Dairy Special Feature Farmers Guardian 22 August 2014

| 27FRIDAY AUGUST 22 2014WWW.FARMERSGUARDIAN.COM

INTAKESIncrease vitalthis winterPAGE 36

SANSAWInvesting intograzingPAGES 30-32

LATE SEASONMaking themost of grassPAGE 28

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DAIRY

Late season pasture is characterised by increasing fibrecontent, falling sugars and a reduction in energy concentration.

Table 1: Effect of fibre and starch supplementson dry matter intake and milk production

Concentrate feed level (kg DM/day)5 10

Concentrate type Fibre Starch Fibre StarchGrazing intake 11.4 11.9 9.4 9.3(kg DM/day)Total DM intake 16.4 16.9 19.3 19.3(kg DM/day)Milk yield (kg) 30.2 28.8 31.9 33.6Milk fat (%) 4.1 3.93 3.5 3.09Milk protein (%) 3.29 3.43 3.29 3.51

Source: Sayers et al (2003); AFBI, Hillsborough

Table 2: Dietary factors on milk fat percentageIncrease milk fat % Decrease milk fat %Increase fibre Reduce fibreLow grain/low starch High grain/high starchLong fibre Finely-chopped foragesCracked or coarse-rolled Ground cerealsgrainsSmall frequent concentrate Large, infrequent feeding, e.g. TMR or out of concentrate feeds,parlour feeders e.g. twice-a-day in parlourMegalac rumen protected Rumen-active fat fat or ‘high-C16’ fats supplements - vegetable oil,

fish oil, high-oil by-productfeeds, e.g. brewers’ grains

Source: AFBI, Hillsborough

At this stage of the sea-son, grass growth ratesin some regions of the UK have declined to 60kg DM/hectare

(25kg DM/acre) per day or below,limiting energy availability fromgrazing.

At the same time, milk compo-sition is under scrutiny as someprocessors alter their paymentschemes to put further emphasison milk components, in particularmilk fat. The challenge for farm-ers is to ensure the energy and nutritional requirements of theanimals are met while producingmilk of desired compositionalquality to exploit milk contracts.

Volac nutritionist Dr RichardKirkland says late season pastureis characterised by increasing

fibre content, falling sugars and areduction in energy concentra-tion, indicating both amount ofconcentrate offered and composi-tion are key factors to consider.

Dr Kirkland says: “Studies atthe Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, evaluatedthe effect of offering high starchor high fibre concentrates, at two feeding levels, to spring-calv-ing cows in mid-late season (seeTable 1).

“Milk fat percentage was lowestwhen starchy concentrates wereoffered, while milk proteinshowed the opposite response.”

Mr Kirkland says the Hillsbor-ough results demonstrate the ability to modify milk componentsby nutrition, though changing either the diet’s ingredients or its

physical form can induce markedchanges in milk fat percentage(see Table 2).

“With limited energy supplyfrom grass and cereal prices welldown on recent years, it may be tempting to feed additionalstarchy cereals to make up the energy shortfall. It is important toconsider how this may affect milkfat percentage if this is an impor-tant factor in the milk contract, aswell as the increased risk of aci-dosis associated with ‘fizzy’ highstarch diets.

Increased supply“Energy supply can be increasedusing rumen-protected fats and59 per cent of farmers surveyed atthe Livestock Event said this wastheir primary reason for using afat supplement. In contrast, only35 per cent associated feeding afat with increasing milk fat |pro-duction.”

Research indicates a require-ment of 6-8 per cent fat in the diet

DM for high yielding cows, thoughtype of fat offered must also beconsidered.

Mr Kirkland says adding veg-etable or fish oils, or high oil ingredients such as brewersgrains, can lead to a sharp fall inmilk fat percentage, so it is impor-tant to ensure fat supplementsused are rumen-protected.

He says: “In other words, theypass through the rumen for diges-tion in the lower digestive tract,avoiding any negative effects on fibre digestion – although only

about half of farmers surveyedwere aware of the benefits of rumen-protected fats.

“The ‘high-C16’ fats have beenparticularly associated with incr-eased milk fat percentage, but useshould consider cost-benefits andenergy supply implications onherd performance.

“With pressure of seasonal andmilk contract changes, it is impor-tant to review what dietary andmanagement options are avail-able to ensure individual herds areperforming at their optimal level.”

1 Diet fat – supplies about 50per cent of milk fat2 Fat synthesised fromproducts of rumenfermentation3 Mobilised body fat

Milk fat sources

29 MAIZE SILAGEMaximising returns33 WHY RESEED?Grass versus wholecrop34 PROTEIN & LAMENESSHow diet impacts foot health37 BODY CONDITIONKeeping cows right pays off38-39 GRASS PRIXGrass competition benefits40-41 NEW PARLOURPeak District farm updated

DAIRY28 | FRIDAY AUGUST 22 2014

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Bumper yields of firstand second cut silageacross much of thecountry have been off-set by lower than

expected quality this year, withmaize silages also looking likely tobe high in bulk and low in energy.

As a result, dairy farmers look-ing to maintain 2013-14’s recordproduction are being urged tothink twice before committing toexpensive late-cut grass silage,which will typically only provideyet more average quality feed.

KW nutritionist Mark Scott

Dry matter Energy Protein Protein:energy Difference(%) (MJ ME/kg DM) (g/kg DM) (g CP/MJ ME) (% vs good silage)

Third cut (good) 30 10.8 152 14.1 -Third cut (average*) 28 10.4 152 14.6 -Fourth cut (good) 28 10.8 152 14.1 -Fourth cut (average*) 26 10.4 152 14.6 -Traffordgold 50 13.4 210 15.7 11%Brewers’ grains 24 11.7 240 20.5 46%Vitagold 35 14.5 360 24.8 76%Moist blend 43 13 185 14.2 1%Dry blend 87 13 207 15.9 23%

Value of late silage cuts questionablesays: “The challenge is few realisejust how costly third and fourthcut grass silages really are.

“When first and second cuts arealready lower in energy, proteinand intake potential compared to2013, the last thing most farmsneed is more of the same, particu-larly when it costs more than buy-ing in better quality feed instead.

“Too often, the real cost ofmaking silage is not worked out,and if it is, the focus tends to be oncost per tonne of dry matter, irre-spective of the level of nutrientsavailable to the cow.

“When you take into accountthe true costs, plus feed value, in-clamp losses and feed-out losses,late-cut grass silages really start tolook like poor value.”

Recently updated costings forsilage production show third andfourth cuts of grass silage are notonly up to 2.5 times more expen-sive than first cut in terms of energy supply, but also matchedor beaten for value by moist feedsor even dry blends (see table andgraphs).

With the exception of brewers’grains at 11.7MJ ME/kg DM, allhave an energy density above13MJ ME/kg DM, plus a pro-tein:energy ratio that is as muchas 76 per cent higher (see table).

Energy densityMr Scott says: “That extra energydensity is essential when trying toachieve a winter ration averaging12.0-12.5MJ ME/kg DM, particu-larly where the main grass andmaize silages supply less energythan normal.

“The extra protein is an addedbonus, and any moist feeds willimprove palatability and helpovercome the low intake potentialof this year’s silages, which couldotherwise hold back productionthrough the winter.”

Mr Scott says even if silageclamps are not as full as normal,fourth cut grass silage in particularmakes little sense from an eco-nomic or nutritional perspective.

Silage made from Septemberonwards is typically inconsistent,due to higher rainfall, reducedsunlight and shorter days, result-ing in considerable year-to-yearvariation in terms of fermentationquality and feed value.

spare clamp, or even an area ofclean concrete on which to cre-ate a temporary one using strawbales, most moist feeds can besupplied as individual loads(commonly referred to as ‘feederloads’) when needed, if bookedin advance.

“It is important to rememberdry feed options,” says Mr Scott.“In the costings analysis, dryblends were better value thangood quality fourth cut silage forboth energy and protein, while

also being one of the simplestand most flexible ways to supplythe specific nutrients needed tobalance existing forages and oth-er home-grown feeds in the ra-tion.

“Think twice before you hitchup the mower or call the contrac-tor this autumn. If the focus is on the cow’s nutrient require-ments for winter and the best value way to obtain them, mak-ing more silage generally is notthe answer.”

“In contrast, bought-in moistfeeds offer guaranteed consisten-cy in terms of nutrient content,can be clamped and stored nowfor when they are needed, andbought on forward contract tolock in a price which fits with yourbudget,” he adds.

Good grass growth earlier inthe year means moist feed avail-ability is currently excellent rightthrough to the end of winter,with options to cover the wholecountry. For those without a

Dairy farmers looking to maintain 2013-14’s record production are being urged to think twice beforecommitting to expensive late-cut grass silage and to consider moist or dry feed alternatives.

Comparative nutrient content of late-cut grass silages and alternatives

* from FWT silage analysis averages October 2013

DAIRY | 29FRIDAY AUGUST 22 2014WWW.FARMERSGUARDIAN.COM

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Dairy farmers should fo-cus on making the bestquality maize silage tomaximise total pro-duction from forage,

stimulate intakes and offset someof the problems with this season’sgrass silage.

Limagrain maize manager TimRichmond says a high qualitymaize crop could help overcomemany of the challenges presentedby this year’s variable grass silage.

Silage analysisInitial analysis of grass silagesshow there will be limitations tohow they will feed. Mr Richmondsays the reported combination oflower dry matters and higher fibre levels have reduced intakepotential.

At the same time, energy levels are lower than in previousyears. Together, these will

depress intakes of grass silageand total energy supplied.

He says in most parts of thecountry maize crops are lookinggood and offer potential for highyields, but he advises farmers toalso focus on the quality of thecrop they make.

“There is always a balance be-tween quantity and quality of the

Maize quality keyas grass silagesvariable this year

Harvestingcrops at above35 per cent canresult in ensilingproblemsTIM RICHMOND

feed made. This year the onus really must be on quality, specifi-cally looking to increase starchlevels while reducing the fibrecontent.

Crop quality“In maize silage, lower fibre willencourage intakes, while higherstarch will provide the rumen fer-mentable energy required to allowthe rumen microflora to digest fibre and increase rumen motility,which is essential for higher totaldry matter intakes.”

Mr Richmond says the key tooptimising crop quality is timingof harvest, irrespective of the vari-ety grown. He says the ideal timeto harvest the crop is at a dry mat-ter content of 32 to 35 per centand when cobs are mature andstarch yield is maximised, with thetarget of a minimum 30 per centstarch content.

� Guidelines for harvest timinginclude looking to harvest whenthe stover is at about 24 percent DM, when the lower partof the stems no longer have anymoisture freely running fromthem when twisted

� The cob should be at about55 per cent DM, which can be assessed by the thumbnailor milk line test, where the cob will no longer bear theimprint of a thumbnail whenpressed

Looking ahead to maize harvest“If crops are harvested at toolow a dry matter, the result is low-er energy feeds as sugars will nothave been converted to starch.The fibre to starch ratio will behigher, which can reduce poten-tial intakes.

“Harvesting crops at above 35per cent can result in ensilingproblems, which is somethingwhich must be avoided.”

Mr Richmond says the key to optimising crop quality is timing of harvest, irrespective of variety grown.



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Planning a dairybusiness aroundscale and grass

Sourcing sufficient heifers and cows for the grazing system meant buying from 40 separate herds.

Scale was a key factor inthe business plan for anew dairy unit at the1,415-hectare (3,500-acre) Sansaw Estate,

near Hadnall, Shropshire, ex-plains managing directorJames Thompson, whose familyhave been in residence for sixgenerations.He says: “In 2011 the estate

had the opportunity to acquireback tenanted land giving an in-hand farmed area of 750ha.Previously, the farm included organic pigs, cereals and vegeta-bles, but we felt there was no opportunity in the organic mar-ket for growth on which to scaleup the larger in-hand operation.“Having done a SWOT analy-

sis – including whether the estateshould actively farm or not – sev-eral factors were in favour of establishing a grass-basedspring-calving dairy herd.“We like livestock, but could

see there was little money in beefproduction. The average fieldsize of 4.5-5ha does not sit com-fortably with modern large-scalearable production.“But being on the western side

of the country, we can grow grasswell and we sit in a very compet-itive milk field.“Our belief then as now is a

low input dairy system is morelikely to cope with volatility incommodity markets and is easilyscaleable as opportunities allow.”Based on a 450ha (1,111-acre)

grazing platform stocked atthree cows/ha (about 1.2cows/acre), a unit for 1,350 cowswas planned. It involved a visit toNew Zealand looking at a num-ber of grass-based dairy units to

get ideas on layout and manage-ment.By June 2012, a planning app-

lication was lodged for a greenfield development for a 70-pointrotary parlour, milk silos, feedpad, silage pad, lagoon, under-passes and cow tracks.

ProgressionMr Thompson says: “It pro-gressed exceptionally quickly.The first building works werestarted in July and by the foll-owing January the first cows

were going through the parlour.“What we have at the dairy is

essentially a huge slab of con-crete and a lagoon.”Construction included six

underpasses and was dogged bycontinuously wet weather ‘sincethe first digger bucket touchedthe ground’, says Mr Thompson’swife and business partner Asa.Sourcing sufficient heifers and

cows for the grazing systemmeant purchasing from 40 sep-arate herds.Mr Thompson says: “We use

Jersey cross Friesian genetics,predominately black-coated,which are able to produce 4,500to 5,000 litres annually predom-

inately off grass, feeding 500kgconcentrate per cow through theparlour.“We need these to calve once

every 365 days, walk up to 6kma day and target a mature body-weight of 450kg. Half weresourced in Ireland and the remainder from good grazingunits across the UK.”The aim is to calve the herd in

a tight 10-week window fromFebruary (60-70 per cent in thefirst six weeks) matching peakyield with peak grass growth.This is achieved by operating astringent breeding plan. AI isused for six weeks and followedby four weeks of sweeper bulls.Any herd members not in-calf

are sold along with the breedingseason’s Friesian sweeper bulls.He says: “We do not carry

stock unnecessarily. The bullsserve their purpose and are soldimmediately.“It is the same for cows sus-

ceptible to mastitis. We need asimple system and low mainte-nance cows, so unfortunatelythey have no place here. We milk

record four times a year and datais used to identify problem cowsfor attention.”Calves are taken at birth with

cows going straight out on tofresh grazing having been over-wintered on fodder beet andround bale grass silage.

MortalityHeifer calves go into a dedicatedrearing unit run by two full-timestaff, Ioan Hughes and BreiffniDaly, where mortality losses areunder 1 per cent.Low value Jersey cross bull

calves are sold early through a local livestock market or dis-patched to the local hunt.Mr Thompson says: “Depend-

ing on the stage in lactation andage, members of the herd passthrough the 70-point Waikatorotary parlour once or twice aday. It is very much like havingthree herds of 550 cows split by calving date following each other.“Two staff handle the move-

ment of cows into and out of thedairy while two others milk,

We do notcarry stockunnecessarily.The bulls servetheir purposeand are soldimmediatelyJAMES THOMPSON

An investment worth £3.5 million to establish a 1,350-cow dairy unit in 2012 focused on utilising grazed grass to produce milk for manufacturing.Despite a challenging start, it is paying dividends for Sansaw Estate, Shropshire, where plans are being made to expand. Simon Wragg reports.

� 1,350-cow £3.5 million low inputsystem� High solids milk sold to Arla� Core 450-hectare (1,111-acre)grazing platform� Tracks include six underpasses� 4,500 to 5,000-litre yield off

500kg concentrates� Budgeted at 27ppl, but achievedhigher� Expansion to 1,600 cows is thenext step� Six staff, four quads and littlemachinery

Sansaw Estate dairy unit


Telephone 01888 545200www.harbro.co.uk

The Complete Package – Improve FCE and Fertility

A 12 month trial at Meikle Firthhead Farm, Castle Douglas showed a significant increase in FCE with a 5% increase in milk yield equivalent to 1.6 litres per day, with no increase in dry matter intake. In addition to this improvement in feed efficiency a substantial improvement in herd fertility was also noted with calving interval reduced by 22 days and cows coming in to heat stronger and earlier by 2.8 days.

“The cows have certainly been carrying more condition across the herd and haven’t suffered as a result of producing more milk. The most notable effect has been on the calving interval which has been reduced from 419 in June 2013 to 393 at the end of July. The complete package with Rumitech has made a real change to the herd. The proof is in the pudding and it really has done a fantastic job.” David Yates, Meikle Firthhead.

The herd at Meikle Firthhead is fed a TMR which is balanced with a tailored mineral and vitamin package which includes Rumitech, Evo and Alkacid from Harbro.

For further information on Rumitech and to discuss your feeding requirements contact 01888 545200

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David Yates, whose cow Meiklefirth Plaid Lutske was Holstein Overall Breed Champion at the Great Yorkshire Show

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including assistant farm man-ager Matt Bosch. As we dry offon December 10, staff can takeholiday over the Christmas per-iod which is good for morale.“At peak production we send

away 25,000 litres of milk a dayfrom the outside silos to Arla formanufacturing. Typical con-stituent values are 4.7 per centbutterfat and 3.6 per cent pro-tein. We use bore-hole water andglycol to recover heat during thecooling of milk, which helps toreduce costs.”Milk hygiene is important.

Separate silos outside holdcolostrum, antibiotic milk andthat for public consumption,with just the latter used contin-uously throughout the 10-monthlactation.Cell counts mid-season are

100-120/ml, with milking staff‘educated’ on avoiding teat enddamage. All cows are treatedwith an automated teat spray be-fore walking off the rotary plat-form. Similarly, importance isgiven to ensuring the milking

machinery is tested regularly forefficient operation.A rigorous cow health plan is

also in place. Stock are treatedfor salmonella, leptospirosis,BVD, IBR, husk (lungworm) and– due to cost – half the herd annually for rotavirus.“We try to keep things as

simple as possible,” says MrThompson.Despite good management,

some elements of business can-not be guaranteed incurringcosts unavoidably.

The unit’s business plan wasdevised originally on a base milkprice of 27ppl; the first year ofoperation achieved 35ppl bene-fiting from strong world demandfor dairy solids. However, the extra margin was nibbled away,literally, by unexpected feedcosts in the wet spring of 2013.He says: “Suddenly, we had

the herd coming on-stream, butinsufficient grass to graze. Newleys were still establishing andolder grazing had yet to get going. It was simply horrendous.“There was no choice but to

buy maize from local farms as abuffer with our concern being toget early lactation cows back in-calf. By comparison, 2014 wasthe other end of the spectrumwith too much grass.“We walk the farm weekly

measuring covers and then allo-cate the next seven day’s grazingusing electric fencing where paddocks need to be split.”Access to the grazing platform

is provided by a substantial network of sand-based and

At peakproduction wesend away25,000 litres ofmilk a dayJAMES THOMPSON

Silos hold colostrum, antibiotic milk and milk for sale, with the largest used in the 10-month lactation.

Assistant farm manager Matt Bosch in Sanshaw Estate’s dairy parlour. PICTURES: Eric Beard

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concrete sleeper tracks.These include six underpassesavoiding the need for cows tocross local roads.

“It added to capital cost con-siderably, but good infrastructureis vital. We leave cows to walkthemselves out to fresh pasturewhich has many advantages including reducing the risk oflameness,” says Mr Thompson.

“Surplus grass on the grazing

platform is round baled and fedto dry cows in December whilegrazing fodder beet.”

Silage is taken off designatedsupport land outside the grazingplatform and ‘heaved up’ on alarge flat concrete pad adjacent tothe parlour, feed lot and lagoon –‘a very simple design’, he reflects.

“We do not have a large machinery fleet, with just onetractor, a loader, a simple feeder

box [only used for part of theyear] and four quads. Much ofthe land work is contracted out.”

With experience of organicproduction gained before the focus on dairying, some princi-ples are still used today.

This includes under-sowing ofwholecrop cereals with grassproviding an immediate follow-on grazing. It also provides a low-cost means of reintroducing

grass to the rotation, says MrThompson.

“Production costs are our mainconcern. The volatility of the com-modity market for dairy productshas seen large falls in recentmonths adding to widespreadconcern milk prices will fall.

“At 25ppl, we can just aboutcope with minimum capital repayments, but it will leavenothing for ongoing re-invest-

ment,” he says from monthly appraisals deemed vital to keepthe business on track.

“Our aim is to be milking1,600 cows by 2016 through twoparlours. We have plans for a24/48 swing-over parlour to beinstalled as some of the supportland outside of the grazing areacould be used more profitably.Our key driver again will be milksolids produced/ha.”

James Thompson says the dairy set-up is ‘essentially a huge slab of concrete and a lagoon’.

W

We leave cowsto walkthemselves outto fresh pastureJAMES THOMPSON

The farm’s machinery fleet includes just one tractor, a loader, a simple feeder box and four quads.


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1 06/08/2014 15:22:17

Getting reseedingprogrammes ready

Wholecrop wheat (WCW) versus grass leyGrass ley

WCW New sward Year one Year fouryield loss yield loss

(5%) (20%) Reseeding cost (£/ha) £1,368 £1,292 - -DM yield (t/ha) 11.75 11 10.5 8.8ME MJ/kg DM 10.8 11 11 10.5Milk price (£/litre) 0.28 0.28 0.28 0.28Total MJ/ha 101,520 96,800 91,960 73,920MJ for maintenance 73,000 73,000 73,000 73,000MJ for milk 28,520 23,800 18,960 920Max potential milk yield:Litres/ha 5,704 4,760 3,792 184Litres/cow 2,282 1,904 1,516.80 74Milk value (£/ha) £1,597 £1,332.80 £1,061.76 £52Variance (£) - - -£271.04 -£1,792Output (gain/loss %) 80% 3%Source: Advanced Nutrition and DLF Trifolium

Mark Gorst

Within the next fourweeks, dairy pro-ducers’ planneddecisions for a reseeding pro-

gramme will be complete.Advanced Nutrition’s technical

specialist Mark Gorst says it isimportant to take into accountthe current milk price before thedrills start rolling.

He says: “Reseeding is a vitalcomponent of your managementprogramme; it is an essential in-vestment enabling you to exploityour unit’s potential, so you needto get things right.”

While there is very little differ-ence in the actual cost of reseed-ing between a grass ley and cerealwholecrop, it is important tocheck out just how cost-effectivethe result is going to be, he adds.

“A new grass ley will generateabout 11 tonnes/dry matter/hectare per year at 25 per centDM; this value will reduce overtime with an approximate 20 percent ingress of weed and tradi-tional grass re-establishment after four years, resulting in notonly reduced yield from the field[t/DM] but also reduced ME yield.”(See table).

Mr Gorst also advises farmers

While there is very little difference in the actual cost of reseeding between a grass ley andcereal wholecrop, it is important to check how cost-effective the result is going to be.

� Grass leys: Ideally sow at36kg/ha (15kg/acre)� Winter cereals: Earlierplanting aids establishment;sowing at about 150kg/ha(60kg to 70kg/acre) in idealconditions in September andOctober can result inestablishment between 70and 80 per cent

Sowing rates

to note that for the cost of a reseeddown for three to five years thereis production without the cost ofmajor fieldwork.

“In comparison, a cereal whole-crop or alkalage will generateabout 11.75t/DM/ha per year at 70per cent DM. An area planted withcereals will, however, require sub-stantial field work to return it to asecond year cereal.”

Then it is vital to check out thesoil status. “Ideally, pH6 for bothgrassland and cereals; crops willfail at pH4.2 or below and will beseriously inhibited at pH8 orabove, while pH5.5 and bagged

fertiliser potential is significantlyreduced.

“It is not too late for a normalmaximum application of lime at5t/ha; reassess status once the soilhas had an opportunity to achievea balance.”

In terms of nitrogen he says soilindices depend on the previouscrop; 0 indicates low or a small reserve, while the scale increasesto 1 to a maximum of 2.

Requirements“In continuous grass systems newreseeds will have different re-quirements for N depending onapplications – slurry, farmyardmanure and prills, in the previousone to three years. If nitrogen ap-plications have been less than100kg/ha there will be low resid-ual values available, conversely ifthe input has been more than100kg/ha the remaining bank ofavailable nitrogen will be higher.

“For both phosphorous andpotassium 0 indicates a deficit and9 very high levels. No further

application is required for soilswith an index of 4 or above forboth P and K. Grassland will respond to a P and K applicationif the index is in the 0 to 1 range.

“Magnesium works on a similarscale to P and K; grass growth isnot susceptible to Mg deficiency,however maintaining an adequatelevel reduces the risk of livestockdisorders such as hypomagne-saemia. Magnesium should onlybe directly applied if the index is0.”

Mr Gorst also says once the cor-rect balance is achieved it is important to sample soil routinelyevery three to five years to ensurepH and N, P, K and Mg indices aremaintained and continue to exploit potential crop production.



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Ensuring cows receivethe correct balance ofprotein can improvehealth and help containfeed costs this winter.

David Wilde, ruminant prod-uct manager with Massey Feeds,predicts many farmers will facea challenging time getting cowssettled on to winter diets thisyear, given the variable qualityof grass silage.

“Lower energy levels and reduced intake potential willmake it harder to formulate di-ets to drive production,” he says.

Performance“It will be vital to do two thingswith diets this winter. The firstis to watch what cows tell usabout the diet, while the secondis to ensure energy and proteinare in balance.

“By monitoring intakes andperformance, it is possible todetermine how much energy[ME] is being consumed andthe yield level this is support-

Correct protein balance canreduce lameness problems

ing in practice, regardless ofwhat the target yield was.

“The next and crucial stageis to assess the protein [MPE]

“MPE supply should be thesame as the energy supply, or nomore than two litres above it.

“If the potential yield fromMPE is much more than twolitres above the yield from ME,then cows will milk well initially,but will then try and milk to theprotein supply. This will resultin stripping body condition,which can have significant con-sequences.”

Mr Wilde says the situationcan be made worse with dietswhere excess protein is fed andan allowance for a body weightloss is included in the calcula-tion of available energy.

Condition lossHe maintains this just acceler-ates the rate and impact ofcondition loss.

He says while losing condi-tion is commonly understood tohave a negative impact on fer-tility and lead to milk yieldsdropping and never fully recov-ering, new evidence suggeststhis will also be bad for foothealth too – a view also sup-ported by Owen Atkinson fromDairy Veterinary Consultancy.

Mr Atkinson says when cowslose condition, they mobilise fatfrom normal body stores andlose it from the digital cushion,which is an essential cushion of

fat which sits just above the soleof the foot, starting near theheel and running forward tothe toe.

He says the fat pad acts as ashock absorber and will notreach full effectiveness until thesecond or third lactation, put-ting heifers at particular risk.

Mr Atkinson says: “We nowbelieve as cows lose body con-dition, the fat pad cushion‘deflates’, which then allowsmore opportunity for solebruising and sole ulcers.

“The physical symptoms often occur a little later in lac-tation, although the damagewill be done in early lactationas the imbalanced ration allowsexcessive body condition loss.

“Heifers have less of a fat padto start with and are particularlyprone to this problem.

“The loss of body conditionin early lactation appears to bethe trigger for fat pad reduc-tion and subsequent lameness.

“It also sets off a vicious cir-cle. Once a cow starts to golame, she will have altered rest-ing behaviour as it becomespainful to stand up.

“She will also eat less, mean-ing yield reductions and bodycondition loss continues, whilefertility will continue to be com-promised.”

supply to ensure there is nottoo much surplus protein in relation to the yield beingachieved.

New evidence claims a loss of body condition is bad for foot health.

Still chanceto sprayweeds ingrasslandPERENNIAL weeds such as docksand thistles are more visible thanusual in grass fields at the moment.

Dry conditions have slowedgrass growth, but the deeper-root-ed weeds are still reaching waterand thriving.

Grassland agronomist DavidRoberts, of Dow AgroSciences,says: “The rapid start to the grassgrowing season caught manyfarmers out and they missed theopportunity to spray the weeds before first cut. A lot of land wasleft untreated, which is why thereare so many about now.”

Worst affectedMr Roberts suggests walkingfields now to identify the worst af-fected areas, then spray from mid-August through to September.

“Spraying in very dry condi-tions is not the right time to treatperennial weeds,” says MrRoberts. “They should be mowndown as a precursor to sprayingfresh regrowth in three or fourweeks time. This means the leaveswill be at the ideal stage for maxi-mum uptake of the herbicide andtranslocation to the root system.

“Where there is a range ofweeds, choose a highly effectivebroad-spectrum product, whichcan be used on grazing fields, orafter the last cut of the season onsilage ground.”

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Many dairy farmerswill face a chal-lenge in gettingcows to eat enoughgrass silage this

winter, but according to Promarprincipal consultant EmmaThompson, there are severalsteps which can be taken to address the issue.

The initial analysis of morethan 1,400 first cut silages byTrouw Nutrition shows cropsare wetter, with higher fibre lev-els, and together these factorscan reduce intake potential.

Promar principal consultantEmma Thompson says: “The

lower dry matter means cows willneed to eat more of this year’scrop just to achieve the same drymatter intake as last year.

“If cows are expected to eat12kg DM of silage a day, they willneed to consume an additional5kg fresh weight of this year’ssilage on average, compared tolast year, to achieve the sameDMI. For a 200-cow herd, thatis an extra tonne of silage a day.

“While many farms are re-porting excellent stocks of firstcut, so having the extra silage tofeed may not be an issue, theproblem is the intake potentialof silage is lower, meaning cows

Plan now to makesure silage intakesmeet cows’ needs

is discarded and not fed. A smallproportion of mouldy or butyricsilage can taint the whole feedand cows will reject the diet.Cows have an acute sense ofsmell and will discard any taint-ed feed. For this reason it willalso be important to keeptroughs clean and to regularlyremove left-over feed, which canspoil the quality of fresh feedplaced on top of it.

“Feeds such as molasses canimprove the palatability andoverall quality of the mix, whichwill be essential to avoid sorting.

“With high fibre grass silage,it will be vital to feed sufficientrumen fermentable energy to

ensure cows can digest the dietand have good rumen through-put to stimulate appetite.

“But care must be taken toavoid including too much starchand rapidly fermentable energyor you run the risk of acidosis,which will suppress appetite.”

Mrs Thompson says givingcows the maximum opportunityto eat is also vital, and this ismainly a factor of facilities andtime.

She says cows need to eat forabout five hours a day, typicallymade up of eight to 12 feeds.Anything which prevents thishappening will reduce intakesand yields.

Lower dry matter and higher fibre silage mean intake potential is down by 10 per cent on last year.

� Check cows have adequatetrough space to preventheifers and shy feeders beingbullied – 46cm (18in) of troughspace per cow on a total ad libfeeding system� Mrs Thompson says the feedfloor should be at least 150mm(5.9in) above foot height tomake it easier for cows toreach feed, with neck rails

about 1.5 metres (5ft) high, or100mm (4in) under the cowsshoulder height. They shouldbe set forward 100mm (4in)from the feed barrier� Make sure cows have timeto eat, so look at cow flow andturn time to make sure cowsare not spending an excessiveamount of time with no accessto feed

Improving intakes

may be reluctant to eat as much,let alone more silage.”

Mrs Thompson says the lowerdry matter and higher fibre havecombined to reduce intake po-tential by 10 per cent comparedto last year.

“Farmers will need to con-centrate on encouraging cows toeat more forage and this willcome down to two factors.

Feed accessThe first will be giving cows thedesire to eat, making feed as at-tractive and palatable as possi-ble. The second will be to givethem the opportunity to eat,which is a function of accessibil-ity and time.”

The starting point must be toensure all forages yet to be harvested are made as well aspossible.

“In a mixed forage system itwill be possible to influencethe attractiveness of the totalforage portion, masking thelower intake potential of firstcut. Make sure third cut grassand maize are made as well aspossible.

“To improve overall attrac-tiveness, ensure any spoilt silage

A smallproportion ofmouldy orbutyric silagecan taint thewhole feed andcows willreject the dietEMMA THOMPSON


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Over-estimating the con-tribution from lateseason grazing can re-sult in cows failing tomilk to expectations

when they move on to winter diets.This is the message from

Trouw Nutrition GB ruminantmanager Adam Clay. He says:“Faced with declining milk prices,farmers are looking to squeeze asmuch from grazing as possible.

“The problem is cows compen-sate for variable quality and quan-tity and reduced grazing intakesby losing body condition in theshort-term.

“They then look to make thiscondition back up again whenthey move on to winter rations, tothe detriment of milk production.”

He says the typical picture ofmilk production in the UK and GBis of declining output in late sum-mer. There are several reasons forthis associated with grazing qual-ity and cow behaviour.

But production does not in-crease again until October/November, despite cows being ona general rising plane of nutritionfrom September onwards.

Mr Clay says the lag in produc-tion, despite increased feed rates,can be traced back to losses inbody condition score (BCS) expe-rienced in the late grazing season.He believes the primary cause ofthis is an over-estimation of thecontribution from grazing in thesecond half of the grazing season.

“There is no doubt the qualityof grazing will decline as the sea-son progresses, although the ac-tual rate will depend on how wellthe grass has been managedthroughout the season and howwell covers have been maintained.

“The biggest problem, however,is intakes. Quality can still be good,but cows just cannot physically eatenough.”

Mr Clay says potential grazing

dry matter intake falls from Julyonwards, largely as a result of re-ducing daylight hours, which limitthe time cows will actively graze.

Based on Trouw NutritionGrasswatch data, the averageDMI reduction of grazing is0.3kg/head/week from Augustuntil the end of the grazing season.

In May, cows consume about13.6kgDM/day, but by August thiswill have dropped to closer to12.2kgDM/day.

He says most farms do not seea significant drop in yields because, in response to the highprotein content of grass, cows mo-bilise body condition to release energy, maintaining yields in theshort-term. This gives a false im-pression of the value of grazing.

Changing diets“This short-term loss of body con-dition to support immediate milkyields can explain the lag in pro-duction when cows come on towinter diets,” says Mr Clay. “Theypartition energy to re-gain condi-tion, sacrificing milk yield.

“The impact seen in practice willdepend on how much conditioncows lose and how quickly theyput it back on again (see table).”

Mr Clay says if a cow loses justhalf a condition score and recov-ers it over a three-month period,this will require the same energyas it takes to produce 1.9 litres perday over that period.

If she recovers the conditionover two months, then yield will bereduced by 2.9 litres per day.

He stresses the problem can bemuch worse with fresh-calvers.An August-calver may lose0.75BCS due to reduced contri-bution from grazing. Regainingthis over three months will take2.9 litres per day off peak produc-tion, and while she is regainingcondition she will be far harder toget back in-calf.

Effect of body condition gain on milk yield loss Months of condition recovery

BCS re-gain 1 2 3 40.25 2.9 1.4 1 0.70.5 5.7 2.9 1.9 1.40.75 8.6 4.3 2.9 2.21 11.5 5.7 3.8 2.9

“Farmers should take steps toensure cows enter winter in opti-mum body condition to avoidcostly milk yield loss and ensurenegative energy balance is notprejudicing fertility.

“Take time to measure growth

rates so you know exactly what isin front of the cows and be realisticabout intakes.

“Complement late season graz-ing carefully as this will be morecost-effective than trying to sortout problems as cows are housed.”

Lost body condition nowcould be costly in winter

Lags in production, despite increased feed rates, can be tracedto body condition score losses during the late grazing season.



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For Andy Gibbons, grass istreated like any otherarable crop grown at Cat-teral Farm, near Preston,Lancashire.

Soil indexes are key and all re-seeds are subject to a soil test todiscover exactly what nutrientsare required for the ingoing crop.

This close attention to grasscrop requirements is one of the

reasons Mr Gibbons features sohighly in a competition being runby crop nutrition company Yara.

The ‘Grass Prix’ competition(see panel) is a challenge between10 beef and dairy farmers from theUK and Ireland, who are compet-ing to achieve the highest energyyield from grass.

With initial results now comingin, Mr Gibbons has achieved a dry

Treating grass like an arable crop and attention to detail at all stages of grassland management means dairyfarmer Andy Gibbons is able to produce a high yielding grass silage crop for his flying herd. Katie Jones reports.

THEwinner will be the entrantwith the highest metabolisableenergy yield (ME/ha) averageover the first two silage cuts.Currently, grass yields in the

UK and Ireland deliver 6-10t/ha(2.5-4t/acre) of dry matter,which is on average less thanhalf its biological potential.Jez Wardman of Yara

explains the main objectives ofthe competition are to focusattention on the value of grassas forage and to demonstratethe benefits which can beachieved by giving grass thesame attention to detail as with

any other crop by optimisingthe nutrition according to theplant’s requirements. “Home-grown grass is always

the most economic source oflivestock feed available, sogetting this right will improve theprofitability of any livestockenterprise,” he says. “By using the competition to

highlight best practice andshow what is possible,hopefully other growers will beencouraged to give moreattention to grass and alsoachieve similar results on theirown farms.”

Grass Prix competition

Grass managementfocus key to highquality silage crop

matter yield of 16.6 tonnes/hectare(6.7t/acre) and a metabolisable en-ergy yield of 180,079MJ/ha(72,875MJ/acre) for this year’sfirst and second cuts.

The analysis was taken from afield reseeded last autumn and MrGibbons, who farms with his wifeAnika, daughter Evie and son,Ben, says reseeding is an impor-tant part of his farming policy.

Reseeding“We try to reseed all grass cropsevery five or six years. They nor-mally end up in the maize orarable rotation anyway.

“When we put in a grass reseed,we’ll sample the soil, which meanswe only need to put on what thefield needs.

“It is important to considerwhat is taken off by a particularcrop. For example, if we do not ad-dress what nutrients have beentaken off by a crop of maize, thenwe will have problems.

“We use slurry to get nutrientsback into the arable ground, andwill also put a lot of straight potashon to maize ground.”

The reseeded field, which hasbeen analysed for the competition,supported a maize crop in 2012,

followed by spring barley, beforebeing reseeded in autumn 2013with a permanent late perennialrye-grass.

Mr Gibbons says he favours thistype of ley as it performs well onthe medium soil type, which pre-dominates across the farm.

“Short-term leys seem to have nobottom in them, so instead we areputting in perennial rye-grasses.We have got these leys acrossmost of the grassland now, and the

thick swards will hopefully keepweeds out. They also cope wellwith the wet winters we have beenexperiencing of late.

Performance“We are getting more yields outof these leys, and they will keepon performing for a good four orfive years.

“They do not seem to lose theirvigour, but after four or five yearsthey seem to plateau, by that timethey will be back in the arable rotation anyway.”

The reseeds received about33cu.m/ha (3,000 gallons/acre) ofslurry in November, and after thegrassland was grazed by on-tacksheep over the winter, the wholefarm received 325kg/ha prilled N(34.5 per cent N) (112kg N/ha, 90units N/acre) on March 17.

Slurry is not usually applied inspring as ground conditions aretoo wet.

Then after first cut was mownon May 13, another dressing of fer-tiliser, this time 375kg/ha(151kg/acre) a 25:0:13 plus sulphurcompound (94kg N, 75 unitsN/acre) was applied on May 15,along with 11cu.m/ha (1,000gal-lons/acre) of slurry across thewhole farm.

With results in for first and sec-ond cuts taken from the reseededfield, Yara agent Mark Shorrocksays the analysis emphasises theimportance of looking after cropsproperly.

“When comparing it to ener-gy value of brewers’ grains, thevalue of Mr Gibbon’s analysedgrass comes out at £2,881/ha or£1,376/acre.”

�Freshweight yield:54.2t/ha (22.1t/acre)� Dry matter yield: 16.6t/ha(6.7t/acre)� Metabolisable energyyield: 180,079MJ/ha(72,875MJ/acre)� Value of grass:£2,881/ha(£1,176/acre)� Calculation compared tobrewers’ grain at 1.6p/MJ(£45/t, 24 per cent dry matterand 11.7MJ/kg DM)

Silage results

Jez Wardman, digital market-ing and agronomy manager forYara, says these impressive resultsare down to Mr Gibbon’s attentionto detail.

“An example of this is the bal-ance achieved between slurry andfertiliser.

“Following a soil analysis, whichshowed the indices for P and Kwere a healthy 4 and 3 respective-ly as a result of the autumn slurryapplication, a decision was madeto apply a prilled N, a straight ni-trogen product, as the first dress-ing, rather than the usual NPKcompound product, which avoid-ed unnecessary expense while stillmeeting the nutrient require-ments of the grass.

“Similarly at the second application, because of the highP index and the phosphate sup-plied by the slurry was applied,since this was most appropri-ate.”

Mr Gibbons says he is milking alot of cows on a ‘small-ish acreage’

We have to feedthe crop, whichwill feed theanimal and inturn feed milkproductionANDY GIBBONS

Andy Gibbons with this year's silage, which had 16.6t/ha (6.7t/acre) dry matter. PICTURES: John Eveson


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so it is important to maximisegrass yields.The family farms 80ha (200

acres) – about 56ha (140 acres) isowned and the remainder rented.Mr Gibbons says: “We have

been at the farm for about 10 yearsnow and before that we werefarming at Pilling on a smallerunit. We came to this farm withthe aim of milking more cows.”Now milking cow numbers for

the flying herd is around the 200mark, plus 40 dry cows.The herd is predominantly

Holstein, with some Ayrshirebreeding also evident. Mr Gib-bons says the genetics for thecows to milk are already thereand it is a matter of getting nutri-tion and cow comfort right.

Ensiling processAttention to detail does not stop inthe field, however; care is also tak-en during the ensiling process.“We do our own mowing and

tedding, as this way we feel a bitmore in control of the process,”says Mr Gibbons. “We want a quick wilt of about

24 hours, and then we usually tedthe grass twice. This is especiallyimportant if the crop is a reseed asit is likely to be heavier and wetter.“Our local contractors, J.N.

Hoyles and Sons, continue theprocess. The filling of the clamp isa major factor in the quality of ourend product, so the buckrake op-erator has to know his objective inremoving as much air from thegrass as possible.”First and second cuts are

clamped, and the third cut is baled. “We roll the grass as it is being

clamped, and get it sealed as soonas possible. We have also built anew clamp this year, which can befilled from both ends. The idea isto put first cut in one end and second cut in the other.”The ration is fed out once a day

through a tub mixer. “All cows are

Feeding for maintenanceplus 26 litres�25kg grass silage� 7.5kg maize� 3kg crimped wheat� 3kg rapeseed blend� 6kg brewers’ grain� 0.3kg protected fat� 0.5kg straw� 1kg rolled wheat� 2.5kg sugar beet� Mineral and buffer package� Ration is topped up in theparlour

Milking cow ration

�Andy and Anika Gibbons runthe farm alongside theirdaughter, Evie, and son Ben,who works part-time at the farmin between studying atReaseheath College. The farmalso employs three part-timestaff� Average yields of 10,500 litresat 3.87 per cent butterfat and3.2 per cent protein� Calving interval: 397 days

� Somatic cell count is aroundthe 200-mark� Twice-a-day milking� Cropping is 12 hectares (30acres of maize), 40ha (100acres) of grass, 36ha (90 acres)of grain – all for home use andusually crimped� Graham Singleton fromSingleton seeds works with thefamily to attain grass productionrequirements

Catteral Farm

fed in troughs, so we do not needto push the feed up through theday,” says Mr Gibbons.The same person is responsible

for feeding during the week andBen takes over at the weekends.“It is important to have consis-tency when loading and mixingthe feed,” says Mr Gibbons. “A slight difference, caused by

ingredients being added in a dif-ferent order, or being mixed forslightly longer than normal, canmake a big difference.”Looking ahead, Mr Gibbons

says they are looking to expandfurther, and additional land hasbeen recently purchased.The current 16:16 parlour will be

upgraded as the family aims tosteadily increase numbers. “We willcontinue with a parlour, ratherthan robots, as it means we can con-tinue to steadily expand. Also, welike to see our cows; we like milkingthem and that is why we went intomilking in the first place.“As expansion takes place the

emphasis on growing high yield-ing crops will remain, as we aretrying to maintain a milk yield of10,500 litres, which requires qual-ity silage as a base for the diet.”

The herd will be expanded steadily and feed consistency ismaintained by one member of staff and son Ben at weekends.

A new clamp has been built which is filled at one end with first cut and with second cut at the other.



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The Herridge family takes a long-term view when investing in theirPeak District farm. Chloe Palmer reports on their progress.

Peak District farminvesting in futurewith new parlour I

nvesting in a state-of-the-artrotary parlour is just onebold decision which Mikeand Amy Herridge havemade in their farming

careers. As tenants at Bent Farmon the Tissington estate, nearAshbourne, Derbyshire, ambi-tion has driven progress eversince Mr Herridge succeeded tothe tenancy from his father.

“The biggest step for us wastaking on Bassett Wood Farm asour heifer rearing unit threeyears ago, which added 113hectares to our holding,” saysMr Herridge.

The family then focused onmaking the best use of the addi-tional land they had taken onover the previous two decades.

A change in feeding strategywas the first step.

Mr Herridge says: “We want-ed to bring the new land into arotation for reseeding so westarted growing wheat to replace bought-in feed and nowwe grow maize on what we consider our best land.”

FeedingGrowing as much of the rationas possible on-farm and feedingto the lactation curve, based ondays in-milk, has proved positivefor the herd and the business.

“The cows, producing 35litres a day at 200 days, wouldyield the same amount of milkon little or no concentrate.

“In the past we fed to yield

and it made us realise we hadbeen over-feeding becausemany of our late-lactation cows

were becoming too fat,” MrsHerridge explains.

The adoption of a new approach to feeding the drycows also led to significant ben-efits, says Mr Herridge.

“We now feed 5kg of wheatstraw mixed with silage, magne-sium chloride and 2kg milkingcow concentrate to the dry cowsfor a 50-day period.

“They maintain condition butdo not become fat and it has re-duced the incidence of milkfever substantially.

“Feeding a bulky straw-basedration to the dry cows has also

improved forage intakes post-calving,” he says.

The fall in the occurrence ofmetabolic problems in freshlycalved cows has been shown bya free ketone testing trial conducted on the herd.

Ketone levels“Of the 50 cows tested, only twoshowed sub-clinical ketone lev-els. In both cases these could beaccounted for by an extendedlactation,” Mrs Herridge says.

The high cost of concentrateand straw is the main factorwhich persuaded Mr Herridge

to crimp the home-grown wheatthis summer. Keeping his options open influences his forage production strategy.

“Growing wheat, maize and alarge area of silage means wespread our risk. If we have apoor grass year, we can whole-crop the wheat. I am also con-scious this is a marginal farm forgrowing maize, so we have to beprepared for a bad year.”

Grazing is still an essential element of the system at BentFarm. High yielders will grazefor several hours every day between May and August,

A grant helped the Herridges improve herd welfare and energy efficiency of their new parlour.Feeding abulky straw-based ration tothe dry cowshas improvedforage intakespost-calvingMIKE HERRIDGE


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whereas low yielders are outsideall the time from May to Octo-ber but will be fed silage beforecoming into the parlour.With the milking herd in-

creased to 300 cows and a feed-ing strategy paying dividends,the Herridges turned their at-tention to the milking parlour.“Our herringbone parlour

was 45 years old and we wantedthe replacement to see throughthe next generation of Her-ridges at Bent Farm. “We looked at robots and

rapid-exit herringbone parloursbut there were reasons why bothwould not work for us,” says Mr Herridge.The decision to opt for a

rotary parlour was one of the

biggest choices the family had tomake. Securing the finance wasa challenge but Mr Herridgewas lucky enough to have an un-derstanding bank manager.With the bank loan taken care

of, Mr Herridge had a list of pri-orities which the design of theparlour had to accommodate.

HandlingHe says: “Good cow flow is crucial, so making space for anadequate collecting yard coupledwith an effective backing gate wasparamount. The right handlingsystem is also very important because we were spending up totwo hours a day sorting cows for vet visits, the foot trimmer and for insemination.”

Mr Herridge designed hisown handling system and evenbuilt his own backing gate so itcould be exactly as he wanted itand at the right price. He is alsoquick to credit his builder who isa farmer’s son from Ashbourne.“We handed him the design

drawings and they were severalinches thick. The plans had asmuch below the ground asabove. It was the first rotary hehad built but he got everythingright.”Mr Herridge secured invest-

ment from Defra’s AnimalHealth and Welfare grantscheme which contributed 40per cent of the cost of additionalitems relating to health, welfareand energy efficiency.Rubber matting, also part-

funded by the grant, covers all thedecking and the entrance to theparlour and Mr Herridge be-lieves this is a significant factorwhich has helped the cows adapt.He says: “The third milking

on the new rotary was quickerthan when we used the old 12:24herringbone. Now it saves us sixhours a day. The cows adaptedvery quickly and our oldest cow,12-year-old Ivy, is always the firstto the parlour.“We decided against feeding

in the parlour because wethought the cows would standmore quietly if they were notreaching for food all the time.”

Instead, the cows are all elec-tronically tagged and monitoredand the family provide bespokeconcentrate rations calculatedaccording to days along the lactation curve. The parlour and the feeders

work on different computer sys-tems but the Herridges hope tointegrate the two in due course.

MilkingFuture plans figure prominentlyin the thoughts of the Herridgefamily, not least because the parlour now has to be paid for.Milking three times a day is thenext step.“We think we can achieve up

to 15 per cent more milk if wemove to three-times-a-day milk-ing. We see it as a way of im-proving herd health because itwill reduce the amount of milkour high yielders have to carryinto the parlour each visit andthis will reduce the stress ontheir limbs.”Finding additional staff for

the extra milking who are asgood as the two current Polishemployees, Marcin and Julius,

who have worked on-farm foreight years, may be difficult butMr Herridge hopes the attrac-tion of the excellent working environment will help.Mr Herridge is conscious

some ground was lost when his attention was distractedfrom the detail of herd manage-ment during construction of the parlour.“Our calving interval slipped

and we would like to see it dropback below 400 days. The herdwalks through a newly builtfootbath twice a day which hasmade a big difference to digitaldermatitis rates but we hope we can reduce lameness stillfurther.”Standing still does not seem to

be an option for Mr Herridge,who is intent on continual improvement at Bent Farm.“We are really thrilled with

how the parlour has turned outand it has lived up to all our expectations in terms of func-tion and capacity. We still havesome of the pieces of the jigsawto fit in but we are tacklingthem, one by one.”

The cows are fed bespoke rations according to the lactation curve.Left to right: Marcin Lewandowski, Julius Nowak, Erin, Mike, Amy, Evie and Bud Herridge.

Rubber matting covers the parlour’s decking and has helped the cows adapt, says Mr Herridge.

� Bent Farm extends to 312hectares (770 acres) and issituated outside the village ofTissington, near Ashbourne, inthe Peak District National Park� 182ha (450 acres) of the farmis grassland. This includes40.5ha (100 acres) of ridge and

furrow grassland, which is in aHigher Level Scheme, and afurther 81ha (200 acres) oftemporary grass, 16ha (40acres) of which is reseededannually. � The milking herd is currently300 cows plus 300 followers

� The family grow 26ha (65acres) of wheat and 22ha (55acres) of maize on rotation� The original holding of 154ha(380 acres) is tenanted on athree-generation lease with theremainder on 20-year FarmBusiness Tenancy

� Their pedigree Holstein herdwas first established on IlamFarm, five miles away, butMike's father, Bud, sold Ilam inorder to expand when he tookon the Tissington estate� The family farm employs two additional staff

Bent Farm facts

PICTURES: Marcello Garbagnoli

Dairy Special Feature Farmers Guardian 22 August 2014

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Transcript of Dairy Special Feature Farmers Guardian 22 August 2014