Dairy News Australia - June 2019 - With Gippsland Region

JUNE, 2019 ISSUE 104

GIPPSLAND REGION

Getting started

Herd strength a foundation for success see page 3

Got a message you want Gippsland dairy farmers to know about?

Advertising manager: James MacGibbon 0409 103 745 james.macgibbon @dairynewsaustralia.com.au

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

2 // GIPPSLAND REGION

Regional Manager’s message

For pod’s sake, have a listen GIPPSDAIRY LAUNCHED its inaugural podcast last month, receiving a great response from the dairy community.

The first DairyPod saw farm consultant John Mulvany sharing his thoughts on marginal milk with GippsDairy regional extension officer Ruairi McDonnell. As always, John was thought-provoking, challenging and sometimes controversial, which is just the way we like him.

The overwhelmingly positive feedback to DairyPod got me thinking about how times are changing in the way GippsDairy and farmers communicate.

Not long ago, How Now Gippy Cow was pretty much our only channel for getting in contact with large numbers of farmers in one hit. A phone call or letter was just about the only way for farmers to offer feedback.

Today, How Now Gippy Cow is still going strong but is complemented by social media postings that can be updated at a moment’s notice, a fortnightly eNews which you are reading now and direct emails that can be sent to discrete farmer groups without clogging up every other farmer’s inbox.

Feedback from farmers is instantaneous these days, helping us shape future decisions on communications content and methods.

Using podcasts to discuss issues in greater depth in a format that allows people to access it when it suits them, seems like the perfect way to get important information into the hands of farmers.

A farmer could climb out of the tractor with both a fertilised paddock and a better understanding of how endophytes could improve pastures, how farm management deposits could save money or, after this episode, a greater understanding of marginal milk.

GREAT RESULTS, GREAT VALUE

These are just a few of hundreds of topics we could explore in future episodes.

I’d encourage you to have a listen to the first DairyPod – it’s as easy as heading to Soundcloud or the Apple podcast app and searching for DairyPod. · Allan Cameron GippsDairy Regional Manager

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Keeping Gippsland growing! www.gendore.com.au LEONGATHA 82–84 Yarragon Road | (03) 5662 4044 TOORADIN 79–83 South Gippsland Highway | (03) 5998 3216 WARRAGUL 180 Queens Street | (03) 5622 3875

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

GIPPSLAND REGION // 3

Farm succession met with optimism JEANETTE SEVERS

CRAIG CALVERT took on the dairy farm at

Mossiface as part of a succession plan, nearly 12 months ago. The dairy farm had been leased to independent operators for several years.

Mr Calvert is the seventh generation of the Calvert family to farm this land at Mossiface. The current 178 ha was once part of a bigger pastoral holding that has been carved up with successive generations.

An irrigation licence went to another family member; which means the dryland dairy farm has traditionally relied on town water in the dairy and a drain into the nearby Tambo River to water livestock.

Mr Calvert has taken on ownership at a time of depressed dairy prices in Australia and significant drought in east Gippsland, but he is optimistic.

Much of his focus in the past 12 months has been on consolidating the herd, improving cow health and increasing production in the dairy shed and in the paddock.

On July 1 last year, the herd’s milk output was averaging 9.8 litres. “Within nine weeks, they were up to 28 litres,�

Mr Calvert said. “I concentrated on improving herd health in the beginning.�

That included bringing in an animal nutritionist to advise about feeding grain, testing the blood of every cow in the herd to identify mineral deficiencies, redesigning the paddocks to allow a 28-day grazing rotation and concentrating on growing crops in larger paddocks.

As cows were culled from the herd — using high cell counts, reproduction and production figures as measurements — Mr Calvert bought-in replacement cows-in-calf with production figures that mirrored what he was aiming for. “I wrote out the key criteria for keeping cows in the herd,� he said. “Our focus is on growing the herd. The replacements have decades of AI breeding for high performance.�

Those calves are now on the ground and will be among the first heifers he raises, to join the

Lucerne is harvested daily, allowed to de-gas, then fed out as green chop to the herd.

milking herd in 2021. He will continue to use topline Friesian and Holstein semen in the higherproduction cows — one-quarter of the herd this year is joined to the semen of a registered Holstein bull — and join Jersey-cross cows to beef semen. “We should see positive outcomes in herd production and performance in three to four years,� Mr Calvert said.

As the east Gippsland drought bit into its third year, he bought-in oaten and millet silage and wheaten and oaten hay, while crops and pasture re-established. He leased a 20 ha outblock in nearby Bairnsdale to grow oats, barley and ryegrass, to cut hay through this winter. He will sow lucerne in spring this year.

Bores were sunk in spring 2018, with a head pressure of 4.5 m and pumping out water at 1 Ml/ day. The initial investment of $70 000 to sink the

Craig Calvert feeds his herd with the expectation they will all be sitting down by noon.

bores and install troughs, pumps and two-inch pipe across the farm is paying off when compared to the cost of town water. “We were spending $8000 a quarter using town water in the dairy,� Mr Calvert said. “We’ve also seen improvements in production and animal health since the cows began drinking bore water. “We instantly noticed a difference in production, with an extra 1200 litres of milk after the first day they had access to it.�

Production has also been helped by sowing sorghum, lucerne and ryecorn as crops to harvest as green chop or to bale, along with ryegrass and clover to graze. An agronomist and a seed supplier are part of the team. “We have a calendar for our farm planning, seasonal planning for paddocks, pasture, crops, where we expect peak feed to be growing in each

season, where not, and where we expect to see the cows grazing,� Mr Calvert said.

At the moment, the herd receives a green chop of half a wagon of lucerne twice a day, from a 6 ha paddock. “We cut it in the afternoon, leave it in the trailer to de-gas, then feed it afternoon and morning,� Mr Calvert said. “By midday, I’m expecting my cows to be sitting down — they’ve eaten enough for the day.�

A sustainability focus continues across all activity on the farm. The effluent with the washdown water goes into a tank and is spread across paddocks on a daily basis.

Colostrum milk is fed to the calves, who also get fresh milk twice a day. Excess milk is fed to pigs on another farm.

Craig Calvert is focused on breeding a high-production herd and is selectively joining cows to a registered Holstein bull to help achieve this aim.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

4 // GIPPSLAND REGION

Defined roles work in sharefarming partnership JEANETTE SEVERS

RON AND Julia Hibma bought their dairy farm

at Dennison, Victoria; and for the past six years have had a very successful relationship with their sharefarmers, Max and Tameeka Vera.

The sharefarming partnership is divided 50:50 for farm inputs and milk cheque. The sharefarmers benefit alone from livestock sales, but they also provide the labour and machinery.

The irrigation farm, which milks a self-replacing herd of predominantly Holstein-Friesian cows off an effective 105ha, is focused on growing grass and buying in fodder. A 25 ha outblock is used to raise heifers.

They have 150 autumn calvers and 250 spring calvers. The semen of Holstein A2 registered bulls is used with AI, followed by mopping up beef bulls — three weeks in autumn and six weeks in spring. “We only keep the AI heifers,� Mr Hibma said.

He has a matrix for keeping cows in the herd. “They need to have good fertility, be easy calving and of moderate stature,� Mr Hibma said. “We use A2 bulls so we’re prepared if our region becomes an area where processors are looking for that type of milk.�

The herd averages 524 kg MS per cow annually.

The farm has a 367 Ml irrigation licence, with water from Lake Glenmaggie and a bore.

Last spring, they pushed irrigation hard to grow grass and harvest silage, in the hope there would be a spill of Lake Glenmaggie. Unfortunately, it did not happen.

Irrigators on the system fed by Lake Glenmaggie rely on a spill over the weir before Christmas, which can automatically re-set their irrigation entitlement for the remainder of the season. In the drought that has had parts of Gippsland in its grip for three years now, a spill was a hopedfor occurrence last year. It didn’t happen. “We went hard on our wheel water hoping there’d be a spill,� Mr Hibma said. “Being a dry year, we used 250 Ml before

Laneways, installed when the open channel irrigation system was replaced with underground pipes, have significantly reduced lameness in the cows and improved their access between the dairy, feed pad and paddocks.

December 15, which was about two-thirds of our allocation. “It was a calculated gamble and we pushed the system hard but we were able to cut silage between mid-September to mid-November.�

Last year they invested in moisture probes in paddocks, which helped identify when irrigation should be applied, so it was effective. Investments are part of the business regimen.

Adopting a business regimen to operating the farm, Mr and Mrs Hibma and Mr and Mrs Vera are accountable to an advisory board. “I’d recommend it,� Mr Hibma said. “Julia was doing this role but since we brought in independent expertise, it’s created a smoother

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The herd averages 524kg milk solids per cow annually.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

GIPPSLAND REGION // 5 relationship for us. And we all have clearly defined roles in the business. “Any investments or projects we’re interested in, we run through that board. We have to validate the investment initially and report on it quarterly.�

Investments have included extending the centre pivot and underground irrigation infrastructure, as well as purchasing a second farm.

In 2014, an investment of $40 000 saw the dairy business partner with Southern Rural Water as part of a modernisation project, to replace Dethridge wheels and reduce evaporation and seepage from channels.

Earthworks included installing underground irrigation piping, rationalising paddocks and reducing laneways to one central access way with all paddocks leading onto it. “We still have about 20 ha to flood irrigation, but 56 ha — about half the farm — is under the centre pivot and we also use bi-shift laterals,�

Mr Hibma said.

A further $200 000 was spent installing a concrete feed pad with feed troughs.

Mr Hibma said while it was a significant investment at the time, it has paid off in reducing feed waste and improving cow health, paddock growth and worker efficiency. All the silage and hay is stored near the feed pad. “The main saving is a 20 per cent reduced feed wastage; and reduced paddock damage,�

Mr Hibma said.

“We’ve really been able to measure that in the past couple of weeks, while we wait for the mixer wagon to be repaired. We’ve been using portable hay feeders in the paddock and we can see the damage that’s happening daily to the pasture. “And while everything gets eaten in the troughs on the feed pad, in the paddock the cows are a lot pickier about what they’re eating. “Our hay is $430/tonne landed and the feed pad is saving us money, we’re losing with spoilage in the paddock.�

They have also noticed an improvement in animal health. “The laneways stop the cows from becoming lame, as does the feed pad,� Mr Hibma said. “We’re also getting quicker movement up the laneways by the cows. “And after a rain event, because they’re getting silage on the feed pad when they come up to milk, it’s not spoiled like it would be in the paddock. And the machines are not on the paddocks, so they can’t contribute damage to the soil and pasture either.�

It is a focus on the numbers that has helped them get through the drought so far. Mr Hibma is happy to hear the recent forecast prices for milk at the farm gate. “The opening price indicators are strong.

I think it’s potentially $6.80 to $7. “It’s a lot easier to justify keeping stock at those prices; it’s the same with the grain price coming down closer to $400/tonne,� he said.

Ronnie and Julia Hibma spent $200 000 installing a concrete feed pad and troughs, which has reduced spoilage by 20 per cent compared to when they put hay and silage in mobile feeders in the paddock. It has also reduced the impact of machinery in the paddock.

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Grills were installed in the feed pad so it could be washed down. The effluent from the feed pad and the dairy are sprayed onto paddocks.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

6 // GIPPSLAND REGION

Rain after big dry brings disease risk JEANETTE SEVERS

DISEASE RISK increases with rain events after

drought or prolonged dry weather. Some of the diseases that have been affecting dairy cattle in recent weeks in Victoria’s Gippsland and Western Districts are theileriosis and acute bovine liver disease (ABLD). Parasite infections are also increasing.

Theileriosis has been known to impact up to half the milking herd, whereas some dairy farmers have found out about ABLD after experiencing losses of up to 30 per cent of their cows.

Milk fever occurs due to calcium deficiency when dairy cows are grazing green pick and standing water after significant rain increases the chance of liver fluke.

Dairy farmers are encouraged to be alert to changes in their cow behaviour and condition and know the signs and symptoms of diseases and parasite infections.

Where ABLD is clinically indicated by cow behaviour and identifying toxicity in pastures, it is accurately diagnosed by a post mortem.

Bairnsdale veterinarian Dr Jade Hammer recently diagnosed ABLD in a herd of cattle in his district, when eight cows died. He conducted post mortems on the cattle which showed extensive liver damage from the toxin. There have been several incidences of ABLD across Gippsland.

“Acute bovine liver disease is a horrible, painful death, that occurs fairly quickly after the

initial symptoms,” Dr Hammer said.

“Symptoms include aggressive and agitated behaviour. Those cows that survive continue to show photosensitisation for a couple of weeks after the initial toxicity.”

While the cause of ABLD has been largely unknown, unseasonal outbreaks in Gippsland in recent years have enabled scientists and veterinarians to identify some common factors.

It appears to be caused by fungus that forms a toxin, Drechslera spp fungi, and the seed of rough dogs-tail grass, or cynosurus echinatus, has been implicated as a host, according to Agriculture Victoria Southeast Region senior veterinary officer Dianne Phillips. Rough dogs-tail grass is also known as bristly dogstail and hedgehog dogtail.

“We’re suspicious of Drechslera’s involvement but that’s still to be confirmed with research,” Dr Phillips said.

Outbreaks have occurred a couple of weeks after good rainfall following drought or prolonged dry periods.

“We looked at climate conditions and identified an association between the outbreak and the weather,” Dr Phillips said.

Typically, the outbreak has occurred after the cows have been moved onto new pasture, typically paddocks that were restricted to cattle during the drought and showed green pick after rain.

In the Macalister Irrigation District, 20 per cent of the milking herd on one dairy farm died within the normal 12 to 24 hours of toxicity. In west Gippsland, there were losses of 10 to 30 per

cent among dairy herds, with flow on effects to production in the surviving cows.

“There’s no specific treatment so farmers just have to take animals off the pasture,” Dr Phillips said.

Unfortunately, it appears improving the pasture is not a remedy to the toxin.

“It’s quite a sporadic disease,” Dr Phillips said.

Dr Hammer has seen an increase of theileriosis infections in dairy herds in his district, following autumn rain. Typically, the symptoms of pulsating jugular vein, panting, anaemia demonstrated by white gums, loss of condition and, for some cows, aborted calves, have been present.

A blood test has confirmed the infection.

Hans van Wees, a dairy farmer at Tinamba, expects to see one to two diagnoses of theileria infection among his cows every year, after half the herd was infected. Diagnosis occurred after the entire herd underwent blood tests.

“It occurred after rainfall after a dry year. Half the herd was chronically infected, but fortunately only one cow died,” he said.

“We brought the cows home from an outblock, which is probably where they were bitten by ticks carrying theileria. It was just after calving and the symptoms looked just like salmonella without scours. The affected cows lost a lot of weight and that affected production.”

Veterinarians are also warning dairy farmers to be aware that rainfall after drought periods can increase the burden of parasites (leading to cases of, for example, bottle jaw), the risk of milk fever and other nutritional issues such as nitrate

poisoning; all of which lead to poor health and a drop in milk production.

“Internal parasites are a problem particularly for dairy cows on dryland pastures. Rain creates a better environment for eggs to hatch,” Dr Hammer said.

Liver fluke occurs when the carrier snails become more active after a significant rain event causes standing water. Infection transfer to cattle also occurs when the snails are present around leaking troughs and on the edges of waterways and dams.

A faecal test could identify if the levels of liver fluke are low or high enough to warrant drenching.

Dr Hammer also warned milk fever and nitrate poisoning was a common problem for dairy farmers in the current seasonal conditions. Cows grazing fresh short green pasture were showing low calcium levels.

“Milk fever because of low blood calcium levels can be a risk particularly around calving time,” he said.

He recommended adding calcium to the diet through lead feeding and increasing calcium intake post calving through nutrition supplements or grazing lush green grass.

“The clinical signs of milk fever are dry nose and faeces and fast, weak pulses,” he said.

Cows with nitrate poisoning demonstrate neurological effects of staggering and shivering.

“And when you put pressure on them, for example when bringing them up to the dairy, they go down and refuse to move,” Dr Hammer said.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

GIPPSLAND REGION // 7

Maintain genetic gain to prosper when season turns “DON’T BE tempted to skimp on genetics,

despite the tough seasonal conditions.” That is the message from ABS Australia East Gippsland key account manager Andrea Henry.

Ms Henry believes dairy farmers must maintain genetic progress as it has a long-term effect on business productivity and profitability, the two cornerstones of any successful dairy operation.

“There can be cheaper options when it comes to mating but are they economical and will they sacrifice genetic gain?” she said.

“For example, some young genomic bulls can be less expensive than daughter proven bulls, but a really good decision is to look for a high index genomic bull, a bull which has a high Balanced Performance Index (BPI) on the Australian rankings.

“Farmers need to understand that if they go with a selection of young, high-ranking genomic

CONFIDENCE RISE IN SOME AGRIBUSINESS Confidence levels of Australian agribusinesses jumped in Q1 2019, despite persistently challenging conditions across much of the country.

The second Agribusiness Banker Survey, released today by the National Australia Bank, reveals that national agribusiness confidence rose by 20 index points in Q1 2019, on the back of improved seasonal conditions in Queensland and continued positivity in Western Australia following a bumper summer harvest.

NAB agribusiness customer executive Neil Findlay said while confidence rose in all states except NSW and Victoria, key indicators of business conditions remained negative.

“Profitability and employment both weakened in Q1 2019, while trading conditions improved slightly,” Mr Findlay said.

“Seasonal conditions remain a key driver of the survey results, with the impact of prolonged drought in NSW clearly impacting conditions there.”

On an industry basis, conditions were strongest in wool, fisheries and horticulture, and weakest in dairy with high input costs continuing to pose challenges for producers.

In terms of industry performance, NAB agribusiness bankers identified their strongest performing customers were wool, mixed cropping, livestock, lamb and mutton producers.

“Dairy remains one of the weakest performers, but we are optimistic that improved export milk prices may boost confidence and conditions in the dairy sector this year,” Mr Findlay said.

The survey reveals one in five NAB agribusiness bankers saw weather conditions as having the largest bearing on customer confidence, while other key issues included government policy and regulation, margin pressure and interest rates.

“Rainfall certainly had the biggest impact on conditions and confidence, with Queensland’s confidence indicator surging from -6 in Q4 2018 to +92 after decent rainfall in Q1 2019,” Mr Findlay said.

bulls, the resultant heifers have a great future in their milking herd.

“When times are tough, people tend to scale down their spending on everything, but if you don’t continue genetic progress, when things become good again and the season turns, you will be behind the eight-ball.”

Ms Henry recently joined the ABS team in Gippsland after working throughout the world, including in welfare and biosecurity for DairyNZ in New Zealand, Holstein Australia and as part

of the Fonterra Farm Source team in western Victoria.

Armed with an agriculture degree and an animal science qualification, as well as completing courses such as advanced dairy nutrition, reproduction, body condition scoring, Countdown Downunder, lameness, body condition scoring and dairy farm business analytics, Ms Henry teams this knowledge with hands-on dairy and beef farming management experience.

“I definitely have a passion for cows. Cows

have always been my life and I’ve always been ‘cow-mad’ as my parents used to say,” Ms Henry said.

“I believe my background, of hands-on experience of milking cows and making money from cows, gives me the ability to relate to dairy farmers.

“Also, because I’ve been on the other side of the industry with DairyNZ and Fonterra, I understand how the processing and regulatory parts of the supply chain tick.”

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

8 // GIPPSLAND REGION

New perspectives from Nuffield experience LISTENING TO a podcast while he milks 450 cows each day is one way Gippsland dairy farmer Aubrey Pellett stays connected to the world of ideas he experienced first-hand through the Nuffield Australia Farming Scholarship. “When you travel through 15 countries, you meet a lot of people that are really succeeding at a higher level,� Aubrey said. “What struck me is they are often people who spend a lot of time working ‘on’ the business, not ‘in’ the business. “In dairying, because it’s a seven-day-a-week routine, you can be consumed by the operational activities. So, I have been trying to carve out time to focus more on longer-term thinking. “In Ireland I met a dairy farmer who listened to podcasts while he worked in the dairy. I’ve taken to listening to a few too. “I like BBC’s Business Daily. It covers a broad range of business-related stories. You sometimes want information that’s not dairy related; it’s a way to try to broaden your horizons.�

Aubrey supplies 2.8 million litres to Bega Cheese annually from a 200 ha farm in Hill End, north-west of Moe. While he says people in the industry are very good at sharing information to pull each other forward, the lasting benefit of his 2014 Nuffield tour has been the fresh perspective it gave him. “The study tour is a very intensive journey.

You do a lot of travel, see a lot, meet and interact with hundreds of people across so many cultures. It gave me a much greater perspective on the dairy business,� he said. “It’s not just dairy farms you see. I probably learned more from non-dairy businesses; horticulture, grain farming and agricultural entrepreneurs. You take little snippets from all their different approaches.�

One standout for Aubrey was seeing some farmers making their businesses more resilient by buying feed when prices were low. “Travelling in Texas, I saw a lot of dairy farmers had huge stock piles of feed on hand;

sometimes one- or two-years’ supply. “It got me thinking about the benefits of buying feed at low prices and using it later on.

I’m now more proactive in my approach to managing our input prices. Instead of just purchasing on the spot market, I’m taking more contracts on grain ahead of time, where you lock in the price. “The Nuffield experience makes you reflect on what you do on your own farm. You know that sometimes you can’t replicate what you see, but you can often take aspects of it and weave it into what you do. “The experience has certainly given me more confidence to look for solutions. “Now, if I’ve got a problem, I think — I’ve been around the world and been stimulated by different types of solutions. That makes you think there’s probably another approach you could take rather than do what’s always been done.�

Aubrey’s scholarship was sponsored by the Gardiner Dairy Foundation which backs programs like Nuffield to invest in people, science and technology to support a vibrant dairy industry. “I am indebted to the Gardiner Foundation.

They were extremely supportive. They asked if there was anything they could do to help; provide contacts, connect to other networks and make introductions to a mentor. “The scholarship has increased my leadership opportunities because of the improved networks I now have. You are also hooking into a network of Nuffield scholars that has been developing for the last 60 years. It’s huge!�

Aubrey had his first introduction to Nuffield scholarships as a teenager growing up in New Zealand. “Our neighbour was a farmer who often had visitors from the UK coming to look at what he was doing. He was a Nuffield scholar, so that’s when I first heard about it. “Then, later, living in Victoria I met a few other Nuffield scholars like Graeme Nicholl and Adam Jenkins; they encouraged me to

Aubrey Pellett spends more time working ‘on’ his business since his Nuffield experience, while also contributing more to the industry through leadership roles.

apply. I was very interested to hear their Nuffield stories. “My story is that it’s a hectic experience.

I remember as part of the travelling, waking up in China and visiting a horticultural greenhouse business for the day, then flying that evening through the US (as a stopover) to Canada at midnight, and then having blueberry pancakes for breakfast. “The contrast in farming operations, language, food, culture and technology all give you

that new perspective.�

Applications for the 2020 Nuffield Scholarships close on Friday, June 14. For more information, visit http://nuffield.com.au/ For more information about Gardiner Dairy Foundation, visit www.gardinerfoundation.com.au or contact Richard Meredith at richard.meredith@gardinerfoundation.com.au

EPA URGES ‘FIX YOUR PUMPS AND PIPES’ The Victorian Environmental Protection Authority says it’s time for Gippsland’s dairy farmers to pay special attention to pumps and pipes, as they empty their effluent ponds for annual maintenance.

EPA Gippsland regional manager Stephen Lansdell said EPA officers were finding too many broken sump pumps and leaky pipelines during farm inspections. “Both the Environment Protection Act 1970 and common sense require that dairy effluent stays on the farm and out of channels, creeks and rivers. It is a valuable fertiliser, but can be a damaging pollutant,�

Mr Lansdell said. “An overflowing pond sends nutrients into waterways, reducing oxygen levels, killing aquatic life, encouraging toxic algae and creating the danger of disease.�

“Dairy farmers can prevent effluent ponds from overflowing by de-sludging, removing vegetation, keeping pumps and pipes in good working order, and irrigating the water component to pasture when the weather is right. “Properly set to work as a fertiliser, dairy effluent can increase pasture production, so good dairy effluent management is a win for the farm as a business, and for the environment.�

Problems with dairy effluent management are too common. EPA officers who inspected 25 Gippsland dairy farms for effluent runoff in 2018, issued nine Pollution Abatement Notices, five fines and three official warnings.

PANs are legally enforceable instructions requiring maintenance or

repairs to solve pollution problems by a set deadline, and the fine for non-compliance can go as high as $8060. “The fine isn’t the only liability, the neighbours won’t be happy if you set off an algal bloom in the water they are using for stock and irrigation,� Mr Lansdell said.

EPA officers can follow an effluent spill back to its source and will monitor progress on the work required by any Pollution Abatement Notice to make sure the job is done, to protect the local environment and neighbouring farms. “EPA will issue fines for non-compliance but supports farmers by providing advice and technical support,� Mr Lansdell said. “EPA also works with Agriculture Victoria and Dairy Australia to provide practical advice and resources, including

free effluent testing programs.�

Guidelines on effective effluent management on dairy farms can be found by visiting http://www.epa.vic.gov.au/businessand-industry/guidelines/waterguidance/dairy-farms-and-water EPA urges people to report suspected pollution to the EPA on 1300 372 842 or at www.epa.vic.gov.au

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

10 // GIPPSLAND REGION

Gippsland reminders for July Pastures and grazing ■

■

■

■

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Aim to grow as much pasture as possible while keeping costs under control. The use of nitrogen and gibberellic acid can increase DM yield, and when combined with good grazing management can increase available pasture to cows. However, these inputs come at a cost and their effectiveness varies depending on seasonal conditions.

If you have not sprayed your broad leaf weeds do so at the first opportunity to have denser, better producing pasture for the rest of the year.

If you are highly stocked you will need a bigger wedge of pasture for calving cows. More cover will give you more management. Too much pasture in early spring may result in lower quality pastures with limited silage cutting options if it becomes too wet.

Prevent nitrate poisoning when grazing rye-grass pastures containing capeweed or marshmallow by avoiding grazing within 21 days of

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA JUNE 2019

GIPPSLAND REGION // 11

nitrogen application and by including other low nitrate feeds such as silage or grain in the diet while grazing these pastures.

Calves/heifers â–

â–

Calf losses are very expensive. Having a good planned system for calf rearing is very important. To avoid the following may be useful: • Prevent disease by ensuring that all calves receive good quality colostrum. Use a Brix refractometer to test colostrum quality — target a reading >22. • Disinfect calf pens on a regular basis, including rails and bedding. • Ensure calves have a good supply of good quality, clean water, fibre and pellets.

Develop an easy to follow and affordable program that works for heifer rearing including dehorning, vaccinations, drenching and feeding for well developed, healthy heifers that will stay in the herd for a long time.

Cows â–

â–

â–

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Deaths of cows or losses in production are very costly and can be avoided. Normally freshly calved heifers and young cows are

susceptible to acidosis, particularly where feeding high levels of starch-based grains. To successfully manage this, make sure the diet is well balanced for crude protein and NDF and that you have the grain well buffered and have offered enough effective fibre in the diet.

Freshly calved cows are susceptible to milk fever which may show up sub clinically as retained foetal membrane or paralysis at calving. To manage this: • Plan your transition feeding to minimise the risk of metabolic disorders in fresh or calving cows. • Have a plan for action when cows present with difficult calvings or metabolic disorder. • Ensure newly calved cows are getting enough calcium and magnesium in the diet. For more information go to www.dairyaustralia.com.au Make sure your calving area is clean enough for cows to calve without excessive contamination of teats, to avoid mastitis problems.

If poor track surfaces are causing lameness and foot problems, consider adding sawdust, woodchips, even hay (for example, at the lead in/lead out from the dairy shed). The use of foot mats on the walk in to the dairy

in conjunction with copper sulphate can be an effective solution to foot soreness in cows.

People â–

If using staff, plan rosters to ensure you can get through the spring calving and harvest without them being too exhausted to pay attention to detail or to overwork people.

Dairy shed and machinery â–

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When the cows are dry or you have a reduced number of milkers, take the opportunity to carry out your annual shed maintenance tasks. For example, check milking machine function and replace rubberware.

Carry out preventative maintenance on fixed and mobile plant.

Business â–

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If you have not done it yet, do an annual budget to plan likely income and expenditure for the 2019–20 year.

Understand your system and the physical things on the farm you need to do very well to get the best financial results.

HAVE YOUR SAY ON NATIONAL DAIRY PLAN Gippsland dairy farmers are being urged to have their say on the future of the industry at upcoming Australian Dairy Plan events to be held across Gippsland.

It is collectively supported by Dairy Australia, Australian Dairy Farmers, Australian Dairy Products Federation and the Gardiner Dairy Foundation.

The Gippsland Dairy Plan events will be held at: • West Gippsland Arts Centre, Warragul on Tuesday, June 18. • Duart Homestead, Maffra on Wednesday, June 19. • Leongatha RSL, Leongatha on Thursday, June 20.

All workshops will run from 10 am to 2.30 pm with lunch provided.

To RSVP go to www.dairyplan.com.au or phone GippsDairy on 5624 3900.

AUSTRALIAN DAIRY PLAN THE AUSTRALIAN DAIRY PLAN WILL BRING TOGETHER THE WHOLE OF INDUSTRY TO DEFINE A POSITIVE FUTURE FOR DAIRY

Have YOUR SAY on the future of dairy

This is your chance to shape the future of Australian dairy. We’re starting a conversation right across the country about how we’re going as an industry and how we can get to a better place.

We’re calling on you; farmers, processors, service providers and stakeholders of dairy, to have your say on what matters most for dairy, by attending your local Australian Dairy Plan workshop.

Your contribution will provide crucial input into the development of the Australian Dairy Plan which will deliver fundamental change for dairy and build a profitable, confident and united dairy industry.

WORKSHOP LOCATIONS Tuesday 18 June WEST GIPPSLAND 10:00am to 2:30pm FOUNTAIN ROOM West Gippsland Arts Centre Cnr Smith St and Albert St Warragul - Lunch provided

RSVP

visit www.dairyplan.com.au or telephone GippsDairy on 5624 3900

Wednesday 19 June EAST GIPPSLAND 10:00am to 2:30pm DUARTS HOMESTEAD 20 McLean St Maffra - Lunch provided

Thursday 20 June SOUTH GIPPSLAND 10:00am to 2:30pm LEONGATHA RSL Cnr Smith St and Michael Place Leongatha - Lunch provided

More milk, Less worms, more money. milk.

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A business case for drenching dairy cows with Epricare® Pour-On

A

common challenge for most businesses is finding a balance between reducing inefficiencies and improving productivity. In doing so, successful businesses are persistent in their efforts to continually identify and drive improvements in the current system that reduce costs and increase revenue. This is no different in commercial dairy operations, where producers look to maximise sustainable production and minimise cost, constantly measuring and assessing profitability and return on investment (ROI).

Although efficiency and productivity are both important to successful businesses, they commonly compete with each other, as efficiency looks to strip resources out of the system while productivity attempts to increase production.

In tough years, the high cost of inputs in relation to farm revenue sees many producers adopt a lean businesses model, as it is less risky to cut spending than it is to increase productivity. As a

result, many farmers focus investment on activities that are perceived to generate the highest ROI, including herd genetics, nutrition and technology while cutting other costs perceived as less important. However, how do you know the value of each input or activity if you don’t measure it?

One such input that is commonly overlooked is treating cows with an effective drench to control worm burdens throughout lactation.

There is a common misconception that worms don’t have a significant effect on mature cattle.

Although gastrointestinal worms rarely cause clinical signs of disease in dairy cattle, with most animals appearing healthy, it has been found that gastrointestinal worms will decrease feed intake and reduce the efficiency of feed utilisation.1 So, not only are the cattle infected with worms eating less, they are less efficient at using what they do eat. A study conducted in Australian dairy cattle showed that effective control of gastrointestinal

worms in early lactation can significantly increase milk volume and the quantity of fat and protein produced. The study, involving more than 2,500 dairy cattle run under commercial pasture-based production systems in Australia, showed that effective worm control in the first 100 days of lactation can increase milk production (47 L), increase milk protein (2.2 kg) and increase milk fat (1.8 kg).2 In milk yield alone, this is estimated to be an increase of 21c/head/day or around $15,750 per year, for a 250 cow dairy herd.*^ Outside of the scheduled dry period, every day that a cow is not producing saleable milk impacts on the profitability of the business. One variable that has a significant impact on the annual production of the herd is the average calving to conception interval. With a shorter calving to conception interval, the herd can start producing milk sooner, increasing the number of days in

production and therefore total herd output.

A recent study3 showed that post calving control of gastrointestinal worms with Epricare can reduce first-calving heifers’ average calving to conception interval by 12.9 days, when compared to untreated cattle. If achieved, this can increase saleable milk output by around 250 L#, at a value of $114 per first-calving heifer in the milking herd.* Although efficiency and productivity can compete within a business, it is possible to find the right balance through assessing the ROI of farm inputs and activities, and selecting the ones that bring the highest returns to your business.

As you can’t accurately manage something that you can’t measure, talk to your local CRT store or call your Boehringer Ingelheim territory manager about assessing worm challenges in your herd throughout the year, and selecting the most effective drench program for your operation.

Animal Health Solutions exclusive to CRT

Your Eprinomectin pour-on for Beef and Dairy 4 Nil meat, nil milk WHP* and nil ESI 4 Safe and easy to use* 4 Weatherproof

Available from your local CRT store. *See product label for full claim details and directions for use. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Australia Pty. Ltd. Level 1, 78 Waterloo Road, North Ryde NSW 2113 Australia. ABN 53 071 187 285. ®EPRICARE is a registered trademark of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group. GENS.15.06.0146

*Milk price of 44.2c per L ^300 days of lactation #Milk production of 20 L per day References: 1. Coop. R & Holmes. P., (1996) Nutrition and parasite interaction, International Journal for Parasitology, (26), Issues 8–9, pp 951-962, ISSN 0020-7519, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0020-7519(96)80070-1. 2. Little et al., (2000) Effect of Eprinomectin at Calving on Milk Production of Dairy Herds. Proceedings of 17th Annual Seminar of Society of Dairy Cattle Vets, NZVA. 3. McPherson et al., (1999) The Impact of Eprinomectin Treatment on Dairy Cattle Reproductive Performance. AAVP Proceedings, 44th Annual Meeting, New Orleans 1999; 44th Annual Meeting: 41 See product label for full claim details and directions for use. Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Australia Pty. Ltd., Level 1, 78 Waterloo Road, North Ryde, NSW 2113 Australia. ABN 53 071 187285. Epricare® is a registered trademarks of the Boehringer Ingelheim Group. All rights reserved. AUS-EPRI-191001