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.
Lucerne brings many benefits to equine diet
Horses are classified as hindgut fermenters, meaning the design of the equine digestive tract requires structural carbohydrates in the form of forages to always be the most significant part of their diet. While pasture is a great start for supplying adequate forage, often additional hay, chaff or other fibre products will be required to meet the all-important forage requirements, especially at certain times of the year when pasture might be in short supply. With hay or chaff, the main types available are classified as grass species such as meadow, cereal species such as oaten, or legume types such as lucerne or clover. Each species has unique benefits and the type chosen needs to be considered carefully according to the characteristics of the horse. The use of lucerne in the equine diet is often
advised against due to claims it can contribute to mineral imbalances that can lead to various problems including behavioural changes and metabolic issues. However there is little research available to support these claims and in fact, if fed correctly, lucerne can be a highly beneficial forage source for various reasons. The largest difference between lucerne and temperate grass species is the levels of energy, protein and calcium it contains. Higher energy levels make it a great forage source for when additional calories are required for weight gain or work, and the increased protein means it is an ideal forage source for growing horses or pregnant and lactating broodmares. Including lucerne in the horse’s diet is also a good way of increasing calcium for growth and improved bone
development, another reason it is a great forage source for growing horses. Lucerne is ideal for balancing the important calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in diets where phosphorus levels might be in excess, such as when horses are receiving straight grains such as oats or barley. It is also a great way of including calcium in the diet when horses are grazing tropical pastures that contain oxalates, which can bind to the calcium and cause an imbalance unless additional calcium is provided daily.
The higher protein and calcium levels are also thought to contribute to the significant benefits seen in buffering gastric acid in the stomach and preventing gastric ulcers. Numerous studies have shown that feeding lucerne improves the buffering capacity of the stomach and helps to neutralise gastric acid more effectively than grass species of hay and chaff.
The many benefits of lucerne mean it can be a highly suitable forage source for a variety of horses. There are many horses around the world that do very well on lucerne as the only source of forage because of the unavailability of any other type. With any equine diet, balance is key, and the choice of hay or chaff will vary according to individual circumstances. For further assistance with selecting forage sources and providing a balanced diet for your horse, consult an experienced Equine Nutrition Advisor.
Article supplied by Luisa Wood, Equine Nutrition Technical Advisor, Farmlands.
| Lucerne in the diet provides a horse with higher levels of energy, protein and calcium than do temperate grass species.
With spring around the corner, we all want our horses looking their best when we take them out to either compete or just enjoy the better weather.
Horses that have struggled to maintain condition over winter will not be at their best. Adding a caloriedense feed supplement now to the existing ration can elevate the overall energy contribution of the diet and achieve desired weight gains. The addition of a low-intake concentrate supplement like Dunstan Muscle ‘n Shine to the ration will provide further calories for weight gain.
Horses benefit from winter supplements Lambs get head start on premium whey formula
Different brands of milk replacer have essential differences in digestibility (making use of nutrients), solubility, ease of mixing, and overall quality – all of which affect the health and growth of young lambs.
Farmers using Sprayfo Primo Lamb from AgriVantage note a reduction in lamb mortality rates, particularly from bloat. They have also seen excellent growth rates. This is because Sprayfo is consistently the best quality, a reflection of its raw materials and production method. A highly digestible fat blend combined
The quality protein and fat sources in Dunstan Muscle ‘n Shine will assist in muscle development and coat quality. Dunstan Muscle ‘n Shine is fully extruded, highly palatable, and contains a comprehensive vitamin and mineral profile.
Some diet supplementation now can have your horse looking its best in spring.
For more information, contact your local equine nutrition specialist or the friendly team at your Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Dunstan.
with dairy ingredients, the mix is pasteurised then high-pressure homogenised, reducing the fat particles to 1/1000 of their original size.
A unique high-tech spray-drying process results in particles that have valuable protein on the outside, with fat contained inside. The most important ingredient for the lambs’ growth is available first and absorbed faster. Solubility is optimal at 40deg C.
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by AgriVantage.
| Supplementing a horse’s feed over winter brings benefits in spring.
| Using a premium milk replacer will reduce lamb mortality rates.
Quality feed crucial in rearing own chickens
With spring and warmer weather bringing a proliferation of young animals around the country, this is an ideal time to rear chickens either for egg laying or for the freezer.
Spring-hatched chicks are ideal for pullet rearing in non-commercial situations where natural day length plays an important role in determining whether a hen will lay or not. Typically, hens start to lay when they are about 4 to 5 months old, so laying hen chicks hatched in late spring will generally start to lay towards the end of the year and will continue laying until the following autumn, when they will stop and moult. This means these hens should lay for about 14 months before they first moult. Chicks hatched earlier in the year (e.g. autumn) will generally start to lay in late spring but will also moult at a younger age and after only about 10 months of laying.
Modern strains of meat chickens, if well fed and managed, are generally ready for the freezer when they are about 7 weeks old, so birds hatched in the next month or so should be ready in plenty of time for Christmas. Growing a turkey from day old to 10kg (or 7.5kg when dressed) takes about 4 months, so if you are planning a home-grown turkey as a feature for your Christmas dinner you should already have poults on the ground.
Providing a source of high quality, readily digestible nutrients is essential if you want to optimise growth rates in young birds, and the NRM range of poultry feeds contains two diets formulated specifically for this. NRM Chick Starter and NRM Meat Bird Crumble combine grains, quality proteins and a balanced supply of macro and trace minerals and vitamins, providing the essential nutrients required to support growth and development in young chicks. Added organic acids and essential oils help to support gut health in the young growing birds, improving the digestion of nutrients available in the feed. NRM Chick Starter is ideal for young laying hens and contains a coccidiostat to aid in the control of coccidiosis. The NRM Meat Bird crumble is ideal for rapidly growing meat chickens and is also suitable for turkeys and game bird species. Bright lighting in the first weeks helps to ensure chicks find feed and water, and helps them adjust to their new environment. Lighting can be reduced after the first week, with the number of hours reducing as birds get older. Chicks should have access to a good quality feed and clean fresh water from day old. Sprinkling a little of the feed on tissue paper or newsprint placed in front of or around the feeders for the
first 7 days can help to encourage feed intake. This paper can be removed between day 7 and 14. Feeders should be filled to their highest level, to make it easy for chicks to get at the feed. Once chicks are eating well, be careful not to overfill feeders as this results in waste. Just as providing a high-quality feed is important to ensure good growth rates, ensuring that birds are kept in a clean, well ventilated but not draughty environment is vital for their health. Hygiene is particularly important for all young animals, and the area housing the chicks and any equipment used with them should be thoroughly cleaned using a high-pressure hose and suitable cleaning agent, particularly if it has been used previously. Disinfecting the equipment and housing after cleaning using a sanitiser such as Virkon S is recommended. Allow the area to dry before placing shavings or other litter material in the shed.
To ensure good early growth rates and frame development, choose a chick feed high in good quality protein and energy and which is balanced for macro (e.g. calcium and phosphorus) and trace minerals. For more information, contact your local Nutrition Specialist.
Article supplied by NRM.
Time to boost nutrient levels for laying hens
With the shortest day of the year now behind us and day-length increasing, poultry keepers will typically see increased egg production from the laying hens in their flocks. Providing the correct balance of nutrients to support this increase in production is important if bird health and welfare and egg quality are to be maintained.
Eggs are recognised as a high-quality protein source rich in the nine essential amino acids required by humans for formation and maintenance of muscles and organs, hair, skin and nails. Like humans, hens are unable to make these essential amino acids themselves and the only source for the hen is from its feed. Feeding a quality, well balanced feed like NRM Chook Tucker helps to ensure that your hens get the amino acids and protein they require for egg production as well as growth and maintenance of their own muscles, organs, skin and feathers.
In a research review published in the June issue of Complete Nutrition, Scottish dietitian, health writer and TV nutritionist Dr. Carrie Ruxton described eggs as “nature’s multivitamin”, and suggested eggs offer a range of health benefits that include a supply of essential vitamin D, certain B vitamins, selenium and iodine not present in many other foods. However, the levels of these essential nutrients in eggs can vary and often depend on the levels in the feed consumed by the hen. NRM Chook Tucker contains added vitamins and minerals to help
support the health and welfare of the hen, and some of these essential nutrients will transfer to the egg.
Egg shell quality is obviously important in containing the contents of an egg. Less obvious but equally important, the egg shell helps keep the contents of the egg free of bacteria and other organic matter. Providing sufficient calcium as well as a balanced supply of phosphorus and other trace minerals such as zinc and copper help to ensure hens produce high quality eggs with strong shells, which
inevitably have a better shelf life than those with more porous shells.
A wholesome, complete feed suitable for all laying hens, NRM Chook Tucker is formulated with the goodness of quality grain, kibbled maize and nutritionally rich pellets to provide your hens with a balanced diet containing the protein, energy and calcium they need for good health and great eggs. For more information, contact your local Nutrition Specialist.
Article supplied by NRM.
| A quality, well balanced feed helps to support your hens’ health and production.
Hygiene, additives take fight to intestinal ills
Coccidiosis is a parasitic infection of the intestinal tract of animals, caused by a coccidian protozoa. Coccidiosis can affect many species of animals including cattle, poultry and rabbits.
Younger animals are much more at risk when exposed to the parasite due to their immature immune system, which is still developing resistance. Stressed animals and animals offered inadequate nutrition are also more at risk.
Coccidiosis can live in the environment from season to season if the conditions are right, and the parasite can spread very easily between animals living in close quarters through oocytes in faeces. This makes New Zealand calves prone to issues because the same sheds and paddocks are commonly used year on year for calf rearing.
Coccidiosis is a debilitating infection that can cause many issues in animals ranging from general ill-thrift and poor growth rates due to sub-optimal nutrient absorption through to severe diarrhoea causing dehydration and death, so it is an infection worth taking simple steps to prevent.
The most obvious sign of severe coccidiosis infection is a bloody scour. The reason you see blood coming through in the faeces of severely affected animals is because the parasite destroys the lining of the intestines. Eggs of the parasite are laid in the intestinal wall, and when these eggs hatch they rupture the lining of the digestive system. Calves with a more severe infection are very hard to bring back to full health as the absorption of
nutrients from the intestines becomes extremely compromised for a long time due to the loss of absorptive tissues.
A bloody scour signals a severe coccidiosis infection, but animals can also show the following symptoms:
• Diarrhoea, with or without blood present.
• Loss of condition or poor growth rates.
• Tail, hindquarters and hocks stained with faecal material.
• Rough coat, droopy ears, general ill-thrift and/or depression. Faecal sample analysis is needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Prevention the key to control
A few simple steps can reduce the risk of coccidiosis on your farm this season:
• Ensure hygiene is a top priority and ensure sheds are as clean and dry as possible. Clean calf sheds regularly with a disinfectant such as Virkon S.
• Keep food and water troughs off the ground, and clean regularly to avoid heavy faecal contamination.
• If using waste/transition milk, consider using an additive (such as Nutritech’s DanCalf) in the milk to add a coccidiostat. A coccidiostat is a compound that breaks the lifecycle of the parasite in the digestive system. If using calf milk replacer, some may already have a coccidiostat present, but some may not. Check your calf milk replacer choice and consider adding a coccidiostat if one is not already present, particularly if you have had coccidiosis issues on farm.
Maturation in intestine
Ingestion
COCCIDIOSIS
Sporulated oocyst contaminates food or drink
Oocyst in faeces
• Ensure that calf hard feed/pellets contain a coccidiostat such as Bovatec or Rumensin – most good quality calf feeds will. This is probably the easiest action you can take for coccidiosis prevention as it’s as simple as one decision. Just remember that calves will not be covered until they are eating a substantial amount of the meal so you may need to add a coccidiostat to the milk as well if not included already, especially if calves are being fed higher rates of whole milk.
• Continue using a calf feed containing a coccidiostat post-weaning to ensure calves are still covered during this high stress transition.
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article by Stacey Cosnett, Assistant Nutritionist, Farmlands.
Growing youngstock requires balancing act
Liveweight targets for replacement heifers are well known and researched: 30, 60 and 90 percent of mature liveweight at 6 months, 15 months and 22 months. It is also widely accepted that calving replacement heifers at 2 years of age is both economic and efficient, and to do so, heifers need be at optimum fertility in time for first breeding at 15 months.
What may be less well known is that fertility increases up to the third oestrus cycle after the onset of puberty; therefore heifers should ideally have reached puberty and be cycling at least 6 weeks before first mating for optimum early breeding success. There is also general agreement from the research studies that smaller heifers at calving produce less milk in their first lactation – but this depends when the reduction in growth takes place. It is the heifers that are bigger at calving because they grew faster post-mating that produce most milk during their first lactation (about 0.25kgMS per kilogram liveweight). Sexual maturity (the onset of puberty) in heifers is related to liveweight, not age: bigger heifers reach sexual maturity sooner, so why not push heifers as fast as possible from day 1? If only life were that simple.
Fatty Udder Syndrome
The mammary gland goes through three distinct stages of development during heifer growth. In early life (up
to 4 months or so) and from puberty throughout the first pregnancy, the mammary tissue develops faster than other body tissues (allometric growth). But in between these two periods (about 5-11 months) the mammary tissue develops at the same rate as all other body tissue (isometric growth). This second period is the key. Heifers that grow too fast during this phase are thought to lay down more fatty tissue in the udder at the expense of milk synthetic tissue. Frame, not fat
About 75 to 80 percent of frame size is put on before 12 months of age (DairyCo, UK data). The most critical time for frame growth is between weaning and puberty. Heifer growth in grams per day during this period should be the same as the average mature liveweight of the herd in kilograms. If the average mature weight of the herd is 450kg, grow your heifers at 450g/ day; if the mature average liveweight is 600kg, grow your heifers at 600g/day. How can Crystalyx Forage Plus help?
Numerous independent university studies have confirmed that heifers gain weight faster when supplemented with Crystalyx at grass, but they are also leaner (lower BCS) than control heifers on grass alone.
A mob of R2 Holstein bulling heifers fed Crystalyx gained 37kg more in 175 days than control heifers on grass alone (German study data). The heifers fed Crystalyx also had
significantly higher conception and pregnancy rates than the control heifers (92 percent as against 80 percent). Crystalyx intakes averaged 130g/heifer/day throughout the trial.
A larger study by Agresearch in New Zealand, with 319 R2 dairy heifers split into four mobs (two control and two fed Crystalyx Forage Plus), also confirmed significantly higher pregnancy rates in the Crystalyx-fed heifers over the controls (95 percent average pregnancy rate in the control mobs; 100 percent pregnancy rate in both Crystalyx-fed mobs). The Crystalyxfed mobs on average were also 4 days further in-calf than the control mobs at the time of pregnancy diagnosis, suggesting an earlier and stronger oestrus cycle when the bulls were turned in. Crystalyx intakes averaged 133g/heifer/day throughout the trial.
Feeding Crystalyx not only makes better use of home-grown forages by making the rumen bugs work a little harder and more efficiently, it also provides generous levels of all the essential trace elements and vitamins needed to maintain optimum animal health and performance all year round – to help you unlock the full potential of your herd.
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Crystalyx.
Vineyard nets keep birds from eating your income
If you have been using nets on your vineyard, you will know the damage birds can do to your crop if it is left unprotected. Vineyard nets reduce bird damage, and the initial investment is soon recouped through higher yields of better quality fruit.
Empak has been manufacturing and supplying nets for grapes and horticultural crops for over 10 years, and the nets have been made by the same factory since the company began in 2005. The nets are guaranteed for
10 years against UV degradation, and the company and staff take pride in their after-sales service and advice. Empak can supply (in black or white) all types of net, from side net through to multi-row net up to 22m wide by 400m. It also offers a free measuring and quote service for made-to-order nets for your vineyard, so you get the best value from your investment.
Empak recycles nets and plastics through its Plasback recycling scheme. Empak and Plasback are the only companies to actively
recycle nets and other horticultural plastics within New Zealand.
If you have old nets, irrigation drip line or spray guards from young vines, all this plastic can be recycled into other products, avoiding waste product going to landfill or being burnt. Contact Empak if you have plastics for recycling. For more information, contact your local Farmlands Technical Advisor, or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Empak.
Trials prove fungicide’s worth for kiwifruit crop
A high-performance protectant copper fungicide has been approved for use against Psa in kiwifruit. ChampION++™®, which is available only from Farmlands Horticulture, can now be applied from harvest through to pre bud burst and also post flowering, to control Psa-V. Nufarm Territory Manager Chris Brenan says unlike some other widely used coppers on the market, ChampION++ is BioGro-certified as an approved input for organic growers.
The addition of the Psa-V label claim follows independent trials in the Bay of Plenty on both Hayward and Gold 3 kiwifruit to confirm efficacy against the disease and also crop safety for kiwifruit vines. This extension of an already comprehensive label is positive news for conventional and organic growers wanting to reduce the amount of active ingredient applied per hectare without compromising performance, Chris Brenan says. “This product is all about doing more with less. Because of the way it has been formulated, it provides excellent coverage and disease control with low use rates.”
Containing 300g/kg copper as copper hydroxide, ChampION++ is registered for control of a wide range of fungal and bacterial diseases on fruit, vegetable and brassica crops, as well as Psa-V in kiwifruit.
Advanced formulation technology means the copper hydroxide crystalline particles in ChampION++ are smaller and more consistent than some other
coppers currently available, so it delivers a greater number of smaller, more precisely shaped particles (average size 1.8 micron) to give better coverage of the leaf surface. Because smaller particles have proportionately greater surface area, the result is a higher release of copper ions, which in turn means lower use rate and subsequent environmental loading.
“At this time of the season, it’s likely to be of immediate relevance to pipfruit, avocado, citrus and grape growers planning their spring disease management strategies,” Chris Brenan says.
It is also registered for feijoas, kiwifruit, stonefruit, asparagus,
onions, tomatoes and pine trees, among many other crops.
Apart from particle size and consistency, other important benefits of the product are that it is low-dust, stable, free-flowing, easily pourable and quick to disperse in water. It contains a highly efficient and environmentally friendly biodispersant that suits both conventional and organic use, and its paper packaging means no plastic container to dispose of.
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
®ChampION++ is a trademark of Nufarm Americas Inc. Article supplied by Nufarm.
| The addition of the label claim follows independent trials in the Bay of Plenty.
A fertiliser made from kelp is proving popular with organic kiwifruit growers.
Macrocystis is a kelp found widely throughout the southern hemisphere, and in the north-east Pacific from California to Alaska. It can grow up to 30m long, and is the fastest growing plant in the ocean, at up to 60cm a day. The seaweed for Kelpgrow, a macrocystis-based extract supplied by Biolchim NZ, is harvested in the northern Pacific, where it finds ideal conditions – cold, pristine waters and long sunny days.
Giant of the sea raw ingredient for fertiliser Avocado grower pleased with orchard’s output
Gary Cliff, of Cliff Orchards, owns and operates a 35ha avocado orchard in Whangarei. The orchard has 3000 mature trees, mainly Hass on Bounty rootstock, as well as younger plantings. Most of the trees are 40 years old.
Gary has used Biolchim products on his orchard this season, and has this to say about them:
• Nov@ GR – “I used Nov@ GR in my new planting of avocados and it demonstrated increased vigour over plants not treated. I would definitely use it again.”
Kelpgrow is BioGro certified and has no export restrictions. Due to its processing it retains 100 percent of the raw material’s active ingredients. Only mechanical processes at ambient temperature are used, unlike other methods that use chemical and heat extraction. Kelpgrow is particularly rich in auxins, which regulate cell elongation, stimulate adventitious rooting and induce apical dominance, as well as improved floral development, increased fruit setting and cell expansion. Trials have shown Biolchim’s extraction process retains the highest auxin-like activity.
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Biolchim.
• Fylloton – “I was really impressed with how Fylloton produced vegetative growth and coloured up my trees during flowering stress.”
• “To date I am pleased with how the products from Biolchim NZ have been performing on my avocado orchard.”
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Biolchim.
| Macrocystis kelp can grow up to 30m long.
| Gary Cliff has 3000 mature trees on his Whangarei avocado orchard.
Four ways to prepare for spring beekeeping
Spring is nearly here, the days are getting longer, and beekeepers are getting ready for increased population and swarming. Now is a good time to evaluate your beekeeping and set goals for the year ahead. This is the first step to being prepared.
Here are four actions you can take to get ready for spring:
Research
During winter, you are generally unable to check your bees. Use this time to read up on bees and beekeeping. Buy or borrow a few good beekeeping books – Practical Beekeeping in New Zealand, by Andrew Matheson and Murray Reid, and Control of Varroa and Elimination of American Foulbrood Disease Without the Use of Drugs, both by Dr Mark Goodwin, are all great reads. The internet is also a resource, but be careful as there is some bad beekeeping advice out there.
Plant bee food
Plant some bee-friendly herbs, flowers, vegetables or shrubs, and try to talk your neighbours into doing the same. The more flowers your bees have access to, the better they will do and the better your chance of a honey
yield. If you grow native plants, you will also be creating valuable habitat for our native pollinators. Pohutukawa, sunflower, cucumber, pumpkin, sweetcorn, lavender, plum, and rosemary are all great plants for bees. Buy and build your equipment
It’s important to make sure you have enough beekeeping equipment for the upcoming year. It is worth having enough extra components on hand for one full hive. Sometimes bees increase population more quickly than anticipated. If you don’t have boxes ready to go, you could miss your chance to fill them with honey, or even worse, the bees may become too crowded and swarm.
Check your bees
You should assess your hives to find out how strongly your bees have come through winter. From the outside on warmer days, you should see bees flying, or if you tap the side of the hive and put your ear against it, you should be able to hear a hum or buzzing.
As soon as weather allows, get in and inspect your brood box. Look for the following:
• Signs of a queen (brood and eggs).
• Healthy brood pattern (solid, not patchy) and honey stores.
• Good population. A colony with a low population will be vulnerable to disease, parasites and starvation.
• Check varroa mite levels using an alcohol wash or sugar shake. If levels are unacceptable, you will need to apply a varroa treatment. It is best to do this as soon as possible, so the bees go into spring with health intact. It is important to alternate your varroa treatments to prevent resistance.
• Check your hive for American Foulbrood disease. If in doubt, use the Vita American Foulbrood Diagnostic Test Kit.
• If the nectar flow has not yet started for your area and your bees are looking weak, it is a good idea to feed them.
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Ecrotek.
Versatility added virtue of some fodder beet varieties
The big rise in the popularity of fodder beet over the past five years has produced a similar rise in the number of varieties on the market, which has made it harder deciding which best suits a particular farm’s requirements.
Farmer Aaron Taylor has been growing fodder beet for 6 years across the Palmerston North properties for which he is Operations Manager. With support from Farmlands Senior Technical Field Officer Mike McLean, Aaron this year sowed 15ha of the variety Jamon on his run-off block.
Aaron runs both a dairy farm and a beef feedlot, so animal and forage performance is vital to him. With 900 milking cows and 3600 wintering beef cattle on the feedlot, forward planning is essential.
Not all fodder beet varieties are the same, so it is important to consider the end use/s of the crop. Some varieties are more suitable for grazing in situ, for mechanical or bucket lifting, for different classes of stock and for different climates.
There are also varieties that are more versatile, providing farmers with more options for using the crop if initial plans change. This is an ideal attribute for many farming systems, and Jamon fodder beet is known to possess this degree of flexibility.
Aaron has been feeding out his fodder beet through a mixing wagon to lactating dairy cows. Jamon grows half out of the ground, meaning most classes of stock, including young, have no issues pushing or pulling it out of the soil. Its medium DM percentage is soft enough for young stock, sheep and deer – it is softer than a swede bulb at 10 percent DM. Typically recommended to be sown at 80,000 seeds per hectare for grazing, when sown at higher rates Jamon is highly uniform, and can be successfully lifted with a mechanical harvester and fed out through the likes of a silage wagon. “Since feeding fodder beet we have seen a significant reduction in empty rates, going from 14 percent to 8 percent,” Aaron says.
“Our cows are getting to peak production faster as well.”
Jamon is one of Agricom’s most consistent-yielding mono-germ cultivars, with a medium type bulb DM percentage between 16 and 18 percent. Jamon has an orange, elongated, tankard-shaped bulb that generally sits about 50 percent above ground in normal growing conditions, providing excellent access and utilisation for grazing animals. Despite a very late sowing date of 24th December due to a wet spring, Aaron’s crop still yielded in the mid to late 20 tonnes of dry matter per hectare. For best results, recommended sowing dates are between mid September in the north and late October further south, with soil temps of 12deg C and rising. If sown too early, there is the risk of it being too cold, a patchy establishment, risk of frosts, multiple weed strikes and subsequently more sprays. A later sowing date could mean missing out on crucial growing degree days.
As with all fodder beet varieties, it is important to be aware of bolters, which need to be removed completely from the paddock. Weed bolters produce seed that can remain viable in the soil for many years, so it is important to monitor and act as soon as seed heads start to emerge, which can be as early as February. For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Agricom.
| Mike McLean, Senior TFO for Farmlands (left), and Aaron Taylor check the crop.
Fodder beet gives big gains in small spaces
Using fodder beet on their sheep and cattle farm at Tormore, North Canterbury, has worked well for Andrew and Nikki Newton.
They have been growing fodder beet for the past two years. “Fodder beet is great because we can grow a large amount of winter feed on a small area of the farm,” Andrew says. “Even after dry summers we get consistent yields (24t DM/ha) with just one watering to ensure good establishment.”
The Newtons graze 200kg bull calves on fodder beet from midApril to September, and sell them as store cattle at 310kg. “Fodder beet is better than other crops like kale because we need less area out of pasture and can carry these cattle through winter and sell when there is good demand,” Andrew says.
The cattle’s growth is consistent throughout winter at 800g per head per day, with no drop in performance for the 125 days on beet. Once animals are transitioned over 14 days, they get a new break of fodder beet in the morning, a new break of pasture in a neighbouring paddock at noon, and access to straw in a feeder. Intakes are aimed at 4.5kg DM/head/ day of beet and 2kg of pasture.
“I think the daily break of pasture is important to maintain good growth in these young animals. We noticed that animals take to the cultivar Feldherr quickly and evenly during transition, and we will drill both this and Troya in spring,” Andrew says.
“Roger Chambers (Technical Field Officer, Farmlands) manages the
crops and he is hugely important for ensuring we get good results every year as he is very diligent with crop monitoring and inputs.”
Feldherr has a low dry matter bulb (14.5 percent) and Troya a medium bulb (17.4 percent). Both have been included in 21 trials throughout New Zealand, with leading performance for their types.
DLF Seeds has been researching fodder beet for five years, investigating different crop management options and the performance of cultivars. Results from this research include profitable yield responses from fertiliser applied in February; no difference between 30, 40 and 50cm row spacing; the finding that
1st September is the best date to plant beet in Canterbury; and no difference in growth rates of cattle grazed on low or medium dry matter cultivars. Comparisons between cultivars have shown significant differences in yield. This is crucial information for farmers because yield is the main determinant of how much profit the crop makes. Cultivars also differ in disease tolerance and leaf yield.
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by DLF Seeds.
| Farmlands’ Roger Chambers examines North Canterbury farmer Andrew Newton’s crop of Feldherr fodder beet.
Soil testing benefits lifestyle blocks too
Lifestyle block owners face similar challenges to other farmers but often have less time and resources to deal with them. Soil fertility is a good example. Grass, like any other plant, draws the nutrients it needs from the soil. Grazing animals return some of these nutrients via dung and urine. However, some nutrients will “leave” the property as milk or meat, or if you cut and sell pasture then as hay or baleage. If these nutrients are not replaced, your pasture growth will decline over time. Some soils are also naturally low in some nutrients. Pasture growth will be limited by any such short supply, regardless of the level of other nutrients. The first step is to test your soil. A professional can take samples for you or it is relatively easy to do yourself. Get advice and equipment from your Farmlands store and/or check guidelines on a soil testing laboratory website such as Hill Laboratories (hill-labs.co.nz). Get tests done
annually and keep good records, as trends over time are important. The table shows the tests that are of most interest in relation to pasture growth and the target ranges for each nutrient.
If soil pH is too low, you will need to apply lime. Bringing pH into the ideal range will increase the availability of nutrients in your soil. As a rule of thumb, you need one tonne of lime
per hectare to raise soil pH by 0.1 unit, and the full effect takes 6-12 months. If any nutrients aren’t in the optimum range, then it is time to apply fertiliser. The Nutrigro range from Ballance Agri-Nutrients has been specifically formulated with lifestyle farmers in mind and is suited to spring application. Along with phosphorus, sulphur and potassium (in Nutrigro 13K), it supplies nitrogen (to boost spring grass growth) plus cobalt and selenium, which are essential trace elements for animal health. Nutrigro comes in 20kg bags for easy transport and handling.
Bring your soil test results to Farmlands to see whether Nutrigro is the right option for you, or whether another product or product combination would better meet your property’s needs. For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Ballance Agri-Nutrients.
Target soil test values
| Taking time to understand your soil fertility is an investment that delivers over time.
Field Day advice gets Osbornes’ water running
Fortunately Peter and Raewynn Osborne don’t have to use their local place name of Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateaturipukakapikimaungahoronukupokaiwhenuakitanatahu for a mailing address. The name roughly translates as “The summit where Tamatea, the man with the big knees, the slider, climber of mountains, the land-swallower who travelled about, played his nose flute to his loved one” and has been listed by Guinness World Records as the world’s longest place name.
Peter and Raewynn recently bought a 195ha steep coastal property just south of Porangahau in the Central Hawke’s Bay, next to the peak with the long name. After many years in the high-stress fuel industry, it was time to slow down and enjoy the lifestyle of running a mid-size farm. After looking at many different properties, location,
the Hawke’s Bay climate and the opportunity to place their own mark on the property won them over.
The farm has a large covering of regenerated bush and scrub and some tracts of native trees.
Peter and Raewynn are both selfconfessed environmentalists, so their plan is to develop some of the regenerated scrubland back into pasture, while retaining the native flora. Peter has already started to fence off several natural waterways, limiting stock access. A reticulated stockwater scheme is a priority. This was reinforced by the drought of 2016, leading to the river, creek and springs on the property drying up.
Peter and Raewynn’s search for advice on a new water system started at the Central Districts Field Days, held in Feilding in March. Noting in the programme that Iplex Pipelines had a site next to Farmlands, their main on-farm supply company, made the search easy. Peter Carswell, Iplex’s Rural Projects Manager, arranged to visit the farm for a detailed GPS survey of topography, geographic positions, pipeline route and water source.
Before Peter’s visit, the Osbornes found an excellent spring-fed dam quite high on the farm. They did some remedial work to enlarge the storage and fence off the area from stock. Following the survey it became evident that due to the property’s steep nature, the static pressure would need to be managed, as the dam was situated at 300m above sea level, while the lowest tank was at 41m. This was
achieved without compromising the required flow by positioning four break-pressure tanks to control the pressure to troughs the tanks supplied. Pipeline lengths and pressure ratings were then determined, along with dam-holding capacity, to supply the 12,000 litres required per day for the 250 mixed-age cattle, and the pipe diameter needed to cope with the 2,000 litres per hour peak water demand.
“Field days still have their place in the New Zealand rural scene”, Peter says. “Where else could I have got the professional advice needed, next to the company that I purchased the materials from and arrange delivery through – it was a very seamless and efficient process.”
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Iplex.
| Hawke’s Bay farmer Peter Osborne found answers at a field day to his water supply problems.
Mobile feeders reduce strain of rearing calves
Calf-rearing season is no one’s favourite, and having the right gear to do the job is key.
Grant Allen, chief executive of Stallion Plastics, is committed to providing the best calf feeder for the job. Years of research and design have gone into providing a premium range of calf feeders. “We’re confident this range takes mobile feeders to the next level of innovation,” he says. As well as ease of use and size, the
MG and OT ranges offer a 3-way locking system on the lids to enable them to withstand high winds. The tanks are made from 100 percent polyethylene, making them tough and durable in extreme weather. New 500L and 1000L tank sizes also mean farmers can spend less time filling up and more time out in the paddock For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Stallion Plastics.
| Years of research have gone into calf feeder design.
Device takes guesswork out of mating season
The most critical aspect of a breeding programme is daily identification of cows exhibiting heat behaviour. Achieving this represents a major success for the entire seasonal production system.
A tight calving pattern leads to more cows in-milk earlier, fewer empties and more calves produced through AI, which in turn means more money in the bank.
Accurate heat detection can be a challenge even for experienced farmers and the pressure is high, with it often being the most stressful time of the year. The difficulty and need for experience to identify cows in heat was the reason for the development of the Gallagher FlashMate™ Electronic Heat Detector.
Into its third season, the FlashMate is proving its worth as the definitive
answer to better heat detection in dairy herds, with many first-time users now making it part of their reproductive management programme.
FlashMate attaches to the cow’s rump for a full mating season. It can identify multiple heats within that season by looking for specific patterns of riding activity such as frequency, number and length. On detecting mating activity, it will flash a red light for 26 hours to inform the farmer the cow is in oestrus and ready for mating.
If the cow attracts no further riding activity for 25 days, FlashMate will flash green, confirming that the cow is likely to be in-calf. It will return to flashing red if the cow shows heat activity again.
Gallagher Business Development Manager Colin Ranby says farmer comments on the FlashMate highlight how it has addressed several problems
that heat detection often raise for them.
They have found that regardless of previous weak six-week in-calf performance, FlashMate detectors are picking up silent heats better than some experienced farmers do.
“Farmers doing AI themselves have found cows are being detected by FlashMate that they would otherwise not have put up, and they have proven to be on heat when they do,” he says.
A major benefit is the reduced stress levels during what is an extremely taxing time of the year.
Some farmers use FlashMate simply to reduce the pressure of having to constantly monitor cows themselves, with farm workers taking on some of the workload.
“Farmers are saying there is a lot of satisfaction in seeing a row of red flashes as the cows approach the dairy in the morning, and even greater satisfaction when they start to spot the first green ones.”
Ranby says farmers will benefit financially from using FlashMate, which has no capital set-up costs.
“You can’t control the milk price and you can’t control the weather,” he says. “But if the average dairy farmer can lift their six-week in-calf rate from 65 percent to 75 percent, that’s worth an extra $60 per cow/ year, which equates to around $24,000 for a typical farm,” he says. For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Gallagher.
| Gallagher’s FlashMate can identify multiple heats within a season.
Vaccination only sure way to protect lambs from diseases
Pulpy kidney and tetanus are the two most important clostridial diseases of lambs. From birth until weaning is the biggest risk period for both.
Clostridial diseases are notoriously deadly. Young stock are most at risk as their immune systems are still developing, so vaccination is the only viable method of control.
Pulpy kidney is most commonly seen in well-grown lambs 3-10 weeks old, but can affect any age. The bacterium (Clostridium perfringens Type D) is considered a normal gut inhabitant, but in local farming systems the higher risk period occurs when lambs are on good feed. This is because disease occurs after explosive multiplication of bacteria in response to dietary triggers – for example, a sudden diet change or high intake of nutrientrich feed. Death occurs rapidly and symptoms are rarely seen; it is much more common to find dead animals, and it’s often the best lambs affected. Tetanus is most often associated with docking or tailing, as the causal bacteria (Clostridium tetani ) is found in soil and contaminates wounds. Docking/tailing wounds put lambs at high risk, particularly if rubber rings are used.
Most New Zealand farms use pre-lamb ewe vaccination to give protection to lambs via antibodies in colostrum. The duration of protection can vary, and depends on many factors including timing, health of the ewe, amount of colostrum suckled and the vaccine used.
Not all pre-lamb 5-in-1s provide the same length of protection – for example, Multine® 5-in-1 provides suckling lambs with protection for up to 12 weeks, but Nilvax® provides protection for up to 16 weeks. Some other pre-lamb vaccines provide shorter protection. Because clostridial deaths occur before weaning, the most suitable time to start a vaccination programme in lambs will depend on your choice of pre-lamb vaccine, your risk factors and your farm management goals. The shorter the protection time gained from pre-lamb vaccination, the earlier you will need to start vaccinating lambs. The longer the protection time, the more flexibility you have. Multine allows you to start any time from docking/tailing. In a recent New Zealand trial, lambs born to ewes vaccinated with Multine demonstrated a high level of
protective antibody transferral to their suckling lambs. When these lambs were then vaccinated with a full 2-shot programme, commencing at docking/tailing, the lambs vaccinated with Multine not only had a very high proportion responding above the reference level, but also high levels of antibody production. It is important to complete the 2-shot programme. Together the shots stimulate the lamb’s immune system for protection that is robust and long-lasting, and the 2-shots ensure replacements are primed for future pre-lamb vaccinations. A good vaccination programme could include a pre-lamb booster to the ewe, and the first Multine shot to lambs at tailing/docking, followed by the second booster shot 4-6 weeks later or at weaning. Any vaccinations from 12 weeks (or weaning) can also be done with Multine Selenised, convenient where selenium supplementation is required. When to start a programme is best determined by your farm management priorities, and your risks. Either way, vaccination is an investment in your stock, so a complete and robust programme will give you the best returns. Generally, saving just one lamb out of nearly 300 will see vaccination as a good return on the cost. Multine is developed, trialed and manufactured in New Zealand. For further information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by MSD Animal Health.
Time to check shed safety before start of shearing
Safety is no longer just an aim, it is an obligation for all woolgrowers, so it is important to ensure your shearing shed is safe before the season starts. Preventable injuries also cost farmers, contractors and the wool industry significant sums annually.
The Heiniger Evo shearing plant is the first of its type with an electronic safety switch to instantly stop the machine in the case of a handpiece lock-up. Previously in the event of lock-up the handpiece would spin at up to 3,500rpm, which made
this a dangerous occurrence.
At only 7.8kg (machine only), the Evo is light to transport. Its downtube is isolated from all electrified components, reducing the risk of electric shock.
The TPW Xpress woolpress is fitted with an approved mechanical safety screen, to ensure operator safety is never compromised. Other features include a fully automatic bale ejection system, a cycle time of 12-16 seconds in high-yielding wools, pressing bales up to 200kg, and a low filling height, which mitigates stress and strain on the operator’s back.
The important questions to ask are:
• Does my shearing plant offer a safety cut-out in case of lock-up?
• Is my shearing plant isolated from electric shock?
• Does my woolpress have a safety guard?
• Is my woolpress operator safe?
For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Heiniger.
Dairy farmers get help to battle rising empty rates
The dairy industry has been focused on improving fertility results for some years but with an average 6-week in-calf rate of about 65 percent and the empty rate sitting around 15 percent, this situation is costing farmers thousands of dollars in lost milk production and genetics.
The coinciding of these results with the nasty weather that hit many regions during the 2016 mating season has compounded the problem, with fewer cows in-calf in the first 6 weeks and a higher empty rate.
While it’s too late to do anything about last year’s mating results, we can plan for a better outcome this year.
The focus now is on addressing the reproductive issues that reduce in-calf rates, such as poor heat strength, poor heat length, and short and long returns.
To help farmers achieve more sustainable fertility outcomes, BellBooth has formulated a product, Nutrimol 4n1™, to address key issues. The unique 130-day 4n1 mating programme has reversed the trend of rising empty rates for hundreds of dairy farmers.
The Nutrimol 4n1 formulation targets the four big issues that many farmers experience through the reproduction process. These are:
Heat strength
The iodine in 4n1 is essential for thyroid gland function, foetal survival and overall development. 4n1 should be added to the diet on a daily basis to assist cows to cycle, which in turn supports heat detection and
the readiness of the cow to “come up” and maintain a strong heat.
Embryo development
4n1 contains folic acid, which has been shown in human studies to reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the formation of the central nervous system. Sufficient vitamin B9 is important for supporting rapidly growing foetal tissue during the first three months of pregnancy.
Vitamins for health and wellbeing
4n1 contains vitamin A to promote mucous membrane health, skin health and the growth of body tissue. Good levels of vitamin A reduce the reproductive tract’s susceptibility to infection. 4n1 also contains vitamin D to stimulate the absorption of phosphorus and calcium, essential for bone formation, especially in rapidly growing animals. The vitamin E in 4n1 functions primarily as an antioxidant.
Rumen support
The addition of a prebiotic to Nutrimol 4n1 completes the overall component line-up and provides a food source for the “rumen bugs” helping to assist the cow with its feed conversion.
For best results, begin dosing Nutrimol 4n1 30 days prior to the planned start of mating, to encourage strong heats. Farmers say it’s easy to see when the 4n1 kicks in – the cows get cycling within a few days. The 4n1 programme continues until 60 days after the end of mating, to assist with cows holding and their wellbeing. For more information or to receive a fertility assessment, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Bell-Booth.
| Poor heat strength, poor heat length, and short and long returns are reducing in-calf rates.
Long-acting drenches keep parasites at bay
Using effective and proven drenches to limit the effects of parasite infection in cows makes it possible to maximise production through better feed conversion efficiency.
Despite generally having good immunity, adult dairy cows are affected by parasites. At times of stress, such as calving, their immunity is lower than normal and they can be more prone to infection despite good feed covers. Trials in New Zealand and overseas have demonstrated increased production, improved reproductive performance and weight gains from the use of endectocides, particularly long-acting formulations. A New Zealand trial with Cydectin Pour-On™ found cows produced on average 4.5kg milksolids more than untreated
cows when treated at calving. In addition, the treated cows were on average 14kg heavier in later lactation. Long-acting drenches don’t just kill the worms present on the day of treatment, as many other drenches do; they continue to work, much like a long-acting fly or mosquito repellent, killing incoming larvae and preventing them from establishing in the cow. This allows the cow to use for milk production, conception or weight gain the protein and energy that would have been siphoned off to combat parasites. Ostertagia osteragi is the most important production-limiting parasite of cattle and the main parasite that needs to be controlled in adult cattle. Despite having sustained efficacy against parasites, Cydectin Pour-On
has zero withholdings for milk, meat and bobby calves, making it a valuable option in the shed at any time of the year but especially at calving. In the current trade climate it is imperative that residues are not found in bobby calves. Cydectin Pour-On is a proven performer on New Zealand farms, with three on-farm productivity studies demonstrating a positive response to treatment in cows. More recently, in 2012, an independent study reconfirmed its high level of efficacy at over 99 percent against Ostertagia For more information, contact your Farmlands Technical Field Officer or the friendly team at your local Farmlands store.
Article supplied by Zoetis New Zealand Ltd.