Nov 2013 Farm Newsletter

Achieving Excellence in Health and Productivity

PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP

ISSUE 42

Livestock NEWS Calf milk replacer FFIS Grants Latest...

Feeding dairy calves is like second nature - twice a day in a bucket as a general rule (unless you have a machine) but when did you last do a review to check that calves are getting the right amount of milk replacer to ensure maximum growth?

As was said in last months newsletter there is a strong possibility that there will be final grant round under the FFIS scheme. The area that we are able to help you with is any investments that fall under the remit 'animal health and welfare'.

In order to apply you need to be involved in the North West Livestock Programme (NWLP) and have a health plan produced under this scheme. For those of you that already have one, in order to apply this time you will need a health plan review (if your plan was completed more than 12 months ago). If you are a new starter to the NWLP then you will need a full health plan.

In order to register for a review or a full plan then contact the SAC on 08456040535 The grant application window is anticipated to now be mid November to mid January but no formal announcement has been made yet.

There is £20 million available nationally with the grant allocation being 40%. The minimum grant is £2,500 and the maximum grant is £25,000.

Contact Jemma or Victor for further information or look online at: www.farmnw.co.uk

NOVEMBER 2013

Contact us: PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP CALDEW VETERINARY GROUP Carlisle House, Townhead Road, Dalston, Carlisle

Tel: (01228) 710208 vets@paragonvet.com TOWNHEAD VETERINARY CENTRE Townhead Veterinary Centre, Newbiggin, Stainton, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 0HT

Tel: (01768) 483789 townhead@paragonvet.com Latest research recommends growth rates of 0.7-0.8kg for a Holstein dairy heifer calf to meet target weight to serve at 400kg at 400 days to then calve down at 24 months old.

amount into an appropriate sized tub that can be used to make up larger quantities. Also in order to get e.g. the 12.5% solution 125g needs to be added to 875ml of water not 1 litre.

In order for the most efficient and cost effective entire rearing period it has been shown that ensuring adequate levels of milk replacer in the pre-weaning period is crucial to this.

Also it is worth looking at the quality of your milk replacer. Key things to look for are crude protein levels (22-24%), oil levels (16-20%), ash levels (7.5-8%) and fibre levels at zero.

As a target 700-900g of milk replacer is required per day and the optimum in bucket fed calves is twice daily in two 3 litre feeds. To simplify this it equates to in the region of 125g - 150g/litre to make a 12.5-15% solution.

Storing milk replacer in a sealed tub prevents moisture from affecting its quality too.

Not all calf milk replacers weigh out the same so it is a good idea to use kitchen scales and measure the required

PARAGON VETERINARY GROUP

visit us at: www.paragonvet.com

It is worth remembering that in cold weather calves will use more energy reserves keeping warm so increasing replacer rates at this time will maintain growth rates.

PARAGON ET et@paragonvet.com

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LIVESTOCK NEWS

NOVEMBER 2013

Silage Mineral Analysis Now that summer has finally left us for good and attention turns to winter feeding the mineral analysis of your forage will play a big part in formulating your winter rations, especially for dry cows.

Bulk milk testing for liver fluke This time of year is ideal for screening for levels of liver fluke in your herd.

This can easily be done on a bulk milk sample and once again Novartis are offering free testing. This year we anticipate lower levels of liver fluke due to the better Summer weather which was less favourable to the fluke lifecycle. Via testing it will give a picture of the level of infection in your herd and will help us to help you plan your fluke treatment strategy this Winter.

A milk sample can be dropped off at the practice in a clean milk sample pot or equivalent or we can take one when we are next on your farm.

Avoiding tyre wire disease (traumatic reticulitis) Jemma writes I have recently had a farmer discuss with me his concerns over the tyres on his silage pit as some of them have deteriorated and he has seen wires on the top of the sheet of the pit.

As you are all probably already aware tyre wire can cause massive problems if eaten by cows resulting in significant losses due to peritonitis, pericarditis and other associated problems.

As well as discarding any old tyres another preventative measure is magnet boluses.

This is a very cost effective option. Each cow needs one bolus and will last for the life of the cow and attract any pieces of wire that she may eat. The boluses are called Ferrimax and work out at approximately ÂŁ2 per cow.

Please ask us for further details.

Last year's early warm spring followed by almost continual summer rainfall resulted in reduced yields of lower quality silage which had an extremely adverse mineral profile for cow health and productivity. This year didn't start much better as spring temperatures were well below average, with March recording a 3°C average lower temperature compared to the 1981-2010 mean.

These lower temperatures were associated with above average rainfall in May, and it was June before spring finally arrived. The inevitable late start to the grass growing season, meant it was late June/July before grass caught up. This delayed start to grass growth resulted in rapid compensatory growth once soils warmed up and the rain stopped in June. As a result, grass tended to be at an earlier growth stage when cut for silage and this is reflected in the average mineral profile. This trend is most obviously seen in the lower Calcium and higher Potassium

values which would be indicative of early vegetative growth. The effect that these two minerals have on the DCAB value of your grass silage is very important when formulating your transition cow ration.

Another key feature of this year's grass silage mineral status is the markedly lower level of soil contamination, which is directly related to the drier conditions at grass harvesting. This aspect is also supported by the reduced levels of Iron, Aluminium and Cobalt, compared to 2012-grass silage.

So, a mixed bag of comparisons with 2012, which overall should be beneficial to cow health and fertility; the exception is Potassium, which maintains pressure on cow health at calving and likely effect on milk fevers. Certainly a less challenging year than 2012, but with a mineral profile which needs to be recognised and acted on to ensure cow productivity is not compromised.