RURAL INFRASTRUCTURE NUTRITION FORAGE AND ARABLE HORTICULTURE ANIMAL MANAGEMENT DAIRY MANAGEMENT
Plan 365 is a technical guide aimed at helping shareholders learn about best practice and the latest advancements in rural technology.
Closing down the dairy milking shed at the end of lactation
Milk quality is all about being proactive, not reactive. Here is a recommended farm dairy shut down procedure and other valuable tips.
1. Final milking machine clean for the season
• Double the usual amount of alkali you use and add an extra litre of liquid chlorine to the alkali wash.
• Recirculate for as long as possible, maintaining the wash solution temperature above 60°C.
• Dump this solution and brush any stubborn deposits that need removing.
• Follow with a high strength wash of acid solution (acid sanitiser), also in hot water if you can.
• Rinse out with a cold acid sanitiser and shut the plant down for the off season.
2. Any unions on the milk line that have been troublesome during the season need to be dismantled and checked
• The plastic unions with cone seals in them are a particular worry and need to be checked. Replace if any signs of wear at all.
• If you have welded unions with O ring seals, check for leaks and replace seals as necessary.
• Dirty unions that are still in good shape can be soaked in the alkali solution then re-used.
3. Bulk milk tank (cooling tank, silo, vat)
• For the last wash, recycle a concentrated alkali. If you can’t recycle your BMT use a neat chlorinated alkali, which you scrub onto the walls. Then rinse with hot water. Be safe — always use safety glasses and gloves. In confined spaces such as a vat, always use BREATHING APPARATUS and have a buddy outside the vat.
• Check all seals, on the inlets, outlets and door seals and replace any worn seals.
• Remove the spray ball and clear any debris that may be lodged in it.
4. Milk releaser pumps
• Diaphragm pumps — Check all unions around the diaphragm pump and replace the diaphragms. Ensure back plates are fitted to diaphragms and check the oil level in the gear box and general condition of driving belts.
• Centrifugal pumps — Check nonreturn valves and condition of the mechanical seal.
• Rubber impeller pumps — Check impeller, non-return valve and mechanical seal.
5. Filter housing
• Check the seals on the filter housing.
• Also check the filter cage for any damage.
6. Plate cooler
• This is a very good time to open your plate cooler and check for any soiling
and scrub if needed. If you are unsure on how to do this, call your milking machine fitter to assist.
• Always measure the distance between the thicker outside plates on your plate cooler, before you open it, so it can be returned to the same position. Once the cooler has been loosened, pour hot water over the plates to split them open.
7. Inflations (liners)
• Correct tension is essential to give proper pulsation squeeze on the end of the teat, therefore achieving good milking efficiency.
• It is recommended to start the new season with new liners.
By following this routine the plant will be ready to go and you won’t be caught out when those inevitable early cows start appearing.
Article supplied by Ecolab.
Taking on hill country: Tonic plantain reaches new heights
As sheep farming is pushed further onto hill country areas, the need to provide higher quality feed in these environments becomes more crucial. Tonic plantain is able to enhance the development of uncultivable hill country to increase finishing capability. Brooklands Station Manager and Farmlands shareholder, Simon Hull, says Agricom’s Tonic has been instrumental in providing the station’s hill country with a new lease of life and productivity.
The 1,500 hectares effective station in Alfredton, Wairarapa runs 7,500 ewes, this year producing 10,500 lambs, including 2,000 replacements, as well as 380 breeding cows and 600 dairy heifer grazers. Currently Brooklands has 70ha of flats sown with plantain, 100ha of aerial sown plantain and has plans for another 30ha in autumn 2015.
For Simon, Tonic is a tool that has delivered increased growth rates and improved carrying capacity of stock through summer and autumn. This allows him to compete with grass based flat land systems.
From what was originally only a small part of a pasture mix, Tonic plantain has
been transformed into what many now consider a strategic forage. It is suited to a range of soil types, rainfall zones and other climatic conditions. Tonic is unique as it is an upright cultivar in all seasons and has similar autumn and winter activity to perennial ryegrass. Tonic can increase the ME (metabolisable energy) of the forage available on hill country, as well as giving some drought tolerance and it recovers a lot quicker than many other species.
Brooklands' data on growth rates for a full year (FarmIQ) showed an average growth rate of 260g/head/day on plantain, with little difference between the flats and hill country. Simon says, “prior to Tonic, only 5 percent of trade lambs were killed off the ewes. This season, due to the growing size of the plantain stand, the weaning draft has increased to 20 percent at 17.4kg. Alongside this, we have lifted our works ewe weight 5kg/ cwt through lambing on plantain.”
Aerial sowing is not without its challenges though and Simon recommends selecting areas for development early. It is good practice to get a soil test at least 12 months prior to sowing and to start managing the selected blocks with chemical topping, to get rid of weeds and thatch early by either putting through a summer fallow or a crop (e.g. summer turnips), to break down the thatch and allow another weed spray.
Brooklands has been successful with both spring and autumn establishment but in his environment, Simon has found the benefit of autumn establishment is
that the plantain is up and running for spring lambing. Autumn establishment can however be at the mercy of the rain and temperature cooling can slow establishment if Tonic is planted late. Adding clover to the Tonic mix adds ground cover and promotes nitrogen fixation and cycling but it still requires maintenance fertiliser, to enhance and maintain a productive plantain stand. Annual spray maintenance of the hill country development area is needed, along with planned use of grass weed and thistle control.
Overall, Simon has observed healthier stock, with improved growth across the board. In terms of persistence, Simon is keeping an open mind as his stands are reaching 18 months old. He is impressed with the great growth and utilisation Tonic plantain offers and is looking forward to being able to utilise the added 30 hectares sown this autumn.
For further information, talk to one of the friendly staff at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Agricom.
| Simon Hull on Brooklands Station.
| Developed land (left) versus undeveloped land (right).
Securing cost-effective winter feed
Autumn is a good time to analyse your winter feed situation and develop strategies to meet your stock’s future needs. Nitrogen applications are an economical way of filling shortfalls on all farm types.
To get the most value out of nitrogen fertiliser, it’s best to keep an up-to-date feed budget, monitor pasture growth and have plans for using the extra feed effectively.
Grant Gillard, Merchant Relationship Representative, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, has some timely advice for dairy farmers.
“If your finances are tight this year, crunch the numbers on supplementary feeds to make sure you get the most out of your investment. Nitrogen additions are cost-effective and can be used to extend your days in-milk ,as well as to boost feed in early spring, when feed pinches can happen.”
As nitrogen is a growth promoter, one of the keys to using it successfully is to ensure your pasture is able to respond. While soil temperatures remain more than 6°C and the soil is not too dry or wet, you can expect to get a response of around 5–10kg DM/kg N. Don’t apply nitrogen when soil conditions are unfavourableyou could be wasting your hard-earned cash and risking nitrogen loss to the environment.
As far as application rates go, apply around 20–40kg N/ha. Also, don’t forget to time your applications so that the feed becomes available when your feed budget indicates it is required.
Nitrogen is not just for dairy farmers,
either — sheep and beef farmers can also benefit from using it strategically.
“There are plenty of opportunities to make money out of applying nitrogen, as long as you get your strategy right,” Grant says. “Apply it to paddocks where you will get a good response and you can use the extra feed effectively, such as your better performing paddocks or paddocks where the slope and aspect are conducive to good pasture growth. The resulting feed can be used to meet feed pinches, grow finishing stock or to ensure breeding stock are in good condition come spring, so they will feed their offspring well.”
Again, timing, feed budgeting and monitoring of pasture growth are important. These activities will all help to
ensure you are on top of any changes in your feed situation.
If you can’t guarantee at least 5-10mm of rain within 8 hours of a urea application then SustaiN is the recommended choice. The variable rainfall patterns in autumn often favour choosing SustaiN over urea. PhaSedN is a good alternative if you would like to apply some elemental sulphur alongside nitrogen. Elemental sulphur additions in autumn are particularly useful in areas with high winter sulphur leaching losses.
For further information, talk to one of the friendly staff at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Ballance.
Coping with Cooperia this season
This year has started with one of the driest summers yet – with expected rain, parasites will follow.
Eliminating worm burdens not only improves animal health and production, it reduces feed wastage on wormy stock, which is important under the current climatic conditions.
One of the most production-limiting worms of cattle is Cooperia, so make sure you schedule worm control drenches that include the active levamisole to combat this parasite. Depending on your formulation preference, there are two options open to you this season — either an injection or a pour-on product. EDGE® is a new combination injection for cattle, containing the trusted active doramectin, together with the power of levamisole for enhanced protection. EDGE is effective against all important internal production limiting worms, with recent New Zealand trials to back up efficacy claims. Plus, EDGE
is ideal for young stock too — with its new sheep claim, it is also ideal for hoggets as an exit drench. Saturn® Pour-on is a combination of abamectin and levamisole, which helps delay the onset of resistance, plus it is highly effective against Cooperia (mature
and immature) as well as controlling sucking lice.
For further information, talk to one of the friendly staff at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Bayer.
Exit drenching - when and why?
The purpose of introducing an exit drench treatment into a planned drenching programme is to remove any drench-resistant worms that survived late autumn and late spring drenching. Importantly, it slows resistance development and results in better animal productivity.
Exit drenching does not mean adding another drench to your drenching programme. Instead, you substitute the last drench of the season with a product that is chemically different than previously used and is effective against all common production limiting parasites on any given property. As well as preventing pasture contamination with resistant worm eggs, exit drenching is important to help prolong the effective life of drench actives.
Moxidectin is a useful active when Barber’s Pole (Haemonchus contortus) is a concern. Although most shortacting combination drenches will effectively kill Barber’s Pole worms, this species has the ability to reproduce rapidly under the right conditions (warm and humid), so that it can cause major production losses between monthly drenches with a short-acting product. The longer action of moxidectin provides protection during the high-risk warmer months. However, it is important to use this drench strategically to delay the onset of resistance to this useful
active. Reserve the use of moxidectin for the months when Barber’s Pole is a real risk (autumn) and ensure that an exit drench is given as the last drench of the autumn following its use. As the Barber’s Pole worm needs moisture and warmth (about 15-30°C) to reproduce, plan your exit drench after the temperature cools down or when you have had a few frosts. The product chosen as an exit drench must be highly effective to be useful. Therefore, it makes sense to use a product from a different drench family. For example, after the use of moxidectin, choose a drench that does not belong to the ML family. Best practice is to use a triple combination drench such as Evolve Sheep or Alliance ®
For further information, talk to one of the friendly staff at your local Farmlands store.
Optimum gains need sustainable drenching policies
This time of the year, it is important to maximise growth rates of beef weaners and reduce growth checks caused by gut worms. Poor management of internal (gut) worms will cause significant slowing of weight gains going into the winter period. With growing concerns of anthelmintic resistance, choosing an effective and sustainable drenching programme becomes vital. Coopers recommends using combination oral drenches with known efficacy against the major gut worms that reduce the development of resistance.
Three worm species have been identified as causing the greatest growth loss in beef weaners. These are identified as Ostertagia, Cooperia and Trichostrongylus. Cattle generally
develop tolerance to these internal parasites by the age of 18-20 months. Managing these species in calves up to this age should be the main focus of an effective gut worm management plan, as these are a source of ongoing pasture contamination.
Alarmingly resistant populations of gut worms have been revealed on beef farms in New Zealand. In a 2006 survey, resistance to ivermectin was evident on nearly all farms surveyed (92 percent). The same survey found that, of farms with sufficient Cooperia worm species to test, 74 percent had resistance to both ivermectin and albendazole (BZ). This shows that in New Zealand cattle, Cooperia species have developed widespread resistance to both the MLs and white
(BZ) drenches. However, no cases of levamisole-resistant Cooperia were detected. Therefore, a combination drench containing levamisole is recommended for cattle up to 20 months of age – the period when Cooperia will do the most harm.
Converge or Alliance are solid choices, as both drenches contain levamisole in a combination active oral formula, with proven efficacy against all three of the major gut parasites in beef weaners. If you are introducing new weaner calves, a quarantine drench should be used to prevent any resistant worms entering your farm. Alliance, a triple active (abamectin, levamisole and oxfendazole) combination oral drench is an ideal quarantine drench.
A regular drenching plan for beef weaners needs to be part of a wider worm-management plan that combines effective drenching with pasture and stock management.
During autumn and early winter, peak numbers of the worm population are living outside the calves, so managing the potential pasture burden becomes very important. Where possible, grazing management should be used to reduce exposure of beef weaners to heavy pasture burdens.
Coopers recommends to optimise the growth potential of your beef weaners, use an oral, cost-effective combination drench such as Converge or Alliance this season
Article supplied by Coopers.
Maximising EID potential
A year or two before Electronic Identification became mandatory, Whangara Farms was looking at ways EID could add value to its operation.
“Our challenge was to get to a position where we are rewarded in the market for what we produce while still keeping our cost structures under control,” says Farm General Manager, Richard Scholefield. Whangara Farms began to use EID as a productivity tool, after partnering with Tru-Test and investing in their XRS EID stick readers and XR3000 weigh scales for its intensive cattle finishing.
“We intensively finish 2,000-3,000 head of cattle a year. As part of that, we use EID to monitor weight gain on grass
and different forages. We also monitor individual animal performance, with the aim to identify poor performing animals.
In our case that’s bulls. Then we get rid of them and feed the grass to animals that are more efficient, growing a lot quicker and utilising the feed better.
“Our guys are constantly monitoring the cattle through the yards. We weigh the cattle fortnightly to monthly. We can identify how they are performing and if there are any issues. An animal can come through that has lost a lot of weight you can identify it and draft it out. It may have a worm burden, it may need drenching.
As they are growing and getting closer to slaughter, you can identify the animals that have reached their potential and then
we can market them earlier and put the feed that was going into that animal into another.
“There is definitely a financial gain by using EID effectively. For most farmers it is the initial cost of outlay to get set up, a wand and scales. There is a requirement of tagging animals anyway so the cost of $2-$3 a tag is really nothing. You can recoup costs fairly quickly just by identifying poor performing animals, treating them a little bit differently or getting rid of them and maximising the high producing animals.
“We are using it across our cows and heifers. We identify our replacement heifers, which have better carcass characteristics and match that up with EID so that we have that data for life. In the past you might have a mob weight or a mob average. Now it is down to an individual animal that you can monitor for individual performance and not only on the male side for slaughter but also on the female side for replacements.
“Following on from the beef business, Whangara Farms has fully implemented EID across its stock of 32,500 ewes, EID tagging all ewe lambs at docking plus a proportion of our male lambs, to look at growth rates from docking to weaning.
“We are investigating the value of EID in commercial operations and how we can further add value to what we are doing. There is a lot more potential and more we could still do to help increase productivity and profitability.”
Article supplied by Tru-Test.
| Richard Scholefield has managed sheep and beef farms for 15 years in New Zealand, UK and the USA. Now Farm Manager at Whangara Farms near Gisborne, he uses EID with Tru-Test readers and weigh scales as every day farming practice for greater profitability and productivity.
Transformer — outstanding new technology
Farmlands is proud to bring yet another innovative and game changing product to the New Zealand market. Transformer is a soil conditioner that will improve the rate of water infiltration into compact and hydrophobic soils for up to 6 months. Water is absorbed by the soil immediately, rather than running off and it becomes better held for roots to absorb.
The technology in Transformer is based on orange oils, which bind to the hydrophobic particles in the soil but at the same time attract water molecules. The result is water gets pulled into and through the soil with each irrigation. More importantly, Transformer enables water to be drawn more effectively into the micro-pores, rather than being lost
through the profile. At the same time, it allows the macro-pores to do what they are designed to do – hold air, so the roots and soil biology can breathe. As a result, you will see:
• Improved drainage on soils that are prone to waterlogging
• Improved oxygen levels in the soil
• Increased availability of nutrients
• Better soil conditions for root growth and beneficial organisms
• More efficient use of water
A single treatment per season is generally all that is required. The key to success is ensuring it is washed into the root zone during application. Often it is sprayed onto the soil then irrigated in or more commonly, applied in the first irrigation of the season.
For green keepers that battle with “dry spot” on fairways and greens, this will be a “must have” tool. For growers trying to wet up soils that have a heavy mulching of sawdust, bark or compost, it will similarly become a standard inclusion in the programme. Avocado growers on heavy soils battling Phytopthera now have another tool for improving soil conditions. For cropping farmers, this product will not only enable more efficient water use but also lessen the extremes of water stress the crop endures between irrigations.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Farmlands Horticulture.
Lighting in free range, small scale layers
Have you ever wondered why birds in the wild only lay eggs in the spring and early summer and then cease laying as winter approaches?
This is all due to day-length or hours of daylight, as well as changes in light intensity. Birds that hatch in the spring require a shortening day-length approaching winter and an increasing day-length after mid-winter to trigger maturity and begin to lay eggs. In technical terms, this is known as photorefractoriness. The modern commercial layer has almost had this phenomenon bred out of it and given sufficient time and food, a flock of commercial layer hens will eventually reach sexual maturity and start to lay some eggs, even without light stimulation. However, production will be poor as will peak of lay. Conversely,
layers having access to natural daylight (typically in free range situations) usually do very well from late spring to mid-summer and one often notices a significant drop in egg production as autumn and winter approach. This is due to birds within the population exhibiting photorefractory behaviour and going out of lay.
Fortunately, with the use of artificial light, we can “trick” these birds into believing summer is permanent and thereby reduce the drop-off in egg production. The choice of lighting is not that critical, so incandescent, fluorescent or even modern LED lighting can be used, although it is preferable to select warm white options when using fluorescents or LEDs.
In open housing typical of free range layers, the artificial light needs to complement the natural day length and
this is true of both rearing and during lay with open housing. For hens in lay, knowing the maximum day length for your region is really important. Find out when sunrise will occur and sunset on the longest day and how this changes over time. Then set the timer for the lights to come on half an hour before sunrise and stay on until the sun is up. The lights must then be turned on prior to sunset and remain on half an hour after sunset on the longest day in your region. The lights need to be bright enough, without shadows in corners, so the hens still perceive that it is daylight. A single 75 watt bulb will cover 20m² of floor space, depending on how high the ceiling is. Some trial and error may be required to arrive at the ideal amount of light the birds need for optimum production. If birds are flighty and nervous then reduce the light intensity with lower wattage bulbs. The Hy-Line website at www.hyline.com has a customised lighting programme for any location and this will work for any breed of layer.
Tossing birds a handful of whole grains, birdseed or some chopped greens in the late afternoon can help calm birds and help keep litter friable. Tip – the earlier lights come on in the morning, the more eggs will be laid before noon. This is more difficult to achieve as one goes further south in New Zealand, since the longest day reduces this flexibility.
Article supplied by Natalie Chrystal, Nutritionist, NRM.
Pigs — genetically equipped to respond to good care and nutrition
With abstinence from bacon butties often cited as the main regret of vegetarians, it’s not surprising that finishing pigs for home consumption is becoming almost as fashionable as the veggie patch for those with the space and interest in livestock.
Highly efficient omnivores, the pig’s nature and intelligence encourages people to give them a life in keeping with the five freedoms for animals under human control:
• Freedom from hunger or thirst
• Freedom from discomfort
• Freedom from pain, injury or disease
• Freedom to express normal behaviour
• Freedom from fear and distress
Intensive genetic selection programmes have contributed to increases in litter
size at the amazing rate of one pig/ sow every 3 years. Sows capable of producing more than 30 pigs/year are very different from the sows that produced 20 pigs/year just more than a decade ago. Lactating sows should be fed ad-lib, to meet the enormous demand from their litter. Farmlands has a choice of two piglet milk replacers designed to be fed dry in piglet creep feeds, to help accelerate gut growth and development and help young pigs transition from mother’s milk. They contain lactose, which is a good energy source but it also creates lactic acid, which may help to keep the baby pig gut acidified and reduces E-coli proliferation.
Breeding has changed growth and body composition of growing-finishing pigs towards increased lean tissue mass, decreased body fat and increased protein deposition and growth rates. Efficient commercial grower finishers are achieving conversion rates as low as 2.6:1. With heritage breeds surviving in the care of specialist breeders, finishers can choose anything from purebred weaners from traditional breeds
through to crossbreds and modern hybrids to suit the gastronomic tastes of the home finisher. Increasing protein in the grower diet ensures leaner growth but it is not just the amount of protein but the amino acids that protein is made up of that is important.
Ionophores used in some cattle and poultry products should not be fed to pigs. Pigs also have particular mineral, trace element and vitamin requirements, so specialist compound pig nuts are better suited to their needs than cattle, sheep or horse feeds. Correctly formulated, they offer convenience and consistency over home-mixed rations based on waste milk or vegetables like potatoes, reject grain and bakery waste into pigs. Feeding table scraps along with pelleted feed can be a cheap and economical way to raise pigs. Under the 2005 Biosecurity Regulations, it is a legal requirement that all meat, or food waste that has come into contact with meat, must be heated to 100°C for 1 hour, to destroy any bacteria or viruses present. It is important to be aware that pigs respond to good quality palatable diets and are more susceptible to the damaging effects of mycotoxins (biological poisons produced by moulds) than ruminants and horses.
Article supplied by Dr. Rob Derrick, Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.