Wynnstay Dairy Newsletter - Autumn 2015

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Wynnstay are proud to support the needs of the

BRITISH DAIRY FARMER!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

FEEDING FOR FUTURE PROFITABILITY

FORAGE MINERAL ANALYSIS

RAW MATERIAL MARKET OUTLOOK

HOUSING & COW COMFORT

DAIRY NUTRITIONISTS

Steve Brown - Ruminant Feeds Product Manager

M: 07774 855026 E: [email protected] @sirbilly55

Iwan Vaughan - Dairy Specialist

M: 07990 578548 E: [email protected] @maesmochnant

DAIRY TECHNICAL SERVICES TEAM

Dr Huw McConochie - Head of Dairy Technical Services

M: 07771 740857 E: [email protected] @HuwMcConochie

Thomas Stephenson - North England

M: 07469 851 607 E: [email protected]

William Astley - Mid and North Wales and Staffordshire

M: 07502 311 181 E: [email protected]

Mark Price - Midlands

M: 07876 824 314 E: [email protected] @m_priceo

Stuart Miles - South Wales

M: 07788 310 254 E: [email protected] @stuartmiles

YOUNGSTOCK SPECIALISTS

Gill Dickson - National Calf Specialist

M: 07971 296702 E: [email protected] @Healthycalves

Rebecca Richards - Calf Specialist

M: 07881 093633 E: [email protected] @richardscalf1

DAIRY HYGIENE SPECIALISTS

Adrian Morgan - Dairy Business Development Manager

M: 07780 683043 E: [email protected]

Alan Dickson - Business Development Manager

M: 07968 177726 E: [email protected]

We will be attending a number of specialist dairy events throughout 2015, remember to call by the Wynnstay stand to see the full package we can offer!

UK DAIRY DAY 201516th September- Telford International Centre - STAND L21

THE DAIRY SHOW7th October, Bath & West Showground - STAND 44

WELSH DAIRY SHOW20th October 2015, United Counties Showground, CarmarthenE

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www.wynnstay.co.uk2

For the latest information from our dairy team...

Wynnstay Retail - 01691 662690

Wynnstay Arable- 01939 210555

Wynnstay Feeds- 01691 828512

To find your nearest store visit

www.wynnstay.co.uk/locations.html

THE WYNNSTAY DAIRY TEAMCONTENTSWithin an ever changing industry with constant challenges, the Wynnstay Dairy Team provide customers with access to industry leading analysis and technical support to all aspects of dairy farming. Fully aware of the vast range of factors affecting dairy profitability, we can provide technical advice and support throughout your dairy enterprise with one main aim - to improve on farm margins.

CALF REARING TRIO FEEDING FOR SUCCESS

FEEDING FOR FUTURE PROFITABILITY

POINTERS FOR PROFIT

FLUKE IN CATTLE

BALANCING DIETS FOR MINERALS

FORAGE RYE HELPS TO MAXIMISE PRODUCTIVITY

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR FORAGE THIS WINTER


RESULTS OF THE WELSH CALF STUDY

NEW VARIETY SHOWING LOTS OF PROMISE

MAIZE HARVESTING GUIDELINES


IMPROVING TRANSITION COW MANAGEMENT

ENERGY EFFICIENCY WHEN PRODUCING MILK

CHALLENGE DAIRY

BOOST COLOSTRUM QUALITY TO BEAT CALF SCOURS

EFFECTS ON GENERAL HEALTH, ENERGY STATUS AND CALCIUM METABOLISM OF FEEDING REVIVA

4 SQUARE HOOFCARE UPDATE

HOW IMPORTANT IS HEAT STRESS IN HOUSED DAIRY COWS IN BRITAIN?

DON’T IGNORE THE THREAT OF LUNGWORM

TOTAL DAIRY REPORT

CRITIQUING FARM COSTS FORMS KEY FOCUS AT TOTAL DAIRY SEMINAR

THE COMPLETE DAIRY PACKAGE FROM WYNNSTAY

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Read further articles on our blog at www.wynnstaydairy.uk

Wynnstay Group Plc Dairy Newsletter Autumn 2015 3

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Chris Webb, Chris Roberts and Larry Anscombe jointly run a calf-rearing unit in Welsh Frankton, just North of Oswestry. The trio started this venture back in 2014, purchasing an Urban U40 feeder with two parallel feed stations from Volac. Although the first batch they reared was only 30 calves, with growing confidence in their ability to rear happy, healthy calves, they have increased numbers rapidly. Their second intake consisted of 65 calves split between two pens, grouped by arrival date. Early this year they invested in a second feeder with two more feed stations allowing them to expand to 120–140 calves simultaneously on milk.

Preferring to buy calves direct from farms, the trio source batches ranging from 1–3 weeks of age, mostly beef crosses with a small number of Friesian bulls. For many, this age can prove a challenge! Calves are then sold directly to beef rearers at around 14 weeks of age, weighing 120–140kg. To maximise their return, the teams aim to get four batches a year through the farm, so capitalising on the early feed conversion rate of the calves is essential.

Recently, Chris and his partners have also taken on a second enterprise, rearing 88 Friesian-Jersey cross heifer replacements for a local spring-calving herd. These calves arrived on farm at one week old and left after weaning, at 11–12 weeks of age.

Chris commented that he enjoys the mix of both sides of the calf-rearing venture; “The beef calves give us a higher return but also involve a greater capital commitment. We have to buy beef calves up-front and there is also a greater uncertainty in the final price depending on market conditions.” Going forward, they hope to continue rearing heifer replacements alongside their own beef animals.

FEEDING PROGRAMME

Using a computerised feeder allows farmers to feed calves more milk per day; calves will drink little and often, reducing the risk of nutritional scour. Chris uses WynnGold Stellar and Bloom milk powders and calves are typically fed up to 7 litres daily at a concentration of 150g/litre, giving a total powder consumption of around 1.1kg/day. In addition, from arrival calves are offered ad lib clean water, Wynnstay Start ’n’ Wean nuts and fresh barley straw. “We’ve been pleased and impressed with the starter and milk powders. The calves really thrive and start picking at nuts as soon as they arrive.”

Mortality rates on the unit run at around 1% and the average DLWG of the beef calves to 14 weeks is 0.98kg, although Chris did comment that some calves have achieved a staggering 1.2–1.3kg/day, including his favourite Limousin bull calf, ‘Brian’.

Chris plans to increase the milk solids fed to the calves at the youngest stage to capitalise further on the early feed conversion rate, commenting that 6 litres at 150–155g/litre may not be enough for his Belgian Blues or Limousins to grow at their full genetic potential. As they expand their business, one of Chris’s aims is to integrate in-feeder weigh cells to allow him to continuously monitor and adjust the feeding programme according to individual calf growth rates. Chris commented that if he were advising other farmers venturing into automated calf rearing, he would strongly advocate automatic DLWG monitoring and only consider systems which can be equipped with weigh-scales.

Hygiene is vital on any calf unit and Chris makes sure that the resting area is always bedded with clean, deep straw. There is a separate wash-clean concrete area at the front of the pen where the calves are fed and where the water troughs and feed station are located.

The trio have approached this new business venture with a focus on efficiency, quality and calf welfare. Regular growth rate monitoring, good hygiene and excellent calf-focused management has ensured that mortality rates are well below UK averages. In addition to management style, choosing to feed higher quality feeds has enabled them to ensure calves receive a high plane of nutrition throughout their development, allowing them to maintain growth rates of above 0.9kg/head/day.

CALF REARING TRIO FEEDING FOR SUCCESS

Rebecca RichardsCalf Specialist

m: 07881 093 633 [email protected]

@richardscalf1

TESTIMONIAL:


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Gill DicksonNational Calf Specialist

m: 07971 296702 • [email protected]

@Healthycalves

“The result is a fast growing, healthy animal with improved resilience to disease.”

Having embarked on this enhanced feeding scheme, it’s important to follow through with good quality starter feed, and a balanced diet with adequate protein, limited

THE FIVE PILLARS OF CALF HEALTH

COLOSTRUM allow 10% of bodyweight in the first 6 hours of life.

40kg Holstein = 4 litres.

CLEANLINESS good hygiene in the calving yard, and in calf pens.

Minimise the challenge from

pathogens. Wash up calf feeding

equipment.

CONSISTENCY same dilution

rate, same temperature,

same volumes at each feed.

COMFORT freedom

from cold, damp, and draughts. Clean air supply.

CALORIES feed a

minimum of 900g of

good quality milk powder.

starch, and balanced minerals and vitamins through to calving at 2 years old.

Fig. 2. Trial showing that the calves on a low plane of nutrition never caught up

www.wynnstay.co.uk6

Is cutting costs the best way to maintain financial viability during these times of poor returns? In reality most dairymen will have picked off the low hanging fruit, those costs which can easily be identified and reduced. The question now is where else can production costs be reduced? The high input, high output model has always relied on the three golden rules:

1. Manage the herd and replacements to maximise the volume of milk leaving the farm to the capacity of the fixed costs.

2. Stock to the maximum level but with productive, healthy cows.

3. Don’t carry passengers. Passengers belong on the bus out of the farm and should be replaced with more productive cows or heifers.

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YPOINTERS FOR PROFIT: Improving the efficiency and profitability of the dairy herd

It’s easy to look back at past performance data for a cow, but once she has completed her lactation the damage to productivity and efficiency has already been done. So how can we identify these cows earlier? In order to evaluate the effect of this approach let us look at some real herd data.

For an all-year-round calving herd we need to aim for 10,500 litres + on a 305 day lactation but as you can see from Table 1 these goals are not being achieved. The points on the scatter plots (Figures 1 & 2) represent the predicted 305 day yields of heifers (left) and cows (right) plotted on a fresh date basis. On the scatter plots the line indicates the target 305 day yield. At first glance it appears that the cows and heifers both need to improve significantly to achieve the target. In reality it is the

bottom 25% that is holding the herd back.

The two scatter plots show the spread of predicted 305 day yields for heifers and cows. What would be the implications on production and profitability if we were to reduce and replace these bottom 25% of cows and heifers from the herd? One thing is certain, if they stay in the herd they will impact herd profitability. Unfortunately, many of the under performing cows are already in the system. It is true to say that we have already failed with these cows. The remedy in future will be increased emphasis on transition cows, fresh cow management and heifer rearing protocols.

NumberTarget 305 day yield

Predicted 305 yield

Heifers 184 9360 8486

Cows 199 11700 10452

Herd 383 10576 9507

Table 1.


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Based on the target yields necessary to achieve a 10,500 litre herd average and using standard lactation curves we can determine the target 4 week peak milks that need to be achieved (Table 2). These criteria can be used to identify cows that are going to compromise herd performance. By removing these animals from the herd, significant improvements in efficiency and profitability can be achieved.

Target 4 week milk

Target Peak Milk

Heifers 32 34

Cows 44 46

Table 2.

However, a word of warning, these criteria should not be applied based on a single milk recording. I recommend actively monitoring yields around 4 weeks and peak over a 7 day period and using the average. If going down the path of identifying poor cows/heifers earlier it is also worth remembering that predictions based on milk yield earlier in the lactation are prone to larger variation.

Implementing this approach on this dairy would result in the following benefits:

Production

The difference between achieving the targets necessary to maintain a herd average of 10,500 litres would result in the production of an extra 400,000 litres of milk per year.

Financially

This additional milk would be worth in the region of £84,000 based on a milk price of 21ppl. This can possibly be achieved by very little additional bought in feed as in most cases single TMR fed AYR calving cows are fed a flat rate. Having more productive cows and less poor cows will result in improved feed efficiency and improve IOFC per litre. The extra production would result in a reduction of fixed costs per litre by 11% without incurring any additional fixed costs.

Identifying these cows earlier also has other benefits including the option to sell them as lactating cows. This will increase their sale value by as much as 30% over their cull value and will reduce the cull replacement differential. Selling them as lactating animals also avoids them going straight to the slaughter house where they risk the possibility of being found with TB lesions.

Now is definitely the time to review herd dynamics and remove any passengers. In essence, cull out the unprofitable cows. According to the latest market forecasts from Eblex cull cow values are set to firm in the second half of the year on the back of a shortage of cattle for slaughter. However, in the longer term prices are forecast to come under pressure. Replacements on the other hand unfortunately may be plentiful as the pace of herds leaving the industry increases. In the short term therefore we may see a favourable cull replacement differential. With the current short term trend favouring the replacement of poor performing cows there is a good argument to consider replacing the bottom 25% of cows with mature cows that will lift production and improve feed efficiency in the short term.

This process of evaluating cows in early lactation should be an ongoing process and set as a standard operating procedure. Importantly this should be coupled to implementing an effective transition and fresh cow programme which will reduce the number of cows not reaching the desired level of performance.

Wynnstay can assist dairymen in implementing this strategy and provide assistance on setting up targets, monitoring methods or setting up farm software to automatically generate the desired reports.

Dr. Huw McConochieHead of Dairy Technical Services

m: 07771 740857

[email protected]

@HuwMcConochie

Figure 1. & 2.

Predicted 305 day yields for heifers (left) and cows (below).

www.wynnstay.co.uk8

INCIDENCE AND COSTS

Liver fluke is very common, particularly in wet areas, but increasingly so in areas of the country, such as the Midlands and Cheshire, which historically were considered safer. Wet summers increase the risks of fluke infestation.

To put the problem in perspective, around 25% of all cattle livers (prime beef through to cull dairy cows) are discarded for human consumption in abattoirs due to fluke damage. Alone, this costs the meat trade £1.7 million per year. Although substantial, this sum is dwarfed by the estimated cost of the disease due to reduced production and growth rates for both beef and dairy farmers - around £25-30 average for every animal affected. Fluke is estimated to cost farmers in England and Wales around £25 million each year in lost profits.

SYMPTOMS AND DIAGNOSIS

Fluke can affect dairy youngstock, adult cows, and all stages of beef production. The symptoms are often reduced performance rather than obvious clinical signs, such as scour, emaciation and oedema (“bottle-jaw”). Once clinical symptoms are seen in cattle, in fact the level of infestation is likely to be very high. If seen at all, the classical symptoms in cattle usually occur mid winter onwards. The exception to this is occasional sudden death due to “Black disease” which can be seen late summer/ autumn. Black disease is a clostridial infection secondary to acute liver fluke damage caused by migrating young fluke; growing cattle are most commonly affected.

There are a few different tests your vet might use to help you reach a diagnosis: for example, faecal egg counts, blood tests for liver damage, or bulk milk antibody tests. In any case, always try and get post mortem results from animals you send for slaughter, as this can be the most useful practical method to know if your herd might be affected, and all carcasses are inspected in abattoirs for evidence of liver fluke.

FLUKE LIFECYCLE

The fluke lifecycle is a bit more complicated than gut worms, as it involves an intermediate host, a specific water snail. In cattle, the lifecycle is also comparatively slow, and this means that adult liver fluke are most likely to be present in the winter months after the grazing season (December and January). This is in contrast to sheep, where fluke reach maturity in the bile ducts of

the liver much more quickly, and begin to shed new fluke eggs onto the pasture. In fact, in cattle, relatively few fluke reach maturity, being “walled off” and killed during their migration through the liver at the immature stage. This has three main consequences:

1. Sheep are much more likely than cattle to infect a pasture with fresh eggs. Grazing sheep on cattle pasture at any time of the year probably poses the greatest risk in infecting pastures.

2. Flukicides which only kill the adult flukes may have limited benefit in cattle, particularly when used as a treatment rather than as an overall control plan, as the immature fluke are usually in greater numbers and cause the most severe liver damage

3. Diagnosis of liver fluke in cattle using faecal egg counts is unreliable as only adult fluke shed eggs, yet immature stages of liver fluke could still be causing disease.

FLUKE CONTROL

When it comes to fluke control, prevention is always better than cure. Well-timed treatments can reduce adult fluke numbers and hence pasture contamination. Products which also treat immature fluke stages are particularly useful, as these give a longer window of opportunity for their use, and help clear out more stages of infestation as the fluke migrate through the abdominal cavity and liver. Routinely treating all sheep which graze cattle pastures over-winter will reduce pasture contamination.

As the lifecycle must always involve the snail, pasture improvements and drainage have a huge benefit. Fencing off particularly wet areas can also help. Very rarely, liver fluke has been known to affect even housed cattle where their water supply has been from snail-infested streams, but generally the risk is from grazing infected pastures.

FLUKE IN CATTLE

An example of a typical fluke pasture.

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Owen Atkinson MRCVSDairy Veterinary Consultancy Ltd

DAIRY COWS

Fluke control in dairy cows requires particular thought because very few products can be used in dairy cows, including dry cows. A high rate of misuse of products resulted in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) and National Office for Animal Health (NOAH) issuing a joint statement on the use of flukicides in dairy cattle, in 2013. This is available online and gives a good overview of products licensed for use.

Strategies might include the use of a short milk-withdrawal product (oxyclozanide), which kills mature fluke, as a blanket herd treatment in December/ January, when adult fluke are most likely to be present. This will treat these animals but, critically, will reduce pasture contamination for the next grazing season. Alternatively, a product which kills immature stages too (triclabendazole 24%) can be used at drying off (as long as a minimal withdrawal period is adhered to). Both products are drenches. A fluke control plan specific for your own farm should be drawn up in consultation with your veterinary surgeon.

Resistance to flukicides has been reported in the UK, particularly for triclabendazole. Products should not be over-used, and when they are used, accurate dosing for weight is important.

RUMEN FLUKE

In recent years, a new type of fluke has been found at post-mortem in cattle in increasing numbers, called rumen fluke. This is a totally different species of fluke, but it has a similar lifecycle involving a snail. Although rumen fluke has been around for many years, it has previously been rare. Now it is seen commonly - for example 44% of cattle in Northern Ireland, in one 2011 survey, and possibly as common as liver fluke in parts of England and Wales.

The adult fluke are maggot-like creatures which attach loosely to the rumen wall, and feed from rumen contents. Though now considered to be common, the importance of rumen fluke seems to divide veterinary opinion, as adult fluke are well tolerated even in large numbers and probably don’t cause significant production losses. There have been two reports (in UK) of illness in youngstock (ill-thrift, anaemia and non-responsive diarrhoea) which have been attributed to migrating young rumen fluke in the small intestine - both cases were after a history of flooding.

Rumen fluke eggs can be confused with liver fluke eggs in faeces, which can make diagnosis of either disease more difficult - and possibly lead to over-diagnosis of liver fluke. Rumen fluke are not killed by the common flukicides used in cattle and sheep. The product which is recommended where severe infestation is suspected is oxyclozanide, although closantel may have some effect too (non-dairy only). Routine treatment is currently not recommended, but the APHA are monitoring the situation.

Summary

Liver fluke is common and causes significant losses to beef and dairy producers. Abattoir information could be used more frequently to inform decisions about control and treatment. Control using flukicides needs careful consideration, and the best approach is to work in conjunction with your vet so the right products are used at the right time of year.

For more information please speak to your Wynnstay SQP in store or Animal Health Representative.

“Liver fluke is common and causes significant losses to beef and dairy producers.”

The main risk of fluke comes from poorly drained pastures.

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BALANCING DIETS FOR MINERALS

BACKGROUND

Although minerals only account for about 5% of total ruminant nutrition they have a disproportionate role in supporting energy and protein yielding nutrients required to maintain animal health, fertility and production. Of the 92 naturally occurring minerals in the earth’s crust, around 20 are considered to be essential for life, with 15 described as mineral elements. To be classified as a mineral element it has to be an essential nutrient included in skeletal development, water balance, catalysing metabolic processes and cell division necessary for growth and development. In short, mineral elements can be considered to be rather like the “governor” that controls the speed of a steam engine. When minerals are in short supply the “governor” is underdeveloped and the engine fails to operate at maximum efficiency, and so it is with livestock. The other concept important to mineral nutrition is the relationship or “balance” between elements. In terms of animal production, balancing minerals is as critical to ensuring satisfactory outcomes as overall dietary intake.

Forages exert a significant influence on the mineral composition of ruminant diets. Consequently a knowledge of the mineral status of forages is necessary when formulating balancing concentrates and supplements. This is particularly important when grass or silage is the primary forage, due to the high variability in mineral status. Grass is a remarkable plant in that it will take up any mineral element from the soil which is in a soluble state whether it needs it or not. This action is much less pronounced in alternative forages such as maize and wholecrop silage. However, the starting point in determining forage mineral status is an analysis report, as shown here.

FORAGE MINERAL REPORT

The report presents forage mineral analysis data divided into 7 major minerals (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chloride and sulphur) and 8 trace elements (manganese, copper, zinc, cobalt, iodine, selenium, iron and molybdenum). The classification of essential minerals as either “major” or “trace” is dependent on how much is needed by the animal. Major minerals are expressed in percentages and trace elements in mg/kg. The scale of the difference between “major” and “trace” minerals is illustrated by the fact that calcium is x 100,000 times higher than selenium. In addition to the 15 essential minerals the report also includes:

• Cation-Anion Balance which is important for determining how much water a cow drinks and the efficiency with which it is transferred into milk. It also provides an indication of the optimal balance between the electrolyte elements (potassium,

An example of a Forage Mineral Report


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sodium, chloride and sulphur) which is important for both minimising hypocalcaemia (milk fever) in the cow at calving and also ensuring the right conditions are in place to support milk production.

• Aluminium is included primarily as a marker for soil consumption. While not essential for cows, a high level can be potentially damaging to cow health.

• Relative copper antagonism is an indication of the extent to which those minerals that can “lock up” copper, such as molybdenum, iron and sulphur, combine to suppress copper uptake. This measure cannot be used for formulation purposes but does provide a measure of the “risk” of copper “lock up”.

• Soil contamination Index, as the name suggests, reports the level of soil that has been picked up when grass has been cut and harvested. This Index is determined by measuring Titanium; which is a non-essential mineral incapable of being absorbed by the roots. Actions to minimise soil contamination of forages is important as soil can interfere with silage fermentation and introduce high levels of Iron and Aluminium that can be adverse to animal health.

WHY HAVE A FORAGE MINERAL REPORT?

Balancing diets for minerals is as important as ensuring major nutrients (starch, protein, fats, etc) are meeting dietary specifications. Having a Forage Mineral Report is the starting point for providing information on:

• Formulating balancing mineral supplements using a mineral formulation program, which incorporates standard mineral values for alternative forages, feed materials and concentrates.

• Determine the “pressure” on copper availability from antagonists (molybdenum, iron and sulphur), which can be incorporated into a formulation program.

• Establish the “balance” between key elements including:

Calcium: Phosphorus – important for energy utilisation and bone development.

Potassium: Magnesium – crucial for nervous health and animal contentment.

Potassium: Sodium – essential for water balance and forage palatability.

• How well balanced is the fertiliser regime? Grass reflects lime and fertiliser levels in soil over the course of a growing season and can highlight the need for soil testing.

• How healthy is the soil? Soil fertility, not only measured in available nutrient levels, but also in terms of biological life, is a key influencing factor in providing a sufficient and balanced nutrient supply. When soil life is compromised by severe compaction, conditions change in the soil which allows more iron and molybdenum to be taken up. Both these elements increase “oxidative stress” in cattle together with reducing the absorption of Copper and other elements.

• Degree of soil contamination: As already stated, the presence of soil in silage is not desirable either from a fermentation perspective or increasing the Iron level, which is a risk factor for cow health.

A FORAGE MINERAL REPORT provides valuable nutritional data not only for establishing the correct mineral supplementation, but also information which can improve agronomy and harvesting practices to grow more grass of better nutritional quality

Steve BrownRuminant Feeds Product Manager

m: 07774 [email protected] @sirbilly55

“Essential information for balancing diets”

An example of a Forage Mineral Report


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• Early turnout (reducing overwintering costs)

• Early bite for dairy cows

• Winter sheep keep

• Flexible sowing options after maize or cereals

• Excellent catch crop

• Zero grazing option

• Helps mop up residual nitrogen and prevents soil erosion

• Later drilling option

YIELD AND FEED QUALITY

Average fresh yields 8-10 tonnes/acre

Average Dry Matter yield 2- 2.5 tonnes/acre

Dry Matter 25%

Crude protein 11-12%

Metabolisable energy 10 MJ/kg DM

TYPICAL COSTS AND VALUE

Costs and Value

Total Costs

Cost per acre £138

Cost per tonne fresh weight £14/t

Cost per tonne utilised dry matter £78/t

Relative value £/tonne DM £100/t

Cost per litre of milk 5.2p/l

Cost per kilo of live weight gain 34.2p/kg

FORAGE RYE HELPS TO MAXIMISE PRODUCTIVITY

SITE SELECTION

As forage rye is primarily grown for its ability to deliver very early grazing in the new year it is essential to make sure that the right field is selected. A sheltered, welldrained field is ideal and if it has a southerly facing aspect then even better. Although forage rye will grow on a very wide range or soil types it is best to avoid very exposed or badly drained fields

SOWING

Cultivate as cheaply as possible. Direct drill into stubble or lightly disk to produce a tilth before drilling. The less you disturb the ground the better the stock carrying capacity in the spring. It is possible to mix Italian ryegrass with forage rye so that the spring grazing programme can be prolonged.

Sowing Period September – end of October

Seed Rates 50-60 kg/acre (50 kg/acre of Forage Rye + 7kg of Italian Ryegrass)

Forage rye can be ensiled in early spring and produces a high fibre, medium energy and protein forage which is ideally suited for dry and transition cows. It can also help to bridge the gap between silage stocks and first cut silage. It can then be followed by forage maize.


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Richard TorrSeeds Sales Manager

t: 01939 [email protected]

FERTILISER

As a general guide 50kg/ha of both P and K (soil index 2) is a suitable dressing at sowing time. If nitrogen is needed at sowing time then a dressing of 50kg/ha should be adequate. The main application of nitrogen will need to be made in the spring when 75kg/ha should be sufficient. This should be applied between 2-4 weeks before the first day you expect to graze the crop. If you have a large acreage of rye to graze then consider splitting the nitrogen dressing to ensure that you do not have one massive flush of growth when grazing commences. Be aware of NVZ limitations on spreading muck and fertiliser in the autumn.

WEEDS, DISEASES & PEST CONTROL

No herbicides should be needed and the crop suffers from few pests and diseases. Any leatherjackets, wireworms or slugs which are seen should of course be controlled using the appropriate chemical.

FEEDING

Forage rye should not be allowed to enter the winter in a very proud state and in a mild autumn, crops sown in good time can be lightly grazed in late November or early December. Providing the grazing is not too severe this operation (carried out when the crop has around 10/12cm of growth) will encourage tillering, increase winter hardiness and boost the amount of green matter produced in the spring. One key factor is to ensure that the grazing in the spring is not delayed - this is because the crop can quickly become stemmy and unpalatable to stock. If you graze early then you may well get a second flush of growth before you need to plough out

the field for the following crop. Controlled grazing, using an electric fence, is very important to avoid excessive wastage. Another option which some farmers exploit is to zero graze the crop. This avoids having to take the stock onto the field - which in wet weather can help reduce poaching. To help you plan your feed requirements you should work on the basis that one hectare will provide 2 weeks grazing for 25 cows or 50 lactating ewes. There would also be the possibility of some surplus growth in the previous autumn.


Making better use of home grown forage should always be a priority, especially this year with so much pressure on returns. In general forage quality this year is much improved over last year meaning that with the correct nutritional approach costs can be reduced without compromising performance. First cut silage samples received and analysed by Trouw Nutrition GB indicates that forage quality is better than last year and similar in quality to 2013 (Table 1).

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR FORAGE THIS WINTER

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Table 1. First Cut averages over the past 3 years

1st cut 2013 1st cut 2014 1st cut 2015

Dry Matter % 32.4 29.0 30.2

Crude Protein % 14.0 13.7 14.2

D Value % 69.0 66.9 68.3

ME MJ/kg 11.0 10.7 10.9

pH 4.0 3.9 3.9

NH3N % 2.6 3.0 2.5

Sugar % 2.8 3.3 3.5

NDF % 46.8 48.3 46.8

ADF % 30.0 31.6 29.1

Intake Potential g/kg 105.6 96.0 99.2

Table 1 shows that although not as good as 2013 in terms of quality, on farm forage quantity is up. Higher crude protein, lower NDF and higher sugar levels means D-value is up resulting in forages with higher digestibility, improved palatability and greater intake potential.

With first cut silage quantities up, second and third crops have been taken at regular or shorter intervals this year on most farms resulting in more of the forage produced this year being of higher quality and higher quantities available.

On this basis there is the opportunity to increase production from forage on most farms which will help offset some of the revenue lost from the lower milk price. In order to achieve this there are some important nutritional and management recommendations that must be followed.

It is important to keep a control on production costs per litre but not by reducing yield per cow. Reducing yield per cow has the potential to increase production cost per litre. Maintaining production by increasing milk from forage can reduce purchased feed cost per litre.

Most dairies fail to realise the value or potential of forage, although in some cases stocking rate and availability will dictate the level of forage feeding. With many high yielding herds only achieving 1,500-2,000

litres from forage there is a real opportunity to increase this to 3,500-4,000.

Most of this improvement in milk from forage will come from increasing forage intakes. A typical DMI for forage stands at between 11-13kg per cow per day, with good quality forage we should be challenging cows to eat closer to 14-15kg the difference can save the equivalent in bought in feed and maintain production.

Dietary NDF is the main regulator of dry matter intake, the higher the NDF level the lower the intake. Grass silage lower in NDF will encourage increased DMI. In addition to this however there are a few management techniques that can increase DMI.

• Clamp management - although the silage is already in the clamp and little can be done about how it is ensiled, it is important to keep the clamp face clean and tidy at feed out and ensure minimal secondary fermentation occurs, this could reduce appetite and add to other performance issues. All waste on shoulder and top of clamp must be discarded and thrown away and not put into the mixer wagon. Where spoilage on the face is evident a mycotoxin binder such as Biobind should be included in the diet.

• 5-20% of losses of forage occurs due to clamp management

• Ensure enough feed space is available for the cows- cows are group feeders and all want to feed at the same time. Ensure there is enough feed space (600mm per cow).

• Diet presentation - the diet should be well presented at the correct dry matter, processed correctly and palatable

• Increase the amount of push ups in the day - there should be at least 4-6 push ups of the TMR or PMR during the day.

• Clearing refusals - what is left over from the TMR/PMR should be cleared out every day, clearing it out at this stage and feeding to youngstock will reduce wastage. Bunkers should also be cleared out.

• 5-10% of losses of forage can occur at feed out.

• Higher forage intakes can lead to higher milk composition. This is advantageous, with many milk processors now demanding higher milk composition, and paying a premium for it.

Including live yeast in the diet is still a cost effective way to increase efficiency from forage. Biosprint


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Yeast stimulates forage digesting bacteria within the rumen and will increase the nutrient supply from the forage. Biosprint yeast can also play a huge role in the prevention of SARA by controlling the production of lactic acid in the rumen. A stable healthy rumen is more efficient and will support increased milk yield and milk composition.

With some first and second cut silages coming in wet this season these silages will potentially have higher acid loads that could affect performance, especially when combined with lower NDF %. Nutritionally Improved Straw pellets (NIS pellets) can be a solution to overcome this problem especially when trying to get more starch and sugars into the diet to improve forge efficiency. With higher acid loading from forage and concentrates it is important to moderate acidity within the rumen to increase efficiency.

A cow is restricted to how much total dry matter she can eat by the amount of fibre that is in the presented feed/forage, the fibre is controlled within the diet by the NDF figures received for the feeds/forages. The lower the NDF of the forage, potentially the higher intakes the cow will achieve.

Many of the cheaper concentrates now on the market with higher inclusions of less favourable raw materials with lower digestibility and higher NDF figures. This type of formulation will increase the overall NDF % of the diet and limit total DMI meaning less forage can be consumed. This will result in less milk which makes these cheaper concentrates very expensive in the bigger picture. As milk price falls this is not the time to look for a cheaper feed but to look for quality raw materials and drop the purchased feed cost per litre.

Higher quality and higher energy compound feeds and blends should be fed that are formulated and work with your forage for greater efficiency. By not filling the cow up with the NDF from the concentrates allows the cow to eat more forage and produce more milk.

To discuss getting more milk from your forge this winter please contact one of Wynnstay’s Dairy Specialists.

Iwan VaughanDairy Specialist

m: 07990 578 548

[email protected]

@ maesmochnant

“The lower the NDF of the forage, potentially the higher intakes the cow will achieve.”


Massive world crops are following on from record crops in last few years in all the major growing areas. These facts are already in the base price of the raw materials that go to make the feedstuffs used in the UK. World farming is suffering from low margins. Primarily the causes for this are the building of carryover stocks coupled with jitters in the Chinese economy with their recent stock market crash, leading to the possibility that the seemly insatiable demand from the Far East will stutter and has cast major questions over not only future growth rates but also the veracity of those reported over the last few years.

UK farming has suffered from the depressed world prices and oversupply particularly of milk, but grains and oilseeds have also seen low prices. Recent crop scares of too wet in the US, too hot and dry in France coupled with a possible delay in UK crops have set a stronger note to recent market movements but have now been largely discounted and prices have returned to pre scare levels. However, it is not here that the secret to where the prices will go lies.

POLITICS AND ECONOMICS WORKING TOGETHER

Political - Argentina - No change of Government in this years election will mean the US will continue to be Kingpin / Sole reliable supplier in world soya exports with the Argentine farmer continuing to store his beans in silo bags and only selling when the black market exchange rate and/or the Government tax allow him a margin (currently Argentinean farmers end up with about a third of the revenue of those in the US). Should the Peronists lose and the more business friendly opposition be elected then export taxes will be eased and soya and other associated proteins will fall in price.

Political - Ukraine Grains - We still have civil strife in the Ukraine so any further flexing of Putin’s muscles will result in a disruption of grain exports and higher prices.

Political - Greece - the macabre dance that is the Euro membership - who knows what will happen apart from it will all be fudged.

Political - UK - the decision to hold an EU referendum will potentially reduce foreign investment and depress any £ strength should the Polls start to predict an ‘Out’ vote or a close call.


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Economic - Exchange rate and EU problems although may aid the £ versus the Euro will more forcibly help the Dollar, increasing the price of imported goods (56% of the value within UK feed) and depressing domestic grain prices (with the need to export). FX movement have accounted for 52% of the rise in UK soya prices over the last 5 months.

Economic - The US first into QE will be the first out and therefore raise interest rates first so further independently strengthen the $.

All in all we have probably seen the lows on fibre based raw materials we are probably near to the lows in grain /energy but the market may drop some more, and any help on proteins will come from an (unexpected) £ strengthening. So unless there is some other as yet unforeseen criteria that will move this market (harvest problems / lower US yields than expected) we will still see the farmer’s revenue generated by his products in the UK remain narrow versus the costs dictated by the world markets until the value of their produce increases.

Eric ThomasCommercial Manager - Feeds

t: 01691 828 [email protected]


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The focus of this Dairy Newsletter has been emphasising the importance of doing everything correctly in order to remain viable during periods of poor returns. The cost of rearing replacement heifers after feed costs is a highly significant cost. A recent DairyCo survey revealed that rearing costs can be as high as 6ppl, but with some small changes to the system, a significant reduction can be achieved.

The survey carried out on 75 dairy farms across Wales discovered that there was the potential to reduce replacement rearing costs by 1.3ppl. They pointed out that this could be achieved simply by taking measures to reduce the levels of scour and pneumonia during the pre-weaning period, achieving target live weights and inseminating bulling heifers to calve at 24 months of age or less.

The survey discovered a large diversity of heifer rearing practices which resulted in a variation in performance. Most of the bottlenecks were identified during the pre-weaning period and centred around colostrum management and feeding. Most of the farmers did many things well, but very few do all things well. For example it was found that 35% of all farms using calf milk replacer were feeding inaccurate amounts, in some cases up to 50% less. In terms of colostrum management 414 heifer calves were blood sampled and it was found that 48% had received inadequate immunity from maternal colostrum.

Colostrum is essential for long term health and performance pre and post calving. Herds that calved heifers consistently less than 26 months of age had significantly healthier calves. Essential when you consider that much of the reduction in heifer rearing costs can be achieved by getting heifers into the milking herd sooner and at the correct weight. Twenty five percent of all calves were treated for scour. The survey revealed that calves fed waste milk had twice as much scour, the presence of cryptosporidiosis increased the incidence of scours by 50%, calves with good serum antibody levels were twice as likely not to have scours and herds that vaccinated against scours had 33% less. Colostrum was also shown to have a positive effect in reducing the incidence of pneumonia but despite this, 20% of all calves surveyed had been treated and was the main cause of death by 12 weeks of age. Herds that vaccinated heifers against pneumonia always had higher 8 month weights. In terms of environment, calves housed individually and away from adult cattle always had lower incidences of pneumonia. However, it is important to remember that a large scale study conducted by Alex Bach demonstrated that forming groups of calves pre weaning had a significant effect on respiratory health in the post weaning period. Financially a case of pneumonia costs around £46.00 and a case of scour around £65.00 the consequential cost however can be far greater especially in terms of delayed calving. Each additional rearing day costs £2.87/day.

RESULTS OF THE WELSH CALF STUDY

Mortality amongst the heifers monitored ranged from 12.5% in the pre-weaning phase to 3.8% from 12 weeks onwards. Most of this wastage can be avoided through improved management and although the loss of these animals is a direct cost, the chronically sick heifers reaching the milking herd may in fact incurr greater losses.

The average weight of 745 heifers at 8 months was 236kg against a target weight of 240kg. The study found a large variation around the average but what was evident was that 8 month weight was related to herd average yield. Higher 8 week and 8 month heifer weights achieved an earlier service age although it was found that farms were consistently serving heifers two months later that they intended to incurring an additional £175 rearing cost.

Improved health pre-weaning, increased weight at weaning, inseminating at the correct time and calving down at 24 months or sooner results in heifers that produce more milk as percentage of mature cow lactation, are less likely to be culled in their first lactation and survive longer in the herd.

Several success factors were identified during the project, they included

1. Colostrum management, quality, quantity, quickly, and good hygiene

2. Feed colostrum by teat or oesophageal feeder

3. Using accelerated feeding programmes (>750g of milk powder or 6 litres of whole milk)

4. Consistent feeding technique, time, concentration, temperature and volume

5. Environment, dry, clean, deep bedded and separate from adult cattle.

6. Vaccinating against pneumonia and scours.

7. Provision of clean water from 1 week old.

8. Implement strategies to reduce cryptosporidiosis

Knowing the cost of rearing heifers, their performance, the incidence of disease, and the performance of your heifers post calving are essential to evaluate your heifer rearing strategy. The Wynnstay Technical Team are able to assist with identifying the most important bottlenecks in your heifer rearing system helping you to reduce costs and increase performance.

Dr. Huw McConochieHead of Dairy Technical Services

m: 07771 740857

[email protected]

@HuwMcConochie


NEW VARIETY SHOWING LOTS OF PROMISE

With the focus firmly on reducing dairy costs of production and improving efficiency of feed use, maize variety selection is taking on even more importance. Reason, a new variety from Limagrain looks like it will tick all the boxes.

“When selecting a maize variety the key is to identify varieties that will suit your farm and system and deliver to their potential,” comments Simon Pope, Wynnstay Crop Protection Manager. “At the same time you need to maximise the yield of quality feed produced which means selecting varieties that have a high dry matter yield combined with excellent starch content and ME content.

“Maize is an energy feed and as 50% of the available energy is within the cell walls, a variety with good cell wall digestibility will lead to higher energy content in the feed. And more energy in the forage will allow a potential reduction in total feed costs.”

For many farmers, the ideal variety will combine good early vigour and early maturity with exceptional quality and the Limagrain breeding programme has delivered several varieties recently that meet these criteria. The varieties delivering an outstanding combination of dry matter production, feeding quality and early vigour are awarded the LGAN seal of approval, giving farmers an assurance that the variety will deliver in practice. The latest variety to meet the grade is Reason and customers are already getting excited about the prospects.

Farming near Caernarvon, Richard Williams runs a herd of Holsteins averaging 9,500 litres. He has grown maize for over 10 years and it is now an established part of the system, making up, on average, 30% of winter forage supplies.

“When selecting a variety I have always looked for good standing power and early maturing,” he explains. “I have always grown two varieties and in the past have grown Acumen, Ambition and Kentaurus. I want the crop established and growing quickly as a few years ago we suffered severe crop damage when we were hit by a late storm in July.

“I now always grow two varieties, normally one I have grown before and a new variety and rather than grow fields of each I split fields with six rows of one followed by six rows of the other. We also reduced the seed rate from 45,000 to 42,000 to get better spacing and a more robust stem.”

Following discussion with his Wynnstay specialist Meurig Huws and agronomist Daniel Bates opted

for Reason as his new variety this year as it meet his growing criteria while offering higher quality forage.

The maize was drilled on 28th April into a ploughed and power-harrowed seed bed. The fields had previously had slurry applied and the seed was drilled with DAP down the spout and a half bag of nitrogen was broadcast after drilling. The crop had one post-emergence herbicide.

“As we had a cold May with very cold nights the maize was slow to get away but from very early on we could see a difference with the Reason. It has had a growth advantage all the way through and by the end of July it was almost six feet tall, one foot higher than the other variety Acumen.

“The real proof will come when we get it in the clamp. We will harvest in mid-October and will start feeding in December. If the feed quality matches the way it has grown in the field it should be a winner,” Richard continues.

Further along the north Wales coast, Richard Davies is also growing Reason for the first time. A beef and arable farmer, he has grown maize before for his dairy farmer brother Ian.

“Maize provides a great break crop on the arable block and I like an early variety which will allow me to follow it with a winter wheat crop. At the same time, Ian wants a variety delivering a high quality forage. Meurig Huws suggested Reason would fit both bills and we are really pleased with his recommendation.”

Richard is growing 12 acres this year and has been delighted with the crop’s vigour. “It got away quickly, getting away from the rabbits and has been compared really well with other crops in the area, being more advanced throughout the season and looking really clean and healthy.”

For farmers looking for early maturing maize varieties with good feed quality, reason looks like

fitting the bill.

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Simon PopeCrop Protection Managerm: 07990 [email protected]


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MAIZE HARVESTING GUIDELINES

TARGET 32-35% DRY MATTER

32-35% STARCH

Mature cobs on a plant still green

to aid chopping & consolidation.

Harvest at the correct stage.

An over-mature crop with bullet-

hard grain reduces animal performance.

A short chop aids consolidation and so reduces waste

in the pit

A longer chop helps rumen function but is more difficult to ensile well and can result in

spoilage losses

OPTIMUM CUTTING HEIGHT IS 20cm ABOVE GROUND-LEVEL

The stem below this level contains a higher proportion of water and has a low feeding value

If the cutting height is too high total crop yield is compromised.

If an early, severe frost kills the maize plant, harvest within 7 days to avoid deterioration.

When harvesting ensure ‘corn-crackers’ are employed and are correctly set to crack the grain.

Pay great attention to good consolidation – Fill the clamp by rolling 20-30cm deep layers for best results. Anything deeper is more difficult to consolidate.

Maize silage readily ferments but it is prone to aerobic spoilage. Use an appropriate additive to reduce waste.

Before sheeting apply salt worked into silage surface layers (3kg/m2) as an extremely cost-effective way to reduce waste from aerobic spoilage. Use salt even if an additive has been applied.

Fill, sheet and seal the clamp as quickly as possible. Avoid leaving the face open. If maize silage is to be fed straight away if possible a smaller, separate clamp should be created to supply this requirement.

Keep the pit face as narrow as possible and work across within a week to reduce heating and spoilage.



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THE A B C OF COW ENVIRONMENTIR

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AIR• Cobwebs highlight lack of airflow

• Provide consistent air quality and temperature at cow level

• Provide consistent light levels at cow level - 250 Lux

Envirolighting

• An ammonia smell highlights a lack of air quality

• Consistent environment provides consistent performance

365 days per year

FEED BUNK MANAGEMENT• Smooth surface along the bottom

• Remove rejected feed daily

• Ensure full access to fresh feed 24 hours per day

• Push up 5 times a day

• Keep to a formulated diet

• Ensure clean water troughs - THINK - ‘Would you drink

it?’

ACCESS TO CLEAN & FRESH DRINKING WATER 24 HOURS A DAY CLEAN &

FRESH


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HOW DOES YOUR HOUSING ACCOMMODATION PERFORM?

AIR QUALITY

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INCREASE INTAKEIN

CREASE LYING TIMES

REDUCE DISEASE

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REDUCE CELLCOUNTS

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FEED BUNK MANAGEMENT• Smooth surface along the bottom

• Remove rejected feed daily

• Ensure full access to fresh feed 24 hours per day

• Push up 5 times a day

• Keep to a formulated diet

• Ensure clean water troughs - THINK - ‘Would you drink

it?’

COMFORT• Provide 3ft of lunging room

• Make sure the bedding is absorbent and non abrasive

• Dry bedding is best

• Ensure fresh bedding daily

• If a cow is confident at getting up she will lie down ‘quick’

• If a cow is touching a cubicle she should be lying down

LESS STANDING SLURRY = LESS DISEASE

ACCESS TO FRESH FEED 24 HOURS A DAY


THE CALCIUM DEFICIENCY CHALLENGE

Dairy cows often receive too much calcium from the basic components in their dry cow diet. This leads to limited natural absorption of calcium in the intestinal tract. If not corrected in the dry period the natural absorption mechanism becomes too slow to provide the cow with the calcium she needs once lactation starts. In the three weeks prior to calving, cows must accelerate this natural process of utilising calcium from their feed and body reserves. This is a significant issue for modern transition cow management and can be defined as the Calcium Deficiency Challenge.

The result of significant research from Trouw Nutrition, CalFix is a new and patented dietetic feed designed for close-up cows. When fed as part of a cow’s transition diet – from three weeks prior to calving – CalFix assists the natural process of accelerated calcium absorption immediately post calving.

HOW DOES CALFIX WORK?

Focusing on the cow’s metabolism, CalFix restricts the availability of absorbable calcium in the pre-calving period and as a result the natural calcium absorption system in the small intestine is trained to be more efficient. At calving the cow’s metabolism is now ready to receive increased quantities of calcium from the new lactation diet. The cow is therefore much better prepared for the dramatic increase in calcium requirements at and directly after calving, ready for the onset of peak lactation.

CalFix can support normal blood levels of calcium around calving thus reducing the risk of clinical and subclinical milk fever and minimising the threat of the Calcium Deficiency Challenge. Cows with subclinical milk fever have a blood calcium level lower than two millimoles per litre directly after calving. Trials using CalFix in the dry period showed blood levels remaining above this critical threshold.

IMPROVING TRANSITION COW MANAGEMENT

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Recent trials also demonstrated that cows fed with a CalFix supplement, three weeks before calving, had a higher total dry matter intake after calving than cows fed on a controlled diet. This can be beneficial by helping to restore energy balance.

Key benefits of CalFix:

• Improves blood calcium levels at and after calving

• Reduces the risk of clinical and subclinical milk fever

• Encourages feed intake to accelerate milk production

• Helps to restore energy balance

For more information, go to www.calfix.farm or contact a member of the Wynnstay Technical Services Team.


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ENERGY EFFICIENCY WHEN PRODUCING MILK

“The high demand for electricity for milking compressors, chillers and water heaters often makes dairy farmers some of the biggest users of electricity. A dairy farm with a Solar PV system, either ground mounted or fitted to a roof, will ensure a large reduction in electricity usage saving you money on your bills as well as creating an annual income stream for the next 20 years. With consumers also increasingly interested

Phil HughesGeogen Product Manager

m: 07538 920718

[email protected]

in the sustainability of the food they buy, investing in renewable energy can also be used to highlight environmental credentials.

Installation is straightforward and they are, for the most part, a ‘fit and forget’ solution to renewable energy generation”.

System Cost (excluding 20% VAT) £48,000.00

Projected annual generation yield (Yield)(KWh) 44,000 KWh

Annual feed in tariff payments (11.71p per KWh) £5152.40

Projected electricity savings (50% Yield x 13.52p) £2974.40

Projected export income (50% Yield x 4.85p KWh) £1067.00

Total projected annual benefits £9193.80

Part of Wynnstay Group Plc. GeoGen Technologies Limited, Unit 1 Links Hub, Mile Oak Industrial Estate, Oswestry, Shropshire, SY10 8GA

Geogen Technologies Ltd design, supply and install agricultural, commercial and domestic solar PV and biomass systems throughout the UK.

TO RECEIVE A FREE QUOTE CONTACT US ON:

01691 670341 www.geogen.co.uk

*Returns shown above do not include inflation on feed-in-tariff or electricity prices and do not include costs to install & maintain an export meter

Example of a 50KW Roof Mounted System


It has been 18 months since the Challenge Dairy initiative took place, in this feature we take a look at how far the chosen dairy business has progressed.

In 2015 Wynnstay along with HSBC, Pentagon Associates and Genus decided that together they had the tools to improve the performance of a dairy business. After much consideration Trystan Davies, Plasgwyn Farm, Carmarthenshire was chosen as our winner.

The goal of the initiative was to choose a dairy farm that was already performing well but did not implement specific fertility programmes, or any financial benchmarking. In addition, we wanted to apply the skills of professional nutritionists to review the current and implement a new feeding program optimise rumen health and increase milk yields.

PREVIOUS FARMING STYLE

Prior to the competition, the family ran a low cost, low input system. Cows averaged 22 litres/head/day, were grazed during the summer and ran with the bull. Although fertility was good on the farm, using the bull meant that the family had no accurate calving dates, meaning that some cows were dry for longer periods of time than necessary. In addition, they did not have a dry cow transition diet, this meant that they were not maximising the full potential of their fresh calvers.

CHANGES MADE

It was clear from the beginning that the quickest turnaround would be milk yield, and as soon as the diet was changed milk yields went from 22L to 26L within a few days. Today, the cows are now averaging 29L. The diet changed considerably, the cows now receive 8kg of blend along with cake in the parlour, with higher yielding cows receiving 4kgs.

Although the cows are still grazed in the day during summer months, last year the family made the decision to keep cows in at night, this has made a considerable change to the system and Trystan commented that “cows generally seem much more contended and body condition is much improved”.

Genus RMS has been implemented for approximately 18 months, and Trystan says “I would never go back to using bulls. RMS has really opened my eyes to fertility and I’ve enjoyed getting involved in choosing the genetics. Our AI technician has been extremely helpful - having a skilled person on the farm every day who is trained to monitor signs of heat is a great tool for any farm, it’s also a weight off my shoulders knowing that somebody else is managing that part of the business,

CHALLENGE DAIRY

especially as I am busy with the contracting side of the business during the summer months”

“He has also helped us make choices on which sire to breed with, making sure that we only breed replacements from the best cows, so in time the herd will consist of better genetics. Other cows are put on a do not breed list, either served with a beef straw or put to barren. It’s really great looking out for all these new Genus calves coming through on the farm, In fact all the heifers born now are as a result of Genus. Having AI dates has made the management on the farm much more focused and dry cow periods are more accurate. It’s taken 18 months to see the true benefits of RMS and we are now in a position where milk yield has increased further with no additional cows to the herd, simply through having a constant supply of fresh calvers”.

Changes were made to all aspects of the dairy business, from the calf rearing to dry cow management. Previous to the competition, the calves were fed whole milk, the same dairy cake as the cows and silage was introduced at weaning. Fast forward 18 months and the calves now receive 900g a day of Wynngold Stellar Milk Replacer, Start N Wean calf starter nuts, with chopped straw. The weaned heifers receive a high quality 20% Rearer nut, along with chopped straw and silage is introduced at approximately 6 months of age.

With the superior genetics being introduced to the herd through the involvement with RMS, it is crucial to feed the calves to reach their full genetic potential. The family have opted to introduce a more Holstein type breed into the farm as some of the replacements had become too much of a Friesian type. This is clear in the body confirmation coming through in the Genus calves.

All weaned heifers have been from RMS cows/heifers. Choosing to use milk replacer also formed part of the families health status protocol for the herd, “Johnes

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disease is a concern for us and we didn’t realise how much of a threat feeding the waste milk could have on our future dairy replacements, it’s also made it a lot easier to feed calves as we aren’t reliant on having to take milk out of the tank if we run short on waste milk. In general the calves look better and grow better”.

The family have been using height sticks to monitor growth and are finding that heifers are easily achieving wither heights of 125cm by 13 months, 2 year calving is therefore something that Trystan is particularly keen to make sure he achieves. “Since the competition, I’ve become a lot keener on monitoring the heifer replacements, my next step is to purchase a set of weigh scales to regularly monitor heifer weights”.

Before entering this competition, the family had never been involved in any kind of benchmarking group. Steve Allen of Pentagon Associates has introduced Trystan to the concept. “I think benchmarking for me is something that I had never really thought of before, I find it very interesting looking at how the costs of my business compare with others, I definitely intend to keep going with it”.

In one of the earlier meetings, It was identified that Plasgwyn’s vet bills were higher than other farms of similar size, this was put down to not having a dry cow

diet and having to have the vet to perform wash outs and assist on difficult calvings. “Since implementing the dry cow diet I have already seen a massive difference in the fresh cows, I can’t remember when I had the vet out last to perform wash outs and assist on difficult calvings. I am looking forward to sitting down with Steve soon to see how this has changed my figures.”

Other key factors that benchmarking identified was that older cows were being held onto for too long, therefore reducing their cull cow value. As a result, Trystan plans to cull cows sooner and if necessary replace them with fresh heifers, “at the end of the day, a cow producing low volumes of milk will still eat the same amount as a milky heifer, it’s a big change for our business, but one that we have to carry out in order to remain as efficient and profitable as possible”.

Steve Allen commented on the process of benchmarking, ‘it is a powerful tool and can identify strengths and weakness within a business. It is also important not to just take figures at face value, but to discuss them and understand the background and detail of the costs, and the information that you are benchmarking against. This highlights the need for group interaction and discussion with group facilitation’.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO IMPROVE YOUR BUSINESS?

If you would like to replicate the achievements at Plasgwyn, please contact:

Huw McConochie, Head of Dairy Technical Services, Wynnstay: 07771740857

Rebecca Richards, Calf Specialist, Wynnstay: 07881093633

Ceidrych Davies, Genus ABS: 07971118614

Steve Allen, Pentagon Associates: 01834869333

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BOOST COLOSTRUM QUALITY TO BEAT CALF SCOURS

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When it comes to preventing scour problems in calves, there’s no doubt that vaccination of the cow against the common causes of scour – rotavirus, coronavirus and E.coli K99 – plays a vital role in any disease control programme.

Calves are most at risk from infectious scour in the first 3-4 weeks of life and need a source of continuous protection – through passive transfer of antibodies in the colostrum – to keep them healthy. On many units, normal colostrum does not provide enough antibodies. However, vaccination of the calf’s mother with RotavecTM Corona between 12 and 3 weeks before calving boosts colostrum quality, allowing you to feed high levels of antibodies against rotavirus, coronavirus and E.coli K99 in early life. Make sure calves receive at least three litres of this high quality colostrum within the first six hours after birth.

Rotavirus remains one of the most prevalent infectious scour-causing pathogens on UK calf units. And it is very difficult to treat calves against this type of scour. The only effective disease management strategy is to boost calf immunity through high quality colostrum feeding and sound newborn animal husbandry practice.

EFFECTS ON GENERAL HEALTH, ENERGY STATUS AND CALCIUM METABOLISM OF FEEDING REVIVA IMMEDIATELY AFTER CALVING

At calving the cow undergoes a huge increase in demand for Calcium and energy to fuel milk production in early lactation. There is a 1-2 day lag in the activation of her mechanisms to produce Calcium. This is at a time where her dry matter intake falls considerably as she prepares and recovers from calving. It is a huge risk period for the cow and if not managed correctly, can have significant financial implications for the rest of lactation.

A trial was set up, feeding Reviva - glucogenic precursors, vitamins and minerals - to dairy cows immediately post-calving to evaluate the potential effects on energy status and Calcium metabolism as well as the overall health of the cow.

Managed and fed in the same way, half of the cows were given 20L of warm water (25-30˚C), the other half were given 20L of warm water with Reviva in solution.

Of the control, 18% did not drink, yet 100% consumed the solution with Reviva. Calcium blood concentration was significantly increased during the first 48 hours

post-calving when Reviva was fed. It is very likely that Reviva provided the cow with Calcium through nutrition, helping to maintain calcium levels during the critical period for calcium homeostasis. Magnesium was significantly lower in the treatment group which may reflect the known regulatory interaction between calcium and magnesium.

To give cows the best start possible and reduce the costs associated with low blood calcium levels in early lactation, supplement Reviva to freshly calved cows as soon as possible.


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4 SQUARE HOOFCARE UPDATESince the formation of the Dairy Technical Services Team earlier this year, an on farm service of both Locomotion and Digital Dermatitis scoring has been offered to farmers. Following an assessment of the herd, a full report is produced to show to producers the impact that lameness is having within the herd, both physically and financially. Along with the report a detailed trim list is also produced to highlight animals that should be presented to a foot trimmer as either a preventative or curative measure.

Locomotion Update: The Dairy Technical Services Team has scored in excess of 5000 dairy cows collectively on a monthly basis. Of the cows scored, 14.8% were deemed to be of score 3, which is classed as mildly lame, these should be seen by a foot trimmer as a preventative measure before it begins to impact on performance. A total of 14% of the animals seen were given a score of 4 or 5, which would require rapid action to be taken by a foot trimmer to limit the impact in areas such a yield and fertility.

Digital Dermatitis Update: Digital Dermatitis, at some stage, has been present on all of the farms we have scored. Scoring is a crucial part of tackling the problem, as it is important to know at which stage the disease is on farm so appropriate measures and programmes can be implemented to control the problem. From the cows scored almost 30% had active lesions, 22.5% of which were at the M4 stage which is described as chronic or more commonly the ‘hairy wart’ which is visible on the back of the heel. 2% of cows scored were at the M2 stage which is a painful/acute ulcer, at this stage it is crucial to get the correct treatment to begin the healing process otherwise this type of lesion will develop into the chronic stage of the disease.

It is important to address both lameness and digital dermatitis before heifers enter the milking herd, the correct nutrition and trimming regime can aid the control of the disease before heifers calve.

If you are interested in learning more about how Locomotion or Digital Dermatitis Scoring can help improve performance on your farm, please contact a member of the Dairy Technical Services Team.

Stuart Miles - South Wales

Dairy Technical Servicesm: 07788 [email protected]


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Heat stress is considered to be a growing global problem in housed dairy cows but how important is it in Britain? Climate change is resulting in warmer weather in the UK with more extreme variation. In addition, as British herds are getting bigger summer grazing becomes more difficult as pastures become more distance and dispersed and so more high yielders are kept housed through the summer.

The initial work on heat stress was carried out in the southern states of USA in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Here they have hot, dry summers and dairy cow productivity falls dramatically in such weather. Several groups are looking at heat stress in UK and northern Europe and are helping to test how relevant the USA recommendations are to UK farmers.

Heat stress causes the cow’s core body temperature to rise and this affects her behaviour and physiology in many ways. The main environmental factors that raise core body temperature are temperature and humidity and these are commonly combined into a Temperature and Humidity Index (THI). The THI can range from about 30 on a cold winter night up to over 90 on hot summer afternoons. Cows, like humans, can cope with high THI scores in the short term but if the THI is continually high, production and performance will fall and there may even be fatalities. Most published work therefore works with the average THI over a 24 hour period.

Initial work in the USA showed that a daily average THI score of over 72 was linked to a fall in production but when we have applied such a threshold on UK farms it does not associate very well with herd performance. Performance seems to fall at much lower THI scores. Work on THI throughout the world has shown a close link between the threshold THI and the climate in each country. It is likely that, through epigenetic factors that impact in early calfhood, cattle adapt to the climate they are born and reared in. As a result cattle raised in cooler climates have a lower THI threshold and indeed heat stress has recently been reported as far north as Dumfries in Scotland. Recent work in Luxembourg related THI to milk production in heifers and showed that yields started to decline once the THI exceeded 62 (Figure 1) – far lower than the USA derived figures that are often quoted.

HOW IMPORTANT IS HEAT STRESS IN HOUSED DAIRY COWS IN BRITAIN?

Figure 1. Changes in milk yield in grazing first lactation cows related to THI (from Hammami 2013).

Temperature and humidity are the main factors that cause heat stress but other factors can be involved:

• Radiant heat from direct sunshine can be a major source of heat stress in grazing animals particularly if they have a black coat colour.

• Wind speed. Even moderate winds (Force 2-3 or 2-4 m/sec) can reduce heat stress.

• Milk yield. High yielders suffer heat stress more than dry cows and beef animals because they are metabolising more energy. Much of the energy a cow consumes has to be lost as excess body heat which worsens any environmental heat stress.

• Stocking rate. Cows packed into a small area cannot radiate heat so effectively and this can be a particular

WHAT AFFECT DOES HEAT STRESS HAVE ON DAIRY

COWS?

• Fall in feed intake. Intakes can drop by 2-4 kg DM/cow/day (10-20%).

• Fall in milk yield. Typically can see falls of 2-5 litres/cow/day as THI increases. The drop is generally greater than the fall in feed intake would predict suggesting that the cow’s physiology is also impaired.

• Fall in butter fat and milk protein production.

• Ruminal acidosis. Cows start to pant and salivate and this reduces the buffering in the rumen. Rumen pH can fall to 5.5 in cows on high concentrate diets that are kept at high THI’s

• Fall in fertility. Research has shown that fewer cows come bulling at high THI’s and conception rates drop. These effects may start at lower THI scores than needed to depress feed intakes and milk yield.

• Standing times increase as cows try and lose body heat and this may increase the amount of lameness seen.

• Increased mastitis and fly problems as cows ‘camp’ in shaded areas.

• On farm mortality has been shown to rise with THI in Italian herds.

EVIDENCE OF HEAT STRESS IN UK HERDS

• Last summer we collected data from 14 cattle sheds around England. Figure 2 shows the typical changes in temperature and humidity. Temperature fluctuated daily and as temperatures rose the air could carry more moisture and humidity fell but the average humidity was generally high.

issue when cows are in the collecting yard prior to milking.

• Lying down. A recumbent cow has less skin (surface area) exposed to the air and so can lose less heat; heat stressed cows are more likely to stay standing.


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Figure 2. Temperature and humidity measured over a short period in summer 2014 in a modern dairy unit in S England.

Published models based on work in Luxembourg (Hammami, 2013) can be used to calculate the THI during the recording period and predict the daily milk loss (Figure 3). There was evidence of some heat stress from the start of July onwards (very few green dots) and milk loss was highest at the higher THI levels seen in the second part of July. Over the three month period total milk losses were calculated at about 92 l/cow.

Figure 3. Summary of THI in a cow shed. THI value banded into no heat stress, Mild, High and Severe. Daily milk loses calculated derived from Hammami (2013) and cumulated over the sampling period.

The predicted milk losses varied over the 14 sheds assessed ranging from 40 to 100 l/cow and they were affected by building design, siting and the local geography.

WHEN WILL HEAT STRESS START AFFECTING COWS?

Each farm and each shed will be different –well designed sheds in areas with ample natural ventilation and good wind speeds will protect cows from heat stress even when animals in poorer housing are suffering. As discussed above the main factors involved are temperature and humidity. In most cattle sheds the passage ways are commonly wet with dung, urine and water so humidity is high such that rising temperature is the most important factor. It is the average temperature over 24 hours that affects the THI score and this can be estimated from looking at the minimum and maximum temperatures over a day using a min-max thermometer sited in the cattle shed. Looking at our results from 14 sheds surveyed last summer THI exceeded 62 at where the average of the minimum and maximum temperatures exceeded 16oC in the poorer sheds and 20oC in the better sheds with a typical average figure being 18oC.

As a very general rule-of-thumb heat stress starts when the min-max average exceeds 18oC and once it reaches 21oC milk losses will be about 1 L/cow/day and 3 litres once it reaches 29oC. In addition, once heat stress starts, the other problems listed above will also start to occur but their relative impact will vary from farm to farm.

REDUCING THE IMPACT OF HEAT STRESS

• Provide shade. Where cows are housed be careful how many skylights have been fitted. Where cows are grazing they will tend to seek out shade under hedgerows and trees. It is probably not a good idea to provide artificial shade as it will attract flies and may cause mastitis problems.

• Water supply. Water intake rises as it gets hotter so ensure ample supplies and good access.

• Provide air flow. Our application of published models indicate that a wind speed of about 2 m/sec (Force 2 – ‘Light Breeze’) will reduce the impact of heat stress and milk losses by about two thirds (25 L/

Figure 4 Modelled effect of different wind speeds in cattle sheds on the THI (compared to a threshold of 62) for a cow shed in S England in 2014.

cow cf 72 L/cow) and a wind speed of 4 m/sec (Force 3 –‘Gentle Breeze’) will all but eliminate it (5 L/cow) in most situations (Figure 4). Misting with water has also been shown to help – either as a fine mist alongside the fans to cool the air or wetting the cows with a coarser mist. Both methods depend on the water evaporating and this requires a low humidity. If the water cannot evaporate then the cows will just get wet and this will actually reduce their ability to lose heat.

• Herd management. Do not crowd the cows especially in the collecting yard, do not keep then standing in full sun, offer more feed and use the best pastures at night.

Modify the diet:

• Keep TMR’s as fresh as possible by making mixes several times a day and allow cows to eat most if their feed at night when it is cooler.

• Fibre will counter the risks of acidosis but it needs to be highly palatable and effective such that limited amounts are needed.

• Consider using buffers, yeasts and other additives that will support rumen health in the face of the acidosis.

• Alter the mineral formulation. American workers suggest raising sodium, potassium and magnesium intakes to counter the extra losses.

• Some workers have suggested altering the protein and fat supply and feeding niacin supplements, but the benefits of such changes are not clear.

Dr Tom Chamberlain, BVSc PhD MRCVSDairy Veterinary Consultant


Animal health advisers and their clients should be alert to the threat of lungworm this summer according to Merial Animal Health Veterinary Adviser Sioned Timothy.

Although the clinical disease is typically seen in mid-late summer, proactively managing pasture larvae levels throughout the grazing season is key if the risk of disease is to be minimised. Maintaining a fine balance between exposure and immunity is critical to the prevention of clinical husk.

Anthelmintics or vaccination are useful tools in achieving this and can be deployed strategically following advice from a vet or animal health advisor, taking into account farm level risk factors and management practices.

At turnout, low levels of overwintered larvae are present on pasture grazed the previous year. These levels decline as the year goes on, decreasing significantly by early summer. However, studies have shown that up to 10% of cows may be sub-clinical carriers of Dictyocaulus viviparus and contribute low numbers of larvae to this pasture contamination1.

Once the infective larvae are consumed by grazing cattle they penetrate the intestinal wall and migrate through lymphatics and blood vessels, reaching the lungs after approximately seven days. The larvae then mature as they travel through the airways, and adult worms are present in the trachea approximately 25 days after infection.

Hatched larvae are then coughed up and swallowed, before being passed out onto pasture in the faeces. A

DON’T IGNORE THE THREAT OF LUNGWORM

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low dose infection with 200 larvae can lead to around 70 adult worms which can result in 2.5 million infective larvae on the pasture by 30 days after ingestion2. This shows how heavy worm burdens, capable of causing severe clinical disease, can establish quickly.

The survival and infectivity of larvae on the pasture is affected by a number of environmental factors; with optimal conditions hastening development. Larvae on pasture rapidly dry out in hot dry weather, but can survive within the dung pat. Their dispersal is facilitated by heavy rain, and the pilobolus fungus also plays an important role as it can propel larvae up to 3 metres away from the dungpat, as it expels its own spores.

If young or naïve cattle are exposed to high pasture challenge without prior vaccination or sufficient low level exposure to have developed immunity, clinical disease will be seen. In older animals that have an established level of immunity, low levels of pasture challenge will serve to boost this, but in the face of heavy, uncontrolled challenge, outbreaks of severe potentially fatal disease can also be seen in adult cows.

August and September are the most common months for outbreaks of the disease, but the threat of lungworm can continue until November or even December, particularly in mild and wet conditions.

Regardless of age, lungworm should always be suspected in cattle coughing at grass. There are a variety of diagnostic techniques available through vets. Where an outbreak of husk occurs, whole herd treatment with a suitable anthelmintic is indicated.

Ms Timothy says: “Producers should be aware of the risk posed by lungworm to all grazing cattle, and ensure that a control strategy is in place at turnout and throughout the summer. The effect of lungworm at its most extreme is death, but even in cases where this does not occur, lungworm can cause clinical disease of varying severity, affecting the productivity of the cattle. It’s important to act swiftly in order to prevent major losses.”

A study published in 2011 looked at two outbreaks of lungworm in dairy cows and reported losses of £159 per head in one case and £163 in another3. This resulted from reduced milk production, impaired fertility and diagnostic and treatment costs. In another outbreak where 50% of the adult milking herd exhibited signs of respiratory disease, the average daily milk yield increased from 23kg to 30kg per day following treatment with eprinomectin, highlighting the scale of potential production losses4.


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“In dairy cows, EPRINEX® (eprinomectin) provides persistent activity for up to 28 days and has a zero milk withhold. It provides a cost-effective treatment for lungworm lessening the impact of the disease on profitability,” says Ms Timothy.

For more information please speak to your Wynnstay Animal Health Representative or SQP in store.

EPRINEX® 0.5% w/v Pour-On for Beef and Dairy Cattle contains eprinomectin. EPRINEX® and the steerhead® logo are registered trademarks of Merial Ltd.© Merial 2015. All rights reserved. . Legal Category: LM (ROI) For further information contact Merial Animal Health Ltd, CM19 5TG, UK, or call the Merial Customer Support Centre on 1850 783 783 (ROI).

1Eysker M, Classens EW, Lam TGM, Moons MJ, Pijpers A (1994) The prevalence of patent lungworm infection in herds of dairy cows in the Netherlands. Vet Parasitol 53 (3-4) 263-267

2Vercruysse J, Janssens PG, Vercruysse J, Jansen J (1989) Ductyocaulosis. In: Worms and Worm Diseases pp 210-222 Samson Stafleu, Alphen aan den Rijn/Brussel

3Holzhauer M, van Schaik G, Saatkamp HW, Ploeger HW (2011) Lungworm outbreaks in adult dairy cows: estimating economic losses and lessons to be learned. Vet Rec 169 (19) 494-

4Wapenaar W, Barkema HW, Eysker M & O’Handley R (2007) An outbreak of dictyocaulosis in lactating cows on a dairy farm. JAVMA 231 (11) 1715 -1718


Key performance indicators during periods of low milk price, heat stress and grazing management were just some of the topics discussed at the TotalDairy Seminar at Tortworth Court, Wotton-under-edge, Gloucestershire, sponsored by Wynnstay.

Treating any dairy as a commodity manufacturing business and focusing on producing as much as possible, at as low a cost per litre as possible, is a must for all dairy producers looking to ride out the milk price doldrums.

Dr Greg Bethard of Pagel’s Ponderosa and Dairy Dreams in Wisconsin, said all UK producers should be paying close attention to key performance indicators that influenced the business, and avoiding those that didn’t.

“Cull rate really doesn’t mean anything to our business at all, the cost of it does…Think about what really matters to make money. Milk per cow and cull rate really doesn’t mean much,” he said.

Instead, the aim should be to maximise the total volume out the door so as to dilute costs, and particularly labour costs. Keeping a ‘full barn’, producing healthy fresh cows, meeting milk contract premiums and generating pregnancies were also key to profitability.

He explained that two of the main costs of producing milk were feed cost and replacement cost per litre. As a result, these were two areas for consideration when looking to improve efficiencies - both of which could be easily ‘worked out on the back of a napkin with a pencil’.

“Most look at cull rate, but that doesn’t say anything about the value of the cows you sell. You don’t want

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to hang onto cows with no value - offer them a career change. Replace broken or inefficient cows with new ones and don’t break cows,” he said.

Replacement cost could be worked out by taking the cow cull value away from the cost of the heifer coming in and dividing it by total litres. In the UK, replacement cost should sit at around 0.5ppl.

Dr Bethard emphasised that optimism was essential to survive in the industry long-term, as the cyclical nature of the milk markets meant things would inevitably pick up. However, the extremes of milk price ‘ups and downs’ would continue into the future. The key was to maximise margins during good times to carry businesses through the bad times.

As a result he said it was essential to operate ‘lean management’ at all times, but without cutting costs in any area that influenced income over feed, fresh cows or forage quality. This would mean farmers were ready

to ‘rock and roll’ when milk price inevitably picked up.

REDUCING HEAT STRESSBritish dairy farmers could benefit from improved fertility and better production by seriously considering the risk of heat stress to their herds, according to Wisconsin vet, Dr Michael Wolf.

“You need to be more aggressive in what you think is heat stress in your cows. It’s happening more than you think,” he said.

During a small group discussion workshop at the event, Dr Wolf explained that heat stress could result in depressed milk yields and fertility, reduced peak yields and increased lameness.


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“Generally, barns in the UK are difficult to ventilate, especially when buildings are built close together. It means there’s no true air exchange and you are at the whim of mother nature,” he said.

He said power ventilation could play a valuable role in delivering air. “People need to start thinking about effective cow side velocity (ECV) and how you can deliver air to the cow and not up where the birds are,” he explained.

Dr Wolf said cyclone fans, rather than HVLS fans, were better at creating maximum ECV. These should ideally be positioned 7ft off the ground and spaced to account for the fact the zone of influence for any fan was 1.5 times its diameter. Higher air speeds at cow level would then drive temperatures down quicker, with ECVs of 5-7mph reducing THI (Temperature Humidity Index) by 5.5-7.7 points.

Dairy farmer Austin Knowles, who runs 430 cows on the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border, explained how installing variable speed fans had put an end to suppressed yields and fertility in the summer.

“July 2013 was a hot summer, and in that month we only got six cows pregnant and the main problem was because of a lack of ventilation in one of the barns,” said Mr Knowles, whose herd yields about 12,000litres.

Since putting in four fans last July at a cost of about £15,000, yields in July/August 2014 were maintained at 36-37litres. This year, 48 cows calved in April.

However, Dr Wolf said the collecting yard was one of the main areas to take a “more aggressive approach” with fan cooling.

“At 20oC you should be starting cooling strategies. A cow’s thermal neutral zone is from -7 to 20oC and after this she can get stressed,” he said.

Cows in close proximity in the collecting yard can quickly build up the THI and because cows sweat at 10% of the rate humans do, effective cooling is crucial. As a result, providing ‘artificial sweat’ by fogging or soaking, combined with fans to deliver ECV could help.

Dr Chris Chase from South Dakota State University, also emphasised the importance of avoiding heat stress as part of a series of presentations on vaccination.

“If you’re vaccinating an animal, make sure it’s not in the heat of the day as heat stress can have a big effect,” he said.

For the immune system to develop a ‘memory’ to fight off the disease being vaccinated against, dendritic cells

and t-cells need to come together in the body and ‘dance’. However any stressor would cause the cells to break apart, potentially reducing the effectiveness of the vaccination. These stressors include dehydration, weaning, calving and transportation.

GRAZING HIGH YIELDERSCareful grassland management, selecting bulls for PLI and computerised feeding all help to achieve average yields of 9,500 litres on a simple grass base system, said Northern Irish producer Robert Bryson.

Speaking as part of workshop where delegates were able to take a ‘virtual farm walk’ of his farm in a pre-recorded video, Mr Bryson said his system was proof you could produce high yields, cheaply and simply.

“We’ve always grazed all cows and minimised silage feeding. I see grass silage as a winter feed,” he said.

His 160 cow Holstein herd is split into two groups; milkers and dry cows. Cows calve from June until Christmas and in the summer just receive grazed grass and concentrate fed to yield through the parlour. In winter, grass silage will be available in blocks. Currently 18.5% of cow are projected to give over 12,000 litres.

Mr Bryson said the key to maintaining yields was computerised parlour feeding, genetics and grass quality.

“You need high quality grass in front of cows and you need to be prepared to leave higher residuals. They go in at 3,500kgDM/ha and graze to 1,800-2,000. Residuals are then removed with a topper,” he explained.

With a cost of production of 22ppl, before family labour he said such a low cost system helped the business weather the milk price storm and created a more sustainable system.

>> Next year’s TotalDairy Seminar takes place on 1-2 June 2016 and includes talks from world renowned behavioural expert, Temple Grandin. Register your interest by emailing [email protected], visit www.totaldairy.com and follow us on Twitter @TotalDairy.


How to safeguard businesses against low milk price by critiquing costs and maximising cow health and production were the main themes from this year’s tenth TotalDairy Seminar.

Taking place on 10-11 June 2015 at Tortworth Court, Wotton-under-edge, Gloucestershire, the event, which was lead sponsored by Zinpro and Genus, attracted nearly 400 delegates keen to hear the latest thinking in dairy management.

Previously known as The Large Herd Seminar, this year’s rebranded event offered something for all dairy farms, regardless of size. The Seminar set the scene for the 2016 event on 1-2 June which will include talks from world renowned behavioural expert Temple Grandin.

Ways in which farmers could cope with market volatility was a hot topic for discussion this year, with economics experts Dr Greg Bethard of Pagel’s Ponderosa and Dairy Dreams in Wisconsin, and Matt Lange from AgStar Financial Services drawing on their experience in the USA to offer advice.

Dr Bethard said all dairy businesses should be treated as a commodity manufacturing business. “You need to produce as much as you can at as low cost per litre. That will mean you can compete and stay successful for longer,” he explained.

Due to the cyclical nature of global milk markets, he said the key was to maximise margins during good times to carry businesses through the bad. To do so, farmer should pay particular attention to feed cost and replacement cost per litre.

“You should also be operating lean management at all times…but it’s important not to cut costs in any area that influences income over feed, fresh cows or forage quality. That means you’ll be ready to rock and roll when milk price picks up,” he said.

Mr Lange also emphasised the importance of getting the most out of everything spent and thinking about margin: “It’s not about price and cost, it’s about margin management,” he said.

Wisconsin vet, Dr Michael Wolf said with low milk price it was important to make investments that gave good return, and believed reducing heat stress by using power ventilation was one area that would yield good response in the UK. As part of a workshop, farmer Austin Knowles explained how installing fans for his 430 cow herd had resulted in improved fertility and yields during the summer.

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Dr Chris Chase from South Dakota State University, also emphasised the importance of avoiding heat stress as part of a series of presentations on vaccination. He explained how any stressor such as heat, dehydration and transportation could compromise how the body launched an immune response and reduce the effectiveness of a vaccine.

Dr Michael Wolf, Wisconsin vet


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The need for a stress free transition period in creating a healthy, productive cow was also a focus for Dr Jim Drackley, University of Illinois. He said any stressor would reduce feed intakes, potentially leading to health problems. Professor Jo Leroy, from the University of Antwerp, said stress, such as reduced lying times could massively impact on reproductive function. “We only reproduce when we’re in a positive state of energy and a positive mental state and it’s the same with cows,” he said.

Professor Jon Huxley from Nottingham Vet School explained that managing body condition loss to peak yield could be one of the main control mechanisms for preventing claw horn lesions. Results from UK trials

found cows that were thin at calving were more likely to become lame due to loss of fat in a digital cushion in the foot which acted as a type of shock absorber.

With more milk contracts placing emphasis on constituents, AHDB Dairy Extension Officer, Andrew Dodd advised selecting bulls for milk fat and protein percentage, not just kilos, to avoid diluting milk. The AHDB Dairy Herd Genetic Report tool could also be used to select cows with low fat and protein percentages to be sold on.

As part of a workshop debating foot trimming technique, three trimmers explained differences between the traditional, Dutch 5 Step method and new Dairyland approach. Discussions focused on the fact both methods were looking to achieve a functional, healthy foot. The main difference was the Dairyland approach ‘modelled out’ more of the sole.

Delegates were also given a ‘virtual farm tour’ round a French zero grazing system and a Northern Irish grass based system as part of a ‘Farm Walks’ workshop. In it, producer Robert Bryson said it was thanks to grazing management, computerised feeding and selecting bulls for PLI that he was able to achieve yields of 9,500 litres on a grass focused system.

Dr Chris Chase from South Dakota State University

Dr Jim Drackley, University of Illinois

>> Next year’s TotalDairy Seminar takes place on 1-2 June 2016. Register your interest by emailing [email protected], visit www.totaldairy.com and follow us on Twitter @TotalDairy

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• Compounds

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• Heat detection

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• Footbath solutions and footcare products

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• Pipeline cleaning

• Bulk tank cleaning

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COW COMFORT PRODUCTS

• Cubicles, mattresses and sand bed systems

• Bedding material

• Fans and humidifiers

• Lighting design and installation

• Rubber mats for cow passages

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SERVICES• NMS on farm evaluation and report

• Herd ketosis screening

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• Heat detection

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Images are for illustration purposes only.

To discuss any of the articles or for more information about any of the products listed in this edition of the Dairy Newsletter, contact your local Wynnstay Representative or local Wynnstay store.

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Wynnstay Dairy Newsletter - Autumn 2015

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