promarstandardNovember 2012

Helping to meetthe challenges

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Will you makebetter qualityforage in 2013?

Variable silagepresents feedingchallenges

Identify high cellcount cows toraise milk price

No maize, no soya,better performance

What can we learnfrom the 2012grazing season?7

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The 2012 summer has left manydairy farmers facing a legacy oftechnical challenges for thecoming winter which will haveto be addressed.

Forage stocks and silage qualitywill make cost-effective dietformulation more difficult, aproblem exacerbated by globalconditions which have causedcereal and soya prices to rise andbecome increasingly volatile.Whilst you may not be able tocompletely negate the impact ofthese, there are number of waysyou can minimize the impact. This is an issue we look at in thisPromar Standard. To help furtherwe are offering a free silagesample and ration review.

Whilst technical excellence is thebackbone of every business, youcan’t forget the financialimplications. This winter you mayhave to take some decisions,perhaps to reduce the impact of a further wet season on grazingperformance or to ensure moreconsistent supplies of qualityforage. Or you may want to investto reduce the cost of mastitis toyour business.

Whatever the decision to bemade, you need to fullyunderstand your cost structures to allow accurate budgeting. Our free business review can make sure your decisions arebeing made on a soundfoundation.

In many cases making plans tomove the business forward is theeasy part, making it happen is thedifficult bit. Our Dairy ExcellenceProgramme can help you toimplement these plans andachieve your business goals byworking very closely with you and your staff.

Our consultants are well-placed towork with you to move yourbusiness forward. To find outabout our Dairy ExcellenceProgramme, or to book a freebusiness review or silage analysisand ration review, call us on01270 616800.

Sandra CallwoodManaging Director

Helping to meet the challenges

Ho! Ho! What would you like for Christmas, Mr Farmer?

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The weather has justifiably takenmuch of the blame for variableand often poor quality forage thisyear. But it would be wrong toplace all the blame on theweather. While we can’t predictand manage the weather, there isplenty that can be done tomanage the other factors that cancompromise silage quality. In particular, steps can be takennow to help ensure a fast andeffective fermentation next year.

Plan fertiliser applicationscarefullyAvoid using excess nitrogen as thiswill increase the time taken for thepH to drop and can result in lowpalatability silage. Take full accountof the N,P and K content of manureand slurry to reduce fertiliser costsand to prevent applying too manynutrients. Reduce nitrogenapplications if we have a dry winteras the residual nitrogen available inthe soil will be higher.

Keep soil and slurry outSoil and slurry contamination lead tohigher levels of the bacteria thatspoil silage. Many fields have beenbadly damaged this year so get themrolled early to reducing ruts andpoaching damage. Get the mowerset up to leave at least three inchesof stubble to help reducecontamination. This also stimulatesfaster re-growth.

Clean the clamp out properlyWinemakers don’t make wine indirty barrels because they want aneffective fermentation, yet fewclamps are properly cleaned out.Old material and the residue of lastyear’s crop can harbour bacteriawhich will spoil a new fermentation.Take the time to make sure theclamp walls and floors are cleanbefore you start refilling.

Don’t skimp on sheetingThe clamp needs to be airtight. An investment in new sheeting forthe walls and sides will be a smallprice to pay compared to the risk ofhigher wastage levels if air gets intothe clamp. Start shopping around nowand you should get a good deal.

Use an inoculantThe faster the pH in the clampdrops, the more stable, palatableand nutritious the silage will be. A reputable silage inoculantsupplying sufficient bacteria able toutilise all the available sugars willensure an effective fermentation. It is just not worth risking a winter’sfeed by economising on inoculant.

Ensure all machinery is up to the jobIf you use your own machinery getthe mower serviced and make surethe forage is set to the correct choplength. If you use a contractor, makesure he knows exactly what youwant – you are the customer!

Plan silage makingWhat can you do to ensure the cropis always tipped onto a clean area toreduce contamination? How willyou organise the team to get theclamp prepared, filled and rolledeffectively?

Time spent planning for next springwill be time well spent. Achieving anextra two litres per cow per dayfrom forage will be worth £17,000for a 150 cow herd over a 200 daywinter and you can influence this byfocussing on the area of silagemaking that are within your control.

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Will you make betterquality forage in 2013? The one thing you can’t control with silage making is the weather, but you can takesteps to improve all other factors involved in making a quality feed. Promar PrincipalConsultant Emma Thompson suggests it’s time to start planning for 2013.

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Initial results show a hugevariation in silage quality andthere will be considerablevariation within the clamp aswell. Yet many farmers rely ona single sample representingjust one millionth of the foragein the average clamp as thebasis for an entire winter’srationing. This year, more thanever it will be important to getclamps tested regularly so youhave a better idea of the silageactually being fed.

The variability is a direct consequenceof the wide range in cutting daysand crop maturity while harvestconditions has caused big variationsin dry matter content. Many farmershave clamps made up of severalattempts to gather first cuts.

Big range in dry matterThe range in dry matter is a bigcause for concern as this will affectrumen fermentation and dry matterintakes. While average grass silagesare around 31%DM, the wettestsilages are closer to 20%. Lowerprotein and energy contents insome samples will also impact onhow well the diet is used.

Diets will need careful balancing thisyear and this will mean regular re-assessment of the diet to takeaccount of actual silage quality asover or under-estimating silage

quality will hit margins. With dairycompounds costing around £250per tonne you don’t want to befeeding any more than is necessary.

Equally if silage quality drops thenextra supplementation will berequired to ensure cows continue tomilk and get back in calf.

It will be important to take steps tomaximise dry matter intakes,especially as poorer quality silagescan suppress appetite. Ensure cowshave plenty of access to feed as theywill typically spend five hours a dayeating, consuming 10-15 individualmeals in that time.

Make it easy to eatAim for a minimum of 60cm percow of trough space to maximiseintakes. You want them to be ableto eat quickly and then lie downand ruminate. Make sure feed ispushed up regularly too. Give thecows access to the feed trough foras much of the day as possible –don’t shut them away from feed.

If feeding a TMR the target drymatter should be 40-45%. Wherewet forages are fed it may benecessary to mix with drier feeds.With very dry silages, moist feedsand molasses may have a role toplay. Where forages vary greatly inquality, try to feed a mixture of bothto avoid a big change in diet whenthe better forage runs out.

Regular analysisFine tuning of diets based onregular silage analysis to make thebest use of available forages will bethe key to maintaining margins thiswinter. But remember to monitorstocks carefully. Measure the clampsregularly so you know exactly howmuch is being used.

Variable silage presentsfeeding challenges

Regular silage analysis will be key to making the best of forages thiswinter according to Promar Consultant Jack White.

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Looking at the top band paymentfor six of the larger milk buyers, thecell count payment averages out at0.65ppl. That is £48.75 per cowgiving 7,500 litres, or £7,312 for a 150cow herd. This is money that everyfarm should be focussed on achieving,but many are still missing out.

The biggest single action every dairyfarmer can take to reduce bulk tankcell counts is to identify the high cellcount cows which are an endemicproblem in all herds. They are theroot cause of high bulk cell counts,but once identified you can takeaction to reduce the impact they arehaving on milk prices and herdhealth. Furthermore a cow with a cellcount in excess of 250,000 cells/mlwill have at least a 5% reduction inyield resulting from udder damage -this equates to 375 litres per annumfor a 7,500 litre cow. The trick is toidentify them quickly.

Regular testingResearch shows that weekly testing isthe most effective way to tackle bulktank cell count problems and allowaction to be taken. To provide aneffective monitor 90% of cows needto be monitored 2-3 times weekly andat least 99% monitored once a week,which means you need an automatedapproach which fits seamlesslyalongside your milking routine.

The Promar Cellsense is anautomated test based on theCalifornia Mastitis Test which deliversthis level of monitoring. It can befitted to any configuration ofmilking parlour and allows speedyassessment of individual cow cellcounts. If the unit is fitted on everythird cluster, on average, each cowwill be tested every other day. Proven accuracyThe system has been extensivelytrialled in both the UK and NZ, andboth reliability and accuracy areexcellent with results showing a 92% accuracy compared tolaboratory testing, which is twice asaccurate as other types of system onthe market.Results are displayed in a simple, easyto understand traffic light system soproblem cows stick out like a sorethumb. On farms using the systemin the UK the average fall in bulktank cell count has been over 30%.Big impactGloucestershire dairy farmer PeterKirby runs a herd of 140 cows,milked through a 12:24 parlour withmilk sold to Arla. Cell counts hadalways been an issue as cows arehoused in straw yards. Sinceinstalling Cellsense last winter bulktank cell counts have reduced from260,000 to 155,000 cells/ml.

Pays for itselfThe system will pay for itself veryquickly. On average the breakeven iswhen bulk cell count drops by 10,000cells or when eleven clinical cases havebeen prevented. But what price canyou put on the peace of mind whichcomes from knowing your problemcows have been identified early?

For more information call 01270 616800

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Identify high cell countcows to raise milk price

HIGH CELL COUNT

Milk pricing schemes are coming down hard on poor hygiene quality whilethe bonuses make up a significant proportion of milk price. Richard Hooson,Promar Milking Systems Business Manager argues that the key tomaximising hygiene income is cracking down on high cell count cows.

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Three years ago David Murrell whoruns a herd of 180 Holsteins atThistlebrook Farm Ltd, near Aylesburytook the decision to stop growingmaize. Twelve months ago hedecided to stop feeding soya and heis very pleased with both decisions.

David had been growing 60-100acres of maize for silage which wasfed with grass silage in a TMR.However yields were variable due tothe heavy, cold land. Cultivations weredifficult with a lot of compaction andestablishing subsequent crops was areal challenge. In 2009 he could tellthe maize yield was going to bedisappointing and leave him shortof forage so he made 25 acres ofwholecrop wheat.

Seeing how well the cowsresponded to the wholecrop he tookthe decision to replace the entiremaize acreage with wholecrop wheat.Moving to wholecrop has hadnumerous benefits for the business.

Consistent forageIt has reduced problems with soilcompaction, and planting offollowing crops including grassreseeds and winter rape is mucheasier with superior cropestablishment. The crop has beenmore consistent, averaging 12-13t/acre at around 42%DM, compared tomaize which struggled to produce15t/acre at 30%DM. The cost pertonne of dry matter is very similar.

David can also adjust harvestingdate based on the quality of firstcut grass to ensure a better mix offorages in the TMR.

If grass silage is a bit wet he willdelay wholecrop harvesting toensure a higher dry matter forage isproduced. Leaving the cropstanding for an extra week willincrease forage dry matter contentby around 5%. The wholecrop hasproduced a drier, more open TMRwith better fibre levels which hashelped rumen health.

Rocketing pricesThe winter diet was working wellbased on wholecrop, grass silage,rolled wheat, rape and soya withcake in the parlour but when soyaprices started to rocket last year wedecide to look at alternatives. The diet was reformulated toreplace the soya with maize distillersand rapeseed meal. Soypass(0.5kg/cow) was included to supplyrumen bypass protein.

The original home mixed blend withsoya, wheat and rape was costing£181/t last winter. Moving to maizedistillers, rape and wheat reducedthe cost per tonne by £38/t.

Using the original soya blend wascosting £1.18/cow/day in theoutside mix. By using the no soyablend and then adding 0.5kg ofprotected soya the cost reduced to£1.08/cow/day - a saving of 10p/cow/day. This gave a total saving in feed costs of £465 per month.

In addition, between November2011 and March 2012 the cowsproduced an extra 1.45 litres/daycompared to the same time theprevious year - an extra 230 litres perday worth £66/day or £2,032/month.Milk quality has remained high.

Insulate from volatilityBy buying forward, David has secureda good price for rape meal thiswinter and the business is insulatedfrom the volatile soya market. He hasno plans to move back to feedingsoya. Wholecrop cereals haveensured he has a reliable source ofquality forage and together thechanges have lead to increasedperformance and higher margins.

No maize, no soya,better performance

One Buckinghamshire dairy farmer has bucked the trend, movingaway from maize silage and soya. As Promar Senior ConsultantCaroline Groves explains, the results have been significant.

Milkminder results – August 2012

Cows in herd 182

Yield per cow (L) 8,446 litres

Butterfat 4.16%

Protein 3.29%

Yield from forage per cow 4,433 litres

% of production from forage 52%

Feed rate per litre 0.25kg/l

Purchased feed cost per litre 5.32p

MOPF per cow £1,941

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In what turned out to be thewettest summer for 100years, grazing cows becamea real battle with some fieldsresembling the Somme attimes. Yet some farmerswere able to make more of a success or grazing. So what were the secrets of their success?

Secret 1 Get theinfrastructure right?Those farmers with a good networkof tracks, with correctly sizedpaddocks and two gateways perpaddock were able to control theextent of poaching and swarddamage. In a well-designed systemeach gateway will only be used onceevery 21 days which greatly reducesdamage. There is still time to improveinfrastructure before next season.

Secret 2Go by conditions, not bythe calendarIn many cases initial grazingconditions were good and successfulgrazers got cows out early to get ontop of the grass and develop a goodwedge. When the wet weather set inthey took the cows back in again tolimit sward damage. When theywent out again it was onto goodquality grazing. Farmers whodelayed turnout and then took cowsin again were faced with moremature grass with increased rejectionrates and were playing catch up forthe rest of the summer. If theconditions are good and the grass isthere, don’t be afraid to turn out early.

Secret 3Restrict access tomaintain qualityCows don’t need to go out all day.When conditions are bad, turn cowsout for a short sharp grazing spell.If cows are turned out hungry theywill go straight out and graze andconsume all they need in a couple ofhours. Then they can come back in.The shorter time they are out theless damage they will do.

Secret 4Graze the cows that canuse the grassThe factor that varies most duringthe season is dry matter. In wetconditions grass dry matter will dropquickly. Furthermore the grass willhave a lot of surface water. This isnot the feed for higher yielders whoneed to maintain a high total drymatter intake. In poor conditionsand when faced with wet, low drymatter grass, only turn out the lowyielders. They can tolerate aproportion of this grazing in the diet.

Secret 5Don’t keep them too tightAs one of my customers whomanaged to graze every day fromlate March, despite the conditionssaid: ‘Don’t restrict grazing when itis really wet, otherwise they traipsethrough it, making everythingmuddy and poached andconsequently things go from bad toworse. Much better give them alarge area when it’s really wet andthen go back over it with a tighterpattern when it is dryer.’

It will pay to review grazingmanagement now in preparation fornext season. Fingers crossed it won’tbe as wet, but best to prepare nowfor such an eventuality so you canminimise the effect of a poor seasonon total production from grazedgrass.

What can we learn fromthe 2012 grazing season?Lancashire based Promar consultant Andy Walling considersthe lasting impressions of this year’s grazing season.

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omPublished by: Promar International, Alpha Building, London Road, Stapeley, Nantwich, Cheshire, CW5 7JW.

Tel 01270 616800 • Fax 01270 616704 • www.promar-international.com