E AR IN G

C O W H EA LTH

M ILKIN G EQUI PMENT

An update on once-a-day feeding and best practice

SARA can be a problem at grazing

Cluster flushing – we set the record straight

CM04_cover.indd 2

25-04-13 10:27

CM04_p02ENG.indd 2

26-04-13 08:54

CO NTENT

F E A T U R E S

4 Cow Talk 12 Overalls off: Tractor pulling 23 NMR Dairy Management News 37 Veterinary practice: water supply 43 A voncroft Breeding Information/ Thompsons Nutritional News 50 Events and contacts R e p orts 14 Former NMR/RABDF Gold Cup winners Sue and Andrew Sanders are now cross breeding M A N A G E M E N T

18 SARA in the summer time 40 There’s more than one way to reach the top of the production ladder C o l umn

24 Roger Evans B reeding

34 Genomic myths and misnomers

Andrew Sanders “It’s less stressful and time consuming to look after more robust cows” 16

Editor Rachael Porter Feeding and flushing

E

ven though it’s a busy time of the year, we think it’s well worth sparing a few minutes to flick through this issue. We’ve a couple of stories that we think should ‘set the record straight’ when it comes to feeding young calves milk and using automatic cluster flushing and dipping systems. The former is in the wake of a furore created by Defra when it said it was ‘illegal to milk feed calves, under three weeks of age, just once a day. There’s a re-cap on ‘best practice’ calf feeding and weaning, on page eight, that should help to clear things up a little.

Automated cluster flushing and dipping systems have been the focus of criticism during recent months. So, again, we spoke to the manufacturers of these labour-saving devices to find out if there really is a risk of milk being contaminated with water and/or chemicals. See what they said on page 28.

UK herds face a real risk of SARA this summer. This is because carbohydrates in lush spring grass digest very rapidly and acids are produced much faster than the digestive system can process. So there’s an upward spike in rumen acid load. See our article on page 18.

Our ‘birthday’ feature in this issue sees us revisit the 2003 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup winners, Sue and Andrew Sanders. There have been quite a few changes at their Isle of Man-based unit during the past decade, most notably a switch to cross breeding.

Find out why on page 14.

Pulling power is what it’s all about on page 12 as we profile a producer with an unusual – and expensive – hobby. He certainly enjoys himself when he’s away from his herd. Here’s hoping you find some time for a short break once the key spring jobs are done.

Main article Calf rearing

Special Milking equipment

Breeding Bull proofs

8

26

46

What’s ‘best practice’ when feeding – and weaning – young calves?

Automated cluster flushing and parlour planning: the latest on milking equipment

Another O Man son has taken the top spot in the latest bull proof run

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_content.indd 3

AP R IL/ M A Y

2 0 1 3

3

25-04-13 15:25

C O W

TA L K

Rethink on cow cubicle and building design Farmplus has been busy redesigning its cow cubicles and housing after giving serious thought to what today’s cows actually need.

“We all know that basics – plenty of space to move around freely without intimidation from other cows and to be able to lie down easily and in comfort,” says the company’s Jim Rogerson. “Ample lunging space, room to get up without banging heads, necks, or shoulders on division rails or head rails, is also vital.”

He says that good ventilation is also important. “We want to see plenty of clean and fresh air moving over the top of them, with stale air rising through the ridge quickly.

“Remember it is not the volume of air in

Options to boost forage crops Producers facing the prospect of light first-cut silages due to the late arrival of spring, will need to act now to make up the shortfall, according to Olivers Seeds’ Rod Bonshor.

“The past eight months have been incredibly challenging for producers and the combination of a long winter and short growing season will make filling silage clamps difficult.

“There are several options for boosting forage crop production this summer. But producers need to decide what they are going to do as soon as possible.”

New leys of high yielding short-term grass seeds mixtures, even those sown now, have the capacity to produce up to 13t DM/ha during the coming season.

These are likely to consist mainly of

tetraploid Italian ryegrass varieties and Westerwolds, which establish rapidly and soon produce bulky crops for cutting.

“Demand for mixtures with Westerwolds in them, such as Tornado, is unprecedented at the moment. They are flying out the warehouse door,” says Mr Bonshor.

“This is because they deliver high yields very quickly. But bear in mind they only last for two years before they need replacing.”

Where summer grazing is likely to be short brassicas, such as the specialist semi-dwarf forage rape Winfred, offer high protein feed that can be ready in as little as eight weeks from sowing. This may help to provide additional fresh feed for dairy cows.

a building that matters but the rate of air exchange that counts.

“A large mass of stale air is not good. It is much easier to get natural free ventilation through a low building than a tall one.

The shorter the distance to the ridge opening the quicker the stale air is out of the building. Above all, cow housing should be designed for the animal.”

The company has increased the length of its cubicle beds to 2.8 metres, as standard.

Roof pitch has increased to 15 degrees with 600mm overhang on low eaves and there’s now side cladding to allow air flow.

Passage widths are still optional, but the company has set a minimum to comply with welfare grant standards.

Portable milker is ideal for smaller herds Dairy Spares has launched the Greenoak portable milking machine, ideal for small herds, downer cows, and use at cattle shows. Thanks to its quietrun, oil-free vacuum pump, it offers a low-cost option for portable milking machines of this type.

The unit is robust in construction, comes with a durable 30-litre Eco bucket that is translucent and has a scale to allow the milk quantity to be read.

The bucket handle secures the stainless steel lid for ease of transportation, while the pulsation is provided by a vacuum operated pulsator.

The company adds that the portable milker is easy to use, clean and maintain.

It runs from a 13-amp plug, so users can just ‘plug and play’. The milking machine costs £1,064 +VAT.

Gold Cup open day and sale The theme of this year’s NMR/RABDF Gold Cup open day is the value of a pedigree herd in a commercial business.

4

C OWMANAGEMENT

CM04_cowtalk.indd 4

RABDF and NMR are inviting all producers, on behalf of the hosts and Gold Cup 2012 winners the Miller family, to Greville Farm in Evesham, Worcestershire, on May 31. Starting at 10.30am, the morning’s presentations and tour of the unit will be followed by a sale of 50 pedigree cattle from the Shanael herd. Registration is essential.

Please register on the RABDF website or email Sian at sianmercer@rabdf.co.uk or telephone RABDF on 0845 458 2711.

APRI L/MAY

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 15:44

Feed additive improves protein utilisation

Control weeds to maximise silage yields and quality Producers who are desperate to replenish low forage stocks during the next few weeks can increase silage yields and quality by removing broad-leaved weeds, like docks.

Field trials, carried out by Northwichbased consultants North West Agronomy, examined the effect of dock contamination at a level of 14 plants/m2, on silage made from three cuts of grass.

The results showed that areas treated with a dock herbicide, like DoxstarPro, gave the highest yields at every cut, and the resulting silage had the highest energy levels.

“This should not be a surprise,” says Dow AgroSciences’ grassland agronomist David Roberts.

“Where weeds grow, grass does not, so

yields are bound to suffer in weedy fields.

Research carried out by SRUC showed that a 10% infestation of docks reduces grass growth by a similar amount – so having weed-free leys will make a difference.

“In the trials, the herbicide treated areas also produced silage with an extra 0.3MJ of metabolisable energy (ME).

“Spread over 1,000 tonnes at 25% dry matter, this is enough to produce an extra 14,150 litres of milk. At 30ppl, this is worth an extra £4,245 of potential return.

Product choice will be vital this year as every blade is precious, so avoiding herbicides with a reputation for being harsh on grass will also be essential.

A feed additive, which claims to boost milk yield and protein quality through improved protein utilisation, has been launched in the UK by French nutrition company Techna. Novatan is available to UK feed manufacturers from distributor Premier Nutrition.

The additive has been used on the Continent for more than a decade. In European trials, feeding the additive increased milk yields by around 1.5kg/ day and protein quality by 0.1%.

There are several ways that UK producers can benefit from including this product in dairy rations, according to the company’s Martin Daly. “It can be added ‘on top’ of the ration for a performance boost, or feed costs can be reduced by lowering the protein content while the enhanced protein utilisation ensures performance is maintained.”

He adds that the product is of particular use when fed to high yielding cows.

It creates extra quantities of by-pass protein, which the cow needs to meet its protein requirements. For cows that have just been turned out onto spring grass, which is very high in protein, the additive enables more of the protein to be utilised by the cow. This improves performance and prevents high levels of urea accumulating in blood and milk, which safeguards fertility.

Royal approval for automatic system ADF Milking is celebrating being named as the winner of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise – the UK’s highest accolade for business success.

The company received the prestigious award for innovation for its revolutionary automatic dipping and flushing system, a patented in-cluster mechanism for use in milking parlours, which increases milking routine efficiency.

“To be singled out to receive this fantastic recognition is a first class reward,” says the company’s CEO Angus Buchanan. “We take great pride in our British base and our local suppliers and this is the ultimate seal of approval and a real boost for our company.”

ADF Milking was established in 2005 and now employs 30 people worldwide with offices in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Germany. The product can

be retro-fitted to any milking parlour and is progressively being adopted to

save labour and to take advantage of the cow health benefits that it offers.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_cowtalk.indd 5

AP R IL/ M A Y

2 0 1 3

5

25-04-13 15:44

• Cow, Heifer and Calf Cubicles • High Density Latex Mattresses (300kg/m3) • Optima Mattress with built in slope for increased drainage • Jourdain Headlocking Yokes • Passage way rubber in rolls • Fast Empty Drinkers • Silage Pit Mats • Rotary Cow Brushes

6

C OWM A NAGEMENT

CM04_p06.indd 6

APR I L/MAY

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 11:31

CM04_p07.indd 7

25-04-13 11:38

M A I N

A RT I C L E

What’s ‘best practice’ when feed ing

When once ju st Defra created a furore and caused a lot of confusion when it said, incorrectly, that feeding calves less than four weeks old just once-a-day was illegal.

So here’s a timely recap on best practice when it comes to feeding and weaning young calves. text Rachael Porter

G

ood calf-rearing husbandry is essential to maximise growth and health. But good isn’t good enough if you’re planning to take the oncea-day milk feeding approach. It has to be excellent, according to Provimi ruminant specialist Philip Ingram. “Producers must guard against potential health and welfare problems before opting for oncea-day feeding of calves,” he says. “While it is clear within EU legislation that calves must be inspected twice a day and fed twice a day there seems to be a grey area when it comes to the age of calves at which they can move from feeding milk or calf milk replacer twice a day to feeding it just once a day with the ‘second feed’ being solid food.”

Defra said that one month of age is the minimum for this transition and cited the increased diagnosis of calves with abomasal disorders, such as ulcers, as being related to once-a-day feeding.

“But, legislation aside, we must consider the options and implications of feeding young calves with milk or calf milk replacer once or twice while they are still very young,” says Dr Ingram. “In my experience, moving to one milk feed a day can create a number of problems in young calves. It is really important that producers consider the implications and decide if they are suited to managing a oncea-day system.”

Maintaining the proper level of calf husbandry and inspection is one of the most important considerations. “Even if calves are fed milk once a day they must still be checked twice daily. Calves fed milk twice a day will automatically be checked at each feed. If a calf does not come to drink it will be very obvious that something is not quite right and action can be taken,” he says.

“And we have to appreciate that achieving the correct intake of milk powder becomes more complex with once-a-day feeding of milk,” adds Dr Ingram. “A young calf’s stomach can only hold a certain amount of liquid so it must receive the correct intake of milk powder and all its

8

c owm anagement

CM04_main article.indd 8

APRI L/MAY

nutrients within that volume to prevent a reduction in performance.

“This is usually far easier to achieve in two daily feeds.

If only one milk feed is fed then the concentration rate of milk powder may have to be increased. Feeding too much liquid in one feed can increase the risk of bloat and scours.”

Potential pitfall While some producers may look to save labour by offering milk once a day, Dr Ingram sees this as another potential pitfall.

“The very young calves will still need twice-a-day milk feeds so it becomes more complicated if slightly older calves have one milk feed but of a different mixing rate.

This is a juncture at which an error can be made.”

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 10:12

feed ing – and weaning – young calves?

ju st isn’t enough In reality, the majority of producers will typically find that feeding milk or milk replacer twice a day or through an automated machine is the safest and most appropriate way to feed calves until weaning.

“In our experience the units that successfully feed milk just once a day have excellent husbandry right through the calf rearing system. And these units typically do not move to once-a-day milk feeding until the calf is at least three weeks old.

“And with any system, it must be remembered that encouraging rumen and gut development is important in the early stages. This can be achieved by offering fresh solid food as early as day three, maintaining a clean supply of water and including gut conditioning packages, such as Provimi’s

NuStart, both in the milk replacer as well as in the solid food.”

Irrespective of whether it is outside the terms of the EU Directives or the Farmed Animal Welfare Regulations or not, Frank Wright Trouw Nutrition International’s John Twigge believes that once-a-day feeding is in no-one’s interests.

Bad practice He adds that calves cannot eat sufficient solid food in the first four weeks of life to constitute a feed and that under feeding calves in the first weeks of life is a bad management practice that can increase the cost of heifer rearing.

“On all too many units the aim with calf rearing seems to be to feed them as cheaply as possible irrespective of what this means for performance and health,” he says. “The objective revolves around feeding minimal milk replacer and getting calves onto dry feeds quickly. Some producers argue that providing dry

Milk feeding: it’s easier to meet calves’ nutritional needs when fed twice a day

cow man ag e me n t

CM04_main article.indd 9

AP R IL / M A Y

2 0 1 3

9

25-04-13 10:13

M A I N

A RT I C L E

Milk bar: feeding milk little and often reduces digestive stress

feed means that calves are being fed twice daily even if they only get one feed of milk.

“But the calf is born as a mono-gastric and requires milk for maintenance and tissue growth during early life. Frequent feeding of milk allows the rumen to develop. Until the rumen is functioning at an optimum level, the calf’s nutritional demands must be met by frequent feeding of a quality milk replacer.”

He says that infrequent feeding of high volumes of liquid causes the abomasum to distend and may cause milk to flow back into the rumen leading to rapid fermentation and bloat. Little and often feeding offers less digestive stress, more efficient food conversion and a more contented calf.

“Heifer rearing has to be viewed as an investment, not a cost, but I often hear producers say ‘we always feed less than one bag of milk powder per calf’. Yet the cost of extra milk powder is almost negligible compared to the £1,300 it typically costs to rear a heifer.”

Mr Twigge adds that one bag per calf equates to around 500g of powder per day, which is below the requirements of a modern larger dairy calf, particularly as they have the potential to grow much more quickly in the first 12 weeks of life.

He believes optimum growth is achieved when feeding between 700g and 900g of

10

c owm anagement

CM04_main article.indd 10

APR I L/MAY

powder per day as multiple feeds for six weeks followed by gradual weaning.

In trials following calves through to adulthood, calves fed on a higher milk powder system were served younger, entered the herd sooner, produced more milk and had greater longevity.

Early rumen development NWF Agriculture’s Rupert Stafford says that producers should look carefully at what is in the milk powder they buy a product to deliver optimum growth and improved calf health rather than cutting corners as this is a false economy. He advises only considering milk replacers with a minimum 65% total milk solids and to avoid added soya bean, which is often used to cheapen the product.

“Choose a milk replacer formulated to ensure that calves get off to the best possible start and use it in accordance with the instructions. Make sure it is mixed to the correct concentration and that feeding hygiene is high to ensure calves get a consistent and clean feed. A low quality feed, fed once a day, is not going to benefit anyone in the long run,” he adds.

Volac’s Georgina Cox agrees that some clarity is needed re feeding young calves milk just once a day. “It’s a grey area as there no mention of the type of feed – is it milk or is it solid feed?” What’s

important, she says, is feeding calves to promote early rumen development, to give them the best possible start. Feeding the heifer calf enough energy and protein during the milk feeding period will help ensure she has adequate body size at first breeding and has a better chance of calving at 24 months. “It is essential to provide solid food – a good quality calf starter and straw – on an ad-lib basis, as well as clean fresh water from the start.

We encourage milk feeding calves twice a day until calves are consuming sufficient solid feed, which is typically at around three or four weeks of age.”

Miss Cox says a once-a-day feeding system can be used effectively as part of a step weaning programme for calves, reducing the amount of milk being fed over a period of time. “The weaning transition should be gradual and led by how much solid feed the calf is eating. If she’s not eating enough, her growth will be checked. So it’s vital that it’s closely monitored.

“Rather than weaning at a fixed time, it is best done when the calf is consuming a minimum daily target of 1kg of solid feed for three consecutive days. Some calves achieve this at around five weeks, while others will take almost eight weeks to consume this amount. “Remember that your calf naturally consumes milk for at least this length of time,” she adds. l

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 10:17

CM04_p11.indd 11

25-04-13 12:11

O V E R A L L s

Name: Location: Herd size: Hobby:

O F F

Peter Clarke Buckinghamshire 150 cows Tractor pulling

Peter Clarke: “Pistons can melt and turbos can blow”

Pulling power text Rachael Porter

H

orse power is the obsession of one Buckinghamshire-based dairy producer. Peter Clarke caught the tractor pulling bug back in 1979. He’d been a spectator at a few events and organised a charity tractor pull at his home, Windbush Farm near Tingewick. That was just the start of a hobby that, by his own admission, has dominated his life for the past 34 years.

“It was the start for me. We raised money for charity, everybody had a lot of fun at the event and we even took part with one of our farm tractors, an old Massey Ferguson 590,” explains Peter.

They’re very different tractors that he and the four-strong Clarke Pulling Team compete with today. Red Alert is an IH1066 that has been heavily modified. Red Fever was developed and built from scratch by the team – Peter, Geoff Ashcroft and Ian Thomas – in the farm workshop.

Each tractor has three turbos on its six cylinder IH engine and, with a maximum engine speed of 6,500rpm, each machine delivers around 3,500hp. They run on methanol – not diesel.

“It’s an expensive sport and I’ve built up a business selling turbo parts to other tractor pulling enthusiasts to help fund my hobby,” says Peter.

Costs aside, he says that tractor pulling is ‘therapy’ and worth every penny in terms of the enjoyment he getws from it. “It’s all about the challenge and it’s exciting too. There was a time when you knew who was going to win each competition, but things are wide open now. You win some and you lose some.

We usually finish in the top five. But, even when we don’t, it’s always great fun.”

He and the team take part in the 3.5 tonne ’superstock’ class weight. The prize money, which is usually shared out up to tenth place, typically covers the cost of taking part. “But it’s not about the winning. That’s what we aim to do, obviously, but if we do win it’s a bonus. It’s the thrill of taking part that drives us.”

Competition season starts in June and runs through to September, with the team taking part in tractor pulls every other weekend. Typically there will be around 15 competitors, all trying to pull the 80-tonne sled the full 100-metre ‘pull’.

Peter’s team has won most, if not all, the competitions on the tractor pulling circuit, including the European championship and Eurocup series. “A lot depends on the luck of the day, but experience also helps,” he says. “Pistons can melt and turbos can blow. I’ve seen pistons and rods fly out of the sides of tractors under pressure. That can happen to anyone.“ When it does, there’s not much that can be done about it. “You just accept it and head back to the work shop. Tinkering about under the bonnet is just as much fun as competing and takes up just as much time.”

12

C OWM A NAGEMENT

CM04_overalls off.indd 3

APRI L/MAY

20 1 3

25-04-13 13:11

CM04_p13.indd 13

25-04-13 11:49

COW

ENT

Y

EARS

A N G A

E very best of M The both worlds

H E R D

R E P O RT

A different approach – but continued success – for past Gold Cup winning herd

Herd size: 100-tonne cows: Cross-bred milkers: Annual average yield:

Douglas

Snap Sue and Andrew Sanders in two and you’d find the word ‘Holstein’ running through them. So why, 10 years after their

450 83 70 8,100kg per cow

F

ew producers and breeders are bigger fans of the Holstein than Andrew and Sue Sanders. Their 450-cow pedigree Sandisfarne herd,

pedigree herd won the NMR/RABDF Gold Cup, are they now cross breeding? We spoke to them to find out more. text Rachael Porter

which they run in partnership with sons Julian and Mattwhew at Ballalough near Douglas on the Isle of Man, is world renowned and freshly calved heifers are

Cross-bred calves: tomorrow’s milkers are smaller and more robust than their black-and-white predecessors

10

S

sold to producers in the UK and across Europe.

The family will always be known and respected for its Holstein breeding, but

ENT

The Sanders family Feed and milk price pressures led to a change in breeding strategy on the family’s renowned Holstein unit.

The resulting cross-bred cows suit their system.

M

COW

S

ANAGE M

M

YEAR

14

C OWM ANAGEMENT

CM04_herd report.indd 14

APR I L/MAY

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 13:10

M ENT

Good housekeeping: the cubicle shed cost just £400 per cow place

during the past six years there have been huge changes to the herd’s breeding programme.

Cross breeding

These were driven, somewhat tentatively at first, by son Julian when he returned from university. Economic circumstances at the unit – and for the Isle of Man’s dairy industry in general – also played a role in the changes.

Cross breeding has moved from being an interesting prospect to a must-do for a profitable business, according to Andrew. “I have to admit I wasn’t sure at first, but I listened to Julian. I wanted him to have a chance to make his mark

on the business that he and his brother will take over one day. And I could also see some sense in what he was saying as things have changed a lot during the past decade here on the island.”

The milk price to concentrate ratio has tightened since the 1990s and 2000s. It’s not been so close since the 1970s, according to Andrew.

“The boom of the 1980s and the following two decades has gone. It’s now very expensive to import feed – not cost effective for producers on the island at all with the milk price so low. We can’t grow maize. So it was obvious that we needed to take a different route. It was time for the herd to evolve.”

S

The way they were: our previous article on the Ballalough herd, published in 2003

R

He says it’s not possible to just reduce concentrate feeding to the kind of Holstein cows he used to breed. “They just keep on milking – that’s what they’re bred to do. If you can feed her to her potential, there’s nothing better than a Holstein. But if you can’t, it’s not good for health or fertility. We needed to look at the type of cow we were breeding.”

More robust Holstein breeding is still Sue and Andrew’s passion and forte. During the past 10 years they’ve bred and milked 83 100-tonne cows and more than 100 cows have been classified EX in the past two inspections. They’re continuing with pure Holsteins, retaining a nucleus of their very best cows and taking them down a different route and one that Andrew says other Holstein breeders are taking.

“We’re looking to make them less extreme – not that ours have ever been that way. We’re breeding more robust Holsteins that last in the herd for many lactations, just as many of ours already do, but with a new focus on health and fertility traits and a continued focus on powerful, well-fleshed cows that milk.”

Taking this different tack and getting the Holstein to the place he’d like them to be will, in his view, take several generations and possibly as long as 20 years. “And that’s where cross breeding comes in. We can speed up the process and breed the kind of cow that suits our system in just two or three years.”

The Sanders began by using Swedish Red as the first cross on the lower end of the herd, as a ‘look see’. The resulting

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_herd report.indd 15

AP R IL/ M A Y

2 0 1 3

15

25-04-13 13:10

COW

ENT

Y

EARS

H E R D

R E P O RT

A N G A

M

or more – that’s typical of most Holsteins nowadays. The Swedish Red is helping to reduce that back down to around 650kg.”

The Montbeliardes bring power to the party, as well as strength, forage efficiency and milk quality. The resulting cull cows and bull calves are fantastic, according to Andrew, and sell well at market. “I’ve not seen prices like that for a while.”

Two routes “Moving back to Holstein for the third cross puts milk yield back into the animal and also keeps the udders in good order,” Andrew says. “They add style and ensure that we still have a cow that will milk and can be milked easily for at least six lactations.”

The family is well on its way to converting the herd to a mixture of both pure Holstein and cross-bred cows that are

Heifer accommodation: 140 youngstock are housed in a new polytunnel building

E

stronger, smaller and more robust.

“We’re looking for good commercial cows, so in a way nothing has changed there. It’s just that what constitutes a commercial cow has changed. And we’re taking two different routes to get there – the fast and the slow.”

Andrew says that they’re in a unique position, with such a large herd, to be able to take two routes. “We can have our cake and eat it, in a way. We can keep our best Holsteins, retain a pure nucleus and continue with our passion and belief in the breed. And we can also take the cross breeding tack, which we also see huge merit in and are already reaping the rewards associated with that.”

As far as sire selection goes for the two sectors of the herd, Holstein bulls are selected from all over the world. “I reckon there are only about four or five bulls in the world at the moment that will do what we want to do. O Man was the big eye opener for us. He offers so much strength and longevity and his fourth calvers in our herd are looking great. Ramos is a bull that also has what we’re looking for.

“Basically we steer clear of anything that’s too extreme and we look for sires with an angularity that is thicker than average. We’re also looking for between 0.5 and 0.7 for lifespan to increase longevity and +6 for fertility, as well as a negative score for mastitis and very good udders.”

ENT

crosses are registered as pedigree with the Ayrshire Cattle Society and the family are so pleased with them that this year they’re stepping up their cross breeding efforts and using Swedish Red semen on some of their best Holstein cows.

“We have 70 cross-bred milkers in the herd at the moment and the plan is to up this over the next few years to around 225 – around 50% of the herd,” says Andrew, adding that they’re using Montbeliarde sires for the second cross. The third cross is back to Holstein to produce a ‘procross’ cow, which has been so successful in California.

He says that the Swedish Red offers exceptional fertility, hard and black feet, mastitis resistance and also reduces the overall size of the cow.

“Our Holsteins had grown to 750kg

M

COW

S

ANAGE M

M

Sire selection

S

10

Swedish Red semen from Scandinavia is selected by Julian. And only the top Montbeliarde bulls from France are used for the second cross.

“We’re very choosy about the sires we use – we have to be if we’re to make the progress we want to make.”

But does it feel odd, deviating from pure Holstein breeding after so long? Are he and Sue reconciled with the changes they’ve made? “I am, now I can see the benefits. Sue’s less enthusiastic, but that’s good. Her passion will ensure that our Holsteins stay on top too.

“We’re finding that it’s less stressful and time consuming to look after more robust cows – they are better at looking after themselves – and the switch away from three-times-a-day milking has also been a relief.

“Ultimately, I’m really enjoying the challenge of something new, with an eye on succession, and building a herd for the future – cows that my sons will continue to breed, milk, sell and manage successfully for decades to come.” l

YEAR

16

C OWM ANAGEMENT

CM04_herd report.indd 16

APR I L/MAY

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 13:10

BEL ROLL OUT COMFORT SYSTEM

DUAL CHAMBER WATERBEDS:

• One piece roll out mattress system.

• Reinforced inlay, improves material strength.

• Solid front and rear edges to prevent ingress of dirt and bedding.

• Unique underside moulding, creates greater comfort.

• Dual chamber waterbeds offer the best cow comfort.

• Cows pressure point are floating and therefore no abrasions on joints.

• Prevents hock and knee injuries.

• Improved blood circulation in joints.

• Dry and clean surface area.

• Liquids run off quicker than on ordinary mattresses.

• Needs very little bedding.

• Virtually no maintenance.

• Lowest lifetime cost per bed.

• 15-20 year life expectancy with 10 year limited manufacturers guarantee

Kraiburg Rub ber forFOR Softbed Mattress RUBBER Pass PASSAGES PARLOURS ages & Parl& ours and Cubicles

We offer: ADVICE-DESIGN-SUPPLY-INSTALLATION Bringing you advanced technology and barn equipment from around the world,meeting expectations of comfort and welfare for tomorrows dairyman. De Boer Housing Systems Ltd your partner in excellence.

"Enquiries with head office, telephone number 01208 816773" • Improves cow flow • Anti-slip.

• Improves claw health.

• Improves cow flow • Anti-slip • Improves claw health • Proven product over years of use

• 10mm seamless, reinforced rubber top cov

• Outstanding comfort CLEAR VIEW CUBICLE

www.batchelorenterprises.co.uk info@batchelorenterprises.co.uk

• Ease of cleaning minimises bacteria • Excellent durability in use for over 12 years

Batchelor Enterprises Ltd Bulbarrow Farm, Blandford Forum, Dorset, DT11 0HQ

Tel: (0)1258 817801 Fax: (0)1258 817004 Mobile: 07831 454805

• Designed for long cubicle beds, where the cows have enough room to lunge freely forward.

• Straight lower rail positions the cow squarer.

• Reduces soiling on the beds.

• Incorporated poly brisket rail, positions cow correctly.

• High neckrail.

• Heavy duty specification.

20

C OWM ANAGEMENT

CM02_p20.indd CM04_p17.indd 20 17

FEBRUARY

20 1 3

32

COW MAN AG E ME N T

COWMANAGEMENT

CM06_p32.indd 32

CM03_p11.indd 11

SEPTEMBER

2012

AP R IL / M A Y

2 0 1 3

17

14-02-13 25-04-13 16:00 13:55

23

F E E D I N G

Improving the rumen function of grazing cows can yield benefits

SARA in the summertime

18

C VCO EOEWW TM EMEAA LNTNAAJGA GEN EMM UEA ENN RTIT S1AE/PP2RT I2 ELM 0/0B M9EARY 22000193

CM04_thompsons feature.indd 18

25-04-13 10:43

Stephen Agnew: “Digestion of grass can push rumen pH to a critical level”

Finbar Mulligan: “Carbohydrates in lush spring grass digest rapidly”

Research has shown that cows at grass can display the symptoms of a sub-acute acidosis, a condition usually linked to high starch levels in winter rations. The good news is that there are solutions to the problem during the grazing season. text Allison Matthews

S

ub-acute rumen acidosis is typically associated with winter feeding. But research has shown that it can be a summer issue. Previous studies have shown that small fluctuations in rumen pH can have an impact on performance, but all the data is based on cows in housed conditions and consuming winter rations.

“A drop in the efficiency of digestion by just 1% can reduce the energy available for milk production which is the equivalent to a drop in milk of 0.5 litres,” says University College Dublin’s lead researcher Finbar Mulligan.

“As producers strive to provide diets that support higher levels of performance all year, it became clear to our researchers that there was a need to identify what could be done about SARA when cows are out at grass.”

Acid loading Dr Mulligan’s team and UCD’s Denise Rafferty wanted to take previous work to the next level to produce a benchmark for SARA over a 365-day period, rather than just during the winter.

“Starch is clearly not the only driver of acidosis. Other rapidly fermented feeds such as grazed grass, which is high in sugar, can also increase the acid loading within the rumen,” explains Dr Mulligan.

Miss Rafferty adds that SARA can be difficult to diagnose and many producers do not realise that the problem exists at

grass. “Some of the tell-tale signs in grazing cows include low milk fat percentage, diarrhoea, a loss of body condition, and possibly otherwise unexplained laminitis.

“Summer diets, based on grazed grass, contain large amounts of readily available energy and protein and also low levels of fibre to slow down the digestive process. Carbohydrates in lush spring grass digest rapidly and acids are produced much faster than the digestive system can process. So there’s an upward spike in rumen acid load.”

Rumen bolus Dr Mulligan and Miss Rafferty explored the prevalence of SARA in the college herd using pH data loggers. The trial was conducted during the summer of 2012 on a large number of high-yielding spring-calving cows at UCD. During this time a rumen bolus was used to record pH every ten minutes creating 144 data points every day.

A new rumen enhancement product was fed to half of the group to identify how the digestion of grazing cows could be influenced or even improved. During this experimental period the milk yield and components of the herd were recorded to determine the impact of the trial on actual output.

The results of this study have been published and there is a clear benefit to acknowledging the impact of SARA on cows at grass.

“The results indicated that the cows fed the rumen enhancement product had higher rumen pH and a significant increase in milk yield and milk solids.

This equated to an increase of 4% fatcorrected milk or, in other words, a rise in yield of 1.8 litres or 7%,” he says.

Producers often question the significance of low rumen pH in the grazing animal, but this research highlights how the use of a product designed to improve rumen function actually enhanced the overall performance of cows at grass in a difficult grazing season.

Thompsons’ ruminant specialist Stephen Agnew acknowledges the difficulty producers can face when determining if SARA is the real cause of problems at grass, but explains how the work done at UCD can only clarify the situation.

“The data from the trial clearly shows the rumen pH falling below six for substantial periods of time and this shows that the digestion of grass can push rumen pH to a critical level.”

“As the promise of better weather approaches producers are looking forward to significant grass growth to both reduce input costs and ease the burden of dwindling silage stocks. While this will be welcomed, producers may be forced to make use of the grazing opportunities on lush spring grass.

“In these circumstances producers must take into account the research from UCD allowing for sizeable fluctuations in rumen pH,” warns Mr Agnew.

“In terms of concentrate type, the key is to slow down the flow rate of lush spring grass through the rumen by feeding high levels of digestible fibre from sources such as sugar beet pulp and soya hulls. Maize is also a more slowly fermentable source of starch, as opposed to wheat and barley that will further speed up rumen fermentation.”

Practical steps The way producers view the potential yields from grazed grass may be influenced by the research work from UCD and practical steps can be taken to ensure that the herds’ potential is achieved. “We must be willing to challenge the ability of grass but remain realistic about what it is achieving,” adds Mr Agnew.

“It is essential that grass covers are continually assessed and managed with the difference between good and poor grazing equating to a variance of five or maybe even six litres of milk.” l

c co ow wm ma an na ag g ee m m ee n n tt A s eP pR tI Le /mMb Ae Y r

CM04_thompsons feature.indd 19

2 0 10 39

19

25-04-13 10:43

JUNE 18, PREVIEW LIVESTOCK EVENT 2013 Book your advertisement now! Deadline for reservation: June 13 Call: Jonathan Davies, 07970 017243

CM04_p20.indd 20

25-04-13 12:08

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_p21.indd 21

AP R IL / M A Y

2 0 1 3

21

25-04-13 12:15

CM04_p22.indd 22

25-04-13 12:57

D AI R Y M A N A G E M E N T N E W S

Southern stars

Lab and tags get BVD status Nordic Star is now fully accredited as a designated tag supplier for the BVD eradication programme in Northern Ireland. National Milk Laboratories (NML) is also accredited as a designated BVD testing laboratory for the Scottish and Northern Irish BVD control initiatives.

Nordic Star supplies both the Defra/

DARD approved industry Tag and Test tag for newborn calves and the management white button Tag and Test tag for testing animals that are already double tagged.

Each tag has a coded vial attached. The tissue from the ear is placed in the vial when the tag is being fitted. This vial is then posted free of charge to Nordic Star’s sister company NML for BVD testing.

Positive effect of Johne’s tests does have the desired effect in reducing Johne’s levels. Anecdotally, we hear plenty of reports from producers who are seeing production and herd health gains from tackling Johne’s. So it is clear that there are advantages to bringing the disease under control.”

Figure 1: Johne’s status for Herdwise herds, November 2012

% herds

More than 1,000 NMR-recorded dairy herds are now screening for Johne’s on a quarterly basis and results have been analysed to assess infection levels across participating herds.

“We looked at infection levels in herds in November 2012 and found that only 14% of herds had no ‘red’ cows in the herd at their latest test,” says NML director Ben Bartlett. A further 32% had 2% or fewer cows in the red category as shown in Figure 1.

‘Red’ category cows indicate heavy infection.

“It is very encouraging to see that a high percentage of herds have relatively little Johne’s infection,” adds Mr Bartlett. “This demonstrates that effective screening and the adoption of control measures on farm

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

0% red

1-2% 3-4% 5-8% 9-12% 13+% red red red red red Johne’s status of herds

The top three 100-tonne cows, ranked on Lifetime Daily Yield (LDY), for February are all from herds in the south and south west of England.

1. Chalclyffe Outside Jackie VG85, 105,902kg of milk in seven lactations. LDY 32.15kg/day (Nick Cobb, West Chaldon, Dorchester, Dorset) 2. Cow 228, 101,585kg of milk in seven lactations, LDY 27.28kg/ day (R N & D Jenkin & Son, Manaccan, Helston, Cornwall) 3.

Lexus Nellie, Woodstone 104,511kg of milk in eight lactations. LDY 26.92kg/day. (B J & S K Thomas, North Newton, Chittlehampton, Devon) The full list of 100-tonne cows for February is published on the NMR website.

A regular read On average 7,500 visits are made to the NMR Herd Companion website each month and more than half the visits are also going to the iReport section within the site. The site can be accessed by all NMR customers or by any producer who has milk tested through NML for payment testing purposes or disease testing.

“The great benefit of Herd Companion and iReports is that producers can get immediate access to their herd and cow data online,” says NMR’s Nicci Chamberlin. “The most popular iReport pages are the recording summary followed by the production summary and individual animal pages.”

No 2 Jersey herd CowManagement apologises for wrongly quoting the top Jersey herds in its Annual Production rankings. It should have stated that the Mahon’s

Jersey herd from Norfolk are in second place with their 36-cow herd achieving a fat-and-protein yield of 741kg and milk yield of 7,932kg.

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

Cm04_NMR news.indd 23

a pr i l / m a y

2 0 1 3

23

26-04-13 10:33

A

F E W

W O R D S

F R O M

R O G E R

E VA N S

Shropshire-based dairy producer and award-winning columnist Roger Evans looks back on a miserable 12 months and has already started planning for the next, with a built-in safety net for more ‘weather’.

Weather woes L

ooking back, the weather has been crap ever since spring 2012. It has tested us all and has started to make everyone grumpy. Then, just when we’d all had enough, March turned up and did its worst and left us all really pissed off.

I’ve coped better than most, because I’m always grumpy anyway, but all of us, man and beasts, have now had enough. The weather has also pushed our set up. We are trying to get more milk from forage and grazed grass so our system was really put to the test, just like most other producers’.

I expected to spend most of March repairing damaged pastures with grass seed harrows and rolls. I’ve not started yet and can’t even really assess the damage. Here I am in the first week of April and the grass fields are still covered with snow.

There is an analogy here that comes from New Zealand farming.

I have to be careful here because every time I say anything remotely negative about New Zealand there’s some Irishman who wants to come and fight me.

But we are trying to emulate a lot that is good there. The analogy is that in New Zealand stuff that works on the north island, which has a more temperate climate, has been tested by the weather on the south island, which is nearer the Antarctic and colder and wetter. That’s not contentious, that’s fact.

So people who have, for example, moved this year to large numbers of cows on extensive grazing systems have had a very difficult time.

I’ve had 20-odd dry cows out all winter. Not the same 20 cows – some cows go outside and some cows come in to calve. They’ve been on turnips to start with and latterly on kale.

The shed where the dry cows used to live has been largely empty. I don’t see this as a waste of resources. I see it as an opportunity to cut costs. I haven’t harvested the crops they have eaten – they have. And I have sold the wheat straw they would have been bedded on. But here comes the message. During March and all this snow, they’ve been out grazing the kale by day and back in the shed on silage at night. All very contented and in good condition. It’s having this system that is important when extreme weather turns up.

Next winter’s kale won’t be so handy to the buildings because it needs to be somewhere else. The ‘somewhere else’ is more than 275 metres above sea level and a fairly exposed field. Where the kale is at the moment I’m going to grow fodder beet next year.

So the plan now is to put the younger dry cows out on the kale and in the ‘weather’, and the older cows on the fodder beet so that they can run into the buildings if necessary. And if we get really bad weather then we’ll just put them altogether near the buildings, where we used to put them, and if the weather improves the younger ones will go back out.

When your plan is to drive down costs, having flexibility and having a ‘plan B’ will push costs back up a little. But not having an option, and having the weather turn against you, can be financially disastrous.

24

C OWMANAGEMENT

CM04_evans.indd 3

APRI L/MAY

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 14:06

C O W M A N AC G O EWMME A N VN T EAEOGTCEETM E OLE TBNETJRA/SNN E UPOA TVEREM I MB1BE/ER 2R 22000099

CM04_p25.indd 25

25

25-04-13 12:59

CM04_special intro.indd 26

25-04-13 12:49

M I L K I N G

E Q U I P M E N T

S PE C I A L

Automated milking: the latest on cluster flushing and dipping systems. Page 28 Parlour planning: research and revisions are key to success when installing milking equipment. Page 30

CM04_special intro.indd 27

25-04-13 12:49

M I L K I N G

E Q U I P M E N T

S P E C I A L

System type – as well as careful management and regular maintenance – are key to preventing milk contamination

Flushed with success?

Some milk buyers are voicing concerns about the possibility of automatic cluster flushing systems resulting in water or chemicals contaminating milk. We spoke to a milk buyer, the UK’s leading milking equipment specialist and several system manufacturers to find out more. text Rachael Porter

Cluster flushing

C

ould automatic cluster flushing and dipping systems be a threat to the milk cheque, rather than a way of reducing labour and saving time in the parlour without compromising milking routine and udder health?

Arla Food’s technical support manager Linda Clow has concerns about the potential for contamination from this equipment and also urges caution if producers are considering buying a system or already have one installed.

“Any producer thinking of installing a cluster flushing system should ask the supplier for a cast-iron guarantee, in writing, that adulterants, even just water, cannot get into the milk if anything goes wrong. Clearly that will also include your responsibilities for correct maintenance and operation,” she says.

“Even if you have already had the kit installed, we recommend that you ask your provider the same question.

We are already seeing instances of added water when this type of equipment goes wrong and we do not want to see that adulteration continue, particularly if chemicals are also added. We have already started discussions with some of the major suppliers of this equipment to voice our concerns about potential contamination.”

She also stresses that producers should ask themselves why they want to install this automated equipment in the first place. “At their best, such systems are better than a poor herdsman, but nowhere near as good as a good one. The equipment cannot,

28

C OWM ANAGEMENT

CM04_special cluster flushing.indd 28

When chemical and water enter the liner in cluster flushing systems, rather than through the long milk tube as they do in back flushing systems, there is less surface area exposed. “This may help to slightly reduce concerns about contamination of the milk supply, although poor operation and maintenance of any system can be extremely problematic,” adds Mr Ohnstad.

APR I L/MAY

on its own, sort out mastitis issues. But a good parlour routine, along with veterinary input where required, can.

The Dairy Group’s milk equipment specialist Ian Ohnstad agrees that automating cluster cleaning and dipping is not a ‘cure all’ for all mastitis and cell count problems.

“Some producers have been led to believe that cluster flushing will be the answer to every udder health issue. But that fact is that neither back flushing nor cluster flushing systems will address a mastitis problem caused by poor housing, for example, or inadequate dry cow management.

Labour saving “However, combined teat dipping and flushing systems can save on labour and offer a more consistent parlour routine when it comes to teat dipping and cluster cleaning between cows,” says Mr Ohnstad.

That said, he stresses that they’ll only deliver those things if they’re properly maintained and managed. “Some producers have them installed and then forget about them. But like any piece of equipment or machinery, they have to be operated correctly and routinely checked and maintained.”

But what about milk contamination with water or cleaning chemicals?

“There is always a risk of this when any system introduces water or chemicals into the milking system. There’s a slight risk if water can get trapped or fail to drain out adequately, if a valve or injector fails, and issues with the freezing point depression of milk could be due in part to that.”

Dairy Spares Tim Evanson says that the Airwash system is designed to ensure that each liner is flushed out, even when the cluster is not upright. “It’s washed, safely and effectively, whatever position it’s in. The water enters the liner – not the cluster – via an injector. There are four injectors in each cluster, which place water directly into the teat cup and this is purged out with air through the mouth of the liner. Water is injected as close to the point of exit as possible,” he explains.

T H White’s Adrian Moore says that some producers should be concerned regarding some of the back flush systems on the market as they do have the potential to leave water in the milk pipes if poorly managed and maintained.

“But Airwash and Airwash plus, which also dips teats prior to cluster cleaning, only flush the liner – they’re cluster flushing and not back flushing systems.”

In back flushing systems, which inject water via the long milk tube, the tube can sometimes form a loop when the cluster is hung up.

“If the compressor is poorly maintained or not large enough to blow out all the water then some of it can be left sitting in the pipe. Not a lot – about 50ml for each cluster – but in a small herd that can amount to a considerable percentage of water in the bulk tank.”

That said, he says he’s never heard a producer complain about their automatic cluster flushing and/or dipping system – either in terms of the freezing point depression of milk or chemical contamination.

There are currently 67 Airwash Plus systems being used on UK units and 400 Airwash systems.

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 15:09

“I can be certain that if there’d been a problem with our cluster flushing system then I’d have heard about it.

“The only feed back that I get is that the systems are saving time in the parlour and giving consistency to what was previously a slightly ad-hoc routine,” he adds.

Novel design ADF’s James Duke also gets good feedback from his customers and he’s keen to stress that his equipment is not a back flush system.

“ADF operates upstream of any milk flow and the equipment is not subject to system vacuum during milking. We have had no reports of concern regarding freeze point depression,” he says.

“Our system dips the cows’ teats immediately after milking from within the cavity in the head of the liner and it only sanitises the liner. This is, after all the only part of the milking equipment that has contact with the cow.

“Teat dip and sanitised water for liner rinsing enter the liner adjacent to an atmospheric break – the mouth of the liner.

“The novel design of our cluster utilises gravity to shut off the short milk tube, ensuring that rinse water is evacuated through the liner mouth piece and onto the parlour floor.”

To date there are 30,000 award-winning ADF clusters in use on units all over the world, including more than 500 herds in the UK. The system has just been presented with the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation.

“With that volume of product in the market, I can assure you that we would know if we had an issue,” says James.

Correct fitting Vaccar’s Pete Larner says that if back flushing systems are fitted correctly then there should be no problem with milk contamination. Mr Larner agrees with Linda Clow that chemical contamination can be a particular problem in back flushing systems that offer both flushing and dipping.

“The issue would seem to be getting the system injection point and milking liner completely clean after the application of the teat disinfectant, particularly iodine.”

With conventional cluster flushing systems water is more of a potential problem, but can be prevented by ensuring a proper set up. He explains that the system must have shut-off valves to prevent the flushing liquid getting into the milk line and that sometimes additional controls are required.

“We recommend installing milk tube clamp valves, or good quality milk tube diaphragm valves, as these ensure categorically that no flushing solution can get into the milk line.

“The position of our cluster flush liquid injection is also critical as any liquid between the injection point and the milk meter or ACR sensor could get blown back into the milk line when the injection of compressed air occurs. To minimise the risk of contamination it is vital to get the ‘T’ piece as close to the milk meter or ACR as possible.

“A wide range of cluster flushing systems are now available on the market. Whatever the system a little common sense and a good understanding of how the system works, together with the technical ability to adapt the equipment to suit the parlour, can minimise the risk of contamination,” he adds. l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_special cluster flushing.indd 29

AP R IL/ M A Y

2 0 1 3

29

25-04-13 15:09

M I L K I N G

E Q U I P M E N T

S P E C I A L

A parlour for today – with an eye on possible future expansion

Revision planning Meticulous planning paid off for one producer partnership.

Chris and David Dibble’s unit now has a milking parlour that many herdsmen dream of working in. We spoke to the Somerset-based brothers to find out more. text Rachael Porter

I

t’s all in the planning when installing a new parlour. Just ask Chris and David Dibble. When they decided to upgrade the milking facilities at their Somerset-based unit, they made sure they researched every aspect of the new setup’s

30

C OWM ANAGEMENT

CM02_special parlour planning.indd 30

APR I L/MAY

design before the diggers moved in to start the new build.

“We knew the project was a once-ina-lifetime opportunity to upgrade, so wanted to get it right first time,” says Chris, who farms in partnership with his brother David and father, Richard.

Together they manage Lottisham Farms, which comprises 404 hectares and is spread across two neighbouring farms near Glastonbury. Both units have their own dairy herd, with 160 cows at Lottisham Farm and 220 cows at Lottisham House.

It was back in 2010 when the brothers began thinking about their future in dairy production, and what to do about the aging milking facilities at Lottisham House.

“We were milking 180 cows through an old 16:16 parlour that originally started out as a 10:10 herringbone. We could have carried on with it for a few more years, but it was rapidly becoming too small for the size of our cows and was an

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 10:07

adjacent to the farm’s existing housing facilities.

“In the current climate 220 cows is enough to make Lottisham House a viable venture, but you never know what new challenges are around the corner so it made sense for us to futureproof the business by building facilities that could easily be extended to cope with up to 350 cows,” adds Chris.

Chris Dibble with relief milker Kevin White and herdsman Paul Murray

increasingly unpleasant environment to work in,” explains Chris.

“We’d already decided to remain in milk production for the long-term, so took the plunge to update the parlour and invest in new facilities.”

The pair wanted to design a setup that would allow the 220 cows to be milked and looked after by one person, with the unit’s second worker free to concentrate on feeding and straw bedding. So plans were drawn up for a unit that sits

Team effort The Dibbles spent the next 12 months researching and looking for kit and a setup that would best suit their requirements. And they made sure they involved their herdsman, Paul Murray, and their relief milker, Kevin White, as well as their vet, Mike Kerby, in the relevant discussions.

“It was very much a team effort,” says David. “We wanted to get everything exactly right before any work started. So we drew on the expertise of our own staff and the experience of a group of contractors and suppliers who knew what would work and what wouldn’t.”

In the end the Dibbles plumped for a Fullwood 24:24 low-line parlour, which sits within a purpose-built shed, complete with cow handling races, a hospital area and office accommodation.

“We made the parlour’s walls long enough so that an extra four milking points can be installed on either side of the pit at a later date, and pre-installed hopper chutes where the additional in-parlour feeders would sit,” explains Chris. “We also extended the parlour’s vacuum pipe so that cows in the hospital yard can be milked without having to go through the parlour.”

Parlour potential

Flushed with success: an automated system to clean clusters after each cow is milked has reduced the spread of contagious mastitis

All associated pipework and pumps have also been installed to suit the parlour’s potential larger 32:32 layout. And the new build has also been future-proofed in a number of other ways.

“We built an extra large milk storage room so that an additional tank can be installed, if cow numbers do increase, and we fitted high and wide doors so that new equipment can be installed without having to dismantle any brick or block-work. It’s all about making any future expansion as simple and hasslefree as possible.”

A total of 23 revisions were made to blueprints for the cow handling facilities before the plans were approved and signed off. “We even pegged out the layout of the new building and parlour

with wooden stakes and baler twine to get a better feel of how things would fit together,” says Chris.

“It seemed a bit excessive at the time, but was a worthwhile exercise as it made us realise that the building needed to be one bay longer than we originally thought in order to give the cows enough space to exit the parlour comfortably.”

The facilities also feature a plant room that houses the parlour’s pumps and refrigeration units, as well as the parlour’s receiver vessels that have been moved out of the milking pit for hygiene purposes.

“We are conscious that we are producing a foodstuff and that we have a responsibility to maintain a hygienic environment,” Chris adds. “It also makes the parlour quieter and less cramped.”

Backflush system The brothers also installed Fullwood’s backflush system, to clean the clusters after each cow has been milked, and have introduced pedometers for cow auto-identification, heat detection and to monitor cow activity and inactivity.

“The pedometers allow us to track each cow’s performance much more closely than previously, while the backflush system has helped us to maintain a cell count as low as 100,000 cells/ml and a Bactoscan of around 10,” says Chris.

“It also reduces the risk of any unseen or sub-clinical cases of mastitis being spread from cow to cow.”

The parlour stalls and pit floor have been fitted with rubber matting for improved cow and worker comfort, while the in-parlour feeders have been mounted externally for ease of servicing and to prevent damage. Staff footbaths have also been installed at the parlour’s entrance as a disease barrier – and to keep the dairy and office areas clean – while a high level exhaust has been fitted to divert noise from the parlour’s compressor away from the farm office.

“It’s the little things that have made the biggest differences,” continues Chris.

“We visited a lot of other installations to learn from others and to bring the best design elements together on our farm.

“With hindsight I think we got most things right as there isn’t much that we’d change. We’ve succeeded in providing Paul and Kevin with the technology and infrastructure to enable them to maintain the same meticulous standards that they’ve always prided themselves on, albeit in a more efficient and enjoyable environment.” l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM02_special parlour planning.indd 31

AP R IL/ M A Y

2 0 1 3

31

25-04-13 10:07

CM04_p32.indd 32

25-04-13 13:18

CM04_p33.indd 33

COW MAN AG E ME N T

AP R IL / M A Y

2 0 1 3

25-04-13P B 13:24

b r e ed i n g

Fact or fiction? The truth about genomic selection

Genomic myths and misnomers There are many rumours about genomic selection. Some are true and some are false. Because some breeders are still unfamiliar with this technology we thought it timely to raise the most frequently asked questions about genomic selection. Do you know which statements are fact and which are false? text Esther van Elk

T

here is still a lot of uncertainty about genomic selection. Just take the different names that it’s given – genomics, markers and InSires.

They are essentially three terms for the same thing. Genomic selection (selection on the basis of genes) is also called marker-assisted selection.

Dutch AI company CRV has sires with a genomic breeding value, which it calls InSire bulls. So it is high time that the most common facts and fiction about genomics were explained in more detail.

In a genomic breeding value parentage is also considered.

FACT: The genomic breeding value is determined by parentage and by markers in a 50:50 split.

The relationship between markers and parentage is one where a characteristic

Table 1: Use of genomic bulls

34

country

AI company

%

The Netherlands

CRV holstein CRV red and white

40 35

Denmark

Viking Genetics

50

Germany

OHG

65

France

Creavia Amelis Genes Diffusion

75 75 45

US

CRI other

60 > 50

can be just that little bit different to another characteristic, but in general this proportion is 50:50.

This, therefore, means that when a bull father in the course of time sees his breeding values drop considerably, this greatly affects the genomic breeding values of his son. Take, for example, a bull like Sunrise.

His father Jardin, when put into service as a bull father, obtained 108 for leg quality. Now, four years later, he only scores 97. This is a drop of 11 points. In the same period Sunrise dropped from 109 (genomic breeding value) to 100 (breeding value on the basis of daughters) for leg quality. This is a drop of eight points. This lower score for Sunrise’s leg quality is mainly caused by the fact that his father saw a drop in leg quality and it is not, therefore, due to the sire’s genomic breeding value.

The fact that bulls can fall or rise is a prior condition of breeding in general and not something typical of genomics.

The use of genomic bulls in the Netherlands is very high.

FICTION: The Netherlands is actually restrained in its use of genomic bulls.

Use is much greater in other European countries and in the US. Table 1 illustrates this well.

Genomic young bulls are being sold and used in the UK. The UK works closely with North America on genomics but most EU countries work with GES. Avoncroft sells CRV’s InSire genomic bulls to UK breeders and producers.

V EcE oT w E EmL Ta nj a a ge n um a er n i t1 /A2P RI 2 0L0/9M A Y

CM04_genomic selection.indd 34

CRV wants to greatly increase the use of InSire bulls.

FICTION: CRV has a wide range of breeding and genomic bulls. Breeders are free to choose the bulls that they want to use. By providing honest information about genomics, CRV wants breeders to see the full picture and view a wide range of the various possibilities.

In this way a producer can make a sound and well-considered choice through their own judgment. CRV’s task is to ensure that the breeder, irrespective of the bulls that they select, can choose from the best bulls available via the breeding programme.

Suppose you have an InSire bull and a ‘converted’ foreign bull that already has foreign daughters in milk. Both have 60% reliability for NVI. The NVI of the InSire bull in this case means less than that of the ‘converted’ foreign bull.

FICTION: The same applies to both groups of bulls: two of the three bulls achieve a breeding value on the basis of daughters that deviate by less than 40

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 12:54

DNA profiling: genetic markers form 50% of a genomic sires predicted proof

points from the genomic breeding value or from the converted breeding value.

And one in six bulls will increase by more than 40 points, while one in six bulls will drop by more than 40 points NVI. Genomic breeding values are still in their infancy and must prove themselves.

FICTION: Around 600 genomic bulls at CRV have already obtained their breeding values on the basis of daughters. The results of this show that the genomic breeding values match their daughter breeding values. The rises and falls with regard to the genomic breeding values are exactly as you might expect with 60%.

Genomic breeding values are totally accurate.

Some bulls deviate by 100 points NVI or more from their genomic breeding values after the daughters from the test period begin to milk.

FICTION: The reliability of genomic breeding values amounts to 60%. This 60% reliability means that you can expect that one in 100 bulls drops by

about 100 points and one in 100 rises by about 100 points.

For breeding bulls (85%) fewer than one in 1,000 bulls can fall or rise by 100 points NVI. Reliability of only 30% is found in test bulls without genomic breeding values and with only an expected value.

Globally one in 10 bulls will rise or fall by 100 points NVI after the daughters from the test period have begun to milk.

In the selection of bull mothers, CRV only looks at the genomic breeding values of the cow.

The performance of a cow does not play any further part.

FICTION: Firstly, by means of the genomic breeding value of a cow, a preselection of top-ranking cows takes place. After that the breeding technicians examine the actual performance of these top-ranking cows, their cow family and the relationship of each animal with the population.

Each cow is individually assessed as to whether the animal is suitable as a bull mother.

At CRV no young bull is used without the bull itself and its mother being assessed by a breeding expert. Genomic breeding values of young bulls compared to test bulls not only have higher reliability (60%), but also their level of breeding values is clearly higher.

FACT: With genomic selection, particularly with half brothers and full brothers, a selection is made at the highest genomic breeding value. For example: four full brothers have the same expected value (reliability is only 30%) of 200 NVI. After genomic selection a few brothers will come out above 200 NVI and the others below. The young bull that comes out the furthest above its expected value has the greatest chance of being selected for use as an InSire test bull.

In this way the young InSire test bulls have a much higher genomic breeding value than test bulls. Furthermore, the reliability of a genomic breeding value (60%) is naturally also significantly higher than that of an expected value (30%). l

cow man ag e me n t

CM04_genomic selection.indd 35

AP R IL / M A Y

2 0 1 3

35

25-04-13 12:54

CM04_p36.indd 36

25-04-13 13:26

F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A RY

S T E V E

P R A C T I C E

B O R S B E R RY

Vet Steve Borsberry, from the Solihull-based 608 XLVet Group in the West Midlands, shares some tips on disease prevention and tackling health problems in dairy herds, drawing from his many years of on-farm experience. Here he takes a closer look at a the importance of providing dairy cows with plenty of clean and accessible water.

Water is absolutely essential for efficient, healthy and fertile dairy cows

Water, water, everywhere...

W

ater is often over-looked by producers, who are invariably distracted by ration formulation and other day-to-day management issues.

Yet a clean, plentiful and easily accessible water supply is vital to maximise potential milk yields and, in young stock, daily live weight gains. Water ‘restriction’ will result in reduced performance and severe ‘deficiency’ and dehydration – which I have seen but rarely in my career.

Symptoms include sunken eyes, lethargy and collapse.

That said dairy cows will be extremely vocal if they’re thirsty. You’ll see them clustered around the water trough, bellowing loudly.

An inadequate supply – be it dirty, inaccessible or simply too little – will prevent a herd from maximising is production potential and will impact on herd health and fertility. Heifer growth rates may also be checked and calving age targets will be more difficult to achieve.

Troughs should be positioned high enough to avoid contamination with faeces and, for young stock, low enough to allow easy access and trouble-free drinking.

Faecal contamination can lead to infection with disease including Salmonella and coccidia, the latter being a particular problem in young stock.

Trough positioning is also important in terms of travelling distance. Cows won’t walk a long way for water, such as back to the yard if they’re out grazing or to a far flung corner of a field.

Stagnant water They may turn to other water supplies – dirty puddles or ponds – and that can lead to problems in itself. Ponds in particular can be a reservoir for

diseases such as Leptospirosis, bTB and Johnes’ disease.

Johnes’ can survive in water for months – trials have shown up to a year – so it’s vital to consider your herd’s water and drinking facilities as part of any Johnes’ control plan.

Ponds and stagnant water can also be contaminated with algae and that too can make cows unwell. And wading into a pond or boggy area to drink may also increase the risk of animals picking up liver fluke.

Another factor that can drive cows to drink from undesirable sources is adding magnesium chloride to the drinking water to help prevent grass staggers. If you’re going to do this, make sure there are not other water sources available to the cow. She will choose stagnant standing water over the trough as adding magnesium chloride does alter the taste of the water.

Truly ad-lib It’s vital never to restrict water supply.

Water requirements differ depending on the dry matter level of the diet, but typically a cow needs between four and five litres of water for every kilogramme of dry matter eaten. In a large cow that means up to 100 litres of water a day.

Trials have shown that a restricted or contaminated supply can reduce milk yield by between one or two litres a day – that soon adds up to a lot of milk for a 100-cow herd.

Remember that scouring cows and calves need extra water – they’re more prone to dehydration.

Take time to look at the ‘water situation’ on your unit. Look at troughs, cleanliness and water availability through a cow’s eyes. Make sure she has access to clean and fresh water at all times and that it’s conveniently available and keep her away from possibly contaminated sources at all costs. l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_vetcolumn.indd 37

AP R IL/ M A Y

2 0 1 3

37

25-04-13 13:55

Tel: 01772-785252 www.farmplus.co.uk

THE FREEDOM FLEXIBELE CUBICLE Now with PARTITION and 3 cylinder Kubota 20hp THE SUPREME COMFORT COWMATRASS engine

dp Nutrition

experts in cattle bedding The Agricom Cubicle Manager is the solution for farmers wanting a fast, efficient way to clean and bed down cubicles • Slashes the time taken to

We Offer: ADVICE-DESIGN-SUPPLY-INSTALLATION 38

Bringing you advanced technology and barn equipment from C O Wthe M world, A N A meeting G E M E expectations N T A P R I Lof/ comfort M A Y and 2 0 welfare 1 3 around for tomorrows dairyman De Boer Housing Systems Ltd your partner in excellence.

• Cow comfort; Super comfort and 2-D cubicle divisions. and waterbeds.

CM04_p38.indd • Mattresses 38

THE FREEDOM FLEXIBELE CUBICLE clean and bed down * More boxes per shed * Simple installation/D.I.Y • Greatlyfree reduces * Far less injuries! * Steel cowbedding sheds usage and costs • Single person operation and low running costs • Manufactured to last

26-04-13 08:57

Windschermen • Pare-vent • Windbreaks • Windschirme

WE’RG FEOR

LOOKIN

DEALERS

Reg.No.013QS

DNV Certification B.V., BELGIQUE

Slow but constant aeration without draught...

In other words, optimal ventilation.

Industriestraat 8c • 8755 Ruiselede • Belgium • e-mail: info@vervaeke.be Phone +32 (0)51 68 97 73 • Fax +32 (0)51 68 99 92 • Mobile 0475 43 56 78 W W W. V E R VA E K E . B E

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_p39.indd 39

AP R IL / M A Y

2 0 1 3

39

25-04-13 13:50

M A N A G E M E N T

More than one way to reach the top of the production ladder

Pathways to top places Top production, with only 23kg of fat and protein between them, puts two Holstein herds in first and second place in NMR’s latest Annual Production Report. But they have got there following very different routes. The two have achieved their success with contrasting herd sizes and management systems. text Karen Wright

J

ohn Shropshire and his sister Melanie Phillips just scraped into NMR’s top 1% in its national production rankings last year. This year, adding 117kg of fat and protein and 2,085kg of milk to the herd’s yield, they find themselves in top place.

The family run pedigree Bridgelane herd from Market Drayton, in Shropshire, achieved a yield from 49 qualifying lactations of 13,433kg of milk with 908kg of fat and protein on a robotic milking system for the year ending September 2012.

Two key factors have influenced the leap forward in yields at Bridge Farm – the milking system and the breeding policy that John has successfully pursued.

“We’ve bred cows for production for a while and we got to a point where our management system probably wasn’t allowing the cows to reach their potential,” says John. “Our feed adviser suggested that we should try three-

times-a-day milking. But with just two of us on the farm – managing the herd, youngstock and bull beef from the dairy herd – we knew that three-times-a-day milking was out of the question without getting some extra help.”

Freed up time That help came, two years ago, in the form of a Lely Astronaut Robot that milks about 55 cows. It also dispenses feed to each cow, according to yield, based on their NMR records across the 24-hour period.

“We have been pleased with how well the cows use it,” adds John. “They come into the milking station as and when they want and they are very relaxed about the whole process. And it’s freed up time for us too, so we can focus on other jobs.”

Those ‘other jobs’ for John and Melanie include rearing replacements for the herd.

Andrew Deacon and his mother Jean

40

This starts with careful breeding decisions. “We’ve been production orientated in our sire selection,” explains John.

“And it’s worked well as we’ve been careful not to compromise functional type. Cows are typically in the herd for five or six lactations so they have good ‘staying power’. But we’ve looked for bulls with good legs, feet and health traits more recently. We can always improve longevity – legs, feet and herd health need to be as good as possible.”

With heifers calving close to two years old, the herd is now up to 65 milkers calving all year round and this year they anticipate that there will be some surplus heifers to sell.

A very sound herd health policy at Bridge Farm should add to the value of heifers from this herd. They work closely with their vet, testing for Johne’s disease, IBR, BVD and Lepto as well as carrying out vaccination programmes.

“We want to be in the know when it comes to herd health and to keep on top of any infections,” adds John. “Apart from affecting the cow’s performance, poor health and infections can have devastating effect on calves and these are our long-term future.”

Down to silage Silage making conditions – particularly for grass silage – has a lot to do with cow performance according to Andrew Deacon. His Boyesland herd of pedigree

John Shropshire with his sister Melanie and their cow Floss

c Vco EoEww Tm EmEaa LnTnaajgan geemm uear enntit s1Ae/Pp2Rt I2 eLm 0/0b M9eArY 22000193

CM04_NMR feature.indd 40

25-04-13 14:01

Boyesland cows: silage quality plays a major part in cow performance

Holsteins, from Ulnes Walton near Preston in Lancashire, added 64kg of fat and protein and 775kg of milk to move up the production rankings from fourteenth to second place. Milked three times a day, this herd produced 12,621kg of milk and 885kg of fat and protein with 236 qualifying lactations.

In contrast to John Shropshire’s herd, cow numbers at Boyes Farm have increased markedly in the past five years and particularly since the installation of the new 44 x 22 unit herringbone parlour four years ago.

“It takes time to increase herd size,” says Andrew, who farms in partnership with his mother Jean. “We’ve used mainly our own youngstock to grow the herd but it’s not just about more cows. It’s also about the whole infrastructure that needs to grow as the herd expands.”

The Deacons, with the help of three fulltime staff and three relief milkers, are now milking a herd of 330 plus followers and youngstock.

Streamlined management Management is streamlined. Cows calve all year round to provide a level milk profile for the herd’s Arla Tesco contract.

Three cubicle sheds house the milking herd and although they will spend some of the day at grass in summer –

conditions permitting – they get a flat rate TMR diet all year round. This ration is based on grass and maize silage with straights carefully balanced to meet the cows’ nutritional requirements. There’s no added complication involved in feeding to yield.

“The emphasis for us is on providing cows with a top quality diet. Feed quality, I believe, has the biggest single effect on herd performance,” adds Andrew. “And this is highly reliant on silage quality – which is mainly determined by silage making conditions.

Our maize silage is grown on contract but grass silage is ‘home produced’ – we have 162 hectares of grass that is mainly used for silage production and this makes around 70% of the forage part of the ration.

Copy-book spring “Two years ago we had a ‘copy-book’ spring. First cut was completed by the first week in May and second cut by mid June. The quality was excellent and consequently the cows performed very well. In contrast, 2012’s conditions were awful!”

But Andrew appreciates that nutrition alone will not maintain the high production performance of this herd.

Herd health is a top priority too. “We’re

using the NMR Herdwise service to routinely screen for Johne’s,” says Andrew. “This automatically runs the test for each cow every quarter.

“We’re also working with our vet to achieve a BVD-free accredited herd and we vaccinate for IBR and Lepto. We want a high health status for the herd apart from the obvious ‘cow’ benefits. It has a great impact on performance and ultimately profitability.”

Uniform cows With a system like the Deacons, breeding a uniform herd of cows is important.

“We feed and manage cows as one group here so we don’t want too much variance in the type of cows we keep. We use the Genus RMS service and select bulls with good functional type and with positive health traits. We want cows that will stay in the herd for four or more lactations and maintain good yields without any problems.”

And John Shropshire would second this – so despite contrasting herd sizes and different management systems there is a similar philosophy in these two herds – to breed cows fit for the job and ensure that they get the health and nutritional support that they require. And, in terms of productivity, it’s a tactic that’s adding to the success of their businesses. l

cc oo w wm m aa nn aa gg ee m m ee nn tt As Pe Rp It Le /mMbAe Yr 22 00 10 39

CM04_NMR feature.indd 41

41

25-04-13 14:01

+44(0) 1237 42 5000 or visit:

42

C OWM A NAGEMENT

CM04_p42.indd 42

APR I L/MAY

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 13:53

BREEDING INFORMATION

Unmatched quality from the Netherlands Quality from Goldwyn New Goldwyn sons break through and they excel across the board with Delta Astro at £218 PLI the highest. From the same maternal line as Atlantic, he combines ideal production +483kg of milk, +30kg of fat (+0.14%) and +20kg of protein (+0.06%) with great type (114 total) and great all round functional traits.

Atlantic daughters Ria 745, Adje 8721 and Ria 742 Astro daughter Leida 291

Never before has a bull shown such convincing figures as Delta Atlantic (Ramos x O Man) right now. With a Dutch ranking of 297 NVI points (£180 PLI), he has the highest score ever obtained by a Dutch bull.

Atlantic had already impressed in the December index run, with his daughter-proven type values. Now his production proof is also based on daughter performance. He transmits +332kg of milk with +17kg of fat (+0.05%) high protein +19kg (+0.10%).

His conformation score is 113, with 110 for frame and 115 for dairy

strength – a combination of finesse and strength that is seldom seen.

Model of CRV breeding Atlantic also performs well in the field of health and fertility, with 105 for udder health and 104 for fertility.

With 715 days of longevity, Atlantic he makes a strong contribution to increasing lifetime production. With these breeding values, and as a son of one of the most successful cows from the European CRV breeding programme, Atlantic is a model of CRV breeding.

Newhouse Banker

traits, high longevity (499 days) quality udders (108) with low SCC (–14) and is a very easy calving (108) bull. With this breeding pattern and pedigree, he can be used on a large number of cows.

Newhouse Banker (£197 PLI) is from a Mascol dam, which means conformation x health.

And that’s exactly how his breeding pattern looks, with a 112 conformation index, 106 for udder health and 103 for fertility.

With these figures, Banker is the ideal sire for breeding strong, healthy, long life cows with great production.

Lowlands Franklin

Banker daughter Mien 106

Choice in plenty The new number-one red-and-white bull in Holland is Lowlands Redman.

At £171PLI he is a son of Fiction RF from a Topspeed Gogo dam. He has a fabulous transmission pattern with high milk production, +342kg of milk with +22kg of fat (+0.11%) and high protein +20kg (+0.11%). In addition, Redman’s daughters have good health Franklin daughter Corrie 54

This also applies to Lowlands Franklin (£147 PLI). He is a Mr Burns son from a Taco daughter with no Kian, Lightning or Stadel blood in his pedigree so he can be used on a lot of red-and-white cows. He transmits strong production +323kg of milk, +21kg of fat (+0.11%) and 16kg (+0.08%) protein and good health (103 udder health). He also adds a very complete conformation pattern (109 Final score). This makes Franklin a special bull that can add value to almost any herd.

For full details of all these bulls call Avoncroft for free on 0800 7831880.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_Avoncroft news.indd 43

AP R IL / M A Y

2 0 1 3

43

25-04-13 09:32

44

C OWM A NAGEMENT

CM04_p44.indd 44

APR I L/MAY

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 15:33

CM04_p45.indd 45

25-04-13 13:59

B U L L

P R O O F S

Outstanding fertility and udder health sire tops bull rankings

Awesome by name – and by nature Former Gold Cup finalist and respected Holstein breeder

Willy Ley

Willy Ley shares his views on the latest daughter-proven and

Morningview Levi on his herd and Levi remains among the top PLI bulls of the breed. He’s suited to producers seeking trouble-free calvings. Both his direct Calving Ease Index at 2.5 and his maternal Calving Ease Index at 2.0 indicate that his calves are likely to be born with ease, while his daughters themselves should go on to have troublefree calvings. His PLI is £243.

The highest brand-new entry in eleventh place is De-Su Observer, whose PLI is £227. Observer is one of the early Planet sons and has already been used heavily as a sire of sons on the basis of his outstanding genomic index – calculated from the bull’s own DNA. As a result, he already has three sons among the top 10 genomic young sires available in the UK, confirming the confidence producers give UK genomic predictions.

genomically-tested lists following the April bull proof run. text Rachael Porter

A

nother O Man son has taken the top spot in the latest bull proof run and Devon-based breeder Willy Ley isn’t surprised.

Ranked on Profitable Lifetime Index (PLI), US-bred Whitman O Man Awesome Andy (O Man x Zade) leads the list. He rises from fourth position, predominantly by virtue of the outstanding health and fitness seen in his daughters. With an exceptional daughter Fertility Index (7.1) and good udder health (SCC Index –23), he also becomes the breed leader for daughter lifespan, at 0.8. This means his daughters will, on average, last nearly a full lactation (0.8) longer than an average cow. Awesome’s overall PLI is £260.

“He’s a great bull, particularly for the price of his semen, with lots of secondcrop daughters in the US. I’ve not used him as his type linear didn’t do it for me.

But he’s a winner – a sound commercial bull. How else would he be at number one?” says Willy.

With a PLI of £259, former front-runner Guarini maintains his strong position and, with an SCC Index of –32, he

Guarini

46

UK bull The new number-one UK-proven bull – Ballycairn Oman Pello – sits in third position with a PLI of £248. “He looks very sound and he offers high type merit,” says Willy, adding that he’s another O Man son and has certainly caught his eye this time around. This sire has improved on daughter fitness and production traits, rising from sixth position in the December 2012 rankings.

With a Predicted Transmitting Ability (PTA), which includes 981kg of milk, he is the highest milk transmitter in the top 60.

“I have to admit that I’d not really looked at him seriously before, but I’m certainly looking at his proof in detail now. I may have a dabble but, as I always say, you can’t use them all.”

Willy has used semen from Buckeye son,

De-Su Observer

C VO E EWT M E EALNT A JGAENMUEANRTI A S1 EP/ PR 2 TI 2 LE /M 0M 0B9A ER Y

CM04_bullproofs.indd 46

remains the best cell count improver of the breed. “I have used him on my herd.

He’s a good all rounder. I have some heifers on the ground, which are looking great, but none are milking at the moment.”

Genomic confidence “I have to say that my confidence in the genomic rankings grows every time there’s a proof run,” says Willy. “I may well give Observer a go, if I can get hold of some semen. He’s a Planet son and I’ve used Planet before. I’ve plenty of daughters milking in my herd with good type merit and giving plenty of milk.

I know he can produce the goods.”

The genomic ranking offers a ‘new flush’ of sires that will, undoubtedly, pep up UK breeding. That said, the Morningview Levi

2 0 0 19 3

25-04-13 12:52

–23 –32 –7 –17 –12 –12 –5 –10 –23 –8 –14 –11 –20 –23 –7 –10 –17 –22 –23 –17

0.8 7.1 1.8 0.5 1.5 1.1 0.2 3.1 2.0 0.3 5.5 2.5 0.2 3.8 3.0 0.4 2.3 0.8 0.6 4.0 1.8 0.3 –3.3 0.0 0.3 3.9 0.6 0.2 6.1 1.1 0.4 4.4 1.8 0.3 0.8 2.3 0.3 1.0 1.8 0.2 2.3 2.1 0.2 3.7 0.4 0.4 10.4 1.9 0.4 7.4 3.1 0.5 6.4 1.4 0.4 1.2 1.0 0.4 2.7 2.5

0.88 1.84 1.81 1.88 0.07 –0.22 1.54 1.60 0.63 1.87 1.39 2.22 1.27 2.73 2.45 1.56 0.99 0.04 1.02 –0.19

TM

260 259 248 243 241 240 239 236 236 235 227 226 223 220 218 218 214 214 212 212

udder

41 48 58 50 54 54 43 58 50 51 41 52 47 46 47 38 35 35 43 43

F&L

ind.

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

dCE

+0.20 +0.01 +0.00 +0.06 –0.01 +0.19 –0.07 +0.20 +0.15 +0.20 –0.07 –0.06 +0.21 +0.16 +0.14 +0.10 +0.17 +0.03 –0.01 +0.13

fertility

lifespan

%

SCC

+15.7 +26.1 +31.4 +25.2 +29.7 +23.4 +25.8 +24.6 +22.6 +21.1 +24.5 +30.4 +18.2 +19.7 +20.8 +17.6 +13.8 +18.4 +23.4 +19.0

£PLI

+30.8 +23.8 +38.3 +31.6 +37.4 +31.4 +30.9 +40.2 +29.9 +33.2 +26.0 +30.3 +31.3 +26.8 +30.4 +20.2 +22.2 +18.7 +27.8 +28.8

£PIN

+371 +588 +981 +670 +977 +408 +949 +596 +453 +431 +819 +903 +357 +346 +483 +305 +219 +418 +725 +452

conformation

protein

84 75 91 83 86 75 97 95 79 73 82 85 95 82 79 97 80 93 85 82

Bullsemen.com Bullsemen.com Genus Genus Semex Bullsemen.com Dairy Daughters Cogent Viking/Nordic Genetics Sterling Sires WWS UK Dairy Daughters Cogent WWS UK Avoncroft Semex Avoncroft Genus Bullsemen.com Dovea Genetics

prot. kg

Zade O Man Goldwyn O Man BW Marshall Manat Amel Major Lukas Lancelot O Man Durham Garter O Man O Man Mtoto O Man Laudan BW Marshall Jocko

functional traits

fat%

Wh. O Man Awesome Andy O Man Guarini Goldwyn Ballycairn Oman Pello O Man Morningview Levi Buckeye Mainstream Manifold O Man O Man Lynbrook Jancen Ensenada Taboo Planet Taboo Cogent Twist Shottle D Omar O Man Gomez Goldwyn De-Su Observer Planet ALH Dakota O Man Goldwyn Ballycairn Tiergan Pirolo Goldwyn Wyman Goldwyn Delta Astro Goldwyn Crockett-Acres Eight O Man Goldwyn Veneriete 252 Tempo Laurelhill Classic O Man Co-Op Oman Logan O Man Kolhorner Joy Symbol O Man

mat. grandsire supplier

fat kg

sire

milk

name

rel.

production

0.18 2.16 0.87 0.77 1.32 0.03 1.62 0.82 0.23 0.73 3.33 0.24 1.51 1.61 1.35 0.58 2.04 1.25 0.42 0.22

0.44 2.33 1.32 1.34 1.06 0.01 1.72 1.23 0.52 1.22 3.21 0.87 1.57 2.29 2.02 1.06 2.02 1.07 0.72 0.15

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

list’s number-one bull, Rosylane-LLC AltaBarney, retains the position he held in the previous index run.

At £270, he has a Profitable Lifetime Index some 10 points ahead of the leading daughter-proven sire, and brings the prospect of improving production and fitness traits across UK herds.

“In this list, the sires’ genetics don’t change but the parent average will over time. So bulls will move around a little.

And Planet sons seem to be doing exceptionally well in this ranking at the moment – I counted at least 16 in the top 25,” says Willy.

“If you look at these Planet sons’ lifespan and type merit scores, they’re an impressive bunch and it’s hardly surprising that they’re on the list.

Planet’s daughters milk very well, stay in the herd and work hard – they’re good cows. It’s no surprise to see so many sons of his in this list.”

Six of the top-10 bulls also featured in the December 2012 index run and there are also three complete newcomers in the ranking.

In fifth position is Farnear-TBR-BH Lews Flyn, sired by Lewis, whose own sire, Badger-Bluff Fanny Freddie, features in many of the pedigrees of young genomic sires. Flyn has daughter fertility and fitness running through his pedigree and will appeal to UK breeders who were never able to use his sire or breedleading grandsire. Flyn’s PLI is £253.

At number seven, Welcome Armitage

Pesky is also new to the rankings and as a son of Armitage (whose semen was not available in Europe) and out of a Jose dam, he will appeal to those with an eye for something different, says Willy. Pesky’s PLI is £250.

Another new face among the high-fliers is equal ninth ranking Hammer-Creek

OB Keyboard, the third son of Observer in the top 10. Keyboard’s PLI is £249.

“The cross over between the two rankings – daughter-based and genomic – is interesting and reassuring for breeders using genomic sires. My own use of genomic bulls is creeping up a little as a result,” adds Willy. l

New arrival in British Friesian rankings British Friesian Deangate Tarquin retains the number-one PLI at £197, thanks to his strong all-round performance in production and fitness traits. He stays comfortably ahead of the high production transmitter Morcourt Hilton (PLI £174) in second position. A new arrival ranked third comes in the shape of Catlane Carl.

With early daughter information, this Catlane Speaker x Bureaucrat earns a PLI of £165, ahead of Lakemead Randolf who displays good longevity at 0.5. The highest daughter Fertility Index is reserved for Deangate Quentin who ranks fifth.

Jersey Among the Jersey sires, long-time leader DJ Hulk now shares the number one spot with another Danish-born Jersey, DJ Broiler – both with PLIs of £227. All Lynns Maximus Vernon holds on to third place (PLI £216) and Sunset Canyon Anthems Allstar now ranks

fourth. DJ Invest rounds off the top five, making significant gains since the last index run in December.

Ayrshire The top of the Ayrshire rankings remain unchanged, with Swedish Red, V Foske leading the way ahead of new entry Asmo Andrei. This Finnish Ayrshire excels in production and is followed by another Swedish bull and daughter fertility specialist, Gunnarstorp.

Other breeds Little change within the other breeds leaves Odislait holding on to number-one position amongst the Montbeliardes (PLI £170); Sniders Option Aaron taking the top slot on the Guernsey Merit Index ranking (GMI 389); Huray staying ahead for the Brown Swiss breed (PLI £216); and Cotley Custodian taking the lead for the Shorthorns.

COW MAN AG E ME N T

CM04_bullproofs.indd 47

A S EP PR TI LE /MMB A E R Y

2 0 0 19 3

47

25-04-13 12:52

CM03_p28.indd 28

14-03-13 14:40

Polled gene distribution with various cow x sire combinations

GEN O

pp

Pp

pp

PP

pp

Pp

Pp

Pp

Pp

PP

Pp

Pp

pp

ELVES MS

C BULLS MI

Pp

OVE THE PR

BULLS CRV’S GENOMIC POLLED BULLS PROVE THEMSELVES KEEP PROGRESSING

Grietje 170 (s. Pilot)

SIRE

PILOT

ASTERIX P Lawn Boy x Canvas

Corrie 251 – 50% polled (s. Silky) – high production – longevity

– 50% polled – very high milk – outcross

Kg M

% Fat

% Protein

Kg Fat

Kg P

Kg F&P

Long

NVI

Genomic breeding value

663

–0.20

0.01

11

24

35

365

141

Daughter proven breeding value

640

–0.05

0.02

23

24

47

366

213

% Protein

Kg Fat

Kg P

Kg F&P

Long

0.00

22

29

51

498

–0.02

15

30

45

SIRE

SILKY

MADDOCK P Kodak x Lawn Boy

Genomic breeding value Daughter proven breeding value

www.avoncroft.com

FOXTROT P RF Kg M % Fat Mitey P x O-Man 837

–0.16

– 50% polled –932 red factor–0.27 – persistency

182

– 100% polled calves 630 227 – red factor – easy calving

ALL SALES INQUIRIES: FREEPHONE 0800 – 783 1880

BETTER COWS | BETTER LIFE

CM04_CRV.indd 49 042-13 Adv CM ENG-feb.indd 1

PAULUS PP RF NVI Mitey P x Lawn Boy

CRV4ALL.COM

25-04-13 14-02-13 15:46 10:25

C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS May 14: May 15-17: May 29-June 1: May 31: June 25-26: June 25-26: July 3-4: July 9-11: July 22-25: September 12: October 2: October 15: November 20:

Milking time for these red-andwhite ladies Picture: Kristina Waterschoot

ScotGrass, Crichton Royal Farm, Dumfries Balmoral Show, Balmoral Park, Belfast Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset NMR/RABDF Gold Cup open day at Shanael Holsteins, near Evesham, Worcestershire Nottingham Feed Conference, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire Large herd seminar, Wotton-under-Edge, South Gloucestershire Livestock Event, NEC, Birmingham Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate, North Yorkshire Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells, Powys National forage conference, Reaseheath College, Nantwich, Cheshire The Dairy Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Welsh Dairy Show, Nantyci Showground, Carmarthen Agriscot, Edinburgh, Scotland

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 Esther van Elk, Roger Evans, Allison Matthews, David Matthews and Karen Wright Publisher Rochus Kingmans

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

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

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

Advertisements 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

Alta............................................................36 ATL Agri.....................................................21 Avoncroft/Thompson...................................2 Batchelor Enterprises Ltd.............................17 Biotal............................................................7 Boer Housing Systems Ltd, De....................17 Cogent.......................................................45 Cowsfeet......................................................6 CRV............................................................49 Dow AgroSciences......................................11 DP Agri...........................................20, 32, 42 Easyfix........................................................21 Elanco.........................................................13 Enviro Systems............................................38 Farmplus.....................................................38 FiveF...........................................................38

Fullwood....................................................25 Joskin.........................................................42 Micron Bio-Systems....................................44 Nedap........................................................44 NMR....................................................48, 51 RABDF......................................17, 32, 38, 42 Semex........................................................22 Spinder.......................................................38 Storth...........................................................6 Teemore Engineering Ltd..............................6 TH White....................................................33 VDK Agri....................................................32 Vervaeke....................................................39 Vétoquinol..................................................52 Westpoint...................................................39

COMING UP

L i v e s t ock 2 0 1 3 sp ecial June/July (June 18th) – Prepare yourself for Livestock 2013 with our special preview. And we’ll also have an article on the strategic use of sexed semen, as well as our quarterly business update.

Illustrations/pictures Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Carsten Faber (12) and Brian Mitchell (14).

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 Classic Printing Phone 01452 731539 ISSN 1570-5641

50

cowma nagement

CM04_contacts.indd 50

APRI L/MAY

2 0 1 3

25-04-13 15:18

CM03_p02.indd 2

14-03-13 14:01

CM04_p52.indd 52

25-04-13 14:53