Cowmanagement UK october/november 2014

V O LU M E 12 N O 7 OC TOB ER/ N O VE MBE R 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

HO O F H E ALT H

RU M EN H EA LTH

C A LF REARI NG

Foot-trimming tips to reduce lameness losses

Why pH is key to maximising DMIs and feed efficiency

Preventing scours and tackling BVD PIs

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CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Overalls off: tank trekking Roger Evans NMR Dairy Management News Avoncroft Breeding Information/ Thompsons Nutritional News 43 Vet column: ringworm 54 Events and contacts 4 10 18 23 37

REPORTS

12 Award-winning Mark Verity makes the most of grazing 50 Australian producer Gavin O’Brien prefers a simple farming system BREEDING

20 Two new indexes focus on improving health and efficiency H E A LT H

40 Milk PD tests successfully pinpoints cows with fertility problems 46 Tackling hoof infection from both sides is stamping out dermal issues

Mark Verity “Looking after our cows’ feet is a top priority” 12

Editor Rachael Porter Health matters

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aximising efficiency is in extra-sharp focus on many dairy units, due to the continuing milk price squeeze. Reducing the impact of disease is key to maximising dry matter intakes and optimise productivity. So we’ve an article in our calf health special on tackling bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD), a virus that has wider disease implications for the whole dairy herd. A new and simple tissue test is identifying PI calves quickly and effective on one dairy unit and forming the basis of an effective and efficient control plan. See our special on page 27.

Good fertility is also key to success and we spoke to several producers who are integrating NMR’s milk PD test as part of routine fertility management.

This is contributing to a tighter calving pattern and lower calving interval, as well as pin pointing problem breeders. See our article on page 40 to find out more.

We also find out how nutrition can play a key role in preventing digital dermatitis. It’s well worth examining the mineral status of your herd, as well as maintaining routine foot bathing protocols and managing slurry. See page 46.

Also worth a rethink, according to three hoof health specialists, are foot trimming protocols. Preventative trimming could actually be causing more problems, rather than preventing them in some herds. Read our ‘dos and don’ts’ guide, which starts on page 16.

Roger Evans takes a swipe at a health issue – bovine TB – in his regular slot on page 18. He shares his thoughts on why people who meddle with nature’s balance do so at their peril.

Main article Rumen function

Health Foot trimming

Special Calf rearing

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16

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Think of the rumen as the ‘engine’ of the cow, say leading dairy nutritionists

Adopt a ‘foot check’ approach to avoid excessive trimming and lameness problems

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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Tackling BVD, preventing nutritional scours, and a round up of recent research

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C O W

TA L K

Reducing ketosis risk A supplement for fresh calved cows, which has been developed to deliver the essential nutrients to support the liver and promote rapid lactation establishment while reducing the risk of ketosis, has been launched by Trouw Nutrition GB. Farm-O-San Pro-Keto is a supplementary dietetic feed that supports high yielding dairy cows and includes all the essential ingredients required for a good start to lactation and the maintenance of healthy liver function, according to the company’s Matthew Stott. “Glycerine and propylene glycol supply highly effective extra energy while niacin, choline and vitamin B12 improve the efficiency of overall energy utilisation,” he says.

“All fresh calved cows experience a period of negative energy balance due to higher demands and reduced feed intakes,” he explains. “They try to compensate by mobilising back fat, which is then metabolised in the liver to release energy.

“In high yielding cows, the liver can not metabolise all the released fat and this leads to ketosis, a problem that is on the increase in the UK with an estimated 30% of cows having sub-clinical ketosis.”

The energy sources in the product help cows to increase energy intake rapidly and they are immediately available and need no processing by the liver, unlike many other energy supplements.

At the same time, the added minerals and vitamins improve the overall efficiency of energy and fat metabolism helping the cow to make full use of other energy sources in the diet.

Well done, Roger!

CowManagement columnist Roger Evans has been crowned ‘Dairy Ambassador of the Year’ at this year’s Cream Awards.

Roger, centre, is pictured collecting

his award at a glittering ceremony, held in Birmingham, from (left) ForFarmers’ corporate affairs director Nick Major and (right) ceremony compere Steve Walls.

‘Cow power’ has role in efficient food production Dairy has a major role in efficient global food production, according to Cargill’s Philip Ingram. Speaking at a nutrition seminar in Telford, he dismissed the myth that dairy cows were inefficient and pointed out that they have the ability to turn food that cannot be eaten by humans into milk.

“This makes dairy different from pigs or poultry,” he said, adding that dairying is becoming more efficient. “Looking at the UK, compared with 60 years ago, we can produce a given amount of milk with only a fifth of the number of cows, 10%

of the land, 35% of the water and only 37% of the carbon footprint.”

He pointed out that, with a global population of seven billion, production of any type of food has to be economically sustainable and make efficient use of resources to be truly sustainable. “The cow has good ‘green credentials’ and, looking at meat and milk production, pigs and poultry are 40% efficient compared with 240% for the dairy cow.

“This is real ‘cow power’ and we can view cows as efficient and having a real role to play in feeding a growing population.”

Sexed-semen technology investment Semen sexing has been taken to a new level of efficiency and accuracy thanks to an investment in the latest sperm sorting technology by the UK’s largest stud.

Cogent Breeding’s semen sexing machines and purpose-built quality control laboratory will enable dairy and beef producers to improve the way they manage their herds’ breeding programmes and increase production capacity, resulting in a boost for farm profits.

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C OWMANAGEMENT

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Cogent was the first bovine breeding company in the world to offer sexed semen to producers on a commercial basis in 2000.

In those early days, the technology was only 85% accurate, with limited production output. Since then, an on-going research and development programme has improved sexing accuracy rates to an average of 92%.

The new machines will offer greater optical clarity, sorting accuracy and finished product quality.

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Feed for functio n Think of the rumen as the ‘engine’ of the cow. That’s the advice from two leading dairy nutritionists, who believe that some producers forget – at their peril – about rumen pH when formulating and feeding winter rations. text Rachael Porter

adventurous producers, he recommends that they test their silage regularly, so they can monitor and take remedial measures to regulate the lactic-acid load in the ration. He fears that many producers will be adding high levels of relatively cheap cereals to rations this winter, in a bid to boost energy levels.

“But this will ferment quickly and rapidly reduce rumen pH. The lactic acid produced is difficult for the rumen to deal with and often results in SARA or clinical acidosis. Dry matter intakes will then fall, so producers looking to get more energy into their cows will end up doing the exact opposite.”

D

airy producers need to be ‘more pig and poultry’ when it comes to feed conversion efficiency.

This parameter receives relatively little attention on most dairy units, particularly when compared to the monogastric sectors. But, with improvements to rumen efficiency capable of reducing feed costs and boosting production and improving cow health, the impact on profitability can be substantial, according to AB Vista’s nutritionist Nicola Walker.

She says that it’s the ration that is the cause of most sub-optimal rumen performance and that should be the starting point when looking to improve efficiency. Optimising fibre digestion and microbial protein production will extract greater value from home-grown and bought-in feeds. And while avoiding transition diseases and sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) will eliminate yield losses – up to 2.7kg/cow/day for SARA – as well as the costs associated with lower milk quality, reduced cow health and poor fertility.

“Stimulating good rumen function and minimising the time rumen content is below pH 5.8 – the levels at which microbial activity and fibre digestion are compromised – should be the top priority,” she says.

“Limit in-parlour feeding to 2kg/cow/day, and ensure rapidly fermentable starch and sugars are buffered by sufficient digestible and structural fibre.”

‘Effective’ fibre UFAC’s nutritionist Mike Chown agrees. “It’s vital to ensure that there’s enough ‘effective’ fibre in the diet. It’s also important to balance any excessive lactic acid in the silage and to take care when adding rapidly fermentable energy sources to the ration.

Both can seriously compromise the rumen’s ability to produce bicarbonate; its buffer against falling pH.” Grass silage is pretty acidic – at a pH of between 3.8 and 4.2. Lactic acid levels are extremely variable and it’s not possible to tell by smell alone. So Mr Chown says he tastes silage to see if it’s high in lactic acid. “If it is, it’ll sting your tongue!” For less

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c owm anagement

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n by optimising rumen pH

io n and efficiency Dairy rations should promote optimum rumen function and maximise dry matter intakes and milk production from forage. “Then add concentrates and rumen-inert fatty acids, like Dynalac or Omega Cream, to avoid upsetting rumen pH.” Mr Chown likes to see 80% of the herd cudding just 1.5 hours after feeding. “I like to see them frothing at the mouth, particularly on the lower jaw and with droplets on the ground. That’s a sign that the rumen’s working efficiently and that its environment is optimal for good dry matter intakes and milk production.

“I encourage my clients to view the rumen as the engine of the cow and what leaves the rumen is fuel for the carburettor – the liver and milk production.”

Reducing SARA Nicola Walker says that formulating rations to balance both the amount and rate of fermentable energy and protein release in the rumen will certainly help to optimise microbial growth, stabilise rumen pH and reduce the risk of SARA. “Balance the high levels of rapidly degradable protein in grass silages with rapidly fermentable energy, usually starch or sugars, to drive the microbial growth needed to capture the nitrogen released.

“Conversely, high starch rations may need additional nitrogen. Using a controlled release nitrogen source like NitroShure, for example, has been shown to allow ration starch levels up to 25% without inducing SARA.” Cereals can also be treated with caustic soda to slow the rate of fermentation in the rumen to better match protein release. Liquid feeds are typically the most cost-effective source of sugars, which also bind ration ingredients together to minimise the chance of cows sorting out all-important fibre.

Where the risk of SARA is still high, Dr Walker recommends including a specialist rumen buffer or live yeast to help optimise the rumen environment.

Live yeasts like Vistacell scavenge oxygen and stabilise pH, increasing populations of fibre digesting microbes and increasing yield by up to two litres/cow/day.

Rumen buffering

Super drool: Mike Chown likes to see cows frothing at the mouth – a sign that the rumen is working efficiently

“Don’t be tempted to use sodium bicarbonate as a rumen buffer, though. Research has shown it performs poorly compared to a slow-release rumen conditioner, has a lower buffering capacity, and works by increasing the rate of feed passage, so reducing feed efficiency,” she adds.

In a trial comparing a high quality slow-release rumen conditioner to sodium bicarbonate, the rumen conditioner not only produced the highest yield (see figure 2), but also increased feed efficiency by 8%, compared to the untreated diet, and by 11%, compared to the sodium bicarbonate diet.

“And don’t forget the importance of good transition management,” Dr Walker says. “Only feed low energy/high bulk rations containing large volumes of straw to maintain rumen fill. And use similar ingredients to the milking ration to allow rumen microbes to adapt well in advance of joining the herd post calving.” l

cow man ag e me n t

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B E D R I J F S R E P O RTA G E

O V E R A L L S

Name: Location: Herd size: Hobby:

O F F

Ian Evans Newton Stewart 230 cows Tank trekking

Ian Evans: “There are plenty of ups and downs and ‘water splashes’”

Mud and metal text Rachael Porter

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hat started as an interest in military vehicles led to producer Ian Evans buying his first tank in 1995. Today he owns 20 military vehicles, including 10 tanks, and runs a ‘tank trekking experience’ business from his Garlieston-based dairy unit.

“I’ve always been fascinated by ‘big’ machines, including military vehicles,” explains Ian, who milks 230 cows at Penkiln Farm. “I then discovered, much to my wife’s concern, that it was possible to buy tanks. Military interest in Scotland is pretty limited so I combined a trip to Suffolk, to attend a family wedding, with a quick visit to a military vehicle dealer.”

Not long after that trip, Ian bought his first tank – a British 432 Armoured Personnel Carrier. “It’s a 1960s model, with a petrol engine, and weighs around 13 tonnes. That’s small for a tank.”

It was collected and delivered by a local load handling contractor: “Not an easy job as the tank wasn’t running when I bought it – the engine had seized because it had been sitting for so long. But with a bit of work I soon got it going again.”

This ‘tinkering’ is what Ian loves best about owning his military vehicle collection. “I like pottering about in the machinery shed.

It’s my way of escaping from the day-to-day pressures of dairying and I find it helps me to unwind.”

Unless, that is, he has a tank trekking day booked and a tank breaks down. “That can be stressful. So I always have at least two tanks that are fully up and running at any one time.”

His tank trekking experience enterprise – Galloway Tanks – took off in the late 1990s ‘when the milk price dropped like stone’. “It fell after deregulation and so, in 1999, I decided to turn my hobby into a small income generating business, just to help us through a difficult time. And I also get as much pleasure from watching other people having fun in the tanks as I would if I were in the driving seat.”

The course is a 14-hectare wooded corner of the farm. “With plenty of ups and downs and ‘water splashes’. I’ve designed the course to be as safe as possible. You have to allow people to go fast and let off steam – that’s the joy of it..”

The business is open all year round and most visitors are men, although Ian’s course does put the odd henparty through its paces. “And I do target women with my advertising because it’s a great gift to buy for boyfriends, husbands, brothers and fathers,” he explains.

Ian also has ex-army personnel driving tanks on the course.

“I had one chap who’d driven a tank during the D Day landings and, although I’d never ask any veterans about their experiences, it’s great to talk to them about the technical qualities of the machines. That particular man certainly gave me a few handy tips on maintaining my 55-tonne Chieftan tank.”

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Award-winning herd takes hilly terrain, and a lot of rain, in its stride and makes the most of grazing

Mark Verity This dairy set up makes the best use of its resources by breeding cattle to suit the land and calving to make the most of grass and maximise production.

Herd size: Rainfall: Cow tracks:

Clitheroe

The height of success One Lancashire-based producer has been recognised for his ability to turn the challenges of managing a dairy herd at 1,000

355 1,750mm More than 2.5 miles

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t’s been quite a year for Mark Verity and the team at Radholme Laund, in Lancashire. Not only was the unit’s 355-cow herd shortlisted for the NMR/ RABDF Gold Cup, but it was also ‘highly commended’ for its fertility performance at this year’s Cream Awards.

“It’s always great to get recognition for a job well done – particularly when it’s from your industry peers,” says Mark, a second-generation producer who farms in partnership with his parents Stuart and Kathleen near Clitheroe.

His achievements – both in terms of day-to-day management and glittering award ceremonies – are all the more remarkable when you consider the lessthan-ideal conditions where he runs the predominantly Friesian herd.

“To say it’s quite challenging here is an understatement – parts of the farm are more than 1,000 feet above sea level. But we also have some advantages. High rainfall – at least 1,750mm – means that we usually have plenty of grass to graze when other more southerly and lower lying units have ‘dried up’.”

feet above sea level into opportunities. text Rachael Porter

herd can access grazing easily and without compromising hoof health. “A cow is only as good as her feet. If she can’t walk to and from grazing, she can’t graze, she can’t produce milk and she can’t get in calf. So yes, we do make looking after our cows’ feet a top priority here,” he explains.

Cow tracks were first laid more than 10

years ago, first using hard core and then rubber matting (old conveyor belts) was used. “But these have proved a little slippery in wet weather, so we’re in the process of ‘up grading’ using second-hand AstroTurf – some of it is from one of Burnley FC’s pitches.

“We heard about someone who’d used it

Cross-bred herd: youngstock thriving on the hilly Lancashire-based unit

Hoof health Indeed, Mark’s ability to turn a challenge into an opportunity and to make the most of what he has is, undoubtedly, a key factor behind the herd’s success.

Topography is certainly not holding the business back. The whole dairy system is geared up to make the most of late spring and summer grazing.

This includes the type of cow bred to graze the difficult terrain, through to the provision of more than 2.5 miles of wellmaintained cow tracks to ensure that the

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and thought we’d give it a go. And so far, so good. It drains well, it’s clean and it’s not slippery. I imagine that, for the cows, it’s a bit like walking on pasture.”

He and herdsman Garry Cocks pay close attention to cows’ feet and every month they mobility score the herd. This is done on a scale of zero to three, where zero is ‘very good’ and three is ‘very lame’.

“Any cow scored as ‘two’ is immediately checked for lameness and to ensure rapid intervention both Garry and I are trained in foot trimming,” explains Mark. “We very rarely see a cow with a score of three – we work hard to prevent that.”

Grazing management Staying on top of hoof health means that cows are well equipped to utilise every blade of grass come turn out, which is usually at the end of March. “It’s just too wet before then. But once it is dry enough under foot, there’s plenty of grass to be had,” says Mark, who goes out with a plate meter once a week during the grazing season.

“We use a rotational grazing system and make sure there’s enough grass – but not too much – ahead of them at all times. It’s quite a balancing act, but it pays off.”

Cows are brought back into winter housing – and a partial mixed ration – as they calve. This starts in late September and continues through until March.

Dry cows and lower yielding late lactation cows stay outside until late October, depending on the weather. We generally bring them in as conditions get wetter as we want to avoid poaching the land.”

Minimising fluctuations Nutrition plays a key role in maximising both production and fertility and Mark works closely with nutritionist Duncan Rose.

“He visits regularly to evaluate the diet and make any ‘tweaks’ that are required.

We pay close attention to condition score, ensuring that they don’t lose too much in early lactation or gain too much later on.

“Minimising fluctuations in condition score is key to safeguarding fertility. We don’t want to push the cows too hard.

Our goal is good fertility and not just to maximise milk yield at the expense of that.”

Mark selects bulls very much on their fertility as block calving is vital to the success of his management system. And he has achieved good performance here

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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with a calving interval of 383 days and a percentage in calf at 100 days of 55%.

“I also look at sires’ locomotion scores, as well as fat and protein. I sell to Arla, on a Tesco contract, so milk quality is important too,” he explains, adding that the herd is currently averaging 8,100 litres at 4.27% butterfat and 3.40% protein.

The predominantly Friesian herd also comprises some Jersey and Swedish Red crosses. “All these breeds are better suited to grazing – particularly here on our more challenging terrain. And I like to use Jersey sires on our heifers as they’re easier to calve. “The herd has become a little mixed, more by accident than design. But it’s working well for us. I’m not sure that a Holstein would even manage to get to the top of some of our hills!”

Breeding home-bred replacements will continue as Mark and his family are looking to increase herd size. “But with a close eye on management, so that we continue to look after the cows as well as we possibly can,” he stresses. “Expansion will not be at the expense of fertility or hoof health, for example. Standards have to be maintained. So we’re consolidating at the moment.” l

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H E A LT H

vet Nick Bell, from the Royal Veterinary College. “But there’s almost a compulsion for producers and foot trimmers to over trim feet. They think that if they pick up a foot that they have to use their knife.”

Sara Pedersen, a vet specialising in hoof care and cattle mobility, agrees: “The mantra should be ‘foot check, not foot trim’. I see far too many feet that have been over trimmed, particularly the heel of the inside back claws. It’s a big problem and can actually cause lameness, rather than prevent it,” she says.

Adopt a ‘foot check’ approach to avoid over trimming

The perfect pedicure

Raise awareness

Less is more: a foot trim is like a haircut, it’s what you leave behind that counts

Over enthusiasm – and avoiding it all together – are definitely on the list of ‘no nos’ when it comes to hoof trimming. We spoke to three leading claw health specialists to compile a list of both ‘dos and don’ts’ when it comes to preventing and tackling lameness. text Rachael Porter

L

ameness levels across UK herds are still averaging around 33% and with the average cost of a case of lameness estimated to be around £320, this is damaging businesses’ bottom lines as well as the health, welfare and fertility of many herds.

Hoof trimming, both preventative and to treat lame cows, is part of the solution.

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But it can be problematic on many units.

Some units need to do more – particularly with regard to ‘functional’ preventative regular trimming.

But the biggest problem seen by some of the top hoof trimming and lameness specialists is ‘excessive’ trimming.

“A foot trim is a bit like a haircut – it’s what you leave behind that counts,” says

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“There’s a perception, among some producers and foot trimmers, that a foot hasn’t been trimmed correctly if the bottom of the hoof isn’t clean and white.

But it’s unusual to see a problem on the inside claw on the hind feet and so if it is the correct length and healthy, leave it alone.

“Less’ is definitely more in many cases and there’s a real need to raise awareness on this.”

US foot trimming guru Karl Burgi travels around the world and where ever he goes he sees excessive trimming. “My experience is that once operators pick up a hoof knife or a grinder, they think they have to use it. Even if there’s nothing much to do.

“I think they rush in too, rather than examining the foot thoroughly and considering how best to tackle a potential lesion.

“As a result, they don’t do the job properly – they either go in too hard and cause more problems, or not hard enough and the cow doesn’t recover. It’s a fine line to tread and that’s why it’s not a job for people without training, experience and, most importantly, time.”

It’s vital that producers and foot trimmers are clear about what they’re trying to achieve before they pick up a hoof knife, according to Dr Bell.

“There are two main points here – correcting foot angle and restoring balance flat weight-bearing surface. Both will ensure that the cow’s weight is distributed evenly and away from the inner sole and on to the strongest part of the hoof – the wall.”

He says that if producers work towards getting those two things right, then everything else should fall into place.

“But people make lots of mistakes. They fall into bad habits and forget those basic principles.”

When correcting foot angle, it’s important not to over trim the heel. “And that they don’t touch the inside claw of the back

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foot at all,” he stresses. “The focus should be on the front third of the toes really, as this tips the cow forward and creates a steeper and more correct foot angle.

“A common mistake is to over trim the inside heels. Trimmers have good intentions; they want the foot to look neat and tidy and will cut the whole length of the sole. It looks beautifully clean and white, but stripping away just 1mm from the surface removes the hardened layer that protects the hoof. The horn underneath is softer and more prone to wear and bruising. By removing this layer the trimmer could actually be causing a lameness issue.”

Restoring balance When it comes to restoring balance, the second of the two objectives of functional foot trimming, excessive trimming is also a problem. “This tends to be over done.

Most herds have pretty well-balanced claws, on the whole, when you evaluate feet carefully. But trimmers tend to ‘over grind’ the heel,” explains Dr Bell.

“Many sound cows only need a bit off the toes and then to ‘model out’ the sole. But ‘dishing out’ needs to be done with a sharp knife to make it deep and wide enough to prevent trauma at the sole ulcer site.

Angle grinders have a lot to answer for.

Some trimmers get both these points correct and then undo their efforts with a ‘tidy up’. I’ve seen many people run the grinder down along the wall and even between the toes to neaten the appearance of the foot.

But that’s like thinning the walls that support a building. It may look nice, but it’s not going to be very strong.”

Being a bit ‘rugged’ is the key here. “It’s OK to be a bit messy if you know that there are no problems – even I’ve had to discipline myself on this. And you can’t see the bottom of the foot once the cow is standing on it, so picture the standing cow as you’re trimming and make sure you’re not undermining her foundations.”

Another problem is ‘digging’. “Some trimmers can’t resist digging away at a dark spot on a hoof. But if a cow’s not lame then leave it alone. Unless I’m absolutely sure that what I’m looking at is a developing lesion, I’ll leave it alone.

“A degree of experience and knowledge helps here. But remember that you can always pick a foot up again later and have another look. But it’s impossible to put horn back once it’s been removed. So proceed with caution.”

As a rule of thumb, he recommends that if you can see a black mark in the sole

ulcer site then remove it. “Use a pair of hoof testers and if it’s solid and she’s not bothered when you press down on it then leave it alone,” he says.

“And if there’s a line of black dirt in the white line in the heel of an outside claw then I’ll explore it, particularly if there is pocket forming. But tentatively. It’s a job of prioritisation and for sound cows, having solids walls is more important than clean white lines.”

Having a decent handling system and a crush that’s close to the milking parlour is a huge help. “If it’s simple to pull out a cow and lift her feet then it’s also easier to resist the temptation to trim unnecessarily. CowSignals trainers say that it should take one person just one minute to get a cow in a crush.”

If it’s easy to lift feet then it’s easier to treat them and Karl Burgi believes that this will also reduce the number of chronic cases on dairy units. “Treating lame cows takes time, but if it’s done correctly and ‘early’ then very few will become chronic cases and even fewer will fail to recover.”

He believes that many producers’ tolerance is too high when it comes to lameness and they wait too long before they take action. “And sometimes this may be because it’s difficult to get cows into a crush so making it a time consuming job. So make it easier on yourself – and your cows. And watch those chronic and untreatable cases disappear from your herd.”

Functional trimming: the outer claw has been ‘dished out’ to redress balance

Toe trim: focus on the front third to create a steeper and more correct foot angle

Zero tolerance He’d like to see more producers taking a zero tolerance approach to lameness. “On some units, abnormal becomes normal.

This has to change and it’s up to everyone who is involved in managing the herd to flag up a problem when they see it. And if a cow with poor locomotion is spotted, there should be a policy to lift her feet and deal with any problems that same day.”

Mr Burgi stresses that the quicker a problem is dealt with, the better the outcome usually is. “ Training can help here, according to Sara Pedersen. “Be it taking a Dairyland functional hoof trimming course for the inexperienced or a refresher course for those who feel they’ve developed some bad habits or simply want to update their skills.

“The key to routine trimming is to know what you’re trying to achieve and why.

Successful remedial trimming relies on recognising lesions and knowing how to treat them effectively. Far too many producers and trimmers do something

Therapeutic trim: a hoof with a white line lesion, treated correctly with a block applied

just because they’ve watched someone else do it. You should never take a grinder around the edge of a foot, but there are plenty of trimmers out there who do.

When I’ve asked them why, they’ve all said ‘because I’ve seen someone else do it’.

So training – and re-training where necessary –is vital.” l

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Award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based dairy producer Roger Evans draws parallels between red kites and bovine TB. And he explains why looking for badgers would be very foolish.

Balanced view?

T

he editor of CowManagement rarely tells me what to write about, but she did this month. “It’s about time,” she said, “that you had another go about TB.” She was clearly pissed off about something to do with the anti-cull lobby. So here we go.

A reader, who comes across my writings elsewhere, told me the other day that I never repeat myself. But I am about to, so I apologise. I’m going to write about red kites because they illustrate my point. Five or six years ago a single pair of kites would do a lap of honour around our valley. I’ve always admired how they fly, often effortlessly, on the wind. They always exude menace, like a killing machine, streamlined and effective.

People, and we all know the sort of people I’m talking about, will say they don’t kill but that they are scavengers. I’m sure they do scavenge, but as far as I can tell, so do all predators. In the absence of scavenging opportunities, they are deadly killers.

Now five or six years on red kites are among the most numerous birds around here. From my armchair I can see out of our front window across the valley and I can always see red kites.

I watch them hunting from the tractor seat and I see them take pheasants. I see them take half grown leverets and I see them take fledgling song birds. When we made our third-cut silage, there were 18 kites sitting in a dead ash tree in one field.

As if all that were not enough they are creating a kite feeding station a few miles away. Not because kites need a helping hand – they clearly don’t – but because they want to attract more visitors to a centre.

So a better diet means more eggs and that means more kites. It also means fewer of everything else they feed on, like fewer mice and voles. And this means fewer owls. The repercussions are endless. That is a species that is getting out of balance and the rest of nature will pay a price.

The kite is an important example because it is so readily visible, I can see them all day long. I don’t know how many badgers are on our land, because they are nocturnal. I could borrow a lamp and go around and count them, but I think that would be very foolish.

The people that like badgers and kites would just love to catch a farmer out there looking for badgers. They would love to see a farmer sent to prison. There’s no way they are going to catch me, although 12 months in the slammer would probably give me plenty to write about!

So bovine TB goes on and on with very little going on that will bring a speedy end to it.

Producers are quite rightly frustrated. There’s the story of two old boys ‘up in the hills’ who were controlling badgers with strawberry jam and paracetamol. They didn’t mind buying the jam, but the paracetamol was getting expensive. But their sister suffered with arthritis and she could get plenty on prescription. So now they are controlling badgers courtesy of the NHS. There are people here who think that this should be a badger cull area, while there are still some left. It’s all about balance. Loss of balance can be perilous, as we see.

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S E R I E S E F F I C I E N T

D A I RY I N G

Selecting for reduced negative energy balance and increased feed efficiency

We take a look at how two new indexes are helping producers to select for, and breed, easy-to-manage cows This can improve the health, fertility and efficiency of dairy herds – vital in today’s volatile dairy market.

Part 1: Lifetime production in the Netherlands Part 2: Efficient production in block calving systems Part 3: Fertility: a financial point of view Part 4: Weight of fertility in block calving systems Part 5: Dairy management in block calving systems Part 6: Easy-to-manage Holstein cows Part 7: Benefits of reliable breeding values

I

magine managing and milking your herd, with full confidence that it is genetically in better health. Take a step further and imagine that those same cows are bred specifically to cut down on your feed bill while, at the same time, putting more milk into the bulk tank. CRV Avoncroft has been working hard to make that a reality for many producers and has broken the mould by introducing the Better Life Health and Better Life Efficiency Indexes.

Because feeds costs, like many other input prices, can be volatile more dairy producers are looking to other ways to reduce that uncertainty and keep costs as low as possible. And it’s important to remember, with regard to the environment, the ever-watchful eye of society looming over the industry is another motivation to cut back on greenhouse gases.

“This is a new era of thinking for the dairy industry,” explains Wageningen University’s livestock researcher Roel Veerkamp.

“These traits are now more important for the future of the industry because, as the cost of feed rises, lower intake of feed and higher production is better for dairy businesses’ bottom lines and, ultimately, their continued viability.”

Feed intake Genomic testing has opened the door for more intensive research. “In the 1990s, data focused on selecting for feed efficiency alone. But this is not the correct path,” says Mr Veerkamp. “Feed

20

Get more milk from herd rations The December 2014 proof run will offer producers a glimpse of the impact of two new breeding values. Producers will have the opportunity to select for better health and efficiency in their herds by using two new and improved indexes. text Andrea Haines

efficiency is a more complex trait.

Breeding values are now available for health, fertility and longevity thanks to genomic testing. If you want to select for feed efficiency then you start by developing a genomic breeding value for feed intake.”

Genomic predictions for feed intake are estimated based on feed intake data that has been collected from 3,000 cows from several herds in the Netherlands. “Since the study is taking place in Europe this data has, so far, only been tested on Holstein cattle,” explains CRV’s Joost Klein Herenbrink. “In the December bull proof rankings, feed intake and negative energy balance values will be published for all of CRV Avoncroft’s Holstein bulls, as well as being included in the Better Life Indexes.”

Data gathered by CRV shows that just a 5% increase in lifetime efficiency generates £185 more profit per cow – that’s almost £28,000 for a 150-cow herd.

“These traits are universal in nature because they can be used effectively in many countries and dairy management systems,” adds Mr Klein Herenbrink. Feed intake is expressed by the number of kilogrammes of dry matter intake per day and represents the average dry matter intake during the cow’s first three lactations.

“The reason we need to be more efficient in our food production

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bull Debutant-Red Ubrox Danno Cricket Rocky Atlantic

ketosis

feed intake

100 103 99 108 99 103

3.09 1.69 3.15 2.16 2.59 2.17

Table 1: Feed intake and ketosis values for CRV bulls

methods is because various predictions show us using more than one planet’s resources by the year 2050.”

Healthier cows The Better Life initiative set forth by CRV also considers overall herd health. Cow health is key to good herd fertility, which is why the company has also introduced Better Life Health by offering producers a ‘negative energy balance’ ketosis breeding value. Ketosis is a significant issue in early lactation for most, if not all, dairy cows. While this has a relatively low heritability value, it stands to reason that many environmental factors influence the length and severity of a cow’s negative energy balance. If the management of environmental challenges is good, then producers will be able to predict which cow families have a significant problem with this new breeding value and can then use selective breeding as a way to prevent this problem in their herd.

The study, conducted by the CRV team, is based on the ratio of fat and protein

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Atlantic offers health, fertility and reliability Producers wanting to improve both health and fertility need look no further than CRV Avoncroft’s team of young ‘InSire’ genomically selected bulls like Chevrolet, Rocky and Norman. Also, for a good example of a bull with firm guarantees and high reliability, they will definitely need to put Delta Atlantic – who was widely used as an InSire bull – on their list.

Atlantic is currently, by far, the most

percentages in milk, as well as the milk acetone and beta-hydroxybutyrate levels recorded. This research has shown that these traits signify a higher risk for ketosis.

This value allows producers to build a herd with a stronger genetic base

Delta Atlantic

widely used CRV bull because he produces trouble-free daughters with height and style and fine udders.

He has eye-catching health traits, a skyhigh score for longevity, conformation that helps cows to live for a long time and, as an extra bonus, daughters are also easy calving and the calves themselves are also born strong and healthy. These are all important traits that help to ensure good longevity.

His very convincing and reliable figures, make him very popular with producers.

“This is just the beginning of a new era,” adds Mr Klein Herenbrink. “I am happy with the first results of our research and we will continue to work hard to improve both traits for the future.”

As of the December proof run, CRV Avoncroft will introduce the two new

breeding values as a part of the Better Life Indexes. Feed intake and ketosis values will be available to producers in the UK and across the world to help them breed specifically for efficient, easy-to-manage cows that stay healthy as they age. l

Easy-care cows: new indexes mean that breeding a trouble-free herd is now within reach for all producers

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NEW

More than just Heat Detection New: Nedap Smarttag Leg for Heat Detection with Standing and Lying Monitoring Nedap Heat Detection with Standing and Lying Monitoring immediately gives you more control of the fertility results and health of every animal and therefore of your entire herd’s production. Nedap technology delivers accurate heat detection and automatically tracks five of a cow’s daily behavioural aspects which act as health indicators: the length of time she spends walking, standing and lying, the number of times she stands up and the number of steps she takes per day.

• Standing and Lying Monitoring detects possible health problems.

• More opportunities to improve your animal management.

• Very accurate heat detection 24/7.

• At least 90% detection rate.

• Detects up to as much as 500 m around the antenna.

• Optional ISO identification for management applications.

• Nedap Smarttag Leg is easy to attach with the patented leg strap.

• More control over every animal’s health and production: fast pay-back time.

Nedap Heat Detection

Various suppliers within the dairy industry use Nedap Heat Detection technology. Ask your milking machine dealer or breeding specialist about it. For more information see nedap.com/heatdetection

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

NMR buys Inimex Genetics National Milk Records Plc has purchased 100% of the share capital of South Wales-based cattle breeding company Inimex Genetics Limited.

Inimex was established in 1986 to market bovine – predominantly dairy – genetics wholesale to British breeding Andy Warne, NMR (left), and Nick Kirby, Inimex

companies. It set up Bullsemen.com in 2007 to supply top quality genetics directly to British dairy producers with exclusive arrangements to supply the British market with genetics from US Cooperative Resources International and from German Genetics International.

Andy Warne, NMR managing director said: “Acquiring Inimex is a logical progression for the NMR Group. Both are focussed on supplying producers cost-effectively, contribute to improved herd performance and profitability. A more integrated supply chain brings advantages to producers.”

Inimex will continue to operate from its Cardiff office under the guidance of managing director Nick Kirby.

Disease tests high profile at Agriscot NMR vet Karen Bond will be available on the NMR stand to discuss BVD control options at this year’s Agriscot, on November 19.

“Through NML we offer the CHeCS approved HerdCheck scheme for BVD surveillance. This uses all of the available BVD testing technology with options that can be used in bespoke programmes to suit individual dairy, beef or mixed herds,” says Mrs Bond.

The scheme is available nationally and is compatible with the Scottish BVD eradication programme. “Producers

and vets can use these structured surveillance options to make BVD management easy and practical,” says Mrs Bond.

NMR will also be promoting its Herdwise Johne’s disease screening programme. This scheme offers quarterly individual cow testing using samples taken for milk recording.

Visitors to NMR’s stand at Agriscot can enter a cattle disease ID competition and could win a year’s subscription to BVD HerdCheck, five Genetracker tests or a third prize of 10 milk PD tests.

NMR Guernsey Champion Rebecca Carpenter collected the NMRsponsored Guernsey Champion Cup at the South West Dairy Show in October.

The winning cow from the Carpenter’s 77-cow herd, from Newton Abbott in Devon, was Trevider Hercules Linnette EX93. NMR records show that Linnette, now in her third lactation, produced 8,690kg at 4.88% fat and 3.61% protein in her second lactation.

Hat-trick for Dorset herd Three 100-tonne cows from the Cobb’s Chalclyfee herd in Dorset are top of the lifetime daily yield (LDY) rankings for August – the first time three cows from the same herd have achieved this.

Top is Chalclyfee Oman Lats GP82. She produced 10,8850kg of milk in six lactations and has an LDY of 36.9kg/day.

Second is Chalclyfee Iron Helena GP84 who yielded 103,607kg of milk in seven lactations and has an LDY of 31.64kg/day.

In third place is Chalclyfee Mtoto Escudo VG85 who gave 112,273kg of milk in nine lactations and has an LDY of 28,09kg of milk.

A full list of NMR-recorded cows achieving 100 tonnes of milk is on the web site: www.nmr.co.uk

Diaries 2015 The NMR Herd Management Diary 2015 is now on sale from NMR Customers Services for £27.50 plus VAT. Call 0844 7255567, or email: customerservices@nmr.co.uk.

This latest edition includes a herd health plan and management section fully compliant with the Red Tractor Assurance Scheme.

The herd health summary section can also be obtained via Herd Companion iReports once details are handed into the NMR recorder.

Also new are sections for vermin control, body condition score and mobility, as well as medicine disposal records and improved waste management.

Gold Cup Farm Walk

Louise Carpenter (left) receives cup from NMR’s Nicci Chamberlin

The 2015 NMR/RABDF Gold Cup Farm Walk will take place on Wednesday May 6, 2015, at Worthy Farm, Glastonbury, hosted by 2014 Gold Cup winner, Michael Eavis.

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 COW MAN AG E ME N T

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New Rumibuff. Formed over millennia, processed over weeks, working within minutes and lasting for hours.

Rumibuff revitalises the rumen, providing effective control of acidosis.

For high yielding dairy cows or intensively fed beef cattle, adding Rumibuff to the diet helps improve the animals own natural buffering system leading to increased production.

Sustainably sourced from the unpolluted seas around Iceland, Rumibuff contains a balance of carefully selected natural marine algae and natural antioxidants. Its original honeycombed structure increases the surface area and breaks

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down more slowly in the rumen, providing a continuous buffering action to meet the acid production from the diet particularly when starch fermention is at its maximum.

Rumibuff is a good source of bioavailable minerals and trace elements deposited naturally from the sea. This together with a combination of natural antioxidants and vitamins helps to condition the rumen microbes for increased dry matter intake and improved performance.

ForFarmers Dry, Moist and Liquid Feeds 0870 0500 306 www.forfarmers.co.uk info.dml@forfarmers.eu

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C A L F

R E A R I N G

S P E C I A L

Tackling BVD: taking steps to eradicate the disease, by using a tissue testing service, can significantly reduce calf losses. Page 28 Preventing scours: tips on feeding management to avoid checks in calf growth. Page 30 What’s new? We round up recent research results and new ideas that could help to improve calf health and growth rates. Page 32

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C A L F

R E A R I N G

S P E C IA L

Simple tissue sample testing has helped to lift BVD ‘depression’

Tag test cuts calf losses BVD eradication has not only improved calf health and herd

has also renewed optimism and boosted confidence in the

I heard Stuart Gough from Calweton speaking at a meeting and realised that we could benefit from the specialist knowledge that the practice was able to offer.”

future success of the family business.

Tissue testing

fertility and productivity on one Cornwall-based unit, but it

text Matt Mellor

I

n fewer than 12 months dairying at Furslow Farm, near Callington in Cornwall, has been transformed for the Poad family. Feelings of despair have been replaced with a new level of optimism that none would have thought possible back in autumn 2013.

It is now known that Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD) was the main cause of crippling calf mortality rates and, probably, also lay behind sub-optimal fertility in the milking herd and a depression in milking performance.

These were all problems that had built up during several years despite the best efforts of all those involved.

Changing the farm vet was the catalyst for a dramatic improvement, with Calweton Vets of Callington (members of the XLVets organisation) providing the required specialist knowledge and impetus to address the longstanding herd health issues.

“BVD was first suggested as a possible problem by our nutritionists Isobelle Delbridge and Dave Hinkins,” recalls Steve Poad. “At around the same time

Bottom left: Ben Poad tags a new-born beef-cross calf with the BVD Check Tag Centre: once the BVD Check Tag is attached, the tissue sample is contained in a sealed pre-numbered tube Right: tissue test results arrive within a week and all calves testing negative are loaded onto a database, which is accessible via www.bvdcheck.co.uk

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Initially all the cows were blood tested but, surprisingly, no BVD was found. It was only through subsequent tissue testing of the young stock that a number of possible PIs (persistently infected animals) were identified, several of which were then confirmed with a follow-up blood test.

“Having established BVD was circulating in the herd, our strategy has been to identify and cull all PIs, therefore allowing an effective vaccination programme to be put in place,” says Mr Poad.

Eradication of BVD is part of a broader herd health improvement plan that Stuart Gough and assistant Sarah Caldwell have overseen at the unit since the practice first became involved in November 2013. Now, with fortnightly fertility visits creating the opportunity for frequent surveillance and consultation, the vets have become an integrated part of what is a concerted

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team effort to turn the business around.

The on-farm team includes Steve’s son Ben who, with the able assistance of two younger sisters Rosie and Cassie, has responsibility for the calf rearing unit.

Needless to say, with calf health the most obvious focal point of the farm’s problems, he was feeling as much pressure as anyone when things were not going well.

Calf losses “It was a demoralising experience, because however hard we tried to do the job right we continued to see problems,” he explains. “Young calves seemed so susceptible to scours or pneumonia and at their worst our losses were between 25 and 30%.

“We now know that PI calves were being born and would have easily spread BVD to other calves. When calves are infected with BVD they are more susceptible to other disease challenges, so this is why we were having so many problems.

“Now that we are on top of the BVD, the calves look so much better and we have reduced the losses right down to fewer than 5%. We were having a weekly trip to the kennels, but now we’re going for entire months without any calf losses at all.”

Part of the protocol going forward is to tissue test every calf at birth in order to maintain a check on BVD status in the herd. The special white BVD Check Tag ear tags – part of a national scheme being promoted by XLVets with support from

MSD Animal Health – take a tissue sample as they’re attached and these samples are sent away in pre-addressed envelopes to NML for laboratory analysis.

Results are sent back within a week to the farm and the farm vet, and all calves with a negative result (indicating that they are BVD-free) are entered onto a fully accessible database.

“First and foremost this process allows the unit to maintain a routine check that there is no BVD circulating in the herd,” explains Stuart Gough. “However, it offers wider value as any calves sold are then identifiable as having been tested.

This provides a form of reassurance for the buyer, who can check the calf’s status on the database and download a certificate confirming that it has tested negative for BVD.

Added protection “In time we hope that the scheme will become widely known and accepted, with the white BVD Check Tag ear tags actually creating added value for the seller.”

At Furslow Farm most calves, except black-and-white bull calves that go to the Poad’s eldest daughter Isobelle for rearing, are kept. Nevertheless, the discipline of tissue testing is being maintained as a means of verifying that the herd is BVD-free. The cost is roughly double the £2 or £3 typically paid for a tag, but this is all-inclusive (postage, testing and results service) and is now an integral part of disease control in the herd.

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Vaccination against BVD is now also carried out using the Bovilis BVD vaccine from MSD Animal Health. This vaccine is specifically licensed to protect the foetus from infection from its dam, across the placenta, so helping to prevent PIs being born. It is suitable for the active immunisation of cattle from eight months of age.

“In addition to ensuring that all adult cattle are vaccinated and have their routine booster, it is vital to ensure that breeding heifers begin their vaccination programme before they get in calf,” adds Stuart Gough. “Timing of vaccination and the removal of PIs from the farm are two of the most important areas in BVD control.”

In addition to the improvements in calf health, Steve Poad is pleased to confirm improvements in herd fertility – with fewer embryonic deaths and more cows holding to service. And total milk production per cow is increasing beyond the 9,000-litre average. Control of BVD is certainly a major factor, but so is an added level of motivation throughout a family team that is once again optimistic for the future.

Currently at 180 cows, the aim is to push herd numbers up to more than 200 in the near future, and a decision has just been taken to invest in three robotic milking units. That’s a resounding vote of confidence and a clear signal that the Poads are intending to be in milk production for many more years to come. l

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S P E C IA L

Tips on how to feed more milk and avoid nutritional scours

Bloom, not scours gloom Calving heifers at two years old means they need to achieve a

by nutritional scours? We spoke to two experts to find out.

improved liveweight gains, not only during the weaning process but also in the months following. In part, this is attributed to the energetic suckling that’s required, which develops the jaw muscles and enhances the efficiency of rumination,” says Mr Radnor.

text Rachael Porter

Check colostrum

target weight of 400kg when served at 14 months of age. So how do you maximise growth rates and avoid ‘checks’ caused

B

e it due to colder weather or to boost growth rates, producers often feel under pressure to feed more milk to calves. But the cloud of nutritional scours looms over many a good intention, so how can you feed more milk while, at the same time, be sure that you’re not going to cause digestive upsets?

Around 50% of calves on UK farms will suffer from scours before weaning and most of these will be the result of common infections, such as Cryptosporidium parvum and rotavirus.

Nutritional scours is less common than infectious scours, but can be caused by anything that disrupts the calf’s ‘normal’ feeding pattern, such as variation in milk concentration or irregular feeding.

Feeding method is crucial, according to Dairy Spares’ Jeff Radnor. “The way that calves are fed milk is one of the factors affecting the incidence of scours. The calf should have to suckle for its milk, as it would naturally. So always use teats, not buckets, and choose teats of a design similar to the Milk Bar teats. These make calves ‘work’ to get a slow release of milk as they ‘suckle’ not ‘pump’ for it.”

Oesophageal groove Suckling has two benefits. Firstly it activates the oesophageal groove reflex, which then directs milk into the abomasum where it can be digested, instead of the rumen. “This is important because the rumen is inactive to begin with and so any milk entering it will ferment and produce acids, thereby lowering the rumen pH and resulting in milk

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scour,” explains Mr Radnor. “It can also cause long-term damage that can impact on the subsequent growth and production potential of the animal.”

For the oesophageal groove reflex to operate, the teat needs to be positioned about 50cm above the ground, so that the calf stretches up to it, as it would to feed from its dam.

Secondly, the act of suckling promotes the production of saliva. Saliva balances the pH in the abomasum, so that enzymes can break the milk down into curd and whey. These are then absorbed in the small intestine. Saliva also contains lipase, an enzyme necessary for digestion of fats, which are a vital energy source for the young animal.

“The more effort needed to extract the milk through a teat, the more saliva is produced. So attention to the teat design is a key element in promoting saliva production,” explains Mr Radnor.

So, what about the milk itself ? “As long as good quality milk is fed under hygienic conditions, feeding more milk – say, for example, up to 900g milk powder per calf per day in six litres of milk – will not increase the risk of scours,” says Volac’s young stock specialist Jessica Cooke.

“Consistency and hygiene during the milk feeding period are key to preventing scours. So every effort should

Brand-new teat Milk Bar teats are designed to make calves have to work hard to extract the milk. For best results, once calves are around two days old, and no longer on colostrum, a brand-new slow feeding teat, like the black Milk Bar teat, should be fitted to the feeder. The teat increases in flow rate as it wears in and the growing calf gradually transfers its need for saliva from drinking to the ruminant stage.

In France the ‘Follow the Teat’ system – in which a calf is given a new Milk Bar teat to begin with and then stays feeding from the same teat as it gets older – has been a huge success. Calves have shown The intense suckling action required on a new and firm teat encourages a huge amount of saliva to be produced

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be directed towards prevention,” she adds, recommending that producers should follow ‘best practice’ management.

Colostrum management is vital. “Collect colostrum as soon as possible following delivery of the calf – ideally within two hours. And check colostrum quality by using a colostrometer.

“Only feed good quality colostrum to the newborn calf. Lower quality colostrum can be fed to older calves that have already consumed an adequate quantity of good quality colostrum.”

Dr Cooke stresses that colostrum should be fed, ideally, within two hours of birth and certainly within six hours: “And feed as much colostrum as possible. The minimum is three litres within two hours and a further three litres within 12 hours. Make sure that you offer colostrum for at least the first three days.”

She adds that it’s also important to ensure that colostrum is ‘clean’. “Cows should calve into clean and dry pens and udders must be clean, as should milking and calf-feeding equipment,

and colostrum must be stored in clean containers.”

When it comes to feeding milk, Dr Cooke says that it’s important to use a high quality milk replacer with known calf performance. “Do not feed waste or mastitic milk.”

Consistent concentration “Mix and feed the milk replacer at the correct temperature – this should be between 37°C and 39°C. Always use a thermometer to check.”

“And feed the milk replacer at the same concentration at every feeding, so use scales to weigh the milk powder. For a concentration of 12.5% solids, use 125g powder plus water, approximately 875ml, to make one litre of mixed milk. Remember, adding 125g powder to one litre of water will give a milk concentration of only 11.1%.”

Feeding consistent volumes of milk, from feed to feed, is also important and any changes to amounts fed should be introduced gradually. “Feeding calves at the same time each day is also vital.”

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Husbandry and hygiene should also, of course, be tip top to help avoid scours.

So ensure that calves are born into, and subsequently enter clean, dry and well-bedded pens. “Keep all feeding equipment clean and offer clean and fresh water and a good quality and palatable calf starter from day three.

This is sounds very obvious, but it’s an area that’s still often over looked on many units.”

Dr Cooke’s five ‘must haves’ when selecting a milk replacer include a minimum of 20% protein, a maximum of 9% ash and a minimum 0.8% calcium.

“And make sure you buy from a trusted supplier. Previous calf performance and calf bloom give the best guarantee for the milk replacer’s quality.”

She adds that if calves do start to scour, prompt diagnosis and treatment is key.

“Identifying the early signs of scours, together with the appropriate veterinary treatment, could help to reduce the duration and severity of the problem and improve the subsequent calf growth rates and performance.” l

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C A L F

R E A R I N G

S P E C IA L

The latest advice on calf health and nutrition to optimise heifer growth

Push for more potential We round up some of the latest research findings and ideas that should help producers to improve their calf and heifer rearing management. text Rachael Porter

Higher plane of nutrition will pay dividends

Feeding regime: a higher plane of nutrition is required on many UK units

For heifer calves to achieve a target bodyweight of 400kg by 14 months so that they can calve at 24 months – the recognised optimum for profitability – then a higher plane of nutrition is required on many UK units, according to GLW Feeds’ Paul Mardell.

“Typically young calves are only being fed to achieve growth rates of between 500g and 600g per day in the first three months. But this means that they will only reach a suitable weight for first insemination at around 17 months of age,” he explains.

“If they are to reach the target weight of 400kg for insemination and meet the goal of calving at 24 months, then

calves will need to be 120kg at three months of age. So on many units, a higher level of nutrition is needed.”

In a Dutch trial, calves were reared on four levels of nutrition. Under a typical UK feeding regime (about 500g of calf milk powder), calves weighed 94kg after three months, but Dutch producers provide a higher plane of nutrition (around 600g) and this was reflected in the higher growth rates.

But, as two further ‘high nutrition’ regimes demonstrated, the higher early growth rates meant calves were better able to achieve the target weight of 120kg at three months and, ultimately, went on to reach weights

suitable for breeding at 13 and 14 months (see Table 1).

“To achieve these higher growth rates, attention to both the nutrition and management of young calves is needed.

That’s everything from feeding good quality colostrum at birth, to the continuation of a good level of nutrition post-weaning,” says Mr Mardell.

In recognition of this important period, his company has introduced a range of high quality calf products and compiled a calf-rearing blueprint, which includes age by weight targets. It is also offering a management and consultancy service to help producers to check that heifer growth rates are on track.

Table 1: Growth rates on four different calf rearing rations (source: Nutreco Ruminant Research Centre)

growth rate average growth rate, weeks one to nine (g/day) average growth rate, first three months (g/day) weight after three months (kg) age at first calving (months)

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‘typical’ UK

‘typical’ Dutch

high nutrition A

high nutrition B

520 600 94 27

620 700 103 25

750 800 113 24

825 900 120 23

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Traffic-light poster launched to aid early disease detection A poster has been launched by the Royal Veterinary College and Volac to help producers to identify the early signs of scours and respiratory disease, nip them in the bud and reduce heifer mortality.

The UK average heifer mortality is currently running at 14% prior to first calving.

Called The Healthy Calf, the poster is suitable to pin up in the calf shed and covers the following three areas with accompanying images.

• Green: Look for signs of good health and vigour in calves. Calves in good health should be bright, playful, curious and lively with clear eyes and nose, clean hindquarters and be keen to drink milk.

• Amber: Act at early warning signs of problems – remember going off milk is a late sign of sickness. Contact your vet or implement a treatment plan.

• Red: Late signs of disease – these are calves at risk of death.

“Identifying mild cases of scours and

respiratory disease among calves, particularly group housed, can be so easy to miss compared with spotting and subsequently treating the really sick calves,” says Volac’s young stock specialist Jessica Cooke.

“Milk rejection, for example, is often used as a sign of disease, but it is far from accurate. If calves are fed fewer than eight litres of milk per day, it will only be at the final stages of disease that a calf will stop drinking. At this point, the calf may be so sick that the damage caused will be irreversible.

“Both scours and respiratory disease impact on husbandry demands and vet costs. And for those that survive, it also impacts on their subsequent performance.

Even a mild case of respiratory disease takes energy away from growth, with up to 1kg lost per week,” she adds.

The poster is designed to help producers and those responsible for calf rearing to identify the early signs of scours and respiratory disease,

both quickly and simply, and then immediately implement the agreed treatment protocol.”

Warning signs: poster will help producers to identify early symptoms of disease

Yeast could improve prognosis for neonatal calves While the profit-boosting effects of new generation yeasts are creating a buzz among producers, attention is now turning to a trial with neonatal calves that has shown a direct and positive impact from a unique three-in-one hydrolysed yeast.

“Insight into the way in which the yeasts, which are rich in mannoproteins,

betaglucans and nucleotides, work is increasing,” says Devenish Nutrition’s Simon Caughey. “We know that these cell wall components can prevent pathogenic bacteria from binding to the gut lining and play a role in immunity.

New-born calves have an immature immune system and are, therefore, susceptible to diseases. That’s why

Immunity ‘boost’: yeast supplement can help to protect young calves from disease

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researchers have focused specifically on the immune response of neonatal calves.”

In one trial, one-week-old calves were fed calf-starter diets with or without the hydrolysed yeast, supplemented with whole milk. At three weeks old they were injected with a viral and a bacterial live vaccine, and blood samples were taken at weekly intervals for analysis.

The calves that were given the yeast supplement produced more proteins involved in immunity, particularly bacteria- and virus-specific IgA and haptoglobin, after microbial challenge.

This indicated an improved resistance against microbial infection. And while the microbial challenge was seen to cause reduced levels of neutrophil and platelets in the blood serum, these reductions were lessened when calves were fed the yeast.

“An overall health improvement was also evidenced by improved faecal and health scores at three weeks of age,” says Mr Caughey. “The results are encouraging as they are the first clear evidence that this hydrolysed yeast can improve the prognosis after microbial infection in calves.”

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REDUCE the USE

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Bovilis Bovipast RSP contains inactivated Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (strain EV908), Parainfluenza 3 virus (strain SF-4-Reisinger) and inactivated Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica (serotype A1) for the active immunisation of cattle against BRSV, Pi3 virus and M. haemolytica. Withdrawal period: Zero days. Legal category: POM-V . Bovilis® and Bovipast® are trademarks of Intervet International B.V. or affiliated companies or licensors and is protected by copyrights, trademark and other intellectual property laws. Copyright © 2014 Intervet International B.V., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Whitehouse Station, NJ, USA. All rights reserved.

Further information is available from MSD Animal Health, Walton Manor, Walton, Milton Keynes MK7 7AJ • Tel: 01908 685 685 Email: vet-support.uk@merck.com • www.msd-animal-health.co.uk

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22-10-14 15:36

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BREEDING INFORMATION

German Brown Swiss – the ideal choice for crossbreeding CRV Avoncroft supply eight of the top 10 Brown Swiss sires, based on PLI, available in the UK. And so it gives producers a wide choice of bulls for both pure and the steadily rising number of herds using Brown Swiss for crossbreeding on other dairy breeds.

The F1-generation shows extraordinary vitality, raises the protein content in the milk and gives easy handling cows.

In the second cross-bred generation the type becomes closer to the pure-bred Brown Swiss type. Recommendations of which bulls should best suit different crossbreeding systems and generations, in combination with Holsteins and red breeds and Jersey, are available.

recommended for use on heifers.

Hegall (£260 PLI) and Joschka (£278 PLI) both transmit positive fat and protein percentages. Hegall also combines this with high milk yield and is a very easy calving bull. Joschka now has enough calving ease figures from heifers so that he can be recommended for use on heifers. Huck (£335 PLI) can be recommended as an all-round sire and also offers easy calving.

Payssli’s (£238 PLI) second-crop daughters keep him as the leading udder composite bull.

Vinold (£288 PLI) remains one of the best milk yield improvers.

For full details of all the German Brown Swiss available from CRV Avoncroft, call 0800 7831880.

Brown Swiss sire Huray

Wide range All bulls confirmed or even improved their figures in the August Interbull proof run, so the complete range of Brown Swiss sires is wider than ever before.

Harley (£326 PLI) and Hacker (£425 PLI), two Huray sons, have both improved their milk and protein indexes and also follow their father with good lactation persistency.

Huray (£507 PLI) himself can refer to more than 16,000 daughters in his proof, including 3,500 international daughters. With their easy calving figures, all three bulls can be

Lifetime production of Dutch cows reaches new record In 2013 the lifetime production of Dutch dairy cows reached a new record: 30,999kg of milk with 2,443kg of fat and protein. This was revealed by CRV’s annual statistics for the year 2013-2014. Every year CRV uses these statistics to inform the dairy sector about the performance of the Dutch dairy herd.

In addition to their lifetime production, the productive lifetime of Dutch cows is also rising, increasing by seven days. And the average calving interval was reduced by one day to 416 days.

The increase of both the lifetime production and the productive lifetime of cows is good news for the efficiency of the herd. Older cows with a high lifetime production produce higher yields compared to the investments in terms of feed and labour made during their rearing.

Holstein performance The average production for Dutch Holstein Friesians – the main dairy breed milked by producers in the Netherlands – stands at 9,717kg of milk, at 4.31% fat and 3.51% protein, in 356 days.

They are followed by red-and white Holsteins, with an average production of 8,904kg of milk, at 4.54% fat and 3.62% protein, in 349 days.

For the latest CRV Avoncroft Dairy Guide call 0800 7831880 for free.

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F E RT I L I T Y

NMR milk samples successfully pinpoint cows with fertility problems

Milk PD test proves its worth Twelve months ago NMR launched the first of its kind – a milk PD testing service. Interest was immediate among producers who were keen to use the new cost-effective tool to confirm pregnancies and, just as importantly, pinpoint any problems for the vet. Results have been impressive with more than 1,000 producers now using it as part of routine fertility management. text Karen Wright

W

orcestershire-based producer Sue Troughton and farm manager of 20 years Bob Sanderson have incorporated the milk PD test as part of their drive to boost fertility in their 200-cow pedigree Friesian herd, following some challenging herd health issues.

In three of the past four years this herd has collected the Worcestershire Happy

Herd award, judged on herd ‘well-being’, performance and management. But the past 18 months have presented them with more than their fair share of challenges.

“TB took out a number of cow families, some going back to the original stock that my father bred after moving to Holdfast Hall in 1935,” says Susan. “Then we’ve had problems with Neospora

and Schmallenberg and both have hit productivity and fertility.

“TB still presents a threat, but hopefully we’re through the worst with the other diseases and we’re aiming to get back on track. I have to look at these issues – along with the milk price – as challenges that we will tackle as well as we can.”

High targets To this end, a number of improvements have been made to help them achieve the high targets they have set for the allyear round calving herd, which supplies local family-run processor Cotteswold Dairies.

Working closely with their vet, Droitwich-based MacArthur, Barstow and Gibbs, the team at Holdfast Hall monitor cows carefully and flag up any problems as early as possible. They milk record religiously – not just for pedigree purposes but to help breeding plans and herd health management. The herd is vaccinated for IBR and they screen

Holdfast cows: as on many units, milk PD tests are helping fertility management

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h Bob Sanderson and Susan Troughton

routinely for Johne’s disease using NMR’s Herdwise service.

“We breed for yield so we want our cows in full working order,” adds Bob. “Fertility is paramount. Our aim is to get cows in calf and to try to achieve a 385day calving interval.

“We aim to serve cows around 50 days post calving as long as they are in the right condition and healthy. And for the past 12 months we’ve taken advantage of the NMR milk pregnancy test service at 90 days post service. This has been highly reliable and it’s a great management aid in pinpointing problem cows and confirming those that are in calf. Our vet can see great advantages with this service as it leaves him to focus on any problems.

“Once fertility is back on track we will

Tom Jenkins (left) and Steven Black

use this test to PD at 60 days but already, during the past six months, we’ve seen the 100-day in calf rate improve by 30%.

This is partly due to the milk PD test and having our finger on the pulse.”

NMR’s milk pregnancy testing service uses milk samples collected for recording purposes so there’s no additional on farm sampling and a minimal charge of approximately £3.50 per sample. “It’s proving very cost-effective,” says Bob. “And it brings other major advantages in that there’s no need to hold back cows for PD tests, which is better for the cow and it saves time for both us and the vet.”

Cows are fed for yield with a buffer throughout the summer and a partial TMR during the winter, topped up according to yield with a parlour cake.

This supports the herd average of 7,400kg at 4.00% fat and 3.33% protein.

“Unfortunately yields dropped due to poor fertility resulting from disease, but they are recovering now and our target is 8,000kg while maintaining milk quality and low cell counts,” says Bob.

Double-whammy Stirling-based producer Steven Black says that the milk PD test is a ‘doublewhammy’ on his 100-cow unit. He looks for a calving interval of 380 days and 35% in-calf-by-100-days rate in his Holstein Friesian and Montbelliarde allyear round calving herd. He uses the milk PD test for recently served cows at each recording and also at 90 days after service, or thereabouts, to check the cow is still in calf and there are no re-absorption problems.

“In 2012 we had a terrible summer weather-wise,” says Steven, who runs the 182-ha family arable and dairy unit at Thornhill, eight miles north west of Stirling. “Feed quality was awful and cows were in and out throughout the season.

This really wreaked havoc with fertility.”

To get fertility back on track Steven involved his vet, Tom Jenkins from Forth Valley Vets, and also started using the

milk PD tests. “This worked well. The PD milk test shows up problem cows for the vet to look at on his fortnightly visit.

Conception rates had slipped causing the calving interval to increase to 450 days, but it’s now back to the target 380 days thanks to our tighter testing procedures.

It has allowed us to get on top of any problems.”

Committed to the dairy industry and with son Gregor keen to keep the dairy herd, Steven is looking to increasing production from the current average 7,500kg achieved from a grazing and winter-housed TMR system with cows fed to yield in the parlour. “We have a liquid contract so we want more litres but with good quality and low cell counts. Our current rolling average is 4.1% fat and 3.56% protein and a cell count of 120,000cells/ml. We are also looking at installing two robotic milking machines so we can free up time for other jobs.”

Value added sample The foundation for their success will be a herd of healthy and fertile cows. “We take increasing advantage of our milk records – and the sample – for Johne’s screening as well as PD testing,” adds Steven. ”We work closely with the vet and follow a vaccination programme for Leptospirosis and BVD. This should put us in good shape to move the herd forward.”

Equally committed to the industry, Susan Troughton will maintain the fertility management programme in the Holdfast herd as she increases herd size to 250 cows with home-bred replacements.

“We’re now using sexed semen on heifers and breeding everything to dairy bulls, except the problem breeders that are put to the Hereford bull,” she says.

“But, above all, our target is to run a herd of healthy and productive cows – the Happy Herd title is one we are very proud of!” l

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F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A RY

S T E V E

P R A C T I C E

B O R S B E R RY

Vet Steve Borsberry, from Warwick-based 608 XL Farm Animal Veterinary Surgeons, shares some tips on disease prevention and tackling health problems in dairy herds, drawing from his many years of on-farm experience. Here he takes a closer look at a fungal disease that can pass from cattle to humans.

Itchy condition can impact on dairy productivity

Fungal foe I

t’s an unsightly problem and presents a zoonotic risk. And, contrary to popular belief, it can also impact on productivity if it’s severe enough. So ringworm shouldn’t be ignored, particularly because it’s relatively difficult to treat.

Ringworm is one of the most common skin diseases in cattle. It is a transmissible infectious skin disease, most often caused by Trichophyton verrucosum, and it can pass between species. The incubation period is around one week.

It is spread by direct and indirect contact. The fungal spores can survive in wood – fences, gates and hurdles – for many years.

Most commonly seen are circular lesions, which are around 3cm in diameter and typically found on the head and neck. It’s seen more commonly in calves, but can occur in adult cattle. I have also seen it on udders. It’s an itchy condition, so calves and cattle will rub and scratch against posts and barriers.

If the infection is severe enough, it can have a significant impact on productivity. In adult cows it can result in a drop in milk yield, if the irritation caused by the disease is enough to reduce dry matter intakes. If cows’ or calves’ immune systems are challenged due to other diseases or health issues, such as pneumonia or BVD, this can make them more susceptible to ringworm. So if you have a sudden outbreak of the ringworm it could signify a more serious underlying health challenge.

And hanging holly in cattle building will do nothing to protect livestock from the disease. That’s just an old wives’ tale.

The encyclopaedia Ringworm (Trichophyton verrucosum) Cause

Treatment

Ringworm is caused by a spore-forming fungus, typically Trichophyton verrucosum.

The spores can remain alive for many years in a dry environment. Direct contact with infected animals is the most common method of spreading the infection.

Symptoms Forms grey-white circular areas of skin, with an ash-like surface that’s also slightly raised. They’re most common around the eyes, ears and the backs of calves. In adult cattle the chest and legs are more typical sites of infection.

Without treatment ringworm will usually heal itself, but this can take several months. Topical treatment – application of the medication directly onto the lesion – is one way to tackle the disease. But any medication used cannot penetrate the ‘crusts’, so these should be removed beforehand by scraping or brushing. They should be collected and burned to avoid further contamination.

Lesions should be topically treated at least twice.

Prevention Effective control will only occur if housing is cleaned and disinfected, because this is where the fungi like to hide.

Reducing the stocking rate density, and therefore direct contact, as well as increased exposure to sunlight and keeping housing as dry as possible will also help to halt the spread of the disease.

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H E A LT H

Tackling hoof infection from both sides is stamping out dermal issues

More than skin deep Traditional approaches to controlling digital dermatitis are making little impact on the 80% of UK herds that say it’s still a problem. Topical treatments are effective at controlling the spread of the disease, but are they tackling it at hoof level? text Allison Matthews

I

n 2010 survey work carried out by AFBI Hillsborough showed that 79% of Northern Ireland’s dairy herds saw digital dermatitis as a significant problem. Thompsons’ dairy specialist Richard Moore says that a more recent review has highlighted that this is still the case and ironically modern dairying has contributed to the data. “Larger herd size and the trend towards confinement have both added to these statistics making digital dermatitis a worldwide problem of epidemic proportions. Alongside the detrimental effect on animal welfare, the disease has a significant effect on animal performance, in particular milk

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yield and fertility, with recent estimates putting the cost, based on current milk prices, at £130 per case.”

Treatment options Footbaths and topical antibiotics have been widely used in the prevention and treatment of these raw, bright-red lesions seen on the skin above the heel bulbs. But Zinpro performance minerals’ Arturo Gomez says that a more sophisticated strategy is needed to eliminate the disease. “Additional tools for controlling digital dermatitis include removing risk factors by implementing good hygiene, maintaining sound biosecurity practices,

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understanding whether an animal suffers chronically from the disease and providing adequate nutrition.”

Slurry removal and improved hygiene give a ‘hands on’ approach to tackling the disease, but Mr Gomez believes that an improvement in skin integrity and the immune response when the bacteria are present can help to reduce both the incidence and the severity of digital dermatitis.

“Although numerous efforts have been made to prevent and control the disease, with traditional strategies based on the frequent use of disinfecting footbaths at herd level and topical treatments of acute lesions at the animal level, these tactics have achieved variable success.

Another means of enhancing the disease resistance of the cow is to provide an adequate supply of zinc, manganese, copper, cobalt and iodine within the diet.

Zinc has a critical role in wound healing and in maintaining the health and integrity of skin due to its role in cellular repair and replacement,” explains Mr Gomez.

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infectious lesion rates (%)

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Figure 1: Infectious lesions rates on hind feet in six different herds (Feb to Apr)

The ability to meet trace mineral requirements is affected by mineral interactions with other dietary components, as well as the source of the trace mineral. But there is strong evidence to support an association between cellular immune response, skin health, and wound healing with an adequate nutritional balance and the bioavailability of trace minerals. This can be particularly important in situations where the skin health is compromised by external stressors, such as digital dermatitis.

Digital dermatitis is a multifactorial disease with infectious, immune and environmental components. The causes of the disease are not fully understood, but research both locally and globally has shown that bacteria – present in the

typical dairy environment – target areas of poorer skin integrity.

Mr Gomez explains how the housed cow is under continual threat. “A moist, lowoxygen environment, such as the feet of housed dairy cows, provides ideal conditions for the bacteria, and an infection can develop into an outbreak of digital dermatitis within days.

“When the skin barrier is weakened due to irritation and hyper hydration, multiple bacteria have the opportunity to destroy the epidermis, allowing them access to deeper tissues. The result is acute inflammation and ulcerative dermatitis.

Manageable level “Once introduced, the disease will spread rapidly through the herd, so an integrated prevention and control strategy is essential to keep the presence of the disease at a manageable level.

Calves and heifers are often neglected in management plans, but this is often the key point in an animal’s development where digital dermatitis can be prevented from occurring in the first place,” adds Mr Gomez.

Richard Moore explains how Thompsons’ technical team put 1,500 cows on trial in 2013.

“With skin integrity and immune function at the root of disease

prevention, the objective was to create a trace mineral product that worked internally and assisted cows in their fight against the onset of digital dermatitis.

“The concept revolved around the knowledge that both skin quality and immune function can be improved with specific supplementation of certain trace minerals.

Technical teams from both Thompsons and Zinpro worked together to formulate the ‘DD pack’ and set up an on-farm trial to identify the benefits of the product.”

Six herds were selected across Northern Ireland and, following a pre-trial assessment, the DD pack product was fed to each one for four months with two further incidence assessments.

All the herds involved were footbathed as part of normal management routine and this practice continued unchanged throughout the duration of the trial.

After four months the average reduction in digital dermatitis across the herd was 44% and some units dropped by 60%.

“This product does not replace the need for digital dermatitis prevention protocols, such as regular footbathing and good slurry management, but it does represent a new trace mineral product and an entirely new approach to controlling and reducing the disease on dairy units,” adds Mr Moore. l

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Gavin O’Brien With just a couple of calves and 130 hectares of land as starting capital, the O’Brien family, who are originally from New Zealand, have built up a robust dairy unit during the past 20 years.

Yeo Australia

Herd size: 500 cows and 200 young stock Land: Dairy platform 200ha, mainly grass. Serviced by 120ha of run-off blocks

Gavin O’Brien

Extreme conditions: milking in a tough climate

Gavin O’Brien prefers a good night’s sleep to a big pay packet

Back to basics Down Under Constantly confronted by extremes in weather and market conditions, Australian producer Gavin O’Brien prefers a simple farming system although he doesn’t always earn the highest salary. text Wichert Koopman

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avin O’Brien describes his dairy set-up in two words: ‘pretty basic’. Together with his wife, his parents, one permanent staff member and a few casual workers he milks 500 cows on 200 hectares of land in Yeo, 150 kilometres west of Melbourne. The most important buildings are a shelter for the simple swing-over milking parlour and a shed for the youngest calves. There is no automation on the farm and limited mechanisation.

Apart from the youngest calves, the cattle are outside throughout the year.

The winters in this part of Australia, with an average daytime temperature below 13°C, are mild but quite wet.

The summers are dry and the daytime temperature can hit around 40°C. For a few days, however, the temperature can rise quite considerably.

In Australia producing milk is easiest in the winter and spring when the grass is growing abundantly. Despite the dry summers the climate in the state of Victoria is favourable for growing grass.

“With sufficient moisture grass growth explodes in the spring when the temperature suddenly rises. From one minute to the next instead of too little we have too much grass for the cows. We then cut some of it to make silage or hay to get us through the dry periods,”

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Gavin explains. His dairy produces almost 20,000kg of milk per hectare most years and is self-sufficient in forage. On average the farm grows 15 tonnes of dry matter in grass every year.

Recovery year Gavin’s situation highlights that milking cows in this part of the world means constantly anticipating greatly changing conditions. He says that 2013 was so bad that even ‘seasoned’ producers panicked.

The average milk price was low at just £2.37 per kilogramme of milk solids (17ppl) and, due to drought, there was a serious shortage of feed. “In the end hay that was intended for export to Japan was sold on the domestic market,” he says.

“But the price was exorbitant.”

The current milk year, which ends at the beginning of May 2015 when all the cows are dried off, has been more positive.

Gavin calls it a ‘recovery year’. The milk price is around £3.51 per kilogramme of milk solids (26ppl), the cows began their lactation a bit thin but their milk production persisted at a good level and sufficient feed was produced to survive the dry period.

Despite that this was also a year of

extremes. In January – the middle of the Australian summer and the period in which the photos for this report were taken – the temperatures rose day after day to record highs of more than 40°C. “In just a few days the grass changed from green to brown,” says Gavin.

The Australian is of the opinion that a simple ‘low input’ farming system is the best response to the vagaries of the weather and the market. The cows produce as much milk as possible from grazed grass. In the milking parlour, irrespective of production or stage of lactation, they are given 2.5kg of feed concentrate twice a day. This supplementary feed consists mainly of cereals but, depending upon the amount

The herd is outside all year round

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Swing-over parlour is used to milk the herd

Cows waiting in the collecting yard

Hay is fed to the herd during drier periods

of grass available, it is sometimes mixed with sources of protein like rape seed or lupin. If the quality of the meadow grass declines too much, during wet weather, Gavin balances the feed ration with high quality hay.

cows produce plenty of milk in dry weather. I don’t subject myself, or the cows, to that.”

In Australia milk is paid for on the basis of milk solids, which means combined kilogrammes of fat and protein.

Depending on how the grass grows during the season on Gavin’s farm, the cows produce between 570kg and 600kg of milk solids per lactation. With an average butterfat of 4.3% and an average protein of 3.4%, that’s between 7,400 and 7,800kg of milk.

values for kilogrammes of fat and protein and type are top of his list when selecting sires. He also wants to breed cows of average height in a bid to limit poaching during wet periods. “There is a big difference between 500 800kg cows walking around and 500 500kg cows.”

Gavin buys semen from CRV Australia. As well as bulls from New Zealand, Dutch sires, including Grandprix, have also been on the AI list. Daughters by CRV Ambreed sires Overdrive and Firenze and Holler feature heavily in the herd. Cows will soon be calving to Big Winner and Kodak.

Milking more cows is not top of Gavin’s list. “There is a temptation to milk more cows in a good grass growing year, or when the milk price is high. But decisions like that have a habit of coming back to haunt you when you have to buy in expensive feed. With 500 cows on 200 hectares, our unit can usually absorb fluctuations in feed production. We don’t always make the highest profit, but at least we can sleep well at night.’ l

Seasonal production He practises a block calving system so that the milk production curve runs as closely as possible to the production curve of the grass. “We dry all the cows off at the beginning of May and we can just lead a normal life,” says Gavin. At the beginning of July – the middle of the Australian winter – the calving season begins.

Australian dairies also pay a supplement on the milk price during periods when the supply of milk is limited. Some producers take advantage of this by calving cows in the summer. Gavin is not convinced about this. “This supplement is very attractive, but you also have to put in a lot of effort and expenditure to let the

Breeding strategy For the next few years his challenge is to further optimise the current farming system. “I am aiming for 620kg of milk solids per cow per year and think I can achieve that by improving herd management,” he says.

Breeding also contributes to the herd’s success and Gavin’s future ambitions.

Every year he buys 600 straws of sperm from five different bulls. The breeding

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C O N TA C T S

SHOWS AND EVENTS November 7-16: November 11-14: November 12: November 19: December 11:

Royal Winter Fair, Toronto (Canada) EuroTier, Hannover (Germany) British Mastitis Conference, Sixways Stadium, Warriors Way, Worcester AgriScot, Edinburgh, Scotland Royal Ulster Winter Fair, King’s Hall Pavilions, Balmoral, Belfast (Northern Ireland)

2015

Late grazing: there’s still plenty of grass on one Lancashire-based unit Picture: John Eveson

January 6-8: January 19-21: May 6: May 7: May 27-30: July 8-9: September 16:

The Oxford Farming Conference, the Oxford University Examinations School, Oxford British Cattle Conference, Telford Golf and Spa Hotel, Shropshire NMR RABDF Gold Cup Farm Walk, Michael Eavis, Glastonbury, Somerset Grassland UK, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Royal Bath & West Show, Shepton Mallet, Somerset Livestock Event, NEC, Birmingham UK Dairy Day, Telford International Centre, Shropshire

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX C O N TA C T S CowManagement is published eight times per year by CRV Holding BV

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COMING UP

C o w h ealt h sp ecial December (December 9) – The final issue of 2014 will feature our annual cow health special, which will take a closer look at the impact of heat stress on your herd. And we’ll also have another timely article on health and safety.

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