Dairy Farmer April 2022 by Farmers Guardian LTD

DAIRY

Forage quality Improving fibre utilisation in diets

FARMER

Pages 36-37

April 2022

Volume 69 Issue 4

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DAIRY-TECH PREVIEW What you can expect from this year’s event Pages 68-73

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Contacts Editor Katie Jones 07786 856 439 katie.jones@agriconnect.com Content Editor/Designer Mike Begley 01772 799 405 mike.begley@agriconnect.com Picture Editor Marcello Garbagnoli 01772 799 445 marcello.garbagnoli@agriconnect.com Head of Commercial Solutions Mike Hartley 01772 799 532 mike.hartley@agriconnect.com Account Manager Mark Jackson 01322 449 624, mark.jackson@agriconnect.com Classified Advertisements 01772 799 400 fgclassified@agriconnect.com Advertising Production Justine Sumner 01772 799 437 Fax: 01772 796 747 justine.sumner@agriconnect.com Circulation and subscriptions 0330 333 0056 help@subscribe.farmers-guardian.com Subscription rates: UK £65 a year Europe: £85 World: £95 ISSN 1475-6994 © Farmers Guardian 2022 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher. The contents of Dairy Farmer are subject to reproduction in information storage and retrieval systems.

Dairy Farmer, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Preston, Lancashire PR2 9NZ Origination by Farmers Guardian, Unit 4, Fulwood Business Park, Caxton Road, Preston, Lancashire PR2 9NZ. Printed by Precision Colour Printing, Halesfield 1, Stirchley, Telford TF7 4QQ. No responsibility can be accepted by Dairy Farmer for the opinions expressed by contributors.

a word from the

editor

here is so much to comment on this month that I don’t quite know where to start. News of late has been dominated by the war in Ukraine and the unimaginable human suffering being experienced by the country’s people has been desperately sad to see. The situation will also have an impact on global food supplies and has brought into question the balance between the ‘green’ agenda of environmental policies going forward and the need for food security. Closer to home there has been a number of milk price rises announced for April, but these pale into insignificance when you look at the rate at which fuel feed or fertiliser costs are also rising. With predictions suggesting many farmers will experience negative cashflows in the months ahead as costs increase faster than milk prices,

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dairy farmers will be keeping a close eye on market developments at this worrying time. And while it might seem like a distant memory, the BBC Panorama programme was a hot topic of conversation for some time. It was for many within the industry a hard watch, but as young farmer Amy Eggleston discusses (see page 14), it brings into focus our need to come together to show the industry will not stand for any behaviour which compromises animal welfare. Reader survey Finally, not wanting to rest on our laurels, Dairy Farmer is conducting some reader research as we aim to find out what you, our readers, want from this magazine in the future. This can be done by filling in the survey between pages 46-47 of this magazine and posting it back to us, or to complete the survey online, visit FGinsight.com/DFsurvey

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What’s inside? APRIL 2022 VOLUME 69 8

DAIRY TALK

Updates from Tom Rawson and Gemma Smale-Rowland

10 ON FARM

Scrutinising cow management leads to hygiene award

34 GRASS QUALITY 36 FORAGE QUALITY 38 REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE 40 UKRAINE 42 ANIMAL HEALTH Change in season brings a change in challenges

14 DAIRY MATTERS ‘We must be aligned in communicating this message’

68 DAIRY-TECH PREVIEW

What you can expect from this year’s event

16 VET’S VIEW

Questions remain about the transmission of M. bovis

18 YOUNGSTOCK

Tips to reduce neonatal calf disease and mortality

24 DISEASE FOCUS Scour in calves under one month old

74 MILK PRICES 78 MILK ANALYSIS 80 NEW PRODUCTS 82 MACHINERY 86 GOOD EVANS

‘It’s a good time to blame you and me; it’s a good time to have a go at farmers’

26 WORLD DAIRYING Canadian dairy celebrates 20 years of using robots

88 BUSINESS CLINIC Rise in costs set to outweigh price increases

30 DAIRY EXPO

Riverdane clinches overall and reserve championships

ISSUE 4

90 TECHNOLOGY

NEWS

Breakeven milk prices to exceed 40ppl

ilk price rises must stay ahead of the inflation curve to keep farmer confidence high with costs of production expected to exceed 40ppl. Many farms were expected to experience negative cashflows in the months ahead, as costs increase faster than milk prices. The warning comes as breakeven milk prices are likely to exceed 40ppl later this year and the total costs of production will have risen by 29% from 2021 to 2023, according to new data from Kite Consulting. It found a 37% increase in variable costs being driven by primarily increased forage variable costs

and increases in feed, bedding and veterinarian medicine, while overheads rose by 22% due to wage inflation, increased machinery costs and the impact of higher material costs in property repairs. Panic John Allen, managing partner at Kite Consulting, said: “There is already some panic in UK dairy farming as we see costs spiral out of control, particularly for those who have not used risk management measures to delay cost rises. “Farmers need to be reassured by prompt milk price increases to avoid making decisions which could cause long-term damage to their farming businesses and to national milk supply.”

Anxiety over bull calves 10-12

On Farm

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Reader Survey

JFarmers are becoming increasingly anxious about what will happen to their dairy bull calves in light of rising cost pressures. Cattle finishers are one of the most exposed in the farming sector to rising feed costs following a jump in global grain markets after Russia invaded Ukraine. It comes on top of the rises being seen for fuel and energy, which were affecting businesses across the farming industry. The knock-on effect may be felt on dairy farms with the

possibility of calves backing up on-farm with no place to go. Gary Mitchell, NFU Scotland milk committee chair, said his calf finisher was concerned as he could not book feed going forward. He said: “Several farmers have called me about this issue and one has 30 beef calves on-farm with no bed for them yet. “Young calves especially need cereal feed and milk in their diet, which is very expensive, so calf rearers are worries about taking in too many.”

APRIL 2022 22/03/2022 13:52

NEWS Understand cow behaviour to improve safety

Data from Kite Consulting suggests breakeven milk prices are likely to exceed 40ppl later this year and the total costs of production will have risen by 29% from 2021 to 2023.

Milk production for April 2021 to February 2022 was 11,279 million litres, 1.4% below a year earlier, according to data from AHDB. Freya Shuttleworth, AHDB dairy and livestock analyst, said: “While demand remains high, the supply deficit will continue to be the main driver of price movements on dairy markets. “Although higher prices are usually an incentive to increase

production levels, the sustained increases in input costs are likely constraining production growth as pressure mounts on farmer margins.” ‘Horrified’ by Kite’s cost of production forecast, Gary Mitchell, NFU Scotland milk committee chair, said this year would see minimal investment in the dairy sector given the uncertainty. And Michael Oakes, NFU

dairy board chair, said farmers calving all year round may look to decrease cow numbers or production, or both, in light of cost pressures, a situation processors were aware of. He said: “Everyone wants to supply their customers, but the economics are tough for all of us.” He also noted it had cost a local contractor an additional £22.20/ hectare (£9/acre) to plough fields due to new diesel prices.

Comfortably Clean

JUnderstanding and thinking about cows’ innate and learned behaviours will help reduce on-farm incidents for farmers and veterinarians. Dan Stevenson, of LLM Vets, addressed attendees at the Farm Safety Partnership seminar on cattle handling, saying he received at least one accident form on his desk every week, with common injuries including broken fingers, kicks and accidental stabbings. He said: “There is always a high degree of unpredictability when dealing with these animals and situations can be made worse with stress, sickness and unfamiliar situations. “Ultimately, cows are derived from prey animals and have monocular vision with no depth perception and have an immediate blind spot in front of them, so this should be considered when handling them.” He said most injuries could be prevented or reduced by minor changes to set ups and ‘major changes to attitude’. “The biggest change is a cultural one where everyone is responsible for each other and are prepared to walk away when something is not working,” he said, adding anger, frustration, worry and tiredness clouded judgements and led to bad decisions.

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NEWS

New data confirms strides made in reducing antimicrobials usage

he first dairy antimicrobial focus report, launched by Kingshay, shows 79% of participating herds achieved the Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (RUMA) alliance 2020 target of 21mg/kg PCU by March 2021, with an 98% reduction in use of critically important antibiotics in the same 2018 to 2021 period. However, it also indicates an opportunity for further uptake of teat sealant use as part of selective dry cow therapy. Report author Christina Ford says that the report is based on a data set which was collected from 940 dairy farmers and 156 vet practices. It includes data on antimicrobial use from these farms for the last four years. Through the individual farm reports, each farm can benchmark against their own year-on-year performance and against other farms. Ms Ford says overall the

A decline in the use of critically important antimicrobials in the diary sector is good news and shows there is a rising awareness about the importance of these products.

report was ‘fantastic’ news, with antimicrobial usage significantly reducing since 2018. She adds the decline in the use of critically important antimicrobials was another ‘good news’ story. “We have seen a drop from 1.1mg/kg PCU in 2018 to 0.02mg/

kg PCU in 2021. This shows there is a rising awareness of the importance of protecting these products.” Improvement However, despite these results, the data also shows 7% of herds are still using the critically important

antimicrobials, which Ms Ford says suggests there is still room for improvement. The data collected by Kingshay also shows a large amount of variation between individual herd results, with antimicrobial use ranging from 0.28mg/kg to 87.51mg/kg PCU in 2021. Ms Ford says: “We found that it is not always the same herds in the highest 25% antimicrobial usage year-on-year, nor is it necessarily the same farms consistently using the lowest quantities. “There is also no correlation at all when looking at different herd characteristics, such as yield, herd size or breed. This demonstrates it is possible to make strides in reducing antimicrobials use in any farming system.” While data shows there has been a reduction in the overall usage of antibiotic dry cow tubes, teat sealant usage in 2021 was 0.39 courses/cow, which is below the RUMA target of 0.7 courses/cow.

Farmers quit supermarket milk contracts JFarmers on aligned milk contracts were losing patience with supermarkets and significant numbers have handed in notices as prices lag behind the market rate. Up to 15% of the Sainsbury’s milk pool have handed in their notice, according to industry sources. The Muller Co-op contract was the latest group to come under fire at 33.91ppl, which dairy analysts deemed possibly the lowest March UK farmgate milk price, while Tesco and Sainsbury’s stood at 34.18ppl and 33.98ppl, respectively. Marks & Spencer flew ahead at 40ppl for its liquid standard litre. It follows price hikes from most processors this April and First Milk

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announcing a 1ppl increase from May 1, taking its manufacturing standard litre price to 36.75ppl. Dorset farmer Edward Mogridge, who resigned from his Muller Sainsbury’s contract in December, cited several factors, such as the Angus calf scheme and a doubling up on Red Tractor standards.

Standards Mr Mogridge said: “Our decision to leave was never solely on price. The retailer kept pushing for more and more on standards and, while there was no problem meeting those additional standards, we did not know where they would stop. It takes the enjoyment out of the job.”

He was aware of several farmers who had resigned at a similar time, adding they all felt annoyed by the 12-month notice period, while Arla Sainsbury’s farmers could leave after three months. Sainsbury’s did not comment on the resignation claim, but said volume from its Dairy Development Group had gone up as well as down during the years for a range of reasons. A spokesperson said: “We remain committed to supporting our farmers and making sure they receive a fair price for their milk based on our independently managed cost of production model.” The supermarket also recognised the uncertainties impacting the

milk supply chain, moving to more frequent reviews of the price it pays for milk to help farmers navigate change and manage their cashflow.

Changes NFU dairy board chairman Michael Oakes said some supermarkets were aware their pricing mechanisms were not reacting quick enough to the market, but no fundamental changes had been seen. He said: “I will be very disappointed if they do not react quicker to yet another step change in energy and fertiliser prices as there is a lot of uncertainty out there and farmers are wondering what to do right now.”

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 16:33

Shape the future of dairy In April, you’ll be able to influence what we deliver for you and have a greater voice in how your levy is spent.

You may want to see more focus on areas such as consumer marketing, environment, market intelligence, genetics or exports. Whatever’s important to you, this is your chance to have your say on how your levy money is invested and help shape the future of dairy.

We want to hear from as many levy payers as possible, but you need to register before 31 March otherwise you won’t be able to have your say

ahdb.org.uk/shape-the-future

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Tom Rawson

DAIRY Talk

Tom Rawson, who lives in West Yorkshire, is a director of Evolution Farming, a business with a team of 55 staff. They manage about 3,300 cows across nine units, two of which are organic and one which is in organic conversion, located in seven different counties in the North West, Midlands and eastern regions of England.

“

This time, the farmers are driving fancy modern American- and European-built tractors on some of the best dirt in the world

s usual when writing these columns a few weeks ahead of publication it is easier not to comment on fast moving events. However, the situation in Ukraine is not good on many levels. It’s particularly not good for the people on the ground over in Ukraine. Many are fellow farmers and are not using horse and cart scratting around in the desert like you normally see when there’s ‘war on the tele’. This time, the farmers are driving fancy modern American- and European-built tractors on some of the best dirt in the world. The last time Russia invaded someone, it directly influenced dairying’s lowest moment back in 2015. This time it appears to be taking us on an ever upward movement in the price we get for our much loved commodity. But of course we will need the money, as fertiliser, red diesel and meal are going somewhere into the stratosphere. However, it’s the margin which will count for all of us and who knows whether we will be any better off in 2022. At the time of writing, we are receiving about 10ppl more for our milk than this time last year. In any normal year this would be seriously exciting. This time I’m not so confident. The BBC Panorama programme about dairy farming certainly wasn’t our industry’s finest hour. It was hard to watch, but highlights what can happen on-farm. I feel incredibly sorry for the farmers involved as they were not present on any of the film and may well have not known about any of the issues. For our business, operating multi-site dairies, the whole episode is a very scary prospect. It is hard enough knowing what goes on 24/7 on the farm where you live, let alone the one you visit once a week. Our answer to it is a staff handbook, including animal welfare procedures and a whistle-blowing policy, with real ownership and culture-setting by the manager/ management team on-site. If you want another viewpoint, the Kite podcast referencing this programme is excellent and definitely worth a listen. Touch wood, calving is going well and we are currently about two or three weeks ahead of budget on milk production, due to cows and heifers calving faster and their milk becoming saleable quicker than we had planned. After a damp start to March, we are back out grazing

with two units out day and night. The planned end of the first round should be around the end of the first week of April. We have started executing our spring cropping plan with around 728 hectares (1,800 acres) of anything from spring barley to maize to be planted over an eight-week period. We have had a good start to ‘slurry22’, with about 15,000cu.m spread since the window opened. Obviously this side of the business will be more and more important, given the price of fertiliser. Multi-cut silage The plan again this year will be to continue to develop the multi-cut silage system we adopted last year and roll out on to the spring herds as well as the autumns. With the price of diesel, the forage wagons should come into their own. After two years, Covid-19 seems to have been for the most part forgotten and life returns back to normal. So it is great to see the team get back out and about. It’s still one of the best parts of my job to see people who would have probably never had met unless they worked for Evolution become lifelong friends. The new landlord at my local pub is still trying to get his head around the sights, sounds and smells of the agricultural community. He just sits quietly in a corner looking at the app which tells him how much money is flowing through the till.

APRIL 2022

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DAIRY TALK

Gemma Smale-Rowland Fourth-generation farmer Gemma Smale-Rowland farms with her parents at North Petherwin, near Launceston, north Cornwall, where they milk 120 pedigree Holsteins under the Glebewin prefix. She established the Cornish Moo brand in 2018 and was one of the first farmers in the country to install an on-farm milk vending machine.

“

With the generator only running the farm, the livestock did not see a problem

pril already? How time has flown since the festive period. January saw me, like many wives across the country, become a shooting widow once again. From October until February 1, our lives revolve around the shooting season. Every year, the aim in January for my boys is to shoot as many days as possible. This January I think they have made it to a record number. Every morning as I walk out of the door for milking, all I can hear is the argument of who is having which dog for the day. And then as I walk in from milking in the evening, there is discussion about whose dog worked best and the comparing of videos and photos. Not that it’s a competition. Our dogs gives us much joy and it is a pleasure to see them enjoy their work and always be delighted to please. February was a whirlwind of a month with the whole herd TB test always creating chaos. My nerves start to go and the stress levels rises. However, we are very lucky to have great vets who work well alongside us to make the days run as smoothly as possible. Luckily that’s another one complete. Testing used to be every 12 months, but Defra has just amended the rules, which now means whole herd testing every six months for us.

Real break As all farmers know, the only way you get a real break is if you physically manage to get away from the farm. So our planned skiing holiday as a family was something we had really been looking forward to. However, labour pressure and a member of staff leaving resulted in the cancellation of our family break away. Then, along with many of you, we had the great pleasure of storm Eunice visiting and beating Cornwall with gusts of up to 100mph. Although we suffered very little physical damage, the loss of power for five days really did take its toll. With the generator only running the farm, the livestock did not see a problem. However, when you have a 15-year-old son, no electricity for his mobile and no hot water for his two showers a day meant it was a very stressful period. We managed to get away from the farm for one

night to attend a very glamourous evening at the National Arable and Grassland Awards in London. We had a wonderful evening. It was a really well organised and highly professional night. It was really inspiring and warming seeing a room full of so many young farmers who have real confidence in the industry’s future. As we sat watching the devastating news of the war in Ukraine, I thought it would be a good idea to open a collection centre for people to donate essential goods for the people fleeing their country. After making a quick post on the Cornish Moo social media accounts, I expected to receive a couple of boxes to items. But then just eight minutes after posting the announcement the first donations arrived. And then eight hours later we had received hundreds of donations. I soon realised I had probably taken on slightly more than I had anticipated, but like all good farming families we rallied and made it happen. I honestly cannot tell you the overwhelming feeling after thousands of donations were made within five days. We have a wonderful community around us with people stopping by to help sort and box the items, with some even giving up days of work to help. Local business did so much from lending vehicles, running extra production lines to making us boxes and delivering lunches for volunteers. It really does show how lucky we are to live in our wonderful community.

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ON FARM

Scrutinising cow management leads to hygiene award

astitis had rarely been an issue in the milking herd at Broadmoor Farm, Wolfscastle, until August 2020, when infection level in the udders of nine cows was so severe that they had to exit the herd. Until then, Jeffrey and Elinor Evans and their team of relief milkers had a policy of dry wiping teats as cows entered the parlour and post-dipping with iodine. On reflection, Jeffrey says this had not been the best approach for protecting teat condition. He says: “The teats and teat ends would get dry and chapped in windy and sunny weather.” When nine cows succumbed to very severe cases of mastitis in a single month, every aspect of

cow management was scrutinised, including milking protocols. New procedures were introduced, with an iodine-free teat foam applied before and after milking. Jeffrey says within days he noticed an exceptional improvement in teat condition. He says: “The teats quickly became softer and smoother. We have kept that up and we have never had a problem with teat condition or high levels of mastitis since.” In 2021 there were 13 cases per 100 cows compared to the average rate of 32 out of 100 in a typical 200-cow UK herd. Cell counts are currently averaging 105,000 cells/ml, often dipping under 100,000 cells/ml when cows are at grass, and the Bactoscan is 16.

Jeffrey (centre) and Elinor Evans (right) with their youngest son Ianto.

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The Evans family recently won the large producer award in the Federation of Welsh Grassland Societies milk hygiene competition. Their 220-cow Jersey cross and Friesian cross herd is milked in a 12/24 swingover parlour and a feature of this, a dual vacuum level system, also prevents teat end damage, says Jeffrey. Backflush He says: “We do not have automatic cluster removers or backflush, but as soon as the cow stops milking, the vacuum level drops.” Cluster liners are changed three times a year in March, June and September. Jeffrey says: “That is something we are very particular with.” He shares the milking with two

PICTURES: Ruth Rees Photography

A mastitis spike prompted a rethink of milking protocols at a Pembrokeshire dairy farm and the outcome was so positive that the business has now won a national milk hygiene award. Debbie James reports.

relief milkers, both farmers who share his vision for cow health and performance. He mostly milks in the morning and they take care of the afternoon shift. The business runs a spring calving system, with the target of getting calving underway on March 1. The herd has a two-month dry period from December 30. Antibiotic tubes are still currently used at drying off, but apart from this treatment, antibiotic usage across the 400 animals on the farm is very low. Jeffrey says a reason he still favours this approach at drying The herd is averaging 6,000 litres at 4.8% butterfat and 3.9% protein.

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 11:36

ON FARM

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off is because constraints with sheds mean some cows have to be winter-housed in loose housing. But most cows are housed in cubicles on mats topped with sawdust. For the last two years, sexed semen has been used with great success on the heifers and the first and second calvers for the first cycle – of the 180 black and white calves born last year, 120 were females. The bull calves were sold at Whitland mart. Oestrus is synchronised in the heifers to help with the management of breeding as the heifers are housed away from the main farm.

Farm facts r32-hectare (79-acre) county council farm rFurther 129ha (319 acres) rented privately and from the county council rAverage annual milk yield per cow of 6,000 litres r4.8% butterfat, 3.9% protein

This means artificial insemination (AI) can be completed within a week. They are served at 15 months at an average of 300kg, with all AI done by Jeffrey. Sexed semen has had no negative impact on the calving pattern or empty rate, which averages 5-7% but has been as low as 3%. Jeffrey also credits vaccinating against IBR for that low empty rate. Prior to inoculation in 2012, the empty rate had been running at about 20%. The herd is vaccinated twice, pre-mating and again in November, before housing. To maintain the tight calving block, any animal with Johne’s leaves the herd. As a First Milk supplier, the Evans family was encouraged to have a Johne’s testing programme in place. Blood testing revealed three

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ON FARM cows in the herd with the disease and these were removed. Jeffrey says: “If we had not tested, we would have missed them because they had no physical signs.” Due to the success of sexed semen and also bovine TB restrictions, which prevent the sale of surplus heifers, the farm is carrying a high number of heifers, so this will be taken into account when the breeding options are reviewed this year. Calves are given four litres of their dam’s colostrum as quickly as possible, within four hours is the target, with all colostrum tested with a refractometer. Jeffrey says: “It must be more than 22 IgG in order to be good enough to feed to the newborns, but there are not many cows which produce colostrum that is not fit for feeding.” Calves are housed in pens of four initially, then move into bigger groups where they are fed a whey-based calf milk replacement, at three litres twice a day, and introduced to concentrates. Once they are consuming 2kg of concentrates, they are weaned and turned out to grass. Concentrates are fed at grass in troughs until the end of August. Those calves spend their first winter on deferred grazing, silage fields which are closed off from the beginning of September, to build

Calves move onto a wheybased calf milk replacement.

up covers ahead of turning heifers onto these from mid-October. Cows are at grass day and night as they calve from March 1. The soil is a medium loam, which does not dry out or burn off, but there are wet areas where winter grazing is avoided. At 40 hectares (99 acres), the grazing platform is tight for the herd size, so grass is supplemented with silage at the morning and afternoon milkings. First cut silage, which is cut in the first two weeks of May and analysed in 2021 at a crude protein of 16% and metabolisable energy of 10.5, is used for this buffer feeding. Jeffrey says: “We are very mindful

Cows are grazed day and night from the beginning of March.

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to make good quality silage for the milkers.” A further two cuts are made, with the third cut usually taken in the last week of August. A small number of bales are made if needed to manage the grazing rotation. Cows are turned into high grazing covers of 2,800-3,000kg of dry matter (DM)/ha (1,133-1,214kg DM/acre) due to the high stocking density on the grazing platform. Up to 4kg of concentrates are fed in the parlour, reducing to 3kg at the end of the breeding period. Grazing is at the heart of the system at Broadmoor Farm and the Welsh Government’s decision

to designate the whole of Wales a nitrate vulnerable zone has been a major blow for the business. Jeffrey says he is relieved the Government is currently reviewing that decision. Any policy which would limit his ability to grow grass or to graze at key points in the year would have a detrimental impact, he says. “We would have to cut down numbers because we would not be able to grow enough grass. Closed period “The closed period for spreading slurry would end on February 15, but the last thing we would want to do at that time is apply slurry as we would have just started to graze the farm. “As farmers, we are continually urged to make more use of grazed grass to reduce our costs, but if we cannot grow it we cannot utilise it.” But one policy which will be felt less intensely by his business than by many others is the phasing out of direct payments. Only a small Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payment is received, for the land rented from the county council, not for the land owned by private landlords. Jeffrey says: “We have never been dependent on BPS, so we will capitalise on that and perhaps take advantage of some of the new schemes.”

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 11:37

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17/03/2022 14:41

DAIRY Matters ‘We must be aligned in communicating this message’ Amy Eggleston is a fifth-generation dairy farmer from Leicestershire. Her family and farm team are milking 620 Friesian cows on a New Zealand-based grazing, spring calving unit. She showcases her farming journey on social media (@thedairydaughter) and also runs Pastures Green, which is a rural marketing business.

he release of the February Panorama episode, titled ‘A Cow’s Life: The True Cost of Milk?’ unfortunately was never going to show a completely balanced and rational argument about the world we call home. It was hard to watch and it has certainly not helped the perception of our industry, but what should we do now to prevent this from happening again? As farmers, we have common goals. We may operate different farming systems and our milk may end up as five different products, but inevitably we all must agree that animal welfare is, and always will be, our top priority. As a collective, therefore, we must be aligned in communicating this message – just like any brand has to be. This programme hurt us, as a brand, as British dairy farmers and as individuals. Not only was it not representative of the whole industry, therefore damaging us all, but it also compromised the consumer’s belief in our one core value – animal welfare. We do not treat our animals in this way and we are happy to stand by that, but the portrayal of someone within our industry behaving like that is so damaging and why I believe it is time for change.

To go forwards from this, we must accept that although this one farm was clearly in the wrong, we are all in this together. It cannot be denied that this happened and that the farmer should be punished, but we need to ensure it cannot happen again. We as farmers, families, herdsmen, herdswomen and teams need to reflect on everything we do to ensure it aligns with that one core value. Have we put animal welfare at the top of our list always? Animals first For most of us, and I hope all of us, the answer will be a quick and easy yes. We do put our animals first, we are confident in our practices and we can ensure nothing like this would ever happen on our farm. But if we want to improve and ensure this doesn’t happen again it is time to take this conversation one step further, among peers, colleagues, staff and family. If you feel something could change on your farm – whether it’s big or small – now is the time to say it. The practice might not be wrong or harming the animal in any way, but could it be portrayed badly from a consumer’s point of view? It’s time we change that. I agree, it is unfair this programme was aired with such a biased perspective, but it is time we

Amy Eggleston

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APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 15:44

Animal welfare is, and must always be, the dairy industry’s core value, says Amy Eggleston.

“

We have to now look ahead and do what we can to ensure this cannot happen again

stop complaining about why the programme went live. Panorama and the BBC often show biased, unbalanced arguments; we’re just frustrated that this one included us. They are journalists, reporting on things which people will watch. It’s happened now, we just need to ensure it can’t happen again. In order to combat the wrongdoing of one farm and the damaging repercussions of one single documentary, we have to come together to show we will not stand for this. Animal welfare is and must always be our core value, at the front of everything we do. It is not the cost of milk and we must remind people of this in order to allow them to continue to consume dairy products guilt-free. If we choose to show our farming story online, for example on social media, then we must act as though we are representing everyone with the photos and videos we post. No, not everyone in the UK milks their cows through the same style parlour, but everyone

milks their cows in a way which is kind and safe for the cows. It has to come through in everything we choose to share, whether that’s a picture taken in a rush at 5am or a TV interview where questions are asked on the spot. As dairy farmers, what we share (and even what is shared without our permission) has to be consistent. It must represent us all, encompassing our core value of putting the animal first. Question It is easy to place blame on the creators of the documentary or question why it was even allowed to be aired, but we have to now look ahead and do what we can to ensure this cannot happen again. We, as farmers, have to protect the reputation of everyone in the industry and therefore be willing to make a stand for change to happen. We have an incredibly unique story to tell about a nutritious, versatile, truly British product. It’s time we start telling it.

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15 21/03/2022 15:44

VET’S VIEW Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is thought to be common in Scottish dairy herds and experts believe a similar picture may apply to the rest of mainland UK. Wendy Short reports.

Questions remain about the transmission of M. bovis

lmost 200 dairy farms in Scotland are taking part in a Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and University of Glasgow survey to pinpoint the distribution and spread of M. bovis. The project is ongoing, but initial results have shown that a large number of herds contain cows with M. bovis antibodies. This suggests that the milking cows have been exposed to the organism at some point in their lives, says Colin Mason, veterinary centre manager at SRUC. He says: “In these herds there is a possibility that the disease is active and spreading to calves and youngstock, with the potential of carrier cows being present. Infected cows and calves can develop pneumonia and also arthritis, which will limit youngstock growth rates. “The disease can also affect the middle ear, resulting in a characteristic head tilt or ear droop on one side.

“In adult cows, it can be responsible for cases of mastitis.” Many questions remain about the transmission of M. bovis, he states. “The main route of spread is aerosol and therefore it requires close contact with an infected animal. When an animal coughs, its pen mates will breathe in the pathogen. Communal teats “It may also be transmitted via calf milk feeding utensils, communal teats in particular, and in the milking parlour with its link to mastitis. “It is not yet clear whether milk being passed from infected cow to calf is a significant source of disease transmission, but in our efforts to control the disease, we can assume this might occur.” A high standard of hygiene will minimise the risk of M. bovis, along with withholding the practice of feeding waste milk from cows to calves, he says. “If calves are fed on cows’ milk, control measures, such as milk or

colostrum pasteurisation, could be introduced for calves. Given that M. bovis is one of a varied list of causes of pneumonia, the management of other pathogens through respiratory virus vaccination, for example, can also be useful as a general precaution. “Waste milk feeding carries the risk of disease transmission in general, alongside significant concerns around managing antimicrobial resistance. “It also leads to nutritional variation. Keeping calves in small groups with a close age range and ensuring adequate, draught-free ventilation are other preventative measures to minimise the risk of pneumonia.” M. bovis has special features which make it particularly difficult to combat. Mr Mason says: “The pathogen does not have a cell wall. This precludes the use of some of the most common treatments, such as the penicillins, as they act against the bacterial cell walls. An M. bovis-infected lung.

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“The pathogen can also change its outer membrane structure, which may help it to evade the cow’s immune system. Other infections “As with all bacterial infections, early decisions on the appropriate choice of antibiotic for targeted action are crucial to treatment success. The policy should be reviewed with the vet as part of the health plan.” Aside from milk sampling, the two other options for determining the presence of the M. bovis pathogen are nasal-pharyngeal swab tests and post-mortem examination with follow-up testing, says Mr Mason. Blood testing for antibodies will confirm exposure to M. bovis. It can be a useful screening tool for calves of nine to 12 months old, particularly if there have been respiratory disease issues in early life. It could be assumed that a full set of negative M. bovis test results would be welcomed by producers, but the characteristics of M. bovis make herd status a complex issue, he says. He says: “A naive herd is highly susceptible to contracting the disease if it is exposed to an environment containing an infected animal which is shedding the pathogen. “It is thought that cattle which recover from infection and show no signs of the disease can become carriers, although more data/research is needed on this subject. “We are investigating the status of closed herds and we currently believe the disease is usually introduced via bought-in cattle. “The results could influence the way in which dairy cows and youngstock are traded. “Always consider the potential

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*Term as pa offere own t we m Soluti

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 11:42

DairyFa

VET’S VIEW

Colin Mason Calves infected with M. bovis can develop pneumonia and arthritis, which will limit youngstock growth rates.

risk of bringing a carrier cow into a herd without any obvious clinical signs, as well as the risk of bringing a disease-free, non-immune cow into an infected herd.” Respiratory disease is never caused by a single agent, he stresses. “In some cases, M. bovis will be the primary cause of illness. In other herds it may be present, but will only

have a minor effect on the livestock. It can often be detected as part of a ‘pathogen soup’, which may include pasteurella and/or mycoplasma, for example.” Survey The SRUC M. bovis survey is ongoing and full interim results are due to be published later this year.

Mr Mason says: “The next stage is to look at the disease in relation to youngstock. At present our research is confined to the dairy industry, but in the future the study may be extended. Data relating to M. bovis in the beef herd is based around investigating pneumonia problems and cases when they occur. “Suckler cows are tested for

pneumonia and further investigation will often find M. bovis present. As many dairy farmers keep both beef and dairy cattle, it would be useful to replicate the trials for suckler herds. “There is currently no national control programme for M. bovis. “The final results of this research will be useful in the drive to develop more structured control plans for limiting its spread within and between herds. It will also help to manage the animal welfare and economic effects of the disease and to reduce our reliance on antimicrobial drugs.”

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15/03/2022 17/03/2022 09:52 11:43

YOUNGSTOCK Neonatal calf mortality and disease have the potential to be a drain on dairy farms. Dairy Farmer looks at some effective management strategies to reduce the problem and associated consequences.

Tips to reduce neonatal calf disease and mortality

ow quality colostrum and scours continue to be two major causes of losses and reduced performance in young calves. According to speakers at a webinar presented by the University of Nottingham and Trouw Nutrition, 15% of liveborn heifer calves die before their first lactation, but while it is impossible to eradicate mortality, steps can be taken to reduce the impact and cost. Young calves are particularly vulnerable due to their immune status at birth, according to Georgina Thomas of Trouw Nutrition. Ms Thomas said: “There is a particularly high-risk period from days eight to 14. This is when calves move from passive immunity, which is the short-term immunity, resulting from the antibodies from colostrum, to active immunity, which develops as they come into contact with pathogens and their immunes system produces antibodies. “This period can be extended if low quality colostrum is fed and successful passive transfer is not achieved.” If passive immunity fails, calves are twice as likely to die

Georgina Thomas advises getting colostrum tested and only feeding high quality colostrum.

and one-and-a-half times as likely to be treated for diarrhoea. Ms Thomas advised getting colostrum tested and only feeding high quality colostrum. She said: “Get the vet to blood test calves. IgG levels of less than 10g per litre at 48 hours old are an indicator that passive immunity has failed and that either colostrum quality is poor or colostrum management needs to be improved.”

IgG levels of less than 10g per litre at 48 hours old are an indicator that passive immunity has failed GEORGINA THOMAS

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Diarrhoea is also a major cause of losses and reduced performance. Vet Emily Payne, of the University of Nottingham, said 90% of dairy farms experience scours every year and it causes the death of up to 2% of all calves born. Close attention She advised paying close attention to calf behaviour for early signs of sickness as it was the only way calves could communicate distress. Reduced milk intakes, slower drinking speeds or not drinking at all are early indicators of a problem. Other signs will include droopy ears, sunken eyes and a general reduction in activity. Ms Payne said: “Any change in behaviour is a sure sign of a problem, such as if a calf does not finish its milk, and will be commonly seen four to five days before you will see obvious physical problems, such as changes in faecal consistency. “As soon as you see any of these

signs, it is time to intervene with the priorities being rehydration, ensuring warmth and pain relief. “In trials, treating calves with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs helps get calves back on their feed and eating and drinking more quickly, boosting dry matter intakes and liveweight gains.” When treating calves with scours, Ms Payne stressed the importance of understanding the cause of the scouring. She said: “Nutritional scours is a consequence of feeding and feed management, while infectious scours can be causes by a range of infectious agents, including cryptosporidia, rotavirus, e. coli, salmonella and clostridia.” She also said antibiotics was not an effective intervention in many cases, while prompt and effective rehydration is key to helping calves recover. Continues over the page...

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 11:45

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YOUNGSTOCK “There is still a tendency to treat scours with antibiotics. Not only does this increase overall antibiotic usage on farms, but it is not an effective intervention in many cases. “You need to know the cause of the diarrhoea. Antibiotics are of no value in cases of nutritional scours and viral infections. “They can be of value with bacterial infections, but should be used in a targeted way, for example with calves showing other signs of distress, such as a fever. “The other key is prompt and effective rehydration. It is not diarrhoea itself which kills calves, but the associated dehydration and metabolic acidosis it causes.” Dr Laura Tennant, of Trouw Nutrition, said calves are at greater risk of dehydration than older animals due to their body composition and increased metabolic rate. Dr Tennant says: “They lose fluids more easily than older animals because a higher proportion of body fluids are outside body cells which means they are less well protected and will be lost more easily and quickly. “Dehydration disturbs many

of the key pathways in the animal, reducing blood sugar, causing malnutrition and increasing the risk of hypothermia. “It can also affect the absorptive capacity of the intestines, leading to poorer use of feed, reduced growth rates and poor feed conversion.” As soon as calves show signs of dehydration, Dr Tennant advised feeding a hypotonic oral rehydration solution (ORS) to help calves recover quickly. She explained that water in the body moves from low to high concentrations. Hypotonic solutions are less concentrated than body fluids, so ensure the solution is absorbed rapidly to replenish lost fluids and therefore provide effective rehydration. Dehydration Hypertonic ORS can cause water to move out of the body and can make dehydration worse. Dr Tennant said: “Many ORS on the market contain extra glucose. This can make them hypertonic, meaning the water is less readily absorbed and the product is therefore less effective at

Treating calves with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs helps get calves back on their feed EMILY PAYNE tackling dehydration. There is no need to add surplus glucose to an ORS as the sole purpose is rehydration, not providing energy which calves should be getting from milk. “There would never be enough glucose in an ORS to meet the calf’s energy requirements.” She advised using an ORS to replace a milk feed, but never totally removing milk to calves. She said: “As milk is a food, not a drink, it is vital to keep offering scouring calves milk while also helping them to rehydrate. A good strategy is to alternate feeds of milk and ORS during the day.

“Some farmers feed the ORS mixed in milk to save time, but this should never be done. “Mixing an ORS with milk produces a hypertonic solution and actually reduces the effectiveness of rehydration. For most effective rehydration use a simple ORS mixed in water. “Protocols based on early intervention with rapid rehydration and pain relief while continuing to feed milk will help calves overcome the consequences of dehydration. “This will minimise checks on growth rates and reduce the costs associated with neonatal mortality.”

Dr Laura Tennant advises using an oral rehydration solution to replace a milk feed, but never totally removing milk to calves.

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APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 11:45

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15/03/2022 10:19 15:54 02/03/2022

DISEASE FOCUS Scour is the most common disease in young calves, accounting for around 50% of deaths, making it an important disease for farmers to get on top of. So how can calf scour be prevented and treated? Ruth Wills reports.

Taking steps to reduce the risk of calves contracting scours

s well as impacting on calf welfare, growth and conversion efficiency, scour hits the bottom line too, making it imperative to have a prevention plan. Kim Stafford, vet at Giles and Parsons Farm Vets in Cornwall, says: “Scour is the top cause of death in calves under onemonth-old. “There will be negative impacts on growth rate and age at first calving which will increase rearing costs, veterinary costs and additional time spent looking after the calves. Heifers are also nearly three times more likely to calve at over 29 months old if they have been treated for scour as a calf, compared to calves which have not had it,” she adds. Causes can be infections or nutrition related. “Nutritional causes tend to lead to mild signs, whereas infectious causes can be more severe,” she says. But there are steps farmers can take to reduce the risk of calves contracting the disease.

Reduce environmental pressure Hygiene is the most effective method for preventing scour.

“Consider how equipment and calf pens are cleaned and how often. Ideally calf pens should be cleaned out every four weeks – which will help to reduce disease pressure,” says Ms Stafford. “For any new batches of calves coming in, pens should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. If there is a problem with cryptosporidium check that the disinfectant being used kills it.” Iodine, chlorine and bleachbased products will not kill cryptosporidium, so hydrogen peroxide would be a better option, she suggests. Any equipment including buckets, bottles, calf jackets,

Early signs will include the calves appearing depressed or not wanting to feed and they might have a temperature KIM STAFFORD

tubes and teats should be cleaned regularly. Anything that has contact with calves, should be easy to clean. “It should be an easy job. If it is difficult people will be less inclined to do it,” she adds. Avoid housing calves together which have more than a two-week age gap – older calves are more likely to infect younger calves. Snatch calving can also be a good prevention method. “Cows are a huge source of infection for young calves, so ensure the calving pens are clean and remove the calves as soon as possible”, says Ms Stafford.

Boost calf immunity with vaccinations If there are specific infectious causes present on-farm, it is possible to boost the calf’s immunity through vaccinations administered to the dam. “This will mean they have more resilience to those bugs when they are born, once they have had colostrum,” says Ms Stafford.

Know the symptoms Symptoms are usually visible for a week and can range from mild signs, such as loose dung, to severe, very sick animals and ultimately, death.

“Normally, early signs will include the calves appearing depressed or not wanting to feed and they might have a temperature before any signs of scouring. As long as they are still happy to drink, this would be a good time to offer a couple of litres of electrolytes between their milk feeds. “More severely affected calves may not be willing to stand, have sunken eyes or might show signs of,” says Ms Stafford. Scouring can vary from slightly loose, undigested dung to very watery dung.

Replacing fluid is key Rehydrating calves is critical, as they will lose several litres of fluid when they have scour. “Fluid replacement is something that farmers can do with oral electrolyte fluids – this is the first line of treatment we would recommend,” says Ms Stafford. While rehydrating, keep the calves on their milk feed as this

APRIL 2022

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22/03/2022 13:57

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JOHN SPENCE Limagrain Forage Crops Manager

The new summer forage Skyfall is a bounce-back brassica and the first of its kind.

Sown in early summer, it can provide three or four rounds of grazing through summer and into autumn, making a ‘forage bridge’ when conditions can be dry and grass in short supply. It will give grass some valuable recovery time, allowing more to be made of home grown forages. It’s also an ideal crop to slot into a reseed programme and can be sown after first-cut silage or a first round of grazing. This helps to break the grassland-bug cycle while providing a high-value forage. If a calf is treated for scour it is three times more likely to go on to calve at 29 months old, compared to calves which do not have scour.

will give them energy to heal their gut and make a speedy recovery. “Also ensure the calves have access to water at all times.” A treatment plan should be in place adds Ms Stafford. “Working with a vet on a flow chart to inform decisions based on the signs you see is very useful.” If calves are at the stage where they are recumbent, veterinary intervention is necessary to administer intravenous drugs. If cryptosporidium is diagnosed – usually by identifying cryptosporidium eggs in calf faeces – consider using halofuginone. Antibiotics rarely play a role in calf scour, however they can be useful under some circumstances – check with the vet.

Isolate scouring calves Isolate infected calves, if space allows. “If there are a lot of calves affected this may not be possible,

but any severe cases should be isolated until they recover to prevent the spread around the shed,” says Ms Stafford.

Make sure nutrition is correct Keeping calves healthy and growing well enough to fight scour is important. “If the calves are undernourished then they will be on the back foot with any disease pressures. “Nutritional scour is most commonly caused by inconsistent feeding but can also be caused by milk replacers which are high in plant protein rather than milk proteins,” says Ms Stafford.

Look at the feeding plan “Make sure they are being fed enough for maintenance and growth as well as to mount an immune response. If calves are happy to keep drinking milk while scouring then continue to offer their usual milk feed.”

These ‘wins’ will be music to farmers’ ears as we see higher feed and fertiliser prices adding to milk production costs. Skyfall has large strap-like leaves that look like stubble turnip leaves, and roots that are deep and elongated – more like a forage rape root. It can be grazed then closed up to re-grow or ‘bounce-back’ before grazing again – a cycle that can be repeated three or four times from mid-summer onwards. These deep roots promote drought tolerance and re-growth potential. Crops sown in mid to late May have the best re-growth potential, although Skyfall can be sown until July. It needs a moist, fine seedbed and should be sown at a rate of 5kg/ha, ideally with slurry and FYM applications prior to drilling. A pH between 6 and 7 is ideal. The crop is ready for grazing between five and seven weeks after sowing. It is best strip grazed and then, once eaten off, it should be closed-up for four to six weeks to allow re-growth before grazing again. To maximise its ‘bounce back’ potential, 30 to 35kg/ha of nitrogen should be applied after each grazing. Limagrain trial results in 2020 showed fresh yields in the first grazing of 34t/ha at 10.2% dry matter. The total fresh yield was 79t/ha at 12.4% dry matter across four grazing rounds. This equates to 9.55t DM/ha across the four grazing periods. It also yielded an ME of 10MJ/kgDM with protein content averaging between 16% and 18%. Skyfall’s regrowth potential means dry matter yields are on par with the best kale crops and much higher than other summer forages. It’s a value-for-money crop that’s worth considering on most dairy farms. Seed is treated with Start-Up, a unique combination of soluble nutrients and bio-active compounds proven to aid establishment, and it is available in handy 2.5kg 0.5ha units packs.

Free Growers Guide, visit APRIL 2022 25

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22/03/2022 13:58

WORLD DAIRYING

The Wagner Farm is based at New Hamburg, Ontario.

For the past 20 years the Wagner family from Ontario in Canada have been using robotic milkers on their small herd of under 60 cows. Chris McCullough reports.

Small dairy celebrates 20 years of using robots

airying is a real labour of love for the Wagner family who can trace their history back six generations on the farm in New Hamburg, Ontario. Today the farm extends to 73 hectares (180 acres) and is run by Carson Wagner together with his parents Vanda and Darcy Wagner. Succession plans are being developed for Carson to take on the ownership of the farm in the future. Carson says: “The majority of our land grows crops such as alfalfa and corn, along with a small acreage of wheat or soyabeans depending on the year. “Right now my father and I are running the farm full-time.

fed haylage and corn silage out of the AgBag sealed storage system at a 50:50 ratio. Carson also puts a total mixed ration with straw and ground corn into a stationary mixer.

Carson Wagner (right) with his parents Vanda and Darcy.

My parents own the farm fully for now and I will start to take on ownership in the next few years.”

Farm facts rOn average the cows yield 38 to 40kg per day at 3.14% protein and 4.1% butterfat rAt the current butterfat rate the milk price the Wagners receive is about

CAN$0.76 per litre (44ppl) after deductions rMilk is sold to the group called Dairy Farmers of Ontario who helps market out our milk to the processors

In total, the Wagners milk 57 Holstein cows and keep a further 65 heifer replacements in the herd. Carson says: “With the robot we are averaging about 2.9 milkings per day with a daily average of 38 to 40kg per cow. Our dry cows are the only group that has access to pasture and the rest of the milking herd and heifers are all kept and fed indoors. The cows are currently being

Lactation Carson adds “Our milking herd is all one group with 60% of the herd being first and second lactation cows. We use artificial insemination throughout the entire herd, using a company called EastGen that comes in to carry out the majority of the inseminations.” Carson and his Dad work fulltime on-farm, while his Mum takes on a more part-time role feeding the calves. Labour is also boosted with the help of a robotic milker, with the farm hitting its 20 year anniversary for robotic milking recently. Carson says: “We currently are milking with a Lely A4 robot which we have had in the barn for about eight a half years now. Prior to that we had a Lely A2 Robot.

APRIL 2022

DF Apr p26 27 World Dairying KJ MB.indd 2

21/03/2022 15:46

CANADA WORLD DAIRYING

Lely robots have been used to milk the cows for the past 20 years.

“Buying a robot 20 years ago represented a huge investment in technology for us and it was completely new to our area at that time. Today we are still fully invested in the automation of milking but at this point have not gone deeper into any more new technology. “Potentially, if we build a new barn that is when we would be looking at getting more new technology.”

The main milking herd is kept indoors all-year-round.

In the future Carson would like to expand the herd but to do that he needs more land. With land prices rocketing at the moment those ambitious plans have been put on a temporary hold. Succession He says: “Right now we are working towards a succession plan for me taking over from my parents.

In the future we would potentially look towards building a new dairy barn as our current facilities are getting older and it would be nice to have a little bit more capacity in the barn. But for now the main goal is to get our succession planning done and work on increasing our quota and land. “Some of the main problems associated with this are that land prices are continuing to go up.

Land is starting to become close to $30,000 (£17,400) per acre. We are in an area where there is a quite a few dairy farms around us so we all are looking for land and quota as we all try to expand our herds. “There are also some plans to grow some cover crops to cut in the spring time so we can produce more home grown feed to cut down on feed costs that are also escalating.”

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27 21/03/2022 15:47

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in numbers. Also, cut grass uses

ask, said Mr Smith, is whether to

sugar by continuing to respire.

treat with an additive. Without an

days. So if there is a weather opportunity

cut earlier and more often. In Volac

to cut early, you could be better off

trial work, grass from a ﬁve-cut system

losses and means fewer bad bacteria

of silage DM and nutrients was

taking it rather than waiting and risking

had an average digestibility three D

spoiling the fermentation. This is why

much more open to chance.

poorer weather and a poorer crop.

units higher than grass from a three-cut

it is important to cut at the correct time

system and was almost 3% higher in

of day and ted promptly. Grass wilts

present on the grass, but you do not

will also be slower and another topical

crude protein. Over the season, the

fastest during the ﬁrst two hours after

know if they are good or bad ones,

reason for cutting younger and taking

ﬁve-cut approach also yielded 0.92

cutting, he added.

or how many.

more cuts is to allow more opportunities

tonnes/hectare more DM.

“After heavier grass crops, regrowth

to apply slurry. This will be useful if apply-

additive, he said the preservation

“There will be bacteria naturally

Mr Smith said: “In our trial work

“A proven additive outcompetes

on a light, multi-cut crop on a warm

bad bacteria, putting you in better

weeks, consider cutting a week earlier

and dry July day, cutting at 10am and

control of the fermentation, to the

if the weather permits and the N has

tedding immediately resulted in grass

extent that feeding a range of silage

applying slurry to the stubble as soon as

been used up. Having higher quality

reaching 30% DM in just four-and-a-

crops made with Ecosyl has been

possible after harvest allows more time

silage puts you in a better position to

half hours. This compared with seven

shown to deliver an average of an

for it to dissipate into the soil, whereas

capitalise on good milk prices. Another

hours to reach 30% DM if grass was

extra 1.2 litres of milk/cow/day.”

delaying application allows regeneration

beneﬁt is lighter cuts are faster to wilt.”

not tedded until ﬁve hours after cutting

ing less bagged fertiliser this year. “To reduce slurry bacteria risks,

of the stubble, which can provide a micro-climate for bad bugs to thrive.” Another reason to cut earlier, said

“If you normally cut every six or seven

Faster wilting reduces these

Wilting speed

or 24 hours if grass was left in rows. “In real life, we have to deal with

Whenever grass is cut, Mr Smith

the weather. But the quicker grass can

Mr Smith, is that if less N is applied, grass

said rapid wilting is key. After cutting,

be wilted, clamped and fermented, the

could head earlier due to nutritional stress.

bacteria have free access to sugars

less sugar and protein which will be lost.”

For more information on Volac’s Cut to Clamp initiative, visit

cuttoclamp.com

APRIL 2022 DF Apr p28 29 Volac Cut to Clamp (Signed off).indd 3

29 21/03/2022 15:49

PICTURES: Adrian Legge

DAIRY EXPO

Inter-breed and Red and White champion, Riverdane Miss Awesome Strawberry Red, from Riverdane Holsteins, Middlewich.

Reserve inter-breed and Holstein champion, Riverdane Doorman Elk, from Riverdane Holsteins, Middlewich.

Exhibitors and spectators were back in force as this year’s Borderway UK Dairy Expo event got

und

Riverdane clinches overall a nd

t was a double win for Mark and Sue Nutsford, their daughter Jodie and the team at Riverdane Holsteins, Middlewich, Cheshire, who claimed the overall and reserve honours at this year’s Borderway UK Dairy Expo event. Top honours went to Red and White champion, Riverdane Miss Awesome Strawberry Red, a home-bred second-calver by Luck-E Absolute Awesome Red and out of Riverdane Colt Strawberry, an EX94 classified

cow which stood first in the production class on the day. December-calved and already giving 60kg daily, Strawberry Red is classified VG87. Reserve champion from the same home was the Holstein section winner, Riverdane Doorman Elke. Shown 100 days fresh and giving 50kg, this home-bred second-calver by Val-Bisson Doorman is out of the wellknown show cow Emeraude and classified VG88. As at the 2020 event,

spectators were given the chance to vote for their supreme heifer champion, with the majority vote going to the Holstein, Absolute Doorman Shes A Belter, a home-bred heifer from Absolute Genetics, Lancashire. Reserve heifer Reserve heifer champion was awarded to the Jersey heifer, Treasure Andreas Fernleaf, from the team at Summer Sizzlers, Co Antrim. Taking the Ayrshire section

overall and reserve titles was first time Dairy Expo exhibitor John Adamson, Lanarkshire. His champion was the homebred second-calver, Swaites Buttercup 40, brought out by Mr Adamson’s son Jay. It was shown just seven weeks fresh, giving 50kg a day. The Jersey championship went to the team at Honeygirls Jerseys, Gomersal, West Yorkshire, with Honeygirls Welsh Lily. Bred and owned by Edward Sugden and brought out by

Results rInter-breed (Judge, panel) Supreme, Riverdane Miss Awesome Strawberry Red, Riverdane Holsteins (Red and White); reserve, Riverdane Doorman Elke, Riverdane Holsteins (Holstein). rHeifer champion (Public vote) Sup., Absolute Doorman Shes a Belter, Absolute Genetics (Holstein); res., Treasure Andreas Fernleaf, Summer Sizzlers (Jersey). rAyrshire (K. Davidson, Dumfries and Galloway) Sup., Swaites Buttercup 40, John

Adamson and Son; res., Swaites Bracken 19, John Adamson and Son; junior, Knowe B-King Dainty Lass 2, A. Struthers and S. Esquierdo. rJersey (T. Packard, USA) Sup., Honeygirls Welsh Lily, Honeygirls Jerseys; res., Skiddaw Megapower Bluebell, J.A. and Y. Raven; jun., Treasure Andreas Fernleaf, Summer Sizzlers. rRed and White (T. Packard) Sup., Riverdane Miss Awesome Strawberry Red, Riverdane Holsteins; res., Drointon

Arvis Promis Red, A. and D. Mackellar; jun., Panda Amazon Order In Red, Panda Holsteins. rBritish Friesian (J. Arrell, Shropshire) Sup., Oakalby Brandy Britto 57, E.S. Burroughs and Son; res., Irthingelt Balmoral Spirit 4, Thomas Moscrop; jun., Gemini Jupiter Cher, A. Malt and T. Barrell. rDairy Shorthorn (J. Arrell) Sup., Mossrigg Barrington Iris 8, J.M. and J. Fisher and Daughters; res., Churchroyd Golden Drop 41, I.R.G. Collins

and Partners; jun., Cotonhall Dynamic Empress, R.D. Kite and Son. rBrown Swiss (M. Sloan) Sup., Kedar Shut Up And Dance With Me, T. Lochhead and Sons; res., HoldOnToYourHats Jeez Louise, Harriet Hassall; jun., Kedar Daredevil Risky, Oakleigh Brown Swiss. rHolstein (M. Sloan) Sup., Riverdane Doorman Elke, Riverdane Holsteins; res., Davlea Sidekick Wattle, I.M. Davies; jun., Absolute Doorman Shes A Belter, Absolute Genetics.

APRIL 2022

DF Apr p30 31 32 Dairy Expo HP KJ MB.indd 2

17/03/2022 11:48

DAIRY EXPO

Ayrshire champion, Swaites Buttercup 40, from John Adamson and Son, Lanarkshire.

got

Jersey champion, Honeygirls Welsh Lily, from Honeygirls Jerseys, West Yorkshire.

underway on what marked the shows 10th anniversary. Hannah Park and Katie Fallon report.

a nd reserve championships Georgina Fort, the VG89 classified cow calved with its fourth in December and was shown giving 38kg.

Dairy Expo was also the venue for this year’s British Friesian national show, with the championship going to

Oakalby Brandy Britto 57 from David and Jamie Burroughs and Margaret Vale, Suffolk.

Brought forward by herdsmen Robert Ives and Liam Continues over the page...

APRIL 2022 DF Apr p30 31 32 Dairy Expo HP KJ MB.indd 3

31 17/03/2022 11:49

DAIRY EXPO Bannes, the EX94 classified fourth-calver was shown giving 23kg a day. The Fisher family, Armathwaite, prevailed in the Dairy Shorthorn ring with second-calver Mossrigg Barrington Iris 8. Having calved in February, it was shown giving 40kg a day. Brown Swiss Taking the Brown Swiss championship was Kedar Shut Up And Dance With Me from T. Lochhead Sons, Dumfries.

The third-calver, which also won best udder in its class, is a EX91 Kedar Spots Shenanigans daughter and was shown giving 43kg a day. Reserve was another from the same home, HoldOnToYourHats Jeez Louise, belonging to 11-year-old Harriet Hassall, who also won the showmanship championship at this year’s event. Its dam, Kedar Wonderment Juilet, was shown as a calf and stood junior champion at Borderway UK Dairy Expo in 2017.

Dairy Shorthorn champion, Mossrigg Barrington Iris 8, from J.M. and J. Fisher and Daughters, Armathwaite.

British Friesian champion, Oakalby Brandy Britto 57, from E.S. Burroughs and Son, Suffolk.

Brown Swiss champion, Kedar Shut Up And Dance With Me, from T. Lochhead and Sons, Dumfries.

John Dennison Lifetime Achievement Award JHarry Hodgson from Wormanby Farm, Burgh by Sands, Carlisle, was presented with the John

Dennison Lifetime Achievement Award at the event. The accolade was established

in 2013, in memory of well-known dairy farmer John Dennison, with the aim to recognise a dairy cattle breeder who is judged to be an exemplary role model and high achiever in the dairy industry. Mr Hodgson has been a keen Holstein breeder all his life, who, alongside his son David, has overseen the expansion of

the Wormanby herd, which now stands at 550 head. On receiving the award, Mr Hodgson said: “This is the biggest surprise of my life. This award is not just for me, it is for the entire family. John was a great friend and someone I admired hugely. He has been and still is missed by all within the dairy farming community.”

New Rising Star Award

Harry Hodgson after being presented with the John Dennison Lifetime Achievement Award.

JJames Wright, 24, a dairyman at Guillyhill Farm, Dumfries, was selected as the inaugural winner of the UK Dairy Expo Rising Star Award.

Launched this year in partnership with MilkTech, it aims to recognise an individual’s knowledge, work ethic and sportsmanship.

APRIL 2022

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15/03/2022 08/02/2022 12:09 15:16

GRASS QUALITY Pre-cut testing of grass is a key tool to improve precision of cutting date and help improve forage quality and fermentation stability. Dairy Farmer reports.

Do not leave silage quality to chance

he quality of silage made and the effectiveness of fermentation have always had a significant effect on how well and how profitably cows perform during winter. According to Alicia Bexon, ruminant nutritionist with Trouw Nutrition GB, the more grass quality is understood and acted upon, the greater the prospect of a better quality and more stable feed. She says: “Cutting at the correct time to maximise the energy content and help fuel an efficient fermentation is fundamental to producing the highest quality feed. “The feed in the clamp can never be higher energy than the grass harvested due to energy being used up during fermentation. You have one chance per cut to get the cutting date as accurate as possible, so it really pays to test grass.” How well grass will ferment is determined largely by the chemical analysis and you cannot tell this by just looking at a crop. Pre-cut testing is a simple way to improve precision of timing any cut to improve silage quality.

Knowing the sugar content, free nitrates and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) content will give a much better indication of crop suitability and avoid problems with poor fermentation. Grass sample results can be back on-farm within 24 hours, making it a timely test. She explains high sugars will encourage a rapid fall in pH resulting in a more stable forage. In addition, a higher sugar content will help produce a feed with a higher energy content. A sugar content of more than 15% dry matter (DM) is excellent. Sugars less than 10% DM increase the risk of a poor fermentation. Indicator NDF is an important indicator of how well grass is growing, increasing as grass matures. If NDF increases too much, silage quality, particularly digestibility and metabolisable energy content, could be reduced. Ms Bexon advises cutting before NDF content exceeds 40% DM. She says: “As levels tend to rise quickly over a one- to two-week period, monitor grass quality

As grass matures, sugar content tends to reduce, which will have implications for fermentation ALICIA BEXON

34 DF Apr p34 35 Grass Quality KJ MB.indd 2

regularly and make sure the contractor knows what this means for likely cutting dates.” High free nitrate levels are the enemy of effective fermentation. She advises only cutting grass when nitrates are below 1,000mg/kg. Delay Grass between 1,000-2,500mg/kg can be cut, but delay cutting if possible. As a rule of thumb, nitrate levels decline by 500mg/kg/day. Ms Bexon says: “All the main factors influencing feed and fermentation quality are weatherdependent. Sugar content increases in warmer conditions, but as grass matures, sugar content tends to reduce, which will have implications for fermentation quality. “Free nitrates tend to be higher in cooler seasons as the rate of assimilation of nitrates into protein is reduced. “In 2021, sugars in pre-cut samples we analysed averaged 15.6% DM, which was excellent. Nitrates were also low on average. “Together these suggest that if crops were cut on the basis of these results, then grass silage would have fermented well, assuming of course that harvesting and clamp management were at a high level. “As ever there was a range with both high nitrate and low sugar contents, reflecting the weather, and indicating when crops were getting a good fermentation would be a real struggle. “While sugar content is largely out of direct management control, being largely a factor of grass variety and weather, there is a lot farmers can do to influence nitrate levels which are probably the biggest barrier to a quality fermentation.”

Ms Bexon says nitrates are taken up by the plant from the soil and assimilated into proteins. Under normal conditions, a plant will convert about 500mg/day of nitrates into protein. If the uptake from the soil is too great then the result is a build-up of free nitrates waiting to be converted. Ms Bexon says: “If grass is cut when free nitrates are too high, the effectiveness of fermentation is reduced, leading to an unstable clamp and poorer quality, less palatable forage. “This is because nitrates in the grass lead to the production of ammonium hydroxide, which is alkaline, buffering the pH and making it harder to achieve the pH required for an effective fermentation. The greater the free nitrates, the more the pH will be buffered.” She advises particular care when calculating nitrogen applications, as rates which are too high can promote luxury uptake, leading to a greater risk of high nitrate levels. The general guide for nitrogen uptake is 2.5kg of nitrogen per hectare per day (two units/acre/day) from the date of application to the date of cutting, but this assumes active intake every day. The rate of uptake will reduce in periods of drought.

APRIL 2022 22/03/2022 13:59

GRASS QUALITY Farmers have one chance per cut to get the cutting date as accurate as possible, so it really pays to test grass.

When calculating nitrogen applications, Ms Bexon advises it is important to take account of all nitrogen sources. For example, there will be little residual soil nitrogen

available to a reseed after an arable crop, but levels will be higher in a reseed after a longer term ley. She says: “Make sure to take full account of nitrogen applied

as slurry or manure. With increased applications of slurry onto first cut, it will pay to get slurry analysed so you have a better idea of how much nitrogen will be applied.

“This will allow you to better predict how much bagged nitrogen will be applied, based on the days from application to harvest and the nitrogen already available to the plant. This will be especially important with multi-cut systems and associated shorter cutting intervals. “Better planning will reduce the risk of over-applications which can lead to high nitrate levels and also push up costs. This will be particularly important with this year’s higher fertiliser costs. “When in doubt, it will be prudent to err on the side of caution, delaying harvest by a day or two to allow nitrate levels to drop. “With every cut, you need to make sure you harvest the best quality grass you can, but that it will also ferment quickly and effectively to preserve nutrients and reduce wastage. “Pre-cut testing can give you the information to ensure you are cutting the best material as the foundation for a better performing winter.”

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35 22/03/2022 14:00

FORAGE QUALITY Lallemand’s animal nutrition guide, Forward With Fibre, is designed to help farmers improve their fibre utilisation in diets. Ellie Layton highlights some key points.

Making the most of silage

ver the past 30 years, the industry message has been to ‘produce high-quality forage and reduce reliance on purchased feeds to improve profitability’, according to Lallemand nutritionist Roy Eastlake. He says: “Despite this, some farmers are still missing out on significant potential that fibre in forage form offers.” A Wiltshire-based young farmer features in the guide to show how it can be used practically on-farm. Joe Carter has moved to earlier, more frequent silage cuts, which has helped the farm achieve improved forage quality leading to reduced feed costs. Mr Carter farms 117 hectares (290 acres) in Chippingham, alongside 24ha (60 acres) of rented ground used for growing maize. His herd of 300 Holstein cows calve all year round and changed to a fully housed system in 2016 due to the change in cow type and location. Mr Carter says: “Cows were made to digest fibre and it is what they are capable of. They have the ability to make a valuable source from something we cannot, so that needs to be nurtured.” Since making the change to the opti-cut system in 2017, which is

Some farmers are still missing out on significant potential that fibre in forage form offers ROY EASTLAKE

Problems Mr Carter says: “Any problems in cow health can normally be traced back to the clamp, so when making and storing silage, it is important that quality is kept high.” One of the most important parts of the silage season is planning the cut. Six years ago, the farm moved from away from grazing the cows, enabling them to move from a traditional three-cut system towards cutting earlier and more often.

They also began pre-cut testing, which was an eye-opener, as they saw how the ME dipped with each test. Mr Carter says: “We saw that we should have cut two or three weeks earlier and that gave us the confidence to rely on the tests.” The new system bases every timing decision on sample results, as long as the weather co-operates. The aim is to take the first cut as early as possible, then the following cuts falling every four to five weeks. Mr Carter says: “For anyone thinking of trying this type of system, I would say start with regular pre-cut testing and let the data convince you.” To increase cropping, Mr Carter has moved to a five-year plan, with three years of grass leys and two of maize. This means 20ha (50 acres)

“By suppling high quality forage, more digestion can be done.” By making the guide ‘farmerfriendly’, Ms Colahan says it will resonate better with farmers, rather than in-depth science. She says: “Low quality forage makes bacteria work harder. By suppling high quality forage, more digestion can be done.

“Best practice is about finding a balance between key factors and what is ideal. “For example, avoid wet conditions, but if not, weather allowing, avoid soil contamination in the silage as this can lead to health problems further down the line with clostridial diseases.”

a farm-tailored system controlled by pre-cut grass testing, average metabolisable energy (ME) has increased from 10.5MJ/kg to 11.5MJ/ kg of dry matter – the conventional system average is 9.5MJ/kg. This has also brought much greater consistency across all cuts and yearly averages.

of new, medium-term grass leys are planted every year. Mr Carter says: “This system helps to increase grass quality and keep consistent heading dates. Our long-term goal is to improve financial margins by producing higher energy forage to make reducing compound feed costs possible.” Mr Carter sits down in February with his agronomist, silage contractor and nutritionist to look at last year’s results and benchmark this year. This allows fertiliser plans to be put together and contractors to be booked in, weather-permitting. Fertiliser is spread with flotation tyres to allow earlier travel on the fields. Slurry is used alongside bagged fertiliser after each cut. Indicator Fibre is also an indicator to harvest timing. It is important to pre-cut test the plant regularly two to three weeks prior to harvesting to understand the fibre level. In general, if a crop becomes too mature, this indicates that the lignin level has increased and is indigestible to ruminants, which reduces the digestibility of the forage as a whole. When fed, forage with a higher proportion of lignin slows down rumen flow, reducing dry matter intakes and lowering the potential for production from forage.

Farmer-friendly ONCE forage has been cut, it is key to store the product well to maintain the fibre content and reduce fermentation. Quality ensiled forage will deliver a highly digestible forage feed. Technical support at Lallemand, Lientji Colahan, says: “Low quality forage makes bacteria work harder.

Lientji Colahan

APRIL 2022

DF Apr p36 37 Forage Quality KJ MB.indd 2

17/03/2022 11:51

When fed, forage with a higher proportion of lignin slows down rumen flow.

Top tips for harvest rPlan to make sure each part of the team is able to work efficiently and has time to do the job; communication is key rLine up your contractors well in advance to make sure you do not miss the crucial cutting window

rIf you do your own silaging, the same applies; make sure all of the machinery is serviced and ready to go, avoiding breakdowns in the field rCompromise, as not all fields will always be ready to harvest at the

same time; you may need to take an average of the pre-cut tests rMake sure cutting height for stubble is ideally at 6-8cm, so the field still looks brown after the cut rTedding should be done within the first two hours

of cutting, as this is when the optimum wilting occurs rGrass should wilt until it reaches 30% dry matter rDo not wilt your grass for more than 24 hours, as after this, dry matter losses increase and protein is broken down

APRIL 2022 DF Apr p36 37 Forage Quality KJ MB.indd 3

37 17/03/2022 11:51

REGENERATIVE AGRICULTURE A new dairy project is aiming to get a better understanding of how uptake of regenerative agricultural practices on dairy farms could have a positive impact on the environment. Hannah Park reports.

Dairy project spotlights regenerative outcomes

he Regen Dairy project, which is being run by FAI Farms and Farmwel, supported by several global food companies, will see 24 Arla farmers explore regenerative farming methods and its outcomes. Those taking part in the four-year pilot include a mix of conventional, organic, grazed and fully housed farm systems from around the world. Speaking in an FAI Farmsorganised webinar launching the project, Ffinlo Costain, Farmwel chief executive, explained that while it was generally acknowledged that soil health and biodiversity were core elements in regenerative agriculture, there was no universally agreed definition of what this farming system included at present. He said the project’s vision was to spotlight practices which were already delivering regenerative outcomes on dairy farms around the world, as well as working with producers and food businesses to co-develop resources and

networks to support a regenerative dairy movement. Mr Costain said: “Regenerative agriculture can help to re-establish natural balance by mitigating global warming and creating resilience in our landscape by restoring biodiversity, soil health and the water cycle. “It can do this while producing high quality food and ensuring farming and food businesses become less vulnerable to economic, environmental and social risks. “We are going to spotlight practices which are already delivering regenerative outcomes on dairy farms around the world.” Challenges Jo Lawrence, of Arla Foods, said one of the main challenges around the topic of regenerative farming was that there was no ‘blueprint’. She said: “Whether we will ever get to anything close to [a blueprint] is questionable, because of the complexities and systems-based approach regenerative farming requires. “This project will try to pull

Sophie and Tom Gregory.

38 DF Apr p38 Regenerative KJ HP MB.indd 2

Ffinlo Costain said the project’s vision was to spotlight practices which were already delivering regenerative outcomes on dairy farms.

together meaningful measures which are already out there and working so we can start to share that knowledge for other farm businesses to consider whether it is something they want to explore.” Dairy farmers taking part in the pilot, Tom and Sophie Gregory, are first generation organic producers who contract farm a 360-cow Irish Friesian herd on a grass-based system across 364 hectares (900 acres) on the Dorset/Devon border. They spoke about what had motivated them to want to adopt regenerative principles and gave some examples of what they were doing differently since adopting this approach. Mr Gregory said: “One of the first lightbulb moments was when we started doing a second round of soil sampling. “I think we assumed that because we are organic that everything would be great, but we were starting to see that some indices were not improving.” This, he said, had prompted them to start to think about different systems and models which could help them to change some of the methods they were using in a bid to improve

grass growth and soil health. He said: “We found a lot of the regenerative principles highlighted areas which made a lot of sense around things we could change. “Things such as moving away from heavy cultivations or changes to hedgerow management to improve the farming to environment balance. “Ultimately the business has to be profitable, but this is also talked about within a lot of existing literature out there. Sustainability is important because if the farm is not profitable it cannot continue.” Reseeding He explained that measures the farm had adopted included a move away from reseeding full paddocks and instead was looking to stitch in grasses and was working to get to the bottom of soil health issues which might be causing fields to look a certain way. Mr Gregory said: “It is about expanding our knowledge to be able to understand why things are doing what they are doing. For example, why a field looks a certain way, rather than adding cost or implications to try and fix them. It is a different way of thinking that is not advertised in commercial agriculture.”

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 11:53

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18/03/2022 13:11

UKRAINE Russia’s invasion of Ukraine shocked the world. Here, Chris McCullough speaks to one of the country’s dairy farmers to find out more about the impact it is having on the country’s dairy industry.

t is a day Dutchman Kees Huizinga, a dairy farmer in Ukraine, never envisaged would happen. But when Vladimir Putin’s Russian army started a war with the European nation, the entire world felt the aftershock. For the past 20 years, Mr Huizinga and his two business partners have run their large 15,000-hectare (37,066-acre) farm, ‘TOV Kischenzi’, in the centre of Ukraine in peace. Agriculture in Ukraine, known as the breadbasket of Europe, had been performing well with excellent commodity prices. When Mr Huizinga heard the news of Russia’s invasion in February, he immediately sent his wife Emmeke and their two young daughters home to the Netherlands via Romania. One week later, Mr Huizinga followed his family to be a voice in the west for Ukrainian farmers, leaving his farm in the capable hands of the 400 staff there. The farm is located close to Cherkasy, 200km south of Kyiv, and runs 2,000 Holstein Friesian dairy cows and 450 sows. The land is mostly used for growing crops for export, such as wheat, corn and sunflowers, and there is also 350ha (865 acres) of vegetables with drip irrigation. Mr Huizinga, who is also fluent in Ukrainian and Russian, says: “We started out there with 1,000 hectares and grew that up to 15,000 hectares, mostly leased as foreigners cannot own land there. “When I became a farmer, I knew

Dairy farmer flees Ukraine to be a voice in the west Kees Huizinga says that work on-farm continues and the 2,000 cows still need to be milked.

I would have to wage a figurative war against the traditional enemies of food production, such as pests, weeds and disease, but I did not expect to be in a real war zone with a deadly enemy. “The Ukraine Agrarian Association has about 1,100 members, farming a total 3.5 million hectares in Ukraine. They asked me to go to the west and be their voice in case we lose internet connection in Ukraine.” Mr Huizinga says that work

Ukraine’s dairy industry rCow numbers in Ukraine have continued to fall, as predicted, over the past year, down by 6.6% to 1.56 million in January 2022 rUkraine dairy farms are split into either large industrialised businesses or small traditional family units rAccording to the Ukraine

40 DF Apr p40 Ukraine KJ MB.indd 2

Association of Milk Producers, the total number of cows on the large industrial farms was 422.1m cows and the number on family farms is 1.14m rUkraine produced 522,100 tonnes of milk in January 2022, which is 1.5% less than in January last year

on-farm continues and the 2,000 cows still need to be milked, although a big review of the cropping programme is underway. He says: “Just before I left, cows were yielding 34 litres each per day. We milk them in an 80-unit rotary parlour twice a day. Cows are fed a mix of corn silage, alfalfa hay, soyabean, sunflowers, sugar beet pulp and minerals. Most of the ingredients we grow ourselves. “Our milk goes to Molikija, which processes it into liquid milk, butter, cheese and yoghurts. “We are on a premium with the factory receiving about 43 euro cents per litre, as we produce high quality milk all year round. “Thankfully, the trucks collecting the milk are still running for now, but I do not know what will happen. “For the world market, we grow corn, wheat, barley and sunflowers which are exported out of the Black Sea ports, but the Russians have closed those ports now.

“Right now, work continues, but we are reviewing our fieldwork programme in case the situation changes. “Fuel and fertiliser is in short supply so we have to work around that. We might stop growing sugar beet this year because of the uncertainty of whether the mills will be operational. “Our farm produces 70,00080,000 tonnes of grains per year, but right now the export markets are closed.” While the area that Mr Huizinga farms in is currently relatively quiet, some of the farm staff have gone to fight the Russians. The war in Ukraine is going to affect food prices across the world, but Mr Huizinga insists things could change for the better, but only if the war stops immediately. He says: “Ukraine is estimated to be able to meet the food needs of 600m people. That is pretty good for a country of 44m people and about 35,000 farms. “Ukraine produced 90mt of grains last year and consumes 2t per year, so the country has enough food for itself, but there will be a shortage across the world. This will push up food prices for everyone.”

Kees Huizinga

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 11:53

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APRIL 2022 DF_04_P41.indd 3

41 17/03/2022 14:49

ANIMAL HEALTH With a change in seasons comes a change in animal health challenges, so in this special feature we take a look at some of the issues you should be on the lookout for.

ameness is a major economic and welfare issue in UK dairy herds, as one in three cows are believed to be lame at any one time. But new research looking at the heritability of foot lesions, involving 2,352 Holstein cows on UK farms and led by Prof Georgios Oikonomou, of the University of Liverpool, and Prof Georgios Banos, of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), has shown that sole ulcers have a heritability of 29%, sole haemorrhage 20% and white line lesions 6%. The results show genetics can play an important role in preventing sole ulcers and sole haemorrhage. “Foot lesions are moderately heritable, so genetic selection can make a difference,” says Prof Oikonomou, who has been presenting the research to farmers and industry experts including foot-trimmers at a series of meetings across the UK supported by AHDB and the University of Liverpool. Assessed The cows in the study were assessed over an eight-month period: before calving, when they were freshly calved and during early and late lactation. Previous studies indicated low heritability in sole ulcers, but Prof Oikonomou says this is likely to be because the data

Genetics may have a greater influence on how susceptible dairy cows are to developing foot lesions than previously thought, a new study has found. Debbie James reports.

Impact of genetics on lameness used came from farm records, where risk of misclassification is greater. In contrast, the latest research used a consistent approach, with all the assessments carried out by the same person. Prof Oikonomou says: “We can be a lot more confident in which cows did and did not have sole ulcers and other lesions when they were assessed.” Existing tools, notably AHDB’s Lameness Advantage and the digital dermatitis index, can be used to help dairy farmers improve lameness through genetics. For every two-point decrease in Lameness Advantage, the sole ulcer risk doubles, says Prof Oikonomou. And for every one point increase in the digital dermatitis genetic index, there is a 61%

reduction in the odds of a cow developing the condition. The University of Liverpool and ADHB have now launched a pilot study to use foot-trimmers’ records for lameness genetic evaluations, to create a national database to use for the genetic evaluation of resistance to lameness causing foot lesions. This will eventually lead to improvement in the AHDB Lameness Advantage Index, Prof Oikonomou says. “High quality phenotypes [lesion data] lead to more accurate breeding values and are therefore crucial for genetic selection to work.” In the UK, genetic evaluations for lameness traits currently rely only on information provided through milk recording organisations. Prof Oikonomou says: “Our

46 TEAT HEALTH

50 LEPTO CHECK

54 PARASITES

56 FERTILITY

58 FLY PROBLEMS

60 DRYING OFF

62 PROTOCOLS

64 MEDICINES HUB

66 FOOTBATHING

Maintaining condition

Mitigating the impact of turnout How to prevent clostridia

42 DF Apr p42 43 44 Lameness KJ MB.indd 2

A focus on vaccination

Keeping pests at bay on-farm The importance of data

What to consider when grazing Making the most of vet advice

Keeping a check on foot problems

results so far clearly highlight the importance of accurate phenotyping. “The effectiveness of Lameness Advantage will increase if farm lesion records improve and foot-trimming records include all lesions and are recorded on farm software.” The National Association of Cattle Foot-Trimmers and the Cattle Hoof Care Standards Board are partners in the project and companies which provide software for the electronic recording of foot lesions during foot-trimming are also involved. Vet Sara Pedersen, a specialist in cattle health and production who has been providing practical lameness advice at the AHDB and the University of Liverpool meetings, urges the industry to get involved. Challenging She says: “Tackling lameness is challenging, but if we can make this easier through improved breeding then what is there to lose? Genetic improvements will take time but data can and should also be used now to help us make better informed decisions.” Although software allows for data sharing and analysis for management and breeding decisions, paper records are valuable too, Ms Pedersen adds. She says: “Even the most simple dataset can tell you something, let us start using it. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution, so the data is key in helping us identify the key areas to focus on in order to make a real difference.” Continues over the page...

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 16:00

ANIMAL HEALTH

Existing tools can be used to help dairy farmers improve lameness through genetics.

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DF Apr p42 43 44 Lameness KJ MB.indd 3

21/03/2022 16:00

ANIMAL HEALTH Eliminating risk factors

Mobility scoring can help identify cows at a very early stage of lameness which can lead to prompt treatment.

JPrompt treatment and trimming will help alleviate lameness, but prevention by eliminating risk factors should be the goal. Different lesions have different risk factors, so identifying the most common cause of lameness on-farm is key. Ms Pedersen, of Farm Dynamics, said that changes in the foot around calving are one of the key risk factors for sole ulcers, along with poor cow comfort resulting in long standing times; sole ulcers can be thought of as a ‘stand up’ disease. The target lying time for a housed cow is 12-14 hours per day, but research shows they are only achieving an average of 10.

44 DF Apr p42 43 44 Lameness KJ MB.indd 4

Once time needed for eating, drinking and socialising is taken into account, this only allows two hours in a cow’s day for milking. For any length of time that milking extends beyond two hours, lying times will be compromised, Ms Pedersen says.

Conditions Heat stress is another lameness trigger, so steps should be taken to keep cows cool in hot conditions, including providing plenty of cool water on the exit to the parlour and making sure cows are not cramped in collecting yards at milking, as this reduces their ability to cool off. Cubicle design is another area which should not be overlooked – improvements

Through mobility scoring, cows can be identified at a very early stage of lameness and effective treatment provided SARA PEDERSEN can often be made without major investment, Ms Pedersen says. She says: “There are not many cubicle sheds on farms where adjustments cannot be

made, the more comfortable cubicles are the longer the lying times.” Ms Pedersen emphasises the important role mobility scoring plays in preventing lameness escalating. She says: “Through mobility scoring, cows can be identified at a very early stage of lameness and effective treatment provided. “This approach has a large impact on treatment success and overall lameness levels in a herd, yet early detection remains a key barrier on many farms. “If we are seeing advanced lesions, such as sole or wall ulcers, we have missed the window of opportunity to give that cow the best chance of responding to treatment.”

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 16:00

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22/02/2022 17/02/2022 09:30 10:19

ANIMAL HEALTH

t this time of year it is timely to look at what can be done to ensure teat health is not compromised by the cows’ change in environment. Alison Cox, global application specialist at Deosan Dairy Hygiene, says while there are many benefits to cows being outside, exposure to the elements brings its own challenges on teat health and can be costly if not addressed properly. She says: “When it comes to preparing for turnout, it is important for teat skin to be in optimum condition, so it can pay to invest time in analysing teat condition a few weeks ahead of turnout, getting teats to where they need to be to handle the transition more effectively. “When exposed to cold, wet and windy conditions, the skin of machine-milked teats can become sensitive and irritated.

A number of factors should be considered ahead of the transition to turnout to maximise teat health. Dairy Farmer reports.

Consider teat health during grazing period “To make matters worse, in an effort to compensate, the skin tries to ‘fight back’ by over-producing cells which result in the thickening of the skin as well as producing a dry flaky layer. In these conditions, this roughened skin becomes a magnet to dirt and bacteria.” Routine Ms Cox says ensuring an effective pre-milking routine is firmly adhered to is the first preventative measure to take to avoid skin deterioration at this time, followed closely by the careful choice of post-milking disinfectant specific for the conditions.

With accurate coverage and less wastage, barrier products are designed to ‘stay put’ ALISON COX She says: “Ahead of and during turnout, do not alter or stop your pre-milking routine. This is a crucial time to ensure teats are at their optimum and pre-milking preparation remains extremely important to deliver a clean teat. “An effective barrier product is highly recommended for

managing cows through the turnout period. “With accurate coverage and less wastage, barrier products are designed to ‘stay put’ on the teat, creating a film to protect the skin and allowing the ingredients to get into all crevices, leading to healthy skin condition.”

Keep it simple and consistent JKeeping the teat hygiene management routine simple to ensure consistency takes out an added variable and ensures maximum efficacy of the products, says Ms Cox. “It is also worth remembering that many other factors present challenges for teat hygiene; transition between groups, diet changes and group management can all have an impact. For farmers currently applying teat disinfectant as a spray, the thought of turning to a dip-only product might not be something they would favour. “However, it would be a far more beneficial option to maintain teat skin condition before and during challenging conditions with a product that

46 DF Apr p46 47 Teat health KJ MB.indd 2

works properly in the first place, than to firefight with lotions and creams which simply do not provide the levels of disinfection required.”

Housing She also says another important factor to consider is housing. It is all too easy to get complacent of housing hygiene once cattle go out for the first time in spring, but it is important to keep your housing regime consistent until cattle are permanently out. She says: “Adverse weather can crop up in the early stages of turnout – this is the UK after all – and it can be disruptive to teat health conditions to bring cows back into a dirty building.”

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 16:20

DAIRY

Reader survey

FARMER

Spring 2022

WIN £150

THREE PRIZES AVAILABLE

JDear Reader We’re always looking for ways to improve Dairy Farmer and we welcome your feedback, positive or critical, in helping to plan our future. So if there’s something you’d like to see more of from Dairy Farmer, or something that you don’t see as being particularly relevant to you, then please spare a few minutes of your time to let us know. The more information we have, the better we can tailor what we are offering you. Responses will be treated in strict confidence. All completed surveys returned by Sunday, May 1, will be entered into a prize draw. Three winners will win cash prizes of 1st £150, 2nd £100 and 3rd £50. If you would prefer to complete this survey online visit, www.FGInsight.com/DFsurvey or scan the QR code with your phone camera. This will take you directly to the online survey. Thank you in advance for your help. Regards, Katie Jones, Dairy Farmer Editor

1. How often do you read your copy of Dairy Farmer magazine? Every issue q

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12. Approximately how much of your farming news, analysis and information do you get via the internet these days? 0-10% 10-25% 25-50% 50-75% 75-100%

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JThank you for taking the time to complete this questionnaire. Your replies will be kept strictly confidential and used for statistical purposes only. However, if you wish to be included in our free prize draw please remember to complete your name, address and telephone number clearly in the space provided below.

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ANIMAL HEALTH

It can pay to invest time in analysing teat condition a few weeks ahead of turnout.

Top tips ahead of turnout for optimum teat hygiene rAnalyse teat hygiene products based on environment and required performance rMaximise your opportunity ahead of turnout to ensure teat condition is at its most optimum rDo not drop your pre-milking routine during the transition period rIn colder weather during the early stages of turnout, a barrier product is needed to protect the skin condition rRemember, even during a mild spring, wind can still be a danger to skin condition rKeep your housing regime consistent until cattle are permanently out

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Megalac rumen-protected fat has been proven to increase milk yield and cow fertility around the world for over 30 years. • Average increase in milk yield of 2.3 litres/cow/day • Improves conception rates and egg quality • High energy density without risk of acidosis Megalac increases fat in the diet – one of the essential nutrients for efficiency.

More milk, better fertility Experts in fat nutrition

An effective barrier product is highly recommended for managing cows through the turnout period.

APRIL 2022 DF Apr p46 47 Teat health KJ MB.indd 3

47 21/03/2022 15:51

ADVERTORIAL

LAN TALK

SPECIFIC FOR YOUR SUCCESS

APRIL 2022

PREPARE FOR FIRST-CUT SILAGES NOW LIENTJIE COLAHAN

Sales & Technical Support Lallemand Animal Nutrition

The level of nitrate should be as low as possible to facilitate a rapid pH drop resulting in an efficient fermentation. This is because nitrate has an ion load which neutralises the acid (buffering), slowing the pH drop and the fermentation. First cut grass should contain less than 1000mg/kg of nitrate per kg fresh weight, also described as 0.1%.

Following a changeable silage making season last year, many producers are coming out of the winter with minimal high quality silage stocks left over. This means getting a good quality silage into the clamp as early as possible will be paramount this year to help maximise production from forage. Milk from forage is highly correlated to production margins and a focus in this area will help offset some of the cost associated with high purchased feed prices while also boosting environmental credentials. To achieve a good supply of high-quality silage it is important to start planning your silage making as early in the year as possible. Sit down with your team, especially your agronomist, nutritionist and farm contractor to plan how you will make the silage needed this year. Think about what worked well last year and what didn’t, so you can learn and adapt your approach. By starting this at least eight weeks before you anticipate taking your first cut, you will be well prepared to get started as soon as the grass is at the optimum quality and the weather is favourable.

Pre-cut grass testing

Pre-cut testing targets Parameter

Target

Sugars (% DM)

>15%

Free nitrates

<1,000mg/kg

NDF (% DM)

36-42%

DM (%)

18% at mowing 30% for clamping

Using pre-cut grass testing is essential to help determine the best time to cut grass for optimum quality silage. It also helps determine when grass is ready to cut to provide the best nutritional value. Start pre-cut testing at least two weeks before you took your first cut in 2020, as that was a typical growing season, and carry this out every 7-10 days until it is ready. When assessing pre-cut results, pay close attention to the NDF as an indication of plant maturity, and nitrate content which indicates the buffering capacity of the crop. NDF levels can change quickly, and there is also a wide variation year-on-year, which is mainly due to varying weather and growing conditions in the lead up to the season. Aim for an NDF level of between 36-42%.

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DF_04_P48,49.indd LANTALK_DPS_Dairy 2Farmer_April 2022.indd All Pages

35-45% for baling ME MJ/kg DM

>12 MJ/kg

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Lallemand Animal Nutrition has been working alongside farmers to improve forage quality and utilisation for over 30 years. To get your free pre-cut grass testing kit, please scan the QR code below or call: 01684 580022.

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18/03/2022 15:29

ADVERTORIAL

SPECIFIC FOR YOUR SUCCESS

LAN TALK APRIL 2022

USING A CROP AND CONDITION SPECIFIC INOCULANT BRYAN BUCKLEY

Regional Business Manager in Ireland Lallemand Animal Nutrition

The value of a silage inoculant is still often thought to relate to challenging weather or harvest conditions that could potentially create poor quality silages. However, an inoculant will also help to preserve a good-quality forage that’s been grown in ideal conditions, and is essential for those looking to produce the best silage possible. Applying a crop and condition specific inoculant will help promote rapid fermentation and reduce aerobic spoilage at feedout. The enzymes in an inoculant work to breakdown the fibre bonds in the grass, releasing sugars to fuel the fermentation process, which can have a positive effect on fibre digestibility in the animal. The MAGNIVA PLATINUM range of grass silage inoculants have been specifically formulated for a range of challenges, such as bad weather and variable dry matters (DM). They contain a blend of specific patented bacteria and enzymes that have been proven to enhance silage quality, palatability and reduce total dry matter losses of valuable crops. For example, the enzymes can help producers navigate time constraints caused by large acreages, manpower and weather systems, by allowing mowing to begin earlier in the day. Traditionally, producers would be advised to wait until later in the day to cut grass to allow the release of sugars through photosynthesis, which typically doesn’t reach the required level of 3% until midday. However, by using an inoculant that contains xylanase and b-glucanase, this will help release the sugars from the grass within the clamp, effectively doing the sun’s work and allowing earlier mowing. The unique combination of L. hilgardii CNCM I-4785, L. buchneri NCIMB 40788

DF_04_P48,49.indd 3

bacteria in the MAGNIVA PLATINUM range also creates the ideal fermentation profile, rapidly stabilising the clamp pH and preventing aerobic spoilage. This means clamps can be opened in as little as 15 days after sealing. The clamp is also more stable at feed-out. Which inoculant is right for me? My grass has a higher DM 30% to 45%. Use MAGNIVA PLATINUM GRASS DRY. High dry matter silage creates a higher risk of aerobic instability. Because you’re looking to retain the maximum amount of nutrients within the silage, then this inoculant is the best choice. The weather isn’t great for cutting, or I am cutting a challenging crop what should I use to counteract this? Use MAGNIVA PLATINUM GRASS WET. It’s perfect for ensiling 20% - 30% DM crops in challenging weather conditions or in crops that are known to be difficult to ensile, such as clover or lucerne. It has an acidifying effect that will be useful in this situation because the natural acid is diluted by the added water content It acts to out-compete the negative bacteria that like wetter conditions and helps increase stability at feedout It can increase the sugar available for fermentation by breaking down chains of sugars found in fibre bundles, which is useful in situations where sunshine and photosynthesis has been limited My crop has a low DM and is analysing at below 26%, or I’m not looking to open the clamp early.

Move Forward with Fibre – get your free guide here Lallemand Animal Nutrition has launched a new practical guide to help farmers harness the full potential of fibre, a crucial area of opportunity for those looking to build business resilience in the face of industry change and rising input costs. The Forward with Fibre guide sets out step-by-step advice for dairy and beef farmers to improve on-farm efficiency and make savings, through making better use of fibre at every stage within its on-farm cycle. To get your copy of the guide scan the QR code. https://bit.ly/3sr6exg

Use MAGNIVA CLASSIC. It helps the crop ferment, minimising DM losses during fermentation. The combination of bacteria and enzymes are designed for grass that is easy to ensile. It will push fermentation in the right direction and create a more stable silage.

18/03/2022 15:29 16/03/2022 07:52:39

ANIMAL HEALTH Turnout time can signal an increased risk of leptospirosis, with the disease is a common cause of infertility and abortion in cattle. Wendy Short reports.

Vaccination is key to controlling leptospirosis

n general terms, leptospirosis is well under control within the UK dairy herd, says Emma Kennedy, of County Vets, Ayrshire. This is primarily because effective vaccines have been available for many years and most UK dairy herds are vaccinated. The importance of cattle vaccination extends beyond protecting the cow and her unborn

calf, she says, with leptospirosis a zoonotic disease which can cause flu-like symptoms in humans. Acute infection in cattle causes a fever and can lead to a rapid decline in milk yields, as well as late-term abortions. Longer term, it can cause infertility. Leptospira is a spiral-shaped bacterium, which in cattle is excreted in urine and milk, says Mrs Kennedy.

Contaminated urine droplets in the air or on the ground enter the cow’s body through the eyes, mouth and nose, or via broken skin. The bacteria then enter the bloodstream and migrate to target organs, including the kidneys, uterus and udder. If infection reaches the ovaries, it will cause infertility, with a similar effect on the uterus and the added risk

of abortion, while milk yields will fall if it is centred on the udder. The most serious damage is to the kidneys, as the infected animal will become a carrier with the potential for disease shedding. Mrs Kennedy says: “Leptospira organisms can persist in the environment for weeks or months, depending on conditions. Transmission of leptospirosis is often associated with rat urine, as they carry the disease without becoming ill and can spread it to cattle, but there are several other means of spread.” One of the main infection sources is water contaminated

I would encourage farmers to continue with their vaccination programmes to protect themselves, their staff and their cattle EMMA KENNEDY

APRIL 2022

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ANIMAL HEALTH

A vaccination programme should be introduced for all breeding cattle once they reach six months old and ideally before their first grazing season.

with urine from infected cattle. For this reason, fields which share water courses with neighbouring farms are considered high risk. The bacterium can survive in standing water and wet soil for six months or longer in favourable temperatures. Mrs Kennedy says: “It is therefore advisable to fence off these areas and ensure outdoor troughs are cleaned on a regular basis during the grazing period. Weekly routine “Indoor troughs are of lesser significance because their water supply is more controlled and they tend to be cleaned as part of the weekly routine. “Sheep can also transmit leptospirosis, but they do not appear to suffer symptoms in the same way as cattle. Cattle which are co-grazed or share watercourses with sheep are at risk of picking up infection from this route.” Bulls can transmit leptospirosis in their semen, so using hired bulls or sharing bulls with other farms is another risk factor, she adds. Most artificial insemination semen is treated with antibiotics as prophylactic to prevent spread via this route. She recommends that a vaccination programme is introduced for all breeding cattle once they reach six months old and ideally before their first grazing season. The primary course comprises two vaccinations at least four weeks apart. Mrs Kennedy says: “The initial vaccination course should be completed before the heifers go to the bull or are artificially inseminated and bulls should also be vaccinated. “Thereafter, an annual vaccination will be required before the main transmission period when the cattle are at grass. If the

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ANIMAL HEALTH initial course is given later than spring, the single booster injection should be administered the following spring.” Any cow which aborts outdoors must be removed from the field immediately, along with any ‘highly infectious’ aborted material. This advice will apply whether or not leptospirosis is suspected, as it may be contaminated with other contagious diseases, such as IBR, BVD or campylobacter. If leptospirosis is confirmed, acutely ill cows should be given an antibiotic treatment, followed by vaccination once fully recovered. Early treatment will promote a full recovery and prevent bacteria shedding, while the rest of the herd should be vaccinated as soon as possible, along with any bulls which have run with infected cows. Mrs Kennedy says: “Streptomycin is the standard antibiotic to treat leptospirosis and there have been no reported cases of resistance. It is more effective

Role of vaccination JA vaccination programme should also be the first course of action if leptospirosis is confirmed as the cause of a lower level of continuous milk losses or an increased incidence of abortion.

Status It is advisable to determine the leptospirosis vaccination status of any new cattle which are brought on to the farm, says Mrs Kennedy. They should be vaccinated if the status is unknown, while

when used to treat acute cases, compared with cows with chronic levels of the disease, where the best option may be to cull.” Acute leptospirosis infection in a naive and unvaccinated herd can lead to dramatic losses, with abortion storms and a sharp decline in milk production.

a record should be made of previous treatment dates for vaccinated animals. Mrs Kennedy says: “There is a blood test to detect leptospirosis, but it is not 100% reliable. There have been cases where a cow is shedding large quantities of leptospirosis bacteria through its urine, but it is only carrying a low level of antibodies. “New stock should be isolated for 14 days, during which time tests can be carried out and vaccinations can be started.

“This practice should also be implemented to guard against many other bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases. “We rarely see cases of leptospirosis in our practice, but that is only because vaccination is highly effective in breaking the cycle of the disease and most dairy farmers are diligent about vaccinating their animals. “I would encourage farmers to continue with their vaccination programmes to protect themselves, their staff and their cattle.”

She says: “The milk will typically thicken and may become bloody and the udder will soften, which is why the disease used to be called ‘flabby bag’. “The symptoms are more difficult to spot in a bull, but he may appear lethargic and

off-colour due to the rise in body temperature. “The quality of bull sperm during the infective period may be lower, but it is believed fertility will return to normal after recovery. Leptospirosis is not usually fatal in an adult animal.”

A main source of leptospirosis infection is water contaminated with urine from infected cattle, so fields which share watercourses with neighbouring farms are considered high risk.

APRIL 2022

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ANIMAL HEALTH While spring turnout comes as a much-awaited prospect, effective parasite control is vital to maintain optimum health and productivity of both cows and youngstock throughout the grazing season. Dairy Farmer reports.

Four parasites to be aware of at turnout Liver fluke

Gastrointestinal worms

JUnlike some other parasites, cattle do not develop immunity to liver fluke, meaning all animals which have previously grazed will be at risk of infection. Matt Colston, vet at Elanco Animal Health, says this means a ‘zero tolerance approach’ is therefore needed. He says: “The impact of liver fluke on health and performance will vary depending on the number of parasites in the liver. However, liver fluke infections have been shown to have a significant impact on growth rates in youngstock and to reduce milk yields by as much as 15%. “Liver damage and impaired liver function will have knock-on effects on body condition in the milking herd, with the associated problems this brings.”

Most herds in fluke risk areas will treat for liver fluke at dry-off or at housing time for youngstock, but depending on the timing of treatment and the active used, Mr Colston says there is a good chance some fluke may have survived until adulthood. He says: “A quick check for fluke eggs in dung samples will let you know if a follow-up treatment is required ahead of turnout. “A targeted treatment with an adulticide product [a product containing oxyclozanide, albendazole or clorsulon] is strongly recommended to remove any adult fluke, minimising the number of eggs reaching pasture and reducing the fluke risk for the following autumn and winter.”

There are three main worms to think about controlling in cattle MATT COLSTON

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JWhen it comes to worm control, animals in their first and second grazing season will not have had sufficient exposure to have developed immunity to all three of the most important roundworms. Mr Colston says that with exposure, cattle develop immunity to roundworm and lungworm, albeit at different rates. He says: “There are three

main worms to think about controlling in cattle – lungworm, ostertagia and cooperia. “While immunity to lungworm will develop after one to two months of exposure at grass, it takes three to six months of grazing to acquire immunity to cooperia and two grazing seasons for ostertagia.” In the ideal world, regular monitoring of worm egg counts and daily liveweight gains can

Flies JAs soon as temperatures start to increase, nuisance flies can quickly become a problem and Mr Colston explains that early treatment is the best course of action. He says: “Flies cause stress to cattle which can result in reduced productivity by decreasing their appetite, making them less inclined to graze. “Treating early, before there is an obvious fly challenge, is therefore paramount to avoid any drops in performance associated with a fly infestation.” He recommends administering fly control about one month

before flies are expected to be a significant problem, to prevent the lower numbers of flies early in the season breeding and multiplying to reach problematic levels. “The fly lifecycle is weather dependant, so keep an eye on the weather forecast, as early warm spells can bring the fly season forward, meaning treatments might be necessary earlier than previous years. “To control flies, I would look at using a synthetic pyrethroid pour-on and be ready to treat animals ahead of the expected fly season.”

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 15:53

ANIMAL HEALTH Coccidiosis

As soon as temperatures start to increase, nuisance flies can quickly become a problem and early treatment is the best course of action.

indicate which groups or even which individuals within the group require treatment and when these treatments should be given.

JCoccidiosis is most commonly associated with housing, but can also raise its head when calves are turned out and can be linked with overstocking, stress, weather or hygiene. Coccidiosis parasites shed oocysts, which rapidly spread between animals when food or water becomes contaminated with infected faeces. Mr Colston says groups most susceptible to developing coccidiosis are young calves between three weeks and six months of age. “In the early stages of the

However, in set stocked or more extensive grazing systems, this is often not practical or possible. Mr Colston says: “In these

disease, infected calves generally do not gain weight as expected and may have a dull coat, but you will need a vet to run a faecal test for confirmation that coccidiosis is the cause. “As cases become more severe, scouring becomes an issue and symptoms of the clinical disease can include weight loss, lack of appetite and blood in the faeces.” Mr Colston says damage caused by the parasite to the gut can also be a gateway to further bacterial infections and can result in death if left untreated. “Ask your vet to carry out a

faecal test to confirm the cause of any scouring and recommend suitable treatment, such as a toltrazuril-based drench. “Scouring calves are likely to rapidly become dehydrated, with symptoms presenting as sunken eyes or reluctance to stand. To alleviate this issue, prompt electrolyte therapy is key to recovery and survival.” With all treatments, Mr Colston reminds producers that animals should be weighed and dosing equipment calibrated to ensure every animal receives the correct product dose.

circumstances, strategic treatments in younger cattle can control worm burdens while allowing some exposure.

“For example, periods of two to three weeks with no anthelminthic cover to allow immunity to develop.”

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ANIMAL HEALTH The turnout of cattle onto spring grass is a promising sight after a long winter, but the reality of fertility management remains a challenge. Katie Fallon reports.

areful monitoring of nutrition and health prior to and during turnout can help reduce impact on fertility, says Debby Brown, veterinary technical manager at Dugdale Nutrition. She says fertility is a challenge in spring and early summer, due to a sudden availability of ‘lush’ feed. Spring grass is high in readily soluble nitrogen and sugars and the solubility of protein in nitrogen can cause a toxic effect on the ovaries and the follicles produced. During summer, there is also the added impact of heat stress, which can affect fertility quickly, adds Mrs Brown. A drop in fertility is something every farm will see, says Mrs Brown, but whether fertility is only impacted initially or remains a constant challenge depends on the animals production levels. She says: “Smaller cross-bred cows will probably cope better than the larger Holstein cow.” This is due to the Holstein’s requirements and whether the grass provides enough energy to meet those requirements. Mrs Brown says: “The key is to adjust them steadily, the same way you would do any diet.” If cows are going to be turned out, do it in stages, letting them out for a couple of hours at a time and building it up over a few weeks. This means they will still get a decent feed inside, but are starting to digest some grass, so they have time to adjust, adds Mrs Brown.

Whether fertility is only impacted initially or remains a constant challenge depends on the animal’s production levels.

Managing fertility at turnout She says: “If cows are expected to turn out to grass in very early lactation, you would worry that their milk yield will increase from the grass, but they may lose condition, which will have a negative effect on fertility.” Farms with a lot of high yielding cows may want to wait until cows are in calf before turning out or

Debby Brown’s top tips to manage fertility rManage grass well so cows can get the best quality grass rBuffer feed for the first few weeks until they have adjusted to grass rLow in protein, but high energy concentrates

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rPlenty of water access rGood access to fields to minimise impact on feet rShade in warm weather as heat stress can quickly become an issue rUtilisation of yeast to help the rumen adapt

only let early lactation cows out for a couple of hours. Mrs Brown advises working out what high producing animals in early lactation can be fed to balance or buffer the grass. Wholecrop or maize silage work well, as they are low in protein but have plenty of fibre and therefore balance the fresh grass well. Most of the preparation when turning cows out to grass is the same as transitioning a cow into lactation, says Mrs Brown. Checking cows’ feet before turnout and ensuring good tracks are in place for cows to access grassland is important, as a lame cow will use more energy and have a bigger impact on overall health. She says: “Body condition score can be crucial.”

Mrs Brown advises monitoring this throughout grazing to ensure they are not losing condition. Grass quality is also key to achieving consistent levels of fertility, so it needs to be ‘as digestible and palatable as possible’, says Mrs Brown. Therefore, grass quality should be monitored to ensure it is as high energy and as leafy as possible. Mrs Brown advises utilising grazing efficiently by paddock or strip grazing to optimise grazing quality. She says: “Do not expect to turf them out into a large paddock and think they will cope with it, because they will not.” When feeding concentrates at turnout, Mrs Brown advises a feed which is lower in protein but higher in starch. The starch will drive the bacteria in the rumen to digest the grass, speeding up the digestion process. Yeast Utilising yeast in feed for a few weeks prior to turnout and during early turnout can also help the rumen adapt quicker, says Mrs Brown. A lot of farmers accept they are going to see a drop off in fertility, but there are ways to manage it and it should not be something we have to accept, says Mrs Brown.

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ANIMAL HEALTH

Prevent production losses a in cattle by controlling flie s Cattle producers should get on top of flies early before populations become unmanageable due to the significant impact they can have on stock. Dairy Farmer reports.

lies can impact the health, welfare and production of stock, so although fly control is an added cost at the outset, it will go on to have long-term benefits, says Zoetis vet Ally Anderson. Studies in cattle have shown that fly worry can cause growth rate losses of up to 0.3kg a day and 0.5 litres per day milk loss, mainly due to reduced feed intake. They can also transmit diseases, such as New Forest Eye and summer mastitis. Although flies may not become an apparent problem in stock until early summer, treating before high

numbers are seen will make control easier and more effective, Ms Anderson adds. She says: “Once you start seeing flies, the population has already exploded, making it harder to control them. This is why protecting stock early on in spring is vital. “Milder temperatures throughout the year can extend the fly season, with many farmers reporting flies as early as March and as late as November. “This means treatment must be considered throughout the season and with a product that protects stock against the appropriate fly species.”

Control JFly control can be achieved by using: rFly control eartags: These offer up to five months of protection against nuisance and biting flies and have a zero-day meat and milk withdrawal. They work by slowly releasing the active ingredient, cypermethrin, onto the tag’s surface. The tag acts as a constant reservoir of insecticide throughout the season. The active ingredient binds to the sebum or natural oil present in the animal’s coat and on the skin’s surface. This means when flies come into contact with the tagged animal, they will die within a few minutes. Fly tags are easy to use,

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can be used in all ages of cattle, reduce the cost of extra handling and minimises production losses associated with handling. Ms Anderson adds: “Any form of fly control is better than nothing, due to the economic, health and welfare implication of flies on stock. However, for peace of mind that stock are protected and to ease management, particularly when animals are outside grazing and are not brought into the parlour every day, fly eartags can offer the best control option.” rSpot-on products: These can give up to eight weeks of protection in cattle, with a zero-day milk withdrawal. However, regular application is needed for control.

Studies in cattle have shown that fly worry can cause growth rate losses of up to 0.3kg a day.

Managing fly breeding sites JFarmers can also help to reduce fly populations by managing breeding sites. Many fly species travel considerable distances to feed and survive over winter by their larvae burrowing into the ground. Keeping stock away from

fly breeding sites, such as wet and muddy areas, can help reduce the risk. Fly numbers can also be managed by: rImproving ventilation in sheds to create unfavourable conditions rProviding good drainage

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 16:02

ANIMAL HEALTH

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ANIMAL HEALTH A new online tool aims to help farmers work with their vets to assess the risk of mastitis in the dry period enabling them to put control measures in place. Dairy Farmer reports.

Assessing the risk of mastitis in the dry period

he importance of the dry period in mastitis control is well known – cases of clinical mastitis in the first 30 days of lactation are usually a result of infections acquired during the dry period and, in many herds, the dry period is the source of most new infections. The Dry Cow Consultation Tool, from Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health, developed with the help of vet Peter Edmondson, can help vets efficiently and objectively review the risk of dry period infections in a herd and work with the farmer to put in place targeted control measures. The online interactive tool consists of 13 questions and generates a simple targeted action plan. The questions are accompanied by guidance notes to provide evidence-based background information. Mr Edmundson says: “Most farmers are unhappy about their levels of mastitis and want to do better, even if they have a low incidence. “The real advantage of this tool is that it provides the vet with a structured approach to asking questions about mastitis and dry period risk. Some farmers will be unaware that cases within the first 30 days and deaths from toxic mastitis around calving are associated with dry period infections.”

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The tool starts with questions about how the farmer feels about the level of mastitis and the risk of dry period infection in the herd. Any action plan can then consider how much of a priority the issue is for the farmer and where they feel they need to focus their efforts. Mr Edmondson says: “Use of the questionnaire forms a great template for a discussion about mastitis for vets who might not normally feel comfortable with this type of discussion. The great thing is that using the guidance notes there can be some very quick wins for the farmer.” Concrete data The tool then moves on to more concrete data. If the feelings of the farmer are at odds with the data, a different approach may be needed, compared with a situation where farmer perception and data are aligned. The crux to identifying whether dry period infections are causing a mastitis problem in the herd rests on the question of whether more than one in 12 cows get mastitis in the first 30 days after calving. Mr Edmondson says with good clinical mastitis records this is a simple question to answer. In some herds, it may be necessary to gather data from the farm diary or medicine book and input

into a spreadsheet or software package to be able to answer it. He says: “This extra bit of investigation is vital to understand whether the dry period is the most important area to focus on and demonstrates how important keeping good electronic records can be.” The second part of the dry cow consultation tool looks at risk factors for acquiring new dry period infections, such as number of cubicles, stocking density and frequency of bedding. The guidance notes provide useful figures so that measurements taken on-farm can be compared objectively with recognised best practice. The use of internal teat sealants is addressed as part of the questionnaire. If teat sealants are not used on every cow, Mr Edmondson says this could be an ‘easy win’ as instigating the use of teat sealants for every cow at drying off could rapidly reduce the incidence of mastitis in early lactation, while other management changes such as increasing the available space for dry cows might take some time and investment. Mr Edmondson explains he likes to use the checklist when walking around the cows with the farmer. He says: “For example, regarding the question whether

The new online tool provides the vet with a structured approach to asking questions about mastitis and dry period risk.

cows leak milk after dry off or before calving. Most farmers dry off cows, move them into the dry group and would never even think of looking for the presence of leakage. “If I walk into the dry yard or calving pen with the farmer, we can check this out. Drying off “The best time to do this is in the first couple of days after dry off. It is much better to ask questions about stocking density, bedding management and so on when standing in the pens of dry cows, rather than in the farm office. “It really focuses the mind and who knows what else you will see or what might be raised in the conversation.” With limited time and resources on all farms, Mr Edmondson says an objective, evidence-based checklist approach can help farmers and vets to focus efforts where they are likely to be most effective for mastitis control.

APRIL 2022 22/03/2022 14:01

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ANIMAL HEALTH The presence of some strains of clostridial bacteria in soil can make turnout a time of increased risk for livestock, with youngstock particularly vulnerable. Wendy Short reports.

Clostridial disease risk

lackleg is one of the most common clostridial diseases, says Will Gratwick, of LLM Farm Vets. It is associated with soil ingestion, with spores lying dormant in the muscle for long periods. There is no available treatment and most affected cattle die within 24 hours of development. Animals between six and 24 months of age are the most vulnerable and it is important to avoid leaving patches of soil in grassland where possible. The over-grazing of pasture can also increase risk, along with rough handling. Mr Gratwick says: “Blackleg will typically cause necrosis of the large muscles in the rump or the shoulder, which will feel spongelike when touched. “It often affects one quarter of the body, hence the alternative name ‘blackquarter’. The symptoms are similar to malignant oedema, which is linked to a different strain of clostridial bacteria and usually enters the body through an open wound.” The clostridial bacteria which

cause botulism lead to muscle paralysis, with a characteristic droopy tongue, says Mr Gratwick. He adds: “The paralysis will spread rapidly through the body and fatalities are common, although a small percentage of cattle may survive. “Early intervention is essential and supportive treatments would include preventing the animal from lying flat out and giving fluids. “The signs of botulism are similar to poisoning and the condition will not respond to antibiotics. Transmission “The main source of botulism transmission is through contaminated poultry carcases, which can sometimes be present in poultry manure spread on the land. “The risk is also increased when cattle are given access to fresh earth. One precautionary measure is to fence off areas of land where drainage ditches are being excavated, for example.” Jejunal haemorrhage syndrome (JHS) is an emerging potential

Animals between six and 24 months of age are the most vulnerable to blackleg and it is important to avoid leaving patches of soil in grassland, where possible.

health threat. The first global case was reported in cattle 1992 and it was diagnosed in the UK in 2011. It can be fatal in 85-100% of cases. Mr Gratwick says it it usually affects top-yielding dairy cows on high-grain diets. The disease, which has been associated with clostridium perfringens type A, usually spreads rapidly within the body and affected animals are often found dead. While JHS has been confirmed in the UK in relatively small numbers, Mr Gratwick says the veterinary industry is keen to raise awareness of the disease. Clinical signs include a sudden decline in milk production and feed consumption, rapid loss of condition and colic-like symptoms. He says: “The prognosis for a

Other clostridial diseases JBlack disease has an association with liver fluke, as the bacterial spore is only activated following liver damage. It can survive for many years in soil and ingestion by a healthy animal is thought to be harmless. Once the bacteria start to multiply, the animal will be listless and reluctant to

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move, with death occurring within 48 hours. Tetanus is another persistent bacterium which is present in most soils and can enter the body through a contaminated wound. It can also be transmitted through tagging and dehorning equipment, so the items must be kept as clean as possible.

Unlike the other clostridial bacteria, there is an antitoxin for tetanus and can be treated using penicillin. However, most affected animals do not recover and the condition is painful, so cases should be assessed with the vet to determine whether euthanasia is required.

cow with JHS is poor, even if the animal is treated in the early stages. Nevertheless, surgery to remove blood clots from the intestine may be successful if performed in the early stages. Abomasitis Clostridium perfringens type A has also been linked to abomasitis (also known as abomasal bloat), he adds. “Perfringens type A was present in group of young calves which was suffering from abomasitis. “Vaccination against the bacteria reduced the numbers affected, although this only represents anecdotal evidence to suggest a relationship exists between the two issues. “Abomasitis is normally found in calves which are under three weeks old. At this stage they are too young to contract ruminal bloat. “It is not possible to relieve the bloat with a stomach tube in the same way as ruminal bloat treatment, but early veterinary intervention may be successful. “Supportive care with intravenous fluids and antibiotics will also be required and the outlook for affected calves is poor. “Abomasitis commonly occurs when there has been inconsistency in the feeding regime, such as the

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 14:21

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WILL GRATWICK irregular timing of feeds, poor feed hygiene or fluctuations in milk temperature. This can upset the intestines, allowing bacteria to flourish produce gas and harmful toxins.” The clostridial family of bacteria has an unusual method of survival, he says. “Clostridial bacteria have the ability to form protective spores in adverse conditions. This allows the organisms to survive in soil and in body tissue, for example, until the environment is favourable to permit their rapid growth.” Fortunately, the industry has access to an effective and relatively inexpensive vaccine which will protect cattle from a wide range of clostridial bacteria, says Mr Gratwick. A primary course of Bravoxin,

followed by a booster at six- to 12-month intervals, offers protection against the 10 most common clostridial species of bacteria, including blackleg, malignant oedema and tetanus. Benefits Mr Gratwick says: “Decisions on whether to vaccinate stock depend on whether the individual perceives a cost benefit to routine vaccination. In our practice, we rarely see deaths from clostridial disease. “However, when we are called to an outbreak, most producers will subsequently opt to implement a vaccination programme to safeguard their cattle, as the financial and welfare implications are significant.”

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ANIMAL HEALTH The Medicine Hub for dairy, beef and sheep farmers was created by AHDB in January 2021 and data from it is helping deliver figures for ruminant antibiotic usage in the UK. Ellie Layton reports.

Farmers help collate stats with new Medicines Hub

espite the industry having a good handle on the amount of antibiotics sold into the ruminant sector, it is more difficult to put a precise figure on the amount actually used on-farm. Nicky Bowden, a qualified vet working as the business development manager at Nantwich Farm Vets, Cheshire, which provides care for more than 40,000 dairy cows in the area, says: “The industry needs definitive data for ruminants so we can protect ourselves as an industry. “Although it is thought the usage

is very low, the figures will help us understand the practice.” Currently, UK farms are among the lowest use of antibiotics in Europe, but while the pig, poultry and fishery sectors capture antibiotic data for more than 90% of production, the dairy, beef and sheep sectors have struggled to evidence responsible use due to a lack of this type of national level data. This is where the Medicines Hub will play its part. The hub is similar to the one which has been used for pig data, managed by AHDB, so the system has been proved effective.

Get involved JTo sign up, visit the AHDB website and search for the Medicines Hub (ahdb.org.uk/medicine-hub). To sign up you will need:

rCPH Number rCTS ID and password rDetails of your nominated vet practice if adding third party access

What is the Medicines Hub? JThe Medicines Hub is a national level hub, currently focusing on the use of antibiotics. However, all treatments, including vaccines and anthelmintics, can be inputted into the independent system. The information sourced will monitor the use of medicines within the ruminant sector, collating reports and comparing antibiotic data from a variety of sources, including on-farm use and datasets from vets and processors. The information will then be used to promote the reputation of those industries and support trade.

Once levels of use have been identified, this can be used to track progress and target where the industry might look to improve. The Medicines Hub is free for farmers to use as an electronic medicine book to record purchases and treatments. This can also be used when working with vets to create a health plan. The uptake will enable farms to benchmark their medicine use against farmers on a national level, comparing against similar systems and targeting developments for their own on-farm approach.

Information from the Medicines Hub will help monitor the use of medicines within the ruminant sector.

Industry incentives JAfter a slow uptake in early 2021, a push was made to encourage uptake. The Medicines Hub has now become a requirement in some

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milk contracts with certain supermarket aligned contracts expected to follow suit. However, Mrs Bowden says: “It is vital the whole sector

engages with the programme to make sure we gather as much data as accurately as we can. “It is looking likely that the Medicines Hub use will also

become part of the Animal Health and Welfare pathway, which is how farms will be able to access some types of grant funding in the future.”

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 14:22

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ANIMAL HEALTH When it comes to preventing lameness in dairy cows, footbathing should not be used as a replacement for poor hygiene, says vet Emily Simcock. Ellie Layton reports.

The footbath solution should cover the top of the hoof join at a depth of around 10cm and should cover the hooves for two to three steps.

hen used at appropriate times, footbathing can be very effective in preventing lameness, however if used at the wrong time it can escalate the problem, says vet and NADIS veterinary adviser Emily Simcock. She says: “Identifying the type and causes of the lameness should be done before establishing a prevention programme.” She adds that mobility scoring and record-keeping are important

Will footbathing help my herd? JFootbathing is not the most effective cure for lameness, such as digital dermatitis, foul and slurry heel. Miss Simcock says: “Digital dermatitis should be target treated by cleaning, drying and spraying topical antibiotics. Individual target treatments should be done before group footbathing. “It is no longer justified for antibiotic footbath treatment to be used. The risk of possible resistance and contamination to the local environment is too great.”

66 DF Apr p66 Footbathing KJ MB.indd 2

What should I use?

Footbathing is a prevention, not a replacement for poor hygiene when deciding if footbathing is necessary. Good records will identify cows with persistent problems and any high risk times of year. She says: “Vet advice can be

important to identify specific farm risks. Identifying lameness early and recording the type is beneficial to see if it is infectious or if they are common symptoms.”

JCommon products used are formalin, copper sulphate and glutaraldehyde. Some surfactants and acidifiers can also be used to increase the effectiveness of the active ingredients. Miss Simcock says: “Formalin is not suitable for an indoor bath and should always be used with care. “Gloves, goggles and protective gear is strongly advised. It should also be highlighted that some milk contracts have limited the use of formalin.”

Footbath systems JMiss Simcock reminds farmers that an effective footbath should be able to support a ‘steady and consistent flow’ of cows. To assist this, it can help to have a footbath in the path of the cows daily route to stop any hesitation. She says: “A permanent concrete bath is the ideal, however not all systems can support this. If a temporary bath is used, it needs to be stable, non-slip and comfortable for cows. Ridged floors are

uncomfortable and I would not advise. Remember less stress for the cows will mean less faecal contamination in the solution. “Double-width baths, which allow two cows to go through the bath at a time, can allow overtaking and keep up a consistent flow through the bath, reducing stress. “The solution should cover the top of the hoof join at a depth of about 10cm. This should be the same for every cow from beginning to end. Ideally, the

solution should cover the hooves for two to three steps.” She advises changing the solution every 100-300 cows, depending on length of time and contamination.

Behaviour Miss Simcock says that behaviour should be observed throughout the bathing. “Hopping and jumping can suggest poor design, high concentrate or incorrect pH is making the experience uncomfortable for the cow.”

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 15:58

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DAIRY-TECH PREVIEW More than 80 new products are being launched and almost 300 exhibitors have stands booked at this year’s Dairy-Tech. Dairy Farmer takes a look at what visitors can expect from the event.

Dairy-Tech 2022 looks at industry’s future

aking place on Thursday, April 7, at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, Dairy-Tech 2022 features a new and improved layout, making the site easier to navigate. Usual favourites are featured, including the Dairy Hub (see pages 70-71), offering guidance and insight on key industry issues,

and the Innovation Hub, where new products, ideas, technology and concepts will be discussed. Hoof trimming demonstrations will also feature at the event. Show organiser and Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers managing director Matthew Knight says: “Agriculture is going through some major transitions with the demise of subsidies, net zero

targets and pressures from Brexit. This makes Dairy-Tech 2022 the ideal place to keep abreast with what is happening in the industry and offer farmers and landowners the most appropriate advice to adapt to some of the changes. Opportune World rugby refereeing legend, inspirational speaker

and mental health ambassador Nigel Owens will address the issue of mental health in farming, something he is passionate about after having struggles himself. The 2020 Gold Cup winner will also be announced as the competition celebrates its 100th year. The presentation will take place at 4pm on the NMR stand.

What’s on at the Innovation Hub? THE Innovation Hub is packed with new products, ideas, technology, concepts and techniques to help your dairy business. We look at some of the sessions taking place: 10.20AM LATEST IN DATA AND AUTOMATION JHear how George Lester is managing cows as individuals in his herd by using robots. In doing so, he has halved concentrate use by £30,000/year, as well as producing healthier and more productive cows. Mr Lester has three Lely robot milkers for his 180cow herd and a Lely Vector robotic feeding system. He uses the Concentrate Optimiser software on his robots to create an individual feed table for every cow. This automatically alters the amount of feed given in the robot for each cow to produce milk most efficiently.

68 DF Apr p68 69 Future KJ MB.indd 2

12.10PM FINANCIAL BENEFITS TO CARBON MANAGEMENT JCarbon is no longer an abstract concept which looms ominously over agriculture; it is rightly recognised as a vital barometer for gauging farming enterprises’ efficiency and future resilience. Carbon Metrics is a specialised consultancy firm offering detailed analysis of agricultural carbon audits to help businesses identify where on-farm mitigation is environmentally and commercially sustainable. During this session, speakers will outline the benefits of carbon auditing to farmers, what is involved and how the data from audits can be used to help reduce the environmental impacts of greenhouse gases from farming enterprises. 1.25PM USING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY TO GIVE FARMERS MORE

CONTROL OVER THEIR FUTURE MILK PRICE JLaunched last year by founder and former commodities trader Diarmaid Mac Colgain, the Concept Dairy app has created a solution to support the whole dairy sector from farmer to processor to buyer.

Accurate prices The Farmer App gives dairy farmers a view on live and accurate prices which update daily. Farmers can lock in their milk price when they choose for up to two years into the future. The Commodities Trading Risk Management platform goes into the milk processor, helping them understand and manage their risk. Meanwhile, the team works with dairy buyers at the other end of the chain to create a ‘fully

connected and transparent’ supply chain. 2:05PM THE FUTURE OF DAIRYING JVet Tim Potter, of Westpoint Farm Vets and Kingshay Farming, will discuss the ways to maximise the performance of the herd with training. Phil Bicknell from the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock will talk about agriculture’s net zero challenge and what the realistic options for dairy are.

Robotics This session will also include speakers looking at what is next for the future of robotics on dairy farms and new approaches to slurry management in the potential financial operational and environmental benefits.

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 16:03

PREVIEW DAIRY-TECH Visitors at the 2019 Dairy-Tech event.

Dairy-Tech details rWhen: Thursday, April 7, 2022, 8am-5.30pm rWhere: Stoneleigh Park, Coventry, Warwickshire, CV8 2LG rTickets: Tickets bought before the show are priced at £17 per person (for over-16s) compared to £20 at the door; members of the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers receive two complimentary tickets to the event rTo find out more about the event, what is on and how to buy tickets, visit dairy-tech.uk

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DAIRY-TECH PREVIEW The Dairy Hub includes panel debates, forums, seminars and workshops on timely key industry issues, such as emissions and the environment, farming efficiencies, TB, staff management and the popular state of the nation debate. Here is a look at some of the Dairy Hub speakers.

What is going on at the Dairy Hub? The Dairy Hub at Dairy-Tech 2022 9.40AM ENVIRONMENT, EMISSIONS AND POLICY JFarmers are under increasing pressure to up their environmental credentials. Not only is the target to be net zero by 2040 edging ever closer, but there is also growing pressure now to reduce methane emissions following a pledge made at COP26 last year. There is also the possibility of still permitting dairy and beef farmers coming from the Clean Air Strategy. Added to the rollout of the Environment Land Management scheme and Nitrate Vulnerable Zones and Catchment Sensitive Farming requirements, this environment session is not to be missed. This session will update farmers on the latest regulations and provide practical guidance on how to reduce emissions and meet regulatory targets. The session will also touch upon some groundbreaking technology which could help farmers demonstrate their environmental credentials and outline areas for improvement. 10:05AM IMPROVING PRODUCTIVE MANAGEMENT JThis session will hear first-

70 DF Apr p70 71 Dairy Hub KJ MB.indd 2

hand from Bruce Mackie, of Rora Holsteins, Aberdeenshire, about his ‘adventures in dairy cow breeding’. Chris Hudson, of the University of Nottingham vet school, will look at what the main drivers of reproductive performance are, and Semex’s Owain Harries will outline why genotyped embryos are the fastest route to genetic gain. 11.30AM IS TB IMPACTING YOUR PRODUCTIVITY AND SUSTAINABILITY? JFor long-term sustainability, the common message is that we need to do things better. Reducing endemic diseases is one of the ways we can lessen our environmental impacts, with TB being one of those endemic diseases. Farmers all over England make management decisions to protect their efficiency and productivity for the future of their businesses. So what impact is TB having on those decisions? Vet and TB Advisory Service veterinary consultant Sarah Tomlinson will discuss in the TB session what farmers can do to reduce the length and probability of a TB breakdown and the impacts TB has on the farm business.

12.35PM MANAGING THE STAFF TO COW RATIO JHaving the right people in the right roles and enabling them to perform at the right level should lead to a more profitable, sustainable and happier workplace, says dairy farmer Keith Gue, of Huddlestone Farmers, which milks 420 cows in West Sussex. Like most dairy farmers, Mr Gue has had challenges with staff management and recruitment on-farm, but has made changes which have benefited both staff and the business. During the session, he will be talking about what has worked well, what did not work and plans for the future to ease workloads. Mr Gue, who has six staff working on the dairy milking three times a day, has also recently given the team more flexibility with their time off and that will increase with rota changes which have just been implemented.

swards which usually contain three different plant families: grass, legumes and herbs. Often multi-species swards can be so far removed from what farmers know and trust, making it hard to grasp the perceived benefits. LIC Pasture to Profit consultant Bess Jowsey will try and remove some of the fear by outlining the benefits and how they can be established.

2.30PM GRAZING MULTI-SPECIES/DIVERSE SWARDS: SOMETHING TO FEAR OR EMBRACE? JIncreasing pressure to look at growing alternative forages has seen more farmers consider establishing multispecies swards. These are

3:20PM REGENERATIVE FARMING JWe will hear about Arla’s European regenerative farming pilot farm network and Oliver Chegley, of Kingsclere Estate, will talk about his own journey as a first-generation regenerative farmer.

Benefits Perceived benefits include swards which are more heat and drought tolerant; improved soil structure due to a range of root depths from the mix of species; and better performance with lower nitrogen input. The establishment will be site-specific, with some farmers achieving a better result when a full reseed is conducted, whereas others have overseeded into an already established sward.

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 16:05

PREVIEW DAIRY-TECH

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71 21/03/2022 16:05

DAIRY-TECH PREVIEW A wide range of new product and concept offerings is set to be displayed at this year’s Dairy-Tech. Hannah Park rounds up some of what is on offer.

Showcasing innovation Rotational cross-breeding concept being launched JCattle breeding services provider Viking Genetics will be launching its three-breed rotational cross-breeding programme VikingGoldenCross. The programme combines VikingHolstein, VikingJersey and VikingRed genetics, which are designed to be well-suited to pasture-based dairy production systems, in a three-way rotational cross. Product manager Hielke Wiersma says the concept of adding VikingRed as a

third breed to a two-way cross between Holstein and Jersey creates the potential to produce less angular dairy form with better reproduction and beef value. The result, he says, is a herd of high-health, fertile, ideally sized grazing cows which are easy to manage and equipped to walk long distances. The concept has been successfully rolled out in New Zealand and Australia. rMore information from vikinggenetics.uk

New carbon calculator JForFarmers will be launching a new carbon calculator tool to provide environmental footprint information for cows’ diets in relation to a litre or kg of fat and protein corrected milk produced. The calculator takes into account each individual part of the diet including forages, plus the performance of the rumen under this diet,

producing a CO2 value for the complete ration via the Optifeed rationing programme. The calculator then takes the CO2 value for the ration and the performance detail of the herd and converts the figure into one corrected for the fat and protein content of the milk. rMore information from forfarmers.co.uk

Climate control for dairy sheds JAn environmental control mechanism for livestock sheds, The Black Box, will be showcased by livestock ventilation provider Topcool. A concept already being successfully used in other parts of the world, the box continually monitors air movement and cooling in sheds, measuring temperature and humidity to calculate temperature humidity index values.

Results can be viewed on the box or sent to a mobile device. Able to link up with all fans, shed environment can be altered via the box on-site or remotely via settings in its associated smartphone app.

Retail Prices for the box start at £1,500, excluding VAT. rMore information from topcool.co

APRIL 2022

DF Apr p72 73 DT New Products KJ MB.indd 2

21/03/2022 16:06

PREVIEW DAIRY-TECH New bolus design offers a wider range of sizes JAnimax has updated its Tracesure bolus range with a fresh design and new range of sizes to cater for a wider weight range of animals with a single bolus.

Sustained The new, fluted trace element design for boluses has been designed to deliver sustained, 180day trace element release after it has been given to the animal. The introduction of an XL bolus size, which offers double the trace elements of the standard cattle bolus for animals weighing more than 500kg, has

been added to the range to take away the need to double-bolus. As previously, trace elements iodine, selenium and cobalt are supplied in the bolus, with a separate copper bolus, administered at the same time, available as an optional extra.

Fluted The fluted bolus range is likely to retail at £5-£5.50/head (copper included) for standard sizes, while the XL range is expected to retail between £8-£9/head. rMore information from animax-vet.com

Lameness detector JHoofcount will be showcasing Hoofsense, a new automated herd lameness scoring system designed to detect incidents early. The system works using a pressure mat installed inside a footbath, which measures the way cows’ feet press on the floor. Cows are given a daily score

out of 100 currently, although this could potentially move to a five-point locomotion scoring system if the Hoofsense programme were to be verified by appropriate bodies, which is fed into daily reports. Herd trends, alongside any changes in individual and overall herd mobility are monitored, with daily report data fed into the cloud, which can be accessed via a smartphone app. The system is initially available for installation or retrofit into Hoofcount’s Excel automatic footbath range, with scope to extend this to other models in the future. Cost is variable between farm size, systems and infrastructure. rMore information from 01995 603 028.

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MILK prices Arla Foods lifts by 1.8ppl for March JArla Foods amba has put its foot back down on the accelerator by increasing its on-account milk price for members supplying both conventional and organic milk by a further 2 euro cents/kg for March. The increase takes our manufacturing standard* up by 1.8ppl to 39.38ppl. This price includes the guaranteed minimum supplementary payment (forecast 13th payment) holding unchanged since January this year on 1.31p/kg (1.349ppl) and represents an increase of 9.35ppl compared with March last year, while 7.84ppl above the five-year March average price of 31.54ppl. Our liquid standard* litre increases by 1.74ppl to 37.88ppl,

with the UKAF Tesco price increasing by the same to 39.30ppl. Morrisons’ price moves to 38.86ppl and our supplier in the Grazing Group to 39.09ppl. Meanwhile, our organic manufacturing standard litre increases by 1.8ppl to 46.83ppl, while liquid increases by 1.74ppl to 45.05ppl. The company reports the cost of producing milk is continuing to increase like never before and that these sustained inflationary costs mean milk can no longer be treated like a basic commodity. These pressures are being felt everywhere and it continues to challenge not only short-term on-farm operations, but also longer term investments and costs.

Wyke Farms helps pick up the pace JWyke Farms is helping to keep the pressure up on the positive milk price movements, as it feels it is imperative to support its farmers at this time of escalating costs, by confirming a further increase in its milk price by 1.81ppl from April. This is the company’s fourth consecutive increase for 2022, taking our manufacturing standard up 1.81ppl to 38.31ppl, as well as taking the total increase for the year to date to 6.42ppl. The price compares

with 29.01ppl paid for April last year and is 7.94ppl above the five-year April average price of 30.37ppl. Our liquid standard increases by 1.75ppl to 37ppl. Both prices also include the company’s new 0.25ppl transport efficiency bonus for those producers able to accommodate an articulated milk tanker and 24/7 access. It follows the new 0.25ppl bonus introduced from March for those producers who have fully carbon footprinted farms by completing their audits.

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 14:26

Milk price analyst Stephen Bradley on the latest milk industry developments.

Saputo Dairy UK increases 2ppl JSaputo Dairy UK has agreed a further 2ppl increase from April with Davidstow Creamery Direct. The company says these are challenging times and it recognises the pressures its producers continue to face on-farm, and that is why it remains committed to paying a leading and, importantly, transparent milk price. This is the fifth

consecutive monthly price increase, totalling 6.85ppl (5.35ppl for the year to date), taking our manufacturing standard litre up to 38ppl. New price The new price is 8.85ppl (29.15ppl) higher than April last year, as well as 7.06ppl above the five-year April average price of 30.94ppl. Our liquid standard increases by 1.92ppl to 36.64ppl.

M&S producer price breaks 40ppl JThe 40ppl level for our conventional liquid standard litre was always going to be reached or breached at some point, just a question of by which company and when. In more recent times, it has boiled down to two potential candidates, either Arla Foods or Marks & Spencer (M&S). History book Well, M&S goes down in our history book as reaching this major milestone first, with Muller M&S suppliers set to receive a further

lift in price of 0.48ppl from April. This latest increase follows the 2.36ppl from February and takes our liquid standard litre up to 40.03ppl. The new price is 6.92ppl above the price paid for April last year (33.11ppl), as well as a premium of 5.76ppl over the five-year April average price of 34.27ppl. We hope it is not too long before we are able to report other milk prices have joined the retailer in reaching this level.

*Our liquid standard litre is 4% butterfat and 3.3% protein, for our manufacturing 4.2% butterfat and 3.4% protein and, in both cases, Bactoscans of 30,000/ml and SCCs of 200,000/ml, with Thermodurics of 500/ml, 1m litres/year on EODC (max vehicle accessibility) but before B pricing, balancing, profile adjustments from level supply, seasonality, monthly profile payments, capital deductions or annual/part annual growth incentive schemes or supplements not directly linked to dairy market price movement.

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MILK PRICES Latest milk prices from

Nov’21 4.0/3.3 Before Seas’lty

Dec’21 4.0/3.3 Before Seas’lty

12mth Ave Jan’21 Dec’21

Diff Dec’21 v Nov’21

Latest Confirmed Milk Price

LIQUID PRICES (4% b/f & 3.3% prot) Müller Milk Group – M&S Müller Milk Group – Waitrose UK Arla Farmers – Tesco UK Arla Farmers – Morrisons (Grazing) Müller Milk Group – Tesco Müller Milk Group – Sainsbury’s UK Arla Farmers – Morrisons Arla Foods – Sainsbury’s Arla Foods – Tesco Dale Farm NI UK Arla Farmers Müller Milk Group – The Co-op Dairy Group Crediton Dairy Dale Farm GB (Kendal) Blackmore Vale Dairy Yew Tree Dairy Müller Milk Group – Müller Direct Meadow Foods Meadow Foods Lakes Müller Milk Group – Müller Direct (Scotland) Grahams Dairies Paynes Farms Dairies Freshways Braeforge Simple Average Simple Average (excl. retail contracts)

(i) 35.90 34.35 33.68 33.47 33.36 32.87 33.24 32.75 33.11 33.59 32.26 32.08 30.50 30.14 29.80 30.50 30.00 30.00 30.00 29.79 29.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 31.68 30.40

(ii) 37.19 34.35 36.71 36.50 33.36 32.87 36.27 32.75 33.11 34.09 35.29 32.08 31.50 31.39 31.01 30.50 30.00 30.00 30.00 29.79 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 32.45 30.97

(iii) 34.26 33.27 32.56 32.35 32.15 32.12 32.12 32.00 31.90 31.30 31.13 30.75 29.75 29.12 28.95 28.84 28.38 28.27 28.27 28.17 28.17 28.00 27.79 27.06 30.22 28.80

(i) v (ii) 1.29 N/C 3.03 3.03 N/C N/C 3.03 N/C N/C 0.50 3.03 N/C 1.00 1.25 1.21 N/C N/C N/C N/C N/C 1.00 N/C N/C N/C 0.77 0.57

(iv) 40.03 38.85 39.30 39.09 34.16 34.30 38.86 34.18 33.91 35.09 37.88 33.91 36.75 35.39 36.50 37.00 36.50 36.50 36.50 36.29 36.00 36.00 36.00 37.00

MANUFACTURING PRICES (4.2% b/f & 3.4% prot) UK Arla Farmers Parkham Farms Tesco First Milk – Haverfordwest Tesco Cheese Group The Fresh Milk Company – Level Profile ‡ Barber’s Cheesemakers Saputo Dairy UK – Davidstow The Fresh Milk Company (Lactalis) Wyke Farms First Milk South Caernarfon Wensleydale Dairy Products Belton Farm Glanbia – Llangefni (Constituent) Arla Foods – Direct Manufacturing Simple Average Simple Average (excl. retail contracts)

33.52 33.07 32.50 32.33 31.89 31.15 31.76 31.89 31.00 30.60 30.64 30.05 30.00 28.37 31.34 31.10

36.68 33.53 33.50 32.85 32.93 32.65 32.28 31.89 32.00 32.10 31.20 31.05 31.00 32.26 32.57 32.41

32.35 31.63 31.63 30.78 30.60 30.44 30.21 30.19 30.13 29.90 29.90 29.22 28.83 28.43 30.30 30.08

3.16 0.46 1.00 0.52 1.04 1.50 0.52 N/C 1.00 1.50 0.56 1.00 1.00 3.89 1.23 1.31

39.38 39.67 39.25 37.00 37.55 38.00 36.43 38.31 37.75 37.00 36.31 37.05 36.00 36.80

‘B’ Price Indicators StoneXMilkprices.com UKMFE (gross) *StoneXMilkprices.com UKMFE (net) **Delivered spot milk (net to the producer)

39.87 35.53 41.05

41.23 36.79 42.70

34.25 30.48

1.36 1.26 1.65

Notes to table Prices for both Liquid & Manufacturing tables paid for a producer sending 1mltrs/yr on EODC (max vehicle size accessibility) with Bactoscans of 30,000/ml and SCC’s of 200,000/ml with Thermodurics of 500/ml. Prices exclude capital retentions or AHDB levies, profile adjustments from level supply, seasonality, balancing and A&B price schemes. Excludes annual / part annual growth incentive schemes or supplements not directly linked to dairy market price movement. Liquid price for milk contains 4% b/f and 3.3% protein. Manufacturing price for milk containing 4.2%/b/f and 3.4% prot. All prices for non-aligned prices are before monthly retail supplements. (i) Nov’21 prices before seasonality or B pricing (ii) Dec’21 prices before seasonality or B pricing (iii) Table ranked on simple rolling 12mth average of monthly prices (Jan’21 to Dec’21). (i) v (ii) The difference Dec’21 compared with Nov’21. UK Arla Farmers 0.87ppl increase from Nov ‘21 includes forecast 13th payment holding on +0.843ppkg (+0.868ppl) based on our liquid std litre. UK Arla Farmers 0.9ppl increase from Nov’21 includes forecast 13th payment holding on +0.876ppkg (+0.902ppl) based on our manufacturing std litre. UK Arla Farmers 3.03ppl increase from Dec’21 includes forecast 13th payment +1.26ppkg (+1.298ppl) based on our liquid std litre. UK Arla Farmers 3.16ppl increase from Dec’21 includes forecast 13th payment +1.31ppkg (+1.349ppl) based on our manufacturing std litre. First Milk price includes 0.5ppl Member Premium accrued as a 13th payment paid Apr’22. First Milk Haverfordwest Tesco Cheese Group includes 2ppl retailer premium averaged as 1.5ppl based on seasonal profile. Fresh Milk Company price before Morrisons monthly cheese supplement ( 0.06ppl for Oct’21 supplies, no payment to date from Nov’21). MMG Direct price includes 1ppl Müller Advantage Premium paid annually in arrears to Direct/Organic farms meeting specific Müller Direct criteria. Crediton Dairy price includes FarmMetrics Scheme Bonus of 0.5ppl (paid monthly) and 0.5ppl 13th payment (commencing Apr’21 paid Jan’22). South Caernarfon price includes flat 0.6ppl annual member bonus. ‡ Price includes 12mth average rolling profile fixed at 0.57ppl. * UK Milk Futures Equivalent (UKMFE) net to producer includes 5% processor margin and allowing 2ppl ex-farm haulage + milk testing. ** Ave delivered spot milk net to producer allows 2.5ppl covering haulage + milk testing and margin. (iv) Latest confirmed milk price at the time of going to press. N/C in this context means no change made aware since Dec’21. Crediton Dairy’s 0.5ppl 13th payment rolled into the monthly price from Jan’22. UK Arla Farmers 0.9ppl increase from Jan’22 includes forecast 13th payment +1.26ppkg (+1.298ppl) based on our liquid std litre. UK Arla Farmers 0.85ppl increase from Jan’22 includes forecast 13th payment +1.31ppkg (+1.349ppl) based on our manufacturing std litre. UK Arla Farmers 1.74ppl increase from Mar’22 includes forecast 13th payment +1.26ppkg (+1.298ppl) based on our liquid std litre. UK Arla Farmers 1.8ppl increase from Mar’22 includes forecast 13th payment +1.31ppkg (+1.349ppl) based on our manufacturing std litre. MMG Direct Premium for Direct/Organic farms meeting specific Müller Direct criteria confirmed as 1ppl for 2022 and paid quarterly, Apr’22, Jul’22, Oct’22 & Jan’23. All prices (excluding First Milk Haverfordwest Tesco at 1.50ppl) are before monthly retail supplements. Milkprices.com cannot take any responsibility for losses arising. Copyright: Milkprices.com

76 DF Apr p74 75 76 Milk KJ MB.indd 4

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 14:27

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MILK ANALYSIS

JUK Cheddar imports for 2021 totalled 66,000 tonnes, which is a reduction of 35,600t and 35.1% on 2020. Irish Cheddar imports totalled 64,350t, which is down 31,000t and 32.4%. UK Cheddar exports for the year totalled 72,650t, which is down 9,400t and 11.4% on last year. For the first time ever there was more Cheddar exported than imported, which is undoubtedly helping to support

the buoyant Cheddar market by keeping supplies tight. UK packet butter imports for 2021 totalled 22,300t which is down 9,950 and 31% on 2020, while UK bulk butter imports were similar at 22,140 - down 10,100t and 31% on last year. UK butter exports for the year totalled 34,200t, which were down 850t and 2.4%. Exports are now three quarters of imports – a record high, and with growth still exponential.

PICTURE: Getty Images

UK butter and cheese exports continue to rise

For the first time ever the UK exported more Cheddar than it imported in 2021, which is undoubtedly helping to support the buoyant Cheddar market by keeping supplies tight.

Farmgate prices rises push average over 36p

78 DF Apr p78 79 Milk Analysis KJ MB.indd 2

30 25 20 15

Lowest

Highest

Apr

Jan22

Jul

Oct

Apr

Jan21

Jul

Oct

Apr

Jan20

Jul

Oct

Apr

Jan19

Jul

Oct

Apr

Jan18

Jul

Oct

Apr

Jan17

GDT predicted price versus UK non-aligned price Data includes a three-month lag

50 40 30 20 10

GDT ppl

Non aligned Mar

Jan22

Nov

Jul

Sep

May

Mar

Nov

Jan21

Sep

Jul

Mar

May

Jan20

Nov

Sep

Jul

0 May

But it did not last – the second auction fell by 0.9%, which was the first drop in 2022. It took the average price down to $5,039 (£3,849), the third highest level ever. The commodities convert into an approximate UK milk price equivalent of 47p, which is down 1ppl on the previous auction.

Mar

JThe GDT Index for the first auction of the month was up 5.1% – the fourth in a row where it has been outside of a relatively neutral +/- 3% range. The average price not only topped $5,000 (£3,819) for the first time since February 19, 2014, but set a new maximum level across all commodities at $5,065 (£3,869).

Jan19

GDT hits record levels

Highest versus lowest non-aligned farmgate prices

Pence per litre

increased for March, with 15 moving again for April. At the time of writing there were five non-aligned companies paying over 37p; 14 paying 36p to 37p and 10 between 35p and 36p. They take the average nonaligned price for April (weighted for milk volumes across the processors) to just over 36p, with the aligned price averaging 34.5p. Meanwhile the latest AMPE figure for February is 48.86p, before transport and costs, with MCVE at 45.81p.

Pence per litre

armgate milk prices continue to increase in line with commodity market valuations. The latest official Defra milk price for January is 35.46ppl at 4.26% fat and 3.34% protein, which is effectively just short of 34p on a standard 4% fat, 3.3% protein standard litre. There have been a raft of increases announced for both March and April, with one so far announced for May. Some 19 of the top 26 processors

APRIL 2022 21/03/2022 16:08

MILK ANALYSIS Futures prices point to stable outlook JBoth EU and New Zealand futures are pointing towards farmgate milk prices touching 50p now, including an allowance for costs and a processor margin, but no futures trading costs. To quote Steven Bradley about his UK Milk Futures Equivalent: “To post a record weekly jump of +4.1ppl on our forward curve after perhaps hitting a low pricing period is

one thing, however to have it happen the week after what was a new record week previous is simply incredible or, as some would put it, absolutely insane.”

Margin His prices (which include a cost for futures trading) are now peaking in September at 46p after all costs and a processor margin.

Milk volumes still way down

However, UK milk prices continue to track well down on the futures still, and currently there looks to be little to no chance of prices getting anywhere near the futures level. That aside, though, the EU futures do point to relative stability for the next six months, with New Zealand futures dipping as the new milk year starts in July and then begins to ramp up in August.

JOver the last month UK milk volumes have averaged 40.25 million litres per day, down 2.5% on last year. GB volumes have averaged 33m litres per day, down over 3%. The lack of milk has resulted in processors starting to recruit again and is undoubtedly responsible for a significant number of milk price increases.

EU commodities surge again JEU commodities prices have surged again with the impact of the Ukraine crisis. At the time of writing Dutch butter had surged by €470 (£395) to €6,620/tonne (£5,562/t), but with one trader quoting a huge range from

€6,150-€6775/t (£5,167£5,692). This is indicative of buyers and sellers simply not knowing where to pitch. Dutch SMP was up €140 (£118), having crossed €4,000/t (£3,361) for the first time ever. This results in an AMPE price

of about 45ppl after input costs and a processor margin. One trader reported that SMP trades are difficult as ‘we had no sellers to start the day with, and no buyers to end the day with’. The trader said: “We start to come to a point where we do not

think the market price is related to the supply or demand, but only to the sentiment. Even with the strong fundamentals that we see on supply and demand, we think we are reaching a point where economic formulas no longer apply”.

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NEW Products This month, we feature a new chassis-mounted dribble bar, elevated lick holders, a digestate and liquid manure separator, plus a soil treatment which promises to balance soil pH and supply sulphur to soils in one application.

Management software celebrates milestone JFarm management software tool Herdwatch has passed two million calves registered on its app.

Extra features The achievement was reached in early February, with more than 16,000 farmers now using the app. The milestone comes after the app added extra features, including ‘Farm Maps by Herdwatch’, a new tool which allows users to map their farm for free. Herdwatch has also revealed plans to double its workforce by 2024 as part of plans to further enhance its service. rMore information from herdwatch.co.uk

Got a new product? JNew products are featured in each issue of Dairy Farmer. Please send details and pictures to Hannah Park at hannah.park@ agriconnect.com, or call 01772 799 450.

New Hi-Spec dribble bar

i-Spec Engineering has extended its range of slurry application equipment with the introduction of a new chassis-mounted dribble bar. The new dribble bar has a working width of 7.5 metres, which folds down to 2.55m for transport. It features 30 flat hose outlets, 25cm apart. Feed to each of the outlets is via a Hi-Spec distributor with an integrated stone trap. Weighing in at 520kg, the dribble bar frame is fully galvanised and is fitted with an LED lighting bar. The design includes a splash plate with a 6in feed and two blanked off 6in filling points for optimum functionality. It requires a single double-acting spool valve and is operated using a diverter control to switch between lifting or lowering the arms and operating the distributor and gate valve.

rMore information and local area contacts at hispec.net

The new dribble bar has a working width of 7.5 metres.

Soil conditioner JA new soil treatment available for the first time to UK farmers promises to balance soil pH and supply sulphur to soils in one application. Calcifert LS11, from the maker of Calcifert Lime and Calcifert Sulphur, combines the offering of existing products and is said to neutralise soil to maintain a

balanced pH, containing 11% SO3. Calcifert LS11’s sulphur content is coupled with high reactivity calcium carbonate, with it designed to neutralise soil acidity and maintaining the right pH level to optimise fertiliser and nutrient efficiency. Calcifert LS11 is suitable for all crops and is best suited to

spring application, but is also suitable for autumn drilled oilseed rape and grass reseeds. As with all Calcifert products, it is supplied in 600kg bags and can be spread on farm using a conventional fertiliser spreader. rMore information from lkabminerals.com/en/ products/calcifert-ls11

APRIL 2022

DF Apr p80 81 New Products HP KJ MB.indd 2

17/03/2022 14:29

NEW PRODUCTS Elevated lick holders launched JAgricultural engineer M.G. Hudson has launched a selection of elevated lick holders to raise mineral licks in a bid to prevent badgers from gaining direct access to reduce bTB transmission risks. The range includes those which attach to gates and fences, with a robust and heavy-duty design which will not bend when put under pressure.

The lick holders meet the TB Advisory Service requirement that the lip of the bucket is kept a minimum of one metre off the ground. The holders are available painted or galvanised and are custom-made to specification as needed. rMore information from 07783 630 530 or mg.hudson82@gmail.com

Digestate/liquid manure separator JNew form Vogelsang, the XSplit separator enables a dry matter content of up to 40% for liquid manure and digestate processing.

Drive arrangement It comes with a new drive arrangement aimed at reducing maintenance costs, which features the drive located at the solids outlet instead of at the inflow of the raw medium,

meaning liquid cannot get into the drive. Thanks to the sealing disc and the individually adjustable press area, the press screw separator from Vogelsang achieves a dry matter content in the solid fraction of up to 40%, making it capable of meeting a wide range of requirements in agriculture. rMore information from vogelsang.info/en-uk

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A farm-based energy from waste development could help to tackle slurry emission challenges and add to income streams, reports Jane Carley.

Slurry fuels farm energy plans

nergy production is becoming an increasingly attractive proposition for farms, offering a means of becoming energy-independent and a useful source of income. Emerging Cornwall-based enterprise Bennamann is looking to utilise fugitive methane from slurry to produce liquid fuel and compressed gas for energy consumers and to fulfil fuel needs on-farm. At the same time, developments made to capture the gas will help farmers meet the requirements of clean air legislation by upgrading slurry stores. With sites at Chynoweth Farm near Truro and at the Aerohub in Newquay, Bennamann also has a trading company for the marketing, sales and distribution of liquid fugitive methane and a useful partnership with CNH Industrial, which as well as manufacturing a production methane powered tractor has also pioneered the development of gas-powered commercial vehicles and engines. The concept is to install a specially-designed slurry pit cover

on-farm to collect and process fugitive methane from the slurry, with all the technology being developed at Chynoweth Farm. The pit is filled in the usual way, and biogas collects in the first layer of the cover where it is filtered before being transferred to the upper section of the cover for storage. Biogas Once the store is full, an alert is sent to the operator. Further processing (upgrading) of the biogas removes CO2 leaving the methane ready for use as a fuel, with the potential for liquefication for easier transport. The gas is collected and aggregated by Bennamann Energy and sold to the market. Dr Tim Fox, head of corporate communications at Bennamann, says: “The initial model we developed with the full suite of equipment installed on site and is ideal for a medium size dairy unit of around 200 cows. “This system can then easily be scaled up for larger farms. But for smaller herds, the returns do not justify the investment required to install the processing equipment,

so we have developed a mobile, truck mounted unit which can travel between farms and upgrade the biogas on site. We also engineered the cover to hold a week’s production of biogas so collection can take place on a weekly basis.” This scheme is being piloted on six farms in Cornwall as part of a collaboration with Cornwall Council, which has 58 tenanted dairy farms in the county. A further strand of the relationship with the council provides a ready market for the gas – its vehicle provider Cormac uses gas-powered Iveco trucks and road repair equipment. The Iveco trucks are currently running on compressed gas, but the liquefication process is being refined to make the gas easier to transport. “We have got one farm up and running already and two others are currently having our equipment installed,” says Dr Fox. “All of those in the pilot have slurry pits that were due for upgrading, so it was an attractive and logical proposal for the council.” The process also produces digestate which is biologically enhanced

Simpler installation Less electric wiring No obstacles inside No restlessness when doing maintenance Shorter suspension of the fans Lower total investment Airflow in length of cubicles

The concept is to install a specially-designed slurry pit cover on-farm to collect and process fugitive methane from the slurry.

www.abbi-aerotech.com www.rumitechs.co.uk Ph: 07714 846987

82 DF Apr p82 83 Machinery KJ MB.indd 2

APRIL 2022 22/03/2022 14:09

A diagram to illustate the MACHINERY Bennamann process.

in a proprietary technique developed by the company and is said to offer better availability of nutrients than the traditional by-product of anaerobic digestion. Flexible, modular covers are being developed for farms that have slurry storage infrastructure in good condition and where investment in rebuilding the pit and adding the Bennamann system may be restrictive and add costs. “This highly innovative design uses affordable high tensile strength cabling to maintain the shape of the cover,” says Dr Fox. “We are looking at ways to cut the cost so that it is closer to the investment for a standard pit cover; a prototype will be tested this year at three privately-owned farms in the south west.” The process currently uses one sixth of the gas produced to power the plant and equipment. To maximise returns from production, research is being carried out in conjunction with Exeter University to use renewable energy sources to run the system, an approach that will be rolled out on the first of the pilot council farms. “At Chynoweth Farm, a European Regional Development Fund aided project is looking at how the farm can combine other on site renewable resources alongside gas production to come off the grid and be energy independent,” adds Dr Fox. The relationship with CNHi –

which took a minority shareholding in Bennamann in 2021 – has given the opportunity to prove the technology alongside the manufacturer’s T6 methane tractor, in trials with Cornish grower Riviera Produce fuelled by methane produced using the system. Developing CNHi’s engine and transmission division FPT is also developing a methane-powered generator for use on farm, leading to another ERDFfunded project – the provision of electric vehicle charging units powered by fugitive methane. “A major advantage of our relationship with CNHi is their capacity to scale up manufacturing in the way that an SME such as Bennamann cannot,” Dr Fox says. He suggests that while costs vary depending on the scale of the farm and the amount of work needed to bring the slurry storage up to standard, the payback period is three to six years for a system designed to last 25 years or more. “In addition to cutting fuel costs and providing a source of income, fuel generation can contribute to the farm’s clean air strategy and enable regenerative farming approaches to be developed. There may also be future funding available from Environmental Land Management schemes in the form of grants from the Slurry

Investment Fund and additional income can be gained from Renewable Transport Fuel Certificates.” Scaling up the business is the next area for consideration. After the infrastructure is installed, biomethane production would be a ‘hands

off’ operation for the farmer, with automated processing, collection, storage and marketing carried out by Bennamann, so the company is looking at possible franchise models to roll out the system in the long-term.

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GOOD Evans ‘It’s a good time to blame you and me; it’s a good time to have a go at farmers’ This month, Roger Evans discusses who is getting the blame for a reduction in migratory bird populations and speaks of his concerns over planning permission objections and their impact on the future for young farmers.

am reading the daily paper and there’s an article about birds, so I read it. The gist of it is the decline in populations of migratory birds. Why? There are several reasons, but first is ‘the change in farming practices’. This means you and me. There’s no mention of what happens to these birds when they migrate. The article doesn’t talk about shotguns on the Pyrenees and the south of France; there’s no mention of the fine mesh nets strung out on the sand dunes of North Africa. There was a time when we would get 50 House Martins’ nests across the eaves of our house. This year there wasn’t one. Never mind that the pond is still there, where the birds would get the mud to build their nests, and that field has never been ploughed. It’s a good time to blame you and me; it’s a good time to have a go at farmers. I suspect that if a similar article was published elsewhere, such as in Spain, France or North Africa, the authors would get very short shrift indeed. I’ve done nothing different to the House Martins, so where have they all gone? There’s plenty of space to build their nests, there’s plenty of mud and there are more flies than ever for them to eat. So what did I do wrong? Hard work I know this young lad, he’s probably in his mid-20s. He’s done well in life, mostly by hard work, and I have to be careful because I know he sees this article. His main job is putting up farm buildings, but over the years he has built up a flock of sheep and a cattle rearing enterprise. He keeps these on rented ground and seems to do well with them. His sheep in particular always look well. His mother and father are two of my best friends. His father is as good with farm livestock

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as anyone I know and that will play a big part in the young lad’s success. That knowledge and expertise will have been passed down. His mother is a bit of a character. She is also a bit of a star and she does well at everything she does. To tell the truth, and I do occasionally, I’m a bit afraid of her and I do all she tells me. Anything for a quiet, simple life for me. They are the sort of family that no matter how busy they are they will always help you. They are always kind and generous. But it’s this boy we are concerned with today. As far as I know he is the third generation of his family to be born in this parish and is just the sort of young man we need in a rural community. Last time I saw him he promised to give me a bag of potatoes, and he will. Progression As a part of his progression he has bought a small field in the village, near to where he keeps his sheep and cattle. He wants to put a livestock shed on this field, but, you’ve guessed it, there have been objections. You can’t believe it can you? The main objection is because this little field used to be the site of a rabbit warren. A rabbit warren would be important, years ago, as it would provide protein in winter, but these days people can go to Spar. The nearest Spar isn’t in the village, but you can get there quicker than you can catch and prepare a rabbit. All these objectors know about rabbits they probably learned from the internet. I know that I shouldn’t be writing about this while it’s still in the planning process, but there are serious social issues here, issues which should concern us all. The countryside of the future (and that future could well be 10-15 years) will not be decided by the real country people,

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 14:33

but by people who scour the internet to find objections which may be hundreds of years old. If I had bought the field and should the planning be turned down, I would reinstate the warren. I bet there would soon be some

objections if the village was alive with rabbits and they were eating all the flowers and vegetables. There has never been a more important time to take an interest in local politics. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Browse, list and apply for hundreds of the latest roles at

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87 17/03/2022 14:33

BUSINESS CLINIC Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is leading to another round of input cost increases on top of previous rises, eroding the gains from higher milk prices. Cedric Porter reports.

T SOURCE: Gas MYMEX; soya CBOT; rapeseed MATIF; oil Brent Crude; wheat ICE; urea CME; diesel = Boiler Juice. NOTE: All exchanges apart from oil and red diesel.

he Russian invasion caused an immediate and rapid spike in the price of a range of inputs. Oil jumped by more than 30% to highs not seen since Russia invaded Crimea in 2014. At the time of writing in the second week of March, the red diesel price had doubled to an all-time high of more than 150ppl. Two years ago, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the price was less than 50ppl, according to supplier Boiler Juice. Natural gas prices also rose on the news, although they have slipped back and are not at the highs of last

Costs rise set to outweigh price increases October. Gas is needed to produce fertiliser and it also rose in price. But there are also fears over the

Increase in key commodities (February 23 to March 10, 2022) 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0 -20%

Natural Chicago gas New soya meal York May

Chicago maize May

Paris rapeseed August

Oil Brent London Chicago Crude feed wheat urea May May

Red diesel

supply of fertiliser, because Russia produces 50 million tonnes of it and is responsible for 13% of world exports. The world’s exposure to Russian potash and phosphate is even greater. Feed is also getting more expensive. Feed wheat on the London ICE futures market for May 2022 delivery broke the £300/t barrier, before slipping a little. November delivery went above £240/t, but if there are problems with the Ukrainian harvest and Russia continues to restrict its supply of wheat, prices could go higher still.

The conflict has also come at a time when Ukrainian farmers should be planting a large area of spring crops including sunflowers, maize and soya. Ukraine does supply some wheat to the UK. In the second half of 2021, 25,700t of Ukrainian wheat were imported into the UK, according to HMRC data. That was only one-tenth of Canadian wheat imports and against total imports of 1.037mt. During the whole of 2021, 85,000t of Ukrainian animal feed were imported, the equivalent of 1.5% of total imports.

in overhead costs resulting in a rise in total cost of production of 12.5% to 35ppl. Once returns from production and diminishing English farm supports are taken into account,

the expected profit for 2022/23 is 3.2ppl, down 2ppl or 38% on 2021/22. Ongoing cost rises could further erode that margin. Scottish producers will have a little more protection from rising costs than their English counterparts, because their farm support payment remains at the equivalent of 1.8ppl during 2022/23, while English supports drop 0.3ppl to 1.5ppl. As ever, averages hide extremes and Andersons says that while 16% of dairy farms questioned in the 2020/21 English Farm Business Survey had costs of production above 35ppl, 3% had costs under 22.5ppl, while most produced in a band from 25-32.5ppl.

Profits slashed in 2022/23 JFigures from farm business consultants Andersons, compiled before the Russian invasion, show rising costs will hit home during the 2022/23 milk season beginning in April 2022. It uses a notional 130-hectare (321-acre) 200-plus cow Midlands dairy unit called Friesian Farm to demonstrate expected business performance. Richard King, head of business research at Andersons, says: “The 2021/22 milk year will deliver good profits for a well run dairy farm with price rises outstripping the increase in cost for many. Looking to 2022/23, the average milk price for the year is forecast to be up again, but the real effect of recent cost increases will be seen,

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meaning the margin from production declines.” Variable costs are expected to rise by 19% in 2022/23 to 16.9ppl, which is 36% more than in 2019/20, with a rise

Business performance for Andersons’s Friesian Farm (ppl) Milk Total output Variable costs Overheads Rent, finance and drawings Total costs of production Production margin Basic payment Business surplus Source: Andersons

2019/20 28 29.8 12.4 9.9 6.3

20/21 28.5 30.8 13.3 10 6.4

21/22 31.6 34.5 14.2 10.5 6.5

22/23 34 36.7 16.9 11.5 6.6

28.6

29.7

31.1

1.2 1.9 3.1

1.1 1.9 3

3.4 1.8 5.2

1.7 1.5 3.2

APRIL 2022 17/03/2022 14:35

BUSINESS CLINIC Costs up 7ppl JIn November, Promar predicted costs of production would increase by 3.3ppl on average over the period between April 2022 and March 2023. Managing director Neil Adams says: “At the time, we assumed wheat would trade at £200/tonne, soyabean meal at £450/t, red diesel at 70ppl and electricity at £82/MWh. “The war has triggered huge price increases. Feed wheat has increased to £290/t, soya to £525/t, red diesel to 110ppl and electricity is trading on wholesale markets at about £200/MWh. “Ammonium nitrate has increased beyond the £750/t price used in our original forecast. Today, it is almost impossible to obtain. “The labour market has been very tight and farm workers are able to demand higher salaries. “Our current prediction is for cost of production to increase by 7ppl in the year to March 2023. This means that since last spring costs will have increased by 10ppl.” Milk markets have absorbed some of the increase. On average, prices have risen to offset some of the increase,

The war has triggered huge price increases, with a huge spike seen in ammonium nitrate prices rocketing, and the product now hard to obtain.

last milk year prices rose on average by 3.8ppl and have risen further still since the beginning of the 2021/22 season by another 3.6ppl. Commodity liquid prices, based on AMPE and MCVE are indicating farmgate prices are lagging behind the butter and cheese markets. This is likely to put pressure on spot markets and should, in time, drive higher prices in liquid markets. Mr Adams urges farmers to look closely at their business and forecast the financial outcome under these unprecedented pressures. He adds that the exercise

Aphaeas

Agriculture

is absolutely essential as it is probable that under the current cost squeeze, some farm businesses could lose a lot of money in a very short period. He says: “Mitigation measures can be employed and there are good options to close the gap, but without an immediate considered response, the situation could get out of control. “For most businesses, it will cost less than the cost of 2t of fertiliser to employ specialist advice.” Feed and forage costs account for one-third of the total cost of dairy production, according to AHDB, so reducing reliance

on bought-in feed will be an important strategy for many this year, according to David Cubitt of Sundown Products.

Forage He says: “The common way to increase the quality of home-grown forage is to make more cuts of silage, harvesting the grass at a more digestible stage. The increased cost of this silage can be recovered by the increased feed value of the silage and can be used to reduce the requirement for bought-in compound feeds. “The higher costs of feed this year will easily justify the extra cost of a multi-cut silage.”

Foliar feeding Urea treated with humates substantially increases Nitrogen Use Efficiency.

“See us at stand 73a”

Nigel Howells Farm Consultancy oversaw this important project on several Welsh dairy farms over a 3-year period (2019-2021). Trialled against conventional fertiliser programmes, it was shown that by foliar feeding Urea that had been stabilised by the addition of potassium humate, nitrogen use could be reduced by up to 50%. On average NUE was increased by 200-400% resulting in significant savings for farmers.

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89 17/03/2022 14:36

TECHNOLOGY With rising consumer and government pressure on dairy companies to become more carbon neutral, there is a shift of mindset ongoing to stop the use of plastic milk containers. Chris McCullough reports.

Companies move to replace plastic packaging for milk

resh milk is currently one of the single biggest users of plastic packaging within UK supermarkets, accounting for about 10% of all plastic used. There are a number of plastics being used as containers to sell milk in, but the most common is high density polyethylene. Low density polyethylene and polyester are also in use. These materials have been in use since the 1960s, but as consumer awareness of the harmful effects of plastics on the environment increases, so too does the demand for alternative materials for milk containers to be used. There are a number of alternatives available to processors on the market to enable them to steer away from the plastic container. Using glass bottles is the most obvious alternative and is making quite a resurgence as a reusable container for milk. Glass is easier to use and presents a more robust container to sell and store milk in. However, the downsides are that glass is fragile and can easily break. It is also heavier than

plastic which may present some difficulties for transport. Using glass bottles is very popular with some dairy farmers who are selling milk direct to consumers via vending machines. That consumer demand for environmentally friendly packaging has also prompted supermarkets to respond and offer alternative milk containers to the usual plastic vessels. Morrisons has switched to selling its own fresh milk in carbon neutral cartons. Nine types of Morrisons fresh milk is sold in Tetra Pak cartons to save an initial 100 tonnes of plastic a year. Paperboard The new Morrisons fresh milk Tetra Pak cartons are made from plant-based paperboard which is FSC certified. They feature a very thin layer of plastic coating and twist caps made from polyethylene which is derived from sustainably sourced sugarcane. The Tetra Pak cartons have been certified by the Carbon Trust as being carbon neutral and are recyclable at kerbside in most

DEEP GROOVES FOR SOLID FLOORS SLAT GROOVES DIAMOND CUT

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There are a number of alternatives available to processors on the market to enable them to steer away from the plastic container.

UK regions and at recycling banks across the country. Tony Fearon, dairy category director at Morrisons, says: “Fresh milk does not need to be in a plastic bottle. It keeps just as fresh in a carton. Fresh milk is the top user of plastic packaging in our stores, so this will result in significant plastic reduction. “Tetra Pak has also been independently verified as a better sustainable packaging option. “If customers take to it, we could be looking to move all of our fresh milk to Tetra Pak cartons in time.” Hugh Jones, managing director of advisory at the Carbon Trust, says: “We welcome this move by Morrisons towards reducing the environmental impact of its milk packaging. “Our Carbon Trust ‘carbon neutral’ label, which will feature on these milk products in their new

Tetra Pak packaging, recognises the CO2 reduction of this move and certifies that the cradle-to-grave carbon footprint of the packaging is in line with targets.” Brakes Also favouring plant-based packaging is UK foodservice supplier Brakes, in an initiative with Yew Tree Dairy, which has switched to the Tetra Rex carton made from sustainably sourced paperboard and plant-based plastics derived from sugarcane, accredited to Bonsucro certification for sustainably sourced sugarcane. Both plants absorb carbon as they grow, removing it from the atmosphere. Once the sugarcane is harvested, it is crushed and the juice turned into ethanol, which is made into a polymer.

APRIL 2022 22/03/2022 14:11

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15/03/2022 10:06 09:21 05/11/2021

LAMMA SHOW RETURNS CELEBRATING 40 YEARS 4-5 May 2022 at the NEC, Birmingham

Get your free ticket for LAMMA! Join the farming industry and see launches, UK debuts, global brands and small manufacturers, altogether under one roof. Bring your team to the UK’s largest farm machinery showroom, network, get social and do business.

3 600+ exhibitors 3 Farm Safety Zone 3 NEW Farming 4.0 Trail: The Future of Agriculture 3 NEW Young Engineer Award 3 NEW Classic Tractor Zone 3 BASiS, NRoSO & DairyPro Points Sponsored by:

Supported by:

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