A poor start to a calf’s life which impacts growth rates can significantly affect future performance in the herd. Wynnstay’s Account Manager for Biosecurity and Hardware, Richard Wild, says a key factor in poor growth rates, and subsequent milking and DLWG performance, is housing and ventilation.
It is estimated that 10% of UK farms already use robotic milking, but they also constitute 35% of all new milking systems being purchased. In Holland 40% of dairy farms are automated, with some Scandinavian countries as high as 50%. The number of cows milked in robots is expected to more than double in the next 5 years.
It is the aim of every farmer to get uninterrupted growth in their animals, but as turnout approaches there is one factor that can stop cattle from achieving their growth rate targets – PARASITES!
For cost-effective weed control in root crops the emphasis must be placed on pre-emergence application of herbicides. Every year we receive a large number of calls from concerned growers who have applied no herbicide at all and who are concerned that their root crop is disappearing under a sea of weeds. By this point, it is usually too late to save the crop!
Pica is an abnormal behaviour usually seen in grazing cows, where they lick, chew, or eat inedible materials. This can include licking soil and fence posts, eating stones, drinking urine etc., and while cows may look healthy there is the risk of them ingesting material that can damage their gut and could ultimately lead to death.
With spring turnout fast approaching, it is a crucial time to be thinking about dietary magnesium and making sure that the milkers’ ration is targeted to meet the cow’s production needs.
Putting the economics to one side, a dairy cow has a genetic potential to produce milk and they will try their best to achieve this whether we choose to feed them appropriately or not. We must meet a cow’s nutrient requirement and feed for genetic potential or risk a negative effect to health or milk production. The skill for a nutritionist during challenging periods of feed cost is to manage the purchased feed cost per litre to mitigate the impact, whilst not sacrificing health or yield. Easy!
80% of output and outcomes can be traced to 20% of inputs or activities (otherwise known as the Pareto principle). In dairy farming, a specific focus on inputs in the transition phase (the period three weeks pre- and post-calving) will lead to improved performance for the remaining 80% of the time.
Efficiency on UK livestock farms is at the forefront of many farmers minds as the future of support payments becomes uncertain and England and Wales drive for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
While efficiency encompasses all areas of farm management and production, there are some easy wins producers can make to help make your farm more efficient.
As a farmer, planning worm control prior to turnout is vital to prevent cattle from becoming infected at grass, which could lead to subsequent production losses. Asking the following questions can help you and your animal health care provider understand when to treat cattle and with what product:
