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.
Give your cows a JumpStart™
Deliberate nutrition management before and after calving is important for achieving high production and improved fertility. Cows in the first 10 days of lactation are referred to as colostrum cows.
Calving and the colostrum period are critical times for dairy cows. These cows are experiencing a negative energy deficit (when energy demand outstrips energy supplied) and they are stripping weight off because they can’t physically eat enough (breakdown of body fat to bridge the energy gap). They have reduced immune function, a rapid increase in nutrient requirements and are at high risk of metabolic issues such
as ketosis and milk fever. The transition period is where up to 80 percent of disease costs and 4 percent of involuntary culls come from. Protecting the cow during this period will ensure a higher peak and overall a higher production lactation.
JumpStart™ is a ready to use mix of molasses, MPG, calcium and magnesium designed to provide a quick energy boost immediately after calving.
JumpStart™ has the highest ME/ litre on the market (based on market information available), which is calculated at 16MJ ME/litre.
For more information, talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today.
Article supplied by Nutritech.
Proactive approach solves big mastitis problem
Mike White is highly focussed on the profitability and sustainability of his farming business. So when the former rural bank manager identified a significant opportunity to reduce the impact of mastitis on his herd, he took a proactive and thorough approach to ensure he achieved the desired outcome.
Contract milking 400 cows, on 116 hectares near Putaruru, Mike consistently achieves high levels of milk production with 1,700kgMS/hectare and 500kgMS/cow for the 2014/2015 season. This requires the use of purchased maize silage and palm kernel, which is fed via a feed pad on-farm. However, the feed pad use and associated exposure to environmental bacteria also presents a challenge for mastitis management for Mike and his team.
“We had a horrific run with mastitis, with 92 cases in the 2013/2014 season. That’s 23 percent of the herd!
“We contacted our vets who ran some cultures, which confirmed coliform mastitis and they recommended we switch teat spray to TeatX,” Mike says.
“The mastitis basically stopped overnight.”
The herd had just 10 cases of clinical mastitis (2.5 percent) for the entire 2014/2015 season.
“The somatic cell count went from around 150,000 last season to just 50,000 this season,” Mike says.
Mike is careful to point out that he takes a broad preventative approach to managing mastitis. “On the hygiene front, we change our liners twice a season and everyone wears gloves for milking. We also use dry cow therapy and teat seal. We have
had good advice from our vets on milking techniques like cluster removal and teat spraying,” he says.
But teat spraying with TeatX remains a corner stone of his prevention programme and he sees it as a key investment. “In any decision we make, we look at cost and benefit. We use TeatX at a 1:4 mix rate throughout the season – that’s the policy we have.”
The farm’s winter mastitis management programme involves bringing the herd through the shed three times a week to be teat sprayed. In the colostrum mob, where teats are often dry, swollen and chapped, the team ensures good milk out and thorough coverage with TeatX to improve teat skin condition.
“We’ve noticed better teat condition on the back of using TeatX,” Mike says.
“We just don’t have any problems with mastitis through the season now – so it’s been great! We think we’re getting a really good result and the proof’s in the pudding!”
For more information, talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today.
Article supplied by Deosan.
| Mike White (Contract Milker Putaruru), Paul Johnson (Deosan Territory Manager) and Peter Wright (Farmlands Technical Field Officer).
Support through supplements
Giving your calves a great start in life has its rewards – healthy animals mean better returns.
The primary aim when rearing calves is to grow out strong, healthy animals and get them out of the shed and onto grass as fast as possible. These calves are your next generation of milkers, so getting them up to weight as R2s, into calf and optimising their genetic potential to produce large amounts of milksolids should be the goal.
Calves are born with a sterile gut, which becomes colonised as calves pick up bacteria from their environment. Some of these bacteria are highly beneficial for improved digestion of colostrum and milk but some are harmful bacteria, which can cause scours.
Providing the ideal environment for the beneficial bacteria and suppressing the harmful bacteria and viruses is critical for the development of the calf. Using a quality probiotic, with high levels of live beneficial bacteria and a broad
spectrum disinfectant, in combination with a coccidiostat will provide the best environment for calves to flourish. A calf needs to be consuming 1kg of quality meal or pellets containing a coccidiostat to be protected from coccidiosis.
For more information, talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today.
Article supplied by Nutritech.
Metabolic treatment made easy
Definition
Metabolic conditions predominantly occur when cows transition from in-calf to full lactation. This is when a healthy cow becomes recumbent due to a metabolic condition and then proceeds to a downer cow if recumbent for 24 hours or more.
Prevention
Prevention revolves around healthy animals being in good condition with adequate nutrition, supplemented with magnesium in various forms for at least 3 weeks pre-calving and calcium post-calving in the colostrum mob. The treatment of at-risk (any calving related condition) cows prophylactically with a product like Oral-Max and Oral-Cal can’t be underestimated in preventing
the whole cascade effect. This entails little time and cost comparatively to the savings in all other aspects and is under utilised as a key preventive measure, as energy and calcium can stop the slide into many post-calving conditions associated with low calcium and depressed appetite.
Preparation
A key facet is preparation, with a precalving staff training to develop best practice. This will entail having essential product on-hand and revised treatment protocol. It is important that lifting and moving equipment is appropriate and in good order, with a designated recovery area that is sheltered, dry and handy, with a suitable surface to prevent further injury to an already debilitated animal. Animal welfare is becoming an ever increasing concern with the general public and authorities, so this aspect has to be considered seriously.
Treatment
This must be prompt and adequate if the recumbent metabolic cow is to avoid becoming a downer statistic. A good diagnosis is key to this process. As in many cases, there can be more than one distinctive metabolic
Symptoms Weakness, wobbliness, depression, lying down with head turned, glassy eyed and constipation. Excitability, nervousness, staggery on feet, sitting on knees, unable to get up or cast.
condition involved, plus also about 10 other non-metabolic conditions that commonly occur as well. These all have to be dealt with concurrently, hence a thorough examination is essential, as it will affect the cost/risk equation. The key is to put maximum effort in early with the likes of intravenous treatment (not grass staggers) first to get rapid response, followed by subcutaneous to give extended effect and orally to get prolonged cover for up to 12 hours. Reducing milk removal, to decrease stress that stimulated a condition in the first place, or an oral supplement longer term is definitely required.
Article supplied by Bayer.
The smart guide to treating scouring calves
Whatever the reason, a scouring calf is at risk of massive loss of:
• Body fluids
• Electrolytes (body salts)
• Energy
All of these are vital for survival and losses can severely hinder your valuable replacements from reaching their growth potential. When it comes to managing scours, every day is valuable. A calf scouring for even a single day loses significant volumes of fluids and body weight. In the clinical situation, a 40kg calf might potentially lose a couple of litres of fluids during one day of scouring – this equates to 2kg of body weight lost in 1 day! As the scour continues, the weight and fluid loss can quickly become critical.
A severely dehydrated calf would need to drink at least 8-10 litres a day to account for the fluid lost in the scour. In reality, this is unlikely to happen without therapeutic intervention, as these dehydrated calves become weak and are simply unable to get enough fluid to replace the lost reserves. Administering fluids that contain electrolytes (such as Dexolyte or ElectroLife) allow better utilisation of the fluids taken in and also contain vital energy and vitamin A components to assist weak and energy deprived calves to get back on track quicker. The sooner a calf can get back onto milk, the sooner it will be able to balance its own fluids, electrolytes and energy levels. For this reason it is recommended that milk feeds continue, even in actively scouring calves, with electrolyte replacements being
administered between feeds (see feeding recommendations below).
After a moderate scour, calves on this regime can be expected to recover and make a return to routine milk feeding fairly quickly without further problems.
For more information, talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today.
Article supplied by Bayer.
Virkon ® S — for all your calving biosecurity needs
Prevention, rather than cure, is the most effective approach to disease management in any calf rearing programme, ensuring the best possible start for optimum growth and future production.
The immune system of a young calf is underdeveloped, therefore minimising the risk of exposure and spread of bacteria, viruses and parasites in the calf’s environment is an essential part of the calf rearing programme. A broad-spectrum disinfectant, such as Virkon®S should be used regularly to clean and sterilise pens, railings, water troughs, feeders and other equipment and surfaces.
Virkon®S is designed for use by farmers and has proven efficacy under real farm conditions with heavy soiling, hard water and low temperatures, which can present serious problems to other disinfectants. No other disinfectant has the same powerful composition or extensive testing. Virkon®S has been independently proven highly effective against all known viral families and also kills bacteria, fungi and mycoplasma including FMD, 14 strains of salmonella, E.Coli, rotavirus, staphylococcus and streptococcus. Virkon®S is both safe and effective for use in the presence of animals and people, particularly in aerial disinfection, water treatment and foot dips. Typical in-use
dilution is not corrosive or irritating to skin and eyes and is not sensitising. Highly effective and fast acting, Virkon®S really is a one-stop disinfectant package for on-farm biosecurity protection.
For more information, talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store today.
Article supplied by Virkon.
TriTrace ® WG with Rumensin ®
New Zealand’s first trace minerals with Rumensin® in a world class dispersible granule, with rapid dispersion and excellent suspensibility in a uniform, dust free granule for fast and easy mixing.
TriTrace® WG with Rumensin® offers the benefits of selenium, iodine and cobalt in a convenient granule with the added benefit of Rumensin®
TriTrace® WG with Rumensin® is ideal to be used in the following circumstances:
• As a convenient, easy to mix, cost effective way to add Rumensin® to your inline system.
• During pre-calving and early lactation, where additional selenium, cobalt and iodine would be beneficial.
• In conjunction with your existing trace mineral regime to add additional cobalt, selenium and iodine in a very cost effective way during Rumensin® treatment.
• For farms where stock have high liver copper levels.
• During facial eczema season, when high levels of zinc are being administered.
• For all the benefits of Rumensin®, such as increased production of milk protein and as an aid in the control of ketosis and bloat.
• 7.5 cents cow/day.
• Available late July.
Lousy, long-wooled sheep – what to do?
For farmers, a lice outbreak can be embarrassing. You don’t want the neighbours knowing you have an outbreak (and wool will be visible on the fences from the rubbing), so if an outbreak occurs, treatment will usually follow. In NZ it was compulsory to dip until 1992 but it is now something that many farmers only choose to do in an emergency situation, once they discover very lousy sheep. Lice is an unwanted problem for all involved.
For a long time there were misconceptions that lice could jump across boundaries and survive for weeks in a bit of wool on a fence. What is now known is that close contact with infected sheep is required for lice to move between stock. Controlling lice would be easy if a fully effective product was used correctly on every sheep (and goat) on-farm at the correct time of year and off-shears. In reality, this is unlikely and leads to a lot of discussion amongst neighbours and their vets or rural merchandisers.
Lice actives
Insect growth regulators (IGRs) kill immature insects by interfering with moulting. Immature lice are killed as IGRs affect their moulting process. Adult lice are not affected and die of ‘old age’ over about 14 weeks. However, after a few weeks, adult
female lice appear unable to produce viable offspring. IGRs pose little risk to humans or animals and are not classified as acutely toxic. Magnum® (diflubenzuron) is an example of these actives.
Synthetic pyrethroids (SPs) kill adult and juvenile parasites by acting on the nervous system. SPs also present minimal risk to animals and people, although some people can suffer skin and eye irritation if they come in direct contact. Vanquish® (alpha-cypermethrin) is an example of these actives.
Organophosphates (OPs) were once widely used, however there are very few examples of these still on the market at present.
The neonicotinoid (active), imidacloprid, interferes with the nervous system, killing adult and juvenile parasites.
Application methods
Regardless of the chemical used, the correct application technique and time of use is vital to the success of treatment. Prevention is always going to be better than cure. And the most effective method of removing large
numbers of lice quickly off long-wooled sheep is shearing them, so this should be considered in most cases of lousy sheep in the late winter.
Pour-on treatments are all designed for use off-shears and this means within 24 hours of shearing, not 3 weeks later. This is because the lanolin grease layer on a sheep after shearing assists with movement of the chemical around the animal. Likewise, saturation dips such as a shower or jetting race usually require 2-4 weeks’ wool growth after
shearing, to allow some wool to be present for the chemical to ‘stick to’. Be sure to read the label of the product you are using fully, or consult your local vet or animal health representative for advice. There is little advantage gained from spending money on a product and then using it incorrectly!
Where lice infestations have been identified in long-wooled sheep, consider use of Vanquish as an emergency treatment only, to reduce lice numbers. Consult your health
professional for a lice management programme. The product’s effectiveness may be reduced in sheep with skin or fleece abnormalities such as dirt contamination, fungal skin infection or fleece rot.
A more user-friendly off shears product, Magnum® is a highly effective, thorough lice killer. This IGR has a more user-friendly water-based formula that is safer for humans, stock and the environment. Magnum can be applied after winter shearing, as it has a nil meat withholding period, allowing dry cull ewes to be sold immediately. For optimum results, treatment with Magnum is recommended 24 hours after shearing.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Coopers.
Pre-lamb drenching vaccination
It’s now time to consider pre-lamb ewe drenching vaccination. Mature animals generally have strong immunity against parasites for most of the year. However, at lambing this immunity can wane, leaving the animals more susceptible to the harmful effects of parasites.
We know that there are several factors to consider one of the most important considerations is weighing up the benefits against the cost. So we’ve made it easy, comparing some of the top quality pre-lamb ewe products that we have to offer — their application method, targeted parasites and length of persistent activity, as well as a simple summary of each product to help make your decision easier. Whether you’re treating 150 ewes or 1,050, Farmlands has a great range of pre-lamb products for every budget. If you need any advice on what product will work best for your
stock, call in to your local Farmlands store and have a chat with one of our knowledgeable staff members. Between our in-store team and our expert suppliers, we’ve got it covered.
For more information see our friendly staff at your local Farmlands store.
A good start at early lactation is vital
The first 4-6 weeks of lactation can determine the whole season’s production. During this critical time period, a cow’s valuable energy is likely to be compromised. Not only has it just calved and started lactation, it must also get back in-calf again in time to repeat the process 1 year later! Maximising cow health and nutrition during this time is essential if milk production and reproduction potential are going to be obtained.
In the immediate post-calving period, a cow simply can not eat enough to meet the energy demands and must use its body fat to fund early lactation and performance. Whilst they might not be causing clinical signs of the disease, worms cause a diversion of energy and protein, placing extra demands on the cow’s already stretched energy and resources. Hence, treating cows for worms at this time makes sense.
Eon Pour-on is ideal for treating and
controlling production-limiting worms at early lactation and offers the essential nil milk withholding. Eon contains the active eprinomectin, which is backed by global studies for increasing milk production and improving reproductive performance.
For more information on treating and controlling internal parasites at early lactation, see our friendly staff at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplier by Bayer.
Growing with improved structure
Agbeam, produced by Industrial Tube Manufacturing Co Ltd, is a galvanised steel beam product manufactured specifically for horticultural structures such as pergola growing systems. Both kiwifruit and persimmon crops are commonly grown on Agbeam structures.
About 25 years ago, many kiwifruit pergola structures were made using wooden beams that comprised two 4x1 inch pieces laminated together. Such structures must not only support wires but the full crop loading weight. At that time, crop loadings were approximately 5-7,000 tray equivalents per hectare (or 15-21 tonne/ha of fruit) plus the full weight of the canopy growth. With increased crop loadings, particularly from improved Hayward yields and the adoption of the G3 Gold variety, structures have come under increasing pressure. Structures now need to handle crops that are yielding between 9,500-20,000 tray equivalents (28-70 tonne/ha of fruit) plus the weight of the vine canopy!
Many of the wood laminates used in the older structures have started to break down and an increasing number of growers are replacing them with Agbeam steel product. Agbeam is locally made using New Zealand steel. It is cost effective, robust and relatively easy to install. The product is demonstrating superior performance compared to some of the cheaper imported products entering the market. Crops supported by Agbeam structures also benefit from advantages in plant health. For example, unlike with wooden materials, the Agbeam steel material does not accommodate pests such as passion vine hopper eggs. It also deters fungal accumulation. Agbeam is galvanised square (64x38mm) hollow section steel beam that is available in lengths of 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 metres. These lengths can be bought separately, or in packet lots of 50, which is the most cost effective. Agbeam is available in two wall thicknesses — standard 1.15mm, or heavy 1.55mm. The heavy grade is used where heavier crop loadings are anticipated, for example with G3 Gold crops or with row spacing of 4.5 metres or greater. The sections of beam are joined using galvanised 400mm slip-on joiners that simply slide over the two butted ends. Two sizes of joiners are available to match the grade of beam — standard 1.85mm and light 1.55mm. As a guide, growers planning to use Agbeam will require approximately
1,900 to 2,000 metres per hectare. Diagonal 1.8 metre long Agbeam braces are now available to assist in supporting existing structures. Many growers who changed from Hayward Green to the G3 Gold variety have experienced huge increases in crop loadings. Some growers that installed standard grade Agbeam when they converted to growing G3 Gold are now finding that the actual Agbeam load capacity is higher than originally anticipated. Where loadings exceed what was planned for the use of Agbeam braces is ideal, given that neither the structures nor row spacing can be altered.
A full range of clips, braces and ties is available for securing wire to Agbeam. Agbeam products can be purchased through your local Farmlands store. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Mark Loeffen, Technical Advisor, Farmlands Horticulture.
Mineral spraying oils
Spraying oils have been used in the horticultural industry for many years on deciduous fruits, berry fruit, grapes, subtropicals, ornamentals and some organically certified crops. These oils have insecticidal, miticidal, wetting and spreading properties. When applied to deciduous plants in early spring they also have dormancy breaking properties.
Spraying oils have an emulsifier added that enables them to readily mix with water. They are applied alone, or in combination with some insecticides, fungicides or herbicides.
Horticultural mineral spraying oils are manufactured from petroleum oils. Over the years they have undergone significant changes in chemistry, properties and performance to improve their efficacy and reduce unwanted adverse effects.
It is important that oils are plant safe (non-phytotoxic) with good efficacy in controlling pests.
The fruit industry has moved away from using heavy winter oils on deciduous trees and now uses lighter, safer and more effective winter and summer oils.
High concentrations of paraffin are present in oils and provide the majority of the insecticidal activity. Plant damaging substances, waxes and aromatics are removed or reduced to lessen phytotoxic effects. A low level of unsulphonated residue is important, with the acceptable minimum level being 92 percent.
Horticultural oils are categorised by
carbon number, with the optimal range considered to be 20 to 26. These oils are classified as “narrow range oils”. If carbon numbers are below 20, insecticidal efficacy reduces and if above 26, there is increased risk of phytotoxicity and yield reduction, with no improvement in insect control. Oils with a carbon number of 23 appear to have the least phytotoxicity and have very good insecticidal properties. Oils of between 23 and 26 show no significant difference in insect control.
Oils improve coverage and wetting, enabling sprays to run into cracks, fissures and the flaking bark of trees. High volume dilute applications are generally recommended to target these sites.
Oils work by smothering insects, e.g. European red mite eggs are very effectively controlled with a green-tip oil application. The oil penetrates the shell of the eggs and kills them by affecting respiratory and metabolic processes. This is an important aspect of integrated mite control (IMC) programmes. In autumn the more advanced eggs are killed, resulting in a reduced emergence period of juveniles. This enables timed early summer miticide applications to achieve season long control.
On citrus crops, summer oils have good efficacy on citrus red mite, scale crawlers and Australian white fly. The addition of a suitable insecticide may further enhance control.
Some points to note when using horticultural mineral oils:
• Gently roll / shake oil containers prior to use
• Agitate spray tanks thoroughly prior to and during application
• High volume application and thorough coverage is recommended
• Don’t apply during periods of very high or low temperatures
• Don’t apply to trees suffering drought or frost stress
• Don’t apply after early green tip on russet sensitive apple varieties
• Where Captan, sulphur products, Delan® or Carbaryl have been applied, don’t apply oils within 21 days either side of these applications
• On Hayward kiwifruit, don’t use in the period between 14 to 35 days from fruit set
• On Hort 16A kiwifruit, apply no later than 10 days from fruit set
• If mixing with other pesticides check compatibility first
• Do not run the tank out on previously sprayed trees
• If applying a double pass down each row, halve the oil rate
• If spraying is interrupted for more than 10 minutes, flush spray from delivery lines prior to recommencing
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Advisor or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Martin Taylor, Technical Advisor, Farmlands Horticulture.
WinWin Molasses for the masses
Many cows will have started calving now and the key for all farmers at this time of year is to ensure the herd is eating to peak appetite, to maximise milk production.
Grass is our cheapest form of feed but at different stages of the year there is a nutrient gap that needs filling, in order to provide your herd with the most efficient balance of nutrients. Molasses is a product that can be fed all year round and provide benefits to the cow on its own, or as a carrier of other unpalatable mineral and nutrition products. Why use molasses?
Energy
• Extra energy for maintenance and production
• Molasses feeds the rumen microbes, improving the utilisation of other feeds in the diet
• Highly digestible carbohydrate to help balance the diet
Appetite
• Improves PKE intakes and other supplemental feeds
• Improves palatability of additives
• Encourages the cow to eat when appetite drive is low
Digestion
• Increases the microbial bacteria in the rumen, to improve digestion of high protein and fibre pasture and supplements
Reproduction
• An energy dense diet fed pre-calving will assist in keeping the cows in a good nutritional state post-calving
• Provides essential energy before, during and after mating to help maintain pregnancy rates and condense calving patterns
• Increase blood glucose levels to improve conception rates
Agrifeeds Feedgrade Molasses and Molasses Xtra products have a role in maximising cow performance and farm production all year round.
Feeding molasses throughout the seasons will help maintain body condition and appetite and increase milk production, leading to extra days in milk.
New season molasses contract offer Agrifeeds has changed the way molasses is sold in the market. Molasses prices are ex-terminal and freight to farm will be billed at cost by Agrifeeds’ designated carrier. To kick the season off, three key features of this molasses offer support the Farmlands Nutrition programme:
• Lower ex-terminal molasses prices as compared to last season
• A “fill your tank” discount on Contract/Spot for all deliveries in July and August
• Terms to 20th November as an option for all molasses purchases in July, August and September
For further information, talk to the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Agrifeeds.
Quality calf feed checklist
Dry calf feeds should be fed from day 4. When selecting a calf feed, you should consider the following:
Palatable — tastes and smells good Early feed intake is higher if a more palatable feed is made available to calves. Research shows that growth rates and rumen development in calves relate to absolute intake.
Molasses, steam flaked grains and roughage are key ingredients that improve palatability (NRM Moozlee is heavily molassed and contains both steam flaked grains and lucerne chaff).
All NRM calf feed products contain the unique NRM Moozlee flavouring to ensure palatability and easy change between products as the calves grow.
Digestible
The quality of ingredients used in calf feeds plays an important role in determining the digestibility of a calf feed. NRM calf feeds are formulated to contain high quality grains and protein sources, ensuring that NRM calf feeds are highly digestible.
Fibrous texture
Fibre in dry feeds stimulates saliva, which assists in maintaining the optimum pH level in the rumen. Good quality roughage is important but beware — if free access to roughage is offered to calves they may reduce their intake of concentrates. Buy a dry feed with the right level of roughage included to prevent this problem.
NRM Moozlee and Ready Rumen contain measured amounts of quality roughage, eliminating the need for free access to roughage and improving early intake of feed.
Balanced specification and anti-coccidial
The maximum protein a calf can absorb is 20 percent. This is dependent on consumption, so a more palatable product may only need 18 percent protein.
Calf diets are most often designed to meet the optimum protein required and energy is balanced to utilise this protein.
12MJ ME/kg of dry matter will provide enough energy to utilise the protein in a 20 percent feed. Added vitamins, minerals and an anti-coccidial (Bovatec) are also beneficial. Bovatec helps fight coccidiosis and also enhances the beneficial bacteria population in the rumen so that calves get more out of the feed they eat.
NRM calf feeds maintain the ‘right balance’ of nutrients as well as added vitamins, minerals and an anti-coccidial.
Concentrated, high dry matter feed
Dry feed must be a concentrated source of essential nutrients because of the small capacity of the developing rumen. Some silage based feeds have a dry matter of only 50 percent compared with concentrates at around 85 percent. Don’t be fooled by a cheaper price, the nutritional requirements of the calf will not be met and you are paying for expensive water.
All NRM feeds have a minimum of 85 percemt dry matter.
Quality checklist:
High dry matter
Tastes good
Smells good
Fibrous texture
Firm pellet/nut
Balanced ingredients
Anti-coccidial
Article supplied by NRM.
Nutritional management for a successful start
The merits of transition cow feeding strategies have been widely debated in recent years, with little agreement on the most appropriate solution for New Zealand dairy cows. Despite this ongoing debate, everyone agrees that the cow undergoes a rapid and dramatic transition at the point of calving. Similarly, it is well accepted that management and nutrition of the cow at this particularly stressful time can have a dramatic impact on the incidence of metabolic disease as well as milk production in the coming season.
Nutritional strategies implemented in the pre-calving period can help to ensure that the cow is physiologically fit for calving and milk production.
Feeding management can play an important role in helping to ensure maximum dry matter intake post-calving and plays a valuable role in helping to adapt the rumen microbial population to the high carbohydrate diets fed as part of the lactating cow ration. Grain based concentrates provide a source of starch, a key substrate essential for the production of butyric acid and an important precursor for the development of rumen papillae. Designed to help ease the adaptation of the rumen flora to the post-calving diet, the NRM ProForm Transition feed provides a source of starch and contains a novel yeast
supplement rich in bioactive ingredients to support the development of a healthy rumen microbial population, making this an ideal supplement for those looking to provide cows with a source of starch pre-calving.
Reduced dry matter intake is typical of dairy cows in late gestation, with the consequence being a dramatic reduction in energy intake over this period. In contrast, the rapidly growing calf requires an increasing supply of nutrients and where nutrient intake is limiting, the cow will mobilise body condition, to ensure the demands of its calf are met. Providing a diet that helps encourage feed intake over this period can help to reduce the incidence of ketosis by providing a valuable source of energy. Another way to overcome this energy deficit in the pre-calving period is to increase the efficiency of utilisation of feed consumed. This can be achieved through the use of certain feed additives, such as Bovatec®, that have a registered claim for the control of ketosis in dairy cattle. Reducing the incidence of ketosis also plays an important role in supporting the immune system of the dairy cow, consequently supporting overall health but also helping to reduce the incidence of production disease such as clinical mastitis. Additional support for the immune system can be provided through the inclusion of a comprehensive trace element and vitamin pack in the feed
supplied to cows in late gestation. Adding magnesium to the mix ensures that the requirements of the cow are met while reducing the need for supplementation through the water.
For those situations where milk fever and metabolic diseases post-calving present more of a challenge, a low DCAD (dietary cation-anion difference) feed may be one mechanism that can be used to help improve calcium mobilisation. The NRM ProForm Pre-calving feed is ideally suited to this task and contains a range of anionic salts such as magnesium sulphate and ammonium chloride to help reduce overall dietary DCAD. Like the ProForm Transition pellets, the ProForm Pre-calving feed also provides a valuable source of both energy and starch for the springer cow with a low feed intake, quality protein sources and added Bovatec®, essential trace elements and vitamins. For optimum results the ProForm Pre-calving pellets should be fed for at least 2 weeks pre-calving but should not be fed for more than 3 weeks pre-calving.
Contact your local NRM Feed Specialist or Farmlands store to help choose the right calf feed for your future cows.
Article supplied by NRM.
Feeding pre-lamb
Ewe nutrition can have a major impact on lamb survivability and growth rates. A lamb that is born to a ewe with an enhanced nutritional status will be healthier and more likely to survive the stress of the cold and wet weather that can commonly arise during the spring period. Lamb mortality can increase significantly in extreme weather conditions, with many of these deaths attributed to a lamb’s inability to generate enough body heat to keep warm. Profitability in sheep farming is largely dependent on the number of lambs weaned per ewe each year. Setting lambs up for a successful and productive life, via feeding ewes well in the late stages of pregnancy and early lactation, can help to capture the increased prolificacy of the modern ewe.
Brown adipose tissue is a type of fat that is laid down by lambs when they are in the womb. For the first few days of life, this brown fat is important for generating body heat and keeping new-born animals warm. Heat is generated through the activation of uncoupling proteins in the
brown adipose tissue, which enables the free-flow of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane, resulting in the rapid dissipation of chemical energy as heat. Unbelievably, brown adipose tissue can generate up to 300 watts per kilogram of tissue, compared to all other body tissues, which can only produce 1 watt. Fat reserves accumulate in the lamb in the last 60 days of pregnancy, so feeding ewes well in the late stages of pregnancy is important for maximising this lay down of fat. Feeding ewes prelambing with vitamin E and selenium is also thought to activate the mechanism that allows lambs to use brown fat, which can boost lamb survivability.
Energy demands of the growing foetus increases dramatically towards the end of pregnancy, particularly for multiple bearing ewes. During the late stages of pregnancy, rumen space can be reduced significantly due to the growing foetus, so the amount a ewe can eat is reduced and it may take time for appetite to increase post-lambing. This occurs in conjunction with the stress of lambing and the need to start producing high quality colostrum and then milk to support lambs once they hit the ground. In order to minimise condition loss in the late stages of pregnancy and early lactation, bulky, high fibre feeds such as poor quality silage/ baleage should be limited – and it is beneficial to add high energy, high protein feeds to the diet. Feeding a high protein supplement to ewes pre and postlambing can help to support good quality
colostrum and high milk production, which is vital for supporting the growth of healthy lambs. The faster lambs grow, the faster they can be sold and the more profitable a system will be. Getting lambs away earlier can also help to reduce the risks of going into a summer dry period more heavily stocked.
Compound, grain based feeds can be a great supplementation option when the goal is low lamb mortality and high lamb health and growth. It is best to look for a feed that contains a good amount of high quality protein, along with energy in the form of molasses, grain and rumen bypass fat – all in a concentrated, highly digestible form. A feed that contains effective levels of trace elements and vitamins (A, D and E) is important for high quality colostrum production, milk production and ewe health around lambing time. Between 200-500 grams per ewe per day can be just what the ewe needs to perform optimally.
Contact your local Reliance Feed Specialist or Farmlands store to help choose the right feed for your lambs. Article supplied by Reliance.
Seeing the woods from the trees — calf milk replacers
Practical considerations such as ease of mixing, consistency and palatability often encourage brand loyalty with regards to milk replacers but with a variety of options available, it is worthwhile examining the difference between products.
Calf milk replacers offer some advantages over milk from the vat. Formulated to a higher protein:fat ratio, they are less satisfying than whole milk and tend to encourage higher intakes of hard feed – which can save costs but also stimulates rumen development, which lessens stresses at weaning. Importantly, they offer a lower risk of disease and are normally fortified with essential minerals, trace elements and vitamins but the difference is in the detail, which can make subtle differences to both growth and health.
Milk replacers should be selected to suit the feeding system, calf type and growth rate goals. Higher protein products (like Reliance Calf Milk Replacer with 25-26 percent protein) are better suited to earlier weaning and accelerated feeding programmes. Calf milk powders based on whole milk products are a good option for farmers who want to move into and out of calf milk replacer use, because calves transition from one to the other very easily. They are also a good option to fortify whole milk. The inclusion of a coccidiostat can make such products more appealing, where units have a previous history of coccidiosis challenge.
Products with a good specification but some non-milk protein (e.g. Reliance Calf Milk Finisher), may offer some cost savings and are well suited to conventional, traditionally weaned beef and heifer calves. Incorporating some vegetable proteins can help standardise the proteins delivered from milk. Very young calves lack the ability to fully digest even high quality vegetable proteins, so finisher type products are best suited to older calves – perhaps when the transition milk, which cannot be sold from the first 4 days of lactation, has been used up.
Whey based powders are very popular internationally because dried whey protein concentrate and dried whey are considered consistent, cost effective by-products from cheese manufacture. The whey casein is separated from the curd used to make cheese. It does not clot and therefore spends less time in the abomasum than replacers based
on whole milk. Intakes of hard feed are normally stronger when calves are fed whey based powders and despite more rapid movement through the digestive tracts, scouring can be reduced. A key benefit of whey based powders that contain organic acids, like NRM’s Power Whey, is that lower gut pH limits pathogen growth thereby reducing the incidence and severity of diarrhoea. Calf rearing can be stressful, so knowing that your supplier will be available with practical advice should problems arise can give some peace of mind. The best evaluation of a calf milk replacer is the growth and condition of calves – shareholders can rest assured that Farmlands will only supply proven high quality milk powders from carefully scrutinised suppliers and help choose the best product for their needs.
Article supplied by Dr. Rob Derrick, Nutritionist, Farmlands Nutrition.
Forage options following winter brassicas
Deep in the heart of the Mackenzie country, Farmlands Fairlie shareholder and mixed cropping/dairy support farmer Mitch Taylor from Morelea Farm has seen the strength of Monty forage barley. Even in a tough year it has been a great option for whole crop cereal silage to fill a feed gap following winter brassica.
Despite the harsh dry weather on the flat to rolling hill country of Morelea Farm near Mt. Michael, the 300ha, partly irrigated property saw some great results last season with a Monty barley/pea mix sown post winter kale. Mitch has grown traditional barleys before and was looking for a true forage barley for whole crop silage to provide some bulk quality stored feed.
Monty has the unique and very visual characteristic of reduced awns, which can minimise the damage that conventional barley awns can do to animals’ mouths, as awns often remain sharp, even in the silage stack. This feature of Monty was one that appealed to Mitch.
There are a number of forage options post-winter brassica that can be valuable to produce ‘cut and carried’ stored forage, or in-situ summer/ autumn grazing.
Forage cereals tolerate cold soils and can be sown from very early spring, to generate a large amount of whole crop cereal silage by mid/late January. Farmers wanting maximum yields of high carbohydrate silage should take a crop of either Crackerjack triticale or Monty forage barley through to the whole crop stage. Triticale is a high yielding option if planted early spring (July – September), providing there is minimal risk of running out of moisture. Barley becomes a better option when sowing later (October – November), as it is a faster maturing option, meaning
that it avoids potential drought stress before harvest.
Those farms that dry out quickly in spring and early summer can harvest at the earlier green chop (green leaf with no seed head emergence) stage. While the yield is lower than whole crop, the protein content is higher and the product is easier to store. Oats are best suited to be taken at the green chop stage, as they are fast establishing and cheaper than other cereals, although typically have a lower total yield.
While Mitch has used a lot of spring sown Hunter forage brassica for summer/autumn grazing and lamb finishing, his choice to put in a Monty/ pea mix was for a different purpose. Mitch found Monty a good fit after kale and the system worked well to provide valuable feed that was able to be produced and conserved between winter feed crops. Mitch’s Monty/ pea mix was sown early October and harvested mid-January, providing approximately 10t DM/ha of quality cereal silage, before being followed by a summer sown rape. The bulk of feed produced has been very valuable and fits its purpose for feeding out through winter in conjunction with his kale and fodder beet paddocks. “I’ll definitely be putting some more in,” Mitch says. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Agricom.
Supplement selection for brassica-fed stock
Winter 2015 has arrived and for most farmers, supplements have been chosen. What about next year?
Why offer supplements?
Brassica-fed stock perform best when offered supplements. Fibre supports healthy rumens and better animal productivity. Protein and minerals (particularly from good quality pasture or lucerne silage) balance a brassica diet. Intake of anti-nutritional compounds (nitrate, SMCO and/ or glucosinolates) are diluted when supplements are fed.
Do some stock classes need more supplements than others?
Cattle need more dietary fibre than sheep or deer. Once transitioned onto a crop, cattle do best with no more than 70 to 80 percent of the diet as brassica. Up to 90 percent of the diet as brassica can work for sheep and deer, depending on quality of crop and nutritional demands of the stock.
What is the ‘ideal’ supplement for brassica-fed stock?
There’s not a single perfect supplement for brassica-fed stock. A combination of supplements can work well, e.g. equal amounts of baleage and straw offered daily. For a cow wintered on crop, this might mean 10kg dry matter (DM) as kale or swede, with 2kg DM offered as baleage and 2kg DM offered as straw once cattle have successfully transitioned onto crop.
What are the best types of straw, hay and silage?
Straw: Stock prefer top quality ryegrass straw. Ryegrass straw is better for younger stock, or lighter stock that need top class feeding. Clean, bright barley straw is the next best option. Wheat and oat straw is unsuitable due to low palatability and poor utilisation unless mixed through a mixer wagon.
Hay: All hay types are suitable for feeding. Poorer quality hay can replace the need for straw. Very high quality hay can substitute some or all baleage requirements. Very good hay, e.g. lucerne, may be wasted on crop paddocks if leaf shatter is a problem. Baleage or silage: Tighter forage compaction means quality of fine chopped stack silage is usually better than baleage. Wastage challenges with short chopped silage fed on wet/ muddy crop paddocks and risk of feed out wagons becoming bogged in wet paddocks means baleage is often more practical than stack silage. Types of baleage or silage:
• Pasture and lucerne. Both are common ‘balancers’ for brassicafed stock. For older stock, mature, stemmy baleage is acceptable. For younger stock classes, e.g. yearling cattle or weaner deer, grazing brassicas, top quality leafy pasture or lucerne baleage support better productivity. Feed test your baleage and allocate based on quality to younger or older stock classes.
• Cereal silage and baleage. Feeding short chop whole-crop cereal silage on muddy paddocks can be wasteful. Utilisation of cereal baleage is potentially better but if not chopped at harvest, quality of baleage can be poor to moderate.
• Maize silage. Short chopped maize silage is rarely fed due to risk of wastage at feed out in brassica crop paddocks.
Other supplements:
• Palm kernel extract (PKE). Lighter conditioned dairy cows do well on brassica crops, baleage, straw and PKE. The high oil content of PKE helps cows gain body condition quickly. Practically, feeding PKE on crop paddocks is very challenging. Wastage can be high unless PKE is fed in troughs.
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by PGGW Seeds.
Go with gravity
The drought conditions in Canterbury this summer have created a number of supply issues with stock water and caused some farmers to reassess their reticulation systems. Such was the case with South Canterbury farmer Paul Johnson. Paul purchased his 565 hectare rolling hill country property 6 years ago and has changed the farm from predominantly sheep to a mixture of sheep and cattle, now grazing 150 heifers.
The old reticulation system pumped water from a creek off the Opuha Dam, up to a holding tank on the back of the property, which then gravity fed
the troughs. Paul had three issues with this system: undersized pipe, the drought limiting supply out of the creek and the old positive displacement pump was costly to run and maintain, with ongoing reliability issues. Paul approached Simon Lamb, Technical Field Officer from Farmlands Fairlie to seek advice. At this stage Dell-lane Millard from Iplex Pipelines became involved and visited Paul on-farm. Initial thoughts were to replicate what was currently in place but with improved flow from metric polyethylene pipe, a more efficient pump and greater tank storage.
The design procedure included understanding the stock’s water requirements, assessing water sources and surveying pipeline route options. During this process, a small creek on Paul’s farm was identified as another possible water source. Paul hadn’t seen it dry up in his 6 years on the farm and after checking with the previous owner it became apparent this was a viable, long-term water source.
This changed the whole thinking in regard to the look of the water system. The creek inlet was 68 metres above the lowest trough and could deliver the daily water requirement. Feeding this into two 30,000 litre tanks would allow the stock’s peak water demand to be met. This system had some major advantages over what was initially considered. Firstly, it was a gravity system, so no pump and
contingent running and maintenance costs. Secondly, it gave security of water supply, as the creek could deliver enough water, even during a severe drought.
Dell-lane captured the height and distance data using GPS technology and designed the system utilising the 60 metres of static head provided by the tank's location. A weir was built in the creek to create a settling pond and intake screening installed, so palatable water was delivered to the two supply tanks. The pipe specified was 32mm and 40mm Metric OD Greenline polyethylene, to deliver large-bore flow performance and manage the downstream pressure to the trough valves.
Supply of pipe and tanks to farm was efficiently managed by Farmlands and the use of Plasson compression fittings enabled quick and secure watertight pipe connections. “I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome,” Paul says. “This is the second time I’ve involved Dell-lane in a stock water development project and his new perspective on this job resulted in a much more cost effective and reliable system.”
For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Iplex.
| Paul Johnson and Simon Lamb