South West Scotland Dairy Monitor Farm Willie Fleming Hillhead Kirkpatrick-Fleming Lockerbie, DG11 3NQ Tel: 01461800247 Meeting report Tuesday 9 October 2010 Heather Wildman - DairyCo facilitator Mobile: 07876706391 E-Mail: heather.wildman@dairyco.ahdb.org.uk Useful Contacts Sophie Kinnear- DairyCo facilitator Mobile: 07717500877 E-Mail: sophie.kinnear@dairyco.ahdb.org.uk Peter Beattie Technical Projects Manager QMS Mobile: 07788927520 E-Mail: pbeattie@qmscotland.co.uk QMS Monitor Farm website: www.qmscotland.co.uk/monitorfarms
Meeting report: Mobility- how much is it costing you? Attended: 44 community group members to the 4 th Monitor Farm meeting held at Hillhead, on Tuesday 9 October 2010. Speakers: Jo Speed, DairyCo extension officer James Edgar, foot trimmer (Cat 1) Meeting Structure: 1 Review of Activity at Hillhead 2 Maize update from Bob Kendal (Alltec) 3 Mobility scoring: how to do it and why it is cost effective 4 Foot trimming: best practice 5 - Housing design and the impact on lameness Meeting objectives: The main objective for this meeting was to evaluate where, through management, the Fleming family could improve farm profitability. The meeting content was to discuss how you can improve the longevity of your herd by improving foot management. Another hot topic was the impact of the new unit at Hillhead, changes expected from the move and the associated effects on foot health.
1. Review of activity at Hillhead since previous meeting in August, including a look at the progress of the new unit; and measures taken to track the changes between the current system and the new unit. Teat scoring With the completion of the new parlour and dairy building, the Flemings wait in anticipation to milk the cows through the new set up scheduled for Wednesday 10 November. Prior to this happening some of the herd (133 cows in total) was teat condition scored by Kate Haig from Biobest. Cows 7 days post partum and a few randomly missed were not teat condition scored. The results shown below Table 1, gives an overview of the teat condition of the cows scored. Cows were scored in 4 categories of teat end hyperkeratosis (DairyCo Mastitis Control Plan, 2010) and scored according to the category their worst teat entered. Score (DMCP 2010) N S R VR Number of cows 58 49 22 4 Percentage of cows in category (%) 44 37 17 3 Table 1: finding from teat condition scoring, Hillhead 23 September 2010. Overall condition of the teat skin has been found to be good, however showing signs of cracking or discolouration and some of the teats scored had warty growths present. 44% had no callosity ring present at the teat end (score N) 37% has a smooth or slightly rough callosity ring at the teat end (score S) 17% had hyperkeratosis of the teat epidermis and eversion of the teat end (score R) 3% had hyperkeratosis of the epidermis and were experiencing severe teat end eversion (score VR) Other activity- Herd Health The herd was vaccinated for infectious bovine rhinotrachotitis (IBR) in May, through discussion the community group recommended 6 monthly boosters.
The Fleming s will also be carrying out metabolic profiling, taking blood samples 4 weeks after the move to the new building and annually thereafter. After testing for Johnes, one cow came back with a positive titre; the herd had been tested for tuberculosis (TB) prior to the Johnes testing and with this in mind the vet is not unduly concerned however the cow will be re-tested later in the year. Herd fertility Target calving index of 400 days by September 2011, to aid in this progress a new aid to heat detection has been invested in; the pedometers will work within the new parlour and building to feedback movement information to help make breeding decisions. On 27 October 2009 the calving index was at 430 days; a year forward on 14 October 2010 the calving index is 420 days. Body condition scoring will be undertaken by Robbie Duncan (nutritionist) at calving, drying off and 6 weeks post calving; this will be done 3 times annually in groups of 6. The main aim of this is to maintain a stable condition throughout lactation and the dry period to minimize the adverse effects of entering negative energy balance. Current dry cow accommodation is not ideal, with the move to the new building it is hoped to provide sufficient housing for the dry cows, giving plenty of feed space, cubicles per cows and adequate ventilation. It is hoped this will reduce pervious issues with hierarchy bullying and subsequent restricted feeding for the vulnerable cows in the herd; also having a positive impact on current issues faced such as hypocalcaemia (milk fever) and retained cleansings. Group discussion: Question: What style of dry cow management works best, should Robert & Willie be doing anything different, de-carb or keep it simple? Answer: No definite answer, but group agreed that the dry cows current diet should remain as it is, therefore any changes seen can be associated with the move to the new unit and not have more than pone variable changing at onetime, this will also aid in an easier transition for the cows.
Young stock Aims for the calves include: Increase the number of live new born calves Target weight of 350kg at 15months old (monitor growth by measuring height, measured markings at the handling facilities) Heifers calved down at 28/30 months of age. The heifer calving down age is now 23/24 months old; by reducing the age of calving the Fleming s have experienced less calving difficulties, mainly due to heifers carrying less weight; also selecting semen with easy calving merits. They have made a conscious decision not to use sexed semen on the heifers; they feel the selection of genetic merit bulls currently available through sexed semen, does not fit their breeding goals. There was a significant increase in grass utilization this summer, thought to be a direct benefit of keeping the cows in this summer. Willie admitted that grass management while at grazing was not one of his strengths, but he has found his silage yields and quality have improved.
2. Update on the two different maize plots and their progress from Bob Kendall of Alltech. The difference in the weight of the two types of cob, one treated with maize max and one not treated was an average of +25g on treated cob. Willy sowed 40,000 seeds per acre. 90% is a usual figure for germination rate, therefore 36,000 x 25g = 900kg extra cob per acre 900kg cob is around 750kg grain Maize max costs 9 per acre so equivalent of buying maize grain for 12 per tonne Maize grain is around 150 per tonne to buy (Robbie Duncan) This was all on the crop without plastic. Maize max is a natural growth stimulant used in place of plastic in Denmark Plastic is around 100 per acre
3. Mobility Scoring, technical input from Jo Speed (DairyCo) on the discussion of mobility scoring, how to do it and the benefits of doing so. Lameness costs farmers an average of 180 per case through lost milk sales, treatments and reduced productivity A quarter of the British dairy herd is lame at any one time; to help stem this drain on the industry, DairyCo recently held a mobility event in Cornwall, armed with fresh thinking on this common problem. "Lameness is a big issue, but with a few simple steps producers can dramatically reduce its incidence on their farms," says Jo Speed "We wanted to introduce farmers to a new way of mobility scoring, and show them what could be achieved by looking at their cows from a slightly different perspective." Last year DairyCo launched a ground-breaking new mobility scoring system, to make it easier for farmers to record individual cow lameness. Working on a scale of 0 to 3, with 0 being completely sound and 3 being very lame, farmers should assess their cows once a month. Watching cows walk for at least six strides, producers should be able to spot any uneven weight bearing, arched backs, hock or foot lesions and reluctance to move freely - all signs of various stages of lameness. "Standing and watching your herd enables you to recognise lame cows at a much more subtle level - then you can identify and treat them appropriately. Initially, most farmers are shocked at the level of lameness on their farms, but by monitoring cows regularly, they can recognise seasonal patterns and trace recovery times after treatment."
Foot health Routine foot trimming should be done at minimum twice a year around the time of dry off and mid lactation around 120-130 days. Heifer s feet should also be inspected and trimmed if necessary. It is worthwhile if you are trimming any of your own cow s feet or require staff training to attend and re train on a foot trimming course, it is a useful refresher and a reminder of best practice Cows should be foot bathed regularly to keep infections at bay. Digital dermatitis will only respond to regular foot bathing, in most cases 3 or 4 times a week. Formalin is the cheapest disinfectant, followed by copper sulphate, then zinc sulphate Formalin 3-5% target- cheap and generally effective, but carcinogenic to humans so should be handled and managed with caution! Copper Sulphate 10%- easy to use and strengthens hooves Zinc sulphate 10%- easy to use, strengthen hooves, non toxic to handle Make sure you are using the correct concentration of chemical in your foot bath- too much can burn and too little is a waste of money and ineffective. Appendix 1 shows tables taken from DairyCo Effective foot bathing booklet; they show the calculation for amount of concentrated chemicals required and foot bath capacities.
Hillhead mobility scores from 2009 end 2010. Year Score (0-3) Percentage of herd (%) 2009 0-1 73 2 24 3 3 Summer 2010 0-1 75 2 22 3 3 Winter 2010 0-1 81 2 18 3 1
4. Foot trimming Demonstration of best practice using the Dutch 5 step method - Free demonstration DVD's are available on request 5. Housing design and its impact on lameness observing cow behaviour to identify problem areas in their surroundings or routine - was also a useful tool against lameness. There are different types and causes of lameness, and by observing cow behaviour there are things that farmers can do very easily and cheaply that can make a big difference." You have got to go and look at what your cows are telling you, as every herd and unit is different. Lameness can be split into four main areas - hoof quality; infections; hoof pressure; and prompt and effective treatment. By identifying the cause of lameness, farmers can then take swift action to remedy it. Hoof quality: Careful breeding for better feet is one aspect to improving hoof quality, but regular foot trimming and bathing in formalin are also effective, more immediate options. Infections: Infections such as digital dermatitis are generally caused by cows standing in slurry or dirty, wet areas. Producers should therefore aim to keep passages and yards cleaner where infections are a concern. Hoof pressure: Problems with sole ulcers are a clear indicator that cows are spending too much time standing up. Farmers should act to reduce waiting time in collecting yards, and consider how to improve cubicles to encourage the cows to lie down more. Prompt and effective treatment: Many cows spend much of their time suffering with mild lameness, which not only affects their welfare but also their productivity. By recognising lame cows, identifying the causes and treating them effectively, producers can minimise cow lameness and potentially reduce culling rates. The Group looked at the old cattle housing and were encouraged to assess the cattle behaviour and unit with a detached viewpoint. "It's all about taking a step back and looking at things with a fresh pair of eyes."
Common areas of improvement included ensuring surfaces throughout collecting yards, walkways and at the feed face were secure, non-slip, and clean. Easy flowing walkways, good ventilation, and light and airy sheds with comfortable cubicles were also important requirements. "Older building designs in particular tend to be quite enclosed and dark - just removing some weather-boarding or adjusting lunge bars is very cheap and easy, and can make a huge difference to cow health."
Willies conclusion Willie has always worked hard to routinely manage his foot trimming and his herd's foot health but he hopes that the move to the new shed tomorrow, with the increased cow comfort and welfare in the new building that this will have an increased positive effect on their existing foot health. It is hoped that with adequate light, comfortable cubicle housing and hopefully reduced milking time and the new pedometers that heat detection will improve. However as with any big changes there will be hurdles to face before the true benefits of the new unit are achieved.
Appendix 1