Importance of weighing calves

Weighing calves is a vital management tool

Longevity and fertility are two of the key traits sought by Jeanette and Jim Pyne when planning the future of their Devon dairy herd. Weighing calves - from birth onwards - is crucial to make sure the replacements grow at the right rates, stay healthy, go to the bull and join the herd at the right weight.

“The cow you never notice is the one you want in your herd,” says Jeanette. “To be honest I don’t think we’ve been strict enough in our selection in the past.” The couple farm 500 acres, all grass, whole crop, brassicas and folder beet at Pulhayes Farm, East Budleigh close to the south Devon coast. They are tenants of Clinton Estates, a business currently looking at taking over 25% of their grazing platform back for a major environmental project. While no final decisions have been made, losing this amount of grazing will mean a major change in policy. At the moment they milk 228 cows and have around 135 followers. All genetics used come from LIC, with the aim of keeping a F10 J6 herd. Milking at 5am and 2.30pm, Jeanette says the welfare of the farm staff is every bit as important as the welfare of the cows and tries to ensure all farm work is completed by 5.30pm. Pulhayes Farm was run by Jim’s father up until a few years ago, and when they had the chance to move on to the farm, Jeanette had never milked a cow in her life. “I’ve learnt on the job, so to speak, I’ve really had a great deal of help from LIC and from their Pasture to Profit consultant Piers Badnell and his predecessors, who work with our local discussion group, Coast to Coast.” As an organic farm, the milk is sold on contract to Arla, and one of the aims is to produce as much home-grown feed as possible, particularly protein which is always expensive to buy-in. Currently they’re looking at growing lucerne and maize. This year they have a pea and barley vetch mix for whole crop silage: the peas bring protein and the barley energy. “We need volume as well, to fill the cows up, so it’s a fine balance to get it all right,” she says. Cow weights average 500kgs, and the target is to match milk solids with body weight. The herd is NMR recorded monthly with current averages at 5329litres with fats and proteins at 4.85% and 3.46%. Jeanette has been working with a local vet, Johanna Marsden from Molecare Veterinary Services in Lympstone Devon on a calf weighing project using the Zoetis Calf Tracker programme, as she’s certain weight plays an important role in the future health and welfare of her herd. “The more information we can get the better,” she says. “We want them to weigh at least 95kgs at weaning from milk (10 weeks) and to hit a target weight of between 260 and 300kgs for service. “When they’re too small, they won’t last in the herd. Longevity is really important to us, because the cost of rearing replacements is so high. Ideally, we want eight lactations or more. The value these older cows bring to the herd is incalculable. They’re like matriarchs, teaching the younger cows the ropes.” Working with Johanna, Jeanette is able to select ‘out’ the lighter calves at birth and sell them on rather than trying to keep them at greater expense to move them into the herd. Birth weights have varied from 18- 20kgs to 50kgs, and this is now one of the key selection tools. “It’s important to work with the same vet, as it’s so easy with a weigh tape to get errors if more than one person is involved. Where exactly it’s placed and how tight it is… both are vital.” Johanna agrees with the importance and value of weighing calves, says she’s always trying to persuade her clients to go this route. “It’s much easier to pick up underlying health issues, and while it’s quite normal to see a growth check post weaning, monthly weighing allows you to make sure you’re heading in the right direction. Sometimes it’s not cost-efficient to rear the smaller calves.” Meanwhile Jeanette says she likes LIC genetics because ‘you get what it says on the tin’ and that while the calves hit the ground running they’re both low maintenance and hardy. “They’re aggressive grazers and grass is key on this farm. The cows are out all day, all year round, we don’t have any housing, and 80% of their ration is grass or conserved grass. It’s a low-cost system but we want to reduce costs even more.”