Cowmanagement UK december 2014

V O LU M E 12 N O 8 DE CE MBE R 2014

IN THIS ISSUE

F E E D IN G

C O W H EA LTH

H EA LTH & SAFETY

Balance energy and protein sources for more milk

How to assess your herd’s mycotoxin challenge

There are few second chances with toxic slurry gases

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CO NTENT

FEATURES

Cow Talk Overalls off: actor Roger Evans Vet column: calf hernia Christmas quiz NMR Dairy Management News Avoncroft Breeding Information/ Thompsons Nutritional News 58 Events and contacts 4 13 21 27 37 45 51

REPORTS

14 Relocation reaps rewards for Richard and Rachael Knowles FEEDING

16 Banish winter-feeding blues 46 Maximise your herd’s DMI H E A LT H

22 Top gear for Johne’s Management Plan BREEDING

38 Genomic bulls prove their worth 42 December bull proofs

Richard Knowles “We ran the two units alongside each other to limit disruption” 14

Editor Rachael Porter Fireside reading

W

elcome to our final issue of 2014, which we’re sure will make both informative and entertaining reading during the festive season!

We’ve a couple of timely articles on winter feeding that may be of interest if your cows are not milking as well as expected. Take a look at page 16 and see if the balance of your ration’s energy and protein sources requires some tweaking.

Disease may also be a limiting factor on some units and we’ve an update on one particularly insidious problem that’s still lurking undetected in some herds – Johne’s disease. See page 22 and decide if it’s time your herd took NML’s 30-cow ‘Challenge’.

Heat stress may also be having an impact on your herd, even as temperatures outside plummet. We spoke to two leading cattle vets to find out why keeping your herd cool and reducing cow house humidity are key to protecting hoof health.

Roger Evans makes no secret of his loathing for this time of year, but still manages to raise a smile with his observations and predictions for 2015.

And also offering a little light relief on dark winter days is our Overalls Off column. See page 13 to find out why Liam Daly likes ‘treading the boards’ when he’s not milking cows.

To spread some Christmas cheer into the new year, we’re offering readers the chance to win a whole bundle of prizes. Answer our question on page 37 and, come January, a British cheese hamper and a signed copy of Roger Evans’ new book are just some of the treats that could be winging their way to you.

Good luck and ‘Happy Christmas’!

Main article Health & safety

Special Cow health

Report Compact feeding

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Have you identified potential risks when it comes to slurry gas?

We’ve timely updates on heat stress and lameness, and mycotoxins

Danish producer Bennie Nijhuis has embraced compact feeding

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C O W

TA L K

Special delivery for Dorset-based herd Christmas came early – four times over – for Dorset-based producer Colin Mitchell He was absolutely stunned when one of his 220-cow herd gave birth to four live Aberdeen Angus cross calves.

“I could see that the first one was small, so I expected there to be a second calf,” he said.

“And that was a nice surprise, but the third one wasn’t expected. When I told my colleague that I could feel the legs of a fourth, he genuinely thought I was joking. It was all a bit surreal and he almost fell over when number four appeared!”

There’s a one on 11.2 million chance of a cow producing four live calves and Colin Colin Mitchell with the Angus-cross calves, which were born in late November.

doesn’t expect it’s something he’ll ever see again. “It’s been an exciting time, what with all the media attention. The news of Lily and her brood spread really quickly via social media.”

Lily, who has only ever had single calves before, is taking it easy. “This was her ninth calving and, not surprisingly, it’s taken it out of her a bit. So she is getting a bit of special treatment and the calves are being kept at foot.”

Colin, who farms in partnership with his mother Valerie and brother Alan near Sherborne, added that the calves – three bulls and a heifer by one of his homebred stock bulls – are all of a good size.

“They’re the size you’d expect for a twin calf, so that’s big for quads. I’m still amazed by their size – they’re certainly not tiny.”

Buy wisely to avoid Johne’s disease Biosecurity is key to Johne’s management and buying in cattle is the biggest route of entry of the disease into a farm, according to Devon vet and member of the Johne’s action group Dick Sibley.

“Seventy five per cent of dairy units are introducing cattle,” he says. “Ask the vendor for proof of the Johne’s status or ask for a targeted 30-cow screen before you buy – if they don’t co-operate then don’t buy.

“Then look at the HerdWise report with the vet. You can tell a lot from it. For

example, if young animals are infected then alarm bells should sound.”

Above all, Mr Sibley urged producers to have a buying in policy. “Create a buying in policy that minimises danger to your herd. Don’t buy in if you want to be sure of being Johne’s free.” But he accepts that expanding herds need cows and finding those free of Johne’s is not easy.

“It is important to buy wisely and for those bought in animals to be included in your Johne’s management plan as soon as they enter your farm. Consider them

as being a Johne’s risk until you have sufficient test results to be more confident of their status. Bio-containment – the risk of spreading the disease within your farm – is equally important. “Drill down deep into what’s happening on your farm and work out infection threats from both biosecurity and bio-containment.”

He estimates that 33% of dairy herds are at risk of Johne’s entering herds though buying in stock and 80% of herds are high risk when it comes to classifying bio containment issues.

Calf signals courses launched Producers can learn how to read their calves’ body language for signs of illness by grabbing a place on one of the UK’s first-ever calf signals courses. Run by the Dairy Veterinary Consultancy’s Owen Atkinson, the courses use skills developed by Dutch vet Joep Dreissen, who started running cow signal workshops five years ago.

The courses, which have only been taught to a handful of UK vets, focus on rearing calves successfully by identifying calf ‘signals’ through monitoring their actions and how they interact in their environment.

They are open to members of Wynnstay’s

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Calf Club, with each workshop limited to 15 participants.

The company’s calf specialist Gill Dickson said the courses focus on critical success factors to healthy calves, including calf housing, drainage, humidity and hygiene, but also at ways of detecting and preventing stress and illness in animals.

“If you can pre-empt and catch illness earlier, you stand a better chance of calves surviving disease.”

The courses are being held between January and March 2015.

For more information visit www.wynnstaygroup.co.uk/calfclub.html

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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M A I N

A RT I C L E

Have you identified potential risks whe

Just one breath co Toxic slurry gas has already claimed too many lives on UK dairy units. So we offer some timely advice on staying safe this winter when working in slatted buildings and with and around slurry handling systems. text Rachael Porter

S

econd chances are extremely rare when it comes to being overcome by toxic slurry gases. Health & Safety Executive inspector Liz Evans knows of at least two men who feel lucky to be alive after surviving an incident involving slurry gas and slatted housing.

“This incident occurred on a unit in Cumbria on a warm, still day. The producer was stood chatting to another farm employee, just a short distance from where his father was standing on some slats outside unit’s cow house.

“The father suddenly fell to the ground and the producer ran to his aid, thinking that he’d had a heart attack or a stroke. But just before he got to him, he also collapsed and lost consciousness.”

Fortunately for them, the employee thought it odd that they’d both collapse close to the same spot and quickly decided that they may have been overwhelmed by gas. So he took great care when he went to their aid, avoided getting too close and pulled them away from the area using a pitch fork.

Both men survived.

“But had the employee not seen them collapse or had simply run over to help them without thinking and had himself been overcome by toxic gases then it would most certainly have resulted in two, if not three, fatalities.

“If you see someone collapse and you suspect its toxic gas, then dial 999 and warn the emergency services that there may be a gas hazard. And only attempt to help the person or persons who have collapsed if you can do so without putting yourself at risk,” stresses Ms Evans.

Mixing hazard The gas had built up around the slats because someone was mixing the slurry lagoon. “So it’s vital that when there’s any mixing or tank emptying going on that everyone working on the farm know about it and knows about the potential hazards.

“Any gases in the slurry will rise to the top during

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risks when it comes to slurry gas on your unit?

th could be your last Assess risk: any work on slurry handling systems, such as stirring or spreading,, has the potential to release toxic gases

mixing and leave the system via the closest exit point, which could be slats inside or outside housing. Even if an area is uncovered and seemingly open, on a still day with little breeze, these toxic gases, which are heavier than air, can pool in outdoor areas,” says Ms Evans.

So the advice is to keep away from the entire slurry management system if someone is mixing.

She adds that identifying potential areas where gas could ‘pool’ is important. Confined areas in slatted housing are an obvious one, but less obvious are areas around slatted buildings and slurry stores.

It was just this kind of ‘insidious’ gas pooling in an outside yard – close to a slurry tower and next to a barn on a still day – that resulted in two fatalities in Essex in 2011.

One employee was mending a valve on the slurry tower and he didn’t know that the safety valve had been taken out. He was overcome by toxic gases which, due to still conditions and the barn wall close by, had nowhere to go and created a pocket. As is often the way, if people are nearby, one person rushed over to help and was overcome, so Liz Evans: “Toxic gases can pool another also came over, who in ‘enclosed’ outdoor areas” then also collapsed, and then yet another employee rushed in to help. He too was overcome by toxic gases. Two of the men died and two were lucky enough to survive. But there could well have been four fatalities that day. This human instinct to go and help is often what results in multiple fatalities.

“The key is to try to think before you dash in and to over ride this instinct.”

Serious accident Increasing awareness of the potential danger is key and after a serious accident in Northern Ireland, where three members of the Spence family died, some fellow producers went out and bought themselves slurry gas detectors. But Ms Evans says that this isn’t the answer and, if anything, could put producers at greater risk.

“Such meters will work in the sewage industry, because they come with a robust and sophisticated back-up system. The meters are regularly calibrated and the people using them are highly trained.

“That just isn’t the case on a farm and it’s not feasible.”

She says that a colleague dropped in on a producer who’d bought himself a gas monitor and asked him

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Lethal cocktail: slurry produces toxic gases including methane, ammonia and hydrogen sulphide

how he was getting on with it. “He was working in the slatted cow house at the time and said ‘really well, thanks’ and my colleague asked him if he could take a look at it and he said he’d have to nip back to the house as he’s left it at the side of the bed!”

High concentration Even if he had been wearing it at a time when toxic gases rose to a dangerous level, Ms Evans says that there probably wouldn’t be time to get away.

“By the time the alarm sounds, you could already be on the floor. And no one knows you’re there. Far better to just stay out of confined and ‘risk’ areas when mixing and other slurry management operations are going on.”

She says that, at low levels, it is possible to smell the toxic gases. “The smell is like rotten eggs at first and then as the gas levels rise they actually stop your sense of smell. When the gases are at a high concentration they’re odourless and that’s what makes them so lethal.”

Slurry produces a cocktail of toxic gases, including methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide. “It is hydrogen sulphide that is particularly toxic as it excludes oxygen – it suffocates

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you even if you only take one lungful, which is why people are overcome so quickly when they’ve taken just a few breaths.”

Risk assessment is essential if producers and employees are to stay safe and Ms Evans says that good communication is important. “If someone is stirring slurry, or carrying out any other work involving the unit’s waste management system, then it’s absolutely vital that everyone who lives and works on the farm knows about it and that they stay away – and understand why they need to stay away – from anywhere that gases could escape and begin to pool.

“This includes slatted buildings and slats, vents and storage systems, as well as any areas close to slurry storage where ventilation is restricted. Cattle should also be removed from slatted houses – I know of an incident on a dairy unit in the Scottish Borders where three cows died after being overcome by slurry gas.

“In any situation where gas can escape or build up, people should stay away and not enter a building or a restricted area until at least 30 minutes after slurry stirring stops.” Ms Evans stresses that if there’s any doubt – just keep out. “Past

accidents show that there are very few second chances. The gas hits quickly and just one lungful can render a person unconscious.

“They’re then left lying in a pool of lowlying toxic gas. Little wonder that people rarely survive, particularly if no one sees them drop.”

No ‘preamble’ She adds that low levels of gas can cause headaches and nausea. “But there’s rarely an early warning. Stirring will create a substantial gas cloud with no ‘preamble’ – that’s why this is such a serious issue as there will be no warning.

“The biggest tragedy about accidents and fatalities caused by slurry gas – and indeed all other farm accidents – is that none of it is new.

“They’re accidents that have happened before and that are well documented, so it’s vital that we learn from them and take steps to make sure they don’t happen again.” l For more information visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/topics/ welfare.htm http://www.nfuonline.com/farm-safetythink-slurry-v9

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04-12-14 14:16

O V E R A L L S

Name: Location: Herd size: Pastime:

O F F

Liam Daly Mullagh, Co Cavan 90 cows Actor

Liam Daly: “It’s all about creating an illusion that the audience believe”

Treading the boards text Rachael Porter

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e wasn’t into football and it was something to do. That’s how dairy producer and award-winning actor Liam Daly first began to ‘tread the boards’ in Mullagh, Co Cavan. That was back in the 1970s and today he’s an award-winning actor and director with a Masters in Drama and Performance Studies and a wealth of stage and screen experience.

Not only does this pastime provide a welcome distraction from the day-to-day grind of managing a 90-cow dairy herd, but Liam says that it also serves to satisfy his creative side. “Acting offers a degree of escapism. It’s all about creating an illusion and trying to be someone else for a while. If you achieve that and the audience find it believable, it’s a huge buzz.”

He remembers his first trip to the theatre as a six year old. “My sister was in the play and the set had an invisible ‘upstairs’ that the characters disappeared up into from time to time. I remember sitting there and thinking ‘what’s it like upstairs and what’s happening up there?’. I was fascinated by that ‘magic’ and illusion. It really captured my imagination.”

Liam returned to education as a mature student, completing a Diploma in Drama and Theatre Studies. He makes his own ‘magic’ now as part of a local theatre group, which he founded with five friends in 2000, called Millrace Drama Group. The 60-strong group has won several awards during the past 14 years, including the All Ireland Confined Drama finals, and Liam himself has scooped ‘best actor’.

A phone call from well-known and respected writer and director Padraic McIntyre to read for a part in his play called ‘The night Joe Dolan’s Car Broke Down’ lead to five years touring with that play – it got rave reviews and proved very popular. And Liam has also played television roles, the most notable being the part of a car mechanic in RTE’s long-running crime/gangster series Love Hate. That was totally different to theatre work and a great experience. It was interesting to see how filming TV programmes works.”

He’s always looking for something new and not necessary in television or film. “Our theatre group is set to enter the open drama finals and I’d love us to win at that level. I’d also like to do some more directing. But I’m so busy with managing the herd that it’s hard to find time to put myself forward.

“It’s also an ambition to be in a play that goes ‘mainstream’ and tours further afield. But, that said, I’m a passionate community man and I take a lot of pleasure from living and working with people in Mullagh.”

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Better facilities and more land were the motivation for moving herd

The Knowles family Moving to a larger tenancy has given one Leicestershire-based farming family much more than just a few additional hectares and better facilities.

Herd size: Average yield: Unit size: Target herd size:

Relocation reaps rewards Leicestershire

Moving from one farm to another has made 2014 a busy and stressful year for one Leicestershire-based couple. But their hard work, and a ‘smooth’ relocation for their herd and their business,

90 cows 10,000 litres 42 hectares 140 cows

means they are set to benefit from a larger, better equipped unit. text Rachael Porter

I

t’s been a busy and somewhat stressful dairying year for the Knowles family.

Now based in Sapcote, Leicestershire, Richard and Rachael have just moved their 90-cow herd three miles down the road from Fosse Farm to Boundary Farm – their second county-council owned holding – and building work on a new cow house was almost complete when we spoke to them.

“We actually moved here at the end of July, but we ran the units along side each other for six months before the move in order to keep disruption to a minimum,” explains Richard.

The disruption he refers to, of course, is that of the herd and the couple’s two children. That has been minimal and the pair are pleased with how quickly and

easily the herd settled in. There was very little impact on yields or health. “We braced ourselves for some teething problems, but so far so good. We were expecting a few cases of mastitis, but we’ve seen just one since we moved.

“If we hadn’t worked quickly to get the new cubicle shed up and the cows were spending the winter on straw yards, I suspect we’d be looking at a different story,” says Richard, adding that they are indebted to Shropshire-based Paul Huxley for his speedy assistance with supplying the building in just three weeks.

More space “Cows don’t like change and we know that, so we’ve done everything we can

Tomorrow’s milkers: home-bred heifers will increase herd size

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to keep management and feeding as consistent as possible. And I think we’ve achieved that. They certainly seem happy and I think they’re more relaxed at this unit. There’s more space.”

The new unit is just 12 hectares larger that the previous one. “But it also has better facilities and it’s not split by a road – all the land is easily accessible.

And there’s better ‘medium loam’ land here too. We had some land alongside a river before and that was prone to flooding. All these factors mean that this unit should be easier to manage, as well as offering more space and greater flexibility.”

The couple had applied for tenancies on other units, including one in Warwickshire which they came close to

First milking: Rachael puts the 90-cow herd through the ‘new’ parlour

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Moving day: the herd is loaded onto lorries for the three-mile trip to the new unit

getting. “We were thrilled when we got our first tenancy at Fosse Farm, back in 2001, and, with 30 hectares, it gave us a firm foothold on the dairying ladder. We could have stayed there, but we do want to expand and ‘move up’ a little. And it didn’t seem right to just sit on that tenancy. We also felt we wanted to move on and give someone else the chance to get on the ladder,” explains Richard.

“And this new tenancy is a comfortable leap for us – it’s not too big and suits us, our business plan and our herd much better.”

Richard and Rachael want to push cow numbers up to around 140 by 2016. “We were completely ‘stocked out’ at Fosse Farm so there was no way we could have done that if we’d stayed there.

“We took this tenancy with the proviso that we’d also get a new 100-cow cubicle house. And we now have two sheds that are opposite each other with an open

feed passage down the centre. That proved to be a less expensive set up to erect and it suits our needs perfectly,” explains Richard, adding that the cows will be bedded on sand.

Consistent management The NMR-recorded herd calves all year round – to produce a level milk supply for milk buyer Arla on a Tesco contract.

The herd is milked through an 8:16 herringbone parlour, which was already at the new farm and is in excellent working order. “There’s scope to expand it to a 16:16 if we need to as we increase cow numbers,” adds Richard.

The herd, which is currently averaging 10,000 litres at 4.3% butterfat and 3.5% protein with a rolling average SCC of 113,000cells/ml, is turned out in mid April and grazed through to mid October – or later if the weather allows. “We’re looking to maximise milk output per

Contented cows: the Knowles family worked hard to make the move as ‘smooth’ as possible

hectare and get as many litres from forage are possible.”

Feeding a consistent ration is also key to maximising productivity and Richard says that, in order to achieve this, it has to be the same person who feeds the cows every day. He weighs and mixes the herd’s TMR, comprising maize and grass silage, fodder beet, alfalfa, rolled wheat, soya, rapemeal, hay and minerals.

This provides maintenance plus 28 litres and individual cows are topped up to yield in the parlour with an 18% protein concentrate.

The same ‘consistency’ applies to milking and that’s why Rachael has taken charge of that aspect of day-today management. “The cows are much calmer through the milking parlour when they see the same person every milking and the routine never varies. It has to be better for the cows, udder health and milk quality,” she says.

Yields are slowly increasing, the result of good management and attention to detail rather than deliberately ‘pushing’ the cows for more milk. “It’s natural progression, due to better genetics and fine tuning. But yield is not the be all and end all. I’d rather see yields stay the same and good cow health and fertility than see more milk in the tank and issues with production diseases and reproduction,” says Richard.

Good type Rachael agrees and so breeding is very much focused on type, rather than yield.

“We believe that if management is right then cows will milk well. And to improve longevity we select for feet and legs and good udders. We also consider chest width and we want deep, open-ribbed bodied cows. We don’t breed for stature – our cows are tall enough.”

The pair look for a minimum of five lactations: “We know that type is important. We used a high milk bull in the past and their daughters just fell to bits. We’re looking for more robust cows that will last.”

And do the couple think that they’ll ‘last’ the whole 15-year tenancy at their new unit, or will they get itchy feet again? “Securing the new tenancy was hard work but well worth the effort.

That said, I have said ‘never again’,” says Rachael. “I think we’ll stay here, although I’m sure Richard has other ideas. For now, we’ll focus on the immediate future and getting this unit up into shape. After that, who knows what the future will bring.” l

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F E E D I N G

Fine tuning energy and protein ingredients should get milk yields back on track after a shaky start

Banish winter feeding blues Are you disappointed with herd performance so far this winter?

We spoke to two leading dairy nutritionists for their advice on maximising cow performance this winter. text Rachael Porter

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any producers are reporting that milk yields are below winter-ration expectations. They want to know why, and they are looking for advice on how to lift production.

There are two main reasons, according to two leading dairy nutritionists. “In autumn grass quality begins to fall off, in terms of dry matter and intake potential,” says Provimi’s Philip Ingram. “And some producers have possibly grazed their herds for a couple of weeks longer than is ideal without sufficient buffering to counter the reduction in grazing quantity and quality,” he says.

Trouw Nutrition GB’s Adam Clay agrees: “There’s no problem with cows grazing late into the season, but some producers still expect grazing to provide maintenance plus 10 or 12 litres in September and October and, on most

Adam Clay: “It’s vital that producers get ‘back to basics’ and focus on managing the rumen”

units, that can be a stretch. Not least because there are fewer daylight hours for the cows to graze and, in order to produce that much milk, they need to be consuming sufficient dry matter. And grazing dry matter tends to fall late in the season from around 20% to between 16% and 17%. So they actually need to eat more grass at a time when there is less grazing around and fewer hours to graze.

“Buffer feeding at this time is absolutely essential to maintain dry matter intakes,” he adds.

Without buffer feeding, cows will lose condition and then, when they’re housed on winter rations, they will use some of that ration to regain condition rather than produce milk. “This accounts for the disappointing yields seen on some units when cows are housed for the winter.”

Mr Clay adds that these cows, even when they’ve regained condition, never get back to their peak milk yield for that lactation. That milk yield potential is lost.

“So at the back end of the grazing season it’s vital to introduce or increase buffer feeding to maintain forage dry matter intakes at between 10kg and 12kg DM – and ensure total dry matter intakes are maintained to prevent condition and milk production losses.”

Variable silage On other units, silage quality will be to blame for poor performance. First-cut grass silage averaged 10.5ME across UK units. And Dr Ingram points out that it’s the huge variability that’s at the root of many winter feeding problems this year.

“Grass silage analysis is all over the place.

Some producers have very wet silage and

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others have a very dry and stemmy, lower energy forage. We have the two extremes and pretty much everything in between.

“Variability is much greater than normal and this year it’s more important than ever to make sure you analyse and balance rations accordingly. Some just won’t get away with the same feeding regime they’ve followed in previous years. It’s always important to take a close look at balancing rations and more so than ever this year,” he says.

“Some silages are wetter and at the low end in terms of digestibility, as well as being high in lactic acid. The latter is a strong acid too and will decrease rumen pH. This will kill off the bugs that drive bacterial breakdown of fibre in the rumen,” says Mr Clay. “The intake factor figure – an indicator of intake potential – is also lower for 2014 silage.

“This means that if you’ve formulating and feeding a diet for a 12kg DM intake of grass silage, intakes could actually be less.

For example, a 2kg DMI loss can result in a significant milk yield loss of between four and five litres if not addressed and many producers are, indeed, reporting that their yields are falling four or five litres short for the ration they’re feeding.”

To address this, Mr Clay says it’s vital that producers go back to basics and focus on managing the rumen. “Feed for rumen health, which essentially means healthy fermentable rumen bacteria development.

This requires an accurate balance of both energy and protein and the quality of these ingredients – the rate at which they’re broken down in the rumen – is key. We need them to be synchronised with an accurate balance of both rapidly and slowly fermentable carbohydrates and proteins.

Yield potential “If there’s not enough protein, there’s not enough feed for the rumen bugs and you will lose yield potential.

“And if there’s not enough energy, then there will be an excess of protein in the rumen and this can have an adverse effect on milk production and fertility.”

The ‘type’ of energy and protein are also important. There needs to be a balance between ‘slow’ and ‘fast’ release proteins and carbohydrates. Sugars, for example, take just 30 minutes to breakdown in the rumen, whereas cellulose can take 12 hours or more. Slowly degradable proteins include soya and rapidly degradable include urea.

“All four components are needed in the ration, but the formulation needs to

Philip Ingram: “Huge grass silage variability is at the root of many winter feeding problems this year”

ensure that enough rapidly fermentable carbohydrates are fed to help drive bacterial growth. But if there are too many supplied carbohydrates then that can lead to acidosis or SARA.” Mr Clay says that it’s a fine line to tread and the key is to identify the limiting factor in your herd’s ration: “See if there’s an ingredient that’s tipping the balance in either direction.

Limiting factor He says that once the ‘limiting factor’ has been identified, the balance can be redressed and negative consequences can be avoided. “If there’s too much fast release carbohydrate in the ration, such as wheat or molasses, replacing some of it with maize silage or caustic treated wheat, which are slower to breakdown, could be the answer to supplying more energy without putting the rumen under too much pressure.

“We’re looking for a good mix of rapid and slow release energy and protein and a reduction of acid load in the rumen.”

Mr Clay says that Rumenac is a programme, which can be ‘bolted on’ to current formulation software, which calculates how much ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ degrading carbohydrate and protein there is in a ration. It helps ration formulation in order to optimise rumen function by getting this balance right. “It’s difficult to take a sample of rumen liquor to check that the balance is right. But this programme allows us to do that on paper.

It’s a model that predicts the production of VFAs in the rumen and, therefore, an indicator of acid load and rumen health.”

But, he stresses, it’s just a management tool. “Remember, the cows are always the final and most important indicator that a ration is well balanced. The cows will soon tell you if you’ve got it spot on.” l

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Award-winning columnist and Shropshire-based producer Roger Evans makes no secret of his loathing of the festive season, but even he manages to find reasons to make the best of it at this time of year.

Bah, humbug!

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his is a bad time of year for me. It’s the time of year when I’m at my grumpiest. It’s coming up to Christmas and I hate it. I wouldn’t mind if Christmas started, say, on December 20, but in this house it starts on the first of the month. The tree goes up on the first. We have an artificial tree. We can’t have a real one because it goes up so early all the needles would fall off by Christmas Day. The artificial one is quite heavy and lives in the attic and one year I managed to delay things for one day by refusing to carry it down. That only worked once because there are traitors to be found up on our yard who will put up a Christmas tree for the lure of a cup of tea and a mince pie. That nice Mr Kipling makes our mince pies.

We’ve got very low window sills in our sitting room and I can usually sit in my favourite arm chair and look out across the fields. I shan’t be able to look out of the window for six weeks now, because right in front of the window is where the Christmas tree sits.

Our old house is freezing in the winter – you put your arm out of bed at night at your peril – and one thing we could do with is new windows everywhere. For yet another year we can’t afford it (milk price). The Christmas tree is a constant reminder of the state of our windows because even when there’s a light breeze, you can see all the decorations moving in the draught. I try, to no avail, to shut it all out of my mind. But even as I write today, in mid November, Christmas is starting to gather momentum. There are already some new lights for the Christmas tree on the sideboard.

So I will try to take my mind on a sort of leap over Christmas and to next year and wonder, as I do, just what sort of year is in store for dairy producers. The returns for this year’s milk year will be cushioned, to an extent, by the good milk prices that prevailed earlier. It’s a cushion that won’t exist as we move into the spring. Whether a ‘cushion’ will turn up in the autumn, no one knows. Weather wise it’s been largely a good year. The realist in me tells me that two good weather years in succession are unlikely. We don’t need bad weather coinciding with low milk prices.

Individually, we could do with good weather and plenty of milk.

Collectively, it is probably the last thing we want. Unfortunately plenty of milk is probably what we will get, not least because of the end of quotas. What is to be done? Consultants will tell us to cut costs in order to live with low prices and that is good advice, but it’s rarely that simple. Stuff wears out and things breakdown, yet we still have to carry on. There’s a range of farmgate milk prices that probably cover 10ppl. I never, ever, dreamt that I would say this but, as an industry, we would be better off with a milk marketing board system where all the prices were pooled together to give us an average price.

So it’s time to batten down the hatches. We’ve done it before so we will just have to do it again. We mustn’t victimise ourselves and we need to keep things in perspective. I have two good friends doing battle with the dreaded ‘big C’ and another with motor neurone disease. I find myself thinking about them more than low milk prices.

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H E A LT H

Clear benefits should encourage wider industry engagement in Johne’s control

Top gear for Johne’s management plan An industry-led action group launched a draft National Johne’s Management Programme at the DairyCo/Dairy UK conference in November, 2014. Subject to approval, it will be launched in April 2015 with the aim of getting 95% of producers on board within two years. text Karen Wright

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ealthy food comes from healthy cows – and cows infected with the Johne’s causing bacterium MAP (Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis to give it its full name) are not healthy.

cow, yet she can still look good,” he added. “It lives in white blood cells oddly – these are the cells that are normally responsible for killing infection. It grows slowly, typically making it more virulent than fast growing mycobacteria.

“And, although there’s no absolute proof, the question still hangs over a link between MAP and Crohn’s disease in humans.”

Britain behind So says Johne’s guru Michael Collins from the University of Wisconsin, who addressed the conference audience.

“MAP is very clever. It lives with a cow for a very long time and it is shed by the

When it comes to the management – or control – of Johne’s, Britain is a little behind. “In my opinion, producers here don’t perceive a problem. My concern is that the UK will end up like the US – as the national herd consolidates so

The 30-Cow Challenge has been running for three months and, so far, fewer than 5% of herds have had low test results for all cows tested

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Johne’s spreads. Infected cows are sold into expanding herds and spread the disease. It is thought more than 90% US dairy herds are infected with Johne’s,” explains Mr Collins, NMR vet and chair of the Johne’s Action technical group Karen Bond agrees.

“There are still producers out there – and vets – in denial. They think because they haven’t seen an affected cow with clinical signs of Johne’s that they haven’t got a problem.”

NML is encouraging all producers to assess the status of their herd through its 30-Cow Challenge – an initiative that has gained the support of the main milk buyers. “In effect, we want them to put their money where their mouth is and take on our 30-Cow Challenge,” she says.

Regardless of herd size, the Challenge tests milk samples from 30 carefully selected cows using the ELISA test that identifies Johne’s antibodies. A cow will have a low, medium or high status indicating the level of antibody found in the sample.

“We stress that it is important to target the 30 cows carefully – cows with higher than average cell counts, more lameness or failing to reach target yields compared with their herd mates, or older cows – these are the ones most likely to be harbouring Johne’s.

Using milk records, NMR can select these cows automatically. Otherwise we provide guidelines for vets and producers to put forward the ‘best’ 30 cows for screening. And we’ve found that through careful targeting of the 30 cows we can be 95% sure that if a herd has Johne’s disease we will find it.”

Producers will pay for the 30-cow tests but if all cows are low, the fee is refunded. “This is ‘The Challenge’,” adds Mrs Bond.

The Challenge has been running for three months and, so far, fewer than 5% of herds have had low test results for all cows tested. Quite a few have had three

Karen Bond: “The Challenge encourages producers to identify Johne’s status”

Michael Collins: “Consolidation of the US dairy herd has lead to the spread of Johne’s”

or four positive cows indicating a level of Johne’s in the herd and the need to implement a robust management plan.

“There has been a degree of shock and surprise among producers,” adds Mrs Bond. “The truth is that Johne’s may be at the heart of high cell counts, lower than average production, lameness or mastitis in infected herds. These cows may well be culled from the herd before clinical signs of Johne’s are seen – unfortunately these cows have often spread the disease without producers even knowing it’s there.”

pleasing 50% said they consulted their vets every time they received a new set of results.”

Most culled ‘red’ cows immediately or at the end of lactation. “But half were not segregating ‘red’ cows at calving – a period when spread of MAP between cows and calves is most likely. This should be happening as routine. But the good news is that almost all producers snatched calves from red cows and discarded their colostrum.”

Vet involvement More than 1,250 producers use NMR’s HerdWise service that routinely tests individual milk samples for Johne’s. A recent survey of users revealed some good progress; that 41% of HerdWise herds now have fewer than 2% red cows, up from 35% in 2012. Just 3% have more than 10% red cows.

“An increasing number don’t have any ‘red’ cows, but undertake quarterly surveillance to maintain CHeCS accreditation for their herds,” says Mrs Bond. “They recognise the value of this when they are selling stock. This will become more important.

“But the survey also showed up that 15% of users are not consulting their vet on Johne’s management which is a real concern,” adds Mrs Bond. “However, a

Economic benefits The survey revealed that many producers are not managing amber cows as a risk, but allowing them to calve in the normal maternity area. “These cows pose a threat as they may well be shedding the bacteria,” she adds.

“Very encouraging is that 85% of those surveyed have identified economic benefits from managing Johne’s in areas, such as reduced cell counts and increased yields. And there are additional benefits through improved calf management too.

“The availability of routine testing services like HerdWise and the national management strategies just launched means that producers really have all the tools they need to manage Johne’s.” l The draft National Johne’s Management Plan can be downloaded from www.actionjohnesuk.org

National Johne’s Management Plan The National Johne’s Management Plan sets out to reduce the disease in Britain’s dairy cattle and engage producers in credible and robust Johne’s management activities.

“There are real and immediate benefits for producers,” says chairman of the Action group and south Wales-based producer Lyndon Edwards.

“Some simple and easy steps will help to control the disease and prevent further

spread. It doesn’t necessarily mean lots of expense but it does mean long-term commitment.”

The Johne’s Action Group is advocating six management strategies. “There will be a strategy best suited to each individual farm,” adds Mr Edwards.

“Producers, in conjunction with their vet, can choose the most appropriate for their situation.”

Adding to this, vet and Johne’s Group

member Peter Orpin says that it is crucial for British producers to get ahead of the disease and not to make hard work of the disease by waiting for high prevalence in their herds.

“Remember that Johne’s erodes farm profits,” he says. “Don’t test and hope or just test and cull, but put a robust management plan in place. I can’t think of a reason why any producer wouldn’t test and manage Johne’s.”

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Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!

On behalf of the whole CowManagement-team

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F R O M

T H E

V E T E R I N A RY

C L A I R E

P R A C T I C E

WA L K E R

Vet Claire Walker, from The Livestock Partnership in West Sussex, offers some advice on how to prevent calf hernias and explains why producers may sometimes see clusters of cases.

Naval dipping and colostrum feeding are key to preventing infection

Tummy trouble C

alf hernias can have serious health implications – particularly if it’s caused by infection and not genetics. Some units see very few, if any, cases. Other may see a run of cases from time to time. The majority of cases that I’ve seen are ‘genetic’ – a unit may see a handful of calves, usually by the same sire, develop a hernia. Heritability is low, but there is a genetic component in many cases and there are bulls and cows out there that produce calves that are more prone to developing a naval hernia. So if you’re seeing the problem in your herd, look at the calves’ sires and see if there’s a pattern.

The second cause is poor naval hygiene and can be prevented with thorough naval dipping with iodine and feeding enough good quality colostrum after birth to give the calf some immunity against infection.

Good practice at calving means dipping the naval in an iodinebased product. This must offer complete naval coverage and the dip must have a strong enough concentration of iodine – 7% – to do the job properly.

The environment that the cow calves into is also important.

Straw bedding needs to be clean and dry, to reduce the calf’s chances of picking up infection. Dryness is key as we need the umbilical cord to dry out. If it remains wet, infection is also more likely to set in. In fact infection is the result of the naval not healing over quickly and cleanly. It’s vital to check the naval daily to make sure it’s drying out and healing. If it’s not and it becomes smelly and slimy then veterinary advice should be sought. Antibiotic treatment, via injection, may be required. If infection is not picked up and dealt with, but is left to worsen,

umbilical herniation can be a consequence. And operating on an infected hernia is not easy. The prognosis can be quite poor, and it’s possible that the calf may die as a result of the infection. It can track up to the liver or the bladder if the calf doesn’t respond to treatment.

Operating on simple, infection-free hernias is much more straightforward and offers a better prognosis. Complications are usually minor where there’s no infection involved and these calves go on to fulfil their dairy potential. So the operation, which costs around £150, is money well spent.

The encyclopaedia Calf hernia Cause

Treatment

Either genetic disposition or the result of an unsuccessfully treated naval infection.

This should be prompt if the hernia is caused by infection.

Speed is the key to prevent the infection from tracking to the liver and bladder. Serious infection is harder to treat and can prove fatal.

Hernia operations are ‘trouble-free’ in ‘genetic’ cases with excellent prognosis. Operating on infected hernias is difficult and the chances of a full recovery are poor.

Symptoms ‘Genetic’ cases are infection free and the calf will have a dry, well healed but ‘bulging’ naval. Where infection occurs, the naval fails to dry and heal correctly. The naval may also be smelly and slimy. The calf can appear unwell as infection begins to track through the rest of its body.

Prevention If a genetic link can be made, bull selection has a role to play here. If hernias are the result of infection, then closer attention to hygiene at calving and post calving management – naval dipping and colostrum feeding – is needed.

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SHINE SYSTEM – 3 YEARS ON In 2011, we visited Dairy Farmer of the Future winners J.J and Kiki Willcocks, who had adopted the Shine System to feed their calves. 3 years on in September 2014, we revisited Tregleath Farm, Bodmin to see how things were going.

J.J and Kiki originally moved to using the Shine System, supplied by Berrys Agriculture Ltd of Launceston, as it fitted well with their busy family lifestyle, and 3 years on they still believe it is the best system for their calves. The couple run two calving blocks, a 12 week Spring block and a 12 week Autumn block, therefore the calves need to double their birth weight in the first 8 weeks to achieve 350kgs by bulling age, to ensure they calve at 24 months.

Using a 3-way cross of Brown Swiss, Norwegian Red and New Zealand Friesian, JJ achieves a heard average of 8000 litres at 4.2%BF and 3.5%P. “Milk powder definitely works better in a block calving system like ours” he says.

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Water, Straw and Concentrates ad lib throughout. “The calves are more satisfied and they take more concentrates and straw at an early age.” She says.

For more information visit Bonanza Calf Nutrition www.bonazacalf.ie, find your local stockist Freephone 08081 781017, or call Berrys Agriculture Ltd on 01566 779750 or Andy Berry directly on 07969 164066.

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S P E C I A L

Lameness: heat stress can result in poor locomotion and declining hoof health. Page 30 Mycotoxins: assess your herd’s risk and take steps to optimise adsorbent use. Page 32

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S P E C I A L

Tackle heat stress and keep the weight off cows’ feet

Keep ‘em cool Hoof health can suffer if your cows are hot and bothered. We spoke to two leading cattle vets to find out why and what producers can do to help reduce cow-house humidity, maintain good locomotion scores and keep lameness in check. text Rachael Porter

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eat stress is something that can blight dairy herds all year round – not just in the summer months.

Temperatures certainly soared in summer 2014 and housed and grazed cows alike felt the impact of that. And many are still suffering – as a result of those temperatures or on-going humidity issues at winter housing.

As well as the classic signs of heat stress, including panting and ‘loitering’ cows, showing signs of reduced dry matter intakes and milk yields and suboptimal fertility, vet Debby Brown, from Lancaster-based Advanced Nutrition, says that she also saw a reduction in mobility. “I saw one producer who had an increase in lameness and abscesses approximately six weeks after the hot weather started. And this year I visited far too many units where the cows were stood at the ends of cubicle sheds trying to get fresh air or were stood around water troughs instead of eating or lying down. This extra pressure on their feet had a significant effect on their hoof health.

“Even well into the autumn I was seeing the ‘after effects’ of summer heat stress.

Locomotion scores had taken a dive because hot cows spend less time lying down. It’s easier for them to dissipate heat if they’re standing.

Bruised soles “Not only does all this standing around reduce the amount of time they spend ruminating and result in the obvious drop in dry matter intakes, milk yield and productivity, but it also increases the pressure on their feet and often results in bruised soles. This is particularly severe in housed cows as they’re standing on concrete,” she explains.

The optimal lying time for cows is around 12 hours a day. If this starts to fall, be it because cubicles are poorly designed and uncomfortable or because cows are too hot to lie down, their standing time increases, and so does the risk of hoof health problems.

“Typically, heat stress results in bruising, but if it’s not addressed then this bruising can develop into a sole ulcer. If there’s an underlying problem then heat stress will make it worse. But, in general, in heat stressed herds I tend to see locomotion scores move from zeros and ones and up to twos and threes. Basically I’ll see a slight increase in non-sound cows, but it’s important to remember that if a cow can’t move freely and comfortable then that will also impact on her dry matter

intake, milk yield and fertility,” says Mrs Brown.

The thermo neutral zone for a cow is between 4°C and 21°C, according to Sara Pederson, a vet specialising in hoof care and cattle mobility. “Heat stress is the result of a combination of temperature and humidity – the temperature humidity index. Historically we have considered cows to be under stress when THI reaches 72, however, recently this has been lowered to 68 – this is way before a human would start to feel uncomfortable,” she says.

“It’s also vital to observe the cows. Cows are not good at sweating so their main cooling mechanism is panting.”

‘Invisible’ consequence Cows associate darkness with coolness, so they will also bunch up on the shade if they are hot, according to Miss Pederson.

“Lameness is an ‘invisible’ consequence of heat stress with a consistent increase in lameness typically seen between eight and 10 weeks after the initial period of heat stress due to an increase in sole haemorrhage and ulcers. Standing also reduces the amount of blood circulating through the foot and therefore delays the healing of lesions. An increase in sole fractures is also common – these are lesions in the heel region of the medial claw on hind feet.”

When heat stressed, a cow’s temperature will increase by 0.5°C per minute when she is lying down. At a critical point (38.8°C body temperature) she will have to stand in order to be able to ‘thermal’ pant and reduce her body temperature.

A cow’s temperature decreases by 0.26°C per minute when she is standing – that’s half the rate that she heats up at when lying down. She will lie down again when her temperature cools to 37.7°C As core body temperature increases, lying time bouts decrease. The overall effect is that cows lie down for shorter periods of time during periods of heat stress as they have to keep standing up in order to cool down.

“Key to preventing lameness caused by heat stress is to enhance cooling when the cow is standing and to minimise accumulation of heat when she is lying down,” says Miss Pederson, adding that the collecting yard is the critical point to help alleviate heat stress.

“In many situations heat stress is exacerbated in the collecting yard due to cows being bunched up too tightly or poor use of fans that simply re-circulate hot humid air. As a result cows actually

Sole fracture: an increase in cases could be the result of heat stress

accumulate rather than dissipate heat.”

She says that fans that move warm air at higher speeds do not aid cooling as the cow does not sweat. “There’s no cooling effect just from air movement. They create velocity but not ventilation.

“To alleviate heat stress we have three options: cool the cow, cool the air around the cow or a combination of both.”

Supplementary ventilation If producers want to cool the air then they need to add fine drops of water, or mist, to it. And if they want to cool the cow then they need larger water droplets to soak her.

“Wetting skin alone is insufficient to cool cow – you also need ventilation to evaporate water. So a combination of soaking and ventilation is the most effective.

“And naturally ventilated sheds fail to do a consistent job on still days and therefore supplementary ventilation is required,” Miss Pederson adds.

Mrs Brown agrees: “Even though the summer is now a distance memory, I’m still seeing herds with a heat-stress legacy, in the form of lameness. And other herds are still suffering from heat stress at housing. It’s vital to cool the cows in order to maintain lying times and take the weight off their feet.

Without rest, the bruising won’t go down and it can progress into more severe hoof health issues if it’s just ignored.” l

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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S P E C I A L

Scientists are developing a better understanding of the multiple mycotoxin challenge in modern dairy diets and how to mitigate the threat

What’s your mycotoxin risk?

It’s relatively easy to spot mouldy patches in a forage clamp and then feed a standard mycotoxin binder as an insurance policy. But effective mycotoxin management requires a more holistic approach, which involves tackling both visible and invisible threats. We go on farm to investigate. text David Butler

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ver present in the farm environment and a potential threat to the health and productivity of even the best-run dairy herds, mycotoxins produced by moulds in feed ingredients should now be on every herd manager’s radar.

Climate change and feed storage practices are starting to influence the range of moulds occurring in farm feed stocks and with traditional tilling and crop rotation practices diminishing too, mould contamination is persisting yearon-year. Fortunately, analytical methods are improving at the same time, allowing scientists to detect the wider range of mycotoxin threats and develop new strategies to tackle them.

Multiple challenge

Caption

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Growing enemies: Fusarium (pink) and Mucor spp (white) moulds often thrive in straight feeds stored in the open air

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“It’s clear that producers now face a multiple mycotoxin challenge in the typical rations they feed to their cows,” says Alltech’s Pedro Caramona.

He’s part of the company’s mycotoxin management team that is developing a risk assessment programme that allows producers to tackle issues far more cost-effectively. “The issue is no longer whether mycotoxins are present, but which are the most prevalent groups, how significant the levels are in a feed and, most importantly, what the impact is on a given species.”

He explains that in pig and poultry diets the dependence on individual ration ingredients, such as cereals and soya (often imported), means multiple contamination comes predominantly from the field due to Fusarium mould growth. “But in ruminants the picture is more complex due to the evolving risk on farm during the feeding season from the growth of storage moulds such as Penicillium and Aspergillus,” explains Mr Caramona.

“Ruminant diets are exposed to a variety of different mycotoxins coming from home-grown forages, such as grass and maize silages, and purchased straights that are often imported from around the world. The mix of toxins in your average TMR is likely to be responsible for numerous undiagnosed health issues in dairy herds.”

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Risk assessment reduced adsorbent use The use of a thermal imaging camera to highlight hotspots in the maize clamp was enough to convince Andrew Dale, from Newnham Farm in Shropshire, that there was a potential mycotoxin issue limiting the performance of his herd.

Thermal imaging: red ‘hot spots’ are an indicator of mould growth.

Results from Alltech’s 37+ harvest surveys in the UK and across Europe during the past three years – of both forages and other common winter ration ingredients – confirm that cows are being fed diets containing multiple mycotoxins. On average these surveys

Mr Dale runs 360 Holstein Friesians on his 205-hectare unit and he says extracting every last gramme of nutrition from his home-grown feeds is crucial.

“All our cows graze, but we do also have to buffer feed cattle and I can’t afford any reduction in feed efficiency yearround. The thermal imaging camera showed our maize was heating up in spots across the face of the clamp and this – together with an audit of our whole feed management system – suggested we needed to take action,” he says.

“We introduced a broad-spectrum adsorbent to the ration to negate any damaging mycotoxins. Initially it was included at a rate of 100g per cow per day for a couple of weeks, but because our risk assessment was relatively marginal we were able to reduce the rate to 50g per head per day later on.

“This seemed to work and I’m confident

found 6.7 different mycotoxins in every sample tested.

“We test for more than 37 different mycotoxins in feed ingredients,” says Mr Caramona. “The most prevalent are Type B trichothecenes, fusaric acid, fumonisins and those produced by

Problem areas: clamp shoulders typically show more obvious signs of mould growth

Andrew Dale: “We feed a broad-spectrum adsorbent to our herd”

we’re on top of the problem, but we will continue to monitor and manage the risks associated with our particular feed management system and take action as necessary in the future,” he adds.

Penicillium, such as mycophenolic acid, but it is the simultaneous presence of these different mycotoxins that increases the potential toxicity to the cow. Cow rations comprise many ingredients, so it is vital to assess the risks associated with the whole diet.”

Pedro Caramona discussing different moulds

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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S P E C I A L

Alltech’s Hayley Verney looks for ‘hot spots’ using a thermometer to measure the temperature of different areas on a silage face

Company representatives in the UK also take producers through a mycotoxin risk assessment process, which is based on HACCP principles.

“Our MIKO on-farm audit starts with examining the grains and other feeds stored on the farm, looking for evidence of mould growth and exploring issues such as where the feeds are stored. We look at whether they are exposed to rain and humidity, their delivery pattern and we also use temperature probes and a thermal imaging camera to look for hotspots that indicate potential mould activity.”

Practical recommendations Mr Caramona says that this builds a picture of the potential threat: “And allows us to make practical recommendations, such as storing feeds a metre from a wall to prevent moisture accumulation. When feed is stored adjacent to an external barrier it is more exposed to the heating and cooling of the wall and this presents a mycotoxin risk.

“Making sure all the feed is removed and the floor and walls are cleaned before new loads come in is essential to prevent cross batch contamination and spoilage. In fact the control of moisture during storage is the single

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most important management tool to keep mycotoxins under control,” he adds.

The on-farm assessment then looks at forage storage and examines similar issues with respect to conserved grass and maize in the clamp. “We also look at pit face management and daily removal rate, as well as silo structure, additive usage and packing density,” says Alltech’s Hayley Verney.

“I tell producers that if you can push your fingers more than two or three inches into the clamp face then there’s too much air in the forage and this will potentially increase mould growth,” he explains. “Silage clamps should be really well compacted to drive out this air and good quality covers with plenty of weight in them are essential in this respect.”

Once the feed risk assessment is complete, cow performance is examined to build up a picture of their overall health and fertility. “On most units it’s difficult to see any definitive evidence of cows suffering from mycotoxin problems. The signs may be many and varied, including sunken eyes, poor condition, low rumen fill and loose dung. But after you have gained a feel for the potential mycotoxin challenge from the feed assessment, you do get an inkling for how problems may be

manifesting in the cows, even though they may be quite subtle,” says Mr Verney.

Diagnostic assessment Following their MIKO audit, the company provides producers with a written summary report. The company can also build a better risk assessment picture through analysis of the levels of different mycotoxins actually present in a unit’s feeds using its 37+ diagnostic programme.

“Once we have processed all the data from the farm visit we are then able to offer a diagnostic assessment based on a percentage score. This ranges from 80%+, which suggests an excellent mycotoxin management plan is already in place; to between 40% and 80%, which suggests some improvements could be made; through to 40% and below, where there is a high risk of mycotoxin contamination,” explains Mr Caramona.

“We also offer advice on how to improve the management of stored feeds. It is only then that we start talking about appropriate use of a proven broadspectrum mycotoxin adsorbent – where necessary and at what feeding rate per cow – to negate any damaging effect on the health and performance of the herd.” l

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❄❆❅❄❆❅❄❆❅❄❆❅❄❆❅❄❆❅ C O M P E T I T I O N

Send in your entry for a chance to win our prize bundle

Competition time!

W

e’ve a sack full of prizes to be won that are guaranteed to lift the post Christmas gloom and brighten up even the dullest January. Not only do we have a signed copy of Roger Evans’ latest book – A view from the tractor – to give away, our special prize package also includes £200-worth of NML services, 10 straws of semen from CRV Avoncroft, and a British cheese hamper, worth £50.

For your chance to be our lucky winner, simply answer the adjoining question and e-mail the answer – along with your name, address and telephone number – to: rachael.porter@virgin.net.

Alternatively send your entry to us via Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CowManagementUK or via Twitter: www.twitter.com/cowmanagement.

Closing date for Entries is Friday January 9, 2015.

We’ll announce the winner in our January issue. Good luck!

QUESTION: ‘A view from the tractor’ is Roger Evans’ latest book.

But how many books has Roger written to date?

❄❆❅❄❆❅❄❆❅❄❆❅❄❆❅❄❆❅ COW MAN AG E ME N T

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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

Analysis shows that sires retain genomic proof when daughter breeding values become available

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

T

he use of genomic sires is increasing very rapidly across the world. In Germany in spring 2014, genomic bulls accounted for two thirds of all inseminations. In Canada more than half of all inseminations are with genomic bulls and in The Netherlands genomic bull Batenburg Stellando was the second most used black-and-white bull, during the past year, with more than 28,000 first inseminations.

After a cautious start, the use of genomic bulls is also growing in the UK. “Producers’ confidence in genomic bulls is rapidly increasing,” says CRV Avoncroft’s David Matthews. The breeding organisation saw the use of genomic bulls increase from just 3% in the period from November 2013 to April Table 1: The difference per trait between the latest daughter breeding value and the latest genomic proof (average of 821 sires)

trait NVI reliability NVI kg milk kg fat kg protein life span (days) type frame dairy strength udder feet and legs somatic cell count udder health fertility

38

difference –9.0 26.3 –36 –0.6 –0.9 –40 –0.5 –0.4 –0.5 –0.1 –0.4 –0.3 –0.2 0.1

The use of genomic sires in the UK has greatly increased during the past year and producers continue to be impressed with their performance. There are exceptions, of course, but on average genomic bulls retain their breeding values well. text Inge van Drie

2014 to almost 20% during the past six months. Mr Matthews puts the increase, among other things, down to the fact that foreign AI organisations are typing their genomic bulls using British breeding values. That has been possible since April 2014 and the company arranged for Apina Norman, among others, be typed. In August he led the British PLI ranking.

the latest daugter proof (for kg milk)

In the seventh and final part of this series on efficient dairying we take a close look at what the benefits of reliable breeding values are and find out if genomically tested bulls live up to their expectations.

Genomic bulls prove their worth

3000 2000 1000 0 –1000 –2000

–1000

0

1000

2000

the latest genomic proof (for kg milk)

Meeting expectations

Figure 1: Comparison genomic and daughter proofs for kilogrammes milk

The increasing use of genomic bulls provides a good opportunity to take a closer look at the breeding values of these bulls. Do genomic bulls live up to their figures? In order to be able to assess this the head of CRV’s Animal Evaluation Unit, Gerben de Jong, took the breeding values of more than 800 bulls on the basis of daughter information and then compared them with their latest genomic breeding values. What was the result?

On average there was hardly any

difference. For NVI – the Dutch total index – the bulls fell nine points on the transition from genomic to daughter breeding values (see Table 1), while the reliability of the NVI increased by more than 26%. “Nine NVI points is a small difference and nobody will worry about that. It shows that the bulls come out well as a group,” says Mr De Jong.

“The genomic breeding values of the bulls are neither underestimated nor overestimated.”

The other characteristics, including

Table 2: Distribution of 821 sires based, on their genomic proofs, in five categories for kilogrammes milk and to which category they belong based on daughter breeding values

low 1 kg milk category based on daughter proofs 1 2 3 4 5

1-20% 21-40% 41-60% 60-80% 81-100%

110 40 12 1 1

kg milk category based on genomic proofs high 2 3 4 5 42 54 38 26 4

9 40 53 50 12

3 26 40 62 33

0 4 23 23 115

CC VOO EW EWTM M EA EALNNTAAG JGAEEN M MUEEA NNRTTI DS1EE/C P2 ET M 2 EM 0B 0EB9R E R2 0 21 04 0 9

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The majority of the bulls that have a high genomic score also have a high daughter breeding value

kilogrammes of milk and lifespan and the conformation breeding values, also show small differences. “All characteristics show an average difference that is less than 15% of the genetic spread.”

Of equal interest is whether bulls that are at the top level with their genomic breeding value also remain at the top if the breeding value on the basis of daughters is known. In order to determine that, Mr De Jong plotted on a points graph the latest daughter values of all the bulls against the latest genomic breeding value for kilogrammes of milk (see Figure 1).

“Bulls that score highly on the basis of genomics also score highly for breeding values on the basis of daughter information. For example, Newhouse Banker scores 541kg milk on the basis of his latest genomic breeding value, while

his current daughter value stands at 615kg.

“Bulls do not fall short by much nor do they suddenly increase a lot,” adds Mr De Jong.

Breeding ‘buffer’ The fact that the majority of the bulls that scored highly for genomics also have a high daughter breeding value can also be seen in Table 2.

Mr De Jong divided the 800 bulls into five groups. Of the bulls that ended up on the basis of genomics in class five for kilogrammes milk – or in the highest 20% – about 70% were also in class five based on their daughter information.

Another 20% were in class four.

The figures may look good, but in practice there is regular discussion about bulls that fall short once their daughter proofs become available.

“Examples can always be found of bulls that fall considerably short of their genomic proof once their daughter proof is published,” says Mr Matthews.

“It is logical that these are the very examples that gain attention. But cattle breeders often forget that these bulls always come out higher than the breeding bulls that are used at the same time. Indeed, owing to their high genomic breeding value this type of bull has a ‘buffer’, so to speak.”

Although the daughter breeding values of breeding bulls correspond well on average with their genomic breeding values, Mr Matthews does recommend spreading the use of genomic bulls.

“Don’t just look at one top-level bull, but spread your bets,” he says. “That way you are more likely to have a couple of daughters in milk from different genomic bulls.” l

Atlantic proves his genomic value As a genomic bull he was already one of the top ranking sires, but with his daughter-proven breeding values he is still one of the highest bulls. Delta Atlantic, who was widely used as an InSire bull, has more then met his expectations. As a genomic bull he scored 257 NVI in the Netherlands, whereas now he has 332 NVI. He is a good example of a bull with firm guarantees and high reliability.

This Ramos son is currently, by far, the most widely used CRV bull, because he produces trouble-free daughters with height and style and fine udders. He adds strength and capacity to herds and he scores well on somatic cell count, fertility, hoof health and calving ease.

He also has the highest score for Better Life Health. His very convincing and reliable figures make him very popular with producers.

CCOOWWMMAANNAAGGE EMME ENNT T S DE EP C T EM B E R

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COW MAN AG E ME N T

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B U L L

P R O O F S

Genomic sons of genomic sons speed up rate of genetic progress

Young sires set fast pace Former Gold Cup finalist and respected Devon-based Holstein breeder Willy Ley has been captivated by the latest genomicallytested and daughter-proven lists, following the December bull proof run, and the growing gap between the two. text Rachael Porter

W

hat struck Willy Ley first when he saw the December bull rankings was just how wide the gap between ‘genomic’ and ‘proven’ sires has become.

“And even more mind boggling is that fact that it’ll probably get much wider and I do wonder how far it can go,” he says.

For him, and many other breeders and producers, the genomic young sire list is where the excitement lies when it comes to Holstein genetics, and the December index run, published by DairyCo, certainly demonstrates the fast pace of change.

The generation interval for dairy cows has been slashed with the advent of genomics and no less than eight of the top 10 sires ranked on Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) were unavailable at the previous index run, which was just four months ago. “Overall, when you compare the two rankings, the genomically-tested sires seem to have exploded. And what really strikes this home for me is that fact that the number-one sire on the proven list would sit in just 30th place in the genomic rankings, such is the rate of progress.”

Shining in the top spot in the genomic rankings is the brand-new Canadian-

D Mason

42

bred Sandy-Valley-I Penmanship, whose sire is also a young genomic bull – as are the sires of nine of the top 10 bulls.

Penmanship smashes the £700 PLI barrier at £745: “Not long after £600 seemed a remarkable figure,” says Willy, who, not surprisingly, is keen to get his hands on some straws for his AI flask.

“But this sire is so new there’s not even a price for his semen yet. I’ll have to be patient!”

Like the number-two bull on the list, he is sired by Mr Lookout P Enforcer (Facebook x Shottle), but Penmanship is out of a Numero Uno dam. Even his maternal grandsire, Numero Uno himself, has only gained a daughter proof for the first time this month, further demonstrating how quickly genetic progress can be made.

Impressive figures Penmanship stands out for his high daughter Lifespan Index, which is +0.7. “I should very much like to use him on my herd, so long as he’s reasonably priced. I can’t see anything in his figures that I don’t like.”

Second-ranking PES009 Boardshop (Enforcer x Bookem) ranks close to the number-one sire in most respects, and weighs in with a PLI of £682. “Again, his

De-Su 521 Bookem

Willy Ley: “The genomic young sire list gets more exciting with every proof run”

figures are impressive and he looks to be a pretty sound bull,” says Willy.

He’s particularly excited about the number-three ranking sire, a son of Seagull-Bay Platinum out of a Shamrock dam in the shape of US-bred De-Su Penley. “He’s brand new and I’ve already bought some of his semen. It was his high type merit that caught my eye, as well as his remarkable ability to reduce cell counts (SCC Index –32) and his level fat and protein,” he says, adding that his PLI, at £673, is also impressive.

“I’ve also had a look at his linear scores and he offers pretty good udders too.

There’s quite a lot to get excited about.”

Former number-three bull Mr Miguel (Cashcoin x Robust) holds firm with an improved PLI of £672, while equal ranking in fourth position, De-Su Firewall is another newcomer. Sired by De-Su Alta Jackman and out of another Shamrock dam, he features high components and low cell counts.

The former number-one bull, MG Inseme Powerplay, ranks sixth on the list and Gran-J Oman McCormick

CC VOO EW EWTM M EA EALNNTAAG JGAEEN M MUEEA NNRTTI DS1EE/C P2 ET M 2 EM 0B 0EB9R E R2 0 21 04 0 9

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fertility

dCE

F&L

udder

TM

ind.

£PLI

Bullsemen.com/AIS Bullsemen.com Viking/Sterling Cogent Cogent Bullsemen.com Semex Genus Bullsemen.com Cogent Alta Genetics Genus Geno UK Bullsemen.com Bullsemen.com

91 85 81 82 83 83 88 95 83 91 79 99 80 83 75

+463 +473 +513 +565 +267 +280 +215 +324 +143 +735 +307 –93 +410 +232 +633

+27.7 +21.9 +29.6 +16.4 +24.6 +20.1 +12.5 +11.9 +3.6 +18.6 +22.9 +18.1 +22.2 –4.7 +25.6

+26.2 +14.4 +22.7 +22.1 +11.5 +13.4 +18.8 +16.8 +7.4 +23.8 +14.8 +4.3 +16.9 +11.0 +22.7

+0.11 +0.04 +0.11 –0.07 +0.17 +0.11 +0.05 –0.01 –0.03 –0.12 +0.13 +0.28 +0.07 –0.17 +0.01

+0.13 –0.01 +0.07 +0.05 +0.04 +0.05 +0.15 +0.08 +0.03 +0.00 +0.06 +0.09 +0.04 +0.04 +0.03

605 13 –11 587 –14 –15 587 16 –16 563 12 –8 558 1 –15 543 25 –20 543 0 –6 542 16 –18 539 0 –15 537 2 –16 529 26 –19 527 4 –12 523 –2 –21 519 –22 –17 519 –12 –16

0.3 0.6 0.2 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.1 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.5 0.3 0.4 0.5 —

6.4 11.4 8.7 11.9 7.2 16.5 9.7 14.8 17.2 2.1 5.5 17.5 6.1 14.2 2.4

1.8 1.4 1.2 0.8 0.5 0.8 2.7 1.7 2.3 1.3 1.4 0.9 1.5 1.2 0.0

1.36 1.39 2.26 0.75 2.60 0.84 2.42 0.18 2.13 2.49 2.63 1.76 1.92 1.46 2.33

1.21 1.03 1.04 1.96 3.03 0.74 1.43 1.22 1.96 2.46 2.43 1.25 0.23 1.29 1.41

1.46 1.28 1.73 1.93 3.42 1.09 1.88 1.11 2.33 2.78 3.03 1.75 1,00 1.56 1.82

genomic sires Sandy-Valley-I Penmanship Pes009 Boardshop De-Su Penley 11839 Mr Miguel De-Su Firewall

Numero Uno Bookem Shamrock Robust Shamrock

Semex Semex Cogent Genus Semex

67 67 67 67 67

+587 +627 +685 +311 +265

+28.2 +24.2 +27.9 +28.2 +24.5

+26.1 +24.0 +22.0 +15.9 +13.3

+0.06 –0.01 +0.01 +0.20 +0.17

+0.08 +0.04 +0.00 +0.07 +0.06

745 682 673 672 672

0.7 10.6 1.2 0.6 11.2 1.5 0.6 6.1 1.3 0.5 8.4 2.4 0.6 10.8 1.5

2.74 2.47 3.00 2.19 1.72

2.09 2.12 3.26 2.44 2.62

2.64 2.56 3.69 2.72 2.81

Enforcer Enforcer Platinum Cashcoin Jackman

23 20 22 –9 –4

SCC

% prote

Goldwyn Ramos O Man Goldwyn Goldwyn Wizard Goldwyn Laudan Ramos Ramos O Man Durham O Man Boliver Goldwyn

sire

maint.

% fat

in

milk

Prehen Omen O Man Kings-Ransom Erdman Planet VH Tirsvad Goldwyn Grafit Goldwyn Hammer-Creek O Man Kody O Man Ladys-Manor Rd Grafeeti Freddy De-Su Freddie Denim Freddy Gen-I-Beq Lavaman Man-O-Man Laurelhill Classic O Man Ned-El Man-O-Man Boyoboy Man-O-Man De-Su 521 Bookem Planet De-Su Alta Melhor Shot Al Gran-J Oman McCormick O Man D Mason Mascol Co-Op Cassino Yuengling Cassino Pazzini Planet

name

kg fat

mat. grandsire supplier

rel.

kg prote

conformation

lifespan

functional traits

in

production

–17 –18 –32 –15 –24

Table 1: Top 15 daughter-proven and top five genomic sires available in the UK, ranked on PLI (source: DairyCo breeding+ and Holstein UK)

stands out for Willy as he’s the first on the list with a proven sire: “He’s improved his PLI to £667 and I’m going to take a much closer look at him.

I think I should have him in my AI flask.”

Indeed, Willy says that whereas genomic sires and proven sires were split 50:50 in his AI flask, today it’s more like 75% genomic and 25% proven. “And I have around 15 different sires in the flask at any one time. I am limited on using some bulls as I have used a lot of Planet in the past and avoiding inbreeding can become complicated.”

Proven sires Moving on to daughter-proven sires, there’s a UK breeding triumph as Prehen Omen, bred in Northern Ireland, rose to the top of Profitable Lifetime Index (£PLI) rankings. Formerly in numbertwo position, this O Man son’s remarkable transmission of milk solids together with a good volume of milk, gives him the edge over every other daughter-proven bull from both the UK and overseas and earns him a PLI of £605. Willy agrees that he has good type merit, as well as plenty of fat and protein with outstanding health and fertility.

“But I’ve not used him yet – I need to take a closer look at his linear.”

That said, this bull certainly sums up the revised £PLI, which was reformulated in

the summer to better recognise the wide range of traits that contribute to profitable lifetime milk production.

Omen was bred in County Londonderry by father and son, Robbie and Stuart Smith, whose high health and production herd boasts many of the UK’s top genetic merit cows including several of the acclaimed Froukje family from which this bull was bred. Omen’s dam, Prehen Goldwyn Froukje EX93, recently completed her fourth 305-day lactation, with high solids and more than 14,000kg.

The Planet/Ramos cross, Kings-Ransom Erdman moves up to second position and is also the equal highest lifespan improver of all top 100 bulls.Transmitting excellent daughter fertility, Erdman also has a very good maintenance index at –14, indicating reduced feed costs for maintenance as his daughters are smaller than average. This is summed up in his PLI of £587.

Willy has used quite a lot of the Danishbred former-number-one sire, VH Tirsvad Goldwyn Grafit, who ranks equal second with a PLI of £587. “I have cows in calf to this sire and I’m looking forward to seeing heifers on the ground and, more importantly, in milk,” he says, adding that he’ll probably use some Grafit semen in the future.

Maintaining his fourth position with a PLI of £563 is Hammer-Creek O Man Kody, the third O Man/Goldwyn cross

(together with Omen and Grafit). Kody transmits solid fitness with high milk yields.

Early son Another non-mover and ranking in fifth position with a PLI of £558 is LadysManor RD Grafeeti. This sire features heavily in Willy’s breeding programme, as he’s used Grafeeti as well as two or three of his sons on his herd.

“I’ve got a lot of his calves on the ground.” This high Type Merit sire (TM 3.42) is an early son of international high-flier, Freddie – a bull who is making his mark on the proven-bull list as a sire of sons, having previously been a familiar name in the genomic young sire listings. Freddie is an O Man son who has never been available in the UK. Ranking equal sixth is Gen–I–Beq Lavaman, an early son of Man-O-Man, bred in Canada.

Despite only recently graduating to the proven bull line-up, he already has daughters milking in the UK as he was used as a young sire based on his high genomic predictions.

Indeed Willy has seven daughters milking in his herd: “And I’m very pleased with them – they’re good heifers. I also have some more calves on the ground.” Lavaman’s index features a high protein percentage and extreme calving ease. His PLI is £543. l

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DAIRY MANAGEMENT NEWS

Low score brings good results Warwickshire-based producers Paul and Deborah Richardson have met the 30-cow Challenge. They carefully targeted 30 of their 80 Holstein cows for Johne’s screening as part of the NML initiative, which is endorsed by their milk buyer Dairy Crest Direct. A low result in each test sample indicated no evidence of Johne’s so, as part of the Challenge, NML credited the £75 Challenge fee.

“We milk record so NMR automatically targeted milk samples from cows most likely to have Johne’s – those with the highest cell counts, older cows and those with a record of mastitis,” said Paul. “We’re very pleased, but by no means complacent as we’re keen to maintain this status.”

Paul is meticulous when it comes to herd and calf health and welfare. A closed herd that relies totally on AI for breeding, Paul wants to be confident that he is feeding colostrum from Johne’s-free cows and that his calving

Top yield and LDY cows

Paul and Deborah Richardson

protocols prevent any risk of disease spread. This herd has won top Dairy Crest awards for low cell counts and Bactoscans for the past five years.

The 30-cow Challenge has brought a mixed bag of results for many producers who thought that they hadn’t any evidence of Johne’s in their herds. To date, only 10% of herds tested have low scores for Johne’s.

mySilent Herdsman The heat detection tool, Silent Herdsman, now has a cloud-based mobile version that will enable users to access the data from any place and at any time. “So far, users have used the on-farm PC to get movement data and pick up fertility information for

their cows,” says NMR’s Jonathan Davies. “Now this information can be stored in the cloud and accessed off site via a laptop or from a smart phone.

Accessing and using the information is no longer restricted to the PC in the farm office.”

mySilent Herdsman is easy to use and gives instant information just when it is needed

NMR’s top three cows that have crossed the 100-tonne threshold in October and November and ranked on lifetime daily yield (LDY) are headed up with two from Nick Cobb’s Dorset-based herd.

Top is Oman Miss America GP81, who has given 101,532kg of milk in six lactations and has an LDY of 34.45kg/day.

In second place is Chalclyffe Allen Ebony 405 GP84, who has given 105,435kg in six lactations and has an LDY of 32.44kg/day.

In third place is 386 LO 112CV, who has given 104,767kg of milk in six lactations and has an LDY of 29.36kg/day. She is from T N Beeston and Son’s herd, Market Drayton, Shropshire.

A full listing of all NMR cows achieving 100 tonnes of milk in these months can be found on the website www.nmr.co.uk

Scottish tips for Irish A group of 50 forward-thinking dairy producers from Northern Ireland took part in a two-day educational tour to Scotland in November to pick up some tips on larger herd management.

Sponsored by veterinary pharmaceutical company Norbrook, in conjunction with NMR, the group visited two NMR-recorded units, each milking more than 1,000 cows in south west Scotland.

Ready for 2015 Copies of the dairy industry’s leading Herd Management Dairy are available for £27.50 plus VAT from NMR Customer Services, 0844 725 5567, or email: customerservices@nmr.co.uk

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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F E E D I N G

How do producers feeding variable silage improve intakes and productivity?

Maximise your herd’s DMI Milk price is a hot topic and forage quality is much more variable than in previous years. So, as producers get into the swing of winter feeding, we spoke to some dairy consultants to find out the best way to weather the storm. text Allison Matthews

M

any management decisions are based on historical knowledge and a ‘that worked last time’ approach can get producers out of predicaments on a daily basis.

But financial consultant Jason McMinn warns that taking that attitude this winter might not work. “If we look

46

back to when milk price has fallen in the past, many producers reduced their concentrate feed rates in an effort to cut costs. This may have worked in some cases where forage was able to fill the gap, but on many units the cows became thin and there were issues with fertility.

Crucially, some of these producers were

also unable to quickly take advantage when the milk price recovered,” he says.

To compound the milk price issue, there has been a significant drop in silage quality on many units this year. Silage is extremely variable and this is resulting in a loss of up to three litres per cow in some cases.

But Trouw’s Jim Uprichard points out that a better understanding of the figures on the silage analysis sheet can make sure that producers make the best use of the forage available to them.

“Although ME and protein are often considered as the main drivers of milk, it is the production of glucose that influences the volume of milk in the udder and this is dependent on the nutrients the cow has consumed. To

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maximise glucose production we must first optimise dry matter intake and this is where the other figures on your silage analysis sheet may help.

“Cows will always eat drier silage and an extra 1kg of dry matter from a 10.5 MJ silage will produce twice as much milk as the same intake of an 11MJ silage. The intake factor is important as it gives a good indication of how much cows will eat.

The average figure for first cuts this year is between 90g and 95g/kg metabolic live weight, which would indicate about 1kg of dry matter intake less than 2013.

Energy density This equates to two litres of milk,” adds Mr Uprichard. The main priority here is to maximise the overall energy density of the diet but, as Thompsons’ dairy specialist Denise Rafferty explains, this can be problematic. “Palatability of some first-cut silages may become an issue and so feeding a TMR will be of great benefit,” she says.

Denise Rafferty: “Rumen passage rate impacts on energy levels”

Jason McMinn: “Cow health and fertility can suffer when corners are cut”

“A TMR allows for larger amounts of concentrates to be fed during a 24-hour period, increasing the energy content of the diet, improving palatability and decreasing the risk of sub-acute ruminal acidosis.

“The wet nature of some of this year’s silages indicates that it will be high in lactic acid and this can exacerbate the problem. The use of molasses will increase the sugar content and encourage higher intakes.

“Adding between 300g and 350g of protected fats per head each day to increase the overall energy density of

the diet is also crucial where early lactation and high yielding cows are fed on poorer quality first-cut silages.

Where better quality second-cut silage is available, mixing this with first cuts may create a suitable solution and help with intakes,” she explains.

“Rumen outflow rate also has a huge impact on dry matter intake,” adds Mr Uprichard.

“The high NDF level of this year’s first cuts indicates that we should expect the formation of a good rumen mat, which is critical if we want to establish a good cudding profile and the growth of fibre digesting bacteria, which contribute to good milk fat levels.

“These bacteria can be easily set back if rumen pH drops and, because they take 15 times longer to reproduce than starch digesters, it is better to keep high levels rather than trying to repopulate after a bout of sub clinical acidosis.”

Maintaining DMIs: The intake factor of silage gives a good indication of how much cows will eat

Rumen fermentation “The crude protein content of the silage is above average and reducing the protein content of dairy blends can increase the glucogenic content of the diet by increasing the cereal level,” says Ms Rafferty.

“Using equal amounts of maize and wheat allows for both rapidly and slowly fermentable carbohydrates to be available for absorption. Where the passage rate through the rumen is slow, wheat and maize will supply a good balance of energy to the cow and optimise rumen fermentation and passage rate.”

When a tough winter is anticipated, Ms Rafferty emphasises just how important it is that cow health is not moved down the priority list. “Reducing feed rates may only cut a corner that leads to less milk, lower milk components and a damaged body condition score. All will impact on cow fertility.

“By increasing the overall energy density of the diet and maximising dry matter intakes, performance should not become a casualty this winter.” l

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Rectification In the October/November issue on page 14 we showed the wrong advertisement of Cosy Calf. Below you see the correct advertisement.

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BREEDING INFORMATION

Breeding better cows for a better life CRV is dedicated to supporting producers to manage and breed ‘better cows for a better life’.

Breeding better cows can be applied in several ways.

To illustrate this, CRV has introduced two new indexes; Better Life Health and Better Life Efficiency.

With these indexes, producers are now able to breed specifically for efficient, easy-to-manage cows that stay healthy as they age.

Both indexes are expressed as percentages, which makes it easy to see the effect that producers can expect from a given bull.

Better Life Efficiency Efficiency is one of the most important factors for modern breeding. Better Life Efficiency contributes to a better use of feed and to lower feed costs.

It is an indicator for the efficiency of the dairy cow to convert feed into milk during her lifetime. The more milk that is produced per kilogramme of feed, the greater the efficiency of the bull.

So, how can producers identify the best bulls for breeding a more efficient herd? If you are breeding a high yielding herd simply use ‘Better Life Efficiency’ to select the best performing bulls for a more efficient herd.

The breeding values incorporated are: milk production, persistency, longevity, rate maturity, calving interval, body weight and, from December, feed intake.

The higher the score, the greater the efficiency.

Daughters with high efficiency produce more milk per kilogramme of feed.

For example, the daughters of a bull with a score of +5% offer an economic advantage of £178 during his daughters’ lives.

Better Life Health With Better Life Health, a healthier, trouble-free, and easily manageable herd can be bred. The treatment of individual animals takes considerably less work, freeing up time for producers to focus on herd management.

Better Life Health is the percentage of healthier animals compared to the population average.

The index uses the following breeding values: udder health, hoof health, birth ease, calving ease, viability, daughter fertility and, from December, ketosis.

The higher the number, the higher the percentage of healthy animals compared to the population average.

The advantages of using bulls with a high score for health are that the herd is easier to manage and cows reach a higher average age. For example, daughters of a bull with +5% give you a financial advantage of £63 during a cow’s life.

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Table 1: Top CRV Avoncroft bulls for Better Life Efficiency and Better Life Health

So, how can producers identify the best bulls for breeding a healthier herd?

Better Life Health makes it easy.

Breeding a problem-free, easy-to-manage herd requires investing both time and hard work. CRV can help.

With Better Life Health producers can select the best bulls for a healthier herd.

If they simply use the special breeding value, they can benefit from the peace of mind that comes with a problemfree herd and a higher than average yield. Management of the herd is easier, cows are healthier, fitter and live longer.

This information is specifically tailored to help producers breed cows that give higher milk yields without increasing feeding costs, as well as cows that also live for longer and enjoy healthier lives.

If you’d like to know more about developing a herd that performs better, please visit our website www.global.crv4all.com

Apina Norman and Vekis Chevrolet are good examples of two top CRV Avoncroft bulls with high indices for Better Life Health and Better Life Efficiency. Both will produce efficient cows with higher and more valuable milk, live longer and enjoy healthier lives.

They are easy calving, have fertile daughters and rank highly in many countries

COW MAN AG E ME N T

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Milk production per cow has increased by 1,800kg with compact feeding

For more milk – just add water

Bennie Nijhuis This Danish producer has embraced ‘compact’ feeding, a TMR that reduces sorting, and has seen an increase in milk production and improved herd health.

Viborg

and little wonder when you look at the results. We spoke to a producer who is mixing as much as 10kg of water per cow into

Denmark

Herd size: Average yield: Unit size: Feed efficiency:

Compact feeding is proving popular on some Danish dairy units

415 cows 11,029kg 450 hectares 1.5

his herd’s ration, to reduce sorting and boost milk production. text Tijmen van Zessen

A

dding water while mixing a TMR ration and mixing the ration so intensively that ‘sorting’ is simply not possible. That’s the definition of ‘compact’ feeding. It’s something that few UK producers will have heard of – let alone seen – but there are quite a few producers in Denmark who swear by the technique and the results Bennie Nijhuis is one of them. He emigrated to Denmark from The Netherlands 22 years ago. He runs a 415-cow herd and on arriving in Denmark he was absolutely amazed. “I saw the strangest rations here, with lots of beet and straw. Grass was generally

found to be too expensive. There were too many costs per feed unit, particularly as a result of the high processing costs.

And I also saw that many producers were taking first cut far too late.”

Bennie takes four cuts of silage a year and only the chopping is carried out by a contractor. “Thanks to cooperation with my business partner – who is an arable producer – the rest can be done relatively economically. And I skip tedding the crop anyway, so that saves more time and money.

“It’s not common practice to aerate grass in Denmark. I used to do it when I farmed in The Netherlands, but we

don’t do it here. It’s a waste of time and it doesn’t affect the feed value. The wind here in Jutland dries the grass sufficiently,” he explains.

So why is tedding not necessary with compact feeding? “Compact feeding is a form of TMR whereby selection is impossible. That means that you make the ration wetter,” he adds.

Less straw Bennie learnt about compact feeding via another dairy producer in his discussion group. He saw milk production increase by 2.5 litres per cow while feeding the same ration components, purely by

Niels Bastian Kristensen: “‘Open up’ the ration and help the cow” The ‘founder’ of compact feeding, Niels Bastian Kristensen, recognises the comments that come from producers using the system. The lack of adequate rumen stimulation is disastrous.

Displaced abomasum and rumen acidosis can result. But the Danish researcher says that he knows better.

“There is no relationship between structure and rumination. On the farms that I am following in my pilot study, the saliva production has not decreased since the introduction of compact feeding. Don’t forget that a cow needs a lot of energy to break down grass. There is a limit to being able to ruminate a meal.”

He says that by mixing the feed more intensively it is easier for a cow to break

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down the ration. “You help the cow by ‘opening up’ the feed. She uses less energy to make milk from the ration.

But, in my experience, producers are usually too afraid to mix.”

The essence of compact feeding is to avoid selection. If cows select the concentrate feed then rumen acidosis occurs as the ratio of concentrated feed to forage is then out of balance then.

“We see that the system stops cows getting too fat because older cows can no longer sort the concentrate feed. I believe that compact feeding ensures that those cows produce milk instead of laying down body fat.”

The effect is that, after calving, fewer cows suffer from metabolic diseases.

According to Niels, one success factor is

also the availability of feed at the feeding fence. “There must be food available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Otherwise there will be an increase in unrest in the stall and the cows will not lie down for so long.”

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04-12-14 12:19

Phase 2: loading grass silage

Phase 3: loading maize silage

Phase 1: loading concentrated feed components and water

mixing the ration for longer and adding water. “And this herd already had high milk production, averaging around 10,000kg per cow,” Bennie recalls.

So he copied the method on his own unit. For several years his herd’s milk production average was around 9,200kg but, since the change to compact feeding in January 2013, it’s increased to 11,029kg of fat-and-protein-corrected milk per cow per year.

And the manure is also more consistent.

Too good to be true? “As a nutritionist, I always believed that straw, alfalfa and grass hay were all essential structural components of the ration. But sometimes I had two kilogrammes of straw per cow in the ration and the manure was still not uniform.

“There is also no proof that structure

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H E R D

R E P O RT

Precise mixing during phase 2: Bennie adds minerals

Consistent ration: every bite is the same

increases the rumination activity. We even took out the straw and found that the cows ruminate more than before. In my view, straw brings down the feeding value of the ration.”

He points out that a cow is a master in selecting its feed. And the longer she stands at the feeding fence, the more detrimental it is for her feet. “Hoof health is improved with this feeding system. They fill themselves up and then quickly go to lie down.’

feeding is also linked to the availability of the ration at the feed fence. “The cows know that there is always feed there and that every mouthful is the same. There is no reason for them to rush to the feed fence when the mixer wagon comes along. So the cows remain lying down for longer in their cubicles.”

On squeezing a handful of the feed, the moisture seeps out from your hand. Is this really healthy for a cow?

“If a cow grazes day and night she eats a ration with only 14% dry matter. Grazed grass is also mainly water and a cow stays just as healthy with that,” says Bennie. That said, on other farms that operate the compact feeding system, Bennie’s vet says he sees an increase in the number of cases of displaced abomasum.

And what about the cost of the extra fuel used for all that additional mixing? “I use about 40% more diesel – that’s 20 litres of diesel a day. In Denmark that costs around £ 5,500 a year. But I know that these costs are small compared with the value of the extra milk production and the benefits to hoof health.” l

Soak overnight The herd ration comprises grass silage, maize silage, rapeseed meal, soya, chalk, urea, palm fat, salt and minerals and vitamins. Bennie adds around 10kg of water to this ration per cow. The dry cow ration has straw added and, to prevent heating, he also adds formic acid to the mix. Bennie prefers to cut maize at 30% dry matter because a drier product requires more water.

The load order is an important part in the feeding system. Bennie says that there are three phases in the mixing process. “During phase one I load the

rapeseed meal and the soya. I then add the water to this and sometimes I just let it stand overnight to be sure that the concentrated feed components are well soaked.”

Phase two starts with loading the grass silage that, depending on the chop length (for Bennie this is 10mm), is mixed for between eight and 10 minutes. “We cut the grass silage so short to minimise the risk of sorting,” Bennie explains.

The smaller the difference in the particle length of the various forage types of feed the lower the risk of sorting. During the mixing of phase two he adds the minerals then again mixes it – this time for eight minutes. Phase three sees the addition of the maize silage and this is mixed for another 15 minutes.

Feed availability The increase in milk production at Bennie’s unit goes hand in hand with an increase in feed efficiency. “At the moment the feed efficiency is 1.5kg of milk per kilogramme of dry matter. In the past it was 1.4.”

He says that the success of compact

Feed efficiency: the herd is currently producing 1.5kg of milk per kilogramme of dry matter

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How to identify the best bulls for breeding a more healthier herd?

Raising a problem-free, easy to manage herd requires an investment of time and hard work. CRV can help. With Better Life Health you can select the best bulls for a healthier herd. Simply use the special breeding value and you can benefit from the peace of mind that comes with a problem-free herd and a higher than average yield.

Management of the herd is easier, cows are healthier, fitter and live longer. If you’d like to know more about developing a herd that performs better, please visit our website.

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SHOWS AND EVENTS December 11:

Royal Ulster Winter Fair, King’s Hall Pavilions, Balmoral, Belfast (Northern Ireland)

2015 January 6-8: January 19-21: March 31-April 1: 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 Dairy Calf and Heifer Association annual conference, Middleton, Wisconsin (United States) 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

Tasty TMR: eager cows line up along the feed fence Picture: Harrie van Leeuwen

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

Editorial team Chief Editor Jaap van der Knaap Editor Rachael Porter Phone 01394 270587 E-mail rachael.porter@virgin.net Editing, design and production Veeteelt Contributing writers David Butler, Inge van Drie, Roger Evans, Allison Matthews, David Matthews, Karen Wright and Tijmen van Zessen Publisher Rochus Kingmans

Chief editor’s address P.O. Box 454, 6800 AL Arnhem, The Netherlands Phone 0031 26 38 98 821. Fax 0031 26 38 98 839 E-mail cm.office@crv4all.com internet www.cowmanagement.net

Subscriptions CowManagement is available free of charge to customers of NMR, Avoncroft and Thompsons.

If you think you are eligible, please contact: NMR Customer Services, Ground Floor Building 26, Pannal Industrial Estate, Station Road, Harrogate HG3 1JL Phone 08447 255567 E-mail customerservices@NMR.co.uk www.isubscribe.co.uk

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

Illustrations/pictures Photographs by Veeteelt Photography, Els Korsten (4), Phil Yeomans (4), Desmond Connors (13) and Christina Davey (14-15).

Alta ...........................................................25 Airwash plus ..............................................36 Clusterclean ...............................................18 Cogent ......................................................20 Concept Cowhouse Ltd. ............................50 Coopex Montbéliarde ................................18 Cosy Calf ...................................................49 Cow Comfort AHS Ltd...............................24 CRV Avoncroft Ltd./Thompsons ............2, 57 Dairy Spares ..............................................41 De Boer Housing Systems Ltd ..............50, 56 DP Agri......................................................35 Elanco........................................................26 Enegis ..................................................50, 56 Enviro Systems...........................................55 Farmplus......................................................7 ForFarmers ................................................12 Fullwood ...................................................11

Intershape .................................................55 Joskin ..........................................................6 Matman ......................................................7 Micron Bio Systems ...................................19 MSD ............................................................5 Nadins .......................................................24 NMR .............................................40, 48, 59 Northern Dairy Equipment Ltd. ....................7 NWF Agriculture........................................18 Platts .........................................................50 Quill Productions .......................................49 Rumenco .....................................6, 7, 28, 55 Schippers ...................................................44 Spermex ......................................................6 Spinder ......................................................49 Storth ........................................................41 Teemore Engineering Ltd. ..........................41 Vétoquinol .................................................60

COMING UP

M a i z e sp ecial January/February (January 27) – Our first issue of 2015 will feature all our regular articles, including Roger Evans’ column, as well as our annual maize special. We’ll also announce the winner of our competition.

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

Printer Stephens and George Ltd. Phone 01685 352097 ISSN 1570-5641

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DECEMBER

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One milk sample

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www.nmr.co.uk

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