DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS
Cull filter helps make the right choices It’s an obvious choice – deciding which cows to cull. But is it? And is the right choice being made each time? NMR trainer Cath Smith says there are good tools in NMR’s dairy management system InterHerd+, which can confirm or correct the decisions on farm. Hosting a recent webinar on cull cow recording, Mrs Smith encouraged producers and advisers using InterHerd+ to use the points system on the culling report, allocating a score for key criteria such as milk production, lameness, pregnancy rate and disease. “Then set a benchmark and cows with the highest scores make up the potential cull list. Possible culls can be weak in more than one area; giving points for the main criteria takes this into account. Moving them into one culling report allows further scrutiny before final decisions are made.” She also advocates using the culling history log for pinpointing issues and making improvements to the herd. This history is kept up to date on InterHerd+, with details of the main reasons – one or two – for culling, and the date. “It’s good to reflect on which cows left the herd for what reason and see
if there are any areas that keep cropping up.” It’s beneficial to dig deeper here too by using the ‘cross tabulate’ function, which is literally asking the computer to show a table of number of cows culled by reason and month. “So it could show you, for example, that in 2019 five cows were culled in March for lameness, or eight cows left the herd for high cell counts or mastitis in October,” adds Mrs Smith. “While there may be an easy explanation, this detail can drill down on areas that require some attention.” And to cast an eye on the herd’s performance against the NMR national benchmark, it’s well worth looking at the KPI reports on InterHerd+ and see how cull rates run compared with other herds in the NMR 500-herd sample. “InterHerd+ is used by producers, advisers and vets and carries a monthly support fee. But it does provide a new tier of detail that not only highlights the cows for culling but also identifies possible pitfalls that can be improved going forward.” Further details and an InterHerd+ demo are available from NMR Software Support on 03330 043 043.
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Tags for all All producers can take advantage of Nordic Star’s virtual show tag offer this year, regardless of whether they would have been show-goers. All orders placed with Nordic Star on the (proposed) show date this autumn qualify for the 10% discount. The dates are: November 18 (AgriScot) and December 10 (Winter Fair, Lisburn). For the 10% discount on all tags, use the offer code Shows 2020 on the Nordic Star website or with telephone orders to 0800 731 9465.
GeneTracker dates The next genomic sample submission and results publication date on Herd Companion (or on Search Point) are: November 19, published January 5, 2021 (January 6).
Hot off the press 2021 diary NMR’s Herd Management Diary 2021 is now available from field managers or NMR Customer Services on 03330 043 043 or customerservices@nmrp. com. The cost is £30.50 plus VAT, including postage.
NMR/LIC link boosts analysis tool The New Zealand cattle breeding company LIC has collaborated with NMR to enable milk recording data to be transferred automatically to the LIC herd improvement tool. This data link can be extended to include data entry through the dairy management software, Uniform, using the automated data link with NMR. The data transfer includes calving, service and drying off information. LIC’s herd improvement tool enables the company’s consultants, and its farm solutions
managers, to upload NMR’s recording data and use it in analyses for breeding and culling decisions on farm. “This is a seamless process and avoids duplicating data entry,” says LIC’s Mark Ryder. “Producers who record with NMR and want to take advantage of our herd improvement tool can be assured of having the most current cow performance data in the system, which will improve decision making going forward.”
For more information about NMR products and services contact customer services: 03330 043 043, email: customerservices@nmrp.com www.nmr.co.uk
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