Dairy direct murray oct 2015 (low res) by McPherson Media Group

Country News PUBLICATION

MURRAY Issue 20, October 2015

Out of the ring and into the paddock » page 12

Keeping the count down » page 16 Coping with $200/Ml » page 26 A family century » page 50

Editor Geoff Adams editor@countrynews.com.au Writers Geoff Adams, Cathy Walker, Sharon Wright, Sophie Bruns, Virginia Adrian

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Dairy Direct

G V D A I RY SDU P P L I E S P TY L T

OCTOBER 2015

Filled enough forms in lately? The paper onslaught can be pretty annoying when you’re trying to run a business and juggle a myriad of onfarm issues. Just when you thought it was safe to check the mail box, another survey arrives. Well, the good news is that after those interminable and sometimes intrusive data collections, the industry is getting some solid feedback. The development of DairyBase has come about as the result of some longer-term information gathering that will enable farmers to get a better idea on how they’re travelling. Farmers will be able to compare their own business over time and see how they stack up

against other farms using similar production systems in the same region. Industry data gathering is also generating useful information for our farm lobby groups to wield in their approaches to governments, so there is a result emerging from those late nights wrestling with forms and figures. — Geoff Adams Dairy Direct

Time to set up for the coming year in the project discussions via the As I write this column, spring has well Accelerating Change newsletter, the and truly arrived. Murray Dairy website and coming open One aspect of dairying that I look forward to at this time of year is the focus days. on our farm business and setting it up for In this edition you will have the chance to read about the recent release of the the coming year. Dairy Farm Monitor Project results along While there are some challenges ahead for with farmers sharing the strategies and farmers in the Murray Dairy region with solutions on the temporary water price water allocations, high temporary water and how they plan to navigate around it. prices and subdued international markets, My wife thinks it’s ironic that in my first there are also many opportunities we column I mention calves. should focus on to help us progress our farm businesses through the next season. I, like many other males in our industry, benefit from the more nurturing partner Murray Dairy has recently run seven in our relationships to provide the care workshops aimed at helping farmers and attention to the calf-rearing on-farm. understand their cost of production, identifying critical decision points and Developing a cow to its full potential starts applying strategies to deal with upcoming at birth, from ensuring the calf gets the correct volume and quality of colostrum, seasonal conditions. right through to recognising symptoms of A number of useful resources from these distress. workshops are available on the Murray Lastly, please remember to look after Dairy website. the most important thing in our dairy DairyBase developed by Dairy Australia businesses, ourselves! is another valuable tool to assist in I hope with school holidays now finishing collating your business information (a that you have managed to spend some new and improved version of Taking time with your families and friends. Stock) and is currently being rolled out throughout the region. Whether it’s knowing that the good barbecue weather is coming, or simply Growing up on an irrigated dairy farm, I watching your favourite sporting team do really value the access to water, and we what it does best (sadly the only magpies need to maximise this asset. I see flying at this time of year are in the As technology has developed and access calving paddock), whatever it is, take to infrastructure upgrades have occurred, time to look after yourselves. irrigation ‘tools of trade’ now include new instruments such as mobile phones — Rick Cross or laptops, not just a shovel. Murray Dairy chairman Murray Dairy has recently started a threeyear project Accelerating Change, which Rick Cross was recently appointed aims to assist the implementation of chairman of Murray Dairy. He is a dairy water use efficiency technology on-farm, farmer from Toolamba. With his wife, along with the application of other new Judy and three sons (one working, one technology and research. at university and one completing VCE) they milk 320–340 cows. Farmers are encouraged to be engaged

contents Doing Dairy

Dairy news

4–7

Profit is possible in a challenging year 8 Signals for the northern Victorian region for this year are for: 9 Cleaning up dirty cows after calving 10 Show cows also top producers

‘Mootel’ units to improve heat tolerance 14 Concentrating on the basics

Brave new world of dairying

Empathy needed in calf-rearing

Getting a good start

Weathering the high water price storm 26 Vet warning on animal welfare

Effective hygiene measures help bottom line

‘Dry’ becomes new norm — as ‘extremely dry’ enters lexicon 32 MG pledges price floor

Association with China strengthened 36 Valuable groups for farmer input

Know your compost

Suits in the shed

Emissions discovery by researcher

Bringing home the bacon

Almost 100 years on the farm for Emmetts 50 Dookie Dairy Report

Calendar of events

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Doing Dairy

with SOPHIE BRUNS

Sophie Bruns is a dairy farmer from Gunbower with a husband, two daughters and a mortgage.

Family finds a new life beyond the farm gate Sophie bids a sad farewell to her beautiful cows and her life on the dairy farm. It has been a tough few months for us because we have made some life-changing decisions, and none bigger than deciding to sell the cows and the farm. The farm sold in a day which was a little surprising, and while we tried to sell the cows as a herd that wasn’t to be and we had to auction them. I wasn’t brave enough to attend because I knew it would end in tears for me. Yes, there have been lots of tears and many sleepless nights, but once you make a decision you just have to run with it and see where things end up, and I guess that’s where we are at the moment. Have we made the right decision? Who knows. Am I happy about it? Not sure. But one thing I do know, I won’t miss the

early morning starts in freezing cold, frosty weather. What I will miss though is my herd of beautiful cows. I will miss their personalities. I will miss rearing calves and having the pleasure of watching them grow into milking animals, and I will miss the smell of cows as they eat their way through a paddock of lush green grass. It is pretty hard to write this column because I am mindful of how tough things are in the industry at the moment, especially here in northern Victorian, and I certainly don’t want to go on about all the negatives in the industry because we are all fully aware of what they are. What I will say is it’s a shame that the cost of producing milk is so high, and yes, a lot of

that cost can be attributed to the mess that is the water market. Increasing temporary water prices are making it more and more difficult to survive and, as money-hungry investors keep pushing prices higher, it is to the detriment of our industry and rural communities. After all, one dairy dollar spent locally goes on to support many local businesses. Take that dollar away and things start to look pretty grim. I only hope something is done to curb these increasing prices, and soon. On a personal note I look forward to seeing a few of you around the district as I revive my journalism career and go back to writing about the industry that I remain very passionate about.

dairy news Stanhope Legendairy The Stanhope community is celebrating its national win in the Dairy Australia Legendairy competition.The town is the first to own the Legendairy capital title and as well as being awarded a $7500 first prize will become the target of promotional activities for the two-year reign. Dairy Australia’s managing director Ian Halliday said since the search began in April, he had been extremely impressed by the large number of stories of the tireless contribution dairy farmers made to improve the social fabric of their regional towns. “Stanhope is a close-knit community that has faced its share of challenges, but it has also thrived by pulling together through the good and tough times,” he said. Originally founded as a soldier settlement during the First World War, dairy quickly became an important industry and remains so today. 4

OCTOBER 2015

From sporting teams and social groups, to schools and emergency services, the Legendairy people of Stanhope are not afraid of hard work, many of them volunteering their time to make the town what it is today. For the regional win, Stanhope received a $2500 community grant to enhance a playground at the Stanhope Recreation Reserve. That project, identified and supported by the many groups and local residents in the town, will now receive a further $7500. A community celebratory event is being planned for November. To see and hear from the people of Stanhope, watch their video:

Stanhope dairy farmer Andrew Hipwell and fellow citizens at the Stanhope Primary School.

www.legendairy.com.au/dairy-talk/ Stanhope The seven remaining regional finalists that also received a $2500 grant to invest in a community project are: • Meeniyan (Gippsland) • Peterborough (Western Victoria) • Comboyne (New South Wales) • Monto (Subtropical) • Port Elliot (South Australia) • Smithton (Tasmania) • Northcliffe (Western Australia)

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Toolamba dairy farmer Rick Cross will lead Murray Dairy.

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dairy news

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Murray Dairy under new leadership Toolamba dairy farmer Rick Cross is the new head of Murray Dairy. Dairy farmer and company director Rick Cross has been appointed the new Murray Dairy board chairman. Mr Cross was appointed to the role following the decision of Malcolm Holm to step down as chairman at the recent September board meeting, given his term was nearing conclusion. Mr Holm said Mr Cross, a current board member, stepped into this role with a wealth of experience and considerable knowledge from which to draw. “Mr Cross has a strong dairy heritage and a continuous significant involvement within the industry, particularly currently as both a director at Bega Cheese and a board member at Murray Dairy,” Mr Holm said. “Rick has a strong commitment to the region and under his chairmanship will see Murray Dairy as an organisation that continues to focus on delivering programs of a high standard to the region’s dairy farmers and broader industry.” Mr Cross and his family are the owner/managers of the family’s

Toolamba dairy farm, and he has extensive experience as director at Tatura Milk Industries (TMI) and as a director at Bega Cheese. While at TMI, Mr Cross played an instrumental role in leading fellow directors in merger discussions with Bega Cheese. Mr Cross said the Murray Dairy region was a major contributor to Australia’s overall milk production. “Murray Dairy itself plays a pivotal role in maintaining the sustainability and continued profitable growth for dairy farmers in the region and I am looking forward to assisting the organisation in continuing to achieving that,” Mr Cross said. “I would like to thank Malcolm for his strong leadership and commitment to Murray Dairy during his term as chairman, as a result the organisation sits fully resourced and capable to deliver the current and future needs and wants of our industry. “Murray Dairy is in the early stages of a major new project, Accelerating Change. Malcolm was a major driving force behind the realisation of that project.”

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dairy news Dairy farmers track genetic progress

ADF levy call

top 10 per cent of herds in the Dairy farmers who herd-record should have received a Genetic country. Progress report in the mail by Additional graphs track the now, as part of the August release herd’s genetic changes for type, of Australian Breeding Values longevity, mastitis resistance, by the Australian Dairy Herd fertility, protein and fat. Improvement Scheme. “The report is highly valued Michelle Axford from ADHIS because it is an independent, said that while the report was science-based assessment of available electronically through genetic progress, based on the herd test centres, there was still herd’s own data,” Mrs Axford strong demand from farmers to said. receive it in the mail. “Farmers use the report to “We’ve had so much positive identify breeding areas that have feedback about the report that performed well and those they we want to make it as easy as wish to improve. possible for farmers to use them,” “Once they have identified the Mrs Axford said. traits they want to improve The Genetic Progress report through breeding, suitable sires provides a two-page summary of can be identified using ADHIS how a herd is tracking for genetic tools such as the Good Bulls improvement. It includes a graph showing the herd’s genetic trends Guide or Displayabull.” For help interpreting the results, for profit (Balanced Performance contact your breeding adviser, Index) over 10 years, with the herd test centre or ADHIS. Australian breed average and

Australian Dairy Farmers is urging support from dairy levy payers for recommendations to streamline the dairy levy process, and to opt for a levy poll only when a change in the levy is being sought. ADF has suggested the change based on the recommendations of the independent Dairy Levy Poll Process Review panel, commissioned following last year’s Dairy Australia’s annual general meeting. The panel concluded that there were big cost-savings and operational efficiencies gained by making this change. “After the last poll in 2012, the clear message from Australian Dairy Farmers was that the efforts and funds dedicated towards the poll process could have been better spent delivering dollar value to dairy farmers,” ADF president Noel Campbell said. “It makes absolute sense,

and the six-member panel recommendation was unanimous: we only vote when a change is proposed.” Mr Campbell stressed the panel recommendation included a “failsafe” mechanism. If farmers believe a poll is necessary, they can initiate one by bringing together a group of levy payers representing at least 15 per cent of levy votes. This would activate a Dairy Australia general meeting where 50 per cent of voters would need to resolve to hold a poll. “This proposal is not about removing Dairy Australia from scrutiny,” Mr Campbell said. “This is about a direct saving of at least $750 000 that can instead go directly to industry benefit.” The report of the independent panel is at www. dairylevypollreview.com.au

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PRECAST Region’s farmers post CONCRETE PRODUCTS strong results Report reveals the industry’s facts and figures for the past year. Dairy farmers in northern Victoria have achieved the highest return on assets in the state for the past year, according to a new report.

DEDJTR principal scientist Joe Jacobs said the Victorian dairy industry accounted for 85 per cent of Australian dairy exports, making it an important contributor to Despite challenging seasonal the state’s economy and a conditions, the 2014–15 significant part of our regional annual report for the and rural communities. Victorian Dairy Farm Monitor A survey conducted for the Project revealed northern Dairy Farm Monitor Project Victorian dairy farms had a showed positive results for all 6.1 per cent return on assets. Victorian regions, with 73 out Conditions in the north were of 75 dairy farms recording milder and wetter during strong profits. The average the summer than last year, earnings for 2014–15 were however, March turned dry $244 511 (before interest and and delayed autumn pasture tax) with a return on assets of growth. 5.3 per cent. Irrigation water use increased Although the results indicate a from 874 Ml/farm to 976 Ml/ 12 per cent decrease compared farm in the past year, however, to the preceding year, Dairy irrigation water applied per Australia media manager Mark hectare decreased as more land Pearce said it was still a very was irrigated. good result. Northern Victorian dairy “Despite challenging seasonal farms also experienced some conditions, the Victorian dairy price challenges, showing the farms are resilient,” Mr Pearce lowest average earnings on said. milk solids. He said volatility was a “fact The report also revealed of life” when dealing in the northern Victorian farmers dairy business which meant were paying more for homedairy farmers needed to focus grown feed and agistment on maximising their business than counterparts in other activities. parts of the state. Dairy Australia has developed Northern Victorian dairy an online tool called farms used the smallest DairyBase that can maximise amount of fertiliser per performance and profitably hectare compared to the for dairy farmers through south-west and Gippsland measuring and comparing regions. their business performance over time. The Dairy Farm Monitor The database is free and can Project is a joint initiative be found at between DEDJTR and Dairy www.dairybase.com.au Australia.

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Profit is possible in a challenging year

Consultant Cam Smith makes a point about costs at the seminar.

Careful management is needed to make the most out of a tight season. Holding down costs and increasing efficiencies were two of the tips for the current year discussed at a ‘Down to Business’ dairy seminar in September. With lower than normal water storage levels, speculation about milk prices and higher irrigation costs, dairy farmers in the north face a challenging year, but making a profit is still possible.

OCTOBER 2015

Farm consultant Cameron Smith said for this year the ‘average’ farm was likely to record positive earnings before income tax and a positive net farm income, but there would be a range of differing results. “Many of the budgets that we have put together with clients over the past months are showing tight cash flow,”’ Mr Smith said.

He urged farmers to consider their position in carryover water, fodder reserves and cash reserves, including farm management deposits. “Careful and correct management is required to make the most of this season.” Mr Smith told the seminar in Shepparton dairy businesses needed to be able to operate with average milk prices in mind.

“Home-grown feed is important for generating profit in the upcoming year.” However, he said the cost of generating the feed could go up by about $20/tonne. He said hay could go up to $250/ tonne and temporary water prices could continue to climb (someone has already purchased water at $500/Ml off Victorian Water Register).

Signals for the northern Victorian region for this year are for: • • • • •

Lower milk prices. 100 per cent allocation on irrigation systems. More expensive temporary water. A solid fodder base. Lighter bought-in feed supply and similar to higher feed prices.

Source: DEDJTR

The five-year average milk price was about $5.61/kg milk solids, and the 10-year average was about $5.33. “Dairy businesses need to be set up to be resilient,” Mr Smith said. “Many dairy businesses have reduced their exposure to debt and put away resources during the past two seasons.” He recommended farmers be frugal with operating costs. “One of the things I see among my most successful year-in, year-out high performing businesses, is that they are frugal in every year.” Last season the Dairy Farm Monitor Project indicated the average farm produced 1665 tonnes dry matter, with about 1188 tonnes coming off the milking area. Mr Smith suggested this year farm businesses needed to maintain total home-grown feed at 1700 tonnes of dry matter and maintain homegrown feed off the milking area at 1200 tonnes and to maintain the cost at which they produced the feed. “We may have to harvest more of what we grow so it goes straight down the cow’s throat,” he said.

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animal health

A regular column from Rochester Vet Practice

Cleaning up dirty cows after calving Make sure you correctly match the treatment to the problem. With calving season upon us, the number of cases of endometritis and metritis presenting after calving increases. Endometritis is typically only as deep as the first few layers of the uterine wall, has a purulent vaginal discharge and cows don’t tend to be unwell. With metritis, however, infections extend into the muscular layer of the uterine wall, tend to have bloody/ purulent vaginal discharges and can result in down/toxaemic cows that are severely unwell. We sell large numbers of uterine pessaries for treating ‘dirty cows’, however, in recent years have made a shift away from using these to treat dirty cows for the following reasons: • Concern over the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) obtained and whether this is likely to be high enough in a large uterus after calving to be effective. • Effect of local antibiotics on the production and effectiveness of neutrophils (white blood cells that are there to fight infection). • Potential to increase time for cleaning in animals that have retained membranes. If uterine pessaries are used, we recommend the following: • Administered within the first week after calving while the cervix is still dilated and they are easily introduced. • Not to be used in cows where foetal membranes are still present. • Cow is not unwell in herself; if unwell she should receive an injectable antibiotic. In general we recommend the following treatment protocol for dirty cows: • Retained membranes: should be left to rot out and not removed with force. An intrauterine antibiotic (pessary or metricure),

OCTOBER 2015

should not be used until the afterbirth has come away. These cows only require treatment with an injectable antibiotic if they are showing signs of being unwell (high temp, off feed/off milk). • Sick cows (high temp, off feed/off milk) or cows with signs of metritis (bloody purulent discharge) should receive an injectable antibiotic (oxytetracycline or excenel course). • Metricures are best utilised in fresh cows between one week and six weeks after calving. These are for endometritis cases (purulent vaginal discharge, cow not unwell). Calf-rearing tip Draughts at ground level can have a highly

negative effect on the health of calves housed in sheds over winter. Utilising energy to stay warm reduces the amount of energy available to achieve desired growth rates and to fight infections when challenged. Where possible, sheds should face north to benefit from the warmth of the sun and should have solid western and southern walls to minimise cold south-westerly winds. To assess how draughty your shed is, you should get down to calf height, as this is the height at which any draughts are going to be impacting the calves. It may also be advisable to place solid barriers at ground level around each side of the pens (such as bales of hay) to further minimise exposure in cold weather. — Rochester Veterinary Practice

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OCTOBER 2015

Ben Govett, away from the show ring and down on the farm.

Show cows also top producers Dingee’s Tandara Brown Swiss Stud has been successful in the show ring, but its International Dairy Week grand champion cows are also among the top producers on the farm. Ben Govett, who enjoyed his proudest moment when he became the first person to win two grand championship breed titles on one day at this year’s International Dairy Week, is happy to tell you that his passion is showing cattle. But back home on the farm at Dingee, the show cows are not only great types with superior genetics, but they are also among the top producers in the herd. Mr Govett, in partnership with his parents Judy and Bill, milks 270 Brown Swiss and Holstein cows on 600 ha at Dingee. Their Tandara Brown Swiss stud is one of a handful in Victoria. “We find the Brown Swiss and the Holsteins complement each other very well; they’re both big cows with similar feeding and management requirements,” Mr Govett said. “The Brown Swiss are long-lived, they are hardier than the Holsteins and the Jerseys, 12

OCTOBER 2015

and they have better heat tolerance, which is important in our hot summers. “They also have great temperaments, and have high fat and protein components.” Last year the herd, with Brown Swiss cows making up about 60 per cent, averaged 8800 litres, 300 kg protein and 325 kg fat. Overall the cows do five or six lactations, and the Brown Swiss usually do more. The herd is milked off an irrigated 80 ha, which has all been laser graded and sown down to perennial rye-grass, clovers or annuals. The balance of the property is used to run the young stock and dry cows, and for growing mostly oats and vetch for hay. Average yearly water use is about 700 Ml. “Doing more with less” might well be the underlying philosophy of this family farm. Like most dairy farmers, Mr Govett aims to

increase production — but at a sustainable cost, particularly given the increasing variability of the seasons. He sees increasing production per cow and reducing the number of cows as the key. “Rearing replacements well is a huge cost, so to me every calf you don’t need to rear is money in the pocket,” Mr Govett said. “By improving type and longevity, and focusing on nutrition and health, we can reduce our need for replacements. “We focus on growing better quality pastures, increasing fertility through nutrition, and disease management. “Major improvements three years ago to the irrigation system, including replacing the leaking channel with pipes and risers, as well as full automation, have also enabled the Govetts to do more with less. “The savings have exceeded our expectations,” Mr Govett said.

The Govetts mainly use AI but have some mop-up bulls.

Rearing replacements can be expensive.

“We are using the same amount of water but irrigating more hectares with it. “We are re-lasering all the paddocks ourselves, and this season we have also installed moisture probes which we hope will result in more savings.” A feed pad constructed during the drought and now used every day has also proved a useful management tool. Two kilograms of corn and cereal hay are fed in the troughs every morning for each cow, in addition to the seven kg per cow ration fed in the bail. “This reduces acidosis and improves feed absorption as it spreads the grain intake over three feeds rather than two,” Mr Govett said. cow made more than $5000, and individuals have sold for more than $7000 at Dairy “It also means we’re not driving the tractor Week sales. over our paddocks so we are saving our Meanwhile, Mr Govett is already planning pastures from damage and not compacting his once-a-year show ring assault at Dairy our soils, which get very boggy in winter.” Week 2016, as well as judging, working and The sale of 20 to 30 Brown Swiss and Holstein being a spectator at other shows when time heifers and cows a year adds another income allows. stream to farm operations, with buyers from “The 10 days of Dairy Week are only a bit of across Australia, Japan, Kuwait and China the effort,” he said. taking home Tandara genetics. At a reduction sale last year, a young milking “You are planning 12 months in advance,

constantly monitoring the animals as they’re growing and calving, to see if they’re good enough. “Production is the main thing, and whether they are sale, show or herd heifers, they’re all fed and treated the same. “Showing is an outlet for showing off what we do. “It’s a big cost but we have to market our genetics. And I do have an over-competitive nature.” OCTOBER 2015

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Victoria is also involved in a joint international research project between Agriculture and Agri-food Canada and Ellinbank scientists to develop productive and profitable feeding strategies that reliably reduce methane emissions in the dairy and beef industries in both countries. This new research is funded by the Victorian Government, Dairy Australia and the Climate Change and Emissions Management Corporation of Alberta, Canada. Ms Pulford said the state-of-the-art technology would help scientists to develop technologies and options for Victoria’s dairy farmers to maintain productivity in a changing and variable climate. National Dairy Centre principal scientist Joe Jacobs said the calorimeters had been™ AfiAct developed with animal welfare as the II™ AfiAct IIsolut ion The next-generat ion foremost consideration and were actively for the most accurateion heat detect The next-generat solut ion ion monitored 24 hours a day. ™ Accessible from the Web on any type of device - smartphone, tablet, laptop

would be more tolerant of warmer conditons.” Dr Wales said hotter conditions can have a negative impact on milk production. Knowing more about how animals respond can also result in better outcomes for animal welfare. Tests are being carried out with Holstein cows, but the implications extend beyond one breed. Dr Wales said they were hoping to make progress with the research within six months. The revolutionary technology will allow every aspect of a dairy cow’s metabolism to be monitored 24 hours a day, under fully controlled conditions. The units feature extra-wide windows to enable each dairy cow clear visibility of her neighbour and closed circuit monitors, as well as a range of safety mechanisms such as automatic opening in the event of a power failure.

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New climate-controlled calorimeters, or ‘mootel rooms for cows’ at the National Dairy Centre at Ellinbank are being used for research to measure heat tolerance and methane mitigation in dairy cows. Victorian Agriculture Minister Jaala Pulford opened the six new calorimeters. The new ‘mootel rooms for cows’ will allow scientists to study dairy cattle physiology and performance under a range of climatic conditions and nutritional regimes. “There is a genetic variation in the cow population and we are looking at how subtle changes affect their temperatures,” Ellinbank research manager Bill Wales said. “It’s a controlled environment and the range of temperatures will be much less severe than anything cows experience in the hotter days of January or February,” Dr Wales said. “We have developed genetic tests (through hair samples) so we can tell which cows theoretically

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The Fitzpatricks have been recognised in milk quality awards.

Concentrating on the basics Achieving sustainable production with less stress.

for being in the lowest five per cent of farms Milking is generally quiet and uneventful Australia-wide for their average annual bulk for Girgarre farmers Bernadette and milk cell counts (BMCC). Their BMCCs Greg Fitzpatrick and their cows, and the usually come in under 120 000, and have Fitzpatricks believe this relaxed approach consistently been in the acceptable range for contributes to the herd’s consistent low bulk the past 20 years. milk cell counts. The Fitzpatricks were among 50 northern “We milk in good time but we keep the Victoria dairy farms to receive the silver environment calm and stress-free. We don’t plaque awards. use backing gates, and the cows are not hurried up to the shed but allowed to walk at “If you’re going to milk cows you may as well do it right. It’s good to get the recognition their own pace, which minimises stress and and as an industry we need to be proud that knocking of udders,” Mr Fitzpatrick said. we are supplying a quality product,” they The couple has recently been recognised in the Dairy Australia Countdown 2020 awards said.

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The couple milks 170 medium-frame Jersey and red-cross cows on 60 ha of their 97 ha farm, achieving a herd average of 5000 litres and 450 kg of solids per cow per year. They have 286 Ml of permanent water, feed 4–6 kg of crushed barley per cow in the bail, and buy in most of their fodder, although they do cut hay or silage in a good season. “Achieving these low cell counts has been a gradual thing. To keep them consistently low we concentrate on doing the basics right to maintain good udder health: seasonal calving, drying-off treatment, regular machine maintenance and limiting wet, boggy spots

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Bernadette and Greg Fitzpatrick on their Girgarre farm

in the paddocks,” Mr Fitzpatrick said. But the Fitzpatrick herd did not always claim such a clean bill of health; high cell counts were a problem in the early days of hard work when the couple were share farming, and then building up their own farm and herd. Mr Fitzpatrick said changing over from vacuum to electronic pulsators about five years ago helped “no end”. He said it was important to make sure the teat spray was working properly, and to maintain the machines and change the rubbers regularly. Calving once a year over a concentrated period from early August, and drying off and treating the entire herd together ensures all cows get a good six-week break, and the absence of cows from the shed for an out of cows with udders that break down are extended period helps to break the mastitis not retained.” cycle. Heifers also get some special attention to Any mastitis cases during the milking season help maintain a quiet environment in the usually respond well to a course of treatment. milking shed. This system also ensures peak production “When we break them in we start by just coincides with peak pasture growth. walking them through the shed. Then The Fitzpatricks also ensure calving two weeks before they calve we run them paddocks are as clean and as dry as possible, through and feed them. That settles them and tracks, laneways and gateways are well and usually we only have to push the odd maintained. one,” Mr Fitzpatrick said. “We also only rear our early calves for “If it’s a dry autumn we also dry off the replacements and this means they are well heifers early and give them a break. We grown and able to cope better with milking,” might also choose to wind down the cows and milk once a day.” Mr Fitzpatrick said. “And of course calves

Attention to udder and herd health has had a positive effect on the bottom line. There is the monthly factory incentive and a bonus at the end of the year. The vet is rarely called and it’s been quite a few years since a cow was culled for chronic mastitis. All this puts the Fitzpatricks in a position where they feel comfortable after years of hard work. “You’ve got to find a sustainable spot with a long-term balance. It’s taken us a long time to get where we are, achieving reasonable production, paying the bills and coping on our own. We’re farming happy and we are not burning ourselves out.” OCTOBER 2015

Brave new world of dairying Will technology remove some of the hard yakka? GippsDairy director Edwin Vandenberg is a keen advocate for technology to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of dairy farm businesses. Here he takes a peek into the future and wonders what technology could bring to the farm in years to come. It’s bucketing down at 2 am and the cows are calving. Your drone has just left its base and is heading out on a pre-planned GPS route of the calving paddock. The drone has located a cow currently calving and through pre-programmed parameters has determined the cow has been calving for 37 minutes and everything is going okay. Previous cows calved that night are already logged on your smartphone application and will be drafted out automatically when noncalved cows are fed their lead feed diet in the morning. Your drone returns to its base. Ten minutes later the drone goes out again to check the cow previously seen calving. 18

OCTOBER 2015

Heat signature, cow and calf pulse, breathing rate and other measured parameters help determine the cow has successfully calved, and both cow and calf show signs of being in good condition. The drone has been able to measure for any abnormalities, determined none and returned to its base, ready for its next check, on the hour every hour. Your smartphone application and dairy computer has been updated live, and the drone is recharging on its base. No foxes or other feral animals were detected in or around the calving paddock. In the morning, in pouring rain, the drone sent the cows on their way to the dairy, measured the post grazing pasture height and calculated the amount of pasture consumed. This information is used for the feeding in the bail and adjusting the ration on the feed-pad. The drone also checked water troughs for leaks and checked the calving paddock on its predetermined GPS path and then stopped at its base for recharging.

As cows enter the dairy they are weighed, the computer calculating any recent rapid variation in weight and or temperature and if the cow is on heat. The scales are also used to determine if any uneven weight distribution is occurring, favouring potential sore feet. This information is used for drafting for artificial insemination, in-bail feeding alterations compared to production, and assessment for potential health issues. With all staff logged on as per their schedules, the staff management app on your smart phone has remained silent indicating no anomalies with start times. As staff eat their hot breakfast of eggs from the farm’s staff chook pen, the pasture manager goes over some ideas for the farm on the large touch screen display on the wall in the staff meeting room. It reminds you of the technology used in American cop shows you used to watch in 2015 — like using an oversized tablet from that decade.

Your pasture manager wants to show you some potential changes to farm layout before you go through the weekly planning meeting. The potential changes reveal that cow distance walked could be reduced by seven per cent annually — your head is trying to calculate the reduction in energy requirements compared to the cost of implementing the changes but you agree this is one for the old-fashioned spreadsheet. The planning meeting consists of viewing on screen and expanding each area grazed,to see what estimated pasture consumption has been, nitrogen application and income returned, most recent and expected fertiliser applications, effluent applications, soil tests past, and future suggested areas and chemical sprays. The chemical contractor walks in to have breakfast and as he eats, the pasture manager enthusiastically shows recent drone photos of areas with specific weed problems, overlaid with specific thermal imagery of the type and density of weeds. This is all information which had previously been relayed to the contractor and his computer-controlled spray unit. The contractor confirmed that as he was spraying the data would be uploaded live. He also explained that with his new unit he would have four sprays on board.

The scanners in front of the unit would scan the ground for the weed type and density, and the sensors and on-board computer would be used to determine the type and rate of spray. It would apply the spray like the old print heads used in printers of 2015. Instead of colour cartridges the spray unit was hooked up with herbicide spray cartridges which would travel across the boom depending on the type and density of weed. As the spraying contractor wiped his mouth and grabbed some more hash browns from the staff kitchen oven before leaving, the weekly planning meeting changes topic to nitrogen fertiliser. Utilising software tools, you and the staff work out a plan for the expected most profitable use of nitrogen for the coming week. With the recent advances in soil-testing techniques, the fertiliser truck is able to take samples while spreading with results uploaded in days. This is saved on the farm’s computer network and is ready for the fertiliser contractor to log in. Fertiliser application is also governed by thermal imagery taken by the drone which reveals which areas are growing and responding best to nutrients. Finally the pasture manager switches the

screen over to the proposed renovation program and notes which paddocks would benefit financially from renovating, using different milk price scenarios on the partial budget calculator built-in for each paddock. The screen is then handed to the herd manager who goes over the herd KPIs and compares to targets. She demonstrates margin over feed compared across the full herd, and selected cows are chosen for forced retirement. The week’s planned tasks are discussed and allocated, and the workplace safety issues are confirmed and logged. With the roster discussed and confirmed for the following week the staff finish, clean the kitchen and leave for their daily tasks. As you head back to the house to see the children before they go to school you watch the drone hovering over a calving cow to check for problems. You watch as the calf glides out of the cow and into the world of morning sunlight — the magic of life on a dairy farm. In dairy farming some things will never change. With that thought, your phone and all the other staff smart phones beep to signal a cow has just calved . . .

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Finding the right balance Nutrients can increase production potential.

The main (macro) soil components to support good pasture productivity are soil pH, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and sulphur (S); often seen as N:P:K:S. on fertiliser bags. Usually one of these is the most limiting factor in achieving good production, with lime and fertiliser programs aiming to address the limitation(s). Similarly, if micro or trace soil nutrients such as copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and boron (B) are not at adequate levels or properly ‘balanced’ with other soil minerals, productivity may be less than optimal. At the recent 2015 Border Beef Conference, Trevor Caithness presented information on crop production where he had added trace elements to normal

fertiliser and a range of chicken litter and chicken compost applications. In Mr Caithness’ trial, he was able to show, depending on treatments, 10–50 per cent improvements in yield when trace minerals were included in the fertiliser mix. Mr Caithness’ presentation provided two main messages: • On-farm paddock trials (or strip test) to assess response to fertilisers are an option so long as a measure of pasture productivity can be carried out. • Elements that are difficult to build up in soil reserves include N, S and B. Check with an agronomist or farm adviser about the likelihood of mineral deficiencies occurring in your area and

whether a paddock strip test would be worthwhile trying. Consider working with other producers in your area to try the mixes on a few different properties. Mr Caithness, with his wife Caryn, run a mixed livestock and cropping enterprise near Bairnsdale. He was a Nuffield Scholar in 2001 and carried out a study which explored nutrients for pasture and cropping. Mr Caithness’ Nuffield report is available at www.nuffield.com.au/ report/2000–05/trevorcaithnes-2001report.pdf — Greg Ferrier, DEDJTR livestock extension officer

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Save time and labour Upgrade your dairy with the experts at Mark Angel Engineering with over 36 years of experience Pneumatic Entry and Exit Gates for Herringbone Dairies These newly designed gates have been refined for two years. The heavy duty, one-piece gate is made to last with a 50 mm pneumatic ram and 20 mm shaft. With the increase in herd sizes these gates can be mounted higher in the bale for clearance of large cows and milking operators. Entry and exit gates can be operated through a solenoid control box with a red cord for exit and a blue cord for entry right through the full length of the pit. Other options are a hand lever for gate controls. If you have existing entry and exit pendulum gates they can be upgraded with our air-ram kits. This includes a heavy duty 50 mm pneumatic ram with a 20 mm shaft. Either a solenoid control box with a cord or hand lever operation an air compressor is required. These kits can be supplied and installed.

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Empathy needed in calf-rearing Kerrilyn Bassett says careful and regular observation is important in growing healthy calves that achieve their target weights.

Four years ago Kerrilyn Bassett had never set foot on a dairy farm. But since putting up her hand to be the full-time calf-rearer at Peppertree Dairy at Kyabram, she has not only successfully reared 600 heifer calves, but has also solved a chronic scours problem and initiated several other positive changes. In fact Ms Bassett is having a successful year on and off the farm. A Certificate 4 Agriculture (Dairy Production) student at Goulburn Ovens Institute of TAFE, Ms Bassett’s outstanding abilities were recognised last month when she received the Victorian Trainee of the Year award. Ms Bassett’s father Daryl is the manager at Peppertree Dairy, which milks 550 mixed breed cows off 106 ha, all irrigated. Last season the herd produced 3 098 713  litres and 263 402.25 kg milk solids. Father and daughter frequently discuss management decisions. Ms Bassett said careful and regular observation was the single most important factor in growing healthy calves that achieved their target weights. “It’s important to pick up any problems and deal with them quickly,” she said. “I check the calves several times every day and with one person in charge you know what’s going on. “You can tell how they are going by the look of their hair, their skin, how active they are. “If there are signs of feed around their mouths and a shine on their coat, I know they are getting their grain intake,” she said. 22

OCTOBER 2015

“Some say you can get too attached, but you have to have empathy for your stock and a feel for what’s going on. “They’re still babies, they can’t look after themselves and they need to be mothered.” Three years ago the farm had a serious problem with scours and unexplained deaths. So Ms Bassett started administering daily medication (Halocur), and this year is adding a probiotic powder to the morning milk feed. The result is not a single case of scours so far this year. “Unheard of,” Ms Bassett said. She has also reduced the number of calves in each pen from 24 to 10, to make it easier to keep an eye on them and make the environment as stress-free as possible. “To keep them growing well, I like to keep them relaxed and quiet. It’s important to avoid barking dogs, loud noises and lots of movement nearby,” Ms Bassett said. The calves receive 2.5 litres of milk twice a day and have Prime Calf grain mix available from day one. Calves must be consuming at least a kilogram of grain a day before they are weaned. After input from the vet, who told her latest studies showed that grain intake, not fibre, was best for rumen development, Ms Bassett made the decision to stop offering straw or oaten hay to calves under the age of six weeks. Testing colostrum is another recent innovation. “All calves get two litres of colostrum when

they come in. But it can vary in quality and antibody levels, so now we test we know the calves only get the good stuff,” Ms Bassett said. “We strongly believe that has had a lot to do with the reduction in scour cases and general health in the long run.” After weaning, the calves go into three small paddocks in three groups of 50, and are fed grain and hay ad lib until they are four months old, when they are sent out on agistment. The young heifers are weighed every eight weeks to ensure growth is on track for joining at 15 months. Ms Bassett said one of the most rewarding aspects of her studies was sharing knowledge and helping to influence farm management decisions, and her knowledge of the latest computer programs was just one example. “We can now figure out exactly what we are feeding the cows by entering our feed test results and comparing them against the cows’ requirements for their average weight, milk production and body condition score,” she said. “We learned that we are on track, which was a good confidence booster, so we will keep doing it.” While Ms Bassett is currently expanding her agricultural studies into cropping and grazing, it is no surprise to hear that she is considering a career as a contract calf rearer. “Many farmers don’t want to rear their own calves. When I eventually own my own property, it could be in demand,” she said.

Getting a good start Research has looked at how calf feeding practices in the first week of life may contribute to welfare.

The way we care for calves on dairy farms can have major and long lasting effects, not just at the farm level, but throughout the industry, where issues such as animal welfare, animal diseases and food safety can have significant consequences. Research at the Animal Welfare Science Centre, supported by DEDJTR, has looked at how feeding practices of calves in the first week of life may contribute to calf welfare. Dairy calves are usually fed once or twice per day and given an amount of milk that equates to 10 per cent of their body weight. For a 40 kg calf in the first week of life, this would mean four litres of milk per day. There are lots of reasons for this: it is believed that limiting milk intake encourages the intake of grain or concentrates, promoting rumen development and facilitating early weaning. Milk feeding is labour-intensive and expensive, and larger feeds are thought to cause scouring. But these recommendations are increasingly being questioned. Calves left with their dam may suckle up to 10 times a day and will consume about 7–12 litres a day. Research shows that higher milk intake from an early age encourages growth and milk production later in life when they are weaned by a smooth gradual transition to solid feed starting after three weeks of age. So are we limiting the growth potential of very young calves when we could be giving them a better start to life? The Animal Welfare Science Centre looked

at the effects of feeding frequency and volume in the first eight days of life. They took 46 Holstein calves, averaging 44 kg, and fed milk replacer at either 10 per cent of body weight once per day, 10 per cent of body weight twice per day or 20 per cent of body weight twice per day. They weighed the calves daily and recorded milk intakes. The researchers found that most three-dayold calves could not drink more than two litres in one meal, so their intake was better if they were given two meals rather than one meal. From day four onwards, the calves fed 10 per cent of body weight, drank all or most of the

milk provided regardless of meal frequency and calves fed 20 per cent of body weight had much higher intakes, although they weren’t all finishing all of the milk offered. Calves fed the high milk volume were on average 3.5 kg heavier at eight days old compared to calves fed at 10 per cent bodyweight. This suggests that the common recommendation of feeding calves 10 per cent of body weight is actually restricting their intake, potentially leading to hungry calves and restricted growth. Feeding calves more milk did not result in more scouring in this study and many other researchers have found similar results. >> Continued on page 24 OCTOBER 2015

>> Continued from page 23 Good colostrum management and good hygiene are the most important factor in controlling scours. All calves spent time drinking water which reinforces the message that access to clean drinking water is essential for all calves. These results suggest that, for calves up to four days old, giving two feeds per day will lead to better milk intakes. While calves in the first week of life may not be able to consume milk volumes equivalent to 20 per cent of their body weight, feeding more than 10 per cent will result in better weight gains without causing scours. For more information on this research, contact Dr Ellen Jongman by emailing ejongman@unimelb.edu.au or phone 9742 0468. — DEDJTR development specialist in animal performance Sarah Chaplin and Animal Welfare Science Centre research fellow Ellen Jongman

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• 300 acre property situated on Parnell Road just south of Cobram, one title and well set up for high production. • Good 20-bale double-up dairy with cup removers, in bail feeding, 20,000 litre vat. • Four-bedroom weatherboard family home in average condition that is currently being painted and is situated handy to the dairy. • Currently sown to Italians, Shaftal and Rye with some annuals this farm has a history of high pasture production and has produced over 16 tonne of fodder per Ha that has under pined production. • 100% lasered with very good irrigation set up. • This farm has milked 350 cows and produced in excess of 3.4 million litres of milk. This farm will be sold so be sure to have seen the opportunity. • Tenders close 4 pm, 30th October, 2015.

• 167 acre dairy farm in one title, situated between Cobram and Katamatite and separated into eight main paddocks with good laneways.

• Well laid out 210 acres situated on Reynoldsons Road, Strathmerton. • Very good 34-bale rotary dairy with inbale feeding, auto cup removers, auto wash, near new 15,000 litre vat, ample grain storage and 220-cow flood-wash yard. • Large hay shed along with another large shed complex which is half machinery shed and the other half a calving barn which leads to a specialist livestock area. • Four-bedroom family home and a three-bedroom cottage. • 386 meg deep lead bore licence powered by diesel motor delivering up to 5 meg per day. GMW delivery share in place and on the backbone channel. • With exceptional soils and facilities this is a real milk producer that would be perfect for your herd. What’s your offer?

• Tidy 12 swingover dairy that is currently unused and has previously milked up to 150 cows. • GMW delivery share in place with one outlet, two recycle dams and stock & domestic bore delivering water to the home, dairy and farm. • Top quality Cobram and Moira loam soils. • Three-bedroom brick-veneer family home, set at the front of the farm with open-plan living. • One large hay shed, two machinery sheds that have been used for calf rearing. • This farm will be sold so be sure to have seen the opportunity Tenders close 4pm, 30th October, 2015

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See www.internationaldairyweek.com.au for booking forms; call Robyn on 0418 656 082 or email info@internationaldairyweek.com.au. OCTOBER 2015

While nothing compares with high quality pasture, this year there will be no cheap feed sources for cows, including grass.

Weathering the high water price storm Dairy expert warns there will be no cheap source of feed this season thanks to water costs. Northern Victorian dairy farmers have quality lucerne or vetch. Buying silage is highlighted how farmers forced to sell water been working hard to figure out their transporting water.” during the drought now relied heavily on best approach to providing a cow with a buying temporary water. Taking the Murray Goulburn opening price profitable diet, consultant John Mulvany of $5.60 and not factoring in step-ups, Mr “Usually these farmers use high-tech says. Mulvany said the impact of the water prices methods and can output large quantities of He said farmers who “read the game suggested anyone having to purchase water food given the use of irrigation water,” Mr incredibly well” and purchased water before to grow feed would not break even on their Morgan wrote. the price hike, and had good reserves of input costs He said dairy farmers had always had stored feed, were well placed to weather the “Cost of production will be dramatically problems for all of his 50 years in the storm of high water prices. higher than the last two years, therefore less industry, mostly milk prices and overseas “With temporary water at $200/Ml it really profit,” he said. market fluctuations. puts pasture at $300/tonne down the cow’s The dairy expert stressed it was not all What was different now was “an extra throat,” Mr Mulvany said. doom and gloom. massive input cost increase”. “If people have had to pay that price that “The current chopper prices are almost “Water is held by environmental water means there will be no cheap source of feed holders and ‘water barons’ and there is this year — there’s no dilution effect. Pasture double. At $600 to $700 above normal that’s equal to the profit from a dairy cow a new industry of water traders who are has to be as carefully evaluated as a (feed) for a year — so any marginal ones, sell them. manipulating prices,” Mr Morgan said. supplement as any other supplement.” “That’s a really strong message at the Putting price to one side, Mr Mulvany said He contended that if more water was the absence of good pasture in the cow’s diet moment.” released to market to lower temporary was no doubt an issue. water demand and thus cost, all farmers In his submission to the Select Committee with access to water could “double food on the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, “Nothing compares with grass in terms of feed — the closest you’ll get is really high production fairly quickly”. Invergordon dairy farmer Des Morgan 26

OCTOBER 2015

Taking it one day at a time

Russ McMillan

Murrabit farmer John Archard is becoming less and less worried about the season as it progresses. “I feel that the season is changing and we will get water right or close to it. The regular showers we have had coming through have kept the pastures going and have put us in front this season,” Mr Archard said. By this time last year water usage was up around 1000 Ml and irrigating had started on August 1. “To get this far into the season and not have to irrigate has been great. We will buy some extra water if we have to but we don’t need a huge amount,” Mr Archard said. “Selling permanent water may have seemed like a good idea at the time for some, but it has come back to bite many as temporary water prices remain high.” Nanneella farmer Russ McMillian is trying to keep his system as flexible as possible this season. “I am just going to regularly keep assessing things. I have enough water to last me to December but my priority will be to keep 10 ha of lucerne going,” Mr McMillian said. Mr McMillian does have quite a bit of permanent pasture on his property and he said if water prices remained high, he would look at drying that off during the hot summer months and then watering it back up in March. For the past few years Mr McMillian has purchased all of his hay requirement early (off the back of the baler) and he will do that again this year. “I will be keeping a close eye on the water market and milk prices and if I think there is an opportunity to purchase water, I will.” Mr McMillian believes $200 is the maximum amount he would pay for temporary water. “The food industry is being held to ransom by investors. I hope they release some of the environmental water they have locked away; that will really help our industry and make a big difference.”

John Archard OCTOBER 2015

OCTOBER 2015

Vet warning on animal welfare Livestock producers put on notice to maintain animal welfare standards or face the consequences.

Victoria’s chief veterinary officer has urged livestock producers to ensure they maintain animal welfare standards in drying seasonal conditions or risk large fines and bans on owning livestock. Charles Milne advised producers to plan for a potentially dry season and said those who did not manage their livestock in accordance with seasonal conditions would be held accountable. “Safeguarding animal welfare is a responsibility that I take very seriously and is in line with the stated policy of this government,” Dr Milne said. As the Victorian Government’s lead officer responsible for animal health and welfare, Dr Milne works with a

team of regionally based veterinary and of alleged livestock cruelty, members animal health officers to respond to of the public should make reports to reports of animal welfare issues relating DEDJTR’s customer service centre on to livestock. 136 186 or email aw.complaint@ecodev. “These officers work to ensure the vic.gov.au requirements of animal welfare The RSPCA can also take reports legislation are observed and, where of alleged cruelty regarding nonlivestock producers fail to observe or commercial livestock or any other comply with these requirements, that animal on 92242222 or online appropriate action is taken to ensure at http://rspcavic.org/services/ that the welfare needs of the animals inspectorate/reportcruelty/ are met,” Dr Milne said. “We use all the powers at our disposal Both DEDJTR and RSPCA have authorised officers with powers to enter to prevent animal suffering, including properties to investigate and attend to the seizure of animals and, while this animals that may be suffering. action is a last resort, these powers have been exercised on a number of Dr Milne said that for prompt, occasions,” Dr Milne said. efficient reporting and investigation

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The Katandra herd has achieved a mention in the Dairy Australia quality awards.

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Teat sealing has been an effective method to help keep counts down.

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Luke Minogue. Dairy hygiene is a priority on the Katandra farm.

Poorer cell counts are a thing of the past, thanks to attention to detail. off NLIS tags, introduced about 15 months ago, allows them to milk the herd of more than 250 with one person.

“

They all add up, so you have to work to prevent and minimise the risk of cows getting a bug that can lead to mastitis.

“

It’s the little things that count when trying to The external advice helped them discover a small but important factor which keep cell counts down. contributed to their recovery from poorer Luke Minogue and his father Kevin plan to cell counts. milk 280 cows this season on about 200 ha Hosing down the swing-over herringbone in the Katandra district. platform during milking seemed to be This year they were named among the top the right thing to do, but was kicking up group of northern Victorian dairy farmers bacteria-carrying material. for milk quality in a Dairy Australia survey. Dairy hygiene is given a high priority and But it hasn’t always been that way. their experienced relief milker is trained to Luke, who recently joined the business full ensure the practices are followed through. time after finishing his farm business studies, Cows with a bad record are watched more recalls a time when the farm experienced closely and become candidates for culling. persistent mastitis problems. “It’s a range of little, management things,” His father sought advice from dairy Luke said. consultants, who suggested a range of “They all add up, so you have to work to measures to lift the herd’s performance. prevent and minimise the risk of cows Now their milking focus includes generous getting a bug that can lead to mastitis.” teat spray, cleaning and drying teats and Having seen cell count variations, Luke keeping tails clean. Special attention is paid knows the extra time and expense caused by to dry cow treatment, and cows coming up endemic mastitis and the trouble involved in to calving are placed in a clean paddock. having too many cows on the bucket instead Teat sealing has been one effective strategy of going into the vat. which prevents pathogenic bacteria from gaining access to the udder through the teat “It just slows down the whole milking.” canal. This year they expect to milk about 280 predominantly Holstein cows. They watch for springing cows running milk and if necessary, intervene by milking them Luke said his father used AI most of the time and inducing. with an emphasis on calving ease, type and fertility, and they have also moved to sexed Milking machine vacuum levels are checked semen for the first time this season. regularly and inflations replaced every 2000 Automatic cup removers and auto drafting milkings.

Luke Minogue

Their 100 ha farm includes 61 ha of permanent pasture and 35 ha of annuals. They also have access to about 90 ha for growing fodder and raising young stock. Plus they have just put in 11 ha of lucerne to supply feed over summer when the quality of pasture drops away. The Minogues own about 40 per cent of the water they use and so they strategically buy on the temporary market, but carry over a fair proportion. At the end of last year they identified that the chance of water becoming expensive was high so they secured enough for this year. OCTOBER 2015

Dartmouth Dam in September. Photo: G-MW

Eildon reservoir in September. Photo: G-MW.

Dr Mark Bailey

‘Dry’ becomes new norm

— as ‘extremely dry’ enters lexicon Inflows into northern Victorian catchments have shown some improvement in August but a significant turnaround is needed to improve conditions. That was the message for irrigators at a recent series of seminars for dairy farmers organised by Murray Dairy. Lower storage levels than last year contributed towards the lower allocations. Average inflows into the Murray and Goulburn systems had been around 50 per cent of average and, combined with high use last season, had seen storages drop away quite markedly, northern resource manager Mark Bailey said in August. “Catchments are still quite dry,” he said. Inflows into Lake Eildon during winter were close to one third of the average, and at the start of spring the storage was at its lowest level since the most recent drought. The main Goulburn storage began its rapid recovery from the drought in 2010 and came close to being at capacity by 2012. This year Dr Bailey has added a new category to the outlook matrix: ‘extremely dry’.

“Dry is beating 90 years out of 100, and extremely dry, one that G-MW has added this year, is when inflows are beaten 99 years out of 100, according to the statistics that we have over about 130 years. “Extreme dry approximates the minimum inflows we have seen historically. “In terms of the first month of the 2015–16 season, inflows still running, beaten about 85 years out of 100, were still quite dry.” Dr Bailey said when the Goulburn system reached 50 per cent, system operating needs for the 2016–17 season had already been set aside. “At the start of 2016–17, in a year’s time, we will be able to operate the channel system. “The bad news is that with an outlook like this, we might not be putting much water aside for allocations to be made available next year. “Getting to 100 per cent between December and February means we have gone past peak inflow period and will only see small amounts set aside for the year after,” Dr Bailey said.

For the Murray system, the key message is that at 87 per cent we won’t be putting much resource away for next year. “Quite possibly we will be starting on low allocations at the start of 2016–17 season,” he said. “That might make some people think carefully about carry-over for next year.” Dr Bailey said the low allocations in NSW Murray were taking a lot of water out of the allocation trading pool, resulting in a smaller pool and the possibility of higher prices. “That’s reflected in $200/Ml on the Murray system and about the same in the Goulburn system.” He said the weather cues were forecasting a drier season. “We are going to see dry conditions prevail for the next three months, and that’s pretty much the peak inflow period of northern Victoria,” Dr Bailey said. “The next three months are critical for storage inflows.”

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MG pledges price floor The Murray Goublurn Co-operative announces its annual results and talks milk pricing. Murray Goulburn has re-affirmed its commitment to a milk price of $6.05/kg for the current season, while releasing news of its annual profit result. Managing director Gary Helou said MG continued to believe in the solid long-term growth prospects and fundamentals of the dairy industry, and was sticking by the $6 forecast, provided dairy commodity prices strengthened during the rest of the 2016 financial year. “MG is confident that a global supply response is starting to emerge as a result of the low dairy commodity price environment,” Mr Helou said. Although global dairy prices have slipped in recent months, the exchange rate is benefiting exporters. Dairy Australia managing director Ian Halliday, on a trip to northern Victoria recently, said although there had been some speculation of a step-down following a slump in international commodity markets, Australia enjoyed a strong domestic demand for dairy products, with a large percentage of

product being sold within the country. There was a one to two per cent growth in consumption in Australia, while many countries were struggling to match consumption with population growth. “Another key point is that most Australian processors have moved up the value chain to produce higher value products in infant formulas, cheese and milk,” Mr Halliday said. While the industry would continue to experience volatility in price, he saw good prospects in the medium to longer term. A remark by New Zealand-based Fonterra chief Theo Spierings that farm gate milk prices in Australia were too high has angered some dairy farmers. Mr Spierings was quoted in the Australian Financial Review as saying the Australian prices did not reflect a collapse of global prices for key dairy commodities. “We need to have an honest debate about what is being earned in the market,” Mr Spierings said. New Zealand farmers, heavily dependent

on international prices, have suffered price cuts at the farm gate level, but industry commentators have pointed to Australia’s mix of domestic and commodity earnings. Murray Goulburn has recorded an after tax net profit of $21 million, despite recording lower sales revenue for the past financial year. The company is the largest processor of Goulburn Valley milk and traditionally plays a leading role in setting milk prices. Mr Helou said 2014–15 had been a dynamic year with the new capital restructure introduced, offering Murray Goulburn $500 million in new capital and some difficult external factors including an early high-valued dollar. He pointed to the growth in the company’s ready-to-consume dairy foods, which had buffered the business against factors beyond its control. This sector had contributed $1.13 billion in revenue. Milk intake has increased by five per cent to 3.58 billion litres.

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The Murray herd that is driving genetic change in Australia » page 28 Budget plannin g a priority » page 8 Fluid therapy in calves » page 10 Why robots are not for everyon e

» page 51

Jason steps out » page 22

» page 18

From ship to shore ment » page 8 Better bull manage 35 the future » page University maps

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Association with China strengthened The strong association between the Australian and Chinese dairy industries was further consolidated recently at a special reception at the Australian Ambassador to China’s residence and the annual China Dairy Industry Association (CDIA) conference in Beijing. China is Australia’s fastest growing dairy export market, and is now the largest export market for Australia. In the past eight years (2007–14), exports increased by more than 300 per cent from 28 000 tonnes to 117 000 tonnes. Value added and premium products such as cheese, milk (mostly UHT) and powders make up the bulk of shipments. The special reception was organised at the residence of the Australian Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, Frances Adamson, to celebrate Dairy Australia’s Greater China Scholarship Program, which has been running since 1999. Dairy Australia chairman Geoff Akers said the program, involving 240 participants, had been a key to developing and maintaining long-term relationships with numerous companies and government officials. “The program has been an outstanding success in terms of the long-term

relationships we’ve established and we’re very proud of that,” Mr Akers said. “Many participants are now in senior positions in companies in China and have a very strong affinity with Australia having completed the program. “We are also very happy to see a number of new commercial business relationships emerging from the program over the years.” The annual, two-week program is designed to give senior and middle level managers from major Chinese dairy manufacturers a better understanding of the Australian dairy industry — from the farm to the factory. It covers everything from Australian dairy food safety systems and liquid milk processing to cheese making, functionality and applications. Participants visit various dairy factories and dairy farms and meet with key company export contacts. Speaking at the CDIA conference, Mr Akers said China was an important, growing and long term market for the Australian dairy industry. “The Australian dairy industry has enjoyed a long and mutually beneficial relationship with the Chinese dairy industry through a range of programs conducted in the market,

including the scholarship and alumni program, by working closely together with China Dairy Industry Association, and the CDIA annual conference and dairy expo, and annual series of workshops and seminars in the market,” he said. “We are committed to both the China market and the CDIA for the long-term. “With the signing of the China Australian FTA, we expect the long term relationship between the two industries to be further enhanced, not only in trade but also in investment.” Mr Akers said the strong demand for Australian products in China was continuing to grow as the Asian palate became more accustomed to dairy. “We’ve learned that our Chinese customers like to have their options open for sourcing products and are keen to diversify where they source their products and ingredients to limit their exposure,” he said. “Food safety, quality and consistency is more important and Australia is in a very good position to satisfy this.” Aside from supplying cheese, milk and powders, Australia has also moved to focus more on supplying branded products for food service, bakery and retail sectors in China.

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OCTOBER 2015

Rob Schloss

Valuable groups for farmer input Former education committee member encourages others to get involved. Stanhope dairy farmer Rob Schloss was a member of the Regional Extension and Education Committee from 2006 to 2014. He joined after taking part in a Murray Dairy study tour to University of Sydney’s Camden campus, and was then encouraged by Murray Dairy to apply for a position on the committee. Initially the REEC was formed to provide a forum to help oversee and inform relevant stakeholders on priority programs and research regarding current issues and needs. The group aims to provide strategic advice around priorities relevant to the region. Since that time, Mr Schloss has seen a number of changes take place within the committee, including the addition of the education component that incorporated the

Mr Schloss said he enjoyed his experience on local National Centre for Dairy Education. the REEC, especially how the group focused He said the REEC played a vital role in on the whole of the Murray Dairy region, helping shape dairy education and for the which spans from Swan Hill right through to northern Victorian and southern NSW Corryong. He said there was a lot to be learnt region. from farmers in other areas and what they “The Regional Network Group and REEC were experiencing. structure is a strong and efficient set-up for “When I started on the committee it was a farmers to be able to put forward current issues and contribute to the planning of dairy bit daunting, but now that I have moved off, I look back and realise how much I have services for the coming years,” personally developed from being involved Mr Schloss said. with both the REEC and RNG. “Being a part of the RNG allowed me to “We need farmers to be involved in these contribute information that I had heard from RNG meetings, it’s the way farmers can have other farmers and through my networks. I their say in the services and resources we knew that putting this information forward receive from Murray Dairy, DEDJTR and would ensure that the services and programs rolled out to us farmers would meet our needs.” then NCDE.” OCTOBER 2015

GOTAFE Student Kerrilyn Bassett, Victorian TAFE Association Student of the Year 2015

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A wide range of waste materials are sourced to compost.

Know your compost Using compost on-farm is a subject of increasing interest to farmers everywhere. Interest in compost and composting comes from farmers wanting to improve soils, manage waste and reduce reliance on purchased fertilisers. On-farm composting or purchased compost products can provide a way to transform organic ‘waste’ materials into a product that can be applied to crops and pastures, returning valuable nutrients and organic matter back to the soil. But what is compost and what is in it? What can it do? What do you need to look out for? The ins and outs of compost Compost is organic matter that has been through a controlled process of natural aerobic decomposition. A range of waste materials are sourced to compost, including manure, spoilt hay, animal bedding, council waste collection, wood chips, rice hulls and abattoir waste (eg rumen content and blood and bone). Under aerobic conditions, microbes and other organisms decompose the degradable organic material to produce a smaller volume of stabilised product with a texture that is easier to handle. Although pasteurised mulch can be made in a three to four-week period with the right amount of moisture and aeration, it typically takes more than eight weeks to produce a compost product. As a general rule the older the compost, the more stable, biologically diverse and beneficial it will be. The level of stability however will depend on the quality of the process used to make it. Good quality compost products are dark in colour with a sweet, natural ‘earthy’ or ‘forest floor’ smell. They are available commercially or can be made on-farm. Composts — what they can and can’t do Composts typically contain soil-conditioning organic matter and humus, beneficial microorganisms or biota, organic carbon and some immediate and slow release nutrients. Composts will enhance fertility but they generally have a low nutrient content and should be considered as a slow-release

biofertiliser and soil conditioner rather than a conventional fertiliser. Typically only five to 10 per cent of the total nitrogen content in compost is available for uptake by the plant in the year of application, with a portion of the remainder becoming available in following years. While the nutrient content of compost will vary depending on the components added and your management of the composting process, it is clear that compost cannot replace fertiliser-supplied nitrogen inputs. Composting does enable high carbon-low nitrogen (high C:N) ratio wastes such as spoilt hay or bedding to be recycled back to land without tying up soil nitrogen. However, direct application of low carbonhigh nitrogen (low C:N ratio) wastes such as manure and pond sludge is usually an effective and cheaper option than composting the material first and, if incorporated, will avoid the loss of valuable nitrogen that occurs during the composting process. Making compost on-farm — getting the recipe right You must be prepared to put in the time and effort to manage the process to produce good quality compost on-farm. Specific parameters that must be managed include the carbon to nitrogen (C:N) ratio, moisture level and aeration. Composting will require water to be added to the piles and regular turning. A useful rule of thumb recipe for starting with the correct C:N ratio is one third liquid manure; one third waste hay, silage, or bedding; and one third manure. An important point for those interested in making their own compost — be aware that location of the compost pile or windrow must be chosen to avoid run-off leaving the site. Purchasing compost products — know what you are buying As there is increasing pressure for organic

wastes to not be sent to landfill, a number of commercial composting operations have become established and are looking to sell compost to agricultural enterprises as a fertiliser and/or soil conditioner. Before purchasing a compost product, you will need to assess its value to your enterprise. For example a soil conditioner may be of little benefit if your existing organic matter levels are already high — this is likely to be the case for a permanent dairy pasture. Have you identified your nutrient budget requirements and looked at the total and estimated available nutrient concentrations in the compost? Are you buying the compost on a volume or weight basis and what is its moisture content? It is vital to understand what is in the product because purchased compost can be made from a broad range of domestic, commercial and industrial waste organic materials. Issues such as process quality assurance, compost maturity, level of contaminants, heavy metal concentrations, biosecurity risks, and herbicide residues all need to be considered. Dairy Australia has recently released two fact sheets that will assist you to better understand if composting, or purchasing compost, is right for your situation: • “Making compost on dairy farms”, and • “Understanding purchased compost products” Both fact sheets can be found at http:// www.dairyingfortomorrow.com/index. php?id=85 or search for ‘dairying for tomorrow’ and ‘compost’. The fact sheets and information used in this article were developed with funding from Dairy Australia and the Australian Government. Article edited by Scott Birchall and Helen Murdoch based on factsheets produced by Graeme Ward for Dairy Australia and DEDJTR for the Australian Government. OCTOBER 2015

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OCTOBER 2015

The Akers herd

Suits in

the shed The Japanese tour group in the shed with Tallygaroopna farmer Geoff Akers.

A group of 20 Japanese industry representatives from major manufacturers and trading companies in Japan visited dairy farms in northern Victoria in September. Every year, Dairy Australia invites the representatives to attend a two-week training program to gain more of an understanding about the dairy industry and the dairy supply chain in Australia. The Dairy Australia Scholarship Japan Program, established in 1998 by Dairy Australia, involves two weeks of training at dairy farms.

The representatives attend technical presentations, observe operations and production and learn about opportunities in dairy farming and how it functions in Australia. On September 15, the group visited Tatura Milk and a Tallygaroopna dairy farm. Dairy Australia’s International Market Manager Sarah Xu said the focus of the visit was primarily on cheese production because cheese was one of the major products of Australia’s dairy exports to Japan. ‘‘This is a very important program for Dairy

Australia and for the dairy industry,’’ she said. Ms Xu also said the dairy industry was very supportive of the program because it instilled confidence, particularly regarding quality assurance and food safety, in the Japanese market to continue importing cheese products from Victoria. According to the Victorian Food and Fibre Export Performance 2013-14 report, Japan was the second largest dairy market for Victorian dairy exports with a value of $359 million, just $10 million less than the value of dairy exports to China. Pictures: Dairy Australia OCTOBER 2015

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Bubbles and burps Greenhouse gas emissions are on the agenda for Australian dairy farmers. Agriculture accounts for about 15 per cent of Australia’s greenhouse gas emission, with about 10 per cent coming from the dairy industry, Dairy Australia consultant Scott Birchall told a Shepparton seminar recently. Most dairy farm greenhouse gas emissions are from methane, produced in the digestion process of cows, and nitrous oxide, from dung, urine and nitrogen-based fertilisers. Cows, he said, are basically an anaerobic digester on legs. And the output comes from both the front and back ends of the animal, in what he called, “burps and bubbles”. While carbon dioxide gases were blamed for making a major contribution to planet

Scott Birchall talks about gas emissions.

warming, methane was more potent than carbon dioxide.

Tips

Farmers adopting best practice approaches to their business were already minimising greenhouse gas emissions. Speaking at the Dairy Farm Monitor seminar in September, Mr Birchall said there were financial incentives available to reduce dairy emissions. Farmers can earn carbon credits by reducing gas emissions using an approved program. Dairy Australia has more information on this.

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Emissions discovery Scientists find a new feed additive can reduce the methane emissions of dairy cows. An international team of scientists has discovered a new feed additive included in the diet of dairy cows can reduce their methane emissions by 30 per cent. The research, led by Alex Hristov at Penn State University in the United States, was reported recently in the prestigious scientific journal, The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. The research team carried out a 12-week experiment involving 48 dairy cows to investigate the effectiveness of the new feed additive, 3-nitrooxypropanol (also called NOP) that has been developed by Swiss company, DSM Nutritional Products. The research was co-authored by Australian scientists with the Victorian State Government: Matthew Deighton, Peter Moate and Richard Williams. Dr Moate said the research breakthrough was a promising step towards curbing the methane emissions from Australia’s livestock industries, where beef and dairy cattle produce about 11 per cent of the country’s greenhouse gas emissions. “Methane is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide in its global warming potential,” Dr Moate said. “That potency, combined with the fact that a dairy cow belches about 600 litres of methane each day, make the annual emissions of a cow similar to a family car in terms of its effect on global warming.” Dr Deighton, who led research to develop one of the methods

of gas measurement used in the experiment, said several aspects of the new discovery make scientists and dairy farmers very excited. “The 30 per cent reduction in methane came from including about one gram of NOP in the daily feed of dairy cows,” Dr Deighton said. “Importantly, NOP feeding also enabled cows to gain 1kg of body weight each week, indicating that more feed energy may be available to the cow when methane production is reduced. “The effect persisted for 12 weeks while NOP was fed to the cows. The cows in the experiment produced 46 kg of milk each day and NOP feeding did not affect milk production, milk composition or feed intake. “These results indicate that NOP is very likely to make a successful transition from science lab to farm, however will be contingent on approval by government regulators for use in food producing animals. “Before NOP could be used on Australian dairy, beef or sheep farms, additional research will be required to investigate the long-term responses when NOP is fed to grazing animals over the course of the year. “In particular, scientists will want to determine if the longterm feeding of NOP will improve the fertility of dairy cows because of its promotion of body weight gain. “Overall, these findings indicate that NOP may be an effective strategy for reducing agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, and will be a win for farmers and a win for the environment.”

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Vin and Jo Warnock with Ellen Versteegen on the Warnocks’ Swanpool farm. Ellen conducted some of her research on the Warnocks’ farm and said without their support her work would not have been possible.

Colostrum discovery

by researcher Colostrum produced by lactating cows contains information about the future fertility and milk yield of the cow, a student researcher has found. Former Benalla resident Ellen Versteegen has received a national award for dairy research in the honours year of her study. Miss Versteegen was raised on a Benalla property before undertaking studies at La Trobe University, and now works as a Territory Manager for Rivalea. She has won the AEV Richardson Memorial National Student Award, presented at the Ag Institute Australia National Conference in Brisbane. Miss Versteegen, who attended FCJ College, has developed a keen interest in the dairy industry, and is excited for the future of her research. “The lactational and reproductive 46

OCTOBER 2015

Ellen Versteegen.

colostral metabolite abundance and milk performance of the dairy cow is critical to the future of the Australian dairy industry,” yield throughout lactation, giving farmers she said. insight into the likely production of that cow. Miss Versteegen said previous research had “My project concluded that the colostrum of found that optimal transition management dairy cows does indeed contains markers of was important for fertility. This provoked her fertility and milk yield,” Ms Versteegen said. interest in colostrum, a secretion produced Her results provide farmers a ‘crystal ball’ view during this critical time. of a cow’s future, and allowing precious time to “Previous research has focused on the implement management strategies for those at nutritional quality of colostrum, however, risk of reduced reproductive performance. little is known about colostral metabolic Ian Macleod from National Student Award details, which may provide insight into sponsor Peracto said the finalists were of a reduced reproductive and lactational high standard. performance.’ “The judges had a hard decision to make, A gas chromatography/mass spectrometry which is a strong indication that the future technique was used to investigate colostral composition differences in randomly selected of our industry is in very good hands,” Mr cows. Direct correlations were made between Macleod said. Miss Versteegen said she was considering metabolite abundance and pregnancy status whether to further develop her findings into following the conclusion of the breeding a PhD. season, as well as being made between

How Murray Dairy Farmers can Shape Future Dairy Services Murray Dairy is a not-for-profit Regional Development Program (RDP) specifically for the dairy farmers of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales. Murray Dairy’s role is to deliver programs and services to dairy farmers to build their capabilities in operating profitability and more efficiently.

One aspect of Murray Dairy’s role is achieved through the coordination of education and extension services in collaboration with a number of other organisations serving the dairy industry. Murray Dairy along with Dairy Australia, the National Centre for Dairy Education (NCDE) and State Government utilises

farmer participation in Regional Network Groups (RNGs) and the Regional Extension and Education Committee (REEC) to help identify and prioritise future dairy industry projects, courses and events. Farmer input is essential in guiding these services that are run across the Murray Dairy region.

How it works Farmers

North West

Regional Network Group

Riverina

Regional Network Group

Central

Regional Network Group

North East

Regional Network Group

Eastern

Regional Network Group

Regional Extension and Education Committee including Dairy Service Providers

There are currently five Regional Network Groups in place across the Murray Dairy region, which are open and inclusive to all dairy farmers. These meetings which often have guest speakers present, enable farmers to raise issues and discuss current topics. These meetings also provide an opportunity for farmers to hear about services on offer from the various service providers supporting the dairy industry in the region. The issues raised by farmers at the RNG meetings are aligned to the Dairy Program Areas (shown right). It is responsible for the overseeing of the formulation and delivery of extension and education activities and events to both the dairy industry and its key stakeholders in the Murray Dairy region.

Dairy Program Areas Feedbase – Services related to feedbase planning and management.

How can you be involved? RNG meetings are held four times a year in each of the five sub-regions:

Animal Performance and Productivity – Services aimed at enhancing animal performance and productivity.

North West – Cohuna

Farm Business Management – Services to improve farmer business capacity, productivity, profitability and sustainability to understand the key profit drivers in their businesses. Natural Resource Management and Climate Change – Services promoting best practices in land and water management for productive, sustainable dairy farms. People – Services that help support the dairy industry, including building farmer skills to attract, retain and manage employees.

Riverina – Finley Central – Kyabram Eastern – Numurkah North East – Wodonga Your attendance and input would be highly valued. If you would like to be involved in one of the next Regional Network Group meetings please contact Murray Dairy on (03) 5833 5312 or email admin@ murraydairy.com.au and our Extension Coordinator, Ross Read will provide you with details on the group and the next meeting date that is most appropriate for you.

Bringing home

the bacon

Robert and Sandra Bacon are focused on breeding high-performance cows.

Sticking to your goals, putting in the time and “a lot of hard work” might seem obvious foundations for breeding high-performance cows, but this formula — with a dash of passion — is producing outstanding results for Tennyson couple Robert and Sandra Bacon. The Bacons’ Brookbora herd is ranked 11th in the top five per cent herd average ABVs, based on the Balanced Performance Index, in the latest Jersey figures released by the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme. According to the ADHIS Good Bulls Guide Jersey BPI Genomic ABV(g)s, they have also bred the bull ranked sixth, and, in partnership, the bulls ranked second and third. Their syndicated bull Vanahlem, also bred in partnership, has been an outstanding performer for the breed and is used by the 48

OCTOBER 2015

Bacons across half their herd. “We are always trying to breed the type of cows that make you want to get up in the morning,” Mr Bacon said. “We want a balanced cow, with both production and type, that’s going to hang around for at least six years. “She has to be commercial and she has to have good capacity, good udder attachment to handle high milk flow, and a good temperament. “We don’t like grumpy cows.” The Brookbora operation comprises a total of 161 ha plus another leased 129ha, with the 240 cows milked off 90 irrigated hectares. “All our feed except concentrates is grown on farm,” Mr Bacon said. “We have about 80 ha of lucerne and/or cereals in this year and grow about 500

tonnes of hay or silage a year, depending on the season. “We can graze our young stock on that, carry over feed or earn extra income by selling surplus hay in good seasons.” Feed grown on-farm is supplemented by two tonnes/cow/year of concentrates made to order by Reids Stockfeed at Colbinabbin. Supply to the factory last season averaged 7488 litres, 292 kg of protein and 368 kg of butterfat per cow. “We are focusing on breeding for solids, as well as fertility and cell counts,” Mr Bacon said. “We look at pedigrees but we don’t necessarily go for the very top bulls. “We really go through the list and look for those with high milk solids and production figures, as well as the body traits we think are important.

Sandra and Robert Bacon

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“We also have our herd’s physical traits appraised by Jersey Australia classifiers, and close to 100 of our current herd are scored 90 or more (out of 100), with two cows on 93 points.” This attention to type as well as production has boosted the longevity of the Brookbora herd: half the milkers are five years old and over and, at 12 years, the “granny” of the herd looks as fresh as a daisy and is still one of the top producers. Other dairy farmers and breeding companies must also like what they see of the Brookbora Jerseys. The Bacons raise about 15 young bulls a year, and

sell locally, nationally and internationally. They are well represented in AI companies, with about 12 young Brookbora bulls in Australia, the United States and Canada awaiting full proofs. Heifers are also occasionally offered at special sales. “We enjoy the breeding side and it keeps us going,” Mr Bacon said. “If you were just putting cups on every day and waiting for the milk cheque once a month, life would be very boring. “We are happy with what we have achieved but we are always trying to move forward.”

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OCTOBER 2015

Craig Emmett’s great-grandfather started farming almost a century ago.

Almost 100 years on the farm

for Emmetts

Fourth-generation farmer Craig Emmett says the future is bright for the dairy industry. Like Stanhope itself, the Emmett family farm on the town’s boundary is about to celebrate its centenary. During that time, dairying has been the cornerstone of the town and the Emmett family — and for young farmer Craig Emmett, the fourth generation to work the land, dairying remains the key to success. Stanhope has been named the Legendairy capital of Australia after winning the regional final. Craig says the gong is justified. “Getting the regional title was a little puffingthe-chest-out moment,” he laughed. “I think we are a pretty good dairy community and we’re proud of it. We’re a dairy town. “The main employment in the town is dairy and a lot of the people involved in the bowls club, the footy club, the cricket club, are dairy farmers or work with dairy farmers.” Craig has played football for Stanhope for as long as he can remember, including the years when he was at university. Craig’s great-grandfather, William Emmett, started an orchard on an original solider settlement farm when the town was settled in 1917. Dairying was introduced in the late 1920s. History plays a big part in farming life when you’ve had nearly a century on the same land, but Craig also has his eye on the future. 50

OCTOBER 2015

After school he worked on the farm for a few years before doing his Bachelor of Agriculture at the University of Melbourne and then working as an agronomist for two years in Echuca. The off-farm experience helped before his return to the land about two years ago. “It was good to see other farmers at work and to get involved in broadacre cropping,” he said. “But I decided I’d prefer to do rather than preach.” From July this year Craig entered a full three-way partnership on the home farm with his parents Gordon and Lyn. He’s also invested in the industry by buying a neighbouring farm. “I’ve just paid a deposit so I have 114 acres in my own name.” The new farm adds to the 121 ha (300 acres) of the existing milking property and calf rearing and dry cow farm. There’s a lot of work to be done on irrigation and pastures to get the new land up to scratch, but Craig is confident that it will be worth the effort. They hope to increase the Jersey stud from about 180 to 240 when the new property is ready. A pipe and riser irrigation system has been installed. “We think there’s a reasonable future,” Craig said.

“The milk price has been pretty good for the last couple of years. “This year is up in the air a bit but there’s been a significant jump in the commodities recently so hopefully we can hit that $6 mark.” However, there are still challenges, particularly in the water price. “Water is the number one issue,” Craig said. “The price of buying water is over $200 now and that’s the main challenge. “If you don’t have your own permanent water you’ve got to buy it. “It’s very difficult to justify spending $200 a megalitre on water, but at the same time you can’t do without it.” Luckily the well-established Emmett farm is mostly covered by a permanent water supply. “We’re budgeting on buying 100 megalitres this year but we’ve got enough to get us through to after Christmas. “We’ve got our fingers crossed that the price comes off a bit, and the next month or six weeks is the crucial time for filling storages.” However, he remains concerned about the amount of water being allocated for nonfarming purposes. The Emmett farm is on the edge of Stanhope, with the main house and dairy actually inside the town boundaries. The town isn’t growing but it’s a close-knit community. “Most people know each other and get

Craig and Gordon Emmett on their Stanhope dairy farm.

involved in local clubs and organisations. Most small towns are quite communityminded because if they don’t they don’t exist,” Craig said. At 29 and engaged to school teacher Erin Hopkins, Craig is one of the young guns of the local dairy industry and plans to be involved long-term. “I like being my own boss and being outdoors; that’s the main attraction,” he said. “You have to milk twice a day and you have busy days but then there are quieter times of

the year when you can take it a bit easier… I “There used to be 130 kids at school, now try to take a holiday at least once a year.” we’re down to about 30 because there are less than half the dairy farms here. Craig said the Legendairy communications initiative to raise the reputation and profile “It’s not the same as it was when there were of the industry was good for the industry more dairy farms around but hopefully it and for the town. has bottomed out.” “It’s good promotion; Stanhope has always Craig sees young farmers as the future. been a dairy town and hopefully it will “The average age is pretty bloody old — a continue to be one for the foreseeable helluva lot older than 29 — but I’ve got future,” he said. quite a few friends around my age getting “It’s good to have more support and into their family farms. The future is understanding of how important we are to looking bright,” he said. the community.

OCTOBER 2015

Dookie Dairy Report As at September 1, calving was almost complete with 20 cows still to calve. The partial mixed ration used during winter was withdrawn in mid-August and the diet is now predominately pasture. One of the challenges with replacing the partial mixed ration with pasture at this time

of year is to maintain the right amount of fibre in the diet. Hay is used as a source of fibre. The cows’ rumination time — that is, time spent chewing her cud — is used as an indicator of the amount of fibre in the diet. It is measured and recorded daily by the cow collars for each individual. The aim is to maintain a rumination time of 400 minutes per day. If rumination time falls below this, it indicates more fibre is required and hay is added to the diet. Hay

Rumination time is used in combination with visual assessment of the cows and their faeces to make the decision about when to add hay, and to adjust the amount offered. The guidelines for use of rumination data have largely been developed in total mixed ration feeding systems. Further research is needed to define thresholds for pasture-based dairy systems.

July 1, 2015

August 1, 2015

September 1, 2015

Cow numbers

109

143

Kg milk solids/cow/day

2.0

2.25

2.42

Kg concentrate/cow/day

6.3 *

8.2 *

8.0 *

Kg fodder/cow/day

9.4

8.5

1.7 **

Pasture (KgDM) /cow

5.4

4.1

9.5

Area in rotation

Av milkings/cow/day

2.3

2.7

2.5

No. of failures/day

No. of cows got/day

Litres/machine/day

830

1047

1590

Rumination minutes/cow/day

435

420

* 12.5 MJ ME/kg DM, 16 per cent CP.

can be reduced if rumination time exceeds the threshold.

OCTOBER 2015

** 7.5 MJ ME/kg DM, 8 per cent CP.

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REMINDERS FOR OCTOBER/NOVEMBER Manage staff/people GPS (NCDE)

Shepparton: Tuesday, October 13 and 20 (day 3 and day 4) Develop a soil health and plant nutrition program (NCDE)

Shepparton: Thursday, October 15 (day 4)

Implement and monitor quality assurance procedures (NCDE)

Shepparton: Thursday, November 19 (day 1) Finley Focus Farm Open Day (Murray Dairy)

Manage small business finances (NCDE)

Tuesday, November 24 10.45 am to 1.30 pm. Lunch included

Shepparton: Thursday, October 22 and 29, November 5 and 12 (day 1, 2, 3 and 4)

Kyabram Focus Farm Open Day (Murray Dairy)

Plan production for the whole land / farm based business (NCDE)

Shepparton: Tuesday, October 27, November 10, 17 and 24 (day 1, 2, 3 and 4) Optimising your summer strategy workshop (Murray Dairy)

Cohuna: Tuesday, October 27 10.45 am for an 11 am start to 1 pm. Lunch included Optimising your summer strategy workshop (Murray Dairy)

Numurkah: Wednesday, October 28 10.45 am for an 11 am start to 1 pm. Lunch included Optimising your summer strategy workshop (Murray Dairy)

Kyabram: Thursday, October 29 10.45 am for an 11 am start to 1 pm. Lunch included

Tuesday, December 1 10.45 am to 1.30 pm. Lunch included Gundowring Focus Farm Open Day (Murray Dairy)

Tuesday, December 8 10.45 am to 2 pm. Lunch included Strathmerton Focus Farm Open Day (Murray Dairy)

Thursday, December 10 10.45 am to 1.30 pm. Lunch included Murray Dairy www.murraydairy.com.au Phone: (03)5833 5312 NCDE www.ncdeagotafe.vic.edu.au Phone: 1300 468 233 DEDJTR www.depi.vic.gov.au Phone: 136 186

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