Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

SHEEP & BEEF NEWSLETTER

A UTUMN 2 0 1 5 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: BR

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• OUT-WINTERING BEEF CATTLE

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• SETTING UP YOUR FLOCK FOR A GOOD LAMBING IN 2016 su

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• MEASURING PERFORMANCE AND INTAKES TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY

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• STORE LAMB FINISHING

CONTENTS PAGE 2

SUPPORT FOR INVESTMENTS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL HOLDING

3

OUT-WINTERING BEEF CATTLE

4-5

SETTING UP YOUR FLOCK FOR A GOOD LAMBING IN 2016

6

THE ROLE & BENEFITS OF LIVE YEAST & BUFFERS FOR BEEF ANIMALS

7

BVD ERADICATION

8-9

THE FUTURE OF RUMINANT NUTRITION

10 - 11

RESPONSIBLE MINERAL NUTRITION FOR BEEF AND SHEEP

12 - 13

MEASURING PERFORMANCE AND INTAKES TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY

14 - 15

COLOSTRUM – THE FUEL FOR LIFE

16

WYNNSTAY PRODUCT SCOOPS TOP AWARD FOR HELPING MAXIMISE YOUNGSTOCK POTENTIAL

17

WYNNSTAY ROCKMINS

18

STORE LAMB FINISHING

19

ONE SIZE FITS NOBODY – MERIAL ADVISES TARGETED APPROACH TO PARASITE CONTROL IN SHEEP

20

THE IMPORTANCE OF TRACE ELEMENT NUTRITION PRETUPPING

21

CLOSAMECTIN POUR ON AND HOUSING

22 - 23

A ROUND OF APP-LAUSE FOR THE NEW STOCKTRACE ANDROID APP!

24

SHEEP & BEEF SERVICES FROM WYNNSTAY

WELCOME Welcome to the first edition of our Sheep and Beef newsletter. This is a dedicated publication for our customers; providing the latest industry updates alongside technical advice to help you get the most from your business. From analysing the new grant options that are available for livestock farmers, to the merits of out wintering beef, this edition brings together information and news from our Wynnstay specialists as well as leading industry experts.

SUPPORT FOR INVESTMENTS TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE AND SUSTAINABILITY OF AGRICULTURAL HOLDING The Sustainable Production Grant Scheme is open to applications from a wide range of businesses involved in the primary production of agricultural products. This scheme supports investments to improve performance and sustainability of agricultural holdings. Capital investments by agricultural businesses: including arable, beef, dairy, goats, horticulture (including hydroponics and aquaponics), pigs, poultry, sheep and apiculture. Successful candidates could be entitled to the maximum grant threshold of £400,000.

There are numerous examples of products and systems that could be eligible for grant aid available to purchase from Wynnstay, such as livestock housing, bulk feed bins, EID readers and livestock weighing scales. This grant focuses on areas such as Animal and Plant Health & Welfare, Crop Storage, Production Infrastructure, Housing & Handling, Soil & Crop Management, as well as Renewable Energy Production.

YOUNG ENTRANTS SUPPORT SCHEME: This scheme provides assistance to young farmers setting-up as head of the holding for the first time. Young farmers represent a key factor in the sustainable development of the farming sector. This scheme supports the establishment of young farmers (under 40) who possess adequate skills and competence and are setting-up as head of the holding for the first time.

‘Setting up as head of holding’ includes those who have set-up as head of holding for the first time within the previous 12 months.

The assistance package will include all or part of the following: • a one off grant payment for capital investment for expenses incurred when young entrant is setting-up as head of holding for the first time • access to a dedicated Young Entrants’ Business Enabler Service, which will advise on training, knowledge transfer and joint venture opportunities as well as matching young entrants with appropriate established farmers who wish to explore different working patterns • access to funded mentoring services from established farmers.

Ceri Jones Wynnstay Retail - 01691 662690 Wynnstay Arable- 01939 210555 Wynnstay Feeds- 01691 828512

Sheep & Beef Catalogue Co-ordinator t: 01691 668722 • ceri.jones@wynnstay.co.uk

To find your nearest store visit

www.wynnstay.co.uk/locations.html

For the latest information from Wynnstay...

Come and see us at the Welsh Winter Fair on 30th November and 1st December 2015.

Read further articles on our blog at www.sheepandbeef.co.uk

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OUT-WINTERING BEEF CATTLE There has been much interest in recent years in outwintering systems for beef cattle. They have the potential to reduce costs and hence increase farm profitability.

Out-wintering also offers the potential to increase herd size, within the constraints of NVZ restrictions without the substantial capital costs associated with housing and waste storage. Out-wintering is predominantly suited for dry suckler cows and stores where relatively modest performance levels (0.3-0.5kg DLWG for the latter) are required; however studies have recently been completed with out-wintered heifers targeted to achieve DLWGs of 0.7-0.8kg. The majority of out-wintering research has focused on kale however equally good performance can be achieved with fodder beet, stubble turnips, forage rape or swedes. Combinations of these crops i.e. biocrops with swedes sown with kale for example have been shown to work well in commercial practice. Many factors influence the choice of crop but generally fodderbeet, kale and swedes could be sown after 1st cut silage and hence result in higher yields than stubble turnips or forage rape. But these catch crops are usually sown after autumn harvest or 2nd or 3rd cut silage, thus giving you an extended grazing season on the pasture for the latter.

Research work has also evaluated ‘deferred grazing’ i.e. shutting up fields in July for grazing in late autumn-early winter. This has resulted in relatively poor performance and would only be suitable for dry suckler cows where it was necessary to lose a significant amount of condition.

Some trough feeding would be required to hold body condition.

So what are the key factors in making a success of out-wintering?

• Enthusiasm: if you don’t have the desire, interest or enthusiasm to make out-wintering work, then don’t do it!

• Dry land: certain soil types will not allow outwintering, especially in above average rainfall areas and always have a grass runback area for cattle, usually on the highest part of the field, ideally with some shelter from hedges or a wood.

• Offer some long fibre: this can be either silage or straw depending on the level of performance required.

• Minimise damage to soils and ‘run-off’: avoid going in the fields with a tractor or materials handler.

Place big bales across the field in the autumn to expose bales on a regular basis when moving the electric fence during the winter. Most ring feeders can be ‘man handled’ to the fresh bales. The hoof prints of cattle in the field can act as mini reservoirs to hold back

dirty water.

• Offer minerals: brassicas are noted for problems/ deficiencies with iodine, copper and selenium.

• Only out-winter dry suckler cows in condition score 2.5+ and stores. It is however possible to achieve DLWGs of 0.7kg with growing cattle.

• Intakes: attempting 90-100% utilisation of the crop may restrict intakes which will limit performance.

If necessary clear up any residual crop with store lambs.

An anecdotal comment frequently received from farms who out-winter, especially with suckler cows, is that the cattle get more exercise and are fitter.

In recent years at Harper Adams University, heifers, albeit Holsteins, have been out-wintered, and for calving at 2-2½ year old DLWGs of 0.7-0.8kg need to be achieved.

An experiment was carried out in 2008 which evaluated the performance of 28 in-calf dairy heifers aged 21 months old with a mean weight of 476kg. The heifers were either housed on silage or out-wintered on stubble turnips. The results certainly produced some interesting findings. When offered straw the out-wintered heifers only maintained weight. When the straw was replaced with good quality haylage, overall winter DLWGs of 0.7kg were achieved. The housed heifers recorded DLWGs of 0.85kg but when turned out only achieved a DLWG of 0.19kg for the first 34 days. The out-wintered heifers grazing the same pasture recorded 1.0kg per day during the same time period i.e. they did not suffer a growth check. Overall there were no significant differences in growth rates between the housed and out-wintered heifers with the latter recording a significant reduction in rearing costs through savings in fixed costs and straw bedding. A copy of a 3 page trial report on the above study can be found on the National Beef Association (NBA) website. See Technical Information > Beef Nutrition.

Simon Marsh Principal Lecturer and Beef Cattle Specialist, Harper Adams University t: 01952 815213

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

3

SETTING UP YOUR FLOCK FOR A GOOD LAMBING IN 2016 So when does the preparation for lambing start? Ideally it should be the day the ewes are weaned from the previous lamb crop. However, eight weeks before the rams go in is the date that the countdown really begins. So why eightweeks before tupping? There are two reasons: number one, the rams and number two, the ewes.

THE RAMS – THINK ABOUT THE SEMEN Ram semen takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce, so if rams are being turned out in mid-October their ability to successfully get ewes in lamb is based in large part on their management since the middle of August. A fit, fertile and healthy ram can easily serve 80+ ewes. The job of the ram owner is to help rams achieve this, so sourcing of appropriately produced rams is vital. Once on the farm, good management of rams is important to get the best from them. Rams shouldn’t need any particular management but they can be easily overlooked when they might make up only 2% of the breeding flock. It is therefore important to ensure that rams are fed a wellbalanced forage based diet and are included in any flock health treatments.

condition score 3 at least six weeks before lambing. The earlier this process starts the easier (and cheaper) it is to achieve. Late-summer and early-autumn is an ideal time to focus on ewe condition as any increased grass growth can be utilised and condition score gained.

One common mistake is that leading up to tupping ewes are kept on limited feed supplies with the aim of providing a ‘flushing’ effect when ewes are moved onto better quality grazing a couple of weeks before the rams go in. Recent studies have shown that this is not actually a good way of improving scanning results.

A Farming Connect study carried out over the winter of 2013 showed that despite increasing grass supply during tupping in October, it was the absolute condition score of the ewes at the point they went to the rams which was important.

Problems can occur with their reproductive organs so carrying out an annual ram MOT is vital. This physical examination of the ram ensures there are no lumps and bumps in the wrong place and teeth and feet are fit for the job of allowing rams to serve ewes over tupping.

Rams should be in good condition at tupping and ideally at target condition score 4 to 4.5 – fit but not fat. This can be achieved from good quality grazing over the summer, but if rams are not at their target then consider introducing small levels of feeding. Protein in the diet can improve semen production and ‘RamMaster’ coarse mix - specifically designed for rams should be used.

THE EWES – THINK ABOUT THEIR CONDITION To ensure a successful lambing, the aim over the autumn and winter period is to ensure that ewes are at target

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Carrying out a ram MOT A ram MOT is simply a physical examination of the ram. If you are unsure of how to go about procedure then speak to your vet who can demonstrate how to carry them out.

Testicle size should also be measured as part of the MOT process. Rams with larger testicles are able to serve more ewes and there is also evidence that the daughters of these rams are more prolific. Aim for a minimum testicle circumference of 36cm in mature rams.

The impact of ewe condition score at tupping on scanning results Flock

Scan result Ewes @ condition score 2

Ewes @ condition score 3

A

174%

194%

B

180%

200%

C

134%

170%

D

134%

158%

More worryingly it risks ewes failing to enter the winter in good condition as by the autumn it is unlikely that ewes can put on enough condition off grass if they are only at condition score 2.5 at tupping. It takes 6-8 weeks on good quality grazing for a ewe to gain a condition score. If ewes go to the ram in mid-October, there just isn’t the amount and quality of grass required to put on sufficient condition to take them into the winter. Instead the aim should be to get ewes in the right condition as soon after weaning as possible. Ewes can then be maintained at this condition score. This is financially efficient and ewes in good condition can also be used to maintain grass quality by utilising the poorer grasses left by finishing lambs. Indeed, if grass supplies are short it can be cost-effective to introduce concentrate feeding to any lean ewes before tupping rather than try and tackle the problem in the winter.

Don’t forget about flock health and the impact it has on animal performance. Good flock health planning will ensure that efforts put into the feeding of animals will not be wasted. Common problems in the autumn and winter includes Liver Fluke, and lameness can be a year round problem. Both diseases can reduce flock performance at lambing so the aim should be to get on top of any problems in plenty of time.

Planning ahead to maximise your prospects for a good lambing in 2016 1. MOT the rams being used – carry out a physical examination and feed appropriately.

2. Ensure as many ewes as possible are at a minimum condition score 3 by tupping – ideally they should be 3 to 3.5.

3. Don’t let ewes drop too much condition over the winter and ideally maintain a condition score of 3. Condition score often and handle each ewe individually.

4. If ewes do drop in condition score check for any underlying diseases and consider the introduction of additional feed such as one of the EweMaster® range of ewe compounds – it is more efficient to maintain rather than put on condition.

5. Purchase compound feeds based on ingredients and not just price – analyse forage to ensure appropriate feeding system. EweMaster® compounds contain only wholesome, proven ingredients.

6. Don’t forget the basics of flock health - minimising disease problems will help the ewes perform well at lambing.

7. Set some targets – speak to your vet or Wynnstay Sales Specialist to develop indicators as to whether flock management is optimum for the system.

8. Don’t forget the financials. Monitor costs throughout the season and consider the cost-benefit of money spent.

Condition scoring ewes

9. Don’t accept the status quo. There are always things to improve upon and this applies to all businesses!

A visual assessment of ewes does not indicate their condition score. It is conformation which can be seen, not condition.

Ewes should be individually handled and grouped according to whether they are on target, too lean or too fat.

The quicker any loss in condition is detected the quicker it can be rectified.

Catherine Nakielny Independent Sheep Consultant m: 07875 521 324 catherine@knconsulting.co.uk

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

5

THE ROLE & BENEFITS OF LIVE YEAST & BUFFERS FOR BEEF ANIMALS

Whether beef prices are on the up or on the way down, it is always possible to improve returns by increasing efficiency. The use of Biosprint live yeast in beef diets can help to do just that; the benefits include reduced cost per kilo live weight gain, a reduction in the overall feed bill and a faster turnaround of animals. The Wynnstay Prime Beef® range incorporates Biosprint to maximise the benefits of this premium range.

increasing live weight gain to 1.3kg, the cost per kilo LWG reduces to 120p, so the longer Prime Beef® with Biosprint is in the diet, the greater the benefit.

Biosprint is a unique strain of yeast that has been shown to increase live weight gain and feed conversion efficiency in both semi-intensive and intensive feeding systems.

Data submitted to the EC for approval of Biosprint as a feed additive shows the boost in growth rate for Beef Cattle ranges from 7 to 10.6%, with 9% improvement being typical on semi-intensive diets. Where starch content of the diet is increased, as seen in intensive beef systems, the enhancement tends to be at the higher end of that range.

However, it does not end there, in a trial of 64 finishing Limousin steers (32 treatment, 32 control) the Biosprint fed group improved LWG by 9% and improved carcass conformation and killing out percentage – better grading is another way to improve margin!

When fed to intensively finished cattle on Prime Beef® Premium, the improvement in efficiency can reduce dietary cost per kilo LWG from, 134p to 123p, with livestock reaching target weight quicker and on average, saving 240kg per head of finishing nuts.

With EBLEX currently reporting the average live weight price of all Prime Beef cattle at 188p per kilo*, this saving represents an increase in margin of over feed cost of 18.5%. Naturally all livestock and feeding stuffs vary and individual costing depend upon individual circumstances. To look at the diet in detail discuss the benefits of the Prime Beef® range including Biosprint with your Wynnstay Sales Specialist.

Available in the Prime Beef® range of beef compounds, blends, Wynnmin Premier Intensive Beef mineral and as a farm pack.

Biosprint works by helping the rumen microbes cope with the challenges of modern ruminant diets, acidic silages or high levels of starch. The yeast stimulates efficient bacterial action and helps reduce the challenges of acidosis by modulating rumen pH. Live yeast also acts as an oxygen scavenger helping keep the rumen anaerobic, again improving rumen efficiency.

So what does this mean to the cost of producing beef in 2015? Using today’s prices for feeding stuffs on a semiintensive system (beef nuts and grass silage), where livestock at 400-500 kg live weight are expected to grow at say, 1.2kg per day, diet cost averages 130p per kilo live weight gain (LWG). Using Prime Beef® nuts and *Prices correct at time of print.

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Ian Henderson Scotmin Technical Director t: 01573 226822 m: 07720 076437 ian.henderson@scotmin.com

BVD ERADICATION Bovine Viral Diarrhoea in cattle is related to Border Disease Virus in sheep and Classical Swine Fever Virus in pigs.

The conditions include: • Persistent infection (PI) – this occurs when an animal is infected with the virus for life and consequently will carry and shed the virus at all times. Cattle can become persistently infected with the virus if they are infected as unborn calves in the womb in early pregnancy.

• The same virus also causes mucosal disease. Only animals that are persistently infected with BVD (because of exposure in the womb) can ever develop mucosal disease, which causes severe illness that quickly leads to death.

• Transient infection is caused when a non-PI animal is exposed to the BVD virus after birth. These animals can show a wide range of clinical signs, from none at all, to severe disease and death.

Identifying the infection and ensuring eradication is important because it causes the following: 1. Immune-suppression BVD virus will attack the immune system even in subclinical infections. Animals with a damaged immune system are less able to fight infections and are at greater risk of contracting a secondary disease. In growing cattle pneumonia, diarrhoea and fatality are more likely to occur when BVD is present on the farm. In adult cows raised milk somatic cell count (indicative of mastitis) may occur.

WHAT SHOULD YOU DO? 1. Tag all calves at the earliest opportunity but no later than 7 days after birth.

Early testing of calves reduces the risk of their becoming transiently infected (TI) and giving a positive virus result, even though they are not persistently infected. Avoiding TI animals will reduce the need for confirmatory retesting. It also allows for key farm management decisions to be made at the earliest opportunity and to ensure that each calf is correctly matched to its dam. This is vitally important to the success of the programme.

2. Test all calves born into the herd, including stillbirths, using the tissue sample tag.

A necessity to ensure that virus-positive calves are not missed and that infection, if present, is identified and dealt with as quickly as possible.

3. Samples should be returned to the laboratory of choice at the earliest opportunity.

This gives you the information necessary to make key management decisions on farm at the earliest opportunity.

4. Carry out all necessary follow up testing following the discovery of a PI animal.

This is necessary in order to identify and remove all persistently infected animals from your herd as quickly as possible.

2. Reproductive Disease When a breeding or pregnant animal becomes infected with BVD there is likely to be an adverse effect on reproduction even when no symptoms are noticed.

Breeding cattle: Conception rates of animals exposed to BVD will be lower due to reduced conception and increased early embryonic death.

Pregnant cattle: When pregnant cattle are exposed to BVD, the effects on the calf in the womb are often far worse than the effect on the pregnant animal.

Abortions, birth of weak or malformed calves and birth of persistently infected calves, are common consequences of infected pregnant cows.

3. Reduced Production BVD infections are also associated with reduced milk production.

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

7

THE FUTURE OF RUMINANT

NUTRITION Good rumen function is vital if we are going to get the best performance out of ruminant livestock. As such understanding how the rumen functions and adopting appropriate feeding strategies is central to nutritional advice and diet formulation.

Ruminants are unique in that they do not directly digest the feedstuffs they consume, instead feed ingredients are fermented in the rumen and it is the end products of this fermentation which are the main nutrients for the animals.

Efficient fermentation is therefore essential if digestive performance and subsequent animal performance is to be maximised.

International beef nutrition consultant Gerry Giggins stated recently “I am seeing performance levels in beef animals which I didn’t think were possible. Maxammon is enabling me to feed higher cereal levels and really push my client’s performance and profitability.”

The end products of fermentation are acids which can cause the pH of the rumen to fall. In situations where too much acid is produced metabolic problems such as sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA) can occur. Apart from causing significant reductions in digestive efficiency and performance, SARA can cause health problems such as lameness and diarrhoea. If left unchecked full acidosis will result and problems such as bloat can occur.

The conundrum for nutritionists is that the most effective way to drive performance in beef cattle is to increase the cereal and therefore starch content of the diet. Cereals however when fermented in the rumen produce a strong acid called propionic acid. This in turn lowers rumen pH, impairs digestive efficiency and can result in SARA or full acidosis. How then can we more safely feed cereals to our livestock?

Maxammon is a grain treatment which raises the pH of the grain from 6.5 to 7 to between 8.5 and 9.0. This makes the grain more alkaline and counters the acid produced during fermentation. Maxammon has the additional advantage that it lifts grain protein by 4.5 units enabling us to reduce the amount of vegetable proteins in the diet, a significant financial saving.

Bolus 896: Hartbush Group 1

8

7.5 7 pH 6.5 6 5.5

Over the years numerous feeding strategies, ingredients and additives have been developed to help overcome this problem and reduce the risks of feeding higher cereal levels. Today we have a new and exciting tool at our disposal – Maxammon. Feedback from farmers around the world is telling us that Maxammon is a nutritional game changer, allowing safer feeding of higher cereal levels with significant performance benefits.

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5

8

7.5 7 pH 6.5 6 5.5

Bolus 929: Hartbush Group 2

Maxammon is exceptionally versatile and can be used on home produced grain at harvest or bought-in dry grain. For farmers that do not have the facilities to treat grain Wynnstay can supply Maxammon pretreated grain or complete feed blends which contain Maxammon treated cereals.

Studies with rumen pH boluses, which measure rumen pH, have shown that feeding the more alkaline, higher pH Maxammon cereals lifts the pH in the rumen away from the acidic levels which can lead to SARA and acidosis.

The following are just a sample of the typical comments and feedback we are getting from beef farmers.

Ben Baron, Leitfie, Alyth, Perthshire: “I felt the bulls settled onto the diet very quickly with no acidosis problems.”

“This winter the bulls fed on Maxammon treated barley are already 7% up on last year. From weaning to early March the bulls have achieved an average liveweight gain of 1.47kg/day.”

“I ran out of Maxammon grain and went on to dried grain and the liveweight gain dropped.”

Andrew Hodge, Rulesmains, Duns, Berwickshire: “As well as saving in feed costs, the cattle performed better with no acidosis or stomach problems. The absence of barley in the dung was noticeable and there was no looseness. The treated barley is obviously kinder on the gut. The cattle definitely do better on it”

Neil Blyth, Middleton House Farm, Elwick, Hartlepool: “From weaning to finish I’m getting a daily liveweight gain of 1.8kg” Murdoch Duncan, William Duncan & Company, Insch, Aberdeenshire: “The performance of my youngstock has never been better.

We sold calves at an average age of 11 months and an average weight of 470kg. Since introducing Maxammon to the system we are selling calves at similar weights 2 months earlier.”

This type of performance improvement is being seen in many different feeding systems and because of the marked advantages more and more farmers are converting to Maxammon. Willie Thomson, Technical Director of Maxammon creators Harbro Ltd said recently “We are seeing a real sea-change in how ruminant animals are being fed, it really is the future of ruminant nutrition.”

James Feighery, TARA Farms, Dunboyne, County Meath, Ireland: Bull performance is now consistently topping 1.8kg/ head/day.

“We get great results in animal performance and health”

Steve Kenyon Strathclyde Nutrition Ltd Technical Director t: 01555 820627 m: 07796 927354 stephen.kenyon@strathclydenutrition.com

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

9

RESPONSIBLE MINERAL NUTRITION FOR BEEF AND SHEEP WHY ARE MINERALS IMPORTANT? Ruminants need a wide range of minerals in their diet.

Some are readily supplied in common ration ingredients, but others require extra supplementation.

Deficiency of essential minerals can reduce performance and in extreme cases cause death. Two of the most common mineral deficiencies in cattle and sheep are of calcium and magnesium, causing milk fever and grass staggers. Careful management of these two minerals throughout the production cycle is vital to achieving efficient performance and health. Some of the functions of minerals in the body are outlined in Table 1.

Mineral

Functions in the body

Macro minerals Calcium

Bone & teeth formation, nerve & muscle function, milk production.

Phosphorus

Reproduction, health of bones and teeth.

Magnesium

Growth, reproduction, metabolic functions.

Salt

Water balance, nerve and muscle function, and acid-base balance.

Trace minerals Cobalt

Component of Vitamin B12.

Copper

Haemoglobin formation, tissue metabolism.

Iodine

Production of thyroid hormones, energy metabolism.

Manganese

Reproduction enzyme formation.

Selenium

Antioxidant, fertility.

Zinc

Enzyme activity.

Table 1. Functions of selected minerals in the body Along with deficiencies, mineral toxicities can also occur and must be managed. To ensure the safety of both animal and those who are involved in the production and use of mineral supplements, legal maximum dietary levels are defined for certain minerals, such as copper and cobalt.

Mineral supplements are balanced to ensure the daily mineral supply does not exceed legal maximums.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF BALANCING MINERALS Monitoring copper levels is important in both beef and sheep, with some sheep breeds such as the Texel being particularly sensitive to excesses of copper.

The balance of minerals required varies hugely between species, as can the requirements of an animal throughout its production cycle. The calcium requirement of livestock varies throughout the year, mainly dependent upon stage of lactation. Magnesium is important in the metabolism of calcium for lactating animals. However, if fed to intensively reared stock or rams, excess magnesium can lead to urinary calculi (a build-up of magnesium crystals in the urinary tract) which may cause death.

Research has found that there is a benefit of supplementing cobalt in the diet of pregnant ewes.

Cobalt supplementation reduces the time to stand, find the udder, and suckle (Figure 1). There was also a reduction in lamb mortality in the first four weeks.

Along with minerals, vitamins support a range of functions in the body including immune support. The concentration of certain vitamins in conserved forages such as hay and silage decreases over time. Therefore it is important to include vitamins in the mineral supplement.

Vitamins A, D3 and E are included in mineral supplements as standard to ensure adequate supply. Working with our mineral manufacturers, Trouw Nutrition GB, Wynnstay can formulate diets which meet the needs of specific animals at each stage of the production cycle.

A COMMON PROBLEM

SELECTING THE RIGHT MINERAL

The Animal and Plant Health Agency reported in 2013 that there were 227 sheep (of 12,282 submissions) and 564 cattle (of 44,369 submissions, including Dairy) which suffered mineral deficiencies; resulting in fatalities. There were also 45 cases of mineral toxicity in sheep and 17 in cattle. These figures do not account for the vast number of animals not submitted for diagnosis, and also the possible reduction in immunity caused by mineral imbalances which may have led to other disease. Good management of mineral nutrition can help to avoid both deficiency and toxicity, therefore reducing animal losses.

There is a wide variety of mineral products on the market, each targeting a different area of production.

Supplements formulated for intensively reared stock, such as Wynnmin Premier Intensive Lamb, have no added magnesium, reducing the risk of urinary calculi, and a high inclusion of calcium which promotes strong bone growth. Premier Suckler cow mineral has a greater inclusion of magnesium to reduce the risk of grass staggers.

Forage based diets contain high levels of potassium which can bind dietary magnesium, reducing the amount available to the animal and so increasing the likelihood FORAGE ANALYSIS of grass staggers. Mineral supplements targeted at In order to responsibly feed minerals, it is important to suckler animals are not suitable for intensively reared understand the levels of different minerals in commonly stock due to the magnesium content. included feed ingredients, particularly forages which can account for over 50% of dry matter intakes. Table 2 below Where availability of a mineral to an animal is reduced, shows the average mineral content of a range of common it is possible to include protected minerals in the UK forages from the 2014 season. This information supplement which are more readily available to the allows accurate formulation of mineral supplements animal. For example, protected selenium and zinc can be based on all dietary mineral sources to ensure optimum included to help improve health and fertility. performance of your stock.

Sheep are sensitive to copper toxicity, and in most cases background levels of copper are sufficient to meet requirements for this reason sheep minerals are Forage Calcium Phosphorus Magnesium formulated without copper. However, beef minerals typically include copper and so must NOT be fed to sheep. % % % Big bale silage

0.54

0.29

0.17

Hay

0.47

0.23

0.16

Haylage

0.49

0.24

0.14

1st cut silage

0.53

0.32

0.17

2nd cut silage

0.59

0.30

0.18

Speak to your Wynnstay feed sales representative to discuss which mineral will best suit your livestock to optimise performance.

Rosie Miller Ruminant Nutritionist rosie.miller@nutreco.com

MINUTES

Table 2. Average mineral content - 2014 forage season.

STANDING

NO COBALT

FINDING UDDER

SUCKLING

+ COBALT

Figure 1. Effect of supplement feeding cobalt.

(Source: Fisher, 1992).

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

11

MEASURING PERFORMANCE AND INTAKES TO INCREASE EFFICIENCY The Williams family from Gwythrian, Aberdaron, have seen dramatic improvements in carcass weight gain by controlling costs, predominantly monitoring DLWG and intakes to improve efficiency.

Alan Williams farms with his wife Catrin and three sons, Dafydd, Will and Ieuan, at Gwythrian. Alan has seen a huge benefit in monitoring animal performance through each stage of beef production. Along with monitoring animal performance, intakes and costs are controlled after purchasing their Keenan 320 Mech Fibre.

Cows are calved from April to June and creep feed is offered to all calves from mid August. “Creep feeding allows the calves to gain more weight before weaning at a lower cost, as they are more efficient at converting every kg of DM into bodyweight”.

“We have worked closely with Iwan Vaughan from Wynnstay to set up diet formulation so we can achieve as much DLWG per kg of DMI as possible. The intakes of the stock are monitored by using the Pace system on the Keenan”.

The farm is 740 acres of primarily lowland ground that “Our targets with the young finishing bulls is to achieve carries 80 Continental cross suckler cows, a flock of 1350 a 430kg carcass weight by 14 months, and we then sell Suffolk cross and Welsh Mules and 80 acres of barley - the bulls through ABP”. grown on the farm for feeding.

This year the bulls were slaughtered at a carcass weight 380 store cattle are purchased onto the farm each year, of 430kg at 14.5 months and averaged a carcass classification of U+3. This is an average of 1.6kg DLWG with approximately 460 taken to slaughter each year; from birth to slaughter.

• 40 home grown bulls The diet is as follows; • 50 purchased steers • 5kg Rolled Barley • and 370 home grown and purchased heifers • 3.4kg Custom Blend When buying stock bulls onto the farm the bulls’ figures are very important. The family look to get the full potential • 2.5kg Cracked Maize out of the carcass and are looking for a heavy weight • 1.4kg QLF Allstock 40 with high DLWG. Charolais bulls have been purchased for some years as the breed offers all the above and largely • 0.25kg Straw all stores purchased are also Charolais cross.

• 0.15kg Sodium bicarbonate “We purchase bulls predominantly on their figures and calving ease. The 400 day weight is most important to us”, commented Alan, “if we can get cows calving easily and the progeny to have accelerated growth rates post calving, they are our main objectives”.

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• 0.1kg Wynnmin Biosprint Beef Mineral The bulls are housed in early November and put onto a finishing ration. They will start clearing 7.5kg DM first at 340kg and then rise up to 12.5kg DM before slaughter at 650+kg. The diet is formulated with some straw included within the mix; ad lib straw is also offered in a ring feeder so bulls can eat to appetite.

The formulation of the diet is targeted at growing energy density by increasing the starch in the diet safely, using slower degradable starch in the form of maize and barley; this gives the diet less of an acid load. A custom made blend including sugar beet pulp, rapemeal and distillers, supplement protein and digestible fibre within the diet. Palatability and sugar content is increased with the inclusion of QLF Allstock 40 molasses. A mineral including Biosprint yeast is also added to the diet along with Sodium bicarbonate to maintain rumen stability and efficiency with such an energy dense diet.

Iwan Vaughan from Wynnstay added, “The diet has been formulated using quality raw materials with each kg DM costing 18.7p. By monitoring intake and body weight the diet is more efficient, with the bulls gaining more weight per kg of DM eaten”.

Some heifers are finished late autumn on grass and supplemented with rolled barley and molasses. Most are then housed and fed a TMR through the Keenan.

The target with the heifers is to achieve a deadweight of 400kg by 20 months of age and all are sold to Woodheads. Last autumn/winter the heifers reached 400kg deadweight by 21 months with an average carcass classification of U-4L, heifers gained an average of 1.5kg DWLG from housing to slaughter.

HEIFERS DIET • 7kg Grass Silage • 5.5kg Rolled Barley • 3kg Cracked Maize • 3kg Custom Blend • 1.25kg QLF Allstock 40 • 0.5kg Straw • 0.1kg Wynnmin Biosprint Beef Mineral • 5kg Water The heifers diet is again formulated with the same raw materials to increase energy density and starch within the diet. Grass silage is fed to add fibre and protein to the diet and supplemented again with starch sources from the rolled barley and cracked maize with digestible fibre and quality protein from the blend. Water is added to this diet to reduce sorting and increase palatability, due to the very dry grass silage being fed the previous year.

“The heifers on average would be eating 13.7kg DM of the diet offered to them at a cost of 16.6p/kg DM. As with the bulls DLWG and intakes are monitored so we know exactly how much the finishing stock are costing us each day”, added Alun.

Iwan Vaughan Ruminant Specialist m: 07990 578 548 iwan.vaughan@wynnstay.co.uk @ maesmochnant

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

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COLOSTRUM – THE FUEL FOR LIFE Colostrum is the first feed for the newborn lamb and the key to survival. It’s a highly nutritious energy source which helps the lamb to maintain body temperature and survive; it also contains antibodies which are vital to help protect the newborn lamb against disease. Feeding sufficient good quality colostrum immediately after birth will reduce losses from both hypothermia and disease.

It’s critical to carefully feed your in-lamb ewes in order to stimulate the production of quality colostrum and ensure lambs get the best start in life.

REMEMBER THE 3Q RULE • Quickly • Quantity • Quality

QUALITY

The quality of colostrum will determine the level of antibodies present in the colostrum. Quality is affected • Feed colostrum as soon as possible after birth – by: preferably within the first six hours. This is when the • Ewe condition: body condition score 3 at tupping gut wall is most permeable, allowing for the large and vaccinate against infectious abortion and antibody molecules to be absorbed directly into the clostridial disease bloodstream.

• Ewe parity: the number of previous lambings • Provide small frequent feeds during the first 24 hours • Ewe health: healthy, well-nourished ewes are able QUANTITY to develop a healthy placenta which reaches its optimum size around day 90 of pregnancy when • 50ml/kg live weight per feed the placenta releases hormones which stimulate • Minimum 210ml/kg live weight within the first 24 the lactating cells in the udder and colostrum starts hours developing three to five weeks before lambing.

QUICKLY

Daily intake 3kg lamb = 1.1 pints (630ml) 4kg lamb = 1.5 pints (840ml) 5kg lamb = 1.8 pints (1050ml)

While mothers’ colostrum is preferable, if ewe colostrum is unavailable, in short supply or of poor quality, then colostrum must be fed quickly from another source.

Options include fresh or frozen colostrum from another ewe, bovine colostrum or a high quality natural alterative such as Volac’s Lamb Volostrum.

For lambs born and raised outdoors, increase the Colostrum should be fed warm around 39°C. Stand in colostrum allowance by 15% to 20%. a bowl of warm water; do not microwave colostrum or heat it directly. Temperatures above 45°C can damage the sensitive proteins within colostrum.

Volostrum – the alternative colostrum Volac Lamb Volostrum is an ideal alternative or supplement when a ewe’s colostrum is not available or is in short supply due to multiple births, a sick ewe or a lamb being orphaned. Volostrum is made from high quality whey proteins which have been carefully processed to retain protein quality. It also contains a highly digestible source of energy.

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LAMB COLOSTRUM: EWE COLOSTRUM V WHEY BASED ALTERNATIVE – R&D FINDINGS Independent trial findings from University College Dublin have concluded that surplus lambs fed Volostrum were as healthy and perform equally as well as those that suckled ewes or were fed artificially on ewe’s colostrum. Furthermore mortality was nil.

The trial featured 30 surplus lambs from the University’s 350 ewe flock, and split in to two groups. Half the lambs were fed ewe colostrum at 50ml/kg birth weight at one, 10 and 18 hour intervals after birth whilst the remainder were each fed at the same intervals, one, 50g sachet of Volac Lamb Volostrum (three, 50g sachets over 18 hours). All the surplus lambs were reared artificially on Lamlac ad libitum via a Ewe-2 feeder from 24 hours, and weaned at just over six weeks of age.

“The two groups of lambs recorded identical preweaning growth rates and nil mortality which highlights that when ewe colostrum is in short supply, as is often the case with multiple births, triplet lambs can be successfully artificially reared and achieve high growth rates,” explains University College Dublin’s Dr. Tommy Boland.” See Table 1.

Colostrum fed lambs

Volostrum fed lambs

Birth weight (kg)

4.8

4.7

Pre-weaning growth rate (g/day)

385

385

Weaning weight (kg)

21.9

21.5

(Source: Dr. Tommy Boland)

Table 1: Lamb performance: ewe colostrum v Volostrum

The Irish findings mirror precisely earlier research findings from Harper Adams University, whilst over 30 farm studies have concluded that farmers were satisfied that Volostrum was very effective as a first feed for lambs.

Volac’s Jessica Cooke adds: “These findings reflect the fact that Volostrum, as a colostrum alternative, supplies a readily available source of nutrients and energy to get the young lamb up and on to its feet in those critical first few hours. The alternative is based on high quality un-denatured whey proteins which have been processed under low temperature conditions that maintain the integrity of the biologically valuable globular proteins essential to the young lamb. “In fact a 140ml feed of ewe colostrum would provide 28g protein, in comparison to a 50g first feed of Volostrum providing 38g protein.”

Jessica Cooke Young Animal Technical Specialist at Volac

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

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WYNNSTAY PRODUCT SCOOPS TOP AWARD FOR HELPING MAXIMISE YOUNGSTOCK POTENTIAL An innovative product which aims to get youngstock off to the best possible start has been recognised for its efforts in helping improve the health, welfare and productivity of livestock.

The Heatwave milk heating system, which encourages natural feeding behaviour, was awarded the RABDF’s Livestock Machinery and Equipment Award at the 2015 Livestock Event at Birmingham in July.

The product seeks to help youngstock get the right nutrition at the start of their lives to maximise growth rates, ensuring they stay healthy, and helping them become as productive and profitable as possible in later life.

Developed by husband and wife calf rearing experts Alan and Gill Dickson and sold through Wynnstay, the Heatwave milk warmer allows up to 30 calves to feed ad lib, 24 hours a day.

Unlike traditional once-a-day feeding, which can flood an animal’s digestive system and put it at risk of scours, feeding ad lib encourages a calf to behave more naturally.

By feeding little and often, they are able to digest the milk more easily and maximise their growth potential.

Warming the milk using Heatwave encourages very young calves to drink more milk in the colder months, helping them consume at least six litres every day to help them grow and remain healthy.

“Feeding cold milk ad lib from a bucket with a teat bar is fine in the summer, but once temperatures drop below 10°C you don’t get the intake you need to ensure healthy calves,” says Mrs Dickson, who is also Wynnstay’s National Calf Specialist.

“Heatwave is a cost-effective way of helping calves get the nutrients they need during the first 40 days of their lives when their feed conversion rates are at their highest.”

Giving youngstock 24-hour access to milk and they remain healthy is considerably cheaper than having to treat animals with medicines when they become ill, she adds.

Mrs Dickson says the system has shown huge potential for dairy farmers who want to make the most of their bull calves.

“Many bull calves have the genetic potential to put on over a kg/day in the first four weeks of life, but feeding them once or twice a day is just not maximising that potential.

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“If you you have an ad lib system they can consume 12 to 15 litres a day. We have a client who has been using it for his bull calves and they have gone up two grades since using the system, so it certainly makes financial sense.”

“In our trials of Heatwave, we have had one client whose bull calves have gone up two grades since using the system because they look like they have been reared on the cow. Using the system certainly makes financial sense.”

The Heatwave system also helps sheep and goat farmers who want a low labour system which still ensures their animals have the best start to their lives. Its multispecies capabilities was something which impressed the judges, Mrs Dickson says.

“They also liked that it is affordable, flexible and incredibly simple,” she adds. “The next stage up is a computerised system with collars, which is a £7500 investment.

“For just a few hundred pounds, Heatwave is an ideal solution for smaller-scale producers who can give a reasonable amount of attention and stockmanship.

“We’re incredibly proud to have won the RABDF’s award, and hopefully by winning it will help focus peoples’ minds on youngstock nutrition,” Mrs Dickson says.

“Taking the initiative to feed youngstock better and more naturally in the first few weeks of their lives is not only more humane but will also reap financial benefits in the long-run.”

WYNNSTAY ROCKMINS

• Makes fodder more palatable

ROCKMINS salt licks provide both mineral and trace element supplementation in a simple and cost-effective way. Manufactured from the purest Cheshire salt, these licks are the ideal carrier for guaranteed, measured levels of minerals and trace elements especially formulated for your livestock. Pressed at weights of 10,000kg per square inch, ROCKMINS are formed into rock-solid cubes of essential salt, minerals and trace elements fit to withstand any and all weather conditions

• Helps to regulate the acid/alkali balance in the stomach

Nutritious, economic and long-lasting, ROCKMINS will work to combat:

• Aids movement and use of muscles,

• Loss of appetite

• Aids fluid transfer between cells and the retention of water in body tissues.

• Depressed growth rates in growing and fattening livestock

In addition, sweating and milk production both cause appreciable loss of sodium making supplementation essential.

• Poor milk production in lactating livestock

Trace elements are fundamental to a stable metabolism and deficiencies will have a significant effect on growth and fertility. A continuous supply of trace elements is therefore vital in animal diets to minimise the risk of economic losses on farm.

Naturally self-regulating you can safely leave the licks for your animals to take as and when they require and in all feeding situations.

SALT (Sodium chloride) is an essential part of the daily diet of all livestock and plays a major role in health and well-being.

Salt is the key to efficient feed utilisation as it: • Stimulates saliva production • Promotes digestion

• Urine drinking

Available from your local Wynnstay Store or call 080 168 7998 for delivery options*. (*charges may apply.)

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

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STORE LAMB FINISHING LAMBMASTER In order to achieve maximum economic returns from lambs this autumn/winter, sheep farmers need to plan production and resources to decide how to finish the lambs or sell them as stores to meet the requirements of the chosen market.

Looking at alternative ways to finish lambs going into winter needs to be a priority to allow the grazing platform for in lamb ewes or recovery;

GRASS FINISHING Finishing lambs on deferred grazing is an option when grass isn’t required for the breeding ewes. Finishing on grass allows a cheaper way to finish the lambs, however as grass quality drops going into the autumn and grazing conditions become worse, daily liveweight gain will start to drop off and it will take longer to finish the lambs.

When lambs are on tack the cost of the finishing period should be calculated.

FEEDING ON ROOTS/FORAGE CROPS If the farm has roots and forage crops in the ground, or are able to take this on keep, this can be a cost effective way of finishing lambs pre and post Christmas. All crops should be strip grazed to limit wastage and allowing some structural fibre with in diet in the form of hay or haylage or a grass runback is important for rumen health and mineral supplementation will be required. Feeding concentrates can increase DLWG and increase stocking rates if required.

INDOOR FINISHED LAMBS This system can be used to finish any end of season lambs, and will allow the grazing platform recovery for the spring or ewe grazing. The diet should be introduced gradually, building up over 10-14 days to ad lib feeding.

Once lambs are eating continuously feeders should not be allowed to become empty for significant periods. This will reduce the risk of animals overeating when feeders are refilled. Lambs require access to long forage so either bed generously or feed some straw or hay. On a slatted system a high fibre concentrate can be fed alone after a transition period. Even though at this time the lambs have a FCR of between 6:1-8:1, financial gains can be improved by the selection of the correct concentrate to limit digestive upset and attention to detail on animal health.

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For bought-in store lambs, always treat for parasites and vaccinate, don’t assume the vendor has done this as issues here will limit live weight gain. The transition from grazing to indoor finishing is critical when purchasing store lambs either straight off the hills or out of the market.

Lambmaster Finisher pellets/nuts offers a palatable and balanced feed, with the correct balance of starch and sugars for optimal performance, and a high level of digestible fibre offers a stable feed for the rumen of optimal growth rates on grazed systems, brassicas and indoor housed systems. All Lambmaster diets include a sweetener ‘Lamb Sweet’ to stimulate intakes and improve palatability and achieve higher DLWG to turnover lambs much quicker on an ad lib feeding system. Lambmaster Finisher is a 16% crude protein diet formulated with the correct mineral balance and ammonium chloride to prevent urinary calculi.

Wynnstay’s Ram and Lamb Blend offers a 14% finishing blend with higher starch values with the inclusion or whole maize and oats mixed with Lambmaster 18 pellets. This is ideally suited to fast finishing systems to get accelerated growth rates and greater finish.

Although higher in starch feeding maize and oats whole allows a safer way of feeding starch with less chance of digestive upset.

If you need and more info about Wynnstay’s Lambmaster range please contact your local Wynnstay representative.

Iwan Vaughan Ruminant Specialist m: 07990 578 548 iwan.vaughan@wynnstay.co.uk @ maesmochnant

ONE SIZE FITS NOBODY –

(MERIAL ADVISES

TARGETED APPROACH TO PARASITE CONTROL IN SHEEP) As the sheep parasite season continues, Merial Animal Health is reminding farmers of the benefits of adopting a planned approach to worm control that takes into account the unique parasite status of each farm.

The impact of uncontrolled parasite burdens is well recognised. When left unmanaged, gastrointestinal (gut) worm challenge of lambs can result in damaging subclinical parasite burdens which slow growth, increase finishing times and may lead to parasitic gastroenteritis (PGE) which causes scouring and can result in lamb losses.

“The increasing threat of wormer resistance is complicating sheep parasite management,” says Sioned Timothy, Veterinary Adviser for Merial Animal Health.

“It is now more critical than ever for farmers to work with their vet or SQP to develop a strategy that achieves satisfactory parasite control to prevent clinical disease and reduce pasture contamination, whilst minimising selection for resistant parasites by adopting a best practice approach to treatment.”

The guidelines produced by SCOPS highlight the importance of identifying farm level risk factors, including the presence of resistant parasites, when developing a parasite control plan. Ms Timothy urges farmers to investigate the parasite status of their flock in order to minimise the impact of parasites and to allow them to make informed, effective treatment decisions.

As the grazing season progresses, worm species such as Teledorsagia, the small brown stomach worm, may come to pose a threat. Even low and medium populations can suppress appetite in lambs, reduce growth rates and extend finishing times, whilst the higher challenge that lambs may face from midsummer can result in PGE, with severe scouring and a risk of lamb losses.

The use of pooled faecal egg counts (FECs) from groups of susceptible animals is a vital tool to assess the need to drench.

FECs will provide an indication of the number of adult worms present, which can help identify whether a group of animals require treating. Performing a drenchcheck FEC after treatment can indicate how well the wormer has worked and flag up potential resistance issues that require further investigation. The interval between treatment and sample collection will vary depending on the group of wormer used.

Farmers should ask their vet or animal health adviser (SQP) for advice on how and when to carry out FEC tests.

A group 3 drench such as ORAMEC®, which contains ivermectin, can be used to control and treat a wide range of clinically important gut worms of sheep. It has a six day meat withhold period and can be used in both lambs and adult sheep.

“Unfortunately, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to parasite control in sheep,” she says.

“Optimal management of PGE can be difficult and farmers need a good knowledge of the different wormer groups for best results. Most importantly, they need to know what works on their farm so they can treat effectively and rotate wormer groups appropriately.

Asking their vet or animal health adviser (SQP) for advice is a good place to start,” suggests Ms Timothy.

Good grazing practices that make the most of safe pasture, including new leys and aftermath, are the cornerstone of any control strategy. Minimising the parasite challenge posed to naïve animals will improve their productivity and reduce reliance on wormers.

Farmers should also take care that best practice is employed when dosing sheep and lambs with wormers, to ensure that the right product is given to the right animals, at the correct time, and in the correct way, to achieve maximum benefit from each treatment.

For information on FEC’s please ask your local Wynnstay Animal Health representative.

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

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THE IMPORTANCE OF TRACE ELEMENT NUTRITION PRE-TUPPING Don’t forget the tups! All too often they can be neglected, and as they contribute 50% of the genetics to the flock, it is important that their condition is considered as well as the ewes pre-tupping. For example, sperm production typically takes six to eight weeks, so start ram preparations early, at the same time as ewes, to Even when grass growth has been good, essential trace ensure this isn’t compromised. Consider drenching tups elements can still be deficient and hinder fertility. at 8 weeks and 4 weeks pre tupping.

Mineral profiling at grazing sites across the UK has consistently found a lack of cobalt, selenium and other trace elements even at sites which are recorded as ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS FOR THE producing high quality grazing.

Grazing alone cannot always be relied upon to maximise ewe and ram fertility. We should not be complacent about mineral and trace element deficiencies pre tupping, which is an important time of the flock reproduction cycle.

Thought should be given to the way trace-elements are provided in the diet. Trace element drenches such as Wynnstay All Vit-T are an effective way of supplying a range of minerals quickly and effectively, ensuring any investment in supplementary trace elements in the diet are not wasted.

Preparations for tupping should start up to 8-10 weeks before the rams are turned out with the ewes, but at the very latest, six weeks before tupping commences.

Give yourself plenty of time to rectify any problems or source replacement stock. Pay close attention to the key components of the diet to ensure fertility levels across the whole flock are maximised. Getting micro-nutrition right pre tupping will support fertility, and will lead to the best chance of a good scanning result and a healthy lamb crop in 2016. Drench ewes 3-4 weeks pre tupping to help ensure this.

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PRE-TUPPING DIET:

Cobalt: Cobalt, is required by the rumen microbes, who use it to produce vitamin B12. Lambs from ewes supplemented with cobalt pre tupping are born with more vigour.

Vitamin B12: Essential for energy metabolism. Energy is essential, particularly for rams at this time of the year, to maintain energy levels and to aid ram recovery posttupping.

Zinc and Selenium: For skin health and healthy sperm production.

S L R 5 E UO FF

O SIMEC D FA

O R OF I A W P Y T FREE EE

BURECEIVE A HEARS & TS O R T FOO

FR

&G R FOU

FR ET A

EE

BUL YALLVIT-T*

FREE

2.5

*Terms and Conditions: Offers valid from 1st September – 31st October or while stocks last. Cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer. Products may only be available at larger stores, please check before travelling. Wynnstay reserve the right to withdraw offers at anytime. E. & O.E

CLOSAMECTIN POUR ON AND HOUSING A comprehensive dosing regimen at housing is critical to remove worm, lice and mite burdens, preventing rapid spread to others during close contact when housed and also to treat liver fluke infections; ensuring maximum productivity of animals throughout the winter housing period.

above. It offers treatment against fluke, gutworms, lungworms and external parasites of cattle in a single easy to administer pour on application, offering an efficient way of controlling parasites which can have a severe economic effect on cattle during the winter housing period.

Even modest parasite burdens can result in significant reductions in expected cattle performance. Moderate liver fluke infections in beef cattle can result in reduced live-weight gains of as much as 1.2kg per week.

Ectoparasites can also have an extremely negative impact, leading to irritation through their feeding and movements. This itching can result not only in a decreased appetite, but also a reduction in the efficiency of digestion to. Additionally, biting lice (Bovicola bovis) are responsible for “light spot and fleck” which costs the leather industry up to £20 million every year.

Studies have shown closantel to be effective against fluke which are resistant to triclabendazole, which is important in light of emerging resistance problems.

Where triclabendazole resistance is suspected, it has been recommended that strategic anthelmintic treatments should rely on the use of alternative active ingredients including closantel, the flukicide within Closamectin Pour on.

Closamectin Pour on is applied topically at a dose rate of 1ml/10kg bodyweight. No other product offers such a comprehensive treatment in a single easy to administer Closamectin Pour on is a unique combination of pour on application. ivermectin, a broad spectrum macrocyclic lactone, and i The University of Reading, Department of Agricultural and Food closantel, a powerful early-acting flukicide effective Economics. The Economics of Fascioliasis (Liver Fluke), 2005 against late immature fluke of seven weeks old and ii Eblex Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

21

A ROUND OF APP-LAUSE FOR THE NEW STOCKTRACE ANDROID APP! The new Android App, developed by StockTrace, was showcased at the Wynnstay Sheep and Beef Event at Welshpool on 14 August and received great acclaim.

The StockTrace App combines the power of their Linx software with the flexibility of a mobile App. It works with all the best Bluetooth EID readers and makes flock and herd management both easy and very affordable.

In the Sheep and Beef Industry where price instability seems never ending, maximising animal performance is an essential ingredient for survival.

The intelligent StockTrace Android App provides an innovative and practical approach to livestock management, no matter what type of enterprise - pedigree, c o m m e r c i a l or finishing.

Technology and data are key components in today’s battle to get more from less and the App brings all the power of the StockTrace Linx software straight to the farm yard.

A key design feature has been to enable farmers to get all the benefits of “auto drafting” at a fraction of the cost. Using a specially designed stand, the StockTrace App can be mounted on any race with any weigh head and used with any EID stick reader. This allows the operator complete freedom of movement while weighing, grading and drafting animals. Above all there is no need for expensive EID panel readers.

Weights can be added either manually or automatically, depending on the scales. The App automatically shows “old weight”, “new weight” and calculates DLWG instantly for immediate decision making. Livestock data is recorded quickly and then easily transferred to the StockTrace Linx software by WIFI. Information is securely held in the cloud for easy access anywhere.

Welsh farmer Tom Jones has trialled the combination of the App and stick reading system on his flock: “For many farmers there is an underlying concern that in

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adopting EID you will be parting with lots of money!

This is not necessarily the case and I have found that the benefits of integrating its use into my business have been far reaching.

StockTrace has gone the extra mile and has developed a cost-effective reading system that works extremely successfully with the new Android App. Having trialled the system it allows you to quickly weigh large numbers of animals, with their data instantly to hand, enabling production decisions to be made on the spot. This saves you valuable time and money. I can also select my breeding stock on the basis of gradings and birthing performance.”

The new App has valuable extra features such as adding individual notes on animals, recording a “cull” notification which appears each time the animal is read and the ability to add gradings while weighing.

Overall, best practice in EID use in New Zealand is now available here in the UK! Angus Stormonth Darling, Managing Director of StockTrace said: “Trends in the livestock industry show increasing volatility and price instability so farmers must do everything they can to improve margins. New technology, if applied intelligently, can help improve farm outcomes and refine animal performance at a really sensible and cost effective price. Our App and software is flexible enough to allow individual farmers to use EID for their specific needs. The App is capable of operation with any standard livestock handling system. It is easy to use with clear simple steps and all of our products are supported by the expertise of our technical team.”

Efficiency gains through data integration are the key to improved profits.

Wynnstay Group Plc

Sheep & Beef Newsletter Autumn 2015

23

NEED TO REDUCE YOUR ENERGY COSTS?

SOLAR PV SYSTEMS CAN

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01691 670341 or visit www.geogen.co.uk 01691 670341 info@geogen.co.uk www.geogen.co.uk Geogen Technologies Limited is a joint venture between Wynnstay Group Plc and D Jones Electrical and Heating Engineers.

GeoGen Technologies Limited, Unit 1 Links Hub, Mile Oak Industrial Estate, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 8GA

SHEEP & BEEF SERVICES FROM WYNNSTAY

FROM WYNNSTAY

NUTRITION PRODUCTS • Compounds • Blends

FERTILITY

• Maxammon® for grain • Biosprint® live yeast

CALF & LAMB REARING PRODUCTS

• Supplements, Minerals, Boluses • Automatic feeding equipment • Housing advice • Weigh scales

• Ventilation advice • Lighting design & installation • Feed barriers • Water troughs • Building location & design services

ANIMAL HEALTH • Trace elements

SERVICES

• Footbath solutions & footcare products

• Faecal egg count

• Anthelmintics & flukicides

• Ear tag identification

• Mineral & Vitamin drenches

• Livestock management

• Fly & lice control

• EID systems

• Dosing & drenching equipment

• NMS on farm evaluation

• Sheep boluses

• Ketosis screening • Feed, forage & water analysis

• Wynngold Milk Powders • Concentrates – rearers, starters

• Bedding material

• Tail paint

• Minerals • Supplements

• Cubicles, mattresses & sand bed systems

• Heat detection

• Straights • Molasses

HOUSING

FORAGE PRODUCTS

• Ration formulation & monitoring • Diet mineral formulation

• Grass, maize & cereal seeds

• Renewable energy options

• Fertiliser

• Body condition scoring

• Sprays

• Farm assurance plans

• Silage additives

• On farm appraisals

LOOKING FOR A CA REER IN AGRICULTURE? Wynnstay offer a diverse range of careers for those with a passion for agriculture. To find out more about the career opportunities available at Wynnstay visit www.wynnstay.co.uk or call us on t: 01691 827120.

Follow Us on Twitter @WynnstayGroup Images are for illustration purposes only.

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www.wynnstay.co.uk

To discuss any of the articles or for more information about any of the products listed in this edition of the Sheep and Beef Newsletter, contact your local Wynnstay Representative, your local Wynnstay store or email: sheepandbeef@wynnstay.co.uk Wynnstay (Agricultural Supplies) Ltd • Eagle House • Llansantffraid • Powys • SY22 6AQ • Registration Number: 5009019 Part of Wynnstay Group Plc• Eagle House • Llansantffraid • Powys • SY22 6AQ Registration No: 2704051 Telephone: 01691 828512 • Fax: 01691 828690 • Email: info@wynnstay.co.uk • www.wynnstay.co.uk Registered in Wales and England • Vat Reg No. 168 7221 87