Getting the Basics Right 2022 by Rural News Group

2022

Innovation for Future Profit PUBLISHED BY RURAL NEWS GROUP

ISSN: 1176-2012

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FOREWORD

EDITOR Sudesh Kissun sudeshk@ruralnews.co.nz PUBLISHER Brian Hight bh@ruralnews.co.nz MANAGING EDITOR Adam Fricker adamf@ruralnews.co.nz ADVERTISING Upper North Island: Stephen Pollard stephenp@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 021 963 166 Central North Island: Lisa Wise lisaw@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 027 369 9218 Lower North Island: Ron Mackay Ph: 021 453 914 South Island: Kaye Sutherland kayes@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 021 221 1994 PRODUCTION David Ferguson davef@ruralnews.co.nz Becky Williams beckyw@ruralnews.co.nz SUBSCRIPTIONS Julie Beech julieb@ruralnews.co.nz Ph: 021-190 3144 PUBLISHING & PRE-PRESS Rural News Group PO Box 331100, Takapuna, Auckland 0740 Ph: 09 307 0399 Location: Top Floor, 29 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland 0622

Published by Rural News Group Ltd. Unless directly attributed, opinions expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of Rural News Group and/or its directors or management. Getting the Basics Right is published annually.

Farming landscape changing at pace ■ Jules Benton Chief executive Dairy Women’s Network

LIKE THE REST of New Zealand, the farming business landscape is shifting constantly, moving at pace. This may feel faster than ever before. But if we pause and reflect on what the past few years have taught us, it’s that in times of challenge and uncertainty stick to your purpose, remember your roots, and support your people. Focus on the priorities for your family and your farm business, and what is within your realm of control. This starts with getting the basics right. When the basics are in place we are prepared as individuals and as a collective industry to face times of uncertainty, or new policies and regulations. Every structure needs strong foundations to support the main design; our farms are no different. The new freshwater policies that came into play earlier this year are impacting everything from water to pasture and stock grazing and it can be overwhelming to review and change multiple farm processes that have been in place for years. But when those foundations are in place, whether it’s through having a strong and capable team, skills and knowledge, or processes that meet compliance regulations and add to the productivity and profitability of our businesses, we are able to face and action changes head-on instead of letting them overwhelm us. And I encourage you all to remember that where there is challenge, there are also solutions to be found. There are many different people in the industry who can help find those solutions, from your regional councils to farm advisors, organisations like DairyNZ and Federated Farmers, accountants, bankers and other rural professionals who understand and support the industry. You just need to know where to look, and this publication will provide you with some guidance around where to find them how to build your trusted team, both on-farm and off. As an organisation of impact, Dairy Women’s Network chooses to focus on helping New Zealand farmers, rural professionals and other industry bodies lay the groundwork for success at any given moment. Dairy farming as an industry can be overwhelming but there are three key aspects that connect farmers in Northland to those down South, and we have seen firsthand the relationships and support that are offered to one another when our people are confident in their own work, knowledge and growth. This publication addresses each of those key aspects from optimising your land, calving and calf rearing, to looking after the mental health and wellbeing of yourself and your team. Each aspect is as important as the next; just as farming isn’t a siloed operation, neither are land, animals and people within the industry. While we can have one or two, it’s the incorporation of the third aspect that creates successful and prosperous farm businesses. Thank you to the team at Rural News Group for pulling together such vital information into one resource for New Zealand farmers, and to all contributors who have valuable knowledge and information to share. Finally, let’s not forget the importance the dairy industry plays in the wealth and wellbeing of every New Zealander, now and in times to come. If we get the basics right, we have a long future ahead providing for the rest of the nation and the world.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

18 CONTENTS

8 22 25 30 38 48 56 68 82 86 92

PASTURE Go with the mow SOIL Building fertility FEED Nail your production target

CALVING Peace of mind calving MILK QUALITY Time to start a revolution? ANIMAL HEALTH Get BVD under control MATING MANAGEMENT Ticket to stellar reproductive traits

EFFLUENT/WATER Apply the right amount, at the right time AGRIBUSINESS Rising costs of compliance PEOPLE/STAFF NZ’s most talented workforce MACHINERY Buying second-hand tractors?

83 GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

PASTURE

Looking after young establishing plants is key to setting up undersown pastures for success.

Undersowing into pasture – how it benefits a farm AS WE MOVE into autumn, we may start to see our pastures opening up following a long dry summer with high insect pressures, creating opportunities for weeds and low-producing grasses to invade. It is these types of pastures you want to target for undersowing, where you can get productive ryegrass plants established to allow covers to build up for winter feed and create more longevity out of the paddocks.

Undersowing involves drilling fast establishing species, such as hybrid or Italian ryegrasses, legumes or plantain, into old or run out pastures. This is becoming a common practice in many farming systems. Condition score pastures

Condition scoring paddocks throughout the year, particularly late summer and early autumn, is a great tool to know which paddocks are performing well and which

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

may need addressing. This makes it easier to make decisions leading into mid to late autumn and assess which species will be the best fit. Pasture condition scoring (PCS) involves the process of visually assessing paddocks and assigning a score of 1-5, with PCS 1 being the most severe damage and PCS 5 being in good condition. Scores will be based on plant density, insect damage and weed presence. Typically, PCS 1-3 are targets for undersowing.

Condition scoring can help the planning and implementation of successful undersowing and long-term pasture renovation programmes. For a paddock with a condition score of 1, it’s recommended to drill with annual ryegrass (such as Jivet) and then put it into a cropping rotation the following spring. Whereas a paddock with a condition score of 2 can be drilled with Italian ryegrass (such as Asset AR37) and then assessed in 12-18

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months. Paddocks with a condition score of 3 are often undersown with hybrid ryegrass and herbs to get an extra 2-3 years production (such as Mohaka AR37 and/or Ecotain environmental plantain). If the paddock is sitting at a condition score of 4 or 5 it is most likely that N needs to be applied in a strategic way to enhance tillering. Timing

When undersowing, timing is crucial. Undersowing early allows the seedling to establish in more favourable conditions, maximising establishment, tillering and early drymatter production. The longer drilling is delayed, the slower the species will be to establish as you are more likely to miss favourable growing conditions, therefore reducing

valuable winter yield. The later you plant (i.e. as days shorten and soil temperatures drop below 12°C), the more opportunity there is for weeds to fill in the open spaces, which will reduce the effect of undersowing. Weeds

When assessing the condition of your paddocks, checking the presence of broadleaf weeds and grass weeds is a vital step. Spraying out before drilling for low PCS paddocks with high weed burdens improves results from undersowing and helps to maximise returns. Slug bait + cricket bait/ fertiliser

It is important to follow good management practices as shortcuts can lead to poor establishment. If direct drilling or over sowing,

It’s important to follow good pasture management practices as shortcuts can lead to poor establishment.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

slug bait and/or cricket bait are key insurance policies. Ensure to sow with 150 kg/ha DAP (di-ammonium phosphate) to give establishing ryegrass plants a kick start, as phosphate is great for root development and the extra nitrogen will help speed things up. If possible, ensure it can go down the spout with the drill, as broadcasting will enhance the growth of the present species, thus increasing competition for the undersown cultivars. Treated seed

When looking to achieve good results from undersowing, the influence of insect pressures needs to be considered. When there is no cultivation process in place (i.e. direct drilling), the insect populations will remain high when looking to drill. It is important

to select an appropriate endophyte and seed treatment to protect against certain damaging insects, such as Argentine stem weevil, root aphid and black beetle. The use of treated seed, such as Superstrike treated seed, protects new seedlings from insect pressure for the first 6 weeks as endophyte takes about 6 weeks to start functioning. It also has a fungicide to protect the seedling from any diseases as well as micronutrients to aid with establishment. The withholding period for new pasture is 6 weeks, however when undersowing into existing pasture this time decreases to 3 weeks. Cultivar options

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PASTURE

Pasture trial- open pasture is on the left.

strong gains in production over winter and spring, ensuring the effects last more than eight months. Grazing

Looking after young establishing plants is key to setting up undersown pastures for success. Early grazing management prevents over-competition and enhances tillering on young plants, making them more robust going into their first winter. To ensure that the establishing species is ready to

graze, it should first be checked that the grazing withholding period from the seed treatment has been met. To check the plants are ready for grazing, a ‘pull test’ should be done, where the plant is plucked and the leaves break off without pulling out the roots. Staggering the timing of undersowing for each paddock can prevent all the paddocks from being ready at the same time, making it easier to build into the farm rotation.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

Economics

Undersowing is a very cost effective method of increasing the production of poorly performing paddocks when cropping isn’t in the immediate future. Fast establishing and high yielding cultivars like annuals, Italians and hybrids are great tools to increase overall production on farm as they grow more in 12 months relative to a perennial. Increasing production on farm from growing more pasture reduces the reliance

on expensive imported feed, meaning a good undersowing programme can help to reduce feed costs. Overall, the keys to achieving good results when undersowing are choosing the right variety for the situation, with an endophyte that protects against major pasture insect pests Argentine Stem Weevil and Black Beetle, such as AR37, using treated seed and planting while conditions are ideal in early autumn.

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PASTURE

Go with the mow: benefits of pasture mowing, topping ■ Becky Sees Marketing-Collateral Manager,Trimax Mowing Systems

The practice of mowing or topping your dairy farm’s grazing pastures can produce advantageous outcomes that add to your bottom line. Below are just a few of the benefits of mowing and topping your paddocks. Improve the quality of grazing pasture

As with any system, when it comes to your herd, high-quality inputs naturally lead to highquality outputs; the key to a healthy and productive cow is an excellent food source. Effective regulation of grazing pastures can greatly impact the bottom line of a dairy farm, and mowing or topping paddocks makes the process of quality control both manageable and achievable. Both pre-graze and postgraze clipping operations have their benefits for the quality of grazing grounds. Pre-graze topping can cut down dense weed canopies such as thistle, giving grass a chance to recover in otherwise overrun areas of the paddock. It also removes seed heads, allowing for more palatable growth to flourish while leaving clippings for cows to eat. Post-graze mowing clears out uneaten grass clumps and spreads dung to promote uniform re-growth. Mowing can also be a

The key to a healthy cow is an excellent food source.

tool to control the balance of grass species within a paddock. Different species of grass store energy in different parts of the plant. Some grasses, such as orchardgrass, store most of their energy in the base of

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

the stem above the ground, while others like fescue and bluegrass store most of their reproductive energy in their root systems. Simply adjust the cut height of the mower to the optimal range for re-growth in the species

of your choice. Speed up re-growth

Quick re-growth is key to ensuring that your herd has a consistent and plentiful food supply. It allows for faster cycling through

PASTURE

grazing paddocks, builds grass cover for prolonged grazing seasons, and even increases the potential for higher stocking rates. Re-growth is also more nutritious for the cows: over 80% of leafy new grass growth can be effectively processed by grazing animals, whereas less than 50% of mature or dead plant material is nutritionally beneficial. Perennial grasses go through reproductive and vegetative stages during growing seasons. In their reproductive stage, the grass grows tall to produce seed heads. Once seed

heads have been grown, the grass enters its vegetative state and stores energy in its base or roots, growing down into the ground. Mowing around the transition between these phases, before the grass goes to seed, stimulates new leaf growth and keeps the plant producing the dry matter that is most useful for your herd. Mowing to the desired residuals, especially as opposed to grazing, ensures a clean, sharp cut on the leaf of the grass which contributes to healthy and robust re-growth. Sharpened cutting tools

protect the shallow roots from being pulled from the ground and prevent tearing on the leaf which can increase the vulnerability of grass to disease. Increase productivity

Numerous studies have shown how pasture mowing and topping can lead to an increase in productivity for dairy farms. A 1999 study put forth by the New Zealand Grasslands Association concluded that mowing or topping grazing pastures could lead to improvements in milksolid production and liveweight gain, especially in the

summer months. Research conducted by Teagasc, the Agriculture and Food Development Authority in Ireland, indicates an increase in milk yields of up to 2kg per cow per day. The benefits to re-growth speed and pasture quality, as detailed in the previous two points, allow the herd to consume higher volumes of easily digestible and high-energy-content grass to aid in their growth, production, and maintenance. Maximising the usage of your paddocks can also help cut down the amount of feed you need to purchase,

Quick re-growth is key to ensuring that your herd has a consistent and plentiful food supply.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

PASTURE

saving on your farm’s operational costs. Pasture utilisation also becomes a much simpler exercise with mowing and topping. Farmers can easily reach the optimum residuals every time the paddock is grazed, which is especially advantageous in wet seasons when the grazing herd may not be able to keep up with the increased grass growth rate. Even when the grass is allowed to grow overly long, the clippings can be gathered for silage, increasing the overall utilisation of your resources. Equipment Considerations

Once you decide to add topping and mowing to your farm’s regular practices, how do you choose the right equipment to do it? This guide will help you select the right pasture mower for your needs.

Pay attention to the finish

Three things to watch for in the finish delivered by a mower or topper are the cleanliness of cut across the grass leaf, the dispersal of clippings from the cutting chamber, and the ability to manoeuvre contours without scalping. Sharp blades and high spindle speeds both lead to a clean cut. Evenly dispersed clippings prevent clumps which can kill the grass underneath and can even act as fertiliser or assist in ground moisture retention in dry months. Scalping removes all the grass in an area and opens the pasture to weeds. Factor in some flexibility

To get the most out of your machine, you might want to be able to use it for both mowing and topping – which means that it will need a wide cut height

Are you using the right pasture mower?

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

range. The optimal cut height for most feed grasses to encourage regrowth is between 40-50mm, but you may need to cut higher or lower based on the grass species you want to encourage to grow in your pastures. Consider the gear you already have.

Most farms already use a tractor or two in their operations. Get the most out of that investment you’ve already made by using a tractor-powered mower or topper. Note the horsepower capabilities at the PTO of your tractor to help you find a suitable attachment within a safe operating power range. Limit your maintenance requirements.

Managing a dairy farm takes enough time and work without adding equipment maintenance to the workload. An ideal

mower or topper would be durable enough to handle long hours over tough terrain, would have minimal greasing requirements, and would be inexpensive and quick to repair. It’s also important to ensure that longer grass won’t get tangled in the cutting chamber. Look for equipment with built-in anti-block systems to prevent damage to the machine. Know your aftermarket support.

There’s a lot to be gained from doing a bit of research on the manufacturer of your machine. Local service support and parts supply can mean the difference between a productive day of work and a day of downtime. Look for a substantial warranty as reassurance that your equipment will last.

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PASTURE

Pasture testing is a back up to soil testing.

Right soil fertility key for optimal pasture growth CORRECT SOIL FERTILITY is critical for optimal plant growth. There are 16 nutrients required by plants, 13 of these nutrients are obtained from the soil. There are five nutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), sulphur (S) and magnesium (Mg - pumice soils) that are added to soils in fertilisers. The remaining nutrients

are abundant on most New Zealand soils. Assessing nutrient status

Capital fertiliser inputs can be much greater than the maintenance input, especially if a rapid increase in the soil nutrient status is required. It is important to measure the current soil nutrient status to assess whether a farm is in the

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

maintenance or development stage. Soil testing and taking into account fertiliser history is the only way to assess nutrient status.

need to be monitored. Even in the maintenance stage, more precise rates can be calculated from establishing trends in soil test levels over time through the use of annual soil testing.

Soil testing

A robust soil fertility monitoring programme is the best way to monitor nutrients in topsoil of any farm. Fertiliser costs are a major investment and

Pasture testing

Pasture testing is a back up to soil testing. While soil testing determines available soil nutrient status, pasture analysis

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PASTURE

should be used to assess how much nutrient has been taken up from a fertiliser application and check trace element status. There are two key reasons to test and analyse pasture samples:

If the soil test levels are low and an immediate increase in production is required, the sooner P is applied the sooner there will be benefits.

1. Concerns about animal health

use to optimise economic return. Use appropriate applications rates and apply to pasture with some regrowth e.g. 1600-1800kg DM/ha or better. At a response rate of 10 kg DM/kg N, applying 30 kg N will grow an additional 300 kg DM of pasture. If we use a cost of $1.70/ kg N applied, the fertiliser costs $51/ha which equates to $0.17/kg DM additional pasture grown Calculate this for your situation. How does this compare to other available feed sources?

Insufficient concentrations of: Mg, exchangeable sodium (Na), copper (Cu), cobalt (Co0 and selenium (Se). Excessively high concentrations of K, Mo and magnesium (Mg). 2. Clover nutrition

Clovers have a higher requirement of all nutrients compared to grasses; they are a sensitive indicator of underlying soil fertility. Nitrogen Nitrogen (N) fertiliser can be used to overcome seasonal pasture deficits by increasing pasture supply. Similar to any purchased input, N requires careful

Seasonal nitrogen use

The amount of additional

The amount of additional pasture grown in response to the application of Nitrogen is influenced by climate.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

pasture grown in response to the application of N is influenced by climate, with a low response from cold temperatures, waterlogged soils, and dry conditions. The largest and most reliable response to N is when the growth rate of pasture is greatest, usually in mid to late spring in most regions. Typical pasture growth response rates during early spring range from 10 to 15 kgDM per kg N applied. Autumn responses are generally smaller and less reliable than those in spring, while winter responses are lowest and the risk of direct loss of fertiliser N by leaching is

greatest. Mid-to-late summer applications of N fertiliser are not recommended where low soil moisture limits growth. However good responses may occur on irrigated farms or regions which have reliable summer rainfall. Lime soil acidity

Liming is carried out to mainly overcome aluminium toxicity and increase molybdenum and phosphorus availability. On pasture, liming generally encourages more productive pasture species (legumes and ryegrasses) at the expense of low fertility species. Phosphorus (P)

Phosphorus is a key nutrient for the successful growth of pasture and crops. Soil phosphate (P) moves slowly through soils, reducing opportunity for

PASTURE

leaching losses. In a maintenance situation, P can be applied at any time of the year but applying soluble P fertilisers outside the high risk months of April to October will reduce the risk of P runoff. If the soil test levels are low and an immediate increase in production is required, the sooner P is applied the sooner there will be benefits. Application rates of greater than 100kg P/ha (1100 kg superphosphate/ ha) in a single application are not recommended. If capital inputs higher than this rate are required, then the dressing should be split. Animals should not graze pastures where phosphate fertiliser has been applied

until at least 25mm of rain has fallen. This is especially true where capital rates of P have been applied. Sulphur (S)

Clover has a higher requirement for all nutrients including sulphur, relative to the grasses. Thus, if a soil is S deficient the clover vigour and abundance will be poor. For pastures the normal distinction between capital S and maintenance S inputs does not apply. This is because the amounts of S to eliminate the most severe S deficiency are similar to the amounts required to maintain soil S levels. There are two forms of S fertiliser: Sulphate S (the form

present in superphosphate) is readily available to plants and moves rapidly through the soil Elemental S is not immediately available to the plant (nor prone to leaching) as must first be oxidised by soil microorganisms to sulphate-S before it is plant available. Potassium (K)

Potassium fertilisers are often referred to as ‘potash fertilisers’, a name originally given to an early form of potassium fertiliser produced by extracting a pot of wood ashes (pot ash). However, potassium is now mined from abundant mineral deposits. Potassium is removed and lost through animal excretion in dairy sheds and

farm tracks. Potassium can be easily leached especially under heavy rainfall. Potassium fertilisers are generally applied in low rates to pasture and the percentage lost by leaching is small. Potassium fertilisers applied to crops usually remains in the root system during the growing season. Before and during calving, avoid applying K as it can worsen cow metabolic problems. After calving, apply K when clover growth is increasing. Ryegrasses are very efficient at extracting K from the soil and can usually grow to potential without K fertiliser over the early spring period. • By DairyNZ

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

SOIL

Earthworms help build fertile, productive soil ■ Bala Tikkisetty Bala Tikkisetty is a sustainable agriculture advisor (technical) at Waikato Regional Council. EARTHWORMS IMPROVE THE general condition of farming soils, reduce surface runoff of contaminants from pasture and prevent soil erosion. Soils without enough of the right type of earthworms are usually poorly structured and tend to

develop a turf mat or thatch of slowly decomposing peat-like material at the surface. Old dung and dead plant material lie about the surface. These factors can naturally inhibit pasture and crop production. Introduced earthworms are essential to the devel-

Soils without enough of the right type of earthworms are usually poorly structured.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

opment of fertile productive soil. They act as biological aerators and physical conditioners of the soil, improve soil porosity, structure, aggregate stability and water retention. Earthworms also increase the population, activity and diversity of soil

microbes, such as actinomycetes and mycorrhizal fungi. These microbes play a vital role in the supply of nutrients to pasture, digesting soil and fertiliser and unlocking nutrients such as phosphorus that are fixed by the soil.

SOIL

Undertaking an earthworm count will let farmers know if they have enough of the right type.

Lower producing grasses are often more evident than ryegrass on these types of soils as well. Pasture growth is slow to start in spring and stops early in autumn. Plant nutrients tend to remain locked in the organic layer and there is poor absorption of applied fertiliser. Plant roots in such soils are relatively shallow and pastures are therefore susceptible to drought. Water also runs off this type of pasture more easily rather than being absorbed into the soil, increasing water quality problems. To help avoid these types of problems, soils should have a good diversity of relevant earthworm species. The most common introduced earthworm in New Zealand is Aporrectodea calignosa, a topsoil dweller. This earthworm grows up to 90mm long and may vary in colour from grey to pink or cream. Another very common introduced earthworm is Lumbricus rubellus, a surface dweller. Often found under cow pats, this earthworm will grow up to 150mm long. It is reddishbrown or reddish-purple, with a pale underside and

(Source: AgResearch)

flattened tail. Aporrectodea longa live in burrows as deep as 2-3 metres below the surface. Undertaking an earthworm count will let farmers know if they have enough of the right type. Counts are preferably done in late winter to early spring when soil moisture and temperature conditions are ideal. Counts can be done by taking out a 20cm cube of soil with a spade. Around 30 earthworms would be ideal in a spade cube. If soils are scoring way below that, there are a range of ways to increase their populations: • Ensure soil calcium levels are near 7, as calcium promotes earthworm reproduction. • Maintain soil pH between 5.8 and 6.3.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

• Limit use of agrichemicals. • Reduce ammonium-based fertilisers, as they make soils acidic. Moist soils promote earthworm spread and activity and more will remain active in topsoil during summer under irrigation. Direct drilling and no tillage cultivation methods is another way to promote earthworm numbers. Use a mould board or disc plough rather than a rotary hoe. Cropping farms should include a phase of pasture in their cropping rotation to increase organic matter returns. Earthworm ecological diversity is also critical to ensure soil functions are optimised. For example, the single species of Aporrectodea caliginosa alone was

not able to improve water infiltration or pasture production. However, when this species was found in combination with Aporrectodea longa, there was positive influence on soil functions despite the abundance of A. longa itself not increasing. This study highlights the importance of including a measure of ecological diversity alongside a measure of abundance to assess soil biological health. The earthworms play a great role in farm productivity and lessen the contaminant impact on water quality. Remember, weight of earthworms below healthy productive pastures is approximately equivalent to the weight of animals grazing above ground – a thought provoking fact.

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Phil Bryan puts his success down to having a proactive feed plan in place tailored to needs of his cows.

Feed plan helps nail MS target THE MILKING HERD on Phil and Sara Bryan’s lease block reached its target milk production for the season by Christmas, despite having another four months of milking to go. The Bryan’s run two

farms at Orini near Huntly where they live with their three children. The lease block milks 150 cows. It is run by a farm manager and overseen by Phil and Sara. On the couple’s home farm they

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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50/50 sharemilk 250 cows. Phil puts the success down to having a proactive feed plan in place tailored to the needs of his cows. This season he’s been incorporating canola meal into the blends his herds consume every day, either from feed bins or in-shed feeders. Average production across both herds has reached 500kgMS per season. Phil says good feed planning means they have managed to protect their business from seasonal challenges. “We run a really simple operation at both farms and we have been impressed with how well canola meal has worked for us. “We’ve been using it for five years on and off. You can buy in a lot and introduce it to your herd slowly. It’s also really easy to blend it with other products you’re using.” Phil mixes the canola

with palm kernel expeller (PKE), tapioca or pellets he is feeding his herd, depending on how grass growth is looking on both farms. “We work closely with our GrainCorp Feeds rep to look at what’s happening with our pasture growth and milk production and then adjust our feeding regime based on that,” says Phil. “We keep it as simple as we can.” Phil says canola has been an economical addition to his feeding regime at a time when feed costs are rising on the back of high commodity prices. “In the summer months it gets drier, but we have found the canola keeps the cows ticking along and maintaining their production, so it’s definitely worth the investment. Based on our experience, I think it helps to reduce heat stress too, which is not only good for milk

GrainCorp claims canola meal lifts milk production and quality in pasture-based diets.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

production, but also for the health of our herd.” Canola meal has been shown to deliver a measurable increase in milk quality and production in typical New Zealand pasture-based diets. Trials¹ have indicated that feeding canola meal led to an increase in herd milk solids by almost 9% and milk volumes by up to 6.5%. GrainCorp technical manager Ken Winter says Phil’s operation illustrates that farmers who invest in feeding their cows adequately ahead of the summer dry period and into summer are more likely to avoid drops in production and maintain the health of their herd. With the warmer weather upon us, he says farmers should be thinking carefully about what on-farm summer feed they have access to and what their cows need to complement that feed.

“This is particularly important at the moment as things start to dry out and you can’t rely on pasture alone to give them what they need,” says Ken. Supplements including molasses, salt, and quality concentrates will all help reduce heat stress, while improving dry matter intake and fibre digestion. Molasses is an excellent supplementary feed for pasture fed ruminants and provides many benefits for dairy cows as part of the overall diet. “Maintaining a healthy stable rumen environment is the secret to keeping the milk pumping,” says Ken. “Molasses helps with this, along with providing the flexibility to be fed in its current state or blended with other dry feeds.” ¹ This research was carried out in 2011 by Dr Jean Margerison of Dairy Systems Research at Massey University

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Same, same but different ■ Ian Williams Ian Williams is a Pioneer forage specialist. Contact him at iwilliams@genetic.co.nz A FEW YEARS ago, I remember watching and laughing my way through Ground Hog Day. Each day, Bill Murray would wake up to the same music and go through either a boring or an exciting day, before it all came to a hilarious end after which he would fall asleep. He would then wake again the next day to the same music, before going through it all again. While 2021 seemed like a repeat of 2020, a year dominated by Covid pandemics and subsequent government responses, there were some significant changes to government policy and to international markets which will affect how we farm over the next few years. So, in a sense, the old cliché remains true. It is a matter of “same, same but different”. The same

When it comes to pasture-based dairy systems, there are few things which never change. These are as follows: Grow and harvest as much feed as possible The relationship between home grown feed and profit has been well known for many years now and has not changed. The data shows farmers who grow and harvest large amounts

Table 1: Typical cost of maize silage with or without fertiliser1.

YIELD (TDM/HA)

WITH FERTILISER

EFFLUENT/HIGH FERTILITY PADDOCK2

Total cost to grow, harvest and stack ($/ha)

$4280

$3240

(c/kgDM)

15.3

11.6

16.5

12.5

17.8

13.5

19.4

14.7

21.4

16.2

23.8

18.0

Based on the Pioneer brand Maize Silage Catalogue 2021-22 but adjusted for the late spring changes in fertiliser prices 1.

Effluent/high fertility paddock costs assume no base, starter or sidedress fertiliser is needed

of feed are more likely to make more money than those that produce less home-grown feed. Traditionally farmers have relied on lots on nitrogen to grow more feed but the days of applying more than 190kg of synthetic nitrogen (N) per hectare to pasture are over. Maize silage has become an integral part of many farms lifting the amount of feed grown and harvested. Historically, maize silage has been used as part of a regrassing programme. In recent years, farmers are using maize to grow more feed, more reliably regardless as to whether they want to renew pastures. The result is the same,

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

more feed grown per hectare across the whole farm. Just how much more feed is gained depends on the farm, but it can be quite significant. For example, a 100ha farm growing 14 tDM pasture per hectare and cropping 15% in a maize silage, annual ryegrass rotation can lift overall drymatter production by around 1.5 tDM/ha across the whole farm Keep core costs under control

There is also a strong relationship between profit and farm working expenses per kilogram of drymatter. One of the big cost items for many farms is feed. One way farmers can reduce

their cost of feed is by growing a portion of their maize on effluent paddocks. Maize is a deep-rooted crop which can extract water and nutrients from depths three times greater than typical pasture species (e.g., ryegrass/white clover). Because it has a high demand for nitrogen (approximately 12kg N and 10kg K for every 1 tDM removed), maize can be used to remove excess N and K from effluent blocks. A two year on-farm study conducted by Plant and Food, DairyNZ, FAR and Waikato Regional Council showed that maize silage crops grown on effluent paddocks with no additional fertiliser (no base, starter, or side dress) yielded

FEED

an average of 26.1 tDM/ ha. Without the need for additional fertiliser, silage drymatter costs are significantly reduced (Table 1). These figures compare very favorably with other bought in feed. Growing maize silage on an effluent paddock reduces the average cost of feed. This has a positive effect on the bottom line. Use maize silage to reduce environmental impacts

Pasture almost always contains excess crude protein (CP) relative to dairy cow requirements. A high proportion (typically 60 - 70%) of the excess protein (nitrogen) intake is excreted in the urine. In spring, this can be as high as 1,000 kg N/ha.

This is well in excess of what pasture can take up, and urinary nitrogen can be relatively quickly leached beyond the reach of shallow-rooted pasture plants. Most cows require somewhere between 12-18% crude protein (CP) in their diet however pasture protein often exceeds 20% CP. Feeding maize silage (7-8% CP) dilutes dietary protein content, reduces nitrogen loss from the cow and therefore reduces the risk of N leaching.

thereby reducing the urge to feed supplements when you may not need to and reducing the risk of wasting pasture. The simple rule is, if you don’t need it, don’t feed it It can be used to strategically fill feed deficits preventing either over grazing or pugging both of which can significantly reduce pasture production It can be used to lengthen the rotation length, ensuring pasture cover targets for spring are achieved

Use maize silage to manage pasture

The different

Maize silage is one of the best farm systems feed available to farmers for the following reasons: It requires planning

There are also some changes which mean it might be time to re-evaluate your farm system. Recent high cost of

imported feeds With supply constraints of shipping, a lot of imported feed has become very expensive. This is somewhat unprecedented, and it means farmers need to rethink whether they really need to feed products like PKE or DDG that they have traditionally fed. Farmers now need to consider the impact of their farm system on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions

The first target under He Waka Eka Noa, is for every farmer to know their greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) number by the end of 2022. The next step is to work out how to reduce GHG emissions on a farmby-farm basis.

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

CALVING

Why calves must get the greatest start in life THE FIRST 60 days of calving are a challenge regardless if it is autumn or the depths of winter. The challenges increase exponentially with the more calves that are born. Knowing how critical the first 24 hours is for antibody and nutrient absorption for each calf, it becomes a race against time to give each calf their best start in life. A calf from birth to weaning weight is preparing itself to be

a healthy, fertile and productive part of your herd. During this time though there are a number of challenges facing the calf that can hinder their growth and vitality and ultimately could lead to death. Some of these challenges are, they could be cold and wet when born, draining their energy. If there are delays to their first feed it reduces the ability to absorb needed antibodies

and nutrients. There are constant bacterial risks from bedding, other calves, waste milk, the list goes on. Combine these with a compact calving so more calves arriving in a short space of time, leading to overcrowding and often staff skill shortages, calves are looking at an up-hill battle to reach their weaning targets. Although calving in autumn may seem less risky due to warmer weather, this warmer

weather can have detrimental effects on poorly stored colostrum and milk. With the warmer weather, harmful bacteria can grow faster and turn your high value colostrum or milk in to a potential risk to your calves. Bacteria can thrive in calf pens too in the warmer weather. The environmental piece of the puzzle is to kill bacteria in the calf bedding and soak up moisture and ammonia to leave the bedding dry.

New calves face constant bacterial risks from bedding, other calves, waste milk, the list goes on.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

CALVING

The two major diseases leading to calf mortality are scours and pneumonia. Pneumonia is a respiratory disease, so reducing ammonia in the air surrounding calves is part of lessening the risk associated with calf housing. Calf rearers have the tools to help rear healthy calves, free from bacterial challenges. They ensure the calves’ environment is dry and bacteria free, that bad bacteria in the calves is absorbed to avoid diseases developing and then provide billions of good bacteria to give the best start in calves lives. • Article supplied by Blue Pacific Minerals. www. bpmnz.co.nz

Warmer weather can have detrimental effects on poorly stored colostrum and milk.

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

CALVING

Understanding passive transfer of immunity The role of colostrum in ensuring the survival of the newborn calf was clearly demonstrated by American researchers as far back as 1922. THE MECHANISMS INVOLVED in the transfer of immunity from cow to calf received considerable research attention in the 1970s, but only in the early 1980s did veterinarians at Washington State University propose that failure of passive transfer (FPT) be defined as a serum IgG level of less than 10mg/ ml of blood. Ensuring calves receive sufficient antibodies to keep them protected against disease for the first few weeks of life is particularly important as, unlike humans, the bovine placenta prevents transfer of antibodies from cow to calf. Although the calf begins to produce antibodies around 4 days of age, it is only at around 3-5 weeks of age that it can produce sufficient antibodies to protect itself. Therefore, it is dependent on the antibodies received from colostrum (passive transfer) for immunity in the first few weeks of life. In the early 1990s, a major survey (NAHMS) was done in the USA to help identify and quantify those factors contributing to the health, productivity, and profitability of pre-weaned dairy heifers. Analysis of the data identified that over 40% of calves had

Figure 1

serum IgG levels less than 10mg/ml (i.e. 40% of calves showed FPT) and were twice as likely to die than calves with serum IgG levels above 10mg/ ml. Researchers also estimated that up to 22% of calf mortality could be attributed to poor colostrum intakes. More recently, researchers in pasturebased production systems in Australia and New Zealand have reported the incidence of FPT as 38% and 33% respectively. The success of passive transfer or the ability of the calf to obtain sufficient immunoglobulin G (IgG) from colostrum is affected by the cow, calf and management factors. Quality of colostrum

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

typically refers to the concentration of IgG/ litre colostrum, with good quality colostrum containing at least 50g IgG/l. While measuring the precise IgG concentration of colostrum is difficult, colostrum quality can be assessed using a brix meter, with 22% brix estimated to provide 50g/l of IgG. Data from 298 pooled colostrum samples from 105 farms across New Zealand found that brix levels ranged from 6.1% up to 28.5%, with the average value 16.5%. Less than 10% of pooled samples had a brix value higher than 22%. IgG concentration in colostrum begins to decline after calving. However, both American and Irish researchers have shown

that the most dramatic decreases begin to occur around 8 hours postcalving. Results of the NZ study described above have shown a tendency for higher brix levels in pooled colostrum samples where calves are picked up twice a day (18.2% brix average), compared to those where calves were collected once a day (15.9% brix average). Nutrition and management of the cow pre-calving clearly impact colostrum quality, with an obvious example being the increased IgG concentration of colostrum in those cows vaccinated against pathogens which may cause diarrhoea in calves. The nutrient composition of the dry cow diet (energy, protein and mineral content) has been shown to play a role in IgG production, but more research is required to fully explain this (figure 1). The quantity of colostrum required to achieve adequate passive transfer is dependent on the body weight of the calf at birth and the efficiency with which the calf can absorb antibodies. Plasma makes up approximately 9% of the liveweight of a newborn calf, thus, to achieve a target IgG concentration in blood of

CALVING

Figure 2

10g/L, a 40kg calf (3.6L plasma) must absorb a minimum of 36g IgG (figure 2). Age at first feeding of colostrum is one of the two key factors affecting the efficiency with which a calf absorbs IgG. Recent work has shown that there is a gradual decrease in the efficiency of absorption of IgG from birth until approximately 12 hours of age. After this, absorption efficiency decreases rapidly. Despite considerable variation in the efficiency with which calves absorb IgG, typical absorption is around 25%, and 40% at best. When estimating calf requirements for IgG intake, an estimated absorption efficiency of 36% has historically been used. The data suggests this value may be generous for a large proportion of the calf

population (figure 3). Cleanliness is the second factor affecting absorption of IgG. US research showed high bacterial counts can dramatically reduce the efficiency of absorption of IgG. In this research, bacterial counts in colostrum were allowed to increase from 6 x 103 cfu/ml to 8.12 x 106 cfu/ml, resulting in a decrease in absorption efficiency from 34% to 15%. NZ researchers found that the average bacterial count in pooled colostrum samples was 8.75 x 106 cfu/ml and less than 9% of samples had bacterial counts below 10 x 104 cfu/ ml. So, even in those instances where calves receive sufficient volume of colostrum containing high levels of IgG, they may not be able to absorb enough IgG - simply due

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

Rates vary per farm and soil type. Applications can last for up to three years and can be used as a base layer in stand-off (loafing) pads.

CALVING

to the negative effect high bacterial levels have on IgG absorption. It is difficult, if not impossible, to determine whether those steps you have put in place to help ensure adequate uptake of IgG by your calves is occurring without the use of a blood test. Routinely sampling a small number of calves less than 7 days of age throughout calving will help you to quantify the effectiveness of your colostrum feeding programme. If calves are not achieving the desired levels of protection, then a review of the programme in place may help to identify potential opportunities for improvement. Ongoing research has led to a dramatic increase

Table 1

in our understanding of the importance of passive transfer, not only for survival and early growth but also the lifetime productivity of an animal. Colostrum is also rich in a range of other bioactive components, non-nutritive factors, and growth factors that positively influence the development of the newborn calf. A high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids and

a lower concentration of short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate, in colostrum are thought to play an important role in supporting the absorption of immunoglobulins and helping to counteract stress in early life. Oligosaccharides (complex sugar molecules) naturally present in colostrum are thought to play an important role in helping to

establish the gut microflora and maybe the absorption of IgG. Growth factors such as insulin and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) are present in colostrum at levels much higher than that found in the blood of the dairy cow. These play a role in gut maturation and the ability of the calf to absorb nutrients. • Article supplied by AgriVantage

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“Our Sprayfo calves are more vigorous, healthier and bigger. We saw 30-day old calves sitting and chewing the cud.” In 2021, Taranaki Dairy Farmer LeAnne Blakelock reared 100 dairy heifer replacements and 150 beef calves on an ad lib feeding system. She used Sprayfo Delta high fat milk replacer to start, transitioning the calves onto Sprayfo Blue Premium whey-based CMR at 4 weeks. At 5-6 weeks, she reduced them to OAD feeding. Most mobs were weaned at around 9 weeks, eating 1kg of meal per day.

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CALVING

Putting Wagyu semen across Kiwi cross cows has the huge advantage of supporting a no bobby calf system.

Peace of mind calving PEOPLE ARE NATURALLY curious. Today more than ever, people are interested in knowing where their food comes from, who grew it, what’s in it and how it got to their table. Back in 2010, Jason Ross, Greg Evans, and Gerard Hickey – the guys behind First Light – had a simple idea to connect the people who grow premium beef with the people who eat it. With New Zealand’s fertile soil, wide open spaces, and temperate climate, they also thought, “let’s graze the cattle on grass”, which presented more of a challenge than anticipated. Wagyu cattle are traditionally grain-fed, and it quickly became apparent that full-blood Wagyu cattle were not suited to a 100%

grass diet. An innovative breeding programme to deliver the highly valued marbled Wagyu meat from grass-fed cattle needed to be developed. It takes more than grass

The First Light team have evolved their supply chain over 10 years. Prepared to test and learn, they trialled and designed various components to figure out what worked best to deliver premium products, and maximum returns for farmers and shareholders. Creating award winning Wagyu beef with a distinct New Zealand flavour takes more than grass feed. The quality of feed and pasture the animal receives throughout its life impacts the weight gain performance and meat quality,

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

resulting in a better return for the farmer. But consistently producing premium meat that is tasty, tender, and juicy requires specific expertise and knowledge in breeding, rearing, growing, and processing and handling the animals, something actively shared and communicated with farmer-suppliers. Nearly ten years ago, Duncan Anderson from Auchenbrae in North Canterbury converted his sheep and beef farm into dairy, then took a leap of faith four years ago with First Light. For Duncan, it’s all about the cow and peace of mind calving. The chain starts with semen from carefully selected full blood Wagyu bulls, collected and distributed via LIC, and mated to crossbred dairy

cows (Friesian/Jersey cross). The breeding programme, carefully designed systems and processes, quality feed all year round and the best farmers, together with a supply chain managed by people who understand premium meat products make all the difference. Auchenbrae are an example of smart, passionate, and committed dairy farmers, looking for a complementary business to optimise their operation; ways to utilise their surplus calves, and with blocks suitable to farm the calves through to age or finish they are the ideal business partner. And putting Wagyu semen across Kiwi cross dairy cows has the huge advantage of supporting a no bobby calf system.

CALVING

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MILK QUALITY

Jo Niethammer samples quarters as part of Rapid Mastitis Testing (RMT) or Californian Mastitis Testing (CMT).

Rethinking mastitis management – time to start a revolution ■ Foucauld Thery Chief executive officer Farm Medix

A 2017 STUDY showed that approximately 70% of clinical mastitis cases did not need to be treated with an antibiotic. (Journal of Dairy Science, 2017 Apr;100(4):2992-3003. A K Vasquez). Mastitis costs the average New Zealand farmer $80,000/ year* (* $180/cow/year for an average farm size of 435 cows in NZ). Over the past 50 years, the work of

leading experts has enabled the emergence of a bounty of new technologies that are now accessible to most. Unfortunately, supposed to alleviate mastitis pressure on farmers, in my opinion they have contributed to the adoption of largely inefficient practices with poor results. There seems to be a big disconnect between the continuing pain experienced by dairy farmers and

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

the development of a thriving industry focused on providing mastitis management solutions, that often misses the mark and at farmers’ cost. What is going on then? And what can we do to achieve more convincing results for dairy farmers? What we observe is that our standard responses to mastitis are rooted in a reactive mentality with

approaches focused on treating the disease, often based on indirect, partial, and sometimes misleading information. Rather, we have now access to investigative methods that enable much more effective mastitis management strategies that make better use of the arsenal of tools at our disposal. There is no arguing that antibiotics have been

MILK QUALITY

The Farm Medix Laboratory is a hub of national testing. Here, field operations manager Eileen Hammond, and dairy support specialist Tatiana van Eyk, run visitors from Fonterra through their processes.

a mainstay in the improvement of health of both animals and humans. However, from the powerful medicines they are when carefully prescribed they have all too often become used as “miracle drugs”, uniquely capable of helping farmers with their mastitis issues. If it is true that antibiotics are essential medicines in some cases, their overuse and misuse have created resistance, returned poor clinical results and forced new legislations to regulate their use more strictly to protect the health of both animals and humans. One could say that in some respect antibiotics have enabled an undesirable culture of after-the-fact care. Some would contend that testing clinical cases to choose the best treatment, as with antibiograms, is responsible. The reality is that testing clinical cases only is missing 100% of the subclinical cases and that results from treating cows from the recommendation of antibiograms are often disappointing. What works in the lab does not necessarily work in a cow. Many farmers will tell you

that susceptibility tests (like antibiograms) are no guarantee treatments will work. Dry cow therapy, for example, may be necessary in some situations, but will never cure all pathogens (see cure probability with the Bovine Mastitis Cure Calculator, Scott McDougall) nor buy you a pass to recover from poor practices. Also, antibiotic treatment success means clinical cure, i.e. the animal does not show clinical signs of mastitis, which is different from microbiological cure where there is no trace of pathogen. What then with our goal to reduce antibiotic use? Vaccines too can play a part in mastitis management. They have merits but can be expensive to implement and are poor substitutes to better farming practices that lower mastitis prevalence in the first place. Remember that today’s vaccines can only prevent the severe symptoms due to toxins released by only some of the mastitis causing bacteria, rather than prevent the disease. Another prevalent issue is the reliance on SCC data when used to determine

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

treatments. SCC may be a useful indicator for cows that are persistently infected but are simply not capable of providing farmers with any information about the specific cause of the observed immune response. SCC is especially poor as a basis for antibiotic treatments. An SCC level will never tell you which pathogen is present, whether it is a bacteria, let alone which bacteria (is it Staph aureus?), or whether it is an algae like Prototheca or a fungi like Candida, all potential sources of high SCC levels. Pathogen identification is necessary to implement corrective actions with the best chances of resolving the situation you face and prevent its reoccurrence. Is a trial-and-error approach best for the health of your animals and your profitability? SCC is not a great investigative tool. It is often measured through Herd Testing, a flawed process that compounds its limitations. First as we alluded above, the SCC level of an animal is an indirect measure of mastitis; it only measures, like a fever for

you, an immune response. In fact, when testing whole herds individually we observe that linking SCC levels to the underlying disease leads to scores of false positives and false negatives: Cows with high SCC levels that are not positive to any pathogens and do not need antibiotic treatment, and some cows exhibiting extremely low SCC levels that are infected with serious pathogens such as Staph aureus. Is SCC then a reliable tool for managing you herd? Second, during Herd Testing, it has been demonstrated that carry-over milk from cows using the same clusters ends up in milk samples (Sievert and Cantin (2014); JJ. Dairy Sci. 100:5709– 5716, Yasser S. et al.) adding uncertainty to the results of pathogen testing like PCR. The milk from which cow is actually being tested? Also problematic, is the raft of other technologies that identify issues with milk. Like herd tests and conductivity sensors, milk meters, pedometers, rumination or activity collars can all identify animals with potential

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health issues. But in the case of mastitis, they fail to identify the pathogen involved or patterns with such problems. Last, on-farm observations by specialists can also fail us, particularly when things have gone wrong. Are we observing the typical behaviours and processes when farm staff are put under the microscope? The pressure of scrutiny can trigger unusual mistakes to be made or motivate perfection when the norm might be to cut corners. Sneakily, when all

current solutions have been considered and used, we find ourselves on a treadmill of exorbitant treatments costs with poor outcomes and returns on investment. So how do farmers get on top of mastitis? The key from our perspective is simple. It requires direct access to information. Farmers need to know precisely what is happening. And science can now deliver that information economically to all farms. The key to unlocking the puzzle of mastitis and its prevention is

Farm Medix laboratory manager Kathryn Coley examines bacteria under a microscope.

to know where issues come from. It requires more information than SCC, more information than clinical cows being tested and more information than simply knowing which drugs should be in your cabinet. It requires a deep look at the subclinical picture. Why is the subclinical picture important? If you imagine the subclinical picture as the milk you are prepared to sell, then no cows in supply should be sick. Yet, this milk is full of clues about things gone or about to go wrong. Your milk contains precious information. You can use it as your doctor uses a blood test. A blood test will pick up on many health markers. With it your doctor can make an assessment, correct the situation, and help prevent a catastrophic event. The emergency room: it’s kinda too late

right? Oddly enough, looking at the subclinical picture is also the least invasive and most cost-effective approach. It means you are making changes ahead, when the situation is under control, rather than waiting for things to “fail” (in this case cows getting mastitis) and being always on the back foot. Ways to do this cost-effectively on a herd level include running a bulk tank forensic milk quality test. This gives the herd a comprehensive pathogen screen, determines your specific sources of pathogens, and provides recommendations with next steps and tweaks to deal with issues found. Whilst this test does not flag individual cows, it provides invaluable information to guide your actions. If things are critical, and penalties are being applied, we would still recommend a bulk tank test before further intervention to get a complete picture of the issues at hand. After that forensic bulk tank test and corrective actions have been implemented, a great technique you can use to identify subclinical mastitis on a cow level is the rapid

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mastitis test (RMT). Even though it only works for cows exhibiting high SCC levels, it is a very cost-effective technique to identify issues and is virtually free. It offers more information than herd tests including for Selective Dry Cow Therapy as it is a quarter level test, so will detect more affected quarters for investigation than a herd test will. This is ideal for quick reform to compliance, but it will not help with any pathogen identification, and does not detect animals not having an immune response (high SCC), who may still be subclinically infected. Investment in staff is another area we see offering huge benefits. To make successful changes that stick, staff need to be able to see their efforts working, and get results fast, and this simply cannot be done with shortcuts, or half-baked attempts to make changes. Nothing inspires staff more than success. Making changes and seeing your personal impact is immensely powerful, and satisfaction at work means staff engagement and retention is more likely. Nobody likes a job where they feel like they are failing, and where everything is going wrong! To make changes successfully means to set objectives for your team, include staff in results, consult them for ideas on how changes might be best executed, offer training on techniques and make tweaks to procedures. Even slight changes to what looks like unimportant tasks can offer significant animal health benefits. For example, depending on pathogens, stripping cows to correct a high SCC can backfire as you can spread contagious mastitis

from cow to cow if done improperly. Lastly, mastitis management takes a village. We recommend farmers to set their own local support system with responsive professionals that they trust and come to your farm when you need them. To summarise, my view is that our industry needs to move away from an overly simplified, if convenient, model of mastitis management, over reliant on reactive practices, that infers too much from information too far removed from the pathogen picture (SCC level and Herd Testing) and that can eventually only propose the same expensive paths to farmers. Instead, we need to embrace the more precise, complete and actionable model based on having access to the mastitis causing pathogen picture that is specific to your farm and animals. That is the only way, effective, sustainable and high return practices can be put in place by you and your staff, in your farm, for your animals. Take control back. Developing that approach is what has always inspired Farm Medix, and we are excited by the results our customers have been able to achieve in terms of animal health improvement: Lower SCC levels, fewer cases of mastitis, higher profitability and overall peace of mind, while reducing antibiotic consumption (up to 70% in some cases). We are optimistic that those results will prompt a paradigm shift in the industry so more farmers and industry professionals can benefit from them.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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Infections due to minor types of bacteria can put the udder more at risk of infection by major pathogens, once the cows are dried off.

Why you shouldn’t stop teat spraying after Christmas TEMPTED TO STOP teat spraying over summer? It might simplify systems over summer but is it such a good idea in the long run? DairyNZ senior solutions and development specialist Jane Lacy-Hulbert investigates. Why stay vigilant?

In early lactation, new infections are more likely to show up as clinical cases, due to the types of the bacteria involved. That’s why we tend to be more diligent at spraying teats to

prevent mastitis during this time. As the lactation progresses, it’s important to stay focused – these infections tend to show as subclinical mastitis, which is harder to spot. Although these cases may only affect the somatic cell count, these new infections are of concern. Infections due to minor types of bacteria can put the udder more at risk of infection by major pathogens, once cows are dried off. As we move

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

towards using fewer antibiotics at dry off, it becomes even more important to reduce the mild infections picked up when cows are in milk. Teat spraying’s ‘double hit’

Teat spraying has two main actions: Retain moisture in teat skin

Teat spray contains emollients that helps skin retain moisture and remain smooth and soft. Dry, rough teats

Jane LucyHulbert, DairyNZ

s e m i t e Som IT TAKES

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are harder to keep clean, retain more bacteria on the surface, and are less able to withstand milking, leading to minor sores and teat damage. New Zealand research has found that, within two days of stopping teat spraying, the moisture levels in milked teats had dropped to levels normally seen in dry cows. Reduce bacterial numbers

Teat sprays can’t kill all bacteria on teats, but good application leads to lower numbers on teat skin. A study across five dairy farms (using an iodinebased product) found that cows not teat sprayed for a whole lactation had twice as many new infections, higher somatic cell counts and more teat damage than

teat-sprayed herd mates (see Figure 1). Manual vs automated teat sprayers

Some farmers prefer a simple, manually operated ‘garden sprayer’ – others, a pressurised wand or an automated system. Aim for one that regularly achieves good coverage within the first few minutes after milking. With hand-held devices, expect to use 15 to 20 millilitres (ml) per cow per milking. With pressurised wands or automated systems, expect to use 25 to 30ml per cow per milking. Myth: No need to teat spray after Christmas. Busted: Bacteria remain present on teats at any time of year. Teat spraying

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

Figure 1.

is THE most effective measure to prevent new infections. • Learn more about teat

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ANIMAL HEALTH

Get control of BVD in four simple steps ■ David Dymock MSD Animal Health Veterinarian

BVD (BOVINE VIRAL Diarrhoea) is a viral disease of cattle. It is widespread in New Zealand; about half of dairy and beef herds are “actively-infected” with BVD at any given time1. BVD is spread by “persistently-infected” or “PI” cattle. PI cattle are those which were infected with the BVD virus before birth and before their immune system has developed fully and therefore PI cattle never recover from the infection and remain a ‘virus factory’ for the remainder of their (usually short) life. BVD causes pregnancy loss, diarrhoea, milk drop, and reduced growth rates. It also suppresses the immune system, making animals more susceptible to other diseases, such as pneumonia and Salmonella. A herd with BVD infection over mating is estimated to cost affected dairy farmers $87 per cow2 and around $44,440 for a 400-cow farm over 5 years3. Research in New Zealand and overseas shows that it pays to control BVD; it is always more cost-effective to do something than to do nothing4. Moreover, a well-executed BVD control plan will help you achieve other farm goals, like improving animal welfare, reducing antibiotic usage, and improving reproductive performance.

Don’t make BVD and its management complicated on your farm.

It’s easy to make BVD and its management complicated but boiling it down to the bare bones, there are 4 easy steps to remember to ensure that you keep your cattle protected and BVD free. Step 1 – Monitoring your herd:

To determine your herd’s BVD status, monitor by regularly testing the level of BVD antibodies in pooled blood samples or a bulk milk sample. Herd antibody results are reported as “S:P” ratios. The higher the S:P ratio, the more likely that a PI is in contact with the herd or is in the herd5. Checking your S:P ratio 2-3 times per year will help you track changes in your BVD status. If your S:P ratio is 0.75 or greater, or

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

if it has increased significantly since your last test, find and eliminate PIs by virus testing the blood, ear notches or milk of suspect animals. You can also test calves for BVD to help prevent a PI entering your herd, tissue sampling units (TSU) made by Allflex (MSD Animal Health Intelligence) are a user-friendly way to take a skin sample and the same sample may be able to be used for genetic testing as well. Step 2 - PI hunt and removal:

Hopefully, you can skip straight to step 3 but if a PI is suspected then work with your vet to decide how best to conduct a “PI hunt”. If an animal is confirmed to be a PI, it should be culled immediately.

Step 3: Biosecurity:

Hopefully you already have a biosecurity plan developed with your vet but some of the key features of a good plan include: testing all purchased/ leased animals, including service bulls, before they arrive on-farm improve boundary fencing (e.g. double fencing) and manage the use of road-side paddocks when neighbouring stock is nearby spell shared yards and equipment for several days between use for different groups of cattle clean and disinfect boots and equipment when moving from one group of cattle to another Step 4: Vaccination:

Work with your vet

ANIMAL HEALTH

David Dymock

to identify groups of “at-risk” animals, and fully vaccinate them prior to when they could have PI contact. ‘Fully vaccinating’ with BVD means giving two doses of vaccine, 4 weeks to 6 months apart in the first year, then an annual booster for ongoing

protection. Following a third dose (e.g., annual vaccination) BVD provides 12 months fetal protection, the only vaccine in NZ demonstrated to provide fetal protection longer than 6 months. Groups of animals requiring vaccination for BVD control include: • calves/heifers away at grazing with groups of animals of an unknown BVD status • cattle which will having contact with animals of an unknown BVD status over mating or pregnancy • animals with very little BVD antibody (“naïve” herds) and the possibility of contact with animals of an unknown BVD status • all service bulls BVD control is good

REFERENCES • Han, JH et al. (2018). Using Bayesian network modelling to untangle farm management risk factors for bovine viral diarrhoea virus infection. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 161:75-82. • Heuer, C. et al. (2007). Economic effect of exposure of bovine viral diarrhoea virus on dairy herds in New Zealand. J. Dairy Science, 90:5428 -5438. • Han, JH et al (2020). Modelling the economics of bovine diarrhoea virus control in pastoral dairy and beef cattle herds. Preventative Veterinary Medicine 182:105092. • Weir, A. (2016). Epidemiology of BVD in New Zealand dairy herds. Massey University PhD thesis dissertation • Hill, F et al. (2010). Testing of pooled sera to predict the BVDv infection status of cattle. Vetscript. May, 2010:38-39.

for your animals and good for your bottom line. Monitoring the herd, finding and culling PIs, improving biosecurity, and vaccinating at-risk groups of cattle are the steps of

an effective BVD control plan. For more information about BVD control, speak with your vet or visit www. TopFarmers.co.nz for BVD videos, fact sheets and more.

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ANIMAL HEALTH

Animal wellbeing plans – are you getting value? ■ Greg Jarratt Vet and director, Matamata Veterinary Services

FOLLOWING THE LAUNCH of Fonterra’s Co-operative Difference last year, as rural veterinarians we have been involved in the writing and implementation of many of these animal wellbeing plans (AWP’s). These plans form part of the requirement for farmers participating in the 10c/ kgMS premium payment plan and this financial incentive has definitely driven demand for their uptake. At this stage, it certainly appears this new initiative fulfils its primary objective of getting farmers and veterinarians to meet and discuss animal health issues and the impact these issues have on the cows and business as a whole. However, it comes as no surprise that there is a wide range of perceived value surrounding these AWP’s across our client base, with some farmers seeing real value and

taking action while others see it as a ‘tick the box’ type exercise and are reluctant to change. For those that really engage and make the most of this opportunity, they seem to be driven by the following motivators: • Improvement in animal health and welfare • Higher production • Greater profit For those with less enthusiasm there seems to be a real disconnect between linking proactive animal health planning and any of these motivators. The fact is, in any farm situation and system, cows that are both ‘happy and healthy’ require less reactive veterinary intervention, make more milk and produce more profit than cows that are ‘sad and sick’. Referring to an article I wrote for Dairy News back in March 2019, ‘How’s your farm’s food conversion efficiency?’, I discussed

Greg Jarratt

the factors leading to top farmers producing 1 kgMS out of 10 kgDM, while at the other end of this spectrum poorer performers struggled, needing in excess of 20 kgDM for the same outcome! The relevant point is, herds with fewer animal health problems are far more efficient at converting feed to milk. Another important fact to consider is that farm staff – which

themselves represent a scarce resource in the current environment – tend to be far more eager and engaged on farms with better animal health. From our perspective as veterinarians, we also get significantly more job satisfaction out of working alongside clients, adding value to the business and being utilised as an asset to the business rather than being seen as a cost. On this basis, it is fair to say these AWP’s drive value across many areas of the business and represent so much more than an industry-driven PR stunt designed to maintain social licence amongst consumer markets. They represent a win-win and provide a great opportunity to contribute to the overall success of your business. Making the most of this exercise makes good sense, so ask yourself, are you getting value from this initiative?

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

ANIMAL HEALTH

Transitioning towards a smarter spring diet ■ Joe McGrath Technical Manager Ruminant, DSM

TRANSITIONING DRY COWS on a maintenance only, lower energy diet to a high performing lactating animal in a high stress environment is something most New Zealand dairy farmers know something about. But the concept and complexities of transitioning remain for many, often clouded by conflicting information, not always suited to New Zealand’s unique “grass first” approach. Dusting with magnesium oxide is the most common and basic type of transition practiced. The point of magnesium dusting is to ensure the herd receives sufficient magnesium to prevent hypomagnesemia or “grass staggers” that result from lowered magnesium levels in pasture. Often Kiwi farmers will adopt a transition programme aimed at lowering the dietary cation-

Just as a bank account never has an unlimited amount of money, neither does a cow’s body have an unlimited amount of calcium to cash in.

anion difference in the cow’s bloodstream. Commonly called the DCAD diet, this aims to push the cow’s diet into acidic or “negative” levels, by feeding anionic salts, usually in the form of magnesium chloride. The aim of this is to improve the cow’s ability to mobilise calcium from her

skeleton, helping increase the levels in her blood stream and reduce hypocalcaemia or milk fever. However, DCAD transition diets were not developed with New Zealand’s pasture based dairy system in mind and require high proportions of “low cation” feed like maize

silage or soy in them to work effectively. But grass is the highest proportion of a typical kiwi cow’s diet, and it means the cation (positive) level is too high for a DCAD diet to pull down into negative or acidic territory. For a DCAD diet to work, an NZ dairy farmer would

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ANIMAL HEALTH

have to drop his cows’ grass intake to a minimal level (3kgDM per head per day). That is simply not practical, it means the valuable nutrients grass supplies would have to be sourced elsewhere and would be far from cost effective. Furthermore, a DCAD diet with the usual low proportion of grass in it does not provide an external source of calcium to the cow. It only enables her to mobilise the reserve of calcium more efficiently that she holds in her skeleton. Just as a bank account never has an unlimited amount of money, neither does a dairy cow’s body have an unlimited amount of calcium to cash in and push out in the form of milk

every season. A cow will on average lose 500g of calcium from her skeleton every lactation season. This loss can be accelerated over spring-time, not only by the DCAD diet she has been fed prior to calving, but also by the sharp surge in milk production. It is in turn only worsened by a pasture sward that is often eaten before the optimal 30-35 day period when pasture nutrient status is at its peak, including for calcium content. To make matters worse, a cow needs good vitamin D levels sourced from the sun to help absorb calcium, and that sunshine is often lacking in early spring

when her need for it is greatest. Even when she is optimally fed, a cow will remain in calcium deficit for the first six to nine weeks post-calving, with her output in milk well ahead of input. It means she is mining her skeleton, and hopefully gaining some of it back over the late lactation-dry period. But she will typically enter each lactation with lower levels of calcium than the one before. Over time her rumen will slow and become less efficient, she eats less, loses energy, and becomes more susceptible to infection and disease. Ultimately, she will succumb to metritis, infertility, mastitis or lameness

and exit the herd before her time. To help manage the critical transition period so dairy cows have a healthier and more productive lactation, Sollus has developed Tranzsol that enables cows to activate their dietary calcium rather than compromising their skeletal calcium store. Lime-flour combined with a patented form of activated vitamin D (Hy-D) ensures she can receive an effective, regular dose of calcium over transition. Hy-D enables her to absorb that calcium. A Tranzsol-Lactisol diet ensures farmers can unlock that potential with peace of mind that they have happy, healthy cows year in, year out.

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ANIMAL HEALTH

A number of nutritional strategies can be used to mitigate the effects of heat stress.

Heat stress not a seasonal issue ■ Chris Balemi Managing director, Agvance Nutrition Limited

HEAT STRESS IN dairy cattle is probably the most overlooked seasonal problem here in New Zealand. Production drops rapidly as the heat increases, and most farmers simply accept this as a normal seasonal issue that they are powerless to address.

The truth is there are a number of nutritional strategies that can be used in order to mitigate the effects of heat stress. It is a well-known fact that cows generate heat in order to create the energy to produce milk, and during the summer this will be out in the paddock in the heat

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

of the sun. Heat stress in cows occurs when they are producing more heat than they are able to get rid of through sweating, respiration or air regulation. Too much heat in cows can lead to higher levels of stress, which will affect milk production, fertility, as well as increase the risk

of other diseases such as lameness, and can also impair immune function. Untreated heat stress can be fatal, which is why it’s vital to understand the signs of heat stress, and the best ways in which to prevent it. Watch for changes in behaviour, such as seeking

ANIMAL HEALTH

shade, panting, drooling, and standing in water or next to troughs, as signs that your cows may be experiencing heat stress. When cows are suffering heat stress, feed intake is reduced. This will be accompanied by increased panting and drooling culminating in less saliva reaching the rumen, which decreases rumination by disrupting rumen pH. A healthy rumen is needed for milk yield as well as animal health. It is therefore important that during periods of high humidity, ruminant animals are provided with sufficient nutrients to counteract heat stress and maintain strong immunity. By providing your herd with an easily digestible,

Too much heat in cows can lead to higher levels of stress, which will affect milk production, fertility, as well as increase the risk of other diseases such as lameness, and can also impair immune function.

nutrient-packed animal tonic that can be blended easily into their feed or added into their water, you ensure that they have the correct balance in place to mitigate the effects of this summer heat stress. Watch their behaviour

Watch for changes in behaviour, such as seeking shade, a decrease in feed consumption, crowding

together for increased shade, panting, drooling, and standing in water or next to troughs, as signs that your cows may be experiencing heat stress. They may also eat less. With reduced feed intake and an increase in drooling, availability of saliva is reduced which can disrupt the pH of the rumen and lead to acidosis. The act of digestion

in cows creates bodily heat which peaks a few hours after food has been consumed. Much scientific work has been done around the study of heat stress and how to mitigate the issues it creates. Feed additives shown to work well against heat stress are those that promote good rumen pH stability, and include additives such as rumen buffers and live yeast. Other additives that underpin healthy rumen function and immunity that have also shown to be essential are trace minerals such as cobalt, selenium, zinc, and chromium, and seaweed extract has also been well studied to show excellent results.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

MATING MANAGEMENT

Healthy cows are the ticket to stellar reproductive traits COWS THAT SUFFER health problems around the time of calving or in early lactation can suffer reduced reproductive performance. Common health problems include giving birth to twins or stillborns, difficult calvings, retained fetal membranes, vaginal discharges, endometritis, lameness and metabolic diseases (like ketosis, milk fever).

Some health problems, such as retained fetal membranes, affect the reproductive tract directly while others, such as lameness, can affect reproductive performance because they reduce feed intake and so result in body condition loss. Lame cows are also less willing to show heats. To improve cow health, you need accurate records

Health problems around calving or in early lactation can lead to reduced productive performance in cows.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

and a strategic approach to treatment and prevention. Keep records of cows with the following health problems: Twin calving Prevention

There are no practical strategies to prevent twin calvings. Immediate actions

Check for external signs of retained fetal membranes

on the day after calving. If retained membranes are present, treat as described below. Seek veterinary assistance promptly if affected cows go off milk, lose condition, stop eating or look sick. Assisted calving

Any assistance required to deliver the calf. Implement prevention

MATING MANAGEMENT

strategies if more than 2-3% of cows require assistance to calve.

cows go off milk, lose condition, stop eating or look sick.

Prevention

Carefully select AB sires and bulls. Ensure calves and heifers reach liveweight targets. Feed cows and heifers to calve at appropriate body condition score targets. Check nutrition during the late dry period and calving time and control milk fever in cows close to calving. Immediate actions

Closely monitor heifers and cows leading up to calving. Provide appropriate assistance to calve if required. Seek veterinary assistance promptly if affected

Stillborn calf

A calf born dead or which dies within 24 hours of birth is considered stillborn. Implement prevention strategies if more than 4% of calves are stillborn or die within 24 hours of birth. Prevention

Seek professional help. Look at calving conditions and when stillbirths occur. Consider earlier assistance. Review sire selection Immediate actions

Check for external signs of retained membranes on the day after calving. If retained fetal membranes

are present, treat as described below. Seek veterinary assistance promptly if affected cows go off milk, lose condition, stop eating or look sick. Retained fetal membranes

Membranes are visible externally 24 hours after calving. Implement prevention strategies if more than 2% of cows have retained membranes 24 hours after calving.

are close to calving. Consult your vet on whether selenium and vitamin E nutrition is adequate. Immediate actions

On the day after calving, cut membranes off below the vulva. Do not pull or manually remove membranes. Seek veterinary advice promptly if affected cows go off milk, lose condition, stop eating or look sick.

Prevention

Minimise assisted calvings (see above). Prevent access to cypress or pine trees. Feed cows and heifers to calve at BCS targets. Check nutrition during the late dry period and around calving. Control milk fever if cows

Vaginal discharge

Pus discharge from vulva more than 14 days after calving. Implement prevention strategies if more than 1% of cows have discharge more than 14 days after calving. Prevention

Adopt strategies that

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

MATING MANAGEMENT

prevent assisted calvings and retained fetal membranes (see above).

feeding and transition management around calving are on track.

Immediate actions

Seek veterinary advice promptly if affected cows go off milk, lose condition, stop eating or look sick.

Discuss treatment options with your vet. There are options available for treatment for these individual cows.

Endometritis

Cows identified as positive with the Metricheck device, whether treated or not. Implement prevention strategies if more than 10% of the herd are Metricheck positive 4 weeks before mating start date. Prevention

Adopt strategies to reduce other cow health conditions at calving (assisted calvings, stillbirths, retained fetal membranes). Ensure

Should we be metrichecking our cows?

Cows with uterine infections around 4-5 weeks before mating starts have lower conception rates, 6-week in-calf rates and higher not-in-calf rates. Many of these cows have no recorded diseases around calving. Talk to your vet about the best time to check your herd using the Metricheck device. As many cows will self-cure with increasing

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

time post-calving, the timing of checking the whole herd will influence the prevalence of Metricheck-positive cows. The cure rate may be lower in cows with a chronic uterine infection. Treating infected cows, usually with intra-uterine antibiotics, will improve fertility. However, the treatment takes time to work. Ensure all cows with uterine infections are treated at least four weeks before mating start date. This gives the best chance of them getting in calf early in the mating period. Lameness in early lactation

This means cows not bearing their full weight on at least one leg and walking is affected. Implement

prevention strategies if more than 5% of first calvers or more than 5% of older cows become lame between calving and week 6 of mating. Prevention

For more information about managing lame cows and preventing lameness, speak to a Healthy Hoof Provider. Immediate actions

Remove lame cows from the herd and milk once-aday. Treat lame cows promptly and safely. Seek veterinary advice on the correct treatments for different causes of lameness. Ensure that lame cows have easy access to sufficient high-quality feed to minimise body condition

MATING MANAGEMENT

Do a BVD test when all cows have calved and before mating starts.

loss. Move lame cows slowly and graze them close to the dairy. Clinical mastitis

Implement prevention strategies if more than 5% of cows are diagnosed with clinical mastitis during the first 6 weeks of mating. Prevention

Implement SmartSAMM guidelines (available at www.dairynz.co.nz/ SmartSAMM) and seek veterinary advice.

Discuss with your vet what the results mean and what to do next. Consider setting up a BVD control plan for your farm. See www.dairynz.co.nz/bvd for more information. Abnormally cycling cows

There are a number of conditions that will cause cows to cycle irregularly or not at all, for example cystic ovaries. Prevention

Seek veterinary advice on cows with abnormal cycling activity.

Immediate actions

Seek veterinary advice about the causes and treatment of mastitis. Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD)

A viral infection widespread in NZ dairy and beef herds. BVD infection reduces both cow and bull fertility. To assess the presence of BVD in a herd, testing needs to be done. A simple method is bulk milk testing which can be carried out through your vet or herd improvement organisation. This test is best done when all cows have calved and before mating starts. In split calving herds, get two samples taken – before spring and autumn matings.

Other health problems

Seek advice if more than 5% of cows suffer other health problems at calving or in early lactation. Health problems that cause body condition loss in early lactation, for example ketosis, salmonella, Theileria and displaced abomasum’s, can indirectly affect reproductive performance. Other problems such as cystic ovaries, will affect reproductive performance more directly. Seek professional assistance for treatment and prevention when these types of problems occur. See www.dairynz.co.nz/ cow-health for more information. • Supplied by DairyNZ

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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MATING MANAGEMENT

Genetics will maximise OAD milking benefits ONLY 37% OF dairy farms are milking twice a day (TAD) for the whole season¹, as an increasing number of farmers recognise the benefits of flexible milking. Genetics plays a key part in making sure cows are suited to a flexible milking regime. CRV genetics product manager Mitchell Koot says the company’s top selling Friesian, crossbred and Jersey bulls are also OAD sires, indicating their popularity as a tool for future-proofing dairy herds.

“When used year upon year, OAD genetics can help farmers breed a highly productive, long-lasting herd that will meet the demands for herd health, efficiency, and environmental compliance,” says Mitchell. “A good OAD cow needs to be an efficient converter of feed to milk, but with more emphasis on key survival traits, which include udder support and low somatic cells.” CRV uses an index to

indicate a sire’s suitability for OAD milking – the higher the index, the more suitable the sire is for producing cows for a flexible milking system. The index ranks sires on their suitability for OAD based on production, feed efficiency and their progeny’s ability to last in the herd. Assessments are made on key health and efficiency traits including milk solids, somatic cells, body condition score, milking

speed and robustness. Mitchell believes farmers are making the switch to OAD, not only to improve herd health, but also get more work life balance. “We’re seeing many farmers recognising the importance of creating a more attractive workplace for staff, especially given the current labour shortage in the industry. “OAD milking means less time spent in the shed, as well as reduced labour requirements. And

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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MATING MANAGEMENT

CRV genetics product manager Mitchell Koot.

DairyNZ senior scientist Paul Edwards.

if you breed cows suited to that regime, you can do it without compromising on production and profitability. “It also has benefits for the health of your herd by improving cows’ body condition scores, reducing lameness from less walking and getting more cows in calf.” On CRV’s Better Herd podcast, DairyNZ Senior Scientist Dr Paul Edwards talks about his investigations into the milking efficiency of New Zealand dairy farms and flexible milking systems. Within the Flexible Milking project, a farm systems study found that while there were some impacts on protein production in flexible systems (3-in-2), the impact on revenue could be offset when balanced against things like a cow’s longevity in the herd or body condition score going into breeding and the following lactation. His flexible milking study followed a full season twice-a-day herd and a full season herd milking three times in two days. There were also two herds that started twice-a-day milking, one switching to milking three times in two days on December 1 and the other switching on March 1. “We found there was

no significant effect on fat production, but there was an eight percent decrease in protein production for the period milked 3-in-2,” says Paul. “While the reduction in protein equated to around a four percent reduction in revenue, it also led to a six percent increase in body condition score, which can flow through into the next lactation. “This can lead to reduced winter feed costs and outlays on animal health, amongst other things, possibly cancelling out any revenue reduction.” Paul says the beauty of the flexible system is farmers can try it out and see what works for their herd. “In a twice a day system, farmers traditionally used a 5am milking and a 3pm milking, but with flexible milking they could be using a 10, 19, 19 system. So, milking at 5am, 3pm one day and one milking at 10am on the second day. You can slice and dice it how you want.” Paul encourages farmers considering flexible milking to work out what their goals are and focus on what they can achieve with the extra time created. ¹ Inside Dairy - Technical Series, October/November 2021

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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MATING MANAGEMENT

Future herd depends on decisions today The mating decisions you make now will hit the ground in three years’ time – and the question you need to be asking yourself is whether those cows will enable you to maintain or improve the profitability and viability of your farm/s? BREEDING A HERD of highly productive, profitable dairy cows which will satisfy the myriad of drivers – industry, economic, environmental, welfare and regulatory – starts today. Herd productivity

A quick review of the latest Dairy Statistics confirms the productivity of the New Zealand national herd has increased slowly. For example 20 years ago, in the 2001/2002 season, the average cow produced 307kgMS per year; ten years later her daughters and granddaughters were averaging 334kgMS and in the 2019/2020 season the average NZ cow produced 385kgMS. Using that rate of improvement, in five years the average cow will produce around 405kgMS. Will that level of production sustain your farm if, like the Dutch farmers, you are asked to reduce your herd by upwards of 8 percent? And where would you start if you had to cut that percentage of the herd? Would those culling decisions be based on the industry index attached to each cow? Or would you trust your gut – after all, nobody knows your cows as well as you do – and make

Joffre Senados (Gogo) manning afternoon cups on at Belfield Dairies 2, South Canterbury.

an assessment based on ‘will she last more than one lactation?’ Milker-friendly cows

No matter how many cows you milk, cows must be ‘milker-friendly’ – i.e. you want to be able to apply the cups easily, evenly and quickly. Well supported and shaped udders are critical to improving production and health (and reducing costs) through less mastitis and lower SCC so it’s wise to have a ‘wish list’ of attributes in your mind when assessing your cows – and future sires of cows. The ‘ideal’ udder is high, wide and above the hock with good teat placement

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

and length, so the cups sit evenly making for fast and clean milking. Udders aside, temperament is also one of the biggest factors to ‘milkerfriendly’ cows. How many heifers have you culled in the last few years because of temperament alone? A sire overlooked on temperament can be a costly selection in hindsight if you lose one or two on this factor alone. Conformation

A cow needs to walk freely and effortlessly on her feet and legs. The structure of the rump and set of the rear legs, both side and rear, have an enormous effect on the

lifetime of an udder. Have you ever noticed how a cow whose hocks almost touch has a rear udder narrower and lower than other cows? A poor rear udder leads to faster degradation of the udder and ultimately udder breakdown. The rump not only affects the legs and udder but also the calving ability of the cow. With the range of dairy farm systems in New Zealand continuing to increase, farmers will need to select feet and leg traits specific to their system. If you’re planning a herd home, or more intensive system in years to come, you will need cows which are slightly straighter in the leg than

MATING MANAGEMENT

a cow who needs to walk 8km a day. Whatever your management system, there is reliable data regarding lameness today which can give you a genetic leg-up in your breeding scheme and enable you to breed cows which are genetically less inclined to become lame. Thinking of changing to once-a-day milking in the forceable future? Then your future herd needs to have strong udder ligaments, especially the centre ligament. Fortunately, conformation traits overall have a high level of heritability compared with other traits, meaning that focus to improve the conformation of your cows will see benefit in one or two generations. Productive life and ROI

The future cow must be low maintenance with a sustained productive life, the goal being that in two lactations each cow will have returned the investment you made towards breeding and rearing her. Every farmer knows the financial, time and opportunity cost of rearing a heifer replacement. How much does it cost you to rear your replacements? In coming years that cost will increase, applying not only additional financial, but more regulatory restraint, as each heifer reared will be contributing to your stocking rate and the emission outputs of your business. Every farmer knows that the 9 year old cow which has calved eight times is more profitable than one that is culled at her second or third lactation. Why? Because they cost the same to replace. If environmental regulations continue to increase,

the opportunity cost of having a greater number of replacements will also significantly increase – so cows that last longer aren’t only more financially beneficial, they are also beneficial to the environment. Fact : A cow that lasts three lactations is, in most cases, twice as profitable as a cow that lasts two? And a cow that lasts four lactations is three or four times as profitable. In summary

The farm of the future will not be vastly different from today. It will still have the same core expense and revenue streams – however, each will require more attention and efficiency to maintain or improve profit and sustainability. Where breeding in the past may have been an annual ‘tick the box exercise’, going forward it needs to be a continual focus to improve and align your herd with the goals of your operation. Fortunately, the technology behind breeding has evolved significantly to meet the need for tomorrow’s cow to be vastly superior (in every way) from her dam and granddam. The future is promising with improved genomic accuracy, shortened genetic intervals and increasing knowledge around traits and genes specific to health traits like mastitis. The herd you own today is the foundation for the future. Based on your assessment of weaknesses and strengths, how strong is that foundation? And what, if anything, needs to change so your farming business remains viable into the future? •Article supplied by World Wide Sires

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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MATING MANAGEMENT

Improving herd health with numbers ■ Samantha Tennent General manager Welfarm Ltd

Having good data allows us to establish baselines, identify opportunities that may lead to higher productivity and profitability, lower input costs and optimise product use. We can use data to determine our goals to keep moving forward. WHEN WE ARE bogged down in our day to day, sometimes we forget to take a step back and assess our performance and determine where there is opportunity to improve. Improving could save you time and money and give you the ability to focus on other things.

But how do you know what good looks like? And whether you are meeting your herd’s health and welfare requirements? Measuring helps us understand our performance and benchmarking provides context to help us understand what the numbers

actually mean. And having a framework to work with your veterinarian keeps it simple and easy to stay on the ball. And it’s relevant for all types of farmers, whether you’re involved with the day to day management of the herd, own the cows, or

oversee the strategic side of the business. Measuring and benchmarking provides assurance and supports everyone involved with the farm to understand the current situation and where the opportunities are. So, what should we be measuring? And what do

Work with your veterinarians on herd health numbers to keep it simple and easy to stay on the ball.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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MATING MANAGEMENT

we do with the information once we have it? Looking at metrics in isolation doesn’t give us the full understanding, but by bringing herd level metrics together in one place to analyse together we can determine where we need to go from there. Let’s start with reproductive performance. Know what your 6-week in-calf and not-in-calf rates are and how they compare to the targets, remembering not-in-calf rates are relative to how long you mated for. If you’re not achieving targets, this is the perfect area to engage with your veterinarian and other support networks to determine what could be preventing it. The targets are based on real life performance from top performing farms, overlayed with science to demonstrate the value of achieving them. But there is no silver bullet to improvement, it’s the small incremental gains we are aiming for, that will build up each season. If you can improve reproductive performance, management becomes easier and you have more choices with your herds. Underpinning repro, are the body condition scores and health measures. Body condition score targets are talked about a lot, but how many farmers actually focus on achieving them? Farming is a juggle and most are striving for as much production as possible. But a lot of things look after themselves if you can hit the body condition score targets. The evidence has shown over and over, that cows that calve at 5.0 (5.5 for two and three year olds), and lose no more than 1.0 body condition score between

Use your animal health information and talk to your vets.

calving and mating have the best reproductive, health and productive outcomes. A small shift in mindset to make that our focus when it comes to feeding the herd could make all the difference. So, how do we achieve the targets? Start by measuring. Have an accredited assessor score the herd at key times throughout the season. That provides you with live information you can respond to, making your management decisions based on the real situation that has been determined by independent eyes who don’t see the cows every day. It is particularly important in the second half of the season, as the focus should be looking to next season. What you do then will set you up for success, or otherwise. Chasing a dollar could cost you two in the future. But if you can get into the cycle of looking ahead, making decisions for what will pay off next season, you will be ahead and can avoid getting trapped in the production chase. Get your spring calving

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

cows scored early in the new year, match that with their predicted calving dates and work backwards from there. How much condition do they need to put on, how much can they realistically gain, what feed do you have available and what timeframe do they need. This helps determine your next move, should you put them on once-a-day and when should they be dried off to give them enough time. Use your health information too. Talk to your veterinarian. Are there any levels you should be concerned about and what changes could you make to improve the situation. What is your somatic cell count like? How does it change throughout the season? What is the plan for dry-off to help reduce the risk? And what has the incidence of lameness been like? Is the team good at picking up cows early? Locomotion scoring can add real value, in understanding what the level is like, identifying slightly lame cows before they escalate and helping decide if there is a need for extra focus.

Another area with a huge focus all over the world is reducing antimicrobial resistance to benefit animals and humans. And this starts by how we use antibiotics on-farm. Look at your levels from last season, compare them to the benchmarks. Talk to your vet about what you’ve been using them for and what options you have to reduce the need. It all feeds into the puzzle of managing the herd to optimise their productivity and profitability. A happy, healthy herd will give you the best return, cost you the least money, time and stress. And improve your performance and well-being outcomes. And once you are measuring you have the ability to monitor progress and identify trends. With a baseline you can compare performance into the future and determine if you are on the right track or if you need to reassess and try something different. • Still don’t know where to start? Talk to your vet about the WelFarm programme, or find out more on our website www.welfarm.co.nz.

A milk test can tell you more than herd production information.

Set up for success with regular herd testing. Beyond identifying your high producers and helping you understand your herd’s production worth (PW), that drop of milk can check for those underlying issues like Staph aureus and Johne’s disease or check pregnancy status 28 days after mating.

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EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

Healthy waterways, healthy business THERE ARE MANY options available to improve the health of our waterways. This will help you understand what contributes to good water quality and possible actions to take.

Impacts of losing excess nutrients - phosphorous (P) and Nitrogen (N) - to waterways. SOURCES ON FARM

All water in the catchment is connected

A catchment is an area of land, bound by hills or mountains, from which all water running over the land (runoff) flows to the same low point. This low point could be a lake, dam, river or the mouth of the river where it enters the ocean. A catchment also includes groundwater, storm water, wastewater, and waterrelated infrastructure.

POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON YOUR FARM • Loss of income through inefficient use having to increase fertiliser application to compensate for N and P or letting valuable nutrients in effluent go to waste. • Excess plant growth in streams can increase the frequency of flooding and erosion, this comes at a cost when it wipes out fences, riparian plants and introduces weeds on to pasture • Degraded water quality from bad environmental management can negatively impact on international markets and reduce the value of New Zealand milk products.

Dung from stock Phosphate in fertiliser Farm dairy effluent P attached to soil sediment

• Promotes nuisance aquatic plans and algae growth in waterways which degrades water quality, blocks water intakes and makes water unpleasant for recreational activities and drinking.

• Urine and dung from stock • N in fertiliser • Farm dairy effluent

• Promotes nuisance aquatic plants and algae growth in waterways which degrades water quality, blocks water intakes and makes water unpleasant for recreational activities and drinking • Ammonia (a form of organic N) can be toxic to fish and stream insects (fish food) • High concentrations of nitrates in groundwater used for drinking poses a health risk

Catchments are connected by flow of water, meaning what happens to water upstream or on-farm influences water quality downstream. Even temporary streams and channels have an effect on water quality downstream because they typically make up a large volume of water flowing over land. Ground and surface water are connected. It is important to note that groundwater and surface water are also connected and may interact. • Surface water can reach ground water when it

filters through soils to recharge groundwater. • Groundwater can reach surface water when solid rock layers prevent water infiltration downwards. This creates shallow groundwater flows which can reach the surfaces as a spring. Groundwater can also reach surface water if the elevation of the groundwater next to a surface water body is higher than the water level in the stream. This means that nutrients in groundwater have the potential to enter surface water and vice versa.

What is the water quality like in my stream?

Action: Look at the streams on your farm? • Is there excess plant growth in the stream? Remember, plant cover can be good, it tends to be bad if it is clogging a stream bed and there is no exposed gravel or sand visible. • Is there a plume of dirty water if you disturb the stream bed with your foot? • Is any effluent or sediment running into the water from land, bridges, races or culverts? • Is any aquatic life visible? • Do stock have access to the water? • Is there any erosion or slumping of the riverbanks?

POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON WATERWAYS

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

Actions

Be aware of the location of water bodies (e.g. streams, rivers, creeks, drains, ponds and wetlands) on your farm and where they flow. Identify this by: • Having a look around your farm during heavy wet weather events. • Where does the overland flow of the rainwater run? • What are the obstructions to this flow? • Are there any risk areas for sediment loss? • Walk or drive along your waterway in the same direction as the flow, keeping in mind you may need to seek landowner’s

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permission for this if it flows onto other properties • Use online tools to follow the larger streams and rivers that flow from your farm: • Topographic maps www. topomaps.co.nz • Google Maps www.maps. google.co.nz • Online maps on your regional council’s website

Sources and potential impacts of excess sediments SOURCES ON FARM • Slips and hillside erosion • Pugging and trampling • Surfaces of tracks, races and paddocks

Impacts of losing excess sediments and faecal bacteria to waterways

Losses of P are closely linked to losses of sediments and faecal bacteria to water bodies. This is because P tends to be bound to the soil particles in the sediment or sourced from the dung. Therefore, if you have issues with too much sediment and faecal matter in waterways, you may also have an issue with too much P. Esherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria normally live in the intestines of healthy people and animals, the occurrence of E. coli is used as an indicator of faecal matter in waterways. E. coli and enterococci are indicators of human health risk from recreational contact with fresh water and marine water. They indicate the possible presence of pathogenic (disease-causing) bacteria, viruses, and protozoans that also live in human and animal digestive systems. Therefore, their presence in water bodies suggests that pathogenic microorganisms might also be present and that swimming and eating mahinga kai might be a health risk. Faecal matter also has some other water quality implications which are explained in the following

POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON WATERWAYS

POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON YOUR FARM

• Degrades water quality and clarity which makes water unsafe for swimming • Excessive sediment can smother the stream bed, reducing habitat for insects and fish • Excessive sediment can reduce visual feeding efficiency for fish • Excessive sediment can clog fish gills which suffocates fish.

• Excess sediment in streams, which tends to settle on the inside of bends, can: ❱ Affect how flow and cause flooding ❱ Destabilise and increase erosion on the outside bends worsening the issue ❱ Impact on the ability of the drain to function which can lead to flooding • Excess sediment indicates there is erosion somewhere in your property, this will mean increased repair and maintenance cost, eg on scoured races, hillsides and banks. There are also potential vet or stock loss cost from injury or lamness caused by these areas.

Sources and potential impacts of faecal matter (and other bacteria) SOURCES ON FARM • Dung from stock • Farm dairy effluent irrigation

table. It is very likely that central government will require regional councils to set limits around faecal matter concentrations in all New Zealand bodies to amounts that allow secondary contact recreation activities (which includes activities such as fishing and tramping) to still occur. Where are the hotspots for contaminant losses on a dairy farm? Stock – dung and urine

Contaminant: N, P, faecal bacteria and sediment Pathway to water:

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON WATERWAYS

POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON YOUR FARM

• Human health risk from swimming and drinking • Stock health risk if present in stock water

• Water taken for human or stock drinking or milk cooling may need to be treated if there is excess faecal matter or other bacteria.

Runoff, leaching and direct deposition. Signs: Stock on paddocks during wet periods, ponding and overland overflow, collections of dung in areas of a paddock prone to overland flow/flooding, ruts from vehicle movements, slips or slumps, extensive pugging.

to water or directly to water. Effluent accumulating in areas where cows congregate.

Bridges and culverts

Contaminant: N, P, faecal bacteria and sediment Pathway to water: Runoff into water and direct deposition. Signs: Effluent, or water containing effluent, running off to channels that lead

Races

Contaminant: N, P, faecal bacteria and sediment Pathway to water: Runoff into water and direct deposition. Signs: Races in bad repair, with potholes and boggy patches. Water channels scoured into the race, particularly on steep slopes. Effluent, or water containing effluent, running off to surface water. Effluent or material build up, poor drainage.

EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

Irrigation water

Generally, irrigation water is not a source of nutrient loss. Like rain, too much irrigation increases drainage which increases the risk of N leaching. Like rain, irrigation water can increase drainage which increases the risk of N leaching. Oversaturation of soils can also lead to pooling and runoff. Effluent irrigation

Contaminant: N, P, faecal bacteria and sediment Pathway to water: Runoff or leaching. Saturation of soils can lead to pooling and runoff. This can occur for several reasons, for example: if infrastructure is not well maintained, if effluent is applied at a rate

or depth that is too high. Signs: Burst pipes, blocked nozzles, pumps failing, irrigation over or close to water, ponding, ponding of effluent in paddock. Effluent ponds and related infrastructure

Contaminant: N, P and faecal bacteria  Pathway to water: Runoff due to poorly maintained infrastructure, leaching due to unsealed storage.   Signs: Overflow of sump or ponds, pond level lowering without discharge indicates it may be leaking, vegetation on the surface which may cause blockages and system failures. Yards with cracked concrete. Stand-off areas

Contaminant: N, P and faecal bacteria Pathway to water: Runoff or leaching if effluent is not effectively captured Signs: Effluent running off pad, no effluent capture system Crops

Contaminant: N, P, faecal bacteria and sediment, depending on if the crop is grazed or harvested. Winter crops are particularly risky for nutrient and sediment loss. Pathway to water: Runoff, leaching and erosion from stock, fertiliser applications, cultivation and harvesting activities. Signs: Effluent or sediment running off into water during grazing off crop. Heavy rain washing

soil off cultivated areas. Build-up of dung or disturbed soil in areas with the potential to run off. Stock on paddocks during wet periods, ponding and overland flow, collections of dung in areas of a paddock prone to overland flow/ flooding, ruts from vehicle movements, slips or slumps, extensive pugging. Supplements feed storage

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

Keeping your effluent system running well ■ Michael Prestidge Michael Prestidge is Nevada effluent management specialist MAINTAINING A HEALTHY effluent pond or effluent tank is essential in keeping your effluent system running smoothly, maximising nutrient

values, and for council compliance. The good news is, it’s simple and easy to do by implementing a few best practices in your routine.

Maintain a healthy effluent pond or tank and you will be rewarded.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

Emptying the pond

The effluent pond or tank should be emptied at the end of milking season. This maximises the amount of storage available to

take you through calving. A storm water diverter is also recommended. You shouldn’t need to be irrigating during this time, and it will take some

EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

pressure off staff. Emptying your effluent pond annually is important not only for maximising capacity, but also to ensure the nutrients are being used in a timely manner and not degrading in storage. Some regional councils require proof of annual emptying for consent to be granted. Note: Don’t completely

and their nutrient value will degrade. This will also impact storage capacity and put additional pressure on your pump. Spreading

Once the pressure is off from calving, and the ground is ready to take in some nutrients, it’s time to go hard and get spreading.

When Reliability Matters. When Reliability Matters.

Keeping on top of weed spraying around the pond, pump and stirrer is also important to prevent seeds from entering and getting spread out to pasture. empty the pond – leave 200-300mm to hold down the lining. Maintenance

An empty pond is a good opportunity for a visual check to make sure there’s no damage to the lining or obvious leaks. For rubber lining, pay attention to the joins where it has the potential to pull apart. Keeping on top of weed spraying around the pond, pump and stirrer is also important to prevent seeds from entering and getting spread out to pasture. Stirring

Keeping the effluent well stirred is essential. The pond/storage should be stirred prior to pumping. With the right set-up this will ensure solids are kept in suspense, and therefore able to be pumped out. We’d recommend a shoremounted horizontal stirrer, and this needs to be the right length and positioned correctly for maximum effect and efficiency. Without adequate stirring, solids will accumulate at the bottom of the pond

It can be a good idea to spread under maize and other crops as well as out to pasture. Maximising spreading over November and December can also be a good idea to allow for some time off over the Christmas/ New Year period. Keep a vigilant routine over summer. Not only is this a great way to keep crops and pasture irrigated, it makes it easy to empty the pond again in Autumn. Problem Ponds/Tanks

While the above best practices should keep most effluent ponds and storage healthy, for various reasons some need a little extra help. If your effluent pond is still particularly smelly or crusty, adding an organic treatment like PondBugs can work to promote biological activity. They are like a multi-vitamin for your pond, helping to digest the organic matter, making the effluent more consistent, better for pumping, and providing a faster release of nutrients back into the soil when spread.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

The average cow produces about $25 worth of nutrients annually as effluent.

Applying the right amount of effluent at the right time GOOD EFFLUENT MANAGEMENT is a combination of having a well-designed effluent system and processes for people that make sure the effluent the system collects is applied to pasture in the right amount at the right time. On-farm benefits of good effluent management include: • Fertiliser savings • Improved soil condition • Prevention of animalhealth issues • Compliance with council

rules or resource consent. Making good effluent irrigation decisions

The key to good decision making is understanding the soil water deficit. It is essential to prevent ponding and run-off and to avoid applying effluent to saturated soils. Soil water deficit is the amount of water (effluent) which can be applied to the soil before it reaches field capacity. Field capacity refers to the amount of water held in the soil after

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

excess water has drained away. If effluent is added at field capacity it will likely result in ponding, runoff or leaching. Effluent spreading

New Zealand’s dairy farms produce large quantities of nutrient-rich effluent which are captured from milking sheds, holding yards, feed pads, standoff pads, and animal shelters. The average dairy cow produces about $25 worth of nutrients annually as farm dairy effluent (FDE). For

a 400 cow dairy herd this represents about $10,000 of nutrients annually. Using effluent to supplement fertiliser presents an opportunity to capitalise on a cost-effective nutrient resource while improving whole farm nutrient use efficiency. Effluent is commonly grouped into three broad categories based on dry matter (DM) content: liquids (0–5%), slurries (5–15%) and solids (over 15%). Application of effluents is

EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

typically via land. Effluent spreading calculator

The DairyNZ Farm Dairy Effluent Spreading Calculator (app or Excel spreadsheet) allows farmers to easily calculate nutrient loadings and application rates for dairy effluent based on a number of customisable inputs. You can download the app or the spreadsheet to help you determining your effluent nutrient loadings from the Managing and Operating Effluent Systems webpage at dairynz.co.nz/ effluent, or look for ‘FDE Calculator’ in the App store. Irrigation application systems

Keeping on top of maintenance tasks for irrigation application equipment is essential for good performance and many farmers like to keep a regular check on their application depths and rates. DairyNZ has a guide to managing farm dairy effluent and guides to applying effluent through irrigation online at www. dairynz.co.nz/effluent. Our irrigation guides take farm staff through the important aspects of operating and maintaining irrigation systems. They include tips, troubleshooting advice, and an explanation of how to measure application depth and rates. • Supplied by DairyNZ

New Zealand’s Dairy Effluent Management Specialists 0800 464 393 | nevadagroup.co.nz

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

Good for your herd, good for the environment ■ Greg Hamill LIC Genetics Business Manager

WHILE THE ENVIRONMENTAL pathway may look daunting, the fundamental principle of genetic improvement can have a big impact. When something looks insurmountable, you need to break it down into manageable pieces for the outcome to be achieved. Unfortunately, when it comes to what dairy farmers need to do to comply with environmental requirements, it’s not that easy to break down into chunks: Nobody really knows exactly what is required or by when – we just know it’s coming. Dairy farmers are likely to face significant changes in the next few years that are going to impact the way we farm. The unknown can be quite daunting. He Waka Eke Noa: We know that by 2025 all farmers will be including in their plans commitments to ‘climate change mitigation’ and ‘adaptation in their farm business and environment’ – which essentially means farmers will be calculating net greenhouse gas emissions and be incentivised to act on climate change. In 2019, the Climate Change Response Amendment Act set into

When it comes to what dairy farmers need to do to comply with environmental requirements, it’s not that easy to break down into chunks.

law a domestic 2050 target: Net- zero emissions of all greenhouse gases (other than biogenic methane) by 2050. There is also an increased awareness of animal welfare issues centred on bobby calves, polled, and heat-resistant genes. While there is a tremendous amount of research going on to enable farmers to achieve the future goals that focus on environment and animal welfare, there doesn’t appear to be many tools in the toolbox in the

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

here-and-now. However, an oftenoverlooked tool that has a big impact is the fundamental principle of genetic improvement. Not only does this have a positive effect on farm profitability, but it contributes greatly to a better environmental footprint. Breeding from your best animals is easy to do and it’s available in the here- and-now. As reported in LIC’s sustainability report, 30 years of breeding by dairy farmers using LIC genetics has netted a 13% drop in

methane emissions and 16% less urinary nitrogen per kilogram of milksolids produced. High genetic merit animals are more environmentally efficient because they partition a greater proportion of their feed eaten into milksolids and less into waste. The report also states that for each additional $10BW advantage, an animal typically has 2g less enteric methane and 1.7g less urinary nitrogen per kilogram of milksolid production. So, while the environmental pathway may look daunting or even insurmountable at present, we can all focus on the first step and chunk it down into what we can do now. For example, with LIC’s Premier Sires Forward Pack teams having a breeding worth advantage over its traditional Daughter Proven contemporaries of between $18BW and $30BW, if you were to elect Forward Pack you’d be committing to making environmental improvement through the genetics that you’d retain in your herd. And more and more farmers are doing just that. Good for their herd, good for the environment.

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EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

Be on top of water management as dry weather sets in AFTER FARMING THROUGH one of Northland’s toughest droughts in the 2020 season, Wellsford dairy farmer Guy Bakewell knows the importance of efficiently managing his farm’s water use. Guy is 50/50 sharemilking his herd of 150 cows on 80ha. While he moved the herd to oncea-day milking during the dry period, he says they are now back up to milking twice a day this season, producing around 50,000kgMS. “We have had a really good spring, which has enabled us to harvest a lot of grass silage and get crops in the ground to make sure we had feed ready for the summer,” says Guy. In a region increasing prone to dry periods, he says farmers are adapting and making sure they are prepared. For Guy, that’s also meant looking at his water management. “In the last week or so it’s started to feel like it’s drying out again as

the temperatures rise. That’s when good water management is crucial. Naturally, the cows’ demand for water only increases as the temperature rises,” says Guy. “Not having water in the paddocks can be worse than underfeeding in terms of managing their health and keeping the milk flowing.” In the middle of the 2020 drought, he installed two Gallagher Water Flow Indicators on his farm to ensure there were no complications with water supply to his stock. The product was developed in partnership with Gisborne farmer inventor Murray Jones to save time by finding leaks faster. “We source our water from the local river,” explains Guy. “I’ve got four land blocks with multiple road crossings that cut through

our property, which can cause complications for our water supply. “I installed the indicator in my main water source system because I’m constantly going past that point on the farm. “I need to be able to see if the water is flowing through at a steady rate. With the flow indicator, I can go straight to the pump, check the unit and know within seconds if I have an issue.” The indicator is made up of a clear piece of piping, with an impellor in the middle of it. The impellor spins as water flows through the system, showing any

irregular water flow, water direction and speed. The indicator has proven its worth numerous times for Guy, who says it has shown up leaks, indicating water is flowing when it shouldn’t be and helping him to use his water most efficiently. “I will probably look at putting a few more in this summer, which will help isolate any leaks even faster. In some areas of the farm, I am still using taps, so even if I see water is flowing, I have to go through the process of turning off taps to figure out where it’s going. “I like being proactive rather than reactive and keeping on top of our water use. When you get dry summers like we do up here in Northland, it’s more important than ever to make sure you’re not wasting the valuable water you have.”

Wellsford dairy farmer Guy Bakewell believes in efficient water management.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

Brace for more days of soil moisture deficits The numbers don’t lie – it’s more important than ever to be planning for hotter and drier summers, writes DairyNZ’s Chris Glassey. UPPER NORTH ISLAND farmers have been saying for quite some time that summers and autumns are becoming drier, warmer, and more variable. DairyNZ researchers recently found evidence that it’s true. NIWA climate data from the last 45 years shows that, compared with 45 years ago, farmers can expect an extra 30 days on average of soil moisture deficits that restrict pasture growth from November to April. This adds weight to the importance of planning contingencies for dry summer risk, as outlined below. Critical steps for summer preparation Run the first six months of lactation well

July to December is the most reliable period of pasture growth and milksolids production. Key elements are an early compact calving, meeting body condition score targets at calving, keeping high pasture quality throughout spring and into summer by achieving target grazing residuals, and early identification and harvesting of surplus pasture. Transfer adequate amounts of spring pasture or crop forward into

Aim to have a core group of cows still in milk in case rainfall events arrive that buck the trend.

Chris Glassey, DairyNZ

summer months as wellstored high-quality silage, summer crop, and highquality pasture (by lengthening rotations as summer approaches). Do a pre-summer feed inventory assessment

Have you transferred forward an adequate amount feed? e.g. this could be enough feed to supplement for 50 days at 3kg dry matter (DM)/cow. Should you order additional affordable feed? Update your financial budgets as well as feed budgets. Reduce feed demand from the herd

Remove definite culls from the herd early in summer. Reducing the herd by 10% should provide an additional 1-2kg DM/cow/ day for remaining cows, at

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

EFFLUENT & WATER MANAGEMENT

low cost. Also, plan early pregnancy tests so more culls can be removed later in summer, if necessary. Reduce milking frequency – the earlier in summer the better

Reducing from 14 to 10 milkings/week has minimal impact on production but saves time in weekends and holidays and is a step towards once-a-day (OAD). See dairynz.co.nz/flexiblemilking Long periods of OAD milking in summer and autumn can help preserve body condition score, with an extra 0.25 evident at drying off. In the long term, this saves feed. Reduced milking frequency also helps the herd and staff to cope better

It’s more important than ever to be planning for hotter and drier summers.

with periods of heat and humidity. See dairynz.co.nz/ heat-stress A final note

Despite the trend

towards more frequent dry periods, stay optimistic. Aim to have a core group of cows still in milk in case rainfall events arrive that buck the trend.

• Read more about long-term summer-autumn rainfall and pasture growth trends in Central Waikato at bit.ly/pasture-growthtrends

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

AGRIBUSINESS

The rising costs of meeting industry standards COSTS ARE ON the up on Owl Farm, the demonstration farm owned by St Peter’s Cambridge – run as a joint venture with Lincoln University. However, actively planning for the future and making sure any plans tie in firmly with the goals outlined in their “wagon wheel” framework is ensuring that they maintain their profitability in an ever-changing industry. The “wagon wheel” (see image right) is core to planning and monitoring on Owl Farm. It is a simple tool for visualising the farm’s KPIs in different areas and allows the team to focus on those they have identified as core to their business. Their vision is to demonstrate excellence in farm performance while creating a sustainable future. Profitability is fundamental to staying in business, but equally, taking care of their animals and the environment, providing a quality workplace, and meeting community expectations are also central to the way they operate and have an impact on their decision-making process. A recent analysis of their current and future business costs has given the team a good feel for how they are progressing, and the impact of their plans on Owl Farm’s future profitability.

and meeting basic fertiliser, cropping and regrassing requirements. When well managed under this system, the business is predicted to produce 175,000 kgMS at a cost of $4.09/kgMS. Rising Input Costs

This takes into account the impact of increasing costs, including inflation. This season increasing costs are likely to have a larger impact than in a typical year, and look set to add an extra $33,300 of costs to the budget ($0.19/kgMS). The main areas affected are labour costs, supplement and fertiliser prices, and fuel and freight costs. Increasing Industry Standards

They use DairyBase as a benchmarking tool and the 2020/21 analysis showed Owl Farm’s farm working expenses (FWE) were $4.60/kgMS. The top 20% Waikato farmers’ operating profit was $4.62/kgMS. They produced 1228 kgMS/ ha and 440 kgMS/cow. Their 2021/22 budget provides an in-depth breakdown of where they are investing their funds and the outcomes they aim to achieve in each of the key areas identified in their wagon wheel. They have divided their goals up into categories, each with

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

an attendant impact on their cost of production (see diagram p83). Baseline

The first category, Baseline, encompasses the costs of running a well-managed, compliant business in an effective and efficient way, with the main emphasis on achieving profitability, without focusing on environmental or animal wellbeing outcomes. It includes the costs of, for example, purchasing the supplements needed to achieve production targets,

The third category is where Owl Farm is meeting the wagon wheel KPIs, cementing their licence to operate and remain profitable in the more stringent regulatory times ahead of them. Jo Sheridan, Owl Farm’s demonstration manager, is keen to encourage farmers to take a proactive look at this area on their farm. “There is anxiety in the industry about what regulations will mean for the viability of farm businesses, but we feel that as long as farmers prepare early, there is scope to still operate profitably, and room for optimism about the future.”

AGRIBUSINESS

Investment to meet increasing industry standards will be an ongoing cost for the farm, but they are looking for a win:win situation, where the strategies they implement will also provide financial benefits. Included in this category are: investing in promoting clover growth with a resultant decrease in nitrogen inputs; DNA sampling the calves; using sexed semen and offsetting the cost by reducing the replacements reared and selling excess stock; using chicory and supplements to feed calves optimally so they meet target liveweight gains which has the knock-on effect of meeting reproductive and production targets and decreasing replacement numbers, and also decreasing the farm’s environmental footprint; and staffing and technology investments to achieve a 45 hour week and meet Workplace 360 goals which will reduce recruitment and animal health costs. The changes in this category are budgeted to cost about $117,030 ($0.67/kgMS). It is expected that many of the strategies which are included in this category,

and their costs, will become part of business as usual for Owl Farm. This is why they have focused on debt reduction and improving business resilience. They have updated their long term FWE target ($4.60/kgMS) to reflect the rising cost of meeting industry standards. And they are driven to ensure the farm continues to deliver across all its financial metrics.

Future Proofing

The strategies included here may not have associated benefits in cost reduction or increased profitability, but are considered to be part of meeting the wagon wheel KPIs and fulfilling the farm’s demonstration role. As Tom Buckley, Owl Farm’s farm manager notes, “Owl Farm is responsible for showcasing our great industry and providing

leadership”. This year’s excellent payout is allowing the team to tackle some of their discretionary farm goals without jeopardising the business’s financial health. These strategies include investing in cow wearable technology for improved cow efficiency, introducing plantain into pasture swards, and planting ecologically diverse areas and trees for shade. This category of strategies is budgeted to cost $46,700 ($0.27/ kgMS). Drilling down into the costs in this amount of detail has given the Owl Farm team the ability to move forward confidently into the future and is a worthwhile exercise for all farmers to undertake. More information about each of the strategies and their outcomes, which will be regularly updated, can be found on the farm’s new website www.owlfarm. nz and through attending Farm Focus Days.

Owl Farm, a demonstration farm owned by St Peter’s Cambridge is run as a joint venture with Lincoln University.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

AGRIBUSINESS

Lessons from M.bovis ■ Kevin Forward Head of Traceability OSPRI

NEW ZEALAND’S CURRENT animal traceability system compares favourably to its overseas counterparts, but we know there is more work to do to make it fit for purpose and easy to use. Farmers rely on us to provide the tools and information they need to help reduce their on-farm biosecurity risk and manage disease. Much like Covid-19, having an accurate, up-to-date, and reliable animal tracing system plays a vital role

in limiting the impact of a disease outbreak and maintaining market access. We want farmers to see the value in being able to trace the history of their animals and to help them make better on-farm management decisions around their livestock and health. Since the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak, farmers have told us that the NAIT system is difficult to use. We have taken on board this feedback and are now working with our

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

stakeholders to stabilise our national traceability scheme. This includes investment in technology to deliver a fit-for-purpose information system that will be easy to use, with better interoperability, so farmers only have to enter their livestock data once. OSPRI has also implemented a new organisational structure and operating model that makes it quicker and easier for farmers to get the support they need. We have rolled out NAIT workshops

alongside our regional partners and industry stakeholders and these events have been well received. In 2022, we are introducing new standards and an audit and accreditation framework to improve the quality-of-service farmers receive from third-party providers and the quality of livestock data entered in the NAIT system. Our intention is to give confidence to farmers that organisations handling and managing their NAIT

AGRIBUSINESS

data have been scrutinised and meet industry-agreed standards, leading to better outcomes for them and the wider industry. Today, there are over 14 million animals registered in the NAIT system and that is testament to the majority of farmers and lifestyle block owners choosing to do the right thing by their neighbour and industry, by keeping their NAIT accounts up to date. Lessons from M. bovis

The M. bovis outbreak has undoubtedly been a catalyst for improving the performance of the NAIT scheme. It is vital farmers can understand and have the tools at their disposal to meet their NAIT obliga-

tions. An independent report into the M. bovis response highlighted the challenges of tracing animals against previously low levels of NAIT non-compliance, data accuracy and technology barriers within the wider industry. Poor and incomplete NAIT records compromised the initial M. bovis response, significantly increasing the time and resources required to trace and eliminate the disease from infected stock. OSPRI acknowledges these findings and welcomes the role we can play in building a stronger and more resilient biosecurity system. The economic costs and emotional toll on farmers dealing with

this disease has been profound and highlighted the necessity for effective traceability. Since the M. bovis outbreak, farmer compliance with NAIT has improved and is at record highs, thanks to a concerted approach of NAIT education, stakeholder engagement, and a sustained compliance drive led by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI). Over 91% of animals are NAIT registered prior to their first movement off-farm – that’s up from 52% in 2018. This demonstrates the changing sentiment around the value of traceability and a realisation that it can protect your livelihood, community, and your industry.

OSPRI is building on this momentum by increasing our regional footprint through community-based engagement, enabling our farmer committees and regional partners to support stakeholders and farmers more readily with meeting their NAIT obligations. We know animal traceability is important to farmers – of the 76,000 calls to the OSPRI Support Centre in the past 12 months, 75% were NAIT related. While this is great progress in terms of farmer engagement with NAIT, we are still seeing over 15,000 NAIT animals being moved unregistered each fortnight. For OSPRI and most farmers this is unacceptable and creates a significant risk of disease spread.

Sustainability. It’s not just good for the planet, it’s good for business Consumers and communities around the world are demanding improved sustainability and environmental performance from their food producers. It can open up opportunities for your business. It’s time to make the most of those opportunities. Talk to your Rabobank Agribusiness Manager about making your business more sustainable both commercially and environmentally.

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

PEOPLE

Managing NZ’s most talented workforce Dairy Women’s Network supports Commitment #5 of the Dairy Tomorrow strategy: building great workplaces for New Zealand’s most talented workforce. We want to attract new talent to the industry, create workplaces for our people that provide opportunities for growth, development and reward, and grow leaders for the industry. WHEN WE THINK about the basics of farming, we usually think of things like calving, calf rearing, mating, milking – all on-farm events and processes that are unquestionably vital to the success of the farm business. These events create the story of New Zealand’s dairy industry and leading export. But at the heart of that story is people. People are both our scarcest resource and our most valuable, underpinning the success of any business. Our industry is facing a rapidly changing business landscape along with many challenges at the moment, from team shortages to new regulations and increasing requests for transparency from our consumers, creating a time of undeniable uncertainty. But without people, our industry would not be in the place it is today, let alone prepared to tackle these challenges in the future. Whether you’re working with a partner in a team of two, or have a farm team of ten, taking care of your team and yourselves means that both you and your employees are more engaged with your farm

Jenna Smith, chief executive of Pouarua Farms (second from right), with some members of her farm team at a DWN Calf Rearing Expo.

business, resulting in productivity, profitability, reduced staff turnover and a resilient business. Like any other industry, people are attracted to successful businesses. But are we achieving this? While things like health and safety management have remained positive across the industry, the number of employees who plan to stay in the dairy industry after 3 years is declining. And with the number of people who would recommend working in the industry also decreasing – possibly due to the pressure of staff shortages and increasing policy changes – what we don’t want are more people

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

following the same path. Employee engagement comes down to creating a workplace where your team feel taken care of and valued for their contribution to the success of your farm, through open communication channels and prioritising your people as much as you would the cows in the paddock. If you’re leading a team, it’s about understanding the reasons behind a change in behaviour or performance from an otherwise great employee, or taking the time to listen to small operational suggestions and discussing the effect they could have on lifestyle, team performance and your farm’s outputs.

And those steps don’t just apply to full farm teams; if you’re contract or sharemilking with a partner, it’s just as important to create those spaces for yourselves and differentiate between the house or the milking shed. Another step employers can take towards building a strong team and resourcing for the future is through supporting future aspirations and goals of new employees in the industry, encouraging good practices and prioritising training for people when they’re less confident about different tasks, both on and off-farm. And the reality is also that whether you’re farming alone or with a partner,

PEOPLE

an employer, manager or on a farm team, your team extends far beyond the gate. Rural professionals are in a unique position in the industry to offer support, suggest solutions to some major challenges, encourage creative problem solving and help with the learning and upskilling of your team, whether it’s from your accountant, business advisor, Fonterra or organisations like Federated Farmers, DairyNZ and Dairy Women’s Network. Often we can feel pressure to immediately understand everything involved in the industry from how to comply with new policy changes to completing a Farm Environment Plan, but by calling on the expertise of

different rural professionals you can build a team with the specific knowledge needed to confidently tackle new scenarios. And don’t forget Agri service providers, or organisations like Xero, Figured and PaySauce. DWN’s Network Partners are always available when you have questions about their technology, or contracts, payroll or rosters. We’ve joined forces with them this year to bring you some online webinars about office technology and how to move the focus back to our people in the industry. You can find these at any time on our website. The responsibility of looking after people generally goes hand in hand with the responsibility of

a farm business. So it can also help to change your mindset and think about what you need to do to ensure the future success of your business – we guarantee it will come back to your people. Ultimately, the best recruitment team for your farm is your own team. What you put into any person involved in your business you get back in productivity and a great culture that can help to retain great employees or attract new talent when it’s needed, getting our numbers up and generating a positive story about New Zealand’s dairy industry. In summary:

People underpin every business. By taking care

of yourself and your team, you are ensuring the future success of your farm from a business perspective. Prioritise your team. It can be as simple as opening communication channels and taking a few minutes to check in, or by offering training and development opportunities to ensure they are confident with all aspects of the farm and business. Whether you’re farming with a team or yourself and your partner, you’re part of our people. Work can often follow us home, especially in our industry, so create defined roles between home and the farm business to keep your focus where it needs to be at any time. • Article supply by Dairy Women’s Network

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PEOPLE

Reducing Covid on-farm – what you need to know COVID-19 OR INDEED any illness on farm could affect your health and disrupt how your team can carry out your daily routines. There are a few things you and your farm team can do to reduce the risk of Covid, help stop its spread, and minimise disruption on your farm. Protecting yourself and others

Getting vaccinated is the best way to reduce the risk of Covid on-farm. It helps protect you, your team, your family and the wider community. If you or another farm team member gets sick, stay home and if you have Covid-like symptoms, get tested. Staying away from work helps stop the spread not only of Covid, but of

other common illnesses like the flu which can leave you understaffed. Your farm team should also be following good hygiene practices, maintaining physical distancing and wearing face coverings where appropriate, keeping track of where they’ve been, and have cleaning processes in place. What happens if Covid gets on farm?

If your farm doesn’t have a plan for how to manage Covid should one of your team test positive, now is a good time to raise this at your next staff meeting. Planning ahead will mean that everyone understands what to do, and feels protected. There are also a range of other situations your

plan might be helpful in – for example, if a staff member has an accident, or if a local disaster strikes and some staff can’t get to work. If someone on the farm does test positive for Covid, the Medical Officer of Health from your local District Health Board will decide whether they can self-isolate on farm, or if they need to go to hospital or into quarantine somewhere else. Your farm will also need to notify your milk processor promptly if there is a Covid case, so they can put precautions in place for their drivers. Your milk processor will work with you to establish a plan for milk collection. If the Covid-positive person can be removed from the milking shed,

Getting vaccinated is the best way to reduce the risk of Covid and minimse disruption on farms.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

normal processes can be followed. You’ll also need to thoroughly clean and sanitise surfaces where that person may have been, and which a tanker driver has contact with. What to include in a Covid plan

Your farm plan for managing Covid should include: • How you would cover for anyone who is unable to work. We know Covid can have significant health effects even for vaccinated people • High risk areas where the chances of transmission between staff could occur (for example morning tea or toilet areas) • How you can reduce the risk of transmission, particularly in high risk areas • How you can manage staff to reduce the risk of transmission – for example through rostering • What farm tasks are vital and what can be dropped • Key contact information in case your farm owner, manager or a key team member can’t work. Once you have a plan, then make sure everyone understands how it works in case your farm owner or manager becomes sick, and let any new staff know about it. DairyNZ has a sample template you can use to develop your farm’s plan, and advice on managing and avoiding Covid online at dairynz.co.nz/covid.

THE BENEFITS OF 100% NATURAL GYPSUM

Gypsum application is a standard practice worldwide for addressing the build up of sodium in soils, including soils receiving waste waters. Gypsum is one of those rare materials that performs in all categories of soil treatment: an amendment, conditioner and fertiliser. It is useful in the transition period in dairy cows 2 – 4 weeks pre & post calving, and can be used as an anionic salt to counteract the effects that high potassium & sodium concentrations have on increasing hypocalcemia. Gypsum, a readily available form of calcium, is 100 times more soluble than lime and is more suitable for the digestive system during this period.

Gypsum in fertilising Soil tests throughout New Zealand shows sulphur deficiency is wide spread. Although often overlooked, sulphur is needed in at least equal quantities to phosphorus. Many responses in crops are sulphur due to the sulphate radical (SO4--). • Readily dissociates into free calcium ions (Ca++) and sulphate ions (SO4--), major elements in plant nutrition • Has an approximately neutral pH and can be used in heavy applications without causing undue alkalinity in soils

Gypsum in water savings

• Promotes water infiltration, retention and conservation • Allows water to penetrate the soil without forming puddles or water logging • Conserves water by stretching intervals between irrigations • Tests show that farmland treated with gypsum requires up to 33% less water than soils without recent gypsum application

How Does Gypsum Work?

Gypsum is hydrated calcium sulphate. Calcium from gypsum replaces sodium in the soil. The sulphate allows the sodium to be effectively leached out of the soil. The soil then has more ability to flocculate and form stable aggregates to improve drainage and soil quality. Na+ Na+ Ca++ leached Soil Cation Soil Cation CaSO4 + ➔ + Na2SO4 Exchange Exchange

Gypsum in soil conditioning

• Breaks up soils compacted by sodium and clay, and compounded by farm animals and machinery • Reduces cracking and compaction following irrigation and retards soil crusting • Allows soil to dry more quickly after rain or irrigation so that it may be worked sooner • Decreases energy requirements for tillage • Binds organic matter to soil and checks soil erosion • Enhances friendly bacterial action and discourages plant diseases related to poor soil aeration • Conditioned soil allows for deeper, healthier root development and water penetration

Gypsum in amendment

• Displaces sodium binding clay soils • Reduces high soil aluminium levels • Suppresses the soil acidification effects of growing crops and the prolonged use of acidifying fertilisers

For more about Natural Gypsum and soil stabilisation visit gypsum.co.nz

PEOPLE

Plan next season’s recruitment now DAIRY FARMERS SHOULD be planning staff recruitment now for next season, as the industry continues to face staff shortages with competition high among employers. Perrin Ag senior consultant Mark Williams says many dairy farmers don’t plan their recruitment well and end up rushing the process. That can spell trouble down the track. “If you know you will be recruiting for the 2022-23 season, you should be spending time now getting your ducks in a row and advertising soon. If you’re looking for a new sharemilker or contract milker, you may have missed the boat. “Give yourself the best chance of catching the highest calibre candidates, who will already be making plans. If you leave it too late, you’ll hurriedly place an ad and find yourself interviewing people with scraps of paper and then

Employers must do their homework before they even put together a job ad or choose where to advertise.

wonder why it doesn’t work out.” Mark encourages employers to do their homework before they even put together a job ad or choose where to advertise.

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

How do you farm, and why?

Consider your farm system and farming goals. This will tell you a lot about the type of person you’re looking for. “Most job ads provide

detail about physical things like farm size, cow numbers and shed set-up,” says Mark. “But often they can be vague or there is not enough information about the type of operation being

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run, and the farm owner’s values. Make it clear what you do and why do you do it.” While it’s important to stand out from the rest, don’t overpromise. Mark has seen many ads that talk up the job to the extent where it’s almost too good to be true. “There is no farm that is as good as some of the ads I’ve read,” he says. “This can lead to a misalignment in expectations between employers and employees.” Tailor your agreement

Employment contracts should be tailored to your specific operation and have a farm policy and review process built in as an appendix. “It‘s too easy to copy and paste standard industry agreements,” says Mark. “They are great as a starting point, but they don’t cover the nuances of specific operations. Often people fill in the bare minimum by ticking the boxes because they hate the process. But then issues arise because you’ve got no farm policies, nothing is written down, it’s too vague or simply says ‘as required’. “That’s when conflict arises. Too many times, the farm policy is communicated verbally as the season progresses. You don’t want to get to the 30th September and then have a conversation about how mating is going to work.” Once you’ve done your homework, Mark suggests FarmSource and SEEK as the best places to advertise. And don’t forget to tap into your personal and rural professional networks for recommendations. Plan your interview process

Having a plan for tackling the interview

process will help you assess each candidate in a consistent way so you can compare apples with apples. “Conducting phone interviews with your shortlist can help you identify 3-4 you think are worthy of an interview in person. Have consistent questions for each one and a scorecard for marking them,” says Mark. Give candidates a copy of any contract or appendices well before the interview to help them get a clear picture of the job being offered, remove any ambiguity and help them make an informed decision. “Don’t be scared to give them lots of information. If I was going for an interview, it would be a positive sign that the farm owner is a good operator. “Then the interview is about seeing how well they’ve digested that information and getting their thoughts on how they could help you achieve your goals.” Check references thoroughly

Once you’ve chosen your preferred candidate, checking references is essential. Make sure they have provided at least one recent employer in their reference list. “If they can’t do that, or if you suspect their references are friends or colleagues from previous jobs, alarm bells should ring.” The people you have looking after your farm will make or break your business. Finding a team that’s the right fit is a challenging and competitive business. While getting your recruitment process right takes time and effort, it is an investment that will pay dividends.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

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MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

First impressions will usually give a good guide to previous use.

PHOTO COURTESY OF GILTRAP AGRIZONE

Buying used tractors – do your homework ■ Mark Daniel Machinery Editor Rural News Group

THE COVID CRISIS continues to disrupt global shipping and the fact that the market for new tractors is up nearly 30% year on year, demand for good second-hand tractors has never been greater. Like any large capital expenditure, a potential purchase needs a degree of research to find the right machine for the job and a large dose of buyer beware before shaking hands or signing a sale and purchase agreement. The first thing to

consider before you head off to see that “first to see will buy” beauty is to accept that, if you’re not mechanically minded, it might be a plan to take somebody with you who is. If you do have a little mechanical nouse, know a wet clutch from a synchro-shuttle and a closed-centre from an opencentre hydraulic system, there might be a few points to look out for. Observe carefully

First impressions will usually give a good guide

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

to previous use. What is the general condition of the tractor? Is the paintwork bright or faded? Are the panels straight or does it have more dents than a grass-track racer, or are the steps straight or knocked back at a 40-degree angle? Quite often it is relatively easy to work out whether the machine has come from a livestock or cropping farm: The former is typically looked after a little better and often has one key driver; the latter may be showing a bit more

wear and tear. Ex-dairy farm examples may have a particular odour. Maybe the seat is worn out or chewed by a farm dog. Of course, there are always exceptions to these generalisations. Like buying a used car, a complete service history can show whether the tractor has been “loved”, while a comparison of the age and indicated hours versus overall condition can do the same. It’s worth noting, however, that low hours over a long period can mean lots of start/stops,

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

with little chance to get to operating temperatures, whereas high hours can mean long periods of use at optimum performance. Which one is better? The jury is probably still out on that one. Kick the tyres

Without doubt, the biggest consideration should be tyres, given that a set of fronts could set you back $2,000 - $3,000, and rears $4,000 - $5,000, climbing even higher if you are considering premium brands. Look for remaining tyre life, cuts or bulges in sidewalls and pay attention to wear across the width of the tread. If the tyre shows irregular wear across its width, it might suggest that

the tractor has spent much of its life in four-wheel drive mode when used on hard services like feed pads, or if the tyres are obvious replacements, they might be a mis-match to the rears. In any case, factor any replacement costs into your purchase negotiations. Maintained or neglected?

If a tractor is fitted with a front-end loader, try to get the front axle jacked up to look for wear. Pay attention to the centre pivot; that will typically have a grease nipple on the front and rear, with the latter often neglected because of poor access. Likewise, check kingpins and steering linkages for excessive play, noting that fixing these could easily add up to

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GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

$5,000 or more. With the key components of engine and transmissions, check oil levels are up to the mark, but also try to gauge the condition of the oil. If it’s clean and viscous, that might suggest a recent oil change, so see if it’s in keeping with the service schedule or has just been done as a last-minute reaction. If the oil is black and watery, it might suggest lack of maintenance or a harder working life. Likewise, water in the radiator might be up to the mark and coloured green, showing the use of proper engine coolant, but if it’s low and rusty coloured, this might suggest poor maintenance and wear in the engine block. Of, course the same goes for the radiator in general; clean

vanes show attention to detail, while those clogged with dust or mud are going to reduce cooling capacity. Also, at the front of the tractor, look at the other radiator groups for oil cooling, intercooling for the turbocharger and the air conditioning system. Start ‘er up

If it’s safe to do so, start the tractor and look for tell-tale signs. Does it start without pre-heat or starter aerosol and does it settle quickly to a constant tickover? At the same time, keep a close watch on the dashboard. Do warning lights illuminate when the ignition is turned on and, importantly, do they extinguish when the engine is running? Having made yourself familiar with the controls,

drive the tractor forwards and backwards, looking at things like the clutch bite point or the engagement of the shuttle system. Do they act smoothly and progressively, or do they jerk or grab in an unpredictable manner? Drive the tractor and shift through all the gears. Do they engage freely? Are there any whines or strange noises? When it’s safe to do so, test the brakes at a range of different speeds. Do they bring the tractor to a stop in a straight line? Are they smooth and progressive? Do they grab suddenly and make a lot of noise? Pay attention to the condition of both the clutch and brake pedals. Do they show high levels of wear, suggesting the clutch has been ridden or used as a footrest? Or does the left brake pedal

show more wear than the right, suggesting that the brakes have been used for making tight turns in the paddock? Try to put some load on the tractor and tackle an incline or difficult ground to ensure that the four wheels drive system engages, works properly and, importantly, also disengages. Check the rear

At the rear of the tractor, look for excessive wear around the drawbar and rear linkage. An elongated hole in the drawbar is likely to show that the tractor has done a lot of towing, so might mean the braking system has had a hard life if a trailer doesn’t have a braking system. At the same time, look for any signs of cracks in the rear axle housing, particularly

With the key components of engine and transmissions, check oil levels are up to the mark, but also try to gauge the condition of the oil.

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

around the area of the top link mounting, meaning that the tractor has likely seen a hard life carrying heavy mounted implements, and might not be too far away from an expensive repair. Check linkage controls to ensure they move freely, looking out for stiffness, often caused by fertiliser dust getting wet and solidifying on tractors used on dairy farms where there is regular applications post-grazing. Check there are enough spool valves for “powering” your implements, as retro-fitting extra valves might be physically impossible or prohibitively expensive. Check the PTO system to ensure it engages, runs and disengages properly and the

Deal or no deal?

Be sure check that any safety systems, like handbrakes, park locks or operator presence switches are functioning properly and finally, go with your gut feeling. If something doesn’t feel right, walk away, remembering the old adage, “if it seems too good to be true, it probably is”.

MA DE

Without doubt, the biggest consideration should be tyres.

speeds on offer are matched to the implements you wish to power. Take a close look at the PTO shaft itself. Is it tight in the housing? Does it move backwards or forwards? If there is movement, there may be wear in the housing caused by implements shafts that are too long and bottom out or shafts that have not been lubricated properly.

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MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Upgrading an existing dairy or installing a new dairy are big projects that often require a large outlay.

Does your dairy shed need an upgrade? DAIRY INFRASTRUCTURE CAN have a major impact on milking efficiency and the comfort of cows and milkers. Upgrading an existing dairy or installing a new dairy are big projects that often require a large outlay. A decision to change the dairy should be based on a genuine need for improved infrastructure. It should be financially viable and support the achievement of the farm’s goals. Generally, a change in the milk harvesting system cannot be assessed in isolation from the rest of the farm business. A major upgrade or a new dairy is not ‘just a shed’ but has implications for the whole farm system. The motivation for undertaking a major change

may come from a number of sources such as: Current system may be working well but may be too small to cope with future goals, i.e. milking more cows, employing more or less labour. Current system may not be working well, i.e. the milker is idle or flat out, dairy is too cramped, or it takes too long to milk. In this case it is possible that the extra capacity released by the increased efficiency of a new set up could be used to help generate funds to pay for the investment. Sometimes the motivation for change may be a combination of both – for example, milking may be taking too long and extra income may be needed to cover increasing expenses. Other reasons for seeking

GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT 2022

changes include the desire to improve the working environment to get benefits like: • Reduced health and safety risks. • Improved attitudes to the milking job and farming in general. • More time to spend on management tasks or being able to attract (and keep) high calibre staff to take over the day-to-day operational tasks. Upgrading goals

It is important to be very clear about what is motivating the desire for a change and to have a focused picture of the farm goals. There are options available which can help improve your milking efficiency – by making

milking easier or changing your milking routine. These can be lower cost ways to achieve your objectives, so are worth considering before making a significant investment. You can find out more about the options at www.dairynz.co.nz/ milking. Not all of a farmer’s goals will be financially motivated but every decision made on the farm has a financial implication. The implications of building a new dairy need to be analysed from many different angles so the risks of financial failure are kept to a minimum and financial targets are reached. General considerations

Will the change be an upgrade or a whole new dairy?

MACHINERY & PRODUCTS

Will more cows be required to make an investment in a new dairy feasible? If extra cows are required, what will the impact be on the herd, feed, management, labour, infrastructure and debt? Make sure that all additional costs associated with a new dairy are taken into consideration when doing budgets and plans. These costs can have a major impact on the financial viability of a project e.g. will the existing infrastructure meet requirements of an expanded herd (effluent, fencing, laneways and water)?

necessary elements have been included before seeking quotes will mean quotes need be sought once only. Sending a single set of requirements to all suppliers also ensures they are all quoting on the same job, allowing meaningful comparisons to be made between quotes.

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and your milk company have strict requirements around dairy infrastructure relating to milk quality and milk collection. Before beginning any construction or changes, consult your milk company.

Summary

All dairy farmers should base their decisions on clearly defined personal and business goals. If you haven’t already defined goals for your farm business, make it a priority.

Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and milk companies have strict requirements around dairy infrastructure relating to milk quality and milk collection.

Infrastructure checklist

Checking that all

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Building a new dairy is a big undertaking.

DairyNZ’s Mark and Measure courses are a way to upskill yourself in financial management and goal setting for your business. When planning a new dairy it makes sense to

draw up a wish list first. This initial planning is the first step in sorting out priorities. Once the ‘must have’ priorities have emerged, financial analysis of the cost implications can begin. Decisions

on upgrades need to be analysed in terms of the impact proposed changes will make to milker and cow comfort - some things may be worth paying more for. Building a new dairy is a big undertaking. Most

farmers are not project engineers and have plenty of other work to do on the farm. A project manager is a valuable asset on many dairy construction projects, however it is important to ensure yours is reputable and experienced in all aspects of dairy builds. It is their responsibility to make sure that things happen on time and the desired result is achieved. Also make sure you employ a builder with experience in dairy construction. Visit other farmer’s dairies, preferably during milking, for ideas and feedback on the performance of different products. • Article supplied by DairyNZ

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THE LONGER WHEELBASE AND STABILITY OF CLAAS TRACTORS MAKE THE JOB EASY ” JAMES COCHRANE Wanaka

DRIVERS CAN DO LONG DAYS AND FEEL FRESH THE NEXT DAY ” GERALD MCKERCHAR Ashburton

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When discussing their CLAAS tractors, farmers across New Zealand all agreed that the features in their tractors increased production and reduced the time to get jobs done. This ultimately led to ‘freeing up their time’ to get on with other important things. To watch the full testimonials of CLAAS tractor owners and operators, or for more information about how a CLAAS tractor can make your life easier, visit our website.

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What does 2022 hold for you and your farm? Whether you are looking to upgrade your whole milking system, or just looking to get your current system to work at a higher level, now is a great time to think about how you can make sure your milking system is optimised for the way you want to farm, and the way you want to milk – both now and in the future?

It’s not about machinery – it’s about you. Before you start thinking about any upgrade to your milking system it pays to start by putting yourself at the centre of the process. This means asking yourself some key questions about how well your current system works for you. • • • • • • •

What do you like about the current system? What don’t you like about it? What are your development limitations in terms of consents, the site, utilities and maintenance? What would milking faster mean for you? What would improving udder health mean for you? What are your plans for the future in terms of herd size, volume and succession? How many people do you want working on the farm, and in the dairy?

It also means collecting some key data so that you are making informed decisions and setting measurable objectives for any changes that you might decide to make. The best place to start is with DeLaval The team at DeLaval are perfectly placed to help you work through these questions, and with some of their exclusive analysis tools they can measure the performance of your current system, even down to making sure your liners are the best ones for your cows’ teat characteristics, so that you set some objectives for any upgrades or changes you might wish to make. One solution does not fit everyone Where you farm, how you farm, your objectives and your plans for the future are all factors that influence the development of the right farming system, and the right milking system for you. The good thing is that because DeLaval design, develop and build all of the key elements of a system themselves, you can be sure they will not be pushing you in the direction of a robotic solution, or a rotary just because that is the only type of system they have to sell. DeLaval support all the major systems and the cooling, storage, chemicals, liners and clusters, measurement, recording and management systems that work with them, which means that you can be sure that they will recommend additions, improvements or upgrades based on what is best for you and your system, not based on what they have to sell.

GO WITH THE FLOW We’re upgrading the world’s milking vacuum technology 2022 is the year DeLaval will make it possible to break through a milking performance barrier that has held back milking speeds more than any other – the old, slow one-speed approach to milking vacuum levels. In 2022 we will be launching DeLaval Flow-Responsive™ Milking. This exclusive technology adjusts the vacuum level automatically for each cow, based on her available milk flow. To find out what this could do for the udder health of your herd and the milking speeds of your herd – talk to us about being amongst the first to get all the details. If you only upgrade one thing for next year – make sure you look at your liners and clusters The most cost-effective and simplest upgrade to any milking system’s performance is typically getting the best liner and cluster combination in place. At DeLaval we have introduced three exclusive and multiple award winning innovations in the milking cluster and liner space – The Clover™ Milking Liner, The Clover™ Milking cartridge, and the Evanza™ cluster. These are not necessarily the right combination for you – but with our liner matching technology and full range of clusters we can make sure you have the right combination in 2022. We’ve upgraded our Parallel Parlours 2022 will see the launch of a new parlour which will bring all of the work efficiency, safety and animal welfare advances we have made over the last few years to the parlour space. It also means that because upgrading an existing parlour will be faster, easier and more cost-effective than converting to a rotary or robotic system – you will have more options to consider depending on your objectives and budget.

Talk to your local DeLaval dealer or visit us at delaval.com and let’s talk about how we can help you upgrade your performance in 2022. ROTARY SYSTEMS | ROBOTIC SYSTEMS | PARALLEL PARLOURS | COOLING & STORAGE CLEANING & ANALYSIS | CLUSTER & LINERS | RECORDING & MEASUREMENT FARM MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS | DETERGENTS & TEAT SPRAYS