Irish Farm Business - Vol 2 Issue 3 Winter 2015

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NEW TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS IN ROBOTIC MILKING

CALF MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN REVIEWING FOR 2016

USING MANAGEMENT & GENETICS TO IMPROVE DAIRY COW FERTILITY

>> SEE PAGE 28

>> SEE PAGE 20

>> SEE PAGE 46

IRISH

Farm Business Volume 2 Issue 3 Winter 2015/2016 Price €3.95 £2.95 (Stg)

DAIRYING

HIGH YIELDING HOLSTEINS IN CAVAN CAVAN FARM ACHIEVES HIGH YIELDS ON SIX HOURS OF GRASS PER DAY

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Foreword/Contents/Credits IRISH

Farm Business DAIRYING

Volume 2 Issue 3 Winter 2015/2016 Price €3.95 £2.95 (Stg)

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Luke and Kevin Bogue have a high yielding herd in Cavan with three times a day milking on a maximum six hours out on grass.

20 CALF MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN Given the cost of rearing replacement heifers from birth to calving it pays to review the 2015 calving season and make necessary adjustments for 2016. Emer Kennedy, Christine Cummins and John Paul Murphy,Teagasc,Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark report.

Foreword

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s the days get shorter and the cows are being dried off we need to plan for the coming season. Emer Kennedy looks at everything to do with calving from getting calving pens right to feeding, bedding and hygiene.

Farm Life: For this edition we visited the Bogue family farm in Ballinagh near Cavan town.They have adapted to their circumstances by only allowing cows out on grass for a maximum six hours per day with three times milking of high yielding Holsteins.

Also,Stephen Butler looks at fertility and concludes that even though breeding and genetics play a large part the condition of the animal (BCS) and the quality of the feed both grass and silage have a big influence on fertility rates.

Farm Design: Tom Kilpark looks at roof design and looks at the factors that will determine the shape of the roof. He also warns against goes away from the correct spec in the materials used.

Stocking Rates: Brendan Horan and Brian McCarthy look at this question which is debated up and down the country. They find that there is no single answer to this question as the productive capacity of each farm is different but there are guidelines to be followed to find the best answer for you.

Robotic milking: Automated milking systems are becoming more common throughout the country. This is partly due to a desire to reduce both the physical labour involved in dairying as well as the number of hours worked. It is therefore a lifestyle decision as well as a financial decision. Cathriona Foley describes how the system works and also the financial implications.

The Dry period: We look at the period during which the cow is dried off and take a look at the optimum period for the health and future milk yield performance of the cow.

We trust you enjoy reading this edition as we embark on exciting times for dairy farming in Ireland.

Features 16 HIGH YIELDING HOLSTEINS IN CAVAN

24 PROFESSIONAL GRADUATE EDUCATION FOR A RAPIDLY CHANGING ENVIRONMENT The business environment for dairy farming is changing rapidly as global market forces now have a significant impact on Irish producers, writes Marion Beecher.

28 NEW TECHNOLOGY – DEVELOPMENTS IN ROBOTIC MILKING

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The decision to invest in an automatic milking system (AMS) is influenced by more than just profit,such as less physical labour,more flexibility in the working day and the overall reduction in the length of the working day,writes Cathriona Foley of Teagasc,Moorepark.

34 MANAGING THE DRY PERIOD The optimum length of dry period to achieve maximum milk yield in next lactation and other relevant issues are discussed here by Mairead O’ Grady Veterinary Practitioner.

38 DO YOU WANT HEALTHIER COWS PREGNANT SOONER? Every Dairy Farmer wants advanced heat detection, a shorter calving period,and healthier animals.MooMonitor+ delivers on this, writes Padraig Flynn of Dairymaster.

40 DESIGNING RESILIENT DAIRY FARM SYSTEMS:THE STOCKING RATE DEBATE

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The choice of stocking rate on Irish dairy farms will be a critical decision influencing both the future success of the individual farm and the industry at large, writes Brendan Horan & Brian McCarthy,Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark.

46 USING MANAGEMENT & GENETICS TO IMPROVE DAIRY COW FERTILITY Calving pattern is the key driver of profit in pasture–based systems, therefore excellent fertility is a requirement, by Stephen Butler, Francis Curran and Mary Herlihy,Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark.

50 WHEN IT COMES TO STEEL, STICK TO THE SPEC

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It’s essential that anyone in the process of building or planning a new shed or structure stick to the specification regardless of grant application, writes Tom Byrne of Kilpark Planning & Design.

58 THE ‘GRASSHOPPER’TO CAPTURE GRASS DATA AND OPTIMIZE GRAZING MANAGEMENT Grass needs to be measured before it can be managed and the more accurate and precise the measurement – the better for management–but the process must also be easy to conduct.

Bernadette O’Brien,Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre,Teagasc, Moorepark reports.

Profiles

Until the next time………

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The Publishers, Irish Farm Business

Publishers: Denis Lane and Robert Heuston Enquiries: Editorial: Denis Lane Advertising: James Small Design: John Barrett Production: Emma Meade

Contributors: Emer Kennedy (Teagasc), Christine Cummins (Teagasc), John Paul Murphy (Teagasc), Padraig Flynn (Dairymaster), Marion Beecher (Teagasc),Tom Byrne (Kilpark Planning & Design), Bernadette O’ Brien (Teagasc), Stephen Butler (Teagasc), Francis Curran (Teagasc), Mary Herlihy (Teagasc), Cathriona Foley (Teagasc), Brendan Horan (Teagasc), Brian McCarthy (Teagasc), John Kennedy (Health and Safety Authority) Mairead O Grady (MSD Animal Health)

Photography: Hugh Lane

Calor Gas Nutribio Health and Safety Authority Agri–Health Terra Services

Distribution: Easons, Newspread,WNS Published by: Select Media Ltd, 26 Clare Street, Dublin 2, Ireland Tel. + 353 1 6622266 Fax. + 353 1 6624981 Email. info@selectmedialtd.com

All material contained in this edition is copyright of Irish Farm Business 2015 and may not be reproduced or electronically stored without the permission of the publisher. However items may be freely reproduced provided the source is acknowledged. Content and views expressed in the publication do not necessarily represent those of the publishers.

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IRISH FARM BUSINESS – DAIRYING

NEWS

NATIONAL QUALITY MILK AWARDS 2015 NEW AGRI COURSE AT IT CARLOW

The winners of the National Dairy Council & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards were announced in Dublin on October 20th, 2015, with presentations to the 13 top dairy farms in the country by hurling legend Henry Shefflin and Minister Tom Hayes TD. The overall National Quality Milk Award went to Kieran & Catherine O’Sullivan, from Dunmanus, Goleen, Co Cork who supply their milk to Drinagh Co–op.

Runners–up in the national awards are Denis, Siobhan, Barry and Jane O’Mahony from Shanakiel, Kilbrittain, Bandon, Co Cork, who supply milk to Barryroe Co-op.

Overall winners,Kieran and Catherine O’Sullivan,were accompanied by their 18–year–old son Cathal who farms with them,and by Kieran’s parents Donal and Mary O’Sullivan.They received a prize of €5,000 and the coveted NDC & Kerrygold Quality Milk Awards perpetual cup.

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IT Carlow Wexford Campus has Launched Degree Programmes in Sustainable Farming and Agribusiness. Farmers armed with the most up–to–date skills in innovative farming technologies and entrepreneurship, in addition to scientific and agricultural knowledge, will be the result of two new degree programmes launched in Wexford recently by Government Chief Whip & Minister of State at the Departments of An Taoiseach and Defence Paul Kehoe, TD. Among those attending the event were Director of Teagasc, Professor Gerry Boyle and IFA President Mr Eddie Downey, as well as representatives of the IFA in the South East.

“Today’s farmer needs not only the scientific and agricultural knowledge to compete in a very competitive marketplace, but also significant business acumen and entrepreneurship skills.” commented Dr Patricia Mulcahy, President of Institute of Technology Carlow.“IT Carlow has always been to the forefront in developing the skills and knowledge of entrepreneurs and these particular programmes build on this long tradition.

We have a proven ability in helping businesses develop new products and services in multiple sectors from engineering to bioscience to ICT and design.This ability is now being directed towards farming and agri–business. Graduates of these programmes will contribute to the success of Ireland’s €24 billion farm and food production sector and the demands of the Irish food and agri–business industry”.

The following new degree programmes are available through CAO 2016:BSc (Honours) in Sustainable Farm Management and Agribusiness CW078 (Level 8) and BSc in Sustainable Farm Management and Agribusiness CW027 (Level 7).

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IRISH FARM BUSINESS – DAIRYING

NEWS

HOW TO KEEP MILKING EQUIPMENTS FROM FREEZING THIS WINTER

With winter coming, freezing weather conditions affects farming in several ways.The problem of freezing of milking machines and other equipment in milking parlours can be two of the problems dairy farmers face.

The Department of Defence’s ‘Be Winter Ready’ booklet has some good advice on how to reduce the risk of ice forming in milking machines.

Make sure that all doors into the parlour are kept closed during times of freezing weather.

It advises to close off the entrance to the parlour with plastic sheeting or insulating blanket to reduce the amount of freezing air getting in and to keep as much heat as possible inside. Milking cows must have access to drinking water at all times.

A cow producing 30L of milk and being fed a silage- based diet requires 75-90L of water per day.

• Open the machine at the low points, particularly at the fitter sock.

Some machines may also have a drain at the base of the receiver jar.

• Remove the jetters from the claw pieces and let them hang down.

• Circulate a saline solution through the milking machine, having first made sure that all the detergent has been rinsed out of the plant.

• The saline (salt) solution is made by mixing half a kg of salt in 5 gallons of water. Salt will drop the freezing point of water.

• Rinse before milking to remove salt traces. If the rinse is inclined to freeze, start milking without rinsing and let the first few gallons go to waste or feed to calves.

• Diaphragm milk pumps can also cause problems. Open the locking nuts to allow any excess water to escape or alternatively place an infra-red light over it.

• Longer–term solution: Install a line of infra–red lights above the milk and wash lines.All wiring should be done by a certified electrician.

50 NEW JOBS FOR BANDON

Bandon Co–op is to create 50 news jobs over the next three years, the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney has recently announced.

The booklet has the following tips on preventing milking Visiting the co-op’s recently acquired feed mill in Kinsale, Co. Cork, equipment freezing over the winter months: Minister Coveney said that Bandon co-op has a very long and proud • Install a thermostatically–controlled heater in the plant room which tradition in West Cork.“Founded in 1903, it was one of the first should cut in when the temperature falls to 10C. co–ops to be established in the region and it has grown to become a • Items such as the power washer should be kept in the plant room very vibrant organisation with three very successful business units – to prevent the pump from freezing. the agri–division, the retail division and the dairy products division.

• Let the machine run a little bit longer to ensure that all excess water “Bandon Co–op’s 255 milk suppliers have ambitious plans for future is removed from the plant after the final rinse. milk expansion and I’m encouraged to see the support base being put

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IRISH FARM BUSINESS – DAIRYING

NEWS

in place by Bandon co-op’s Board and management team in order to take full advantage of the post quota expansion,” he said.

The Minister said that the co-op now employs a total staff of 250 across its three divisions having created 40 jobs over the past two years.

Minister Coveney also welcomed the co-op’s willingness to explore new avenues to grow its business and add to its contribution to the local and regional economy.

DAIRY EXPORTS FROM IRELAND TO CHINA RISE BY 25% Dairy exports from Ireland to China are up 25% on last year, the Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has said.

The Minister was speaking after he hosted a major China-Ireland Food Safety Forum in the dairy and infant formula sectors in Co. Kildare. The event took place at the Department’s complex in Backweston Co. Kildare and was jointly hosted with Chinese Minister Bi Jingquan who is Minister with responsibility for the China Food and Drug Administration (CFDA).

Infant formula accounts for the majority of trade in the dairy sector, having grown from €81m in 2010 to €300m in 2014, a growth of 270% over the period.

The Minister also said that Ireland’s agri–food exports to China have grown over 270% to €620m in just five years.

“Today is another milestone in Ireland’s growing agri-food partnership with China.“I was delighted to co–host this event with Minister Bi to mark his visit to Ireland and also to welcome the high–level representatives from the many Irish, Chinese and international

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companies to exchange ideas on food safety,technology and innovation in the hugely important dairy sector,” he said. Speaking about Ireland’s agri–food exports to China the Minister said that this is testament to the strong resonance which the reliability and quality Irish products have with Chinese consumers because we know that they are expecting the best. Ireland’s international reputation depends on its meeting the highest expectations of consumers, and as a matter of Government policy, we are committed to strong and effective regulation.

“Added to the reputation for food safety is, of course our growing reputation for sustainability in dairy production and these two factors combined are the bedrock on which our exports are based,” he said.

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IRISH FARM BUSINESS – DAIRYING

NEWS 65% OF DAIRY FARMS HAVE A LIME REQUIREMENT

SOIL PHOSPHOROUS AND POTASSIUM Like lime, a large percentage of farms are also lacking Phosphorous (P), with 55% of soils currently sitting in Index 1 and 2, said Plunkett.

The Teagasc specialist added that there a lot of Irish soils with a P level below the recommended Index 3.

“There has been a steady increase in soils below index 1 and 2, this has been a limiting factor for grass production.”

However,he added that there has been some improvement since 2012.

According to Plunkett,Irish soils tend to have a good level of Potassium, however,in 2009 Potassium (K) usage dropped by 50%,but it has slowly started to return back to 2006–2007 levels.

Soil test results show that there has been a decline in soil fertility from this nutrient from 2008–2011, but this trend has stabilised in recent years,he added.Plunkett added,that this drop probably occurred as a result of silage harvesting.

Lime is required on up to 65% of dairy farms, the statistic is a major concern as land is the new quota, according to Teagasc’s Mark Plunkett.

Speaking at Teagasc’s Soil Fertility Conference in Clonmel recently, the Teagasc soil fertility specialist said the majority of Irish soils have a lime requirement.

According to Plunkett, analysis of over 100,000 soil samples shows that lime has become a limiting factor on both dairy and dry stock enterprises, which is having a negative impact on soil fertility and production.

“Lime is required on up to 65% of dairy farms, it is a major concern for these farms as land is the new quota, 69% of dry stock enterprises have a lime requirement.”

Plunkett added that lime is the starting point for successful soil SOIL SAMPLING fertility management.

According to Plunkett,soil sampling is relatively good value for money “We aim for a pH of 6.3, we have a lot of soil below this target and there are only 10% of soils with good overall fertility.Lime is the starting and it costs in the region of €0.50/ac/year.

“Soil sampling is a small annual cost and it costs in the region of point.

50c/ac/year.

It is the first step in fertiliser planning.”

“Grassland farmers should start thinking like tillage farmers and start These results were generated from samples from nearly every parish thinking about grass off–take.” in the country,he said,and there are approximately 120,000 soil samples Despite the relatively high number of soil samples taken on an annual basis, Plunkett highlighted recent research which indicates taken on an annual basis on Irish farms.

Plunkett added that soil sampling equips farmers with specific that only 40% of these samples are used for agronomic use. information to make the right decisions on farms.“Up to date soil “We are actually good at a taking soil samples, there are 100,000 – 120,000. Only 40% of the samples taken are used for agronomic use.” samples allows the farm to track soil fertility over time.”

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IRISH FARM BUSINESS – DAIRYING

NEWS

TEAGASC LAUNCHES GUIDE TO FARM SUCCESSION AND TRANSFER Teagasc has produced a new “Farm Succession & Transfer Guide”which aims to support farm families in making decisions on succession and farm transfer.Tomás Russell of Teagasc/UCD, and author of the book, said:“This book provides farm families with a step by step guide through the processes of succession, helping them to deal with the emotional and complex issues involved in identifying a successor and discussing the future of the farm”.

The Farm Succession & Transfer Guide was launched by Teagasc Director, Professor Gerry Boyle,Teagasc Director at a Knowledge Transfer Conference, in UCD on October 23rd last.

For many farm families, farm succession and transfer can be a very complex and emotional issue which most families are reluctant to discuss. As a result, the process often occurs late in life and this could have implications for the future of the farm business. As a first step when considering succession and farm transfer, it is important to involve the next generation in farm management decisions.

Through information and self-complete exercises, it helps farm

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families to tease out the various issues relating to the farm transfer.

It addresses key issues such as the potential of the farm, the role and implications of other family members, communication, management responsibilities and farm transfer.This is a book which should be completed with the help and support of the farm family,Teagasc adviser and other key professionals.

The book was created by Tomás Russell as part of his PhD study in the Teagasc/UCD Agricultural Innovation Support Programme.His studies were funded through the Teagasc Walsh Fellowship Programme. The guide was produced with collaboration from Farmer Representative Organisations, as well as the banking sector and legal sector and a number of farmers and successors who are currently confronting this challenge.

Tomás Russell said:“Starting the conversation on succession and farm transfer with the family can be one of the most difficult tasks and keeping the lines of communication open can help farm families to go through the process while minimising conflict and anger”.

Those interested in getting a copy of this booklet should contact their local Teagasc Office.

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BOGUE FARM

HIGH YIELDING HOLSTEINS IN CAVAN Luke and Kevin Bogue have a high yielding herd in Cavan with three times a day milking on a maximum six hours out on grass.

he Bogue Family farm near Ballinagh in Cavan is a very large enterprise, the result of hard work and progress over many years. Luke Bogue started with 17 cows thirty five years ago.There are now 215/220 cows being milked year round.

As you enter the yard up a slight hill you notice a very large building not far from the parlour and sheds. It is surprising to be told that along with the substantial cow enterprise there is also a large integrated sow unit on the same farm and a similar unit on an outside farm.The pig production unit is run as a completely separate enterprise.

The farm is in four parts. One hundred and sixty acres at home with three other farms of one hundred and twenty acres, twenty acres and fifty acres.The land here can be a bit heavy with cows not going out on grass until April or even May if the year is particularly wet.

The solution found for this is to go for almost total confinement.

The cows are out on grass for a maximum six hours per day and a lot of work has gone into getting the feed right. All animals go through a foot–bath once a week and Kevin believes this is very beneficial as there is a very low incidence of lameness in the herd.

At the time of our visit in mid–October the cows had just been milked and were out on grass as the grass was good and the weather was mild. What was noticeable was that most of the cows were

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per cow during a 310 day lactation period.The cows are milked three times per day; at 6AM, 2PM, and 9PM. The 6AM and 2PM milking is done by Kevin and his assistant Colum on a five day and every second weekend rotation.The night milking is done by other family members with the job restricted to purely milking for that session.The parlour is a 24 unit Alfa Laval with a top level milk recording system which allows for recording and giving extra feed to high yielding cows.

The herd is very much a Holstein herd and down through the years Luke used his own bulls for both breeding for milking and tidying up. It is a credit to his ability to choose a bull to achieve such a high yield. When asked Luke says that he concentrated on yield and conformity and this is clear to be seen when walking through the herd.

All of the bulls are Irish, sourced through contacts built up over time. In the last two years AI has been used as well.

The goal here is to increase milk solids % while maintaining yield. Progressive Genetics are providing breeding advice to help achieve this objective.

On the fertility front Kevin is happy with a conception rate of 74%. Scanning is done every three months for cows at about 200 days along.

After the 6 am milking the cows are put out to grass and the sheds are cleaned.

“This is a high yielding herd of Holsteins averaging nearly 11,000 litres per cow during a 310 day lactation period” lying down contented even though the grass was very good around them.

All of the silage ground has been reseeded within the last five years which delivers two crops of quality silage. While the 20% reseeding ratio will not be maintained at the same level it serves as an indicator of the emphasis on quality across the farm.Two cuts of silage are normally taken from the silage ground. However if the grass in a paddock is strong during the normal grazing rotation this is cut and baled and fed back to the cows.

As we said earlier cows are milked year round so a winter milk bonus is paid by Lakelands to whom the milk is supplied.This is a high yielding herd of Holsteins averaging nearly 11,000 litres

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BOGUE FARM

Luke and Kevin are being advised by Michael Luttrell of • Base diet is costing €5.15 cow/day Cargill on the diet they should use for the milking cows.

• Income over feed cost for base diet supporting 35 litresAs it is quite comprehensive we have outlined below the €3.95/cow/day detail of that diet: • Grass silage 77 DMD - 40 kg fresh weight head/day All calves are reared except for Friesian bulls which are moved • Barley straw – 1 kg fresh weight on.After milking the silage/feed is then set out for the cows before • Fresh grass consumption is assumed at approx. 8 kg/head they come in from grass. fresh weight during the 6 hour grazing window In looking after animal health Luke says that he has been working with GH Agri for about four years and is very happy with the • Molasses 1 kg head/day • Kiernan Milling 19 % high energy cubes – 2 kg in the parlour results.

The product is administered directly into the animal’s drinking • Bogue 20 % coarse ration from Kiernan Milling - 4 kg/head/day (24% soya, 20% beet pulp, 3% molasses, 24% soya water once a month for four months. It’s a twelve month program and the Bogues program is tailored to the winter season where hulls, 23.3% ground maize, 0.7% hi phosphorus and 5% butathe animals are in one area making it easier to calculate and cup extra (C16:0) • Tullys 18% dairy blend – 6 kg head/day fresh weight (Blend of administer the product.

Having visited the farm and listened to the story past and by products from the distilling & confectionery industries) present it is apparent that this family adapted the method of • Maxamimon treated barley – 4 kg head/day farming to suit both the land on which they are working and the • Total TMR Performance pack 250 grams/head/day – Consists of work ethic ingrained in them.

Amaferm which is a natural feed additive from the fermentation In the past they have concentrated on milk volume, now that of Aspergillus oryzae which acts as a prebiotic thus increasing the formula has changed they are seeking to increase milk solids feed & forage digestibility by stimulating both fungal & bacterial while holding the yield. growth in the rumen resulting in more energy & protein being The feed mix/formula is very specific and probably influenced available to the cow. by the experience gained in rearing pigs.

Optitek which is a blend of essential oils & plant extracts There is a serious throughput of milk from the farm which leads which improves the energy yield of the rumen by promoting a you to believe that when milk prices are right the good days are more energy efficient mix of volatile fatty acids, propionate in not just good they are very good. particular which is of key importance as the cow converts this into glucose to use as a direct energy source.

It consists of Equaliser rumen buffer which ensures maximum & consistent buffering capacity leading to improved digestion & dry matter intakes, improved milk yield especially butterfat.

Lastly the Total TMR Performance pack also contains a top spec mineral & vitamin pack.

Cows are consuming 23 kg of DM Overall crude protein in the overall diet is 16.5 %.

NOTE: The above diet is supporting 35 litres of milk. For every litre above 35 litres cows are supplemented 0.44 kg of additional cubes in the parlour

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

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And with less emissions For the Dairy Farmer, Calor powered instantaneous water heaters compared to other fuel types, can provide an ideal solution as a reliable and ample hot water Calor can help the farmer continue supply is an essential component in managing hygiene and to deliver produce to the highest controlling the Total Bacteria Count (TBC) of milk produced. Hot standards. water storage costs are eliminated with this system as water is heated only when it is required.

To find out more information and learn how Calor Gas can The farmer no longer needs to worry about running out of hot deliver tailor–made energy solutions to improve efficiencies water or having insufficient quantities at a the right temperature. and provide cost savings for your business, visit the following Hot water storage costs are eliminated with this system as an infinite website: www.calorgas.ie/calor-for-business/ or call us on supply is heated only when it is required and the system can be 1850 812 450 (Republic of Ireland) or Tel: 028 9045 5588 run with automatic or manual dairy washing systems.

(Northern Ireland).

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CALF MANAGEMENT

CALF MANAGEMENT ACTION PLAN Given the cost of rearing replacement heifers from birth to calving it pays to review the 2015 calving season and make necessary adjustments for 2016. Emer Kennedy, Christine Cummins and John Paul Murphy, Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork report.

INTRODUCTION

CHECK CALVING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT

lthough it may feel like the 2015 spring calving season is not long over, the nights are drawing in and winter is steadily approaching, as is the 2016 spring calving season.

As things are a little bit quieter on the farm now it is the ideal opportunity to take stock of the last seasons calving period and implement any necessary changes for the forthcoming one.

One of the first tasks which should be completed is to identify the calf mortality rate over the past 12 months and the age at which calves were most likely to die or get sick. (If this was not recorded during 2015 it would be a good idea to take note of these details during 2016).

The average mortality rate over the past five years of dairy sired calves on Irish dairy farms was 6.5%, which does not include a stillbirth figure of 2.1%.

It currently costs €1,550 to rear a heifer from birth to first calving – this includes a cost for land, labour and an initial value of the calf. If dairy heifer calf mortality rate was reduced by just half it would be worth almost €3.5 million. How can a reduced mortality rate be achieved?

The quieter winter months are an opportune time to re–assess calving facilities and equipment. Dairy cows at calving time are unpredictable and are more likely to be aggressive. Proper safe handling facilities should be available and rapid exit points should be identified and created on all farms. Calving pens and gates should be designed to minimise the direct physical contact between the calving cow and the farmer. The calving area should be spacious and individual calving pens should be provided for cows. These pens should have adequate lighting and be well bedded with clean dry straw. Calving jacks, which if used properly can prevent back injury, should be checked before the start of the calving season to ensure they are working correctly before required (e.g. do the ropes need to be replaced).

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HYGIENE The importance of hygiene has been highlighted in all aspects of dairy production including, hygiene during milking and colostrum storage, in calving pens, and calf pens. Hygiene is a crucial component of healthy calf rearing systems.A recent Teagasc Moorepark study

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CALF MANAGEMENT identified that less frequent cleaning of feeding equipment was associated with greater calf mortality. Infrequent cleaning of feeding equipment allows viruses, bacteria and other pathogens (i.e. rotavirus, salmonella, cryptosporidium etc.) to accumulate.

The Teagasc Moorepark study also showed that farmers who implement more rigorous milk feeding equipment cleaning regimes are more likely to calve heifers at an earlier age.

Both hot water and detergent should be used when cleaning; hot water has previously been shown to eliminate viruses and other pathogens. In general the majority of farmers do not have a stringent enough cleaning policy. If feeding equipment is not cleaned frequently and thoroughly, pathogens will accumulate, and may become more difficult to remove, thus exposing calves to an increased risk of disease.

Similarly, good hygiene in the maternity pen is imperative to minimise the risk of transferring disease to the calf.The calf is most vulnerable to infection after birth. Straw is a good insulator when used as bedding, but if not cleaned regularly it can quickly become damp and dirty, thus having unfavourable consequences for calf health.

Frequent cleaning of maternity pens reduces pathogen build–up and calf exposure to infectious disease.The method of cleaning may also affect calf health. If maternity pens are not washed or disinfected during cleaning, the pathogenic load can accumulate and persist and the young calf can be exposed to a greater amount of bacteria compared to pens that are cleaned out, washed and disinfected.

Calf pens should also be kept as dry as possible. Calves lie for approximately 70% of their day, thus if their bed is damp they are lying on a damp surface and more likely to suffer from ill–health.

A simple test – ‘the knee test’ can be carried out.This can be completed by kneeling on one knee into the straw bed, once standing again both knees should be dry. If not the bedding needs to be changed (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. The knee test can be completed by kneeling on one knee into the straw bed, once standing again both knees should be dry.

If not the bedding needs to be changed

TREATING SICK CALVES Ideally a separate area for treating sick calves should be constructed.

Once calves are identified as being off–form they should be removed from their groups and treated.

Preferably sick calves would be fed last so that chances of disease transfer to healthy calves are minimised. Also, separate, easy to clean wet gear should be used when dealing with sick calves.

Separate milk feeding equipment should also be designated for sick calves and not used to feed healthy calves.

Sick calves or calves which are not thriving properly should not be put back into a group of younger calves as this may increase the chances of healthy calves becoming ill.

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CALF MANAGEMENT not be left with the cow to drink its first feed as the volume of colostrum the calf consumes is unknown and also, as the calf has no developed immune system it is more susceptible to contracting disease.

It should also be noted that good colostrum feeding management practices need to be undertaken to ensure calves receive enough antibodies for optimal protection from pre–natal vaccination e.g. rotavirus, coronavirus.

HOW SOON SHOULD THE CALF BE FED COLOSTRUM? The calf should be fed colostrum as soon as possible after it is born.The ability of the calf to absorb antibodies is halved by the time the calf is 6 hours old and once the calf reaches 24 hours old, its ability to absorb antibodies has ceased completely.

Furthermore, the sooner calves are fed after birth, the more easily they will drink from a bottle and teat.

HOW CAN COLOSTRUM QUALITY BE MAXIMISED? It is important to remember that only the first milk produced after calving is colostrum; milkings 2 to 6 are called transition milk and do not contain the antibodies necessary for adequate development of a calf’s immune system. It is important to remember that colostrum quality decreases as the interval between calving and first milking increases, as the cow is producing more milk COLOSTRUM – GIVING CALVES THE BEST and diluting the antibodies. If calves are not fed their own dams START POSSIBLE colostrum they should be fed colostrum from another single cow Implementing an effective colostrum management plan is arguably which has been tested and deemed free from Johne’s disease and one of the most important jobs which has to be completed on a is in apparent good health. Colostrum should not be pooled as farm. Calves are born with no developed immune system and depend this increases the risk of spreading Johne’s disease, as well as entirely on the absorption of antibodies from colostrum to diluting good quality colostrum with poor quality colostrum. It is ensure adequate immunity to fight disease and infection before also worth noting that colostrum which is stored at room temperature the development of its own immunity at three to four weeks of grows bacteria inhibiting the absorption of the antibodies from age. Adequate passive transfer (APT; i.e. adequate absorption of the colostrum by the calf. antibodies) has been shown to have numerous short and long term benefits, including reduced risk for pre and post–weaning MILK FEEDING morbidity and mortality, improved rate of weight gain and feed Although no more antibodies can be absorbed after 24 hours, efficiency, as well as greater milk production and survival in the Teagasc Moorepark research has shown that feeding calves 4 dairy herd. Data from regional veterinary laboratories throughout feeds of transition milk can reduce the incidents of nasal and eye

“The importance of hygiene has been highlighted in all aspects of dairy production including, hygiene during milking and colostrum storage, in calving pens, and calf pens” the country shows that upwards to 60% of samples from calves submitted for analyses indicate failure of passive transfer or inadequate absorption of immunoglobulins (antibodies). Failure to achieve APT can result in high levels of pre–weaning mortality during the first three weeks of life.

THREE MAIN FACTORS AFFECT APT i) the volume of colostrum the calf receives ii) how soon after birth the calf receives colostrum iii) the quality of the colostrum (i.e. the amount of antibodies)

HOW MUCH COLOSTRUM DOES A CALF NEED? Calves should be fed 8.5 % of their birth bodyweight in colostrum.

Typically this equates to 3 litres for a 35 kg calf.This can be either stomach tubed or fed using a bottle and teat. Colostrum should always be fed warm (body temperature).The calf should

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discharge, as well as drooping ears. Traditionally, calves were offered milk or milk replacer at 8–10% of their birth body weight (BW) per day (approx. 4 litres), which limits their growth and weight gain. Feeding milk at a daily rate of 13–15% BW (approx.

6 litres) should be sufficient to allow calves reach over 50% of their growth capacity. Calves can be fed milk once a day from three to four weeks of age but not before this as their abomasum is not big enough to deal with a large volume of milk. Also, their rumen is not developed so they cannot fully digest concentrate.

Once calves are well managed and thoroughly checked at least twice per day, no differences in calf performance or health should be observed between calves fed once or twice a day.This provides valuable information to farmers as it means labour input per calf may be reduced by utilising a once a day feeding regime in the knowledge that it has no unfavourable repercussions on the growth and health of calves.

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CALF MANAGEMENT

WEAN BY WEIGHT Feed conversion efficiency of younger animals is a lot greater than older animals.Therefore, it is more economically efficient to feed young calves to ensure high rates of weight gain, particularly during the milk feeding period. A recent Teagasc Moorepark experiment investigated the effect of weaning weight on heifer weight gain during the subsequent summer months. Obviously, calves weaned at a higher bodyweight (BW) will require a greater number of days drinking milk or milk replacer.

Interestingly, calves weaned at 18% of mature BW (100 kg for a heifer with a mature BW of 550 kg) were still heavier than those weaned at <18% of mature BW when they were weighed again at 190 days (approx. 6 months old).

The calves weaned at 18% of mature BW had a greater weight gain from birth to 190 days than the calves weaned at lighter weights.

There was no difference in weight gain from weaning to 190 days of age between treatments, indicating that no compensatory growth occurred. It also indicated that differences in BW at 190 days were due to differences in weaning BW rather than differences in post–weaning BW gain, which may lead to differences at mating start date.Thus, calves should be weaned at 18% of mature BW.

CONCLUSION: The best way to rear a calf is to apply common sense. If the facilities for calving are clean and safe it is a good start. Once the calf is born it should be fed the correct amount of colostrum which has been stored correctly. Again follow on milk needs to be given in the correct amounts. If a calf does get sick make sure they are kept separate from the others.

WHAT IS FEED FOR GROWTH? With a view to helping dairy farmers improve the sustainability of their herds, milk replacer manufacturer Volac has gone back to basics when it comes to feeding heifer calves for long–term productivity.“Feed For Growth” was launched at this year’s National Ploughing Championships; its aim is to help dairy farmers grow more profitable cows. The Feed For Growth programme features a road map, accompanying calculator and comprehensive set of technical guides.

Feed For Growth brings a sharp focus to youngstock management from day one to ensure heifer replacements calve at 23 to 25 months – the optimum age, according to Royal Veterinary College research findings which concluded they lived longer, had fewer problems in later life and subsequently produced more milk per day of life compared with those heifers calving at older ages.

The programme enables farmers to create their own heifer road map which sets individual farm objectives and helps them to track performance and continually review to ensure each animal is on target to reach puberty by nine months, first breeding by 13 to 14 months and conception by 15 months. An on–line calculator sets growth targets and level of feed required, whilst back up technical information provides advice on all three external influencing performance factors – environment, health and nutrition.

“Farmers spend 20% of their total annual farm investment on rearing replacements, whilst 22.5% of those live born heifers fail to make their first lactation and for the remainder, breakeven is not achieved until at least mid-second lactation at the very earliest,” comments Volac’s Liam Gannon.

“Feed For Growth is designed to turn farmers’ traditional investment and management focus from adult cows to youngstock – their herd’s lifeblood, since proven research has concluded that that the connection between growth during the pre-weaning period and life time productivity is hugely significant. Feed For Growth will enable them to understand, plan, manage and review, and ultimately maximise their herd’s untapped potential.”

Feed for Growth is available from Volac Visit www.feedforgrowth.com, blog www.feedforgrowthblog.com or email feedforgrowth@volac.com

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GRADUATE EDUCATION

PROFESSIONAL GRADUATE EDUCATION FOR A RAPIDLY CHANGING ENVIRONMENT The business environment for dairy farming is changing rapidly as global market forces now have a significant impact on Irish producers, writes Marion Beecher.

hile it has always been difficult to predict international commodity prices or foresee production risks (climate and feed availability and price), increasingly price sensitive demand for dairy products in population–dense developing economies is leading to unprecedented milk price and farm income volatility for Irish dairy farmers.Against this backdrop, herd size will increase on many dairy farms over the coming years, placing added physical and financial pressure on the management capability of dairy farmers.

As a consequence, modern dairy farming systems must be sufficiently resilient to provide farming families with a viable income in the changing environment.The increasing complexity of farming systems and the corresponding demands on farms from society and government necessitates that today’s dairy farmers need a much broader range of skills and experiences to equip them with the necessary managerial capability to adapt to the changing environment and achieve high profitability resilient dairy businesses.

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RESILIENT BUSINESSES NEED RESILIENT PEOPLE Resilience denotes the ability of a farm to ‘bounce back’ and recover quickly and effectively from a difficult period or adverse event while still maintaining essential operational performance. Resilience also requires farmers to take deliberate effort to identify potential risks and opportunities and take proactive steps to ensure that the business capitalises on opportunities created by a changing environment.

A farm with resilient people, as well as systems and processes, is more agile and proactive to adapt to the changing environment. It is in this context that appropriate training programmes are an essential component to provide farmers with both the skills and experiential learning necessary to become resilient profitable dairy farmers within this new environment.The ability to adapt in a changing environment is a learned skill to develop habits to be more effective in navigating through changing conditions. Such habits are best acquired in a

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practical learning environment from experience as well as learning from the experience of other farmers with a proven track record for personal and business resilience. Building a strong social network through attending courses or discussion groups has a key role in resilience. It allows farmers to build social ties with key stakeholders in the industry such as bankers, farm advisors, accountants, stock agents and other farmers, and allows individuals access to tangible and intangible resources. Successful and resilient farmers and managers are well educated and their education allows them to use existing information more competently and help find solutions to problems; they have better access to information and are more likely to adopt new technologies or products early because of their ability to sort the relevant from the irrelevant (Ref 1).This ensures that educated farmers are more efficient and develop farming systems that are able to absorb and respond to change, resulting in more profit per hectare (Ref 2 and Ref 3).These skills combined with the resilient farming systems means that educated farmers are well equipped to manage the challenges of farm expansion.

COURSE STRUCTURE AND CONTENT The Professional Diploma in Dairy Farm Management (PDDFM) programme was developed by Teagasc in conjunction with UCD and in consultation with other dairy industry stakeholders to provide suitably skilled and experienced dairy farm managers for the expanding dairy industry.The programme is centred on experienced based learning from host farmers and also incorporates both formal (lectures) and informal training (discussion groups).The programme aims to equip future dairy farmers with a broad range of skills, experience and practical knowledge to become successful managers (both on home farms and as farm managers).

The core elements of PDDFM are a two year fully paid professional work experience based programme on high performance dairy farms

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GRADUATE EDUCATION The programme incorporates discussion groups facilitated by a Teagasc facilitator.

The aim of the programme is to maximise student’s career prospects in the dairy industry. On completion of the PDDFM course, students will be suitability qualified to manage a dairy farm – either their own farm or as an employed farm manger. The students will have developed the skills to build a resilient farm system that has the capability to not only adapt to change but also capitalise on any opportunities created and maintain production capacity in face of financial and market variability.While there are other courses in this area the benefit of completing this course is that students are gaining more practical experience as they spend 12 months on two high performance dairy farms. Secondly the students get the opportunity to develop their practical skills by working alongside the top farmers.

Additionally, the important financial planning advice given by dairy with an option to travel overseas to New Zealand to experience the specialists and researchers undoubtedly benefits the student in their calving and breeding seasons on large scale, grass based farms. future career.

While on work experience students will have the opportunity to The first graduates from PDDFM course graduated in November implement their technical knowledge in a controlled learning 2014 and have been successfully employed in New Zealand, Saudi environment.There are approximately 25 days per year of course Arabia and Ireland as dairy farm managers, as share farmers or as work at the Teagasc Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation managers on their own family farms. Since qualifying the graduates Centre at Moorepark and Teagasc Kildalton Agricultural College.Students have started up their own discussion group, regularly meet up and will develop skills in covering a broad range of topics such as grassland discuss different opinions, methods and ideas.This course is helping management, animal breeding and reproduction, herd health, business to shape the farmers of the future and provides an innovative education and financial planning and developing people management skills.The pathway which has not existed before. programme is delivered via blended delivery and provides a mix of current theory and practice as well as tools that candidates will be FACILITIES able to use during their on–farm professional work experience.The Students are facilitated by Teagasc at either Kildalton College or contact element of the programme is delivered by an integrated team Moorepark.At Moorepark,the Paddy O’Keeffe Research and Innovation of highly specialised Teagasc staff including Moorepark researchers, Centre has been established to further expand the skills of those college lecturers and knowledge transfer specialists and with guest seeking out a career in the expanded dairy sector.This gives students lectures from industry and highly successful commercial dairy farmers. access to the researchers and first–hand access to recent trial results.

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GRADUATE EDUCATION

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS AND APPLICATION PROCEDURES

HOST FARMER EXPERIENCE

Host Farmer: Jim Costigan, host farmer, Co. Laois.

Applicants must possess a Level 6 Advanced Certificate in Agriculture We are currently milking 240 cows this year, with 10% of the herd or an equivalent major agricultural award.Applicants will be shortlisted calving in September and rearing 120 dairy replacement heifers annually. and shortlisted candidates will be interviewed prior to selection for There is a big focus on grass grown and low–cost production. Labour entry to the programme. consists of me, a Polish worker, a PDDFM student and family help at weekends.

COURSE INFORMATION In the past, I found students on 12 week placements were on and This level 7 award programme is a full time two year course and is off the farm too quick before either of us really benefited.The benefit validated by UCD. Course fees are €800 per annum. Students on this of the PDDFM students being on the farm for 12 months is that the programme enter into an employment agreement with the host farmer. student experiences all the seasons on the same farm, i.e., calving The host farmer pays the student at least the minimum wage per time, early grazing, breeding, silage time and summer.The student has

“The aim of the programme is to assist candidates to maximise their career prospects in the dairy industry. On completion of the PDDFM course, candidates will be suitability qualified to manage a dairy farm – either their own farm or as an employed farm manger” working hour (currently €8.65 per hour). Accommodation and/or meals may be provided at the discretion of the host farmers.

The block release days are generally held as either one day courses or three consecutive course days per month at one location.

the most technical and up–to–date information which is a big help in the running of the farm.The students get great satisfaction from seeing and meeting all the targets from each season during the year. It has been a great experience so far and the student has shown real enthusiasm.

It’s a team effort on the farm and we all learn from each other.

GRADUATE EXPERIENCE Name: Ruth Kerrigan Background: From Newcastle, Co. Dublin. Non–farming background.

Previous Education: Degree in Animal and Crop Production, University College Dublin.

Comment: With the abolition of quotas this April, it was clear to me that there would be many opportunities for young farmers from farming and non–farming backgrounds. I chose this course after completing my degree in Animal and Crop Production because it offered practical, fully paid professional work experience.This was important,as it gave me access to the best farmers in the industry (both the host farm I worked with and also through attending course discussion groups).This was invaluable as you got to meet and mix with some of the top farmers and managers in the country. Being on a farm for a full year was very satisfying for me. It allowed plenty of time to settle into the role and allowed me to see the fruits of my labour.The course also provided essentially unlimited access to industry experts and first–hand knowledge of the recent research results from Teagasc.This was hugely beneficial as if we had any issues on farm, we had experts to hand to ask about such problems.The host farmer experience was so positive that once I finished the course I stayed on as a full time employee on that farm.

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REFERENCES Ref 2: Heanue, K and O’Donoghue C. 2014.The economic returns to formal agricultural education.Teagasc Rural Economy & Development.

Ref 3: Kilpatrick, S., Johns, S., Murray-Prior, R. and Hart, D. 1999. Managing farming: How farmers learn. Canberra. Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation.

Ref 1: Nuthall, P. L. 2006. Determining the important skill competencies:The case of family farm business in New Zealand.Agricultural Systems 88: 429-450.

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

IMMUBOOST– PRE CALVER MINERAL RANGE

ineral Imbalances and deficiencies are quite common in Irish grazing scenarios, while supplementation at grass can prove difficult, especially where little or no concentrate supplementation is fed.

Mineral imbalances may be noticed in isolation or in combination.

Imbalances of major elements may cause rickets, lameness, milk fever, lambing sickness, tetany, reduced appetite, reduced milk yield and depraved appetite.While deficiency of trace elements may cause ill thrift, abortion/placental retention, perinatal calf death and reduced immunity in calves and cattle.Additional issues can be susceptibility to bacteria and parasites,infertility in cows,reduced fertility in bulls,lowered milk yield, lameness, slow healing of wounds and poor skin/hair quality.

The ImmuBoost range from Nutribio is a premium range of complementary vitamin, mineral and trace element supplements which boost animal performance and farm profitability levels.

It is formulated based on the latest scientific research and forage analysis in line with EU legislation.

In years such as this where margins from milk are under severe pressure, there is a temptation to cut back on things like Pre Calver Minerals, with people tending towards the cheaper side of the market. ImmuBoost Pre Calver minerals are designed to deliver value for money, reducing incidence of Milk Fever, Retained Placenta,improving calf health and in general reducing losses and veterinary fees.ImmuBoost Farm Minerals consistently deliver a return on investment.

The ImmuBoost Pre-Calver range focuses on developing the cow’s immunity pre calving and includes

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ImmuBoost Pre-Calver, ImmuBoost X-Mag Vit E Supreme Pre-Calver and ImmuBoost X-Mag Vit E Elite Pre-Calver.

Highly palatable, the ImmuBoost pre-calver range contains premium ingredients, is formulated for both the cow and the unborn calf and contributes to: · High Quality Colostrum · Quicker, Easier Calving · Reduced Retained Afterbirth · Increased disease resistance and feed efficiency · Reduced Calf Mortality

Key ingredients include: Vitamins D and E, Yeast, Selenium, Iodine and Magnesium (from multiple sources, maximising bioavailability).

Use: 6-8 weeks pre-calving.

Also available in the ImmuBoost Range: ImmuBoost Breathe Ez – (mineral lick) for calves and weanlings,containing natural respiratory aiding ingredients.

ImmuBoost Ewe and Lamb - (feed block) for ewes and cattle.

ImmuBoost Fertility Post-Calver – (mineral bag/lick) for lactating dairy/suckler cows.

ImmuBoost Calf Grower (mineral lick) for young stock.

For further product details please visit www.nutribio.ie or call 021 4507303, for local stockist information.

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NEW TECHNOLOGY

NEW TECHNOLOGY – DEVELOPMENTS IN ROBOTIC MILKING

The decision to invest in an automatic milking system (AMS) is influenced by more than just profit, such as less physical labour, more flexibility in the working day and the overall reduction in the length of the working day, writes Cathriona Foley of Teagasc, Moorepark, Co. Cork.

Figure 1: Example of an automatic milking system in Teagasc Moorepark (Fullwood Merlin)

INTRODUCTION

In line with this expansion some farmers are now looking towards AMS in order to reduce their own physical work load, The abolition of milk quotas this year has provided the opportunity while simultaneously increasing the potential of their herd to for many dairy farmers to increase their milk production by increasing herd numbers.This expansion may require an increase produce milk along with better grass production and utilisation. in the farm area, updating existing milking machines, technology Teagasc have been conducting research to assess if the benefits and infrastructure to accommodate the increased milk production. of a lost cost input system of milk production can be integrated successfully with an AMS. At farm level this increased investment has occurred in parallel with highly volatile world milk prices.Therefore, farms that have AUTOMATIC MILKING WITH GRAZING invested heavily in their expansion will be more exposed to these – THE CONCEPT volatile milk prices.

An AMS is a box unit that the cow enters voluntarily, a robotic During this type of situation it is necessary to control the factors arm washes each teat, attaches the clusters to the cow’s udder that are within the control of the farmer, in order to maintain a and she is milked automatically without the need for the farmer resilient dairy farm system which generates sufficient profits in higher milk price times and has the flexibility to deal with unforeseen to be present during the milking process (figure 1). Cows can be milked for 80 to 90% of the day, the other 10 to 20% of the day events, such as weather extremes.

The traits of resilient milk production systems include: allocated between automatic robot washes, daily maintenance 1. High EBI genetics checks and bulk tank washing.

2. High grass production and utilisation per hectare The robot collects data from each cow milking done in the day, 3. Resource efficient and sustainable intensification these are used to populate tables of information that the farmer 4. Optimum stocking rate checks, at least twice each day, to assess if a cow needs more (Reference & further reading: attention. Cows are fed concentrate in the AMS as they milk. www.agresearch.teagasc.ie/moorepark/levyinaction2015/)

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NEW TECHNOLOGY Once a quarter is empty the cluster is detached from that quarter, the others continue to milk and when all quarters are finished the arm sprays each teat before the cow leaves the box. All cows have a tag (figure 2) which identifies them at the robot and the exit gate to the field, located at the boundary between the milking yard and grazing roadway.

The cow voluntarily decides to leave the field and enters the milking yard through non–return manual gates. Depending on the shape and size of the particular farm, it can be divided into two (A and B) or three sections (A, B and C) (figure 3), where the cow is usually given an allocation of fresh grass in each of the two or three different sections in the day.Therefore, the daily

Figure 3: The automatic milking system farm layout at Teagasc Moorepark is divided into three difference sections known as an ABC system, with an 8 hour cow access to each grazing section. Other AMS farms also operate an AB system which allows 12 hour access to two different grazing sections.

Figure 2: An identification tag can be located on the leg, neck or ear of a cow in an automatic milking system (AMS).This is used to identify the cow in the AMS and at the exit gate to grazing.

demand of grass for the herd is divided equally between two allocations in an AB system and likewise in an ABC system the herd’s daily demand is divided equally between three allocations of grass.

The exit gate at the milk yard boundary can be set to change at specific times in the day to determine how long the cows have access to each section. For example, cows can have access to each of the two blocks for 12 hours in an AB system and to each of three blocks for 8 hours in an ABC system (figure 3).

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NEW TECHNOLOGY The type of information that is provided to the farmer daily is displayed in tables 1 and 2. Although the AMS highlights potential issues with cows in the herd, the onus is on the farmer to check the attention lists on the computer, to follow up with cows by looking at them in person and checking if the AMS potentially missed an issue with a cow by again looking at them in person.

The successful adoption of an AMS within a grazing system is not only reliant upon good technology, data and information management; good cow and grass management are critical.

COW AND GRASS – PRACTICAL MANAGEMENT It is good practise to start training cows and heifers when they are dry by walking them through the robot and giving them concentrate.

It takes 2 to 3 days for heifers to walk into the unit without AUTOMATIC MILKING TECHNOLOGY, encouragement and once calved and milking it will take another DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT 4 – 5 days to train to milking (noise, clusters on and off, etc.).

Having to manage the new technology, data and information associated with an AMS is usually a new aspect of farm management The farmer needs to watch cows, and particularly the heifers, for famers thinking about investing in an AMS.This technology is closely in the yard to ensure they understand the grazing gate which leaves them out to grass. very user friendly, regardless of the level of experience a farmer may have using computers prior to getting an AMS.The AMS service There is a risk that heifers could get stuck in the yard and not providers are on call to answer most queries that farmers have or get through the grazing gate at the start. It is critical to check cows in person twice a day and not to only look at the computer. issues they encounter.

Once trained, cows do not need to be retrained the following However, it is critical that the farmer is willing to spend time year. twice daily looking up the computer to check the data and It is important to know the size of every paddock on the farm information to become familiar with it. and estimate cover at least weekly and in each paddock as cows There is no quick and easy way to achieve this it can only be done by persisting with the technology, giving it time and having enter it. In the first year of conversion to AMS, farmers should err patience. on the side of being too tight in herbage allocation.

Table 1: Sensor technology in an automatic milking system collect data and covert it to information to allow the farmer to make management decisions.

“The successful adoption of an AMS within a grazing system is not only reliant upon good technology, data and information management; good cow and grass management are critical” The AMS technology operates on a 24 hour basis, therefore, breakdowns or the farmer’s intervention to resolve an issue could be required at any time of the day.

The farmer is alerted of an issue by receiving a phone call, most of these alarms can be addressed by the farmer. However, for more serious alarms the service providers can be contacted and are usually on farm within 1 to 2 hours. An alarm can be either a cow issue, when she fails to milk after consecutive attempts, for example, or a robot issue, when it fails to milk a number of different cows consecutively due to a cluster attachment issue, for example. There tends to be more alarms from the system in spring with fresh calvers. With time, the farmer will learn a lot about the alarms and issues that trigger alarms.

If the allocation is too lax it upsets cow movement from the field to the milking yard.After a while cows will learn the time of gate changes between sections and will begin to automatically move block themselves.

Observing the performance of the previous grazing is recommended as a guide to accuracy of grass allocation. Grass management needs flexibility, therefore, back fencing, plenty entrances to paddocks and flexibility with fences is beneficial.

Extra cow tracks can make a difference and they should be approximately 2.5 m wide. If they are just used in spring and autumn they can be created simply by using a wire and taken down for the rest of the year.

LIFESTYLE VERSUS PROFITS

Table 2: On–cow sensor technology incorporated with an automatic milking system collect data, transmit it to the automatic milking system which then coverts it to information to allow the farmer to make management decisions.

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Preliminary results from recent economic analysis comparing AMS with medium and high spec conventional milking systems (CMS) with 70 and 140 herds has been carried out by Teagasc.

As the results have not yet been published specific figures are to be reported here, however, these will be available from Teagasc in 2016.The general conclusion is that for both 70 and 140 cow herds the AMS is less profitable than a medium spec CMS, however, slightly more profitable than a high spec CMS over a ten year period.The costs included in this theoretical modelling situation that differed between an AMS and conventional are listed in table 3.The electricity and water usage, and labour was measured on 7 AMS monitor farms and 10 conventional farms during 2014.

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NEW TECHNOLOGY The machine purchase price, service/maintenance and consumables costs were averaged from list prices of three AMS service providers in Ireland.The costs for CMS were obtained from both list prices of service providers and Teagasc research farms in Ireland.

The decision to invest in an AMS is influenced by more than just profit, such as less physical labour, more flexibility in the working day and the overall reduction in the length of the working day.

There was an overall 36% reduction in labour with an AMS compared to a conventional system was evident from our monitor Table 3: The costs included in the theoretical modelling situation that differed between an automatic and conventional system. farm study.

Figure 4: The time recorded on farm by automatic (AM) and conventional (CM) milking monitor farmers for the milking process (red and blue bars) and for grass allocation (green and purple lines) each month from March until December 2014.There was a 36% reduction in total labour milking with and automatic milking system.

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The time saved from the milking process with an AMS accounted for the majority of this reduction, interestingly, AMS farmers spent more time on their grass management compared to conventional farmers (figure 4). Grass is the key factor motivating cows to travel from the field voluntarily, therefore, the AMS Farmer has to precisely and accurately estimate herbage mass and then allocate the correct amount of grass for each grazing in the day.

Article written by Cathriona Foley, B.Sc. (UCC), Ph.D. (TCD), Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork.

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ANIMAL HEALTH

MANAGING THE DRY PERIOD The optimum length of dry period to achieve maximum milk yield in next lactation and other relevant issues are discussed here by Mairead O’ Grady Veterinary Practitioner.

WHY DRY OFF COWS? “The purpose of the dry period on a particular farm should be clearly understood prior to a dry cow protocol being implemented” according to Mairéad O’Grady, veterinary practitioner with MSD Animal Health.“For some farms the timing of the dry period is a lifestyle choice allowing for a well–earned break from the milking routine.

The milking equipment can be serviced and any necessary repairs carried out during this time. It can be a time to partly address cow body condition variations.

The ideal body condition score for dairy cows pre calving is 3.0–3.25. Thin dry cows can struggle to produce adequate quantities of milk after calving and subsequent fertility can be problematic. Fat dry cows are predisposed to a range of metabolic disease after calving including milk fever,Type 1 and Type 11 ketosis, displaced abomasum, uterine infections and impaired fertility”.

The dry period is also a suitable time for routine treatments including lameness assessment and foot trimming and pre-calving immunisation e.g. vaccination to help prevent calf scour or Bovilis IBR Marker Live to boost herd protection against IBR. “Importantly” Mairead continued, ”it is a useful and effective time in which to treat existing udder infections. Long–acting antibiotics used at dry off are not being milked out - hence they can persist throughout the dry period, depending on the chosen product. Dry cow antibiotic treatments can treat existing udder

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infections, prevent new infections occurring during this time and one product is also licensed to reduce somatic cell counts.”

DEFINITIONS “It is essential to set and monitor targets for udder health on farm. A key part of this is that everyone is clear as to what the various terms actually mean”, the MSD Animal Health veterinary surgeon said. ”For example, a case of mastitis is defined as one quarter infected once.A cow with two affected quarters is classified as two cases of mastitis. In common with all other targets we measure on farm, this is only a worthwhile exercise if accurate records are kept.”

This information can allow dairy farmers and their advisors to select treatment regimens for individual animals within a herd.

See Table 1 for herd mastitis targets.

Table 1. Herd mastitis targets

Mastitis incidence below 30 cases per 100 cows per year.

Less than 20% of the herd affected per year.

Mastitis re–occurrence rate less than 10% of total cases Herd–average SCC less than 150,000 cells/ml.

Average Bactoscan result of below 5,000 cells/ml.

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ANIMAL HEALTH

BENEFIT OF A DRY PERIOD – LONG OR SHORT? “Historically dry period length in Ireland had been at least 8 weeks due to milk quota constraints. Length of dry period can now be chosen to suit the farm enterprise and the individual cows,” explained Mairead.

“A number of studies have been published on the impact of the length of dry period on subsequent milk yield. One recent publication concluded that the optimal dry period, in terms of milk yield, was found to be 51–70 days”.

Excessively short dry periods ( 10 days) and excessively long dry periods ( 90 days) increased the risk of clinical changes in the cow’s udder.“Furthermore, first calved heifers should have a 60 day dry period, as a shorter dry period leads to production loss in the next lactation, according to another study,” Mairead added.

“The aim of an effective dry cow strategy is to treat existing infections and prevent new udder infections” Dry off should be an abrupt cessation of milking. Susceptibility of the cow’s udder to infection during the dry period is considered to be greatest in the days after drying off and in the 3 weeks before calving.

To protect the udder from infections, it is important that the antibiotics from the dry cow treatment persist and that concentrations in the udder are still at effective levels during the last days of the dry period. Some flexibility is required when drying off batches of cows, as calving dates may be inaccurate, and protection against infection is essential throughout the entire dry period. Certain cephalonium products protect against udder infection for up to 8–10 weeks. It is important to consult the relevant summary of

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product characteristics to determine the cover provided by individual dry cow therapies.

In conclusion Mairead stated “Dry cow treatment should be planned and efficacy monitored. A minimum 60 day dry period aids in the maximisation of milk yield in subsequent lactations particularly in heifers entering their second lactation.The aim of an effective dry cow strategy is to treat existing infections and prevent new udder infections.

Maintaining a low SCC in the second and subsequent lactations is preferable.

Low bulk tank SCC levels during the first month after calving correlate to low levels in the rest of the lactation.”

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES

DO YOU WANT HEALTHIER COWS PREGNANT SOONER?

Every Dairy Farmer wants advanced heat detection, a shorter calving period, and healthier animals. MooMonitor+ delivers on this writes, Padraig Flynn of Dairymaster.

this over 3 million data points a day are processed by the Heat Engine.

This means that changes in behaviour are more precisely monitored and illnesses are identified much sooner.

Rumination data gives the farmer a great indication of animal welfare.The system pushes Animal Behavioural Alerts making a farmer aware when it detects changes in behaviour which may indicate illness.This allows early intervention, reduced antibiotic usage and better recovery rates on farm.

Easy installation & operation is key for many farmers. When Dairymaster designed and manufactured the MooMonitor+ the emphasis was work efficiency on-farm.

Non–invasive collars are simply attached to the cow’s neck by use of a quick release buckle system that is of high durable quality.To assign or alter records of your cows, simply swipe your compatible smartphone over the tags and you can immediately update records.

No more need for paper trails, reminders or long distance walks back to the office.

Dairymaster have also much increased battery life, the system has extended warranty and with the technology farmers will receive regular software updates ensuring they always have the latest technology.

The benefit of all this technology is to give the farmer an excellent tool to help manage their herd for animal well-being, health and reproductive performance. Data alone has no intrinsic value, it's what you do with the data that creates value.The MooMonitor+ is extremely accurate at detecting heats for cows that are housed or on MOOMONITOR+ NEXT GENERATION ANIMAL grass. Knowing when to breed these cows to optimise conception rates is another invaluable feature of the system.This however is SENSOR TECHNOLOGY Technology is revolutionising our lives on a daily basis. Everyone is only one half of the story.

In order to get more cows pregnant, farm staff need to know what connected through the internet, social media, smartphones,Twitter, type of heat the cows are having e.g. repeat breeder, and what cows YouTube, and so on.Technology can also change the lives of cows. are not having heats so they can take action to maximise the chances What does every farmer want? Easy, accurate heat detection, more calves at the right time, healthy cows and the best genetics possible. of the cow becoming pregnant to each heat expressed i.e. maximising The MooMonitor+ allows farmers detect heats with ease, through conception rates. Cows that require a vet inspection such as cows advanced data analysis. It can also identify specific types of behaviour that have not had a heat before the end of the Voluntary Waiting Period (VWP)or cows that have health events entered during the such as heat, feeding, rumination and wellness, resting and restlessness. The system has lots of unique features. It is designed for transition period, and have been entered into the system, can be listed for farm records or individually drafted to coincide with both indoors and outdoors with up to 1,000 metres range, even further in optimal conditions.The system sends back information 4 veterinary visits to the farm.

Also, cows that are repeat breeders can undergo different preto 8 times more often than many other devices on the market today defined protocol to increase conception rates. It is the identification - monitoring cows in real time.

“Data alone has no intrinsic value, it's what you do with the data that creates value” The MooMonitor+ mobile app that allows two way interaction with the system means that cow and insemination events can be entered immediately removing the need to go back to the computer.

The next revolution in the banking industry is contact–less card payments. Dairymaster is already using this technology in their MooMonitor+ tag.You can swipe the tag with a compatible phone making it much easier to assign a cow.The added advantage to this is ease of use and less animal handling and stress for both the farmer and the cow.

The MooMonitor+ monitors the cow’s neck movements for heat related activity, resting, rumination, feeding, head position and restlessness.What makes the system so much more accurate than other systems on the market is that every 15 minutes real–time information is provided while current systems on the market measure on a 2 hour basis.The MooMonitor+ monitors a cow a million times a day for three different measurements.As a result of

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and individualisation of these more complicated issues that will result in higher conception rates and greater reproductive efficiency and this is what sets the MooMonitor+ system apart from the competition.

The MooMonitor+ improves farm profitability by decreasing labour requirements for farm personnel, improving reproductive performance and minimising losses due to missed heats, undiagnosed illnesses and general animal wellbeing.

Since the product was launched it has won 4 major awards for Innovation – at World Dairy Expo in Madison,Wisconsin, the National Ploughing Championships here in Ireland,Alföldi Állattenyésztési Napok in Hungary and most recently at the Farm Business Cream Awards in the UK. For more information contact Dairymaster for an information pack or a free demo on 1890 500 247 visit our website www.dairymaster.com

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STOCKING RATE DEBATE

DESIGNING RESILIENT DAIRY FARM SYSTEMS:

THE STOCKING RATE DEBATE

The choice of stocking rate on Irish dairy farms will be a critical decision influencing both the future success of the individual farm and the industry at large, writes Brendan Horan & Brian McCarthy,Teagasc,Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark.

ike it or not we live in interesting times. While it has always been difficult to predict international commodity prices or foresee production risks (climate and feed availability and price), the reduction in dairy product stores and increasing influence of developing economies has led to unprecedented milk price and farm income volatility.As an export oriented industry, the heightened awareness of food production sustainability among discerning international buyers has been advantageous in opening up new premium markets for Irish dairy product. Consequently, and regardless of the level of industry expansion undertaken in Ireland in the next decade, it is imperative that our milk production systems continue to deliver reasonable returns to farmers, while meeting the highest international standards of food safety and quality and being animal welfare friendly and environmentally benign. Based on the triple bottom line of profitability, socially and environmentally responsible milk production, much of the production systems research undertaken in recent years has focused on the development of more resilient grass based farming systems which are both highly productive and profitable, but equally, deliver improved quality milk to the highest environmental and animal welfare standards.

L

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In response to the removal of quotas, herd sizes are already increasing on many dairy farms and as grazable land becomes limited, overall farm stocking rates (cows/ha) are also likely to increase. Stocking rate is widely accepted as the main driver of productivity within grazing systems. Indeed, many studies have highlighted the beneficial effects of a higher stocking rates on animal productivity, grazed grass utilisation and overall farm system efficiency. A recent review of stocking rate experiments reported that an increase in stocking rate of 1 cow per hectare will result in an increase in milk production per hectare of 20%.

Notwithstanding these benefits however, previous research studies have also shown that where stocking rate increases go beyond the feed production capability of the farm, and are therefore associated with increased chemical fertilizer and purchased supplementary feed use, higher stocking rates can result in reduced economic efficiency, inefficient nutrient use and increased nutrient losses to the general environment. Due to these conflicting effects of increased stocking rates, most studies conclude that a medium overall stocking rate consistent with the grass growth capability of the land farmed provides a desirable balance between maximising grass utilisation and milk production, while minimising environmental losses.

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STOCKING RATE DEBATE With a current average mean stocking rate of 1.9 LU per hectare, the Irish dairy industry is missing out on significant additional grass utilisation and milk production and so the initial increase in stocking rate on most dairy farms will significantly increase farm productivity while requiring limited additional feed and fertilizer inputs.

As individual farms differ in their capability to grow high quality grazing swards, no single overall stocking rate will be appropriate to every farm.The optimum SR for farms that produce different quantities of grass and feed different amounts of supplement are defined in Table 1.

Table 1. Stocking rate (cows/ha) that optimises profit on farms growing different quantities of grass and feeding different quantities of supplement/cow t supplement DM/cow

Grass grown, t DM/ha 10 12 14

16

0.00 0.50 1.00

1.5 1.8 2.0

2.6 3.0 3.2

2.0 2.2 2.4

2.3 2.5 2.9

THE CURTINS STOCKING RATE EXPERIMENT 2009–2012 In advance of industry uptake of higher stocking rates, a large multi–year stocking rate experiment was undertaken at Curtins Farm, Moorepark to investigate the biological efficiency of alternate stocking rate treatments over 4 years. In the study, 138 high Economic Breeding Index (EBI) spring–calving Holstein Friesian (HF) dairy cows were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 whole farm

stocking rate treatments: Low (2.51 cows/ha; LSR), Medium (2.92 cows/ha; MSR) and High (3.28 cows/ha; HSR).Treatments were designed to represent alternative whole–farm stocking rates which may be appropriate in a post EU milk quota, spring–calving, grass– based milk production system.Target post–grazing residual sward heights were set for each treatment (LSR = 45 to 50 mm, MSR = 40 to 45 mm and HSR 35 to 40 mm) and each group was moved to the next paddock once this target was reached. No mechanical topping of the swards took place during the experiment. Chemical fertilizer application rates were common across stocking rate treatments at 250 kg Nitrogen, 4 kg Phosphorus and 8 kg Potassium per ha per year and were applied according to recommended rates and timings. All animal slurry generated by the animals during winter was reapplied to each farmlet over the first 4 months of the following grazing season and at a rate consistent with the overall stocking rate of each farmlet. As the experiment was designed to maintain similar Nitrogen inputs to each treatment, target concentrate supplementation was similar for each stocking rate at 850 kg DM/ha per year and consequently, lower per cow as stocking rate increased.

THE MAIN FINDINGS FROM THE STUDY WERE: • Higher stocking rates produced less milk and milk solids (fat plus protein) per cow but achieved increased milk and milk solids production per hectare • Increased stocking rates with increased grazing severities achieved significantly increased grass production and utilisation and consistently improved sward quality over the 4 year period • Increased stocking rates has no adverse implications for animal health or reproductive success

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STOCKING RATE DEBATE Grazing swards to the ideal residual results in significantly increased sward productivity during the grazing season

swards, net herbage production is actually reduced, as increased • Based on similar N inputs, increasing stocking rate had no quantities of residual stem and decaying material are contained adverse effects on nutrient losses while the higher productivity within the regrown material. of the higher stocking rates improved nutrient use efficiency Accelerated herbage regrowth following more severe defoliation • While the high stocking rate treatments evaluated in this study results from an increase in leaf content and an increased number were above those used in commercial practice, based on best of developed vegetative tillers within the severely defoliated high practice agronomic management, they permit increased sward productivity and grass utilisation within existing nutrient application stocking rate swards. Indeed, it is also now widely acknowledged that where ryegrass swards are severely defoliated on a continuous limits and are therefore consistent with both profitable and basis, the sward adapts to maximise leaf area in the sub–grazing environmentally efficient production targets. horizon to increase photosynthetic capability and accelerate re–growth during favourable climatic conditions.

GRAZING MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES FOR In addition to the beneficial effects on herbage regrowth, more PROFITABLE EXPANSION POST QUOTAS severe grazing in spring and summer results in the efficient harvesting While the results of stocking rate experiments undertaken at of early reproductive tillers.

Moorepark have exhibited many benefits to stocking rate This arrests the decline in sward nutritive value that is typically increases within grazing systems, these studies also highlight observed during midseason, and therefore increases the potential areas where farm management practices need to be adjusted to

“Many studies have highlighted the beneficial effects of a higher stocking rates on animal productivity, grazed grass utilisation and overall farm system efficiency” successfully implement higher stocking rates on Irish dairy farms. for increased animal intake and performance from higher quality Foremost among these, the implementation of more rigorous and mid–season swards. controlled grazing management will be essential to reap the benefits of higher stocking rates. Grazing management for high 2. FEED BUDGETING TO EXTEND THE animal productivity is based on a common sense approach to GRAZING SEASON continuously present adequate high quality grass to the dairy Each additional grazing day achieved in spring has been shown herd while ensuring that the sward is properly conditioned for to increase farm profitability by €2.70/cow.To continue to reap future grazing events.The following basic management guidelines the benefits of extended grazing at higher stocking rates, disciplined have the potential to dramatically increase animal performance at feed budgeting is required during autumn and spring. grazing and are essential as stocking rates increase.

The resulting increased average farm cover (AFC) in spring, in conjunction with more intensive grazing severities, will allow dairy farms to carry higher stocking rates while continuing to 1. GRAZING SEVERITY Increasing stocking rate is usually associated with an increase in harness the benefits of a predominantly grass–based diet.

Figure 1 illustrates the target AFC during spring to allow a farm grazing severity and many studies have attributed the increased productivity of higher SR systems to an improvement in herbage operating at a stocking rate of 2.7 to 2.9 LU/ha to achieve a utilisation and increased pasture production and quality. Although predominantly grass diet and requiring a low level of concentrate supplementation per cow. pre–grazing herbage mass tends to increase within laxly grazed

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STOCKING RATE DEBATE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors wish to express their appreciation and deep affection for Mr. Michael Feeney, who was so vital to the grassland research project team and, who sadly passed away during this study. We also thank Mr. F. Flynn, Mr. P. O’Connor and Mr.A. Brennan for their technical assistance and the staff of Curtins Farm, Moorepark for their co–operation, care and management of the experimental area.

Figure 1. Recommended average farm cover (AFC; kg DM/ha) for a farm stocked at 2.7 to 2.9 LU/ha.

CONCLUSIONS Stocking rate is widely accepted as the main driver of productivity within grazing systems and recent research studies have further highlighted the beneficial effects of optimum stocking rates on animal productivity, grazed grass utilisation and overall farm system efficiency.

The Irish dairy industry can become both more productive and environmentally efficient in future where overall farm stocking rates are matched to the farms grass growth capability and a predominantly grazed grass diet is maintained with improved grazing and nutrient management practices.The results of the study have implications for current recommendations for rotational grazing, and also for the development of highly productive grazing swards to support high intensity grass–based dairying in the future.

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HEALTH AND SAFETY

PREVENTING ACCIDENTS DUE TO FALLS & BUILDING MAINTENANCE ON THE FARM With the onset of winter now it is timely to think about the risks due to slips, trips and falls on the farm, writes John Kennedy, Health and Safety Authority.

MAJOR CAUSES OF FARM DEATHS 2005 – 2014

Total 193

W

• Provide properly hung gates throughout the farm to ensure easy hile the farm environment can often have some rough terrain and farm yards cannot always be perfectly smooth access and level, there is no excuse for tripping or falling over • Fit sliding doors or make sure that doors can be secured. Heavy loose objects which should have been tidied away.Winter conditions swinging doors or gates are highly dangerous, especially in windy often give rise to problems with leaky roofs and blocked gutters, so weather it may be wise to get these matters attended now. But sadly every • Fit handrails where there is a risk of falling year some famers lose their lives due to unsafe work practices while • Fit safety barriers at unprotected openings in the farmyard carrying out maintenance on farm buildings. Deaths due to falls from height on farms in Ireland was approximately one tenth of all the ROOFWORK fatal accidents over the last ten years 2005 – 2014. Many of these • Use safe systems of work when working at heights. Proper roof deaths are linked to fragile roof sheeting and skylights. Weathered ladders and crawling boards should always be used skylights become indistinguishable from other roofing material.

• Ladders if used should be in good condition, placed at the right Skylights, when painted over, are not recognisable as such and are angle and securely tied highly dangerous.

Often people about to do the job believe it will ‘only take a few • Be aware of fragile roof lights/panels minutes’.They often believe that ‘being careful’ will be enough to • On a fragile roof, use proper roofing ladders or crawling boards. deal with the risk of a fall. Never work off pallets on the telehandler • Erect a suitable barrier to prevent falls while carrying out extensive forks or raised buckets. work on roofs • Consider using competent construction contractors for all work at FARMYARDS AND BUILDINGS height • Pay particular attention to farmyards and buildings because of the level of farm work in these areas and the high level of risk ACCESSING HEIGHTS • Assess the farmyard and buildings for hazards • Stairs should not have an excessive pitch or angle • Make sure that the farmyard allows orderly movement of people, • Each step should have an equal rise in height and width livestock and machinery • The sides of stairs should be protected by a wall or railing of • Leave adequate space between buildings to allow easy turning and sufficient strength movement of machinery • Where a railing is used, there should be at least two rails, with the • Identify blind spots or corners where an accident could occur, and lower rail positioned mid–way between the top rail and pitch line put control measures in place • To prevent falls, lofts, work platforms and walkways should have a • Make sure that areas used for parking vehicles and mobile equipment protective barrier at the edge are level, as rolling vehicles are a major cause of farmyard accidents • Over ground slurry tanks and grain or meal bins should have a • Ensure a high level of tidiness and provide non–slip surfaces secure working platform with protective rails and a safe means of • Cover manholes and eliminate unnecessary ledges and uneven access, such as a caged ladder surfaces

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HEALTH AND SAFETY • Surfaces of stairs and walkways should be firmly fixed and should not become slippery while in use • Sighting rails should be installed on silage–pit walls.The purpose of these is to indicate the location of the walls to the machine operator loading the silage when the silage is above the walls.They are not intended to prevent a machine overturning. In addition, sighting rails provide protection against a person falling

SCAFFOLDS AND PLATFORMS • Extensive work at heights may require the use of scaffolds or properly designed work platforms • Scaffolds should only be erected by people with appropriate training and experience • Tower scaffolds can be useful but they need to be used with care because they are light and potentially unstable. A free–standing tower used out of doors should not be higher than three times its base • It is best to give this type of work out to a suitable contractor altogether, freeing your time up for your core farm work. Just make sure the contractor has a safety statement and safety training for this type of work ( eg Safe Pass and/or Scaffolders CSCS card)

TRIPS AND FALLS • Don’t rush jobs where safety might be put at risk, particularly in dangerous areas such as on muddy ground, on ladders etc.

• Look out for dangers on your walkways and in work areas,and keep these areas free of rubbish and other items that people could trip over • Make sure that lofts and stairways are stable and have adequate guard rails fitted

WORKING ON VEHICLES

LADDERS • Much small–scale and short– duration maintenance work involves the use of ladders.Always secure a ladder, even for work that will last only a few minutes • The base of the ladder must always be placed on firm, level and secure ground. Ideally, the top of the ladder should be tied to a secure part of the building to stop it from slipping • The ladder needs to be 'footed' or tied off while it is being used • Ladders must be in good condition. Makeshift, home–made or damaged ladders are dangerous and should never be used • A ladder must be placed against the side of a building at a safe angle – about 75 degrees to the horizontal (one metre out for every four metres in height) • Never reach out sideways from a ladder as this will destabilise the ladder and possibly turn it over • Never carry heavy objects while climbing a ladder • If you can’t maintain three points of contact ( two feet and one hand) on the ladder, then you may be at serious risk of falling and you should seek a safer method such as working from a mobile elevated work platform or cherry picker.

• Jumping down from vehicles is bad for your knees and you are likely to fall • Take your time climbing down from the cab of the tractor and use the provided steps and handholds rather than the steering wheel • Wear well–fitting, slip–resistant safety footwear when working on vehicles

CASE STUDY 1 A farmer suffered fatal head injuries when he fell from a ladder while repairing the roof of a farm building. He was attaching roof sheets at the gable end of the building. He propped the wooden ladder against the gable end but, due to the slope of the roof edge, the stiles were not evenly supported at the top and it is presumed that the ladder slipped. He was found unconscious beside the ladder with head injuries and died later.

CASE STUDY 2 A farmer died after falling 4m through a roof light while carrying out repairs on the barn roof of a neighbouring farm.To reach the area of the roof sheeting that needed repairing he had to pass a number of roof lights that had not been covered or fenced off.

The neighbouring farmer had been passing up materials to him but had gone in to the house at time of the accident.The farmer doing the repairs was found semi–conscious beneath a broken roof light and was taken to hospital.He died several days later from head injuries.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine has set up a Farm Safety Scheme as part of the TAMS II round of on farm investments.

This new scheme incorporates all the elements of the previous scheme plus an increased range of fixed safety items which would be helpful in reducing the risk of accidents. Details of the scheme is available on the Department’s website: http://www.agriculture.gov.ie/media/migration/farmingschemesand payments/farmbuildings/tamsiisupportdocs/awsnss/AWSafetyNutrie ntStorSchemeTandCs220715.pdf Finally the Health and Safety Authority provides an online Risk Assessment Document which farmers should complete as part of their obligations to have a Safety Statement on the farm.

The document provides a useful list of questions on all aspects of farm safety including farm buildings and maintenance. The document can be accessed at; http://farmsafely.com/farmers/00_login.htm

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DAIRY COW FERTILITY

USING MANAGEMENT AND GENETICS TO IMPROVE DAIRY COW FERTILITY

Calving pattern is the key driver of profit in pasture–based systems, therefore excellent fertility is a requirement, by Stephen Butler, Francis Curran and Mary Herlihy,Teagasc, Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork.

SUMMARY G Over the last two decades, it has become apparent that cow fertility

and survival are heavily influenced by genetics.The Economic Breeding Index (EBI) is the best tool to identify high genetic merit sires for pasture–based systems.Achieving a herd average EBI fertility sub–index of > €130 is required for a high fertility herd.

G Body condition score (BCS) is the most important factor under

management control that influences cow fertility. Management of BCS must start around 6 months before the planned mating start date to ensure that cows calve at the appropriate BCS and have minimal BCS loss after calving. Good BCS (> 3.00) at the start of breeding increases likelihood of pregnancy establishment.Thin cows (i.e., BCS < 2.75) at mating start date will have poorer submission, conception, and six week incalf rates compared with cows with BCS > 2.75.

Metabolic status and BCS Insulin–like growth factor–1 (IGF1) is an important metabolic hormone, and circulating concentrations of IGF1 are a good indicator of bioenergetic status. Circulating IGF1 concentrations are greater in Fert+ cows throughout lactation. In addition to greater IGF1, Fert+ cows also have greater circulating insulin and glucose concentrations during the immediate postpartum period. Elevated glucose in the immediate postpartum period has been linked to likelihood of early ovulation and likelihood of conception at breeding. Consistent with their superior metabolic status, Fert+ cows maintained greater BCS during lactation and had reduced BCS loss after calving compared with Fert–cows. Maintenance of greater BCS in Fert+ cows is facilitated by greater dry matter intake during early lactation. Hence, selecting for EBI improves the herd average BCS.

Uterine health The reproductive tract of all cows becomes exposed to microbial imbalanced for one or more minerals, and mineral supplementation pathogens while the cervix remains open after delivery of the fetal– is necessary to remedy this. placental unit.The development of uterine disease depends on the type of bacteria involved and on the immune response of the cow.

TESTING THE EBI FERTILITY SUB–INDEX Two groups of cows with similar genetic merit for milk production, We examined uterine health in Fert+ and Fert–cows by assessing but either good (Fert+) or poor (Fert–) genetic merit for fertility vaginal mucus scores weekly after calving and also by examining uterine cytology at three and six weeks postpartum. Both the vaginal traits was recently developed and validated at Moorepark.These animals have similar proportions of Holstein genetics, and similar mucus scores and uterine cytology results indicated greater incidence body weight, milk yield and milk composition. Fertility performance, of clinical endometritis in the Fert–cows. Despite similar management and housing, Fert+ cows had a more rapid recovery in uterine health however, is markedly poorer in the Fert–cows compared with the compared with Fert–cows.This likely indicates that the Fert+ cows Fert+ cows.The research conducted to date with this animal model were capable of mounting a stronger and/or timelier immune response has clearly demonstrated that the causes of reduced fertility in following exposure to microbial pathogens.

Fert–cows are multifactorial.

G The grass and grass silage grown on most dairy farms is deficient or

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DAIRY COW FERTILITY The oestrous cycle The oestrous cycle was 4 days longer in Fert–cows compared with Fert+ cows (25 vs.21 days).Circulating progesterone (P4) concentrations were similar during the first five days of the oestrous cycle, but from day 5 to day 13, circulating P4 concentrations were 34% greater in Fert+ cows.This difference in circulating P4 was associated with 16% greater corpus luteum (CL) volume in Fert+ cows. Greater circulating P4 concentration increases the likelihood of subsequent pregnancy establishment.

Oestrous behaviour Oestrous behaviour was measured using automated activity meters Figure 1. Key periods to assess BCS are indicated by Herd and electronic mount detectors, and ovulation was verified using average BCS targets for various stages of the transrectal ultrasound.The main findings are summarized in Table 1. gestation–lactation cycle are as follows On average, oestrus intensity was greater in Fert+ cows. Fert–cows (range in parenthesis): 1) Pre–calving: 3.00 or 3.25; Start of had more silent heats. In a dairy farm operation, these heats are missed, and at least three weeks is added onto the calving interval.A breeding: 2.90 (2.75–3.25); Drying off: 3.00 (2.75–3.25). greater proportion of Fert–cows also displayed signs of oestrus, but subsequently failed to ovulate. In a dairy farm operation, these cows Importance of BCS in late lactation do get inseminated, but fertilization cannot occur, again adding at Where grazed pasture is the main dietary component during least three weeks to the calving interval. Of the oestrus events lactation, some of the herd will be below target BCS in late recorded, 36% fell into the combined categories of silent heats and heats without ovulation in Fert–cows, whereas only 2% fell into these lactation due to failure to regain BCS during lactation. Pasture combined categories in Fert+ cows. The intensity of oestrous behaviour digestibility deteriorates as the grazing season progresses, and is greater and there is better co–ordination between oestrous behaviour hence a grass–only diet in mid–to late–lactation can be inadequate to and ovulation in Fert+ cows.This is a major area of reproductive loss support BCS gain, thus necessitating supplemental concentrate feeding. on dairy farms.

“From a management perspective, the ability to assess BCS is a key skill that will allow you to closely monitor the energy status of your herd” Table 1. Summary of oestrus–related differences between Fert+ and Fert–cows.

Fert+

Fert–

P–value

Silent oestrus

2%

22%

0.02

Oestrus without ovulation

0%

14%

0.04

Duration of oestrus (hr)

7.53

5.86

0.08

Peak oestrus activity

168

119

0.01

IMPORTANCE OF BCS After calving, lactating dairy cows experience a rapid increase in milk yield and a slow rise in dry matter intake.The gap between energy output in milk and energy intake from the diet is called negative energy balance.

It is normal for cows to undergo a period of negative energy balance in early lactation and this results in mobilisation of fat reserves.

The period of greatest fat mobilisation is during the first two weeks after calving.

It is typical for lactating dairy cows to lose 30–40% of their initial fat reserves after calving, but this figure can rise to as high as 80% with inadequate nutrition (e.g., inadequate pasture availability/ insufficient concentrate supplementation in early lactation).

Body condition score (BCS) and BCS change can be used as an indirect measure of the energy status of dairy cows during the early postpartum period and throughout lactation (Figure 1). Cow BCS is a subjective appraisal of stored energy reserves of an animal based on the amount of palpable body fat that an animal possesses.

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DAIRY COW FERTILITY Importance of BCS at drying off The dry period is a rest phase in the lactation cycle of the cow and the objective is to set up a cow for a trouble free transition to the next lactation. Cows should have at least an 8 week dry period; this should be extended for poor BCS cows.

It is important to determine forage quality in advance of the dry period as the aim during the dry period is to maximise energy intake from silage to drive BCS gain. Decisions regarding supplementation of the dry cow should be made based on BCS, dry period length, and forage quality (Table 2).

Table 2. Supplementation rates for dry cows

Table 1. Relationship between BCS and 3 week submission rate and 6 week in–calf rate With milk quotas now gone, there may be a temptation to continue milking late lactation cows over the winter on average quality silage with high levels of concentrate supplementation. If this occurs at the expense of dry off BCS, calving BCS, subsequent milk yield, and fertility, the costs will quickly outweigh the short term financial gains to be achieved.

The earliest calving animals and thinnest animals should be prioritised for an earlier dry off date.

Later calving animals can be milked for longer to avoid over conditioning and prevent associated metabolic disorders in early lactation.

Importance of BCS in early lactation Ensuring the target BCS is achieved at breeding requires correct management throughout late lactation and the dry period. If a cow fails to calve at the correct BCS, it is virtually impossible to achieve BCS gain in early lactation.

Therefore, if a cow calves down thin, she will remain thin throughout early lactation and the breeding season. Cows in poor BCS at calving or cows that experience excessive BCS loss (> 0.5 BCS) after calving are less likely to ovulate before the planned start of mating, have reduced submission rates to AI, reduced conception rates, and increased likelihood of pregnancy loss (Table 1).

MINERAL STATUS A recent survey of 44 dairy farms in the main dairy regions of Ireland indicated that the grazed grass and silage grown on many farms is inadequate for many minerals. Based on the mineral requirements for lactating dairy cows, on average, a grass–only diet met 85%, 73%, 52%, 50% and 38% of the lactating cow requirements for phosphorus, copper, iodine, zinc and selenium, respectively.

Deficiencies of these minerals have been linked to fertility complications (retained placenta, cystic ovaries, poor oestrous expression, embryo mortality).

It is essential that silage and grazed grass mineral values are measured, and an appropriate supplementation strategy implemented to ensure that mineral deficiencies are avoided. It should also be noted that cows require supplemental magnesium both during the dry period (30 g Cal–Mag per cow/day) and during lactation (60 g Cal–Mag per cow/day). Supplemental Cal–Mag during the dry period helps prevent milk fever and improves performance during calving.

A subset of the herd should be blood sampled during the dry period and again before the breeding period to ensure normal mineral status.

CONCLUSION The importance of choosing the appropriate genetics for a grass– based system is now very clear. Compared with Fert– cows, Fert+ cows have greater dry matter intake after calving, greater BCS throughout lactation, more favourable metabolic status, earlier resumption of cyclicity and superior uterine health status.

During the breeding season, Fert+ cows have stronger oestrous expression, are less likely to have silent heats,are more likely to ovulate after exhibiting heat, and have greater circulating P4 after ovulation.

From a management perspective, the ability to assess BCS is a key skill that will allow you to closely monitor the energy status of your herd.

This will allow you to make more informed nutritional management decisions in a timely manner to optimise the milk production and fertility performance of your herd in the current and subsequent lactation. It is important to assess the mineral status of the forages grown annually (grazed grass and silage), implement appropriate supplementation strategies and use blood samples from a subset of cows to verify that herd status is optimum.

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FARM DESIGN

WHEN IT COMES TO STEEL,

STICK TO THE SPEC It’s essential that anyone in the process of building or planning a new shed or structure stick to the specification regardless of grant application, writes Tom Byrne of Kilpark Planning & Design.

he specification set out by the government for steel structures is “S.101 MINIMUM SPECIFICTAIONS FOR THE STRUCTURE OF AGRICULTURAL BUILDINGS” This specification is referenced from a combination of Irish, British or European standards.These are the same standards to reference by building regulations for which all buildings need to comply.

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Kilpark Planning & Design, based in Askamore, Gorey, Co.Wexford, has a vast amount of experience when it comes to designing buildings to the specification set out by the department.

Tom Byrne (owner of Kilpark Planning & Design) a Chartered Architectural Technologist who comes from a farming background of dairy and sheep has been undertaking farm building plans, farm yard layouts and planning applications for farm buildings for the past 12 years.

This Article will look at two different types of structure which are used in farm buildings.

STEEL TRUSS STRUCTURE PORTAL FRAME STRUCTURE

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STEEL TRUSS STRUCTURE The steel truss structure is a traditional method of construction used in Ireland over the years.

Three types of steel truss structure used are as follows: The Lean–to truss The Bow truss The “A” Roof truss The Lean-to truss can span up to widths of 13.7 meters and can have a bay width of up 6.4 meters wide. All truss members will vary in size depending on the span of the shed in question. One disadvantages of the lean-to truss is that the height is restricted underneath for the use of machinery or storage of hay and straw as the bottom member of the truss is horizontal.

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FARM DESIGN The Bow truss can also span up to 13.7 meters with bay widths of up to 6.4 meters.The depth of a bow truss is typically 500mm.The bow truss, while its members are similar in size to the lean-to truss based on the span of the shed can offer a height advantage within the shed as the bottom truss member is parallel to the roof slope.

The “A” Roof Truss can span up to 15.2 meters with bay widths of up to 6.4 meters. Similarly to both other types of roof truss the members are similar in size depending on the span of the shed.

But like the Lean-to truss the “A” roof truss restricts the internal height of the shed as the bottom member of the truss is horizontal.

shed is 21.3 meters as seen on the drawing with the pillars and the rafters being constructed using an IPE 400 steel section.

However the rafter could have been reduced to IPE 360 if the width of the bays were 4.8 meters unlike the 6.0 meter wide bays used in this instance.The Portal frame structure has a height of 6.0 meters internally at the eave.This height of 6.0 meters is to allow trailers to tip as close to the wall of the grain store as possible.

The clear span system leaves a large open space internally which maximises the sheds potential and flexibility of use. Pillars along the eave of the shed can also be eliminated by means of a lattice beam should a wide access to the side of the shed be required.

CONCLUSION Drawing number 1 (Page 50) shows a bow truss either side of The type of steel structure decided on when erecting a shed a central row of columns. This particular shed is a straw bedded can be dictated mainly by its intended use.The Portal frame cattle shed with a 15 degree pitch as required for ventilation system offers a clear unobstructed area with vast flexibility of purposes in livestock housing.The columns are IPE 220.This size use although it is important to consider a 15 degree pitch on the is based on a span of up to 9.15 meters.The position of pillars roof for ventilation should the building be used for livestock.The supporting the middle of the shed facilitates a dividing wall or Steel truss roof structure can be seen as a traditional method of

“The steel truss structure is a traditional method of construction used in Ireland over the years” barrier.This shed is also grafted onto an existing lean too at one side.This is done by grafting a stub pillar onto the pillar of the existing shed.The stub pillar should overlap by a minimum of 300mm. Prior to this design being produced the existing pillar was examined to ensure it was of sufficient size for the existing shed and the proposed shed which is crucial to the grafting on process.The eaves height of this shed is 4.0 meters to facilitate the use of machinery when cleaning out etc.

PORTAL FRAME STRUCTURE The portal frame is a clear span system with no pillars within the shed itself.They can span up to a width of 24.4 meters wide to the centre of the pillars using IPE 450 for pillars. IPE steel sections are also used for rafters.The size of these is determined by the width of the span and the width of the bay. Bays can be up to 6.4 meters wide. Haunches are required at the eave (Knee Haunch) and the apex (apex haunch) for bracing of the portal frame.

Drawing number 2 shows a section through a portal frame structure which was designed for a grain store.The span of the

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construction of agricultural buildings but the presence of supporting pillars within the shed itself can lend themselves well to the division of the shed into areas such as calving pens or isolation units. Cost may also be a factor when choosing between the two methods.

The procedures of work which Kilpark Planning & Design carry out on any given project are as follows: G Initial on site consultation.

G Provision of a fee proposal with all works clearly outlined.

G Survey of farm yard / adjoining buildings / existing buildings on site.

G Draft plans of proposed building or structure G Liaise with Teagasc adviser or Agri consultant in relation to the proposal.

G Preparation and submission of planning application to county council.

Contact Tom at Kilpark Planning & Design Tel: 085 8194657 Email: tomkilpark@gmail.com www.kilpark.ie

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IRISH FARM BUSINESS – DAIRYING

PRODUCT NEWS

DELAVAL LEADING THE WAY IN IRISH AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION New dairy herd management system can significantly improve Irish dairy farm efficiency with The new system will give the milk producer a better overview of the savings of €267 per cow. eLaval has delivered another first for Irish agriculture with the launch of its new dairy herd management system. ‘Herd Navigator™’ is designed to provide producers with an enhanced overview of their entire herd whilst offering specific valuable information on individual cows. It will allow Irish milk producers to identify significantly more cows in heat than can be seen with current heat detection aids – such as activity meters – or visual checks to spot mastitis before it affects the milk. Milk producers will also be made aware of cows affected by different metabolic disorders before actual symptoms are visible to the naked eye.

“Herd Navigator™ is a significant innovation in herd management as the system automatically measures different components in the milk while the cow is being milked. This is undoubtedly the management tool of the future, it takes so much pressure off the farmer and delivers accurate results which will increase the financial yield from each cow by around €267 per cow per year,” said Kieran FitzGerald,VMS Solutions Manager, GB and Ireland.

Early warnings alert the milk producer to the appropriate quick action needed for individual cows,for reproduction,udder health and nutrition.

Proactive action will also improve animal welfare and food safety.

Herd Navigator™ focus areas include reproduction, udder health and feeding. Using sophisticated bio-modelling, analytical results are presented on the farmer’s computer in a clear form that makes it easy to spot animals which need special attention including: · Cows in heat, pregnant cows and cows with reproduction disorders or abortions · Cows that are developing mastitis,days before clinical signs can be seen · Early detection of ketosis cases or imbalance in feed ration

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whole herd while providing valuable information on individual cows.

Herd Navigator™ is a multi–award winner including Agrarfuchs Innovation in Agriculture Award at Agraria Austria 2010, nel d’Or for milking equipment at La France Agricole 2010 and rated as three star Europe news at Agromek 2008 in January in Messecenter Herning.The Herd Navigator concept has been developed in close co-operation between FOSS and DeLaval International AB and DeLaval UK and Ireland will be working in co-operation with Evidence Based Veterinary Consultancy (EBVC). In July 2015, DeLaval was awarded the RABDF Prince Philip Award for research and development in the field of dairy farming and the most practical, relevant and best technical exhibit at the Livestock Event 2015 for the ‘Herd Navigator™’.

DeLaval is a worldwide leader in milking equipment and solutions for dairy farmers, which make sustainable food production possible, warranting milk quality and animal health. Our solutions are used by millions of dairy farmers around the globe every day.

DeLaval was founded more than 130 years ago in Sweden, when the visionary Gustaf de Laval patented the cream separator.Today, DeLaval has 4,500 employees and operates in more than 100 markets. DeLaval, alongside Tetra Pak and Sidel, is part of the Tetra Laval Group.

DeLaval robotic milking systems are transforming the face of dairy farming across Ireland and further afield.They are now responsible for delivering 38% of Ireland’s milk pool each year.That’s more than 380,000 cows on almost 6,500 farms on the island being milked by DeLaval technology with the company having very ambitious plans for growth in the pipeline at an exciting time for dairying in Ireland.

Visit www.herdnavigator.com and www.delaval.ie

FORMER KERRY GAA LEGEND ‘SIGNS’ FOR FLOGAS LPG F ormer Kerry football star Darragh Ó Sé recently signed up to Flogas, converting his family’s home heating system from oil to Flogas LPG.Darragh’s 10-year-old oil boiler had become inefficient and expensive due to high running costs, so he started looking around for alternatives.“I heard about the benefits of LPG as an alternative fuel to oil and knew of several Kerry homes that had made the transition,” says Darragh.After a free home visit and energy survey with Flogas, Darragh got a new 24kw LPG boiler installed – meaning a cleaner burning fuel, longer boiler lifespan, lower carbon tax and increased efficiency.

Darragh now has a fuel supply that is secure and safe from theft and he received his first 1,200 litres free of charge. Flogas has also partnered with National Energy Assessors (NEA), who assisted in Darragh’s application for the SEAI grant of up to €700 for the installation of his new boiler.“I can’t believe how quickly the water heats up.We now have unlimited amounts of hot water for showers and switching from electric cooking to gas cooking is great,” says Darragh.

As an energy solutions specialist, Flogas can design and implement a complete turnkey solution for your home so why not avail of a no-obligation free survey from ourselves or our network of Flogas– approved and RGII/Gas Safe registered installers nationwide? We’ll analyse your existing energy costs and outline the benefits and savings you’ll enjoy by converting to Flogas LPG. If you are also interested in signing up for a great deal, contact Flogas on Tel :1800 320 342, email:gas@flogas.ie web: www.flogas.ie

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

INTRAHOOF–FIT DISCOVER AN ANTIBIOTIC FREE APPROACH TO YOUR HERD’S HOOF-PROBLEMS

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roblems with claw health are an important cause of forced removals of cows from dairy farms. Financial damage can range from €100 up to over €300 per lame cow.The losses can be mainly attributed to the fact that lame cows eat less, which soon reduces their milk production levels. The risk of nutritional deficiencies is also great. This makes lame cows more susceptible to other infections and fertility problems.

ANTIBIOTIC FREE APPROACH

INTRA HOOF–FIT LIQUID

Hoof–fit Liquid is suitable for both the individual and herd application.

A low pressure application sprayer is the best way to apply the liquid for herd application.

INTRA BATH Cows with a claw problem are always last to go through footbaths.

By this stage the footbath is so contaminated that it no longer offers a solution.

Intra Hoof-fit Liquid delivered using the Intra Bath helps solve this problem. It is designed to allow up to 60% of manure to fall through the middle grill making it more effective than a traditional foot bath.

The Intra bath also folds away neatly for easy storage.

In order to help dairy farmers maintain optimum hoof condition Intracare have developed the Intra Hoof–fit range of products. These antibiotic free products were developed in close collaboration with dairy farmers, veterinary surgeons, farriers and cattle specialists.All the products fully support medical treatment, if required.

These products contain copper and zinc (both have antibacterial REPIDERMA FOR OPTIMUM SKIN CARE properties) in an organic chelate form.This coated form is more This convenient skin protection aerosol supplements the Hoof–fit stable and better soluble than conventional forms of copper and product line. The active ingredients are micronised chelated zinc, such as sulphates and oxides. This allows the active substances minerals which, in contrast to traditional minerals, can be absorbed to better penetrate the core of the hoof problems. Zinc in chelate much more easily by the skin. Because of this, Repiderma is not only form and other skin care products, such as aloe vera can also stimulate active ’on’ the skin, but also ‘under and within’ the skin. It forms a wound healing.The powerful bonding agents within the products semi–permeable protective layer thus protecting against negative allows it to stay active even when cows are walking through manure external influences and allowing oxygen to penetrate and repair the after treatment. skin. Repiderma is a user–friendly variant of Hoof–fit Gel and just INTRA HOOF–FIT GEL like all the Hoof–fit products there is no withholding period.

Intra Hoof–fit Gel contains isopropanol, which enhances the The Intracare range of products is distributed in Ireland by antibacterial action of the agent. Hoof–fit Gel targets tissue around Agrihealth and is available to the public through most the claw reducing the risk of new bacterial infections. This highly– co–ops’s and independent merchants. Call Agrihealth on concentrated gel contains a strong adhesive which prolongs its Tel: 047 71800 for more information. contact with the claw making it ideal for use with severe cases.

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IRISH FARM BUSINESS – DAIRYING

PRODUCT NEWS

WEATHERBYS IRELAND DNA LABORATORY This year the laboratory commenced Background: Weatherbys Ireland was founded in 1973, and has Sheep genotyping with the Illumina been an integral part of the Irish bloodstock scene ever since.

Weatherbys Ireland GSB Ltd is the approved Thoroughbred Stud Book International Sheep Consortium Ovine HD Authority under Irish and EU law, being Keepers of the General Stud chip and the Illumina Ovine SNP50 chip.

Book.Weatherbys organises and hosts the International Stud Book DNA Extraction: The laboratory is one Committee – a body representing 70 countries whose objectives are to of only two laboratories worldwide with ensure that horses are accurately and consistently identified and to ease two Oktopure® DNA extraction robots the movement of racehorses and breeding stock between countries. which provide high throughput DNA Weatherbys Ireland DNA Laboratory has been involved in animal extraction capacity. parentage testing since 1986 when Weatherbys introduced parentage Quality Standards: The laboratory is an verification for all Weatherbys registered foals. Initially the laboratory institutional member of the scientific body offered a blood typing service to confirm pedigrees as part of foal the International Society of Animal Genetics registration for Weatherbys Ireland. In 1990 the laboratory extended (ISAG) www.isag.us and is also accredited by this service to the Non–thoroughbred sector as part of the registration The International Committee for Animal of foals for Horse Sport Ireland.At the turn of the century the laboratory Recording (ICAR) www.icar.org., and holds ISO17025 accreditation introduced DNA technology which superseded blood typing and in SNP genotyping. It is the only such laboratory in Ireland recognised provided further opportunities to extend DNA technology to other by (ISAG) to have achieved the necessary standards in multi–animal animal species such as cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs and cats.The Laboratory species parentage testing. Illumina has also accredited the Laboratory as has been offering this service to the Irish and British livestock industries a certified service provider (CSPro) in both Golden Gate ® and for over fourteen years and is recognised as one of the leading laboratories Infinium platforms. in the world in multi animal species pedigree verification.

Core Function: One of the core functions of the laboratory is to Genomics: In October 2010 the Laboratory introduced genotyping of provide a backup to the integrity and quality of animal breeding within the Illumina Bovine chips for cattle genomic testing to enhance the prediction values for the estimated breeding values (EBV) for individual the Agri–industry. breeding stock for the livestock industry. A highly skilled team of scientists FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: at the laboratory have contributed to the design and build of the Phone: +353(45)875521 E–mail: dnalab@weatherbys.ie Website: customised IDB chip used for genotyping Irish cattle in 2013, 2014 and www.weatherbys.co.uk 2015.Weatherbys DNA laboratory is one of the primary bovine genotyping Mail address: Weatherbys Ireland Ltd DNA Laboratory C/o The Irish Equine Centre, Johnstown, Naas, Co. Kildare laboratories worldwide.

LINTON AND ROBINSON ENVIRONMENTAL

t Linton and Robinson Environmental we specialise in the supply and installation of Waste Management Systems, Slurry Solutions and Renewable Energy products.We offer a wide range of products and services and can cater for private and commercial customers.With almost 40 years’ experience in Waste Management, Linton and Robinson have developed over the years to meet the demands of modern day Agriculture and Industry. Our Customer base and environmental projects expand across Ireland and the UK with a recent expansion into the European Market.

Our Slurry Solutions systems range from Foil Lagoons, Permastore Tanks, lined Silos and the Rotoscreen Slurry Separator.We also have our own patented ASBS System a leading technology in Slurry Aeration with several installations of this bespoke system across Ireland, UK and Europe.As Slurry Specialists we can offer a varied range of Slurry Management Products adding to farm slurry and reducing costs.

Our Waste Management products are tailored for Agriculture and Industry, to include some of the world’s most advanced technology such as The Rotary Fan Press Separator for Dewatering and Sludge treatment.We also offer Fine bubble Diffusers and Sludge Management

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Pumps.At Linton and Robinson Environmental we can offer Waste Management Solutions for all types of applications within Agriculture and Industry.

PRODUCTS & SERVICES Our range of equipment includes many exclusive products consisting of: Lagoon Master: PTO driven mechanical mixers. Foil lined lagoons: Bespoke one piece foil liner closed to store slurry, polluted water and purified water. ASBS: Automatic Slurry Bubble System, course bubble slurry aeration system suitable for mixing above and below ground tanks.

Permastore: Glass fused steel panel storage tanks for agricultural and industrial liquids. Tensioned covers: Ideal solution reducing rainwater and emissions for your above ground circular tank steel or concrete storage tanks Floating cover: A practical cost effective alternative to a roof on an above– ground circular tank to increase storage. Rotoscreen: Rotary Press slurry separator removing fibre and solids from cattle slurry. Silo Systems: Quick fit" movable solution for storage of large quantities of liquid and farm slurry Rotary Fan Press: Removal of fibre and solids from waste water and sewage. Electric pumps: Range of centrifugal pumps and macerators Fine Bubble Diffuser: Treatment and agitation of various liquids and slurries primarily for dirty water treatment plants and various bespoke solutions. Anaerobic Digester: Small scale on farm anaerobic digesters capable of running on a broad range of feedstocks. Biomass Boiler: Suitable for solid timber,wood chip,wood pellets.Services: We offer full turnkey solutions and project management to meet your requirements

For further information www.lintonandrobinson.co.uk

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COMMERCIAL FEATURE

TERRA LIQUID MINERAL SYSTEM

ercy Mills, based in Kildare, began milking for the first time 12 months ago. His main aim was to set up a robust dairy system to withstand milk price fluctuation. Percy explains,“I wanted to maximise grass utilisation while maintaining a fertile and healthy herd while using minimal concentrates.”

In order to help achieve this Percy decided to install a Terra Liquid Mineral System.The system utilises a water meter which is connected to the Terra Controller.The controller is programmed with the exact herd number, mineral dose rate and magnesium dose rate (which are dosed separately for cost efficiency). By monitoring the water consumption of the herd the Terra Controller automatically reacts to changing weather patterns ensuring that cows get their daily dose each and every day.

Percy went on to say,“My decision to use Terra Liquid Minerals has been justified. My calving went extremely well with little to no issues.

This led nicely to cows entering lactation in pristine order and milking extremely well”.

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“I noticed very quickly cows coming back into strong heats. Once breeding started I used Al for 6 weeks and then used a bull. My results on scanning were 3% empty within 12 weeks of breeding. Of this 72% was calving within 3 weeks.This has allowed me to grow my herd at a faster rate than anticipated as fewer cows are leaving my system. My calves and followers are also on the Terra Liquid Mineral system, and I have noticed excellent weight gain in these animals. I was able to achieve all of this with minimal concentrate use. I will use less than 200kg of concentrate for the year.”

The Terra Controller enables a user to change herd numbers and dosage rates, giving great flexibility and cost control throughout the year. Also the alarm feature is extremely effective in alerting of potential problems with water flow. Percy went on to say,“Overall Terra Liquid Mineral system gives me great control and confidence. I have not seen a case of milk fever or grass tetany since the Terra system was installed. The ongoing backup, service and advice means minerals are one piece of the jigsaw that I no longer have to think about.”

For further information on Terra Liquid Minerals contact Padraig Hennessy on 087 2165374 or email: sales@terraliquidminerals.ie

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NEW TECHNOLOGIES

THE ‘GRASSHOPPER’ TO CAPTURE GRASS DATA AND OPTIMIZE GRAZING MANAGEMENT Grass needs to be measured before it can be managed and the more accurate and precise the measurement – the better for management–but the process must also be easy to conduct. Bernadette O’Brien,Animal and Grassland Research and Innovation Centre,Teagasc, Moorepark, reports. measure compressed grass height, with recorded GPS coordinates, The sensor is placed on the shaft of the plate meter and this device measures the height of the grass (or plate) by recording the time for the sonic transmission from the ‘Grasshopper’ unit on the shaft and its reflective return from the circular plate. It further has the capacity to transfer generated data automatically to a SMART device and then to an online database (cloud). It then calculates the grass cover in the paddock. It is calibrated and validated for measurement of grass height against the New Zealand plate meter, the Jenquip.The accuracy and precision of estimating grass quantity using the Grasshopper will be improved while simultaneously reducing labour by automating data capture, analysis and recording in the cloud.

The Grasshopper also records where in the field the sample was taken and displays the route the farmer has followed in taking his recordings.

A mobile application to survey paddocks and display paddock maps with real–world coordinates in real time has also been developed, whereby a specific paddock map may be displayed on a smart phone.

The grass height and/or yield data of that paddock may then interact with data such as grass DM, number of cows and grass DM to be allocated/cow. Results from these calculations will indicate the fence line position on the phone screen, which would provide the intended grass allocation for the cow herd.Thus, it will have the potential to inform the operator of exactly where to place the fencing wire within the paddock, in order to achieve an accurate and precise grazing allocation.This part of the development is in progress and due to be in place for the next grass measurement season in springtime.

If the farmer wishes to use the grass measurement data for grass budgeting on a whole farm basis (e.g. PastureBase Ireland), this normally he ability to accurately and precisely estimate the quantity of requires him to manually enter the results into a computer, but now grass in a field and then allocate the correct area for grazing, the ‘Grasshopper’ has the ability to do this task automatically in the are two key factors affecting the milk yield of the grazing dairy background.Technology should be low cost, reliable, robust, flexible, cow.The accurate and precise estimation of grass quantity on the easy to maintain and update, and provide information that can be entire farm is also important to assist farmers in making decisions immediately converted into a management action.The Grasshopper whether or not to budget grass during dry weather, for example, when does that. grass growth declines. Grass budgeting and informed decisions based Evaluation of the Grasshopper is being led by Bernie O’Brien at on estimation of grass quantity promotes better utilization of grass Teagasc Moorepark as part of the EU project ‘ICTGRAZINGTOOLS’, on the entire farm.What gets measured gets managed. with a focus to optimise the competitiveness of grass–based milk

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“Technology should be low cost, reliable, robust, flexible, easy to maintain and update, and provide information that can be immediately converted into a management action.The Grasshopper does that” Current technologies and methods to assist farmers to measure grass quantity include manual clipping and weighing of grass within a representative quadrant of a field or using a rising plate meter, which measures grass height and indirectly estimates grass quantity in a field.The rising plate meter is an upright stick with a horizontal disc that moves up the stick, depending on the height and density of the grass underneath it. Usually the farmer will walk across the field and take 30 to 50 measures to achieve an average grass height. Once the grass quantity is known, the farmer calculates the area of the field that will supply the cow herd with the correct amount of grass, and manually sets up the fences. But this method of data capture is extremely laborious, and often subsequently requires the farmer to manually enter the results in to the computer.

Thus, a rising plate meter device has been developed known as the ‘Grasshopper’, with an ultra–sonic sensor to accurately and precisely

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production systems.There are four partners involved in the project, research organisations in Ireland (Teagasc), France (Institute de l’Elevage) and Switzerland (Agroscope) and one small, medium enterprise based in Shannon, Co. Clare, Ireland (True North Technologies).

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