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WALFORD FARM NOTES It is now mid-May and all is on course for the official opening of the new dairy and buildings by the Minister of Agriculture in early July. The main open day is planned for 22nd September. The photographs (taken 2nd week May) make early July achievable and we’re all excited for cows being through the new system by mid-July. Cows are currently averaging 27 litres which is good considering the number of late lactation cows currently in the herd. The number of stale cows is a problem but the 100 day in-calf rate has substantially improved so fertility is definitely moving in the right direction. We put a lot of the improvements down to the transition diet which consists of chopped straw, grass silage, maize silage, dairy blend, bespoke pre-calver minerals, liver function supplement, urea, limestone and Biobind® (mycotoxin binder). We’ve only had 1 case of milk fever in the last 8 months and no LDA’s Current milkers diet is grass silage, maize silage, 10kg blend, 2kg QLF molasses, 0.5kg Galaxy fat, bespoke milking minerals with free choice red rock salt. Fresh calvers are easily reaching 45litres and cows are getting back in calf better. Late lactation cows and far off dry cows will shortly be going out onto a loafing paddock and have a couple of hours at the feed barrier. Looking forward to the new building, the robot and the out of parlour feeders will have the ability to feed two types of compounds, for example a protein and a starch based concentrate which will enable more accurate targeting of concentrates. We will also be using an Aggers pump to target high yielding cows with a fresh cow solution. Cows receive treatment for fluke at drying off and are wormed with Cydectin at 1 week pre-calving. Since the last edition, we have drilled 100 acres of maize, 20 acres of fodder beet are in and have emerged. We’ve got an option to take 75 acres for wholecrop also. Two new 1,000t silage clamps have also been built. Our focus for 2014 will be to increase milk from home grown feeds so let’s hope for some good weather for 1st cut silage, we all need it. Neil Ridgway Farm Manager, Walford College & North Shropshire College M: 07815 054337 8 www.wynnstay.co.uk
Got worms? Kill worms. More milk. Responsible use. Good call An unknown but possibly quite large number of dairy herds are believed to be missing out on a litre per cow per day, maybe more, due to sub-clinical gastrointestinal (GI) worm burdens, according to Zoetis vet Andrew Montgomery. To help farmers identify whether this applies to their herd, and simultaneously ensure responsible use of animal medication, a bulk milk test for antibodies to GI worms is being made available free of charge to Wynnstay Group Plc customers. Please ask your local Animal Health advisor. 68% of herds with worm antibody levels have “probable sub-clinical effects on health and production” According to the Control of Worms Sustainably manual, the bulk milk test “has a reported good repeatability and results suggest that the ELISA [the test] can be used to assess whether GI-nematode infections are potentially affecting milk yield in a herd.” 1 However, it also suggests this potential is probably under-exploited as yet, saying that “monitoring worm infections in adult cattle by this means has not been routinely adopted yet.” To help farmers evaluate the likely impact in their own herds, the animal health company Zoetis (formerly Pfizer) has developed a laptop-based ready-reckoner, which Wynnstay Group Plc’s SQPs can use with their customers to translate bulk milk test results into predicted responses to worming. A pilot study on 449 milk samples last year found 68% of herds with worm antibody levels that would have “probable sub-clinical effects on health and production,” according to the test guidelines. The stomach worm Ostertagia ostertagi is the species identified most often in dairy cows 2,3 , and known to suppress appetite 4 , explains Mr Montgomery. “Numerous trials have found a yield response to worming treatment, typically in the region of 1kg/cow/day,” he says 5 . “At 25p/litre, this would be worth £76/cow over a 305-day lactation, or about £16,500/year in a typical 200-cow herd. Some trials have also identified improvements in reproductive performance although this remains to be proven absolutely.” 5 “Of course, all grazing cattle, youngstock and adults alike, are susceptible to infection by worms, although dairy cows rarely show clinical signs. In their absence, an intuitive but incorrect assumption would be than no harm is being done. It is true that adult cows infected with stomach worms but not showing signs are able to do so having developed natural immunity. Nevertheless, there are at least two important consequences that can make strategic worming a good investment. “The first is that worms reduce appetite, which clearly is critical to animal performance in early lactation, with a bearing therefore on optimum timing of treatment. The second and less obvious impact of worm infection is that mounting an immune response consumes energy that otherwise could be available for milk production.” To take maximum advantage of the increased feed intakes that can result from de-worming, Mr Montgomery suggests the optimum timing is during the late dry period. He recommends that treatment is integrated into the standard management routine pre-calving. With the critical issue of responsible medicine use in mind, he also emphasises the importance of doing the bulk milk test and consulting an SQP or vet before deciding whether treatment is required. The British Veterinary Association has produced an advisory poster encouraging vets to “think twice before prescribing anthelmintics.” It also states, “anthelmintics are a necessary option but their use must be judicious.” One dictionary defines judicious as “showing reason and good judgement in making decisions,” which Andrew Montgomery suggests is something that all dairy farmers are striving for, all of the time. Anthelmintic treatment before calving can help to reduce the energy gap by improving appetite and digestion Calving The Energy Gap Service Period Months after calving Milk Yield Appetite Bodyweight Calving 1. Prof MA Taylor, 2010. Sustainable worm control strategies for cattle: A technical manual for veterinary surgeons and advisors. Eblex/<strong>Dairy</strong>co. 2. Agneessens J et al (2000) Veterinary Parasitology 90, 83-92. 3. Borgsteede FHM et al (2000) Veterinary Parasitology 89, 287-296. 4. Forbes, AB et al (2004) Veterinary Parasitology 125, 353-364. 5. Charlier, J et al (2009) Veterinary Parasitology 164, 70-79. 6. British Veterinary Association, undated. Responsible use of anthelmintics in grazing animals. Poster downloaded 26/3/13 from http://www.bva.co.uk/public/documents/ BVA_Anthelmintics_poster.pdf. Instructions for taking up the free bulk milk test for Wynnstay Group Plc customers can be found at www.zoetis.co.uk/cydectintestkit. A FREEPHONE enquiry line is also available on 0800 112 3707 Wynnstay Group Plc <strong>Dairy</strong> Newsletter Summer 2013 9
Page 1 and 2: Dairy N e w s l e t t e r SUMMER 20
Page 3 and 4: An introduction to Transition 80/20
Page 5 and 6: SOYCHLOR - A NEW APPROACH TO REDUCI
Page 7: COOLING & FAN SYSTEMS 50” and 70
Page 11 and 12: Helping British Farmers To Benchmar
Page 13 and 14: MAXAMMON WHOLECROP A Rumen Friendly
Page 15 and 16: Keep an eye on milk quality at gras
Page 17 and 18: Transition cow housing that will im
Page 19 and 20: Renewable Energy GeoGen Technologie

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