CowManagement UK April 2011

V O LU M E 9 N O 3 APR IL 2011

IN THIS ISSUE

H E A LT H

FEED EFFICIENCY

Biosecurity: have you assessed Breeding to produce more milk the disease risks for your herd? from the same ration CM03_cover 2

H O USI NG

A look at bedding options and ideas for ‘home’ improvement 20-04-2011 16:11:14

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C O NTENT

F E A T U R E S

4 Cow Talk 11 Overalls off: Ironman triathlete 19 Avoncroft Breeding Information/ Thompsons Nutritional News 35 Veterinary practice: Lameness 37 NMR Dairy Management News 58 Shows, events and contacts R e p orts 12 Maize plays a key role for Ian and David Nixon 54 Gerrit Wensink runs the largest robot milking operation in Ontario C O L U M N 14 Roger Evans B reeding

32 Fertility 46 April bull proofs H E A L T H 16 Johne’s disease F eeding

38 National Forage Conference 50 Feed efficiency series: breeding

Ian Nixon “With current feed prices, energy, not protein, is our focus now” 12

Editor Rachael Porter Inspiration

S

pring is definitely here and the unusually warm weather means that most, if not all, herds are enjoying some sun on their backs.

While they’re outside, why not take the opportunity to re-assess their winter housing and see if there are any areas that could be improved.

Perhaps ventilation isn’t as good as it should be or natural light levels are poor. Why not take a look at our housing special for some pointers.

Beginning on page 21, there’s an article on bedding options, as well as one on ‘home improvement’ and a round up of some of the latest products and cow housing developments.

Another area that requires producers’ attention – consistently – is herd health. We’ve a piece on biosecurity on page 42 that should provide some food for thought and encourage producers to assess the risks on their own farms.

Read what our specialist cattle vet has to say and see if you’re taking the necessary steps to minimise the risk of introducing new diseases to your herd and prevent the spread of any existing ones.

Johnes’ disease is under the spotlight again on page 16. And rightly so.

We outline how routine screening can identify affected cattle and the benefits of getting to grips with any problems in the early stages.

For some light relief, our ‘Overalls off’ series continues with the spotlight falling on an ‘ironman’ triathlete.

Read his story on page 11 and see if it inspires you to take up a new challenge.

Main article Grazing

Special Housing

Health Biosecurity

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21

42

Know the cost of grazed grass and find a system that suits your herd.

Is your cow house somewhere your herd would choose to be?

Assess the disease risks and get a comprehensive policy in place.

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C O W

TA L K

Influential figure earns Royal approval Ian Potter was presented with the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers’ Princess Royal Award by Her Royal Highness at Buckingham Palace in late March. The honour was made for his outstanding services to the industry.

Ian, who has recently diversified his business into offering telephone based administrative and marketing services for the agricultural industry, has spent his career spanning more than 30 years working in the industry, initially trading agricultural quotas and entitlements to become the UK’s leading specialist company, as well as the most noted and innovative milk quota broker in Europe.

During the past two decades he has become renowned as a commentator within the dairy industry using a variety of vehicles including his own weekly newsletter, established columns and presenting at hundreds of producer meetings.

Lightening the ‘acid’ load at grass With turnout just around the corner, SCA NuTec’s Philip Ingram warns producers to manage the switch from winter rations to spring grass.

“Grazed grass is a double edged sword,” says Dr Ingram. “It’s a cost-effective feed and offers many nutrients in abundance – lots of readily available energy and protein but little in the way of fibre to slow down the digestive process.”

Carbohydrates in lush spring grass are very rapidly digestible and so acids are produced at a much faster rate in the rumen than the digestive system can clear. This increased acid load in the rumen is commonly known as rumen acidosis.

Fibre in the diet is the animal’s natural means of buffering, or neutralising, this acid. This is because fibre is slowly digested and it also makes the cow chew which releases natural buffers in saliva that will neutralise acid. However, as spring grass is ‘lush’ with low levels of ‘non-mature’ fibre, this natural buffering effect is weak. So sometimes even a natural grass diet does not offer a normal balance of digestion and buffering.

Acidosis will reduce milk production and butterfat.

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Ian Potter, accompanied by his wife Carole, receives the RABDF Princess Royal Award from Her Royal Highness

Fly life-cycles ahead of schedule

Warm weather is speeding up development

The mild March and warm early April weather means fly life cycles are two to three weeks ahead of schedule this year, meaning that producers need to make an early start with their control measures.

“It may have been a long, cold winter in many areas, but it’s a myth that prolonged freezing temperatures kill off over-wintering blowfly populations,” said Richard Wall from Bristol University.

“They overwinter as maggots in the ground where they are well protected.

And the warm early spring temperatures are already helping to speed up development so that adult fly populations will soon start to build. As a result we are planning to treat stock much earlier this year.”

As the weather warms up, there are two main groups of flies that cause problems for producers – flies that bite and feed on blood and flies that feed on the secretions from the eyes, nose, udder and the sweat on the animal’s coat and skin.

“Control of flies around your livestock involves a combination of applying insecticides directly onto the animal, feeding Supalyx/Rumevite garlic-based supplements, which create an invisible odour barrier around animals to deter flies from landing, and cleaning up potential breeding sites,” says Rumenco’s David Thornton.

“Understanding how your own farm appeals to flies is an important step forward in better fly control. In fact, knowing where and when flies are breeding and then taking action to restrict the potential farm fly population is just as important as controlling flies on or around the animals.”

He explains that flies prefer damp, sheltered areas where they are protected from the wind and can find shade during the heat of the day. “So if your stock are susceptible to fly-borne disease, they should be grazed on fields away from trees and water courses.”

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Analyse grass to improve silage quality Slipper keeps treatment in and dirt out

Give hoof problems the slipper An easy and rapid fitting product to keep hoof care products in place has been launched in the UK by Dutch company Cowslipper. The slipper – a bandage with a spongy filling – needs to be placed between the claws and fastened by velcro. And it’s ideal for treating infectious hoof diseases, such as digital dermatitis, which are caused by bacteria that can be found in many cowsheds.

Treating lame cows starts with careful and skilled hoof trimming. After trimming, the claw needs to be cleaned and dried and then treated with a care product, such as an ointment or spray.

The slipper helps to keep the product in contact with the affected areas and to keep dirt out. The narrow part of the slipper is placed between claws and the broader part against the bulb of the heel.

After applying the slipper, the cow can walk normally and contamination with manure is kept to a minimum.

Analysing standing grass prior to cutting can boost feed values and fermentation quality in grass silage, according to Biotal’s Lee Gresham, who claims that the investment in grass analysis is a small price to pay for better quality forage.

“Most producers make the decision on when to cut grass for silage based on the date and the weather, but the precision of decision making can be improved by having grass analysed, as the chemical composition of the grass has a huge bearing on fermentation quality and will vary considerably,” he said.

He added that numerous factors can impact on grass quality, including the weather and grass variety, and advises paying particular attention to three key variables – dry matter, sugar content and nitrate levels.

“Silage preservation requires a fermentation process that results in the production of organic acids, mainly Table 1: Target fresh grass analysis for effective fermentation

analysis

target

sugar (% fresh grass) nitrate N (% DM) dry matter (%)

>3 < 0.15 >20

lactic acid to preserve the crop. A higher dry matter is advantageous as it concentrates the sugar content in the fresh material making the process more effective.

“A high sugar content in the grass is also desirable and this increases in periods of dry, sunny weather. So we advise producers to aim for dry matter of more than 20% and a sugar content of more than 3% in fresh grass (see Table 1).

“Producers often try to harvest grass early in the season, when it is between 2% and 3% sugars, making it more risky to get a good fermentation. But effective sugar content can be increased by using a silage additive EU approved to release sugar from the fibre which helps the fermentation process.”

Mr Gresham also urged producers to monitoring nitrate level in the grass, which can be high due to a high fertiliser application or poor utilisation by the plant. “Excessive nitrogen makes it more difficult to achieve the required pH drop and can result in unstable silage with reduced palatability.

Free nitrogen levels will increase if there are cold springs as uptake is less, or if crops are cut earlier giving insufficient time for applied fertilisers to be fully utilised.”

See the light and improve cow performance The summer is the ideal time to update cubicle housing lighting, according to dp Nutrition’s Charlie Purcell.

“Independent research has shown that exposing cows to an extended day length of at least 16 hours at up to 200 lux light intensity can significantly improve cow performance.

“Increased light intensity results in increased production of the hormones drive milk production. This lift in milk production then drives dry matter intakes to meet the extra energy demands. Increasing day length has been shown to encourage cows to return to oestrus quicker, to increase dry matter intake by up to 1kg/day and to increase milk production by around 10%.”

Mr Purcell stressed that achieving adequate lighting is not simply a case of adding a few extra lights or increasing

the output of existing lights.

“An effective system must deliver the right intensity of lighting, across the entire area so a lighting configuration must be carefully planned to get the right number of lights, of the correct intensity in the appropriate locations.” dp Nutrition offers a detailed lighting planning service and the installation of high quality light fittings, available in 250 Watt and 400 Watt versions with Metal Halide (MH) or High Pressure Sodium (HPS) options as required. A lux metre continuously measures the light intensity from natural light in the shed and only activates the lighting system when it drops below 200 lux.

See our Cow Housing special, which starts on page 21, for more tips and ideas on how to improve your herd’s accommodation this summer.

Lighter life: increasing day length can improve fertility and milk yields

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21-04-2011 16:03:42

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21-04-2011 28/03/2011 09:32:40 15:33:31

M A I N

A RT I C L E

Know the cost of grazed grass and find a s

Summertime – and th Summer milk production places producers into four categories depending mainly on the grazing potential of their land. Land rental, fertiliser and concentrate prices are all putting a huge drain on cash-flow during the summer months. So how can producers offset this by maximising their potential? text Allison Matthews

T

he traditional system of milk production – before the trend towards total mixed rations – was dominated by the use of concentrates in the parlour and grazed grass by day and night. And as milk yields rose and cheaper concentrates became available, more complicated systems of feeding cows developed.

“Grazing systems now range from an all-or-nothing status in an economy that is putting a great strain on the need to conserve forages for the winter ahead,” says Thompsons’ ruminant specialist James Black.

Modern producers can be placed into the following four areas of summer milk production: grazing night and day; housed night and day; one group grazing by day and housed at night; and two groups of cows with low yielders grazing night and day and high yielders either fully or partially housed.

“Grazed grass has the potential to provide more than 20 litres of milk on a complete grazing system but on a herd basis, and in particular with staler cows, this is rarely achieved. Swards should be maintained as if grass were a crop and emphasis placed on grazing nutritious young swards that maximise intake and nutrient contribution,” says Mr Black.

Table 1: Forage and concentrate costs 2011

grazed grass forage maize wholecrop wheat silage (three cuts) concentrates forage maize

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cash cost (£/t utilisable DM)

full economic cost (£/t utilisable DM)

53 69 84 78 287 69

97 126 147 139 294 126

“Thompsons’ Milk Manager financial costing service summer figures show the best yielding herds on a complete grazing system are yielding more than 14 litres from grass during the summer period. Not as good as the potential, but still contributing significantly towards profit,” he adds.

As levels of concentrates or conserved forages increase in the daily diet, increased milk sales must be achieved to offset the increased production costs.

Cost increases Cows yielding more than 35 litres are always a challenge to feed and the introduction of lush, high protein grass is never easy to balance, particularly if weather conditions are not ideal. As concentrates have increased in price more producers are questioning where grass, and at what inclusion level, fits into their system,” says McMinn Independent Financial Consultancy’s Jason McMinn.

“Forages are not immune to cost increases – just take a look at the figures in table 1 – and concentrate feeding needs to be targeted to ensure that milk production is profitable,” warns Mr McMinn.

“Thought should also be given to the labour requirements to look after housed cows, such as time spent on ration preparation and slurry removal. All factors that stack up against housing lower yielding cows,” adds Mr Black.

“Cows giving more than 35 litres can remain profitable in a housed system assuming good quality forage is available and a frugal eye is kept on concentrate feed rates. This system also maintains milk yields when weather conditions do not allow for ideal grazing conditions.

“It is unquestionable that with lower yielding herds, or the lower yielding portion of any herd, that grass should feature as the main forage in the diet this summer. Cows with daily yields of fewer than 30 litres can perform profitably with grazed grass in the diet.”

Circumstances on each yard dictate options for the grazing season. Factors such as grazing hectarage, calving pattern, labour availability, grazing infrastructure and producer attitude are key areas for concern when deciding what system provides the best fit to progress.

Full-time grazing Mr McMinn provides a word of warning when decisions are being made: “With the current concentrate prices it will not be profitable to house lower yielding cows by day or night. The partial or complete housing of the fresh element or higher

c Vo EEcwTom EE waLm nT a jn gan a em gueeari m n te nse 1t / p2Atem P2R0I 0Lb9er 2 0 12 10 0 9

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find a summer system that suits your herd

d the living is easy?

Cross head

yielding cows is more preferable than housing the complete herd at night.”

Although grouping cows will not suit every herd, it is a vital element to ensuring profitability this summer. If herd size does not facilitate this it will be more preferable to graze cows rather than house them.

“On no account should a complete herd be housed due to its size or status, which dictates a small batch of high-yielding cows giving more than 35 litres. Thompsons’ Milk Manager recording system shows that the inefficient James Black: “Grass has the use of feed is always on potential to produce more than 20 low yielding, over-fed litres of milk in a grazing system” cows,” adds Mr Black.

Irrespective of which system of milk production is implemented, Mr Black recommends a couple of key parameters that are crucial to ensuring profitability in these difficult financial circumstances.

The first is to grow top quality forage whatever the system. For most producers grass and grass silage is still the most important feed, and this means timely applications of fertiliser, slurry and lime (if required), regular reseeding, and looking for quality before quantity when cutting silage.

And feed your cows to maximise your forage potential. That means getting low-yielders out at grass full-time, where possible. If you have freshcalved high yielders you may not want to graze them but keep an eye on feed rates and make sure Jason McMinn: “High concentrate they justify their indoor prices mean that it will not be berth. profitable to house lower yielding Irrespective of what level cows by day or night” of performance is being achieved and what system of milk production you choose, question where you are and aim to improve forage performance, as this will ultimately improve profit.

When the current price of concentrates is factored into the milk price:feed price ratio we see that 2011 has the potential to inflict difficult financial circumstances if cow potential is not maximised and the yields achieved for each system do not match costs. l

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02/08/2010 14:37 03-03-2011 11:29:01

O V E R A L L s

Name: Location: Herd size: Hobby:

O F F

John Carr Cockerham, Lancashire 100 Ironman triathlete

John Carr: “My goal isn’t to be the best, it’s to better myself”

Man of mettle text Rachael Porter

B

eing an ‘ironman’ triathlete is a lifestyle – not a hobby – just like running the family dairy herd. And John Carr’s success in both areas depends on his dedication – and untiring enthusiasm – all year round.

He first heard about the ‘Ironman’ triathlon back in 2007.

“Someone walked into our farm shop wearing an ‘Ironman’ T-shirt and it fired my imagination. I wanted to know more and he told me all about it. It’s grown from there.”

Grow it certainly has – and quickly. In 2010 – just three years later – John qualified for the Ironman World Championships, which are held in Hawaii every year. This is a triathlon to beat all triathlons, comprising a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile cycle and a marathon 26.2-mile run, and John came an extremely impressive 23rd in his age group.

“Less than four years ago, completing those distances all in one go seemed ridiculous. But they don’t seem so daunting now,” he says, adding that if he puts in the training and he’s prepared then there’s no reason why he can’t continue to improve his personal best times. “My goal isn’t to be the best, it’s just to better myself.

“It’s the same philosophy we take with the business – it’s all about setting measurable targets, being disciplined, maintaining motivation and moving forward.”

What started as a conversation with a customer in his farm shop, which forms part of the 100-cow dairy business that’s based near Forton in Lancashire, now sees John cramming in around 20 hours of training each week – a mixture of cycling, swimming and running. “The customer was Kevin Bedford – he’s now a good friend of mine – and he gave me a wetsuit and recommended a local club, which runs the City of Lancaster Triathlon. The people there are really friendly, helpful and supportive and have loads of experience. And it also offers a social side to the sport,” he says.

John completed his first triathlon in 2008, but he literally put a toe in the water in 2007 when he thought it would be ‘fun’ to swim the full 11-mile length of Lake Windermere.

Training is now geared towards reaching a fitness peak in late July, when the UK Ironman triathlon is held in Bolton. “That’s the UK qualifier for the World Championship,” he explains.

And he’s looking for a seat on the plane to Hawaii again in October this year.

“It was an amazing experience when I went to Hawaii in 2010.

I completed the course in a personal best time of 11 hours and one minute and it was one of the happiest days of my life,” he says.

“Four pints of milk a day and plenty of training and I should be there again, fingers crossed.”

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R E P O RT

Ian and David Nixon A sharp focus on forage is ensuring that this familyrun dairy unit continues to go from strength to strength, despite rising bought-in feed prices Number of cows: Average milk yield Forage hectares: Maize silage yield:

Maize plays a key role in moving business forward

Feed-cost focus

Market Drayton

A progressive Shropshire-based family is backing a big

285 9,500 litres 122 more than 50t/ha

investment in a new parlour and housing with a sharp focus on maize quality to keep production costs at bay. We paid them a

B

rothers Ian and David Nixon of Upper Farm in Ridgewardine, near Market Drayton in Shropshire, have a simple mantra: “If we’re not moving forwards then we’re standing still, at best, and probably going backwards.” That applies to forage quality as much as investment in a new parlour and livestock housing.

Unusually for a farming family, Ian and David have run the farm jointly for more than 20 years, and their sons Will and Joe are following in their footsteps.

Such a harmonious workforce is rare in farming. But at Upper Farm it has created a vibrant and successful dairy farming business.

visit to find out more about their forage policy. text Rachael Porter

“The challenge used to be getting sufficient protein into animals, but with feed prices the way they are, and no sign of them falling, energy is the focus now,” says Ian. The goal is to hold or reduce bought-in feed costs.

Impressive cobs This year high performing Agiraxx maize silage has impressed them both, delivering well above 50t/ha, despite

the season, as well as a good nutritional analysis.

“The cobs were impressive,” says Ian. Optimising the forage ration lies at the heart of their business, with 23 hectares of forage maize grown alongside 19 hectares of wholecrop wheat and 80 hectares of grass silage. Identifying the right mix of forages to drive cow intakes is a task out-sourced to nutritionist Nick Sharpe of GP Feeds. “The maize is

Balanced diet: the Nixon’s dairy herd is fed a ration containing a mixture of maize and grass silage, as well as wholecrop wheat

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Maize plays a key role for the Nixon family, from left to right: Ian, Will, David and Joe

certainly valued for its consistency in the ration,” adds Ian. The brand new 25:50 swing-over Fullwood parlour sprung into action in December and quickly made a positive impact on workloads. “The 20:20 we installed in 1983 could manage 80 cows/ hour, but now two men can milk between 140 and 150 cows/hour.” A rotary parlour was rejected on cost grounds and a robot on complexity. “We have a traditional system that suits our labour availability,” explains Ian. The system is computer controlled, with milk resistance readings indicating potential mastitis or bulling issues.

Rural Development funding, through Advantage West Midlands, helped finance the cow identification and segregation aspects of the new operation.

Half the bought-in ration is fed in the parlour, the rest mixed in with the forage through a Shelbourne Reynolds feeder wagon. “We prefer the vertical spiral augur to rotary machines, as we think it gives a better mix,” says David.

Forage quality The 285 Holstein milkers are homebred under the Clockhill herd name, with all replacements reared on-farm.

Average yield is 9,500 litres, supplied to Wiseman on a Tesco liquid contract, on a cost-plus price plan, based on

group average Promar performance data. “We’re looking for a price rise to reflect the continuing increases in input costs,” says Ian. With that rising cost of feed very much in mind, optimising forage supplies is an important goal. “What we clamp is key.

Without it we just couldn’t afford to subsidise with bought-in feed. Our goal is to always enhance forage quality.”

Maize area is limited to 23 hectares, just enough to meet the herd’s needs, mainly due to heavier soils that prevent contractor AR Richards from accessing fields without road access. “Our land is too heavy to be able to take equipment across other fields,” explains Ian. With its high yield, prominent wellfilled cobs and optimal maturity Agiraxx has won the brothers’ favour and secured top honours in the keenly-contested Newcastle and District Agricultural Society award. Other crops of the same variety were placed third and fourth.

In 2010, four hectares of the RAGT variety was trialled, alongside Surprise and Ixxes. “As a first crop of maize it yielded better and with bigger cobs than we expected,” says Ian Grandfield, who is marketing the variety in 2011 through the Green Bow Group.

Evaluations across all soil types, drilling dates and production systems have shown it to be very reliable. “It is a real producers’ variety. Its big cobs lean out

between the rows, which is just what a grower wants to see.”

Results from official NIAB trials show it gave the best whole plant digestibility and starch results at the Cheshire site and was in the top three at Bicton.

Full maturity Maize was harvested at Upper Farm on October 20 at full maturity, in what was a late year for the area. It is complemented

by Humber wholecrop wheat and grass silage. Protein levels of between 17 and 18% testify to the quality of grass grown and silage management, which includes the use of liquid ammonium suphate fertiliser.

“We look for a consistent and small chop size, mostly between 12 and 15mm.

But not less than 10mm, as this can start to damage fibre, and not more than 20mm to prevent cattle selecting out components, which can send milk yield crashing,” says David. “We’ll ask the contractor to make adjustments to ensure we get what we’re looking for.”

And cows are not pushed excessively.

“We don’t want to increase herd health problems,” he adds.

“That is all part of our robust and traditional approach to milk production, which looks set to keep pressure on production costs, while optimising milk yield.” l

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Shropshire-based producer and award winning columnist Roger Evans remembers ‘pre Westbury’ times and looks forward to stronger milk prices.

Proceed with caution I

can remember times when there was too much spring milk in this country. This is not some senior citizen’s reminisce about how you could go out on a Friday night, buy 10 pints and have a curry on the way home and still have change from a £1. It’s not a hark back to the days where you could only buy condoms from the chemist or the barber, and you couldn’t buy them from the chemist because the woman behind the counter knew your mother, so you had to have your hair cut every couple of weeks. The times I allude to are relatively recent, just pre Westbury.

It wasn’t that the milk wasn’t wanted, it was because the height of the spring flush in volume terms was just about the same as the ability of the industry to cope with that volume – if it worked flat out. When facilities are working flat out it is almost inevitable that breakdowns occur and they did. There were plenty of stories of milk tankers in 24-hour, sometimes 48-hour, queues at creameries that had broken down. Mini buses had to be sent to bring drivers home and just a couple of drivers left to shunt the lorries forward in the queue. One year I remember it was so bad that milk had to go to southern Ireland to be processed. It’s not difficult to imagine how much that milk would have been worth – it would have been a close call between taking it all that way and the cost of dumping it. But we’ve got Westbury now.

I say ‘we’ but it’s First Milk, Milk Link and Arla that have got Westbury, though everyone else seems to think it’s there for the public good and, just as importantly, production is down. I know that recent figures show output rising but it’s rising from a very low base. Half a percent of bugger all is still bugger all. So the industry is at ease with itself – it’s not worried about spring flushes and it’s not worried about driving Westbury flat out because just at the moment there’s no better place to be putting milk because commodity markets are so strong and that’s what Westbury produces – products that can be traded outside the UK. It is against this background that some milk producers are calling for an end to seasonality payments. “Let us open the production taps and make some serious money in the spring. We’ve had it too hard for too long, let’s ignore the home liquid market and sell abroad.” I could do with some of this perceived bounty. I’m fed up with the hand-to-mouth way I have to run my dairy unit. I don’t need to feed, water and milk cows for another long, cold winter for little reward. But I do advise caution.

We wouldn’t have to turn our bovine taps on too far to be back close to processing capacity. Westbury will only take two million litres a day.

There could be merit in building Westbury 2 nearer the milk field, but how long will that take? Three years? And where will commodity prices be by then? No one knows, not even me. We saw a swift rise in prices a couple of years ago but it wasn’t as swift as the decline. I actually think that this new level of prices is here to stay. I think it’s driven, at long last, by populations in Asia, for example, seeking to improve their diet.

This will bring competition for our products at last. But let’s be sure we get the balance right.

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H E A LT H

Grasp the nettle, assess the risks and get a handle on Johne’s control

Johne’s – a hidden giant NML and milk buyers are offering producers a 30-cow milk test screening service for Johne’s disease. It’s a great starting point in identifying the prevalence and risk of spread of the disease within the herd and slowing down this potential hidden giant. text Karen Wright

J

ohne’s disease has always been around in dairy herds but it never presented the problems or risks that it does today.

Farming systems and the expansion of herds have contributed to this. More cattle are now bought in and the days of cows having their own ‘maternity suite’

and feeding their own calf for a few days have long gone. The introduction of cattle of unknown health status, shared calving pens and pooled colostrums are the main risk areas for Johne’s.

The impact of Johne’s can quietly eat away at herd performance. NML has

Steve West: “Herdwise data shows Johne’s cows consistently under-performing“

analysed two years of results from its Herdwise screening service. Animals affected by Johne’s have been compared alongside their contemporaries across subsequent lactations.

Lower milk yields

The impact of Johne’s can quietly eat away at herd performance

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“We’ve looked at the performance of 18 Herdwise herds – 3,000 cows – that have been screened for Johne’s,” says Steve West, NML Healthcheck manager. “The cows affected with Johne’s – that showed high levels of antibodies in their milk samples – had significantly lower yields than cows with medium or low Johne’s infections even before it was obvious that they were affected by Johne’s. When we looked at these cows’ performance in earlier lactations their yields were consistently lower.”

Average milk yields within a lactation are analysed for each Johne’s antibody status group. These are shown in Figure 1. Those with no antibodies in repeated milk tests (low risk – classified ‘J0’) have the highest milk yield in each lactation compared with J5 cows – those with high antibody counts in two or more consecutive tests and classified as high risk ‘red’ cows. These cows have, consistently, the lowest average milk yield.

“The same trend is found in lifetime daily yields and average somatic cell counts,” adds Mr West. “And when we look at each ‘red’ cow’s history, she is consistently under-performing which suggests that the losses incurred through Johne’s are happening well before the disease is detected.”

He points out that this data is just a snapshot. “It’s a preliminary study, but I believe that it is indicative of the

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Screening nips a potential problem in the bud A recent 30-cow screening test picked up one cow with high levels of Johne’s antibodies and one with very low levels in Devon producer Martin Elston’s 170-cow herd. “It was a surprise as the herd has been closed for 10 years,” says Martin who farms with his wife and parents at Meshaw, South Molton.

“We worked with our vet Dick Sibley to pull out the 30 cows to screen – with slightly lower yields and cell counts higher than the rest of the herd. This wasn’t easy as there’s not too much variation in the herd. We were surprised to find a reactor.”

Herd health is important in this herd.

There’s no lepto or BVD and the average cell count is 160,000/ml. Cows are not unduly ‘pushed’. They are milked twice a day, housed in winter and graze during the summer. Average yield is 7,900kg.

“The whole exercise made us aware of the ‘lurking’ potential problem in our herd. We will be repeating the screening test in six months time. And we will test the bull we bought in three years ago annually although he was fully disease tested at the time of purchase.”

Problems now unlikely Dick Sibley explains that, having used the 30-cow screen and identified a potential problem early, this herd is very unlikely, with its current system, to have a long term Johne’s problem. “If Martin had let the one cow – which is 10 years old and a good yielder, go undetected then there was the potential for half the herd to be affected in five years.

consequences of Johne’s disease in dairy herds and it is in line with European data.”

The trends emerging from Herdwise and the clinical and sub-clinical results Figure 1: Average yield (305 days) for high med and low infection cows

lactation yield (kg)

J1 10000 9500 9000 8500 8000 7500 7000 6500 6000

J1/2

J3/4 (amber)

J5 (red)

Martin Elston: “Now aware of lurking problems”

“A Myhealthyherd risk assessment was completed as part of the Healthy Livestock Johne’s programme showed that although there’s a very low risk of disease entry on this farm there’s a high risk of disease spread. This is because, like many herds, limited calving boxes with multiple use are in operation and they feed waste milk to calves. So a cow shedding Johne’s organisms in her milk can cause havoc.”

And Mr Sibley admits that it’s just as important to screen a low risk herd and keep it under surveillance as it is one with higher levels of infection.

“At the moment it looks as though Martin has an isolated case and this cow has just been confirmed not in calf so she will be culled. But we will select the next group of 30 cows to screen very carefully. It will include her three daughters and calves born just after them that may have shared the calving box – we can pick these animals from the NMR records.

“We will then get a full picture of the problem or lack of problem and from there we can bring in control measures if necessary. Catching a small problem before it becomes a big problem is key to Johne’s prevention and control.”

seen on farm are sufficient to encourage producers to take Johne’s very seriously.

“There’s no doubt that taking measures to control the disease, which need not be very costly, will pay hands down in the short and long term.”

Herdwise is based on the Danish service that, despite being voluntary, routinely screens 40% of the country’s dairy cows.

Having been operating for five years, their producers are very clear of the advantages.

caused devastation,” says Milk Link technical manager Paul Charlton. “Sadly, a quick glance won’t identify the problem. It’s a case of digging deep and routine surveillance.

“The 30-cow Johne’s screen appears to be very effective in finding the disease providing the correct 30 cows are selected. Producers need to work closely with their vets to review the risks of infection entering the herd (biosecurity) and spreading within the herd (biocontainment), and to work out a control plan specific to the farm.

“And at the same time, we want to support our suppliers through what can be challenging times. We are looking to create small local support groups.” l

No ‘quick fix’

lactation 1 lactation 2 lactation 3 lactation 4

Working with NML, Milk Link among other major milk buyers, has been encouraging producers to take part in a 30-cow screening for Johne’s.

“I’ve seen herds where Johne’s has

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BREEDING INFORMATION

April proof run highlights Delta Lilac Like his sire Canvas, new red bull Delta Lilac brings £128 PLI and tremendous milk production of +673kg with 36kg of fat and protein. He also has very strong and functional conformation, which adds up to a combination that is very much in demand with both black and red breeders.

He scores 110 frame, 106 dairy strength, 109 udder, 108 feet and legs and 112 for total score.

Mandell daughter Beeuwkje 130 Lilac daughter Barrie 31

De-Su Oman Goli descends from the American De-Su BW Marshal Georgia VG 88 (BW Marshall). His grand dam is the well-known Patron daughter De-Su Patron Gold EX90.

Goli is the complete package with a PLI £181.

He transmits +514kg of milk with positive components, fat +24.5kg (+0.05%), protein +18.6kg (+0.02%).

And he possesses good strong type (109) particularly udder (108), dairy strength (108) frame (106) and improves feet and legs (103). Goli has low somatic cell scores (–18) and is suitable for use on maiden heifers (108).

Barnkamper Mandell arrives from the outstanding and highly reliable Marilyn cow family (related to the respected Barnkamper Support).

Mandell is a Shottle from an O Man from a Sierra with +522kg of milk and more than 30kg of fat and protein.

He sires cows with capacity and has excellent management traits with –17 somatic cell count and is suitable Second-calver Goli daughter 9057

for use on maiden heifers (105).

Goldwyn son Delta Mazurka transfers lots of milk with +575kg and 38kg of fat and protein, and has excellent management traits with great udders (111).

Popular bulls Rising to £214 PLI, Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls will continue to be very popular.

Impuls is an all-round O Man son with great type and production and, thanks to the influence from his maternal side via the bull Jesther, he also improved his longevity to +538 days.

Thanks to the good results achieved by the daughters sired during his test period, Beekmanshoeve Bertil is the most popular black-and-white bull in the Netherlands. The daughters from his second crop are now included in his breeding values, causing his PLI to rise to £156. His milk is now +274kg, fat +15.5kg (+0.06%), protein +20.9kg (+0.15%) and –5 SCC. For Topspeed Kodak this is the third

index run in a row in which his breeding values improved and he’s now £156 PLI. With a different pedigree for red-andwhite breeders, Kevin son Kodak has good production figures, is very easy calving (111) and offers fantastic longevity of +672 days.

Talent son Aalshorst Pleasure (£134 PLI) further consolidated his position as a health and longevity specialist with +565 days longevity, –9 SCC and great all-round type, particularly udders (109).

For further details on all the bulls available from Avoncroft call 0800 7831880.

Mazurka daughter Truus 69

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Research-proven responses from over 30 peer-reviewed Dairy studies have demonstrated Zinpro Performance Minerals® are the only trace minerals that can consistently deliver Performance benefits to your herd.

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RETURN • RESPONSE • REPEATABILITY • RESEARCH • REASSURANCE

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Improving housing: tips and ideas that could make your cubicle shed more cow friendly. Page 22 Bedding options: paper-based product has played a significant role in reducing SCC. Page 24 Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new? We round up some of the latest cow housing innovations. Page 26

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Just how appealing do your cows find their cow house?

Room for improvement The majority of herds are now out at grass, so it’s the perfect time to re-evaluate your cow housing and make improvements while the buildings are empty. We take a look at some common problem areas and some solutions. text Rachael Porter

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ows like to be housed, at least some of the time. That was the finding of a study, carried out by researchers at Harper Adams University College and Reaseheath College, which set out to determine whether high genetic merit dairy cows have a preference to be indoors or on pasture and to assess which environmental factors influence their preference.

“Cows expressed a partial preference to be indoors, which was influenced by environmental conditions, such as the rainfall, and individual cow

factors,” says Harper Adams’ Gemma Charlton. “It is possible that the higher yielding dairy cows expressed a stronger preference to be indoors as the TMR indoors allowed them to satisfy nutritional demands more easily than grazing at pasture. And the difference in the feed provided in each location may have influenced cow preference and requires further investigation,” she says.

Cow preferences Indoor housing and pasture can have both positive and negative effects on

the welfare of dairy cows, and environmental conditions can influence the location that dairy cows prefer.

Studies have shown that pasture is the preferred lying place for dairy cows during the summer months, but preference shifted towards indoor straw housing with deep bedding in the winter.

“However, it is not clear how environmental conditions and cow factors influence their choice,” says Miss Charlton, explaining the rationale behind her team’s work.

“We found that, when given a choice, the cows spent 91.9% of their time indoors and time spent indoors was influenced by environmental conditions.”

And, unsurprisingly, rainfall influenced preference, with cows spending more time indoors on days when it rained.

And relative humidity outdoors also influenced preference, as did relative humidity indoors.

“When the relative humidity was low

Five-star accommodation: plenty of light and good ventilation are vital

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both indoors and outdoors the cows spent more time at pasture. Average temperature indoors and average temperature outdoors had no effect on preference,” she adds.

Small change – huge improvement

Better ventilation Ventilation to deal with humidity and temperature issues in UK cow housing is one way that many producers could improve conditions in their buildings, according to The Dairy Group’s dairy husbandry consultant Brian Pocknee.

“Ventilation is the most important aspect of a building when it comes to making it ‘attractive’ to the cow, yet it’s still overlooked on a lot of units,” he says, adding that cows are extremely sensitive to humidity and ammonia and other gases.

“They will notice if a building is full of stale air and it’s stuffy. So making sure it’s full of cool, fresh air by ensuring the building is adequately ventilated is vital.”

In essence, this means both good inlets and outlet. Open ridges are essential, although they may be protected,and will usually need to be between 250mm and 300mm wide. “Look for cobwebs. If you’ve got them, then you’ve got poor air movement,” he adds. l

Richard Pennington

Changing a water trough valve has made all the difference to cow housing for one Cornwall-based 600cow herd. Thirsty cows frequently pushing and shoving one another at drinking troughs was a serious concern for producer Richard Pennington.

Providing the opportunity for cows and heifers to consume a relatively large amount of clean, fresh water is essential, but low water pressure at Treore Farm, near Port Isaac, was seen as a limiting factor. The predicament was further exacerbated by slow filling traditional brass water trough fittings.

“A group of cows would almost empty a 545-litre trough inside our buildings in no time at all. Refilling took ages using old brass trough valves. Cows became impatient and began to jostle. I also saw this happening around larger 1,815-litre troughs in our paddocks,” Richard explains.

“In the summer the cows would quickly drink the troughs dry and push the plastic troughs off their

base. The slow refill time was a major problem.”

To try to boost water flow to troughs, he initially imagined high costs and lots of work. But he discovered a straightforward solution. Armed only with simple plumbing tools, Richard fitted Topaz trough valves to around 20 existing troughs to maintain water levels to the herd during peak periods to his herd, which currently averages around 7,000 litres of milk.

Operating at water pressures as low as five PSI, the robust valves allow full water flow to troughs at a flow rate of up to 200 litres per minute. “The move to the Topaz valves meant I didn’t have to install larger troughs or increase the bore size of water pipes. I reckon water flow increased 10-fold. This instantly relieved stress around our water troughs so our herd always has enough to drink post-milking and during hot summer days,” he adds.

“Drinking water can account for twothirds of water use on a dairy unit,” explains Dairy Spares’ Tim Evanson. The Shropshire-based company supplied the valves. “Daily requirements are between three and four time the daily milk yield.

Four cows drinking from the same trough can consume up to 55 litres per minute. What’s more, cows may consume between 30% and 50% of their daily water intake following milking, so it’s essential to provide adequate amounts of drinking water during this peak time.”

Richard has also installed three boreholes to relieve some of the strain on, and cost of, using mains water. And the business is also assessing ways to further reduce water costs and Richard has investigated harvesting rainwater from building roofs, and tapping spring supplies.

Happy hour: faster refilling makes for contented cows

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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H O U S I N G

S P E C I A L

Straw: a traditional bedding material that’s becoming more and more expensive

Sawdust: another popular bedding material, but it’s losing favour

Bedding options need to lie well with price, availability, udder health and comfort

Paper, sand, sawdust or straw?

One bedding material that is paying for itself on a Shropshirebased unit is paper. More absorbent than sawdust, the switch to paper was just part of a thorough plan of action to tackle high cell counts. But it was a vital one, as CowManagement found out. text Rachael Porter

A

high somatic cell count was crippling the Hughes family’s milk cheque. “The herd’s average was up around at 300,000 cells/ml – well above the 250,000 cells/ml maximum set by our buyer Muller – and we were being heavily penalised,” explains Alan Hughes, who farms in partnership with his sons Richard and John at Malt Kiln Farm, near Whitchurch in Shropshire. It was time to take action.

With help from the herd’s vet – Tom

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Wright from Cheshire-based Lambert Leonard and May – the Hughes set about tackling the problem once and for all.

Milk sampling through NMR highlighted problem cows and further test on the samples identified, which bacteria were at the route of the high cell count. Close observation revealed that sawdust was causing milk and moisture to sit under the udder once the cow was lying down and exacerbating any efforts to get on top of the hygiene issues.

So improved and thorough drying off

Alan and Richard Hughes

protocols, better dry cow management and an improved milking routine were all key in reducing the count to today’s 135,000 cells/ml. As was changing the 300-cow herd’s cubicle bedding from ‘soggy’ sawdust to EnviroSystems’ paperbased product – EnviroBed. This is more absorbent than sawdust and draws moisture – and the bacteria that thrive in it – away from the udder.

False economy Alan took delivery of this bedding material for the first time in January 2010, and says he hasn’t looked back since. We’re really pleased with it and wouldn’t use anything else now – not even if it were free. Our low somatic cell count means too much to us and we wouldn’t want to risk a rise again. That would be a huge blow to the herd and

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Sand: the one that every cow wants, but it doesn’t suit all systems

the business,” says Alan, adding that son Richard, who takes the bulk of the responsibility for the milking herd, insists on nothing w the best.

And he means what he says. Alan was recently offered some lime ash to bed the cubicles, free of charge, but he declined the offer. “It may be free, but it would be a false economy if cell counts began to creep up again.”

That said, he does use lime ash to bed the loose yards. But these are used for dry and calving cows – not milkers.

“We’re not willing to risk that – not for any amount of free bedding – however good it may claim to be. We’ve found something that works for our unit and our system and we’re sticking with it.”

EnviroSystem’s Liz Russell is also delighted with the contribution that the bedding product has made to the good udder health of the Hughes’ herd. Their success has helped to counteract some of

Paper-based: EnviroBed offers absorbency and good udder health

the negative PR surrounding it during the early part of the past decade.

“We did sell a lot of the product in the Shropshire area in 2003 and 2004, but back then it didn’t meet producers’ expectations on some units. In the early days it blocked slatted areas and made slurry so thick that it could be difficult to handle. But we don’t get any complaints today,” adds Mrs Russell.

Even spread Alan says using a bedding dispenser is key to his success with the product as it ensures a thorough and even spread that’s not easy to achieve when spreading this – or any other bedding material – by hand.

“The trick is to cover the cubicle with a level layer of the product. It’s the only way to ensure that the cubicle remains dry and the mastitis-causing bugs are kept under control.”

Suitable for cubicles, on mats and mattresses, loose housed and shallowbed system, the product offers five times the absorbency of sawdust and 10 times the absorbency of straw, leading to cows kept drier and cleaner for longer, according to Mrs Russell. “It also offers a favourable pH of 7.4 along with the natural lime and copper content, which are unattractive to the growth of pathogenic mastitis-causing bacteria,” she adds.

The Hughes’ herd uses between six and seven tonnes of the product per month during the six-month housing period each year and Alan says that the cost is comparable with other bedding material, at £73.50 per tonne.

“But even if it were slightly more expensive, we’d still use it – results matter. Udder health and maximising our milk price is more important,” says Alan. l

Bedding trends and options Interest continues to grow in using sand as a cubicle bedding material, according to The Dairy Group’s dairy husbandry consultant Brian Pocknee.

“And it would certainly be my first choice for improved mastitis, lameness and cow comfort, so long as slurry handling facilities could cope with it,” he says, adding that with some investment that most could. But he appreciates that it’s not for everyone.

“The rising cost of straw – and haulage – is driving some of the move towards

sand. But producers may have to move from an FYM-based waste management system to a slurry based one. And this requires storage for at lease five months of waste. It’s not all bad news if you have the correct soil type – heavy soil that allows you to dig a lagoon for storage.

The cost of this would be relatively small compared to those farming on lighter, sandy soils that would require tanks for storage. The cost of that could be prohibitive,” adds Dr Pocknee.

Lime ash is also growing in popularity.

This is produced by the power plant industry and should be wood/paper ash – not coal. It’s alkaline and a good drying agent, so Dr Pocknee strongly advises producers to use it with caution and ensure that their herd’s teat dip contains an emollient. “Like most of the products that are applied direct or mixed with the base bedding material, lime ash is a drying agent. So it’s vital to keep the teats soft and supple to avoid damaging them. If you don’t, it could be a case of out of the frying pan and into the fire.”

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H O U S I N G

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Five-star accommodation and cow comfort – from top to toe

What’s new in cow housing?

We round up some of the new products and technology on the market that could help you to create the perfect ‘home’ for the most important ladies in your life – from top (a light ridge) to bottom (a slurry scraper). See if you could make some changes during the summer. text Rachael Porter

Let there be light...

A roof ridge system has been launched that the manufacturer claims will improve ventilation and natural light when fitted to new or existing buildings.

Galebreakers’ light ridge is made in Britain using strong PVC roof panels that are available in one-, two- or threemetre widths, providing a 600-mm ‘air exhaust’ to suit a range of roof pitches.

There are no fans or moving parts.

Once fitted, the light ridge requires no adjustment or maintenance. The ‘active’ wind guide plates, which run the length of each side, enable the system to ‘exhaust’ hot gases and fumes in almost any weather conditions.

Fitting the light ridge to a livestock building will improve natural ventilation, as well as natural light, and the construction is waterproof and snow-load tested.

No-nonsense slurry scraper A simple, user-friendly, low-maintenance slurry scraper, which is fully galvanised, has been launched by Dutch company Joz. The Rope Scraper is the newest addition to its range of slurry scrapers and this system eradicates the need for tensioning and can be used directly on a concrete or slatted floor.

The company claims that it is also extremely cow friendly.

It comprises two drive stations and one polyester wear-proof 18mm or 22mm Dynacord.

As one of the drive stations reels the rope in, the second reels it out. One or more slurry scrapers can then be

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installed between the drive stations, depending on cubicle shed lay out.

The system can be operated manually or automatically (at pre-programmed times) via a control panel.

And a cow protection system allows the installation to operate independently, without supervision.

The biggest advantage of the system is its low maintenance requirements.

The system of two drive stations makes it unnecessary to tension the installation.

And it can be easily installed in existing housing.

The company also claims that using an animal-friendly rope means that there’s no damage to a single cow claw.

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Automatic treatment of cow hooves Hoof cleaning and disinfection can now be fully integrated, with the launch of Joz’s Claw Clean System (CCS).

This product was developed in collaboration with the Dutch engineering firm Heemskerk and the manufacturer claims that it’s cow friendly and suitable for all types of housing.

It consists of a central control unit and one or two spray units and is designed to replace the process of foot bathing, which is both time-consuming and unpleasant for cattle, says the company.

Footbaths become rapidly soiled by manure introduced on the animal’s hooves and, as a result of this, the disinfectant has only a short effective life and can indeed even have negative effects on cows’ feet.

Footbathing is also a time-consuming and difficult process, particularly on larger farms, and it often has to be carried out during milking or just as cows leave the parlour.

CCS cleans and disinfects the claws hygienically and fully automatically and offers a continuous, preventive approach, according to the company. It also claims

that, as a result, claw problems remain under control, savings are achieved in both time and money, and cows maintain milk production levels and live longer.

The central unit is connected to the mains water and electricity supply. A dosing unit guarantees the correct mix of disinfectant and water and a high-pressure pump carries the solution to the spray nozzles.

Following assembly, it is simply a question of placing a section of hose in a barrel of disinfectant, and activating the system by turning a knob.

From that time on, CCS will treat the claws of every cow detected by the sensor. The spray units are positioned in the return passageway from the milking parlour or at the exit of the milking robot.

Machine ‘manages’ cubicles A self-propelled and self-loading machine offers easier day-to-day management of the cubicle shed. The job of cleaning and bedding up to 500 cubicles can be completed in a matter of minutes by the Agricom Cubicle Manager and its main features include a hydraulically driven front wheel drive unit, a self-loading bin, that is driven by a separate gear pump, the ability to turn on a 1.3m wheelbase and the ability to handle sawdust, straw or powder disinfectants, as well as numerous other bedding materials including paper.

Driven by a Kubota three-cylinder watercooled engine, the latest model also has a heavy duty feed belt, a sealed hydraulic drive system, a galvanized chassis and a powder-coated hopper with capacity to bed 300 cubicles.

Additional options include a large 600-cubicle hopper, a hydraulic slat scraper and a hopper mixer paddle.

It is the only machine on the market that does not work on a ‘blower’ system, so it can handle all bedding materials except sand.

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find us by Sat Nav

TF10 8NB

Wednesday 4th May 9.00am – 4.00pm 2011

The event for professional dairy farmers

2011

Working Demonstrations Trade Exhibition Technical Presentations Tickets are FREE if you pre-register or £5.00 on the gate To book your tickets or gain further information

Quote booking code: CM

www.farm-smart.co.uk 0845 4900 142 admin@farm-smart.co.uk Organised by Fusion Events on behalf of Harper Adams university College and kindly supported by DairyCo

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B R E E D I N G

Fertility is improving in the Netherlands – the figures of Dutch sires prove it

The only way is up The Dutch are making tangible progress with regard to breeding for improved fertility and efforts in this area are reflected by the figures. The changes are still small, but the fertility indexes of Dutch proven sires are noticeably increasing and producers using them can look forward to higher non-return rates. text Hans Siemes

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ows that won’t become pregnant are a major source of frustration for producers. When a cow has been bred unsuccessfully two or three times, culling often is considered and it is among the top three reasons for culling. So it’s clear why fertility is one of the most important areas demanding attention on many dairy units.

It is a complex issue, with various factors having an influence on the fertility of cows including management, nutrition and breeding. The influence of the latter appears to be small, but that’s not accurate, according to CRV’s Sander de Roos.

“The positive thing about breeding is that no further efforts are necessary.

You make an improvement genetically and that’s all. Good quality feed also contributes to fertility, but having to compensate for poor forages with other products will involve a lot of work and costs.”

High fertility Breeding offers possibilities. Consistent use of bulls with high fertility will definitely lead to considerable improvements, assures the genetic specialist. “That way you can make a lot of progress.” Although, in the field you won’t find many producers that breed exclusively for fertility. They take other aspects into consideration such as improving the protein content, udder health, and feet and legs. “Producers are looking for a bull with an optimal combination of these traits, but fertility certainly plays an important role.”

Where fertility is concerned, there are

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significant differences between bulls.

Fertility in the Netherlands is based on calving interval and non-return percentage. It is important to look at both. For this reason they contribute equally to the fertility index. Breeding according to the fertility index is geared towards providing offspring that show timely heats and become pregnant after the first insemination.

Calving interval The average calving interval in the Netherlands is 423 days. An index of 104 for calving interval, for example, means that on average the daughters have a calving interval that is 6.2 days shorter when compared to the daughters of a bull that has an index of 100. “There are bulls with an index of 108, but there are also some with 92. This translates into a difference of almost one month calving interval for the daughters of one bull compared to another,” explains Mr de Roos.

The second aspect that impacts on fertility is the non-return percentage (NR56). The average in the Netherlands is 67%. This means that two thirds of the cows that were inseminated once have not been re-bred within 56 days. The differences between bulls are significant.

The daughters of a bull with an index of 108 have a non-return percentage of 73%, while for the daughters of a 92 indexed bull will be 61% on average.

A third aspect to consider is the difference in semen quality from one bull to the next. This is indicated via the figure ‘bull fertility’, with numbers ranging from –4 to +4. Bulls with –4

Sander de Roos: “The fertility of bulls is certainly not declining”

fertility have a non return of 63% and bulls with +4 fertility have an average of 71% non return. This provides another opportunity for producers to influence fertility by way of bull selection.

Breeding programme For the past 10 years the Dutch have been intensively working on improving fertility. In 2000 this trait was added to the sire index for the first time and this also allowed fertility to play a more influential role in the breeding programme, which previously primarily focused on net milk revenue (milk production figures) and type qualities.

Together with longevity and udder health, fertility was also included in the index. There was ample reason for this, because there was a clear change for the worse. A result of the strong focus on milk production in Holstein Friesian breeding was a negative impact on fertility. “We have to put an end to that,” was the response of the Dutch dairy industry. The inclusion of an index for fertility in the total index was helpful.

For bulls born after 2000, the decline did not continue and the index for fertility stabilised.

With the introduction of the current index (the NVI) in 2007, fertility was given a much heavier weighting in the sire index. This meant that bulls with poor scores for fertility were ‘punished’ in the NVI and vice versa. One point higher or lower in the fertility index immediately translates into seven NVI points. The effect of the heavier weighting for fertility is notable. ”After a stabilising phase, we now see an increase. And the new bulls that are still in the pipeline on average are showing again higher scores for this index,” explains Mr de Roos.

What’s remarkable is that the improvement is connected with progress

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2008 2010

2006

2004

2000 2002

1998

1996

1994

104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 1990 1992

average fertility index

Non-return rate: the Dutch average is 67%, which means that two thirds of cows that are inseminated once are back in calf within 56 days of calving

sire’s year of birth

Figure 1: The fertility index of Dutch sires dropped during the 1990s (source: CRV)

in the area of milk production and components, even though production and fertility tend to impact one another negatively. Producers are picking up on this and are now taking fertility into account when selecting bulls – much more so than in the past.

International gains Due to the greater emphasis on fertility in breeding, the Netherlands has made gains internationally.

“There are countries where the nonreturn percentage is below 50%. Those countries are behind us. There are also countries, however, where fertility is even more important than in the Netherlands, for example when they have a seasonal calving system,” adds CRV’s breeding specialist.

He refers to the official sire line up with the best bulls from all countries.

“If you look at the highest bulls for fertility, the Netherlands is well represented, with 20 bulls in the top 100, including bulls like Fiction and the young sire Award.”

Important theme In coming years, fertility will remain an important theme. This not only involves monitoring breeding developments but also improving the bulls’ semen quality.

This is high on the agenda. “A lot has happened in that area in recent years.

We are doing everything possible to continuously improve that quality in the lab. All protocols are closely followed and for each bull we are striving for the optimal concentration of semen. The fertility of bulls has been constant during the past few years and is certainly not declining,” says Mr de Roos.

He believes that improvements can also be expected from the latest technological gadgets and management information.

In the area of cattle husbandry significant developments lie ahead. l

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21-04-2011 10:59:11

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And as the only vaccine of its type approved to improve herd fertility2, ask your usual animal health prescriber about the benefits from vaccinating your herd with Leptavoid-H. 1. DairyCheck and BeefCheck data 2010 2. When infertility is diagnosed as caused by Leptospira hardjo.

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F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A RY J O N

P R A C T I C E

R E A D E R

Vet Jon Reader, from Synergy Farm Health in Dorset, reflects on the implications of lameness on cow health, welfare and productivity. And at this time of year, as cows go out to grass, cases can typically increase as their hooves are exposed to outdoor conditions.

Time to turnout and to tackle lameness

Lameness – a call for action I

am writing this in early April as we experience unusually warm weather. The grass is growing and ‘turnout’ has arrived. It’s a chance for the cows to get the sun on their backs and they look great – until their hooves start experiencing outdoor conditions.

Cow flow can contribute to lameness problems, particularly where cows are walking on tracks and moving to and from pastures. Rough tracks and uneven ground spell problems. It is worth checking these and avoiding driving tractors along the tracks, particularly if conditions are wet.

White line disease is heavily related to cow flow in the collecting yard.

Cramped conditions will lead to adverse pressure on the white line as cows have to move backwards and sideways to manoeuvre around. If more than 5% of cows have their heads up then you can be fairly sure they are short of space. About two metres per cow is recommended in the yard.

And we are just starting to appreciate the amount of re-arranging that goes on in the collecting yards. Cows will leave the fields in a very different order to that in which they enter the parlour. They need room to do carry out this behavioural pattern.

Research has shown that mobility scoring and prompt action can reduce lameness by up to 80%. And cows with mild lameness – with a mobility score of 2 and that would benefit from treatment – are estimated to have a reduction in yield of 4.5 litres a day moving to six litres a day for those with a mobility score of 3 – or severely lame.

Producers who are not monitoring mobility are likely to miss the subtle changes in mobility and the milk losses cited above can be incurred for up to four months before the cow becomes clinically lame. Lameness can creep up very slowly leaving a trail of production losses, to say nothing of fertility and other health related problems.

And the longer a cow is lame the less likely she is to return to being sound footed.

The encyclopaedia Lameness Prevention Top of the list has to be mobility scoring and swift action to minimise the time between identification of symptoms and treatment. During summer, maintain good tracks by brushing off stones, minimise tractor traffic and avoid poaching gateways. It is worth looking carefully at cow flow and making sure that cows have plenty of room to move freely.

Cow comfort is particularly important and it is worth considering rubber matting. Preventative foot trimming should be carried out routinely. categories of lameness

possible causes

sole lesions

poor cow comfort and extended standing times on concrete poor cow flow, lack of collecting yard space, uneven tracks poor slurry management, inadequate foot bathing

white line disease infectious eg. digital dermatitis

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

Cumbrian herd has top LDY Brian and Joanne Harrison’s Lowhouse herd of Holsteins from Armathwaite, Carlisle, is NMR’s highest LDY herd for 2009/10. The 310-cow herd, which averages 11,800kg of milk, had an LDY of 18.89kg a day.

“We breed for type rather than index and our management is geared towards longevity,” says Brian. “We have 200 cows on loose housing, milk three times a day and have put lots of effort into correct nutrition and newly calved cow care. We believe these factors all contribute to healthy, long-lasting and productive cows.”

And if any problems with cow health

New manager for Northern Ireland

Joanne and Brian Harrison

do arise, Brian and Joanne don’t hesitate to call the vet. “We have seen the benefits of getting the vet involved early and getting a cow back on track – this plays its part in lifetime yields too.”

Charity donation NMR has donated £5,000 to ShareGift, a charity that provides a solution to the problem of unwanted small shareholdings.

Since NMR’s consolidation of shares, in November 2010, the company collected some small ‘packets’ of shares valued at less than £5 – the minimum price that

NMR bought shares for. “We committed to donate these shares to charity through ShareGift and this is part of our latest donation,” says Chris Hughes, NMR finance director.

ShareGift aggregates and sells parcels of donated shares, giving the proceeds to a wide range of UK charities.

Richard Harpur, Area Sales Manager NMR, Northern Ireland

Long service ladies Four Cumbrian milk recording ladies have notched up 128 years of service with NMR in the past few months.

Eileen Ball has 40 years under her belt, Doreen Head and Carol Stockdale have 32 years and Deborah Bowman 24 years. Although none of them

have retired, Carol and Deborah still have fairly full-time milk recording schedules.

NMR marked the occasion last month and the four ladies were joined by their farmer customers for a presentation evening.

Area manager Laurence Loxam (centre) presents long service awards

NMR is expanding its team in Northern Ireland with the appointment of Richard Harpur as area sales manager.

From a farming family in Omagh, Richard went to Queen’s University where he graduated with a degree in agricultural technology. He first joined NMR in 2006 as a milk recorder in Shropshire.

“Richard is a valuable addition to our team,” says Northern Ireland business manager Chris Keys.

“We are adding to our range of services for producers and vets so his knowledge and expertise will be of great value.

Top 100 tonners Here are the top three cows ranked on lifetime yield that have reached the 100-tonnes-of-milk milestone in February. A full list is on the NMR website.

1 Cow 301, from the Britton’s herd at Winterbourne Stickland, Dorset, with 100,846kg and a lifetime daily yield (LDY) of 29.07kg a day.

2 Also from Dorsest, Mansfield Skywalker Olive from the Stranger’s herd at Westor, Shaftesbury with 113,191kg of milk and an LDY of 27.14kg.

3 Lords Plain Addison Joy from the Martin’s herd, Levens, near Kendal in Cumbria, with 103,022kg of milk and an LDY of 26.72kg.

For more information on NMR products and services contact customer services, 0844 7255567, NMR web address: www.nmr.co.uk, NMR email address: customerservices@nmr.co.uk c o w m a n a g e m e nt

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F E E D I N G

Make plans to boost your herd’s milk output from forage

Forage focus to offset feed costs

At the recent National Forage Conference, organised by Biotal, the importance of maximising yields from forage to offset rising feed costs was the central topic for discussion and delegates were told that planning and attention to detail were essential. text Rachael Porter

T

he current trends in purchased feed prices means that there is a real focus on getting more from forage, but this does not mean taking a hit on total yields. So says the Farm Consultancy Group’s Max Sealy.

“Data from Kingshay shows that at every yield level, the units that produced more from forage had higher margins and lower overall feed costs,” he told delegates. “Even herds producing more than 9,000 litres were able to produce 38% of milk from forage and save more than 2ppl, so there is no reason to assume that overall output has to decline if more is to be achieved from forage.

However forage must be of good quality and be utilised well.”

According to Francis Dunne from forage seed specialists Field Options, big benefits can result from selecting the most

suitable varieties. “If you want good quality feed, you need to grow the most suitable crops and varieties.

“Take maize as an example,” he says.

“The focus is often on yield, but it can really pay to focus on varieties that deliver higher energy contents. The current varieties list shows a range in ME from between 10.6 and 11.5MJ/ kgDM. “Each 0.1MJ increase in ME is worth 19 litres of milk per tonne of dry matter produced. For a 44t/ha crop at 33%DM, the difference in milk income between a 10.6MJ variety and an 11.5MJ variety is £255/t DM at 25ppl (see Table 1).”

Mr Dunne stressed that it was possible to select high quality varieties that also yield better than average, although he emphasised that maize yield is mostly down to how the crop is grown and

that variety choice will not overcome poor management. He also suggested that producers consider the effect of crop choice and harvesting date on wholecrop cereals. “There can be marked differences in DM yield and digestibility between species, which can be compounded by harvesting dates so it is important to plan wholecrop carefully.”

Once high quality forage has been made, the key is to use it effectively as two leading US dairy experts explained.

Sufficient fibre Mary Beth de Ondarza, a dairy consultant from New York State, told delegates that while NDF is the common measure of fibre in the diet, not all NDF is the same and the aim must be to produce diets with adequate levels of digestible NDF. “Dairy cows need sufficient fibre to help regulate rumen pH. Fibre stimulates chewing and saliva production while forming a rumen mat that slows the passage of grains and increases their digestibility.”

However, providing poor quality, low digestibility NDF is counter-productive as it merely provides bulk that fills the rumen and actually suppresses dry matter intakes. In high producing cows with a well functioning rumen, forage

Table 1: The difference in milk income when feeding different ME forages

the range of ME (MJ/kg DM) values on the current list 10.6 10.8 11.0 11.2 11.5

38

litres/tonne of dry matter at 5.3 MJ/litre

extra litres/tonne of dry matter above 10.6 ME

extra value of each tonne at 25ppl

quality bonus on an 44t/ha crop at 33%DM (15tDM/ha)

2,000 2,038 2,075 2,113 2,170

0 38 75 113 170

£0.00 £9.43 £18.87 £28.30 £42.45

+£56.60 +£113.21 +£169.81 +£254.72

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intake is limited by the bulkiness of the fibre as it fills the rumen.

“To drive dry matter intakes we need highly digestible NDF and research shows that every 1% increase in NDF digestibility increases DMI by 0.15kg.

Digestible NDF drives intakes, which in turn drive milk production. Poor quality, low digestible NDF just clogs up the rumen, reducing intakes and yields.”

She argues that the objective should be to make good quality forages, paying particular attention to cutting dates.

“Don’t leave the crop too late before harvesting and consider leaving a longer stubble so that the less digestible stem is left in the field. This applies equally to maize and grass silage.”

“And take pride in your silage making and make the best possible feed you can.

Then make sure the analysis includes a measurement of NDF digestibility.

Analytical laboratories should really

take the lead and start including NDF digestibility on silage reports,” Mary Beth concluded.

Michael Hutjens from the University of Illinois stressed that it is perfectly possible to achieve high yields per cow combined with high yields from forage and shared his ‘golden rules’ for achieving this.

“The key to profitability is to maximise production while using feed efficiently.

My golden rule is to maximise feed efficiency with the target being 1.5kg of 3.5% fat milk per kg of dry matter consumed.

“Many herds achieve this level of efficiency from diets made up of 50% forage, 35% concentrates and 15% available byproducts, moist feeds and so on. The challenge is for others to do the same.

“The ration needs a good balance of energy sources with plenty of soluble carbohydrates to fuel the rumen bacteria.

Get the balance right and forages can be well used in high yield diets. I recommend

Mary Beth de Ondarza: “Digestible NDF is key”

Mike Hutjens: “Maximise feed efficiency”

NDF digestibility

between 28% and 32% NDF with good digestibility, between 22% and 26% starch, between 4% and 6% sugars, and between 10% and 12% soluble fibre.”

Professor Hutjens stressed the importance of physically effective fibre to encourage rumination. He advised providing 2.4kg of feed particles, between 1.7cm and 4.5cm in length, and recommends that producers spend time watching chewing activity in the herd.

“You should see at least 60 chews per bolus and cows need to spend between 550 and 600 minutes chewing the cud per day – between 60% and 75% of cows at rest should be chewing at any time.”

Different groups of cows He also explained how performance from forage can be improved by targeting different forages to different groups of cows, paying close attention to the cows’ requirements at different stages of lactation.

“In high yielding cows, dry matter intake is limited by gut fill. High yielders have a large demand for glucose while in late lactation glucose demand is less and high levels can actually drive excess bodyweight gain.

“This means that high yielders should be fed higher starch diets and forages with high levels of digestible NDF, while stale milkers can have a lower starch diet with less digestible NDF. “This might make for some challenges in how silage is made and clamped to allow different silages to be fed to different groups. But the benefits, in terms of more from forage and less from purchased feeds, will make this worthwhile,” he added. l

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RED GENETICS IN THE LIMELIGHT

“The red and whites are defitively more placid, have a better temperament and their feet and legs are better. They can also hold their own compared to the black-and-white Holsteins in terms of milk production, often offering a plus on milk, fat and protein.”

Mr. Weaver, dairy farmer at Villa Farm near Whitchurch in Shropsire

Three ‘red’ generations (from left to right): Beautiful-daughter Fatima, national Dutch champion Tulip daughter Flora and Andries daughter Florina

“Farmers can get outcross that boosts protein yield and some hybrid vigour by using red-and-white Holstein genetics.

Moreover, they’re more robust, muscular cattle than their black-and-white counterparts.”

Mr. van Goor, Head of Breeding Programmes of CRV

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H E A LT H

Assess the disease risks and get a comprehensive policy in place

Weighing up the risks Mention biosecurity and producers imagine double fences and decades of closed herd status. This isn’t a reality for most producers – but neither is the option of burying their heads in the sand when it comes to disease control. Producers should assess the risks on their own units and put sound plans in place if they want a healthier herd long term.

Peter Orpin: “Assess risk of disease spread within the herd”

text Karen Wright

W

eigh up the risks – that’s Leicestershire-based dairy vet Peter Orpin’s advice to producers. And he doesn’t just mean the risks of buying in disease but the risks of disease spreading within the herd. “Assessing the risks of buying cattle with disease, or your cows coming into contact with diseased animals, is just one part of the job. It’s just as important to assess the risks within the herd – and this is where many producers fall down. They’re not managing the disease risk after purchasing animals.”

In an ideal world any bought-in cattle should come with written disease status

assurances. “But strong demand for cows and heifers and high prices means that this isn’t always either possible or enforced by the buyer. This significantly increases the disease risk status, particularly for some diseases.

“We can manage the risks presented by IBR, BVD and Leptospirosis through vaccination,” adds Mr Orpin. “But the other key diseases like Neospora, Johne’s disease and TB are different – they’re slow burners.

“With Johne’s the disease spreads from cow to calf long before it manifests itself.

And this time lag is a huge problem.”

This is where an assessment of the risk of disease spread within the herd is equally important. Uninfected animals need protecting, maybe through vaccination or by adapting management protocols.

“Producers should assess how good their controls are on farm. And it might not be all doom and gloom. While the risk of say Johne’s entering the herd might be high, the risk of spread might be low if control measures are already in place, such as avoiding pooling colostrum and waste milk, testing stock and preventing spread at calving.”

Along with dairy vet colleague Dick Sibley, Peter Orpin has developed a

Assessing disease beats test and treat Dorset-based dairy vet Peter Plate from Damory Veterinary Clinic now takes a far more proactive approach to infectious disease control, having observed severe losses due to breakdowns in previously ‘clean’ herds, with disease such as BVD, or due to a hidden disease, such as Johne’s, spreading within a herd.

An integral part of his preventative herd health management is a herd risk assessment and he uses Myhealthyherd (MHH) across the majority of dairy herds that he is involved with.

“After years of monitoring and predominantly dealing with the infected herd, the new approach of assessing risk and preventing – or at least minimising – disease is relevant to every farm,” he says. “And in many circumstances protecting clean herds from disease breakdowns can be even more cost-

42

Peter Plate: “Protect clean herds too”

effective than managing infected herds.

“Starting off with the MHH risk assessment gives us a comprehensive and practical base. And I think it’s particularly important that it’s based on well-recognised and published evidence.

For example, with regards to BVD, some of our regular bulk milk negative herds

were flagged up through MHH as high risk, perhaps because they have several neighbours with livestock, share farm staff and equipment, or occasionally buying in untested animals.”

And while some of these producers had been lucky and avoided infections so far, Mr Plate found that others were less fortunate and faced serious economic losses due to disease entering a nonimmune population. “In these herds rising bulk milk titres indicate that damage is already done, and any intervention is reactive at this stage.”

And looking ahead, Mr Plate would like to see all producers contacting their vet before buying in animals from a herd of unknown disease status. “Being aware of the risks and putting more emphasis on biosecurity advice and subsequent measures is money well spent.”

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Figure 1: Myhealthyherd progress page for Johne’s disease, illustrating the key steps required to assess disease risk and biosecurity options

biosecurity risk assessment module for their web-based herd health program Myhealthyherd. Used by producers in conjunction with their vets, this module assesses the risks and gives an assessment of each of six key diseases – IBR, BVD, Leptospirosis, Neospora, Johne’s disease and TB – either being brought into the herd or spreading within the herd.

Buying-in procedures The module is straight forward but comprehensive with 32 questions covering all biosecurity related issues, shown in Figure 1. These include the proximity of other dairy cattle, buying-in procedures and time scales – some of the disease problems in herds originate from cattle bought in five or ten years ago. The scores for each criterion carry a weighting specific to each disease.

Results generated from the assessment provide producers and their vets with a

summary of the risks – red, amber or green – for each of the diseases entering or spreading within the herd, as shown in Figure 2.

Using the assessments, vets and producers can devise bespoke control plans for each of the diseases and use the risk assessment results with routine testing information to provide predictions for certain diseases, like Johne’s and TB. It provides a blueprint for the herd and it is proving to be a valuable tool for around 50% of UK vet practises.

Data generated from Myhealthyherd shows that the risk of disease entry on many units is high with well above 60% of herds in the ‘red’ category. “This isn’t surprising as there’s a lot of herd expansion and restocking going on, but it does mean that it’s even more important to make sure that any risks are minimised within the herd,” adds Peter.

As a practising vet, there’s no doubt in

Figure 2: Myhealthyherd infectious disease module, illustrating the traffic light scoring of risks and status

Peter Orpin’s mind, that a policy of protect and prevent is far more successful than treating the disease; a view that DairyCo’s R&D manager Elizabeth Berry fully supports.

Improve biosecurity “Producers could do a lot more to improve biosecurity,” she says. When we carried out a recent survey on endoparasites, at least 82% of producers didn’t have any related biosecurity measures in place when they were buying in stock.

“And when you see how much liver fluke, for example, has spread then it is fairly obvious that more can be done on our dairy farms. I suspect the situation is similar when it comes to the even more threatening diseases, such as BVD or Johne’s”, Elizabeth Berry adds. “This whole area of biosecurity is one that is firmly on the agenda with our extension officers and as part of our workshops.” l

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B U L L

P R O O F S

King of the rankings continues to dominate sire list

Now we have O Man sons and grandsons Devon-based dairy producer, renowned cattle breeder and threetimes NMR/RABDF Gold Cup finalist, Willy Ley, shares his first impressions of the movers and shakers in the April proof run. text Ann Hardy

“Y

ou can’t ignore a bull with a proof like Lynbrook Jancen’s,” says William Ley, commenting on the new number one sire on the DairyCo Profitable Lifetime Index rankings.

“People have been asking for shorter, less extreme Holstein cows, and now they have got one. And this one has a terrific production proof into the bargain, with over 400kg milk, 53kg fat plus protein and positive percentages for both.”

In fact, the PLI of Jancen (O Man x Manat) at £241 is the first to come anywhere near his sire’s, and his Lifespan Index is marginally better.

But with a stature score of –1.06 (O Man, in comparison was +0.6), he will more naturally appeal to farmers on an extensive, grazing system, or – with his good fitness traits – could persuade many who have experimented with crossbreeding to come back to the Holstein fold.

Unusual credentials But in a traditional herd like William’s, would he have a place? “We shall certainly look at him,” he says. “You wouldn’t use him across your whole herd, but there will be one or two cows – probably those that are too tall and Lynbrook Jancen

46

Shorthorn hat-trick Drisgol Watzon has topped the Dairy Shorthorn PLI rankings for the third consecutive proof run and also moved into top slot on type.

Bred by Seimon Thomas from Pembrokeshire, he is sired by the red-and-white Holstein, Horizon Ranger Red (Jubilant x Chief Mark) who has been widely used in the Dairy Shorthorn blending programme. His PLI on the Shorthorn base (not comparable with other breeds) is £172, PIN is £32 and Type Merit is 2.4.

Willy Ley

lanky – on which he could be ideal and you could finish up with a nice balanced cow with good fat and protein.

“But you have to bear in mind that there will be more reliability in his proof to come.”

Jancen’s other unusual credentials include his own cosmopolitan background, having been bred by John Cunnane in the Irish Republic, progeny tested in Germany and descending from the popular Danish branch of a US cow family through Tirsvad Luke Classic.

Brand new in second position comes ALH Dakota, who becomes the highest production bull on the list, with 1,010kg milk and over 64kg fat plus protein and a PLI of £234. Although a familiar O ManDurham cross, his exceptional production

ALH Dakota

demands attention and his generally good fitness traits will offset a Fertility Index which is slightly below par.

Below the top two bulls, there is little change in the remainder of the top 10, with every bull, once again, sired by O Man. But the newcomer in 12th position – in the shape of Morningview Levi – represents a whole new generation.

Although he is the first non-O Man son on the list, he is one of his earliest grandsons, his mother being an O Man daughter. She is also full sister to the high ranking Morningview Legend.

“It’s inevitable that the O Man grandsons will be on the next wave,” says William.

“But this bull also represents a concentration of Bellwood bloodlines (Levi’s sire is the Bellwood grandson, Toc-Farm Goldsun

C VO E ECWTOM EW EALM NT A JN GAA ENM GUEEAM NRTEI NS1TE/ P2ATP2 ERM 0I 0LB9E2R0 12 10 0 9

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name

sire

mat. grandsire supplier

£PLI

rel.

milk

fat kg

prot. kg

fat %

prot %

Lynbrook Jancen ALH Dakota Co-Op Oman Logan Crockett-Acres Eight Long-Langs Oman Oman Ufm-Dubs Alta Esquire Timmer Tyson Mainstream Manifold Woudhoeve 1042 Impuls Morningview Legend End-Road O-Man Bronco Morningview Levi Ralma Gold Crown Gran-J Oman Mccormick O-Man End-Story Co-Op Oman Loydie Coldsprings Garner Regancrest Alta Iota Guarini Cogent Twist Ufm-Dubs Ellrod

O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man Buckeye Goldwyn O Man O Man O Man O Man O Man Goldwyn Shottle O Man

Manat Durham BW Marshall Mtoto Aaron Mark Sam Novalis BW Marshall Jesther Durham BW Marshall O Man O Man Durham Jocko BW Marshall Patron Ito O Man Major Lynch

241 234 224 222 221 221 219 217 214 214 212 209 208 204 203 201 201 197 196 195 195

74 78 72 74 73 73 78 74 78 74 71 72 74 74 69 72 74 73 71 91 73

+407 +1010 +898 +531 +663 +522 +99 +816 +598 +492 +808 +709 +520 +245 +601 +401 +478 +544 +328 +557 +318

+30.3 +32.2 +34.0 +23.0 +28.5 +35.7 +31.0 +32.5 +28.2 +24.4 +24.6 +29.0 +23.4 +26.4 +27.2 +24.9 +26.5 +28.5 +19.2 +34.9 +28.3

+23.3 +32.3 +28.0 +23.1 +28.9 +22.8 +16.4 +25.2 +25.9 +23.7 +25.5 +26.4 +21.4 +13.4 +22.1 +21.6 +17.6 +20.7 +18.2 +22.1 +17.7

+0.17 –0.09 –0.02 +0.03 +0.03 +0.18 +0.34 +0.00 +0.06 +0.06 –0.08 +0.01 +0.03 +0.21 +0.04 +0.11 +0.09 +0.08 +0.08 +0.15 +0.19

+0.12 –0.01 –0.01 +0.07 +0.09 +0.07 +0.17 –0.02 +0.08 +0.09 –0.01 +0.04 +0.05 +0.07 +0.03 +0.10 +0.02 +0.04 +0.09 +0.05 +0.09

Bullsemen.com Dairy Daughters Bullsemen.com Semex WWS UK Alta Avoncroft Semex Avoncroft Genus Dairy Daughters Genus Dairy Daughters Genus WWS UK Bullsemen.com Bullsemen.com Alta Bullsemen.com Cogent Genus

lifeSCC span 53 54 51 44 54 53 50 47 51 47 41 49 41 37 43 46 38 44 38 51 44

–12 –11 –22 –22 –3 –9 –17 –6 –12 –11 –1 –17 –17 –21 1 –15 –21 –11 –24 –11 –6

0.5 0.4 0.3 0.4 0.2 0.2 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.4 0.1 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.2 0.3 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.3

fertility type ind. dCE merit 0.9 — 0.01 –1.4 2.2 0.68 –0.6 1.8 0.66 4.6 2.2 0.39 –0.6 2.2 1.59 1.3 2.4 0.56 2.2 3.6 –0.45 4.2 3.5 0.86 –0.2 0.4 0.35 3.5 1.2 0.47 5.7 2.2 1.29 2.9 1.7 0.74 3.3 1.6 1.64 5.9 1.9 1.36 — 3.6 2.16 1.2 2.6 0.85 5.0 1.5 0.96 1.6 2.5 1.65 3.2 — 2.25 –3.0 –1.8 1.38 1.0 1.5 0.56

Table 1: Top 21 sires available in the UK ranked on PLI (source DairyCo breeding+ and Holstein UK)

Buckeye) and he is essentially a production bull.”

More than 700kg milk and 55kg fat plus protein, also with positive percentages, bear this out, although Levi also scores remarkably well for the fitness traits.

These weigh in at +2.9 Fertility Index; –17 SCC Index; +0.1 for Lifespan Index; as well as easy calving. His PLI is £209.

Goldwyn x O Man Next newcomer in the ranking is Germanbred Guarini, who offers the coveted blend of Goldwyn x O Man, making him the second ranked O Man grandson. His PLI of £196, Type Merit of 2.25 and good fitness traits will give him wide appeal.

“But one of the star turns this proof run

as far as I’m concerned is Cogent Twist,” says William. “He’s jumped from 38th to 20th position and now has a PLI of £195 based on 68 daughters in 40 UK herds, which is very pleasing for us as we used this bull from the outset.”

A further bull he highlights as a ‘pleasing riser’ is Ensenada Taboo Planet. “He dropped a little after we first used him but has gradually risen ever since, and I notice his name in a lot of the high genomic proofs. “He’s a Blackstar descendant and I think he looks a genuine milk bull, so I am looking forward to his daughters calving in our herd this summer.”

Finally he draws attention to Shottle son, Galastar Bluesky. “He’s pulled together

Other breed highlights Leaders for the other breed rankings are: • Deangate Osbert followed by Deangate Tarquin for the Friesians, with Lakemead Randolf, making his debut in third; • Fitness specialist, DJ Zuma, level pegging with Sunset Canyon Anthems Allstar, for the Jerseys; • Prossli for the Brown Swiss breed with a very good Lifespan Index; • Sniders Option Aaron for the Guernseys; • Odislait for the Montbeliardes; and G Edbo in the Ayrshire ranking,

although this bull is of Swedish Red breeding.

Don’t compare DairyCo has issued its regular reminder not to compare indexes across the breeds. The figures for each breed are calculated to relate to that breed average, so it would not just be meaningless to compare figures across breeds, but could also be completely misleading.

Anyone wishing to compare between breeds, can obtain a conversion formula from DairyCo.

nicely and with 121 daughters in 73 UK herds he looks stable and now has a PLI of £154 and TM of 2.34.

“He may not be up there on PLI with the O Man sons, but if you want an alternative he’s worth considering.

“And like the other British bull, Twist, he has a higher reliability than the top imported sires.” l

Top Holsteins for type The highest type bull available in the UK is now Toc-Farm Goldsun, a Goldwyn son from renowned Italian show cow, Toc-Farm Allen Amyly EX95. His Type Merit is 3.8 and he breeds exceptionally tall daughters with outstanding udder traits. He also musters a respectable PLI at £117 with good daughter fertility, lifespans and cell counts although milk is not high. Behind number-two type bull, Van Gogh (now deceased and in limited supply) comes newcomer, Go-Farm Artes, also from Italy. This Goldwyn son is unusual in being in the top 25 for PLI (at £192) as well as having 3.15 points for type.

Out of a BW Marshall dam, his lifespan and cell counts are good and milk is an impressive 848kg, although he currently has no Fertility Index.

Top British-proven type bull is Curtismill Mr Sam (now short-named Curtis). His TM is 3.05.

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19-04-2011 16:18:39

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Fever daughter group

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21-04-2011 11:02:26

FEED

EFFICIENCY

SERIES

Geneticists are close to developing a breeding value for feed conversion efficiency

Improving feed conversion efficiency Here, in the second of a series of articles looking at feed conversion efficiency, we explain why the parameter is set to become increasingly important for UK dairy businesses and how it can be improved Topic 1: What is FCE and why is it so important?

Topic 2: Breeding for FCE Topic 3: Health and FCE – a holistic approach Topic 4: Non-feed and management factors Topic 5: ‘Chemical’ and ‘physical’ ration factors

50

Breeding for efficient feeding There are many aspects of herd management that can influence feed conversion efficiency and in this – the second in our series on improving this measure of performance – we take a close look at breeding and the role that genetics play. text Rachael Porter

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21-04-2011 14:44:35

“I

t’s the holy grail of breeding – something that geneticists and producers alike have been talking about for a while.” That’s DairyCo breeding+ geneticist Marco Winters answer to the question of whether it’s possible to select sires for improved feed conversion efficiency (FCE).

“It’s not something that’s included in bull proofs just yet, but it’s on its way.

And it may have as an impact on dairy herds as selecting for milk production did many decades ago. It has the potential to be huge.” Work to develop a feed efficiency breeding value that can be added to PLI is on-going as part of the Scottish Agricultural College’s (SAC) Robust Milk project. And it should yield some interesting results later this year, according to project leader Eileen Wall.

Her team has been looking at the fatty acid profiles of milk from two herds – at

Breeding goal: producers are eager to select for feed conversion efficiency

Langhill and Crichton Royal – that, among other things can predict a cow’s energy balance, metabolic rate and feed conversion efficiency. “And so far things look very promising and we may be able to use this data to predict which cows and heifers are better at converting feed into milk,” she says.

Producer-driven research Dutch geneticists at Wageningen UR Livestock Research have been examining genetics and using genomic tools in a bid to discover traits and breeding values to help producers breed for improved feed conversion efficiency. “This research is very much producer driven,” says project leader from the Lelystad’s Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre Yvette de Haas. “A large number said that they wanted tools to help them select for feed conversion efficiency – to reduce their feed costs and the environmental impact of their herd by reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” she adds.

The Dutch team took data from Lelystad’s 600-cow experimental herd, comprising mainly first-calved heifers. The data was genetic, in other words their pedigree information, genotypic, genetic profiling was done using stored blood samples; and phenotypic, including feed intake and ration information, milk yield and composition, liveweight and conformation traits.

“With all this information we carried out some genetic analysis and found that feed conversion efficiency was 30% heritable – in other words 30% of the variation in feed conversion efficiency is down to genetics. This is similar to the heritability of milk production, so we know that selective breeding can make a difference when it comes to feed conversion efficiency,” explains Dr de Haas.

“That’s extremely good news for producers. Once this trait has been given a breeding value it can be added to bulls’ proofs and progress in breeding for feed conversion efficiency will be relatively rapid, if that’s what producers want to select for,” she adds. “It can be as rapid as the progress seen when producers select for milk production – so that’s really exciting.”

Looking to genomics, the team has identified one marker that looks to be linked to feed conversion efficiency, but more work is needed here. “Mainly because the profiles and data from 600 cows is not enough to draw a firm conclusion – data from more cows is needed.

Dr de Haas’ team is working with the Robust Milk project team at the SAC. “It’s certainly looking very promising and we’re linking up with researchers and geneticists in other countries. The key is to get as much data from as many cows as possible and the only way to do that is to collaborate.”

And collaboration should mean that producers, in the Netherlands at least, will be able to select bulls using a breeding value for FCE certainly by April 2013.

“And it should see the Netherlands’ current average FCE rate of 1.2kg of milk for every kilogramme of dry matter fed increase considerably during the next few years. We’re excited about it and, so are producers. They’re eager to start using the new information.”

Common-sense approach For now, producers who want to breed for increased FCE should look to use bulls that will sire daughters that are suited to their particular management system, according to Avoncroft’s David Matthews.

“It really is a case of horses for courses,” he says, adding that it’s common sense really.

“If you’re running your herd on a grass-based extensive system, you need to breed heifers and cows that will get back into calf easily. Fertility needs to be good if you’re running a system with a tight calving pattern. Milk output, and therefore feed conversion efficiency, will then be optimised if not maximised.

“Other systems need a close eye on milk, fat and protein production and cow size or stature. Avoiding cows that are ‘too big’ is important as they require more feed for maintenance and are therefore less ‘feed efficient’.

“Although size is often associated with more capacity for feed and therefore more milk, there are plenty of sires out there that produce medium-sized daughters that can produce just as much milk as their larger herd mates. Efficiency is very much about balance and avoiding extremes.”

DairyCo’s Marco Winters agrees: “Cow size is certainly a proxy trait – one that’s linked to feed conversion efficiency.

Smaller, compact cows that produce as much milk as large cows are certainly more efficient – they have a lower energy requirement for maintenance. And until we have a breeding value for FCE, producers will have to select on these proxy traits if they want to produce as much milk from a kilogramme of feed as possible.” l

cow man ag e me n t

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21-04-2011 03-03-2011 11:23:54 10:48:13

H E R D

R E P O RT

Gerrit Wensink Gerrit and Margriet Wensink emigrated from the Netherlands to Canada, where they run Hoenhorst Farms – the largest robot milking operation in Ontario.

Number of dairy cows: Number of young stock: Farm size (hectares): Average 305-day yield (kg): Number of milking robots:

Innerkip

360 270 310 10,000 4.00 3.30 Six

Gerrit Wensink

Robots occupy an island in the middle of the cow house

Gerrit Wensink: “We’ve got rid of assembly line work on our farm”

It’s all in the detail Gerrit and Margriet Wensink own 360 head of dairy cows in Canada. For two years now they have been milked using a robotic system. As a result, synchronisation is no longer necessary and stress-related disorders are less common. text Florus Pellikaan

A

fter an extensive tour of Hoenhorst Farms, you get the feeling as a visitor that managing a dairy operation with 360 cows isn’t all that difficult. The tranquillity that prevails on this farm – the largest in the Canadian province of Ontario to use a robotic milking system – makes a deep impression. Gerrit and Margriet Wensink have designed and organised the farm in Innerkip down to the very last detail. All the work is carried out according to daily schedules and weekly planning.

People-friendly robots The Wensinks are originally from the Netherlands. They bought a 40-hectare farm in Canada, built a dairy barn and tried every year to milk as many cows and get as large a milk quota as they could. By 2008 they were milking a herd of 280 cows three times a day in a 230-place free stall barn. It was high time for the next step, and so they built a new cow house with 360 stalls and six milking robots on an island in the middle.

“The main reason for choosing the robotic milking system was to save on

54

C OWMANAGEMENT

CM03_CanadaFarmReport 54

APR I L

labour,” says Gerrit. “We were employing five part-time milkers and whenever we looked for a replacement we found that fewer applicants were applying,” he explains. “Who in his right mind wants to spend a few hours attaching clusters at four in the morning or ten in the evening?

“Now, we have completely got rid of the production-line type of work on our unit. And when you do that, you immediately get a different kind of workforce.

“These days our employees are trained in animal husbandry or as vet assistants and they work here because they enjoy being among the cows.” According to Gerrit, robotic milking is not only more people friendly, it’s more animal friendly too.

“It used to be normal for the cows to stand for more than an hour in the holding pen, packed close together, which they disliked. Now the cows themselves can choose when they want to be milked and we notice that the frequency with which heifers visit the robot system is above average between midnight and four in the morning.”

The biggest advantage of milking with robots, he says, is the immensely calm atmosphere in the barn.

“The behaviour of the cows is much more relaxed and we see far fewer stressrelated conditions, such as lameness and fertility problems.”

Gerrit stopped synchronising the cows when he started milking with robots.

“We are now able to inseminate approximately 85% of the cows and nearly 100% of the heifers using the Heatime heat detection system.

“The average number of inseminations before conception is 2.2, the pregnancy rate is 27 and the calving interval is 375 days.”

The milking robots have cut the Hoenhorst workforce back from eight to three. All the work is done between six in the morning and half past two in the afternoon.

During the rest of the day, only one person comes in from four to seven in the evening to feed the calves and help cows who need assistance through the robotic system.

Higher milk constituents The average milk production of the cows has not increased as a result of robotic milking. “We have gone from milking exactly three times daily to between 3.2 and 3.4 milkings, but that’s spread more or less throughout the day.

Milk yield has fallen slightly, but butterfat and protein are higher.”

Average yield is 10,000kg of milk with 4.0% fat and 3.3% protein in 305 days.

Gerrit’s breeding strategy is simple. He uses a maximum of two bulls – one for the cows and one for the heifers. The bulls must score highly for ease of calving, with hind legs inclined to the right, and the cell count should be better than average.

Out of all the bulls that meet these requirements, Gerrit chooses the bull with most kilogrammes of fat and

2011

19-04-2011 15:42:01

Calves are fed by an automated drinking station

protein. “I studied cattle breeding at Wageningen University and what I’ve learned is that the more factors you look at, the less progress you make. It’s no good talking to me about height, for example. You get no benefit from all those bones – they’re just stuck behind railings in the pens.”

He breeds 95% of heifers within 15 months. “I want to keep inventory costs as low as possible. Two months’ extra feed for near-adult animals is very expensive. Our heifers are calving with a body weight of 550kg.”

In order to achieve that weight, the

The cows enjoy a weekly ‘pedicure’

There’s a calm atmosphere in the free-stall barn

pressure is on right from the start when feeding the calves.

Immediately after birth, four litres of colostrum are poured into the calves, and later on they get a maximum of 14 litres of whole milk per day, fed through an automated calf drinking station.

“We bid every month on the quotaexchange market, but we never get more than a quarter of a cow’s milk production.

The Canadian quota system has the advantage that we get around 43.5ppl for our milk, but expansion is right out.

“Efficient farms have 45% of the gross milk price available for interest, taxes, repayments and depreciation. Anyone can make money in dairy farming, which means that inefficient operations can survive as well, and that isn’t healthy,” says Gerrit. “From our point of view, we’d like to see milk prices a bit lower with more opportunities for expansion.” l

Preferred milk price During the next few years, Gerrit and Margriet would like to expand a bit more. However, they are faced with the problem that because of the current quota regulations, it is almost impossible to buy extra milk quota.

Robotic milking is not only more people-friendly, it’s more animal-friendly too

cow man ag e me n t

CM03_CanadaFarmReport 55

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS

Eager to get to pasture: a new grazing season starts Picture: Harrie van Leeuwen

May 4: May 11-13: May 18-19: June 8-9: June 29: July 12-14: July 18-21: September 6-7: October 5: October 18: November 16: December 8:

The Dairy Technology Event, Harper Adams University College, Shropshire Balmoral Show, King’s Hall, Belfast (N Ireland) Grassland & Muck, Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire DHV Show, Oldenburg (Germany) Gold Cup farm walk, Two Pools Farm, Iron Acton, Gloucestershire Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate, North Yorkshire Royal Welsh Show, Builth Wells, Powys Dairy Event and Livestock Show, NEC, Birmingham The Dairy Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Welsh Dairy Show Nantyci Showground, Carmarthen Agriscot, Edinburgh, Scotland Northern Ireland Winter Fair, Balmoral Showground, Belfast (N Ireland)

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Advertisements Julia Hughes, NMR. Phone 01249 467224 Willem Gemmink, Froukje Visser P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands, Fax 0031 26 38 98 824 E-mail willem.gemmink@crv4all.com

Illustrations/pictures Photographs by Veeteelt Photography.

Disclaimer

ADF............................................................10 Alta............................................................45 Ancotec......................................................52 Avoncroft/Thompsons................................59 Batchelor Enterprises Ltd.............................44 Biotal..........................................................57 Boehringer Ingelheim..................................60 Boer, De.....................................................53 Bolshaw......................................................28 Cowcare Systems........................................56 CRV............................................................40 Deosan.................................................29, 53 DP Nutrition.........................................36, 53 EasyFix.........................................................6 Enviro Systems........................................6, 41 Farmplus.....................................................56 Fusion Events..............................................28 Genus...................................................30, 31 Intervet Schering Plough.............................34

Lallemand.....................................................7 Lely............................................................36 Limagrain...................................................56 Micron........................................................44 NMR............................................................2 NWF Agriculture.........................................48 Paxton..........................................................6 Platt............................................................29 RE Buildings..........................................29, 36 Regent..........................................................6 Semex........................................................49 Spinder.......................................................56 TH White....................................................18 Vervaeke....................................................48 Vetoquinol..................................................10 Wilson Agriculture......................................48 Zinpro.........................................................20 Insert: Vetoquinol

COMING UP

M i l k i n g sp ecial May/June (June 8) – Our spring issue takes a close look at milking parlours and equipment, as well as featuring the third article in our feed conversion efficiency series.

CowManagement does not necessarily share the views expressed by contributors. No responsibility is accepted for the claims made by advertisers. No responsibility can be accepted by CRV Holding BV for the opinions expressed by contributors. Whilst every effort is made to obtain reliable and accurate information, liability cannot be accepted for errors. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without the express prior written consent of the publisher.

Printer Classic Printing Phone 01452 731539 ISSN 1570-5641

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CM03_contacts 58

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APR I L

2011

21-04-2011 13:57:38

Profitable Dutch Cows Profit from daughters of these two super bulls.

Delta Fidelity and Beekmanshoeve Bertil are the two most used bulls in the Dutch AI year 2009/2010. With nearly 60,000 first inseminations the red and white bull Fidelity was used more than the leading black and white bull Bertil with 44,000 first inseminations.

FIDELITY

• Great Feet & Legs and Locomotion • Outstanding production • Easy Calving • Excellent management traits • BB Kappa Casein

Kian x Lightning x Spektrum

Milk +227kg Fat +19.3kg +0.13% Protein +20.7kg +0.16% 173 Daughters in 139 Herds PLI £172

Interbull, April 2011

88

92

96

100

108

112

100

Excellent

Dairy Strength

102

Excellent

Udder

105

Excellent

Feet & Legs

112

Excellent

Final Score

108

Excellent

Alger Meekma

Fidelity daughter, Jessica 20

104

Frame

75 Daughters in 57 Herds GES, April 2011

BERTIL Willis x Jocko x Fatal

• Great Feet & Legs and Locomotion • Outstanding production • Good Udders • Excellent management traits Milk +274kg Fat +15.5kg +0.06% Protein +20.9kg +0.15% 283 Daughters in 233 Herds PLI £156

Interbull, April 2011

88

Alex Arkink

Bertil daughter, Boukje 43 2nd Calf

92

96

100

104

108

112

Frame

100

Excellent

Dairy Strength

104

Excellent

Udder

106

Excellent

Feet & Legs

104

Excellent

Final Score

106

Excellent

119 Daughters in 103 Herds GES, April 2011

Avoncroft Freephone 0800 7831880

Advice on the use of Ubrolexin or other therapies should be sought from your veterinary surgeon. Ubrolexin contains cefalexin monohydrate and kanamycin monosulphate. Prescription only medicine. Further information is available from Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Bracknell, Berkshire, RG12 8YS, UK. E-mail: vetmedica.uk@boehringer-ingelheim.com. Website: www.mastitis.co.uk. Date of preparation: Mar 2011. AHD6654 Use Medicines Responsibly (www.noah.co.uk/responsible)

nopq

Website www.mastitis.co.uk

Ubrolexin

is the mastitis partnership of the future.

Your future.

Ubrolexin delivers enhanced antibacterial activity through a combination of two targeted antibiotics working together in synergy. Ubrolexin is highly effective against Gram-positive and Gram-negative mastitis causing pathogens. Ask your vet about how Ubrolexin and its synergy can help you manage mastitis in your herd.

1267 Ubro Trio Farm A4_v3.indd 1 CM03_p60.indd 9

The science of synergy against mastitis

05/04/2011 11:39 21-04-2011 11:41:46