Dairy Farming

In a year where forage shortages are a major concern, it is important to utilise every acre to maximise forage opportunities and minimise the reliance on costly bought in feed.

With proven benefits to cow health and welfare, herd productivity and farmer work-life-balance, robotic milking systems are increasing in popularity.

If you’re looking to make the transition, Wynnstay head of dairy services, David Howard, gives his four top tips for those considering introducing robots to their farm.

The transition period impacts cow health, fertility and production, therefore, effective and efficient management during this time is key. To do so, Wynnstay dairy specialist David Jones, recommends focussing on four F’s: feet, forage, feed and facilities.

Recent silage analysis from across the country has show variation in nutrient analysis, this may pose feeding challenges to farmers this Autumn and consideration needs to be given to balancing the ration to optimise rumen health and maintain performance

Minerals are necessary to sustain life but you might be surprised by how many cow and calf operations are mineral deficient, especially when it comes to copper and Selenium. Here is our guide to minerals and the roles they play in keeping your livestock healthy.

Energy demand for any dairy animal depends on their specific requirement for; maintenance, reproduction, milk production and body reserves. Whilst our mature cows are pregnant their energy demand is focussed on maintenance and foetal growth.

There are 13 species of Mycoplasma that can affect cattle, however, some are more aggressive to their host than others. The most significant in the UK appears to be Mycoplasma bovis.

The disease was only discovered in the 1960’s and first found in the UK in the 1970’s. It is thought to be involved in a third to a quarter of all pneumonia cases in Britain. Once in a herd, it is a disease that is notoriously difficult to diagnose and control let alone eradicate.

An increasing number of studies are suggesting we should be feeding our jersey cattle and smaller stature calves differently to holsteins and larger breeds. As crossbreeding within the dairy industry is becoming more popular, the number of smaller stature calves is increasing.

When it comes to producing good quality, nutritious silage small things can make a big difference. This is especially true of mistakes. A shortcut or a small oversight can ultimately result in silage that is unusable due to insufficient dry matter content or worse, silage that is dangerous to herd health because of mould growth and the likely presence of mycotoxins or Listeria.

Many farmers have come to accept some issues, particularly with mould, as inevitable and as a necessary evil. The reality is however, it's all too often caused by someone committing one of a number of silage "sins".

Managing the fly burden before an outbreak occurs will help you prevent potential production impacts. This will often mean managing the problem before fly numbers increase to a level where they can easily get out of control.