Dairy News Australia - December 2017 - With West Vic Region by Dairy News Australia

WEST VIC REGION

Cows power their own milking machines

A J Trigg and Sons partners Mark Trigg and Dave Lee in the 500-head barn.

STEPHEN COOKE

A NEWLY installed methane digester will produce enough power to meet half the cost of running the dairy barn and robotic milkers on a Bungaree farm.

The digester was being installed when Dairy News Australia visited in November and can process 24,000 litres of effluent a day. Once the gas has been extracted, the separated liquid and dry matter — now odourless — can be spread on the farm. Mark Trigg — one of four partners in the dairy

and potato seed operation, along with his father Ron, cousin Tony and Dave Lee — said the dairy barn and digester complemented each other. The Triggs built a 500-head dairy barn in 2014 and installed DeLaval milking robots in March last year. About 220 of the 300-head herd live in the barn and are so comfortable they do not

venture outside. The barn design sees the manure continuously scraped from a central laneway and into an underground pit. This was previously collected and spread on pasture, but Mark Trigg said the smell was becoming problematic. Continued page 10 >

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

2 // WEST VIC REGION

Chair’s message Dairy landscape keeps changing HARVEST IS once again done and dusted and, as expected, my hay fever certainly did go into overdrive. It is always great to see tractors and harvest machinery busy doing silage around the district. The rain has been fairly kind to us as well and crops and pasture re-growth are as we hoped. Much has been happening in the dairy industry, particularly with news of Saputo putting in an offer for Murray Goulburn. The landscape is

rapidly changing here in south-west Victoria for the dairy industry and the next 12 months will be interesting to watch. Of course, our remit here at WestVic Dairy is one of extension and support to our farmers in their decision making. We do not get involved in the advocacy side or any political decisions, but we are still here on a daily basis if you, as a farmer, need our assistance in other areas. We have much on offer in 2018 — many ses-

sions on farm business management, our Focus Farm days, employment and people matters and animal health updates. You choose where you might have some gaps in your training or understanding and then come along to any of the days we have coming up. If you can’t find what you need, give the office a call and our friendly extension staff can help make a plan to get it sorted for you. The festive season is nearly here and we at

WestVic Dairy hope that means you get some time with extended family and friends. Often it can be a stressful time in many businesses, but even a few hours off-farm in between milking and feeding can be important to recharge the body and mind. Merry Christmas to all and I hope the season ahead is a good one for all of you, including all our four-legged friends. • Simone Renyard, WestVic Dairy chair

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

WEST VIC REGION // 3

Sacrificing land for research trials is a sound investment RICK BAYNE

FOR THE past 30 years the Croft family at Mepunga has been giving up part of its farm for research. From early trials on turnips to today’s research into new cultivars and nitrogen efficiency, the farm has been a constant source of new information. For current owner Daniel Croft and his father Graeme before him, sacrificing a bit of land is a good investment for the industry and for their business. “I don’t mind running well-run trials,” Daniel Croft said. “I get the data back on our land which is good for us.” The farm recently hosted a field day for Notman Pasture Seeds and Cropmark’s trials on how 70 different current and future season perennial, Italian and annual rye-grass cultivars are performing. Next February there will be a field day showing Dairy Australia and University of Melbourne nitrogen efficiency trials on both irrigation and dryland. “There’s quite a benefit with the nitrogen trials showing when we have to put it on and when we don’t,” Mr Croft said. “I think we get more benefit than the land we give up because if we get it right we grow a lot more feed over the whole area.” Mr Croft and his partner Stacey Byron took over the farm in July from his parents Graeme and Sally Croft. Their milking platform is 207 ha with 100 ha under irrigation. They are milking 700 cows at the moment, although that can grow to 780. “We have split calving and bring in 160 heifers a year so we can raise numbers and drop them off fairly quickly,” Mr Croft said. Their average stocking rate of 3.5 cows/ha is fairly high but comfortable with Jerseys. “We’ve got 430 kg Jerseys producing 500 kg/MS so the conversion rate is pretty good,” Mr Croft said. They work to a milk solids per hectare formula. They currently produce 35 0 000 solids over the 207ha. “You need to work off liveweight and conversion,” Mr Croft said. “You feed them and you want the best converters. It would be a lot easier milking and calving 500 Friesians compared to 700 but we like the conversion.” He is happy with production but is constantly looking at cost savings. “The factories aren’t going to pay us more; we’re a price taker not a price setter so we have to look at the costs.” Two years ago they added a 117 ha outblock, including 22 ha under irrigation and there’s an additional 10 ha pivot on the way. Last year on the 22 ha they pulled 300 tonne of turnip crop to feed dry cows. This year they’re putting in 18 ha of maize. “Turnips you can’t bring back; we can grow the maize and bring it back home for under $200 a tonne. That’s a cost saver,” Mr Croft said. The outblock is helping to maintain the stocking rate, especially with 3600 rolls of silage this year. “That covers the whole year. Normally we don’t do that much but I’ve got the potential to

use the feedpad and I can keep numbers at 780 if I can do it efficiently enough.” Last year with the outblock in use for the first time they produced 2600 rolls, surpassing the previous average of 700. “Now we’ve had it two years and the grasses are pretty right, it’s going to mean we won’t have to buy in any feed,” Mr Croft said. “We’re only buying 100 tonne of oaten hay and about 1400 tonne of grain — about two tonne for each cow.” The feedpad was added last year to get good use of the silage and to protect the farm during winter. “The feedpad gives you options; we lead feed on it with our dry cows too.” They calve 350 in August and February. Because the farm is on a fresh milk contract with Fonterra, they never get below 500 cows. “The fresh contract appeals to our milk flow. We’ve always got carryover cows and enough cows to meet our quota,” Mr Croft said. “We’ve got to make sure we don’t go below the line they draw for premiums. In February it gets a bit tight and when you’re about to calve in August it’s the same. You dry-off the cows a week later if it gets tight.” The farm has light, sandy soil and water drains quickly. Persistence isn’t an issue under irrigation and Mr Croft is happy to confirm he’s never been bogged on the farm. The dairy is a 50-unit one-person rotary, upgraded about eight years ago. Mr Croft or one of his three employees can milk 300 Jerseys in an hour, with another on-hand to get the cows in and feed them. He has done the figures on converting to once-a-day milking. “They say you lose a third of your production but you cut your costs down a fair bit. With the power issues that might be an option; irrigation cost is also going to be an issue.” He finds the Jerseys easy to handle, as well as being good feed converters. “Graeme says Jerseys are like a four-cylinder car; Friesians are like a V8. You’ve got to feed the V8 to keep it going and it’s high maintenance, whereas the Jersey will just tinker along and do a little bit.”

Daniel Croft, with partner Stacey Byron, are currently milking 700 cows.

Daniel Croft recently hosted a field day for Notman Pasture Seeds and Cropmark’s trials on how 70 different current and future season perennial, Italian and annual rye-grass cultivars are performing.

For the past 30 years Daniel Croft and his family at Mepunga have been giving up part of their farm for research.

The feedpad was added last year to get good use of the silage and to protect the farm during winter.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

4 // WEST VIC REGION

Farmers demand energy action SOUTH-WEST VICTORIAN dairy farmers are demanding government action to secure adequate and affordable energy for the region. Nearly 100 farmers, councillors and business people met in Warrnambool to discuss how skyrocketing energy prices and reliability fears were impacting on their businesses. The Wannon UDV branch hosted the meeting and has vowed to keep up the pressure on governments. While recognising the importance of clean energy, the branch adopted a motion demanding state and federal governments collaborate and act to reduce the cost of energy and provide infrastructure that makes adequate electricity available at reasonable cost to all areas. Wannon UDV branch president Bruce Knowles said Australia’s power costs had gone from the cheapest to most expensive in the world in just 15 years. “This is a disaster for the economy and it looks like going from bad to worse,” Mr Knowles said. Dairy farmers were being forced to buy generators to not only secure power but because they were becoming more cost effective, he said. Mr Knowles said the UDV wanted governments and power infrastructure owners to generate equitable services for the region. “Poles and wire infrastructure in the southwest is not in good shape but to survive we need affordable cheap electricity and modern, reliable

infrastructure and accessibility to three-phase power.” Basil Ryan, who moved the resolution, said the meeting had heard how the region was coping with “third world” power supplies. “It’s important to keep the momentum going to fix this,” Mr Ryan said. Farmers were warned an extra $3760 could be added to their average $18 800 power bills this year and they might also have to foot the bill with processors’ extra costs likely to lead to lower farm gate milk prices. Dairy Australia policy strategy manager Claire Miller told the meeting the current situation was the result of a “perfect storm” of policy failures over the past 10 to 15 years. Ms Miller said there were no “short-term silver bullets” but there could be opportunities for government intervention, market-based interventions to lower prices and farmers could undertake energy efficiency initiatives. Dairy Australia commercial research and analysis manager Norman Repacholi highlighted the importance of dairy farming to the economy and in generating employment. “Dairy farms are the seed of regional prosperity and it is important to recognise the difference one farm can make,” Mr Repacholi said. “The average farm in south-west Victoria will reinvest $473 000 back into the community and create 3.6 jobs.”

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Great South Coast Food and Fibre Council’s executive officer Tony Ford said the region was now number two in Australia for farm gate output and was growing at eight per cent a year, substantially higher than five per cent growth achieved in the rest of the country. “However, our share of public investment is low compared to other regions,” Mr Ford said. “We have latent capacity in the region to grow.” Mr Ford said there was a strong case for public

investment as the benefit-to-cost ratio for investing in three-phase power was 1.94. State Member for South West Coast Roma Britnell said she was worried about the impact of power problems on farmers. “Safe, reliable and affordable power is a basic need,” Mrs Britnell said. The Wannon branch combined with the Camperdown and Colac regions of the UDV to run the event.

Chris O’Keefe, Alison Lee, Oonagh Kilpatrick and Bruce Knowles from the Wannon UDV branch organised the energy meeting.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

WEST VIC REGION // 5

Field day to showcase nitrogen research DAIRY FARMS continue to use increasing amounts of, and are becoming increasingly reliant on, nitrogen fertiliser. Used correctly, N fertiliser gives farmers the ability to grow large amounts of additional pasture or crop herbage at a cost-competitive price. However, poor N fertiliser practices can result in higher cost forage and an increased risk of N losses to the environment. A new local research project being conducted by the University of Melbourne is investigating

methods to improve N fertiliser recommendations across different times of the year. A key aspect of the research is to gain a better understanding of the amount of N that becomes available to the pasture from the mineralisation of soil reserves at different times of the year. The findings will be used to develop a tool for farmers and advisers that will reliably estimate mineralised-available N so that N fertiliser inputs can be adjusted accordingly across the growing season.

Another component of the project is the investigation and development of new technologies to assess the N requirements of, and likely N fertiliser responses of, pastures at different times of the year that can then be used in these new farmer and adviser tools. The technologies being investigated include the use of hyperspectral cameras mounted on drones and the use of satellite imagery. The project’s field trials are being conducted on both dryland and irrigated dairy pastures on the property of Danny and Graeme Croft at Mepunga West.

The project is supported by funding from the Federal Agriculture and Water Resources Department as part of its Rural R&D for Profit program, the University of Melbourne and Dairy Australia. WestVic Dairy and the University of Melbourne are jointly hosting a field day at the trial site on Friday, February 23. The program includes Professor Richard Eckard presenting the latest research findings and recommendations for N fertiliser use on dairy pastures and demonstrations of the use of drones and other new technologies that are being evaluated for use in the farmer and adviser tools.

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A field day will be held at a nitrogen fertiliser trial site in February.

RICHARDSON IS NEW ADF PRESIDENT Australian Dairy Farmers has elected Terry Richardson as president of the peak policy body providing collective representation for dairy farmers in Australia. Mr Richardson operates a dairy farm with his family in Deans Marsh, southwest Victoria, where he has lived since 2004. The farm has a seasonal calving pattern and milks 550 cows. Mr Richardson was appointed as an Australian Dairy Farmers business director in November 2015 and assumed the role of acting president in December 2016. He has held several positions in the dairy industry, in New Zealand and Australia. He was a director of Kiwi Cooperative Dairies for seven years and a dairy consultant with Agriculture New Zealand for seven years. After moving to Australia, he joined his local UDV branch and was later appointed to the South West Regional Extension Committee. He was previously Warrnambool Cheese and

Butter Company chairman and served as a director of the company for nine years. He has served on many community boards and committees. Also at the ADF annual general meeting, state members, business members and invited guests heard from chief executive officer David Inall about the year in review. “We are pleased with the achievements made this year and we look forward to continuing to deliver on our policy priorities to help deliver a more profitable and sustainable industry in the long-term,” Mr Inall said. “It has been an honour to discuss Australian Dairy Farmers’ ongoing efforts and to advocate at a national level on your behalf.” The ADF Board has four farmer directors – Terry Richardson, Simone Jolliffe, Bruce Donnison and John Versteden – and one independent director, Victoria Taylor.

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Individual feed system helps finetune select herd RICK BAYNE

Eugene Rea is getting more heifer calves from advancements in sexed semen.

WITH BASS Strait just over the hill, Eugene Rea’s Coast View farm at Mepunga owes more than just a name to its locality. The sandy soil that dominates the land has a big influence on how Mr Rea operates the farm and manages his Childers Cove Holsteins herd. Crop selection, herd health and stocking rates are dictated by the farm’s size and location, but after 20 years on the property, including the past seven as owner, he has everything fine-tuned. “We’re always looking to make things more efficient and to develop a better herd,” he said. Mr Rea registered the herd when he purchased the farm from his parents, Tony and Anne, in 2010. “I thought it would add value and it was also an interest; almost a hobby within the job,” he said. He has been successful in a number of onfarm competitions but says it’s the science behind the breeding that keeps him interested.

“I still look closely at the pedigree behind the semen we use. The progression in the past 10 years with genomics is very exciting.” Mr Rea is interested in North American cow families and has had success with embryos from Luck-E Holsteins in Illinois. “I went there in 2013 and that was the best herd of cows I’ve ever seen. They’re tremendous looking animals in a commercial environment; I saw some fantastic show cows but the Luck-E cows were real cows working in real conditions.” There are about 60 descendants from the initial 10 batches of embryos Mr Rea purchased. “They’re working their way through the herd and hopefully in 10 years’ time the majority of the herd will be from those lines, especially now we use a lot of sexed semen and do a lot of culling. “With the leap forward in improvement with sexed semen we’re getting more heifer calves out of good young cows and you can speed up the advancement of the herd.” Mr Rea didn’t have great results five or six years ago when first using sexed semen, but with Sexed Ultra they’re getting 60 to 65 per cent conception.

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WEST VIC REGION // 7

Eugene Rea in the 18 double-up dairy.

“We spend good money on that semen to make sure we get good animals. We don’t use bulls. We’re 100 per cent AI and with the sexed semen we sell probably 50 heifers, which provide an extra income stream for us.” Childers Cove Holsteins has won a western region Semex on-farm competition and had a couple of winners and placegetters in the ABS comp. “I think the herd is getting better,” Mr Rea said. “The ultimate goal is for a herd known for having good udders and well-balanced cows. We’re always looking to improve on health traits; we don’t have any major problems but have to look at feet because the sandy soil can cause a few issues.” The farm has about 285 cows producing around 650 kg/MS. Each year they produce about 9200 litres. “We’re happy enough with that but hopefully we can increase,” Mr Rea said. At the start of November he added an individual feed system in the dairy to feed different rates based on lactation stage. “We have milk meters and hopefully we can feed to production. We’re always fine-tuning the system.” Within a few weeks Mr Rea is already noticing the benefits from feeding fresh cows an extra couple of kilos and a bit less to those ready to dry-off. “We’re feeding the ones we know will use it efficiently.” The farm covers 112 ha plus an outpaddock and a further 65 ha of leased land. Mr Rea said 285 was about his maximum herd size, “so we try to get as much production out of those we milk”. The dairy, an 18-double up, is also fairly limited but the addition of the electronic ID system, automatic drafting and plans for activity monitors for heat detection make it more efficient and easier for staff. Mr Rea joins one full-time and three parttime staff members on the milking roster.

“I enjoy milking,” he said. “Having those special cows you’ve bought in makes it more enjoyable.” The farm is starting to calve three times a year — adding mid-June to the traditional March and August — to maximise efficiency in the dairy, rather than drop numbers. “We’ve done that the last two years to try to level out production a bit more,” Mr Rea said. “We grow corn silage in our outpaddock so there’s no pressure on feed over winter. We’ve got the feed for them in June/July when we’re getting good money for the milk. It’s a way to milk more cows through those months when we’ve got high milk prices.” The farm averages 750 mm rainfall, but because it’s almost on beach sand it can handle the wet without getting too boggy. However, because it’s so sandy it struggles to hold perennial pasture, so instead Mr Rea drills most of the farm with annuals. “We have a 13.5 ha pivot and because we don’t have an abundance of groundwater we sow that completely to turnips. We have to grow the most water-efficient crops so we do turnips.” Mr Rea also has a hard hose irrigator and put 12 ha of turnips under that for a total of 25 ha of turnips that give the cows 5 kg to 6 kg through summer into autumn. Those crops have been averaging eight to 12 tonne/ha. He adopts the same theory with the outpaddock. “The most water-efficient crop we can grow there is maize silage. That gets 20 tonne per hectare and we carry it back and feed it over winter.” He’s aiming for total reliance on homegrown feed, supplemented by grain. “In 2010 we bought-in six to eight truckloads of hay every year; we probably average one since we’ve had the irrigation system in.” He is also keen on analysing the business and is part of the DairyBase group through his processor, Warrnambool Cheese and Butter.

The cows produce around 9200 litres each year.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

8 // WEST VIC REGION

Build a brick wall against mastitis exposed to larger numbers of bacteria, for example, when cows lie down in mud. Milking machines also play a vital role in protecting the teat’s natural ability to minimise infection. If machines are applied or removed incorrectly, not functioning adequately and hygiene is less than satisfactory, we are likely to cause infection. The diagram left shows there are many factors involved in protecting the cow’s natural defences and minimising exposure of the teat to bugs that can cause mastitis. Some of these factors are the responsibility of the milking team, some are those of management. When all these factors (‘bricks’) are applied on-farm, Clinical Case Gloves Reserve Filter Sock they build a wall protecting the Treatment on hands (effective) cow from mastitis. However, Bulk Dry cow the mortar that holds all these Vacuum Cow Behaviour Pulsation Cell Count therapy bricks in place are the workers, who need the correct training Rubber ware Clinical to ensure the best outcome for Short, long Milk line tube Case Detection everyone. The next COCO course will Clinical Case Transition Culling Liners Human Behaviour be held in Koroit on January 16 Records cow Management and 23. For more information or to book a spot, phone WestTeat condition Calving Management Teat Disinfection Vic Dairy on 5557 1000 or email amanda@westvicdairy.com.au

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focusing on improving milking routines and decreasing mastitis on farms. The Cups On Cups Off (COCO) training program covers the entire milking process with special emphasis on mastitis prevention and control. This program is suited to all people who milk cows, whether they are owner/operators, family members, employed staff or sharefarmers — the need for best practice is universal. It is designed to achieve best practice in milk

harvesting and the detection and treatment of clinical cases of mastitis. Topics covered include how and why infections occur, practical mastitis control, the importance of teat disinfection, reducing the risk of infection, how to detect and deal with clinical mastitis and the real cost of mastitis to your business. Mastitis is defined as inflammation of the mammary glands, which are found in the udder. Since mammary glands are responsible for milk production, inflammation has serious implica-

tions for milk quality. Mastitis is almost exclusively caused by bacteria entering the udder through the teat, so if we can prevent bacteria entering the teat, we can prevent mastitis. A cow’s ability to defend herself against bacterial invasion of the udder is quite remarkable. When we upset or interfere with the correct functioning of the teat, the cow’s ability to resist invasion is significantly compromised and a case of mastitis is likely to occur. The chances of this happening are significantly increased if the teat is

THE BRICK WALL OF DEFENCE AGAINST MASTITIS

Cups on

Cups off

Herd data is just a swipe away IN THE space of nine months, Heather Campbell has gone from working for Genetics Australia to working on a dairy farm to becoming a partner with other members of her family in a recently purchased dairy farm at Cohuna. This busy time has been made a little easier as a result of good farm records and easy access to herd data using DataGene’s HerdData app. Ms Campbell started working for Stephen and Margot Henty at Cohuna in October last year and has been involved in milking and, more recently, in calf recording for the Hentys’ 160-cow herd. The family partnership — made up of Heather and her partner Chris, her brother Robert Campbell and his partner Joanne, and their mother Janet — purchased the neighbouring dairy farm this year and are now milking their own herd of 220 cows. The HerdData app is used in both the family’s and the Hentys’ herds as a way of allowing easy access to cow records and to streamline recording information such as animal health treatments and calving records. “I originally spotted an advertisement for the app in The Weekly Times and decided we should give it a go as a way of simplifying manging and accessing herd records,” Ms Campbell said. “The HerdData app is synchronised to the Mistro programs managing the records for both herds, allowing the most up-to-date records to be recorded and updated on the phone app. “We’ve been very busy as a family in a very short time and using the HerdData app on a phone has made keeping track of herd information so easy.

“I have a copy of the app on my phone and Robert and Joanne have copies as well. It means we all have access to the most up-to-date herd records with us all the time on our phones. As Joanne says, we are all on the same page with HerdData.” Ms Campbell and her family can also record events and treatments on their phones as they happen during the day and then synchronise the data with the home computer. “In the past I would have had to print off a paper copy of various records on the home computer then take the paper copy with me to the dairy or out in the paddock, then enter data on the home computer at the end of the day,” Ms Campbell said. “I don’t need paper lists anymore because I can access all the data I need on my phone on the spot. “We jumped in the deep end with a new herd but have been able to use the previous owner’s Mistro records and then link them to the phone app — it’s been extremely handy.” Ms Campbell has been able to upload a calving list on her phone and then use the sort function to arrange the list by the cows’ due-to-calve date. This has made it easier when drafting off cows into groups for lead feeding or identifying cows that are overdue. Calving information has also been recorded on the phone then synchronised back to the home computer. “We had a lot of cows calving in a very short time frame — there were a lot of records we needed to check and data we needed to record.

“Being able to access information and record it on the HerdData app made things easier,” Ms Campbell said. The HerdData app is used to record and access animal health treatments such as dry cow treatments, vaccinations, drenches and one-off veterinary treatments for individual sick cows for both herds. The app generates a list of cows that are in withholding periods and can also list an individual cow’s treatment history. The ability to access the most recent herd test reports on the phone app also helped when making decisions on which cows to cull. Ms Campbell said the app operated well in areas where phone coverage was variable. “The phone coverage on our farm is marginal

but we can still use the HerdData app to input data and access the information stored on the phone,” she said. “You need phone coverage to synchronise the data on the phone with the data on the home computer, but once the data is updated on the phone then you can access it even if you don’t have phone reception.” The HerdData app was developed by DataGene, an initiative of Dairy Australia and the Australian herd recording sector, with the assistance of participating herd testing centres. The app is suitable for Android phones and Apple tablets or phones, and can be downloaded from IOS AppStore or GooglePlay. The annual subscription is $99 a year which includes data synchronisation and upgrades.

DataGene’s HerdData app has given Heather Campbell and her family easy access to herd records.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

WEST VIC REGION // 9

Producers take seats on DA board DAIRY AUSTRALIA members have elected a new director from western Victoria to their board. Tania Luckin has been elected for the first time and will fill one of the two milk producer vacancies. Mrs Luckin has been farming for 20 years in Australia, and prior to that, in New Zealand. Together with her husband Stephen and their farm team, she operates a 500-cow dairy farm in Heywood, south-west Victoria. She has been actively involved in industry projects and governance and served on the Bonlac Supply Company Board from 2014 to 2016. She has been a member of the WestVic Regional Development Program Board since September 2016 and was a member of the Dairy Industry Advocacy Review Team. Graeme Nicoll has been elected to fill the other milk producer vacancy. In December 2016, Mr Nicholl wasnominated to fill a casual vacancy on the Dairy Australia Board which took effect in late January 2017. He applied for the permanent role when it was re-advertised and was consid-

ered along with the other applicants. In partnership with his wife Gillian, he has managed a successful dairy business in Gippsland for the past 15 years, and currently milks about 300 cows in a pasture-based system. He served on the GippsDairy Regional Development Program Board for five years, including two as chairman. He has formal science qualifications and earlier in his career, he worked as a horticulturalist and in the soil science division of CSIRO. He was awarded a Nuffield scholarship in 2010. Dairy Australia invited applications for the vacancies earlier this year. An industry selection committee conducted the formal process, leading to the nomination of these two candidates by the Dairy Australia Board. “It is my pleasure to welcome Tania as a new director to the board and I congratulate Graeme on being re-appointed,” Dairy Australia chair Jeff Odgers said. Mr Odgers, from Ardmona in northern Victoria, was elected to replace Geoff Akers.

New Dairy Australia chairman Jeff Odgers.

New directors Tania Luckin and Graeme Nicoll, with former Dairy Australia chair Geoff Akers.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

10 // WEST VIC REGION

“Effluent has been an issue. In summer time it gives off a fair aroma,” he said. “We knew about methane in the pig industry for a long time so thought why can’t we do it? “Essentially, we’re trying to value add manure so we can generate power and recoup power costs.” Research led them to Ballarat company Gekko Systems — which primarily designs and produces equipment for the mining sector — which designed, built and installed the prototype device. The current system, located next to the barn, comprises 10 cargo containers. Effluent is pumped from the pit under the barn to six containers, where it is warmed to 36 degrees. Bugs produce the gas, which is stored in a separate container and used to generate power. Once the process is finished, the effluent is run through a screw press to separate it, and liquids and solids will be stored in a new dry bunker and 100,000 litre pit. Mr Trigg said the final product was organic and odourless and would be spread three times a week. The system includes a 35kVA generator, which should cover 50 per cent of the running costs of

the barn, or the equivalent of $10,000-$15,000 to $30 000 a year. “We have a 60kVA generator there that just handles (running the barn), and that costs about $4000 a month,” Mr Trigg said.

New living arrangements The family purchased the 160 m by 40 m barn from China and installed it themselves in 2014. “It roughly worked out to be the same price to buy steel in Australia — galvanised and packed from China,” Mr Trigg said. He said a choice had to be made between the barn or upgrading their 36-stand rotary and improving the farm’s laneways. The barn gave the additional benefits of sheltering the cows through very wet winters and hot summers. “They can be knee deep in mud in winter and we can have 30-degree weeks in summer,” Mr Trigg said. They used straw bedding for the first year — working through 12 big square bales a week — before installing foam mattresses with a rubber cover.

The barn has four DeLaval automatic milkers.

The 500-head dairy barn was built in 2014.

Cows in the 500-head barn.

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Manure will be stored here once it has been processed.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

WEST VIC REGION // 11

Mark Trigg in front of the silage pit. All feed for the ration is grown on-farm.

Mr Trigg said sand bedding was ideal but they could not find a dry source of sand. Keeping it dry and clean would also increase the workload significantly. Manure from the generator can also be used but they are undecided on this at this early stage. “We would like to see mattresses made a bit more comfortable but mastitis can increase with organic matter. However, if you can get better cow comfort, it could be worth it.” Mr Trigg said getting cows used to robots was easier than the transition from the paddock to the free stall. “Within five days 70 per cent of the herd were in their bed. For the first couple of days they walked up and down.” Cows are so comfortable now they don’t want to leave. “We did maintenance on two robots so took half the herd out and they bellowed for three days, wanting to come back in.” Cows leave the barn when dried off. With four robots installed, the barn is limited to 240 cows but there is space to add another four boxes. High production cows are producing more than 60 litres a day and the average in the

The Triggs have been here for five generations.

barn is 35 litres, although this has peaked at 38. Mr Trigg said production had risen, incidents of mastitis were similar and there was more emphasis on foot trimming. Sexed semen is utilised to build the herd to 500 cows. All-year calving has also been introduced and the robots are providing information to help them fine tune their AI program. “We’re trying a few different things,” Mr Trigg said. “We try not to calve too many cows between June-August, and Christmas time. If they are over 300 days in milk and still doing 30-plus litres, there’s no rush to get them in calf.” There is provision to expand the digester to cope with the extra manure in future years.

Barn changes feed mix The 220 cows get 11 tonnes of feed a day. The mix of maize silage, grass silage, canola meal, wheat and minerals (bi-carb, lime, pellets and salt) is fed four times a day. All fodder and wheat is grown on the 400 ha property, as well as 60 ha of seed potatoes. “We never used to grow cereal crops but we can now,” Mr Trigg said.

This automatic scraper collects all manure from the barn.

“We grow 500 to 600 tonnes of wheat now the cows are in the barn and off land that was previously pasture. We had 4 tonne cereal crops last year. It’s a fair saving not buying wheat in.” As seed potatoes can’t be planted in the same paddock within five years, wheat is planted after

potatoes, followed by Italian rye-grass or annual rye-grass, followed by maize. “We’ve started growing maize again the last few years,” Mr Trigg said. “We were growing lucerne but you get more bulk and energy in maize.”

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

12 // WEST VIC REGION

Dairy Australia updates popular resources TWO OF Dairy Australia’s most popular publica-

tions — InCalf and Rearing Healthy Calves — have been updated with the latest technical and scientific information. Both publications have been successful over the years with farmers and the new editions reflect developments in the areas of fertility and heifer rearing. Herd fertility is an important driver for profitability on dairy farms and is influenced by a large number of management decisions. Recognising the diversity of farm systems across Australia, a companion InCalf Farm Case Studies booklet has been published, which highlights the importance of good herd fertility management to ensure successful and profitable farm businesses. The booklet, which features seven different farm scenarios and farmer case studies, is the result of an in-depth research survey into consistently highly profitable farms, exploring the links between their farm financial and reproductive performance. The case studies include at least one representative of each of the common calving systems

(seasonal single, split, year-round) and across different calving times (spring and autumn) and milk supply patterns, providing relatable examples for most Australian farmers. Rearing Healthy Calves was first published in 2011. It has proven extremely popular with farmers and calf rearers, with about 12 000 copies of the original publication circulated. The manual offers farmers ideas on how to enhance the way they manage calves, with the benefits flowing right through the supply chain. Dairy farmer Jessa Fleming said the Rearing Healthy Calves manual would save farmers time and money. Ms Fleming, who farms with husband Geoff at Gorae West near Portland, said following the procedures in Rearing Healthy Calves had transformed a crucial part of their farm business. “In the last two years we have had one sick calf that needed veterinary care as opposed to previous years when we had 30 or 40 per cent of the calves showing signs of sickness,” she said. “Now we have calves that are healthier, they achieve a better growth rate, they calve earlier and produce more milk.”

New technical and scientific information is now included in two updated Dairy Australia publications.

Hard copies of InCalf and Rearing Healthy Calves can be ordered for free from the new Dairy Australia website at www.dairyaustralia.com.au

WestVic Dairy also offers workshops about heifer rearing and herd fertility. Phone the office on 5557 1000 for more information.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

WEST VIC REGION // 13

January reminders Pastures • Plan your autumn application of fertiliser in advance and investigate the cost of various options. Include dairy effluent applications in the fertiliser plan and ensure you apply it in a way that keeps it on the farm. For more information on using effluent in your fertiliser plan, refer to: http://fertsmart. dairyingfortomorrow.com.au/ • Monitor crops for pests and manage crops for best feed utilisation by cows or young stock. Timing of crop grazing should ensure the paddock can be planted back to pasture at the optimum time in addition to feeding cows well. Remember the biggest advantage of planting a crop is improving future productivity of the pasture. • Be careful not to over-graze summer pastures. Maintain a 4 cm to 6 cm residual and consider stand-off paddocks, supplements and/or crops to protect pastures from over-grazing. • Confirm areas of the farm that would benefit from over-sowing or renovation, and plan the best approach and timing for success. This should back-up what you saw in late spring with pasture performance. Another look at the pastures should be

planned for March, because in hot dry summers pastures can thin out. • If hay has already been cut, watch for any signs of hay heating as a result of green or wet hay being baled. This can be checked regularly using a crow bar pushed into the bales. • Regularly monitor wrapped silage bales for the presence of holes and repair as soon as possible with tape that has a matching colour to the bales to give it the best chance to stick to the bale.

Production and feeding • A sharp end to spring meant, in most cases, enough silage was made but hay was a little more variable. Consider your feed budget — have you got enough to reach the autumn break? • If you are in the hay market, try to get a feed test. Know what you are buying and how that fits into the cows’ diet. It is always best to aim for quality. • Feed cows to try to maintain as much profitable production as possible. This can be done by feeding a balanced diet of remaining pasture, silage, crop and grain in a practical way. In irrigation, be mindful of the changes in pasture quality over this period and rising NDF (neutral detergent fibre).

Keep an eye on protein levels in the diet. • Feed tests and physical inspection on your own silage and hay are a great way of understanding what you are feeding to cows. You already have the feed and will feed it anyway, but understanding the quality of the feed and its limitations may change your fodder making and feeding decisions in the future. • As summer progresses, manage heat stress for your dairy herd. Go to www. dairyaustralia.com.au and search for ‘Cool Cows’. Consider cow comfort, waterand feed intake and potential reduced production when picking paddocks in the summer and even more so for hot days.

Stock • Be on the lookout for the effects of mycotoxins such as facial eczema (looks similar to photosensitisation) affecting exposed areas of pale skin. If facial eczema is suspected contact a veterinary practitioner for advice on prevention or treatment. Information is available on the Dairy Australia website at: http:// www.dairyaustralia.com.au/Animalmanagement/Animal-health/Facial-EczemaMonitoring.aspx

Young stock • The raising of young stock from birth to joining is a critical time as this generally determines first joining date, calving date and then reproductive performance of the heifers after their first calving. • A good guide to feeding young stock, called Heifers on Target, is available at: http:// www.dairyaustralia.com.au/ • Monitor young stock for pink eye and other seasonal issues.

Business • Now is a good time to get another income estimation done based on the season so far and the predicted trend for the rest of the year. • Review your first half-year management on the farm. Use your annual budget to determine how much of the planned expenditure was spent and explore the areas of farm management that could be improved for a better system and business in the future.

Join a Dairy Discussion Group today! Dairy Farm Discussion Groups have always been a great way for farmers to catch up with other farmers, exchange ideas and experiences, as well as follow new technologies and discuss current issues. Join a discussion group - new members are always welcome - or get a group together and start your own.

Funding is available through WestVic Dairy to support discussion groups.

Call WestVic Dairy on 5557 1000 or email laurie@westvicdairy.com.au for more information about local discussion groups and the funding available.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

14 // WEST VIC REGION

RURAL RUMENATIONS RURAL RUMENATIONS with Katie MacAulaywith Katie MacAuley

Columnist Katie MacAulay has been married to a dairy farmer long enough to appreciate the smell of good silage. She loves chooks, enjoys stacking hay bales with the tractor and wonders why the lawn grows twice as quickly as the grass in the paddocks.

The fine art of cattle sale etiquette IN A bid to boost herd numbers, we decided to

attend a cattle auction. Then the night before, Hubby announced he didn’t have time and suggested Junior and I go alone. I began ruminating on the responsibility. Hubby trusted me to choose cows? Spend that sort of money? What if I came home with nothing? Or worse, what if I returned with a herd of over-priced animals that he didn’t like? I quickly rang our trusty livestock agent to ask for help. We met an hour before the auction and together perused the pens of cattle. Potential was scrutinised and animals ruled out for a variety of reasons including size, age and udder shape. Preferences recorded on our catalogues, we

took our seats in front of the ring. From his pulpit, the auctioneer began preaching the virtues of each cow. “Milk in the vat today, ladies and gentlemen.” “A nice strong cow, plenty of milk.” “An experienced milker, continues to produce.” “She’ll only make you money, ladies and gentlemen.” “Do I hear a bid?” When the first cow I’d selected in the catalogue entered the ring, our agent looked at me. I nodded. He didn’t move. The bidding commenced and the price quickly escalated. The bidding stopped. Oh well, there were plenty more nice cows. “For X dollars to the MacAulay family.” The auctioneer pointed to us.

What?! How did that happen? It was the same with the next few cows. Despite our agent sitting statue-still, the next few cows I wanted were sold to us. At a good price. My ear started to itch but I was too scared to scratch it. If experts could buy cattle without moving, how much money could a novice spend by scratching her ear? Intrigued, I found myself watching our agent instead of the cattle. Turns out it wasn’t telepathy, there was a spotter to our left. A series of lightning fast, barely perceptible nods seemed to be the secret to our success. (At least that’s what I thought I saw — it really was hard to tell.) Two thirds of the way through the bidding,

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my ear growing itchier by the minute, Junior nudged me and showed me our running total. “We can only buy one more cow.” I nodded reluctantly, but then the prices dropped. Maybe other people had reached their budgets too? Several beautiful animals sold for a lot less than I expected so I made a snap executive decision. Hands shaking and with a sick feeling in my stomach, I asked our agent to keep bidding. It was worth it — I just hoped Hubby would understand there wasn’t time to call and discuss it. Finally the auction was over. My heart rate slowed. Not only had I survived but there was a pen of great cows waiting for us. It felt good. Nearly as good as scratching my ear.

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DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

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Canola meal can increase appetite and milk yield CANOLA MEAL can be an important compo-

nent of supplementary rations for grazing dairy cows and can play a role in increasing appetite, dry matter intake and milk yield compared to cows fed equivalent amounts of energy as cereal grain and conserved forage. That is one of the key messages from several experiments conducted by Agriculture Victoria researchers Martin Auldist and Bill Wales and their team at the Ellinbank Research Centre. Dr Auldist said he was confident that when relatively high amounts of supplement were fed, there was a milk production advantage to including components such as canola meal and maize grain in the ration, especially in early lactation. “When we feed less than about 8 kg DM of grain, we don’t see any advantage to feeding a mixed ration or grain mix compared to feeding straight cereal grain and forage,” Dr Auldist said. “Above that, though, we often see milk production advantages because higher producing cows have a greater requirement for nutrients other than the energy the cereal grains provide. “We’re not saying that farmers should be feeding supplements at high levels. We recognise the importance of grazed pasture as a cheap feed source. “This research is about finding better, more efficient ways to feed supplements when grass is in short supply and farmers need to, or want to, feed increased amounts of supplements, even for a short time.” As an example of the results Dr Auldist and his team have seen, he cites an experiment in which cows in early lactation were fed between 7.5 kg and 12 kg of a grain mix containing maize grain, canola meal and wheat grain, while receiving the rest of their diet as grazed pasture and conserved forage. These cows each produced up to 5 kg more milk per day than cows offered equivalent amounts of cereal grain instead of the grain mix. “Much of this milk response comes from additional dry matter intake,” Dr Auldist said. “Cows consuming a diet containing canola meal appear more inclined to eat. Not only do they eat more supplement but they also graze harder when they get back to the paddock after milking. “Canola could be having these effects because there is less propionate being produced in the rumen compared to when cereal grain is fed, which could partly remove satiety signals. “Alternatively the canola could be providing a more balanced supply of amino acids, leading to more milk and an increased appetite.” Canola probably isn’t the only component of the ration providing beneficial effects. Maize grain, in particular, is a source of starch that degrades more slowly than cereal grains such as wheat. “A more slowly degradable starch source like maize leads to less accumulation of volatile fatty acids in the rumen, and a less variable ruminal pH that doesn’t drop as low. Low ruminal pH is known to interfere with both digestion and, indirectly, milk fat synthesis,” Dr Auldist said. Despite the fact that canola and maize are more expensive supplements than cereal grain, there are times when it makes economic sense to feed them as part of a well-formulated grain mix, according to Agriculture Victoria researcher Christie Ho.

Agriculture Victoria researchers Dr Bill Wales and Dr Martin Auldist.

“Using long-term average milk and feed prices, these results show that feeding the grain mix is a profitable thing to do in early lactation, compared to feeding cereal grain at grain intakes between 7 kg and 12 kg of grain per cow per day,” Ms Ho said. All of the grazing experiments conducted by the team so far have been 28 days in duration. The next step is to extend that to a longer period. “Most of the better responses have been in cows in early lactation,” Dr Auldist said. “So we are currently running an experiment over the first 100 days of lactation to see if we can maximise the response to these kinds of grain mixes over that time. After that the cows will go back to a common diet, but we’re hoping to see a carryover effect in the rest of lactation. “That’s what studies overseas have shown and if it happens in our system it will add to the economic benefits of these rations.”

These cows at the Ellinbank Research Centre will be fed higher amounts of supplement, including canola meal, over the first 100 days of lactation.

The ration being fed to lactating cows.

DAIRY NEWS AUSTRALIA DECEMBER 2017

16 // WEST VIC REGION

Diary dates December Dry Off Join a roundtable discussion about drying-off procedures and how to ensure you are on top of your game.

Tuesday, December 19, Camperdown WestVic Dairy

Heifers on Target This workshop offers on-farm discussions about heifer management to ensure the best outcomes in terms of fertility, longevity and productivity.

Thursday, December 21, Dixie

Christmas greetings The team at WestVic Dairy would like to wish everyone a merry festive season and a good start to 2018.

WestVic Dairy WestVic Dairy Closure

From noon on Friday, December 22 until Tuesday, January 2

Our office will close at noon on December 22 and will reopen on January 2.

January Cups On Cups Off (COCO) Two-day course designed to achieve best practice in milking and detection, treatment and prevention of mastitis

Tuesday, January 16 & 23, Koroit

We are looking forward to seeing you at one of our many extension events in the new year.

WestVic Dairy

To express interest or RSVP to any events unless otherwise stated please phone Amanda on 5557 1000 or email amanda@westvicdairy.com.au

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