Dairy notes March 04
Temporary reallocation of milk quota (TRQ) due to herd
movement restriction
- For example, restrictions imposed due to an outbreak of TB or brucellosis,
- Successful applicants may not necessarily receive all the quota to which they may be eligible;
- There is only a limited amount of quota available nationally for reallocation for which there may be a large number of applicants;
- The reallocation is made as part of the levy calculation process carried out by RPA in June/July 2004;
- Temporary reallocation of milk quota does not increase the amount of quota held on 31 March 2004 as regards eligibility for the Dairy Premium;
- Those producers who were under movement restrictions in the 2003/04 quota year should receive a form from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in early March;
- This application should be completed and returned before the 30 April
2004.
HELPLINE
- The number to ring is 0800 085 7083 from 9.00am to 5.00pm hours, Monday to Friday;
- DARD will be holding a series of information roadshows and farmers will be able to receive more information on modulation and cross compliance;
- Dairy benchmarking will enable dairy farmers to calculate their costs of production and make the best decisions with regard to future management of the farm business.
Further information on dairy benchmarking can be obtained
from your local Greenmount Campus, Dairying Development Adviser.
IACS
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) recently wrote to all quota
holders informing them that in order to claim the Dairy Premium and any
Additional Payment which you may be entitled for 2004, you must submit an IACS
form by 17 May. If you have never completed an IACS return before, you should
contact Orchard House, 40 Foyle Street, Londonderry (Tel 028 7131 9900) to
request a form.
EARLY GRASS
The inclusion of grazed grass in the diet of the dairy cow in
early March will help to stimulate appetite and feed intake. This has been
demonstrated at Greenmount Campus where allowing cows access to grazed grass in
early spring increased both milk yield and protein content. These benefits are
more enhanced in the spring calving herd and where poor quality silage may have
been fed during the winter.
However the decision to turnout will depend on the amount of
grass available, ground conditions and the weather forecast.
Grass supply
It is important that an estimate is made of the current grass
supply available. At Greenmount Campus grass covers are estimated using a rising
platemeter and by visual assessment. Turnout some of the herd when average grass
covers reach 1900 – 2000 kgDM/hectare you are unsure of how to assess your own
grass covers, experience can be gained by joining a dairy development group or
by contacting your local dairy development adviser.
Plan to have the first grazing cycle finished by late April
when grass supply balances the herds grass demand.
Ideally paddocks should have adequate lane way access
preferably with multiple entries into each paddock. Care must be taken when
turning cows out in poor weather conditions. Remember that freshly calved cows
are at their highest risk of disease and metabolic problems and can easily
succumb to chills. At first, turn out for a short period once a day and for no
more than 3 - 4 hours at a time. This will allow intakes of 4 – 5 kgs of
drymatter
To maximize grass utilisation it is important that cows are
turned out with an appetite. This will mean keeping silage away from the cows
from 6 o’clock in the morning.
FEEDING CONCENTRATES TO GRAZING COWS
Even in ideal grazing situations, high yielding cows can
never obtain all the nutrients they require to support their potential milk
yield from grass alone. A shortfall between energy intake and nutrient
requirements can create health and fertility problems if cows obtain their extra
energy from excessive liveweight loss. For example, if a cow is to meet her
energy requirements for maintenance and produce 30kg of milk/day, and grass
supplied maintenance plus 25 litres then the cow will lose around 1kg liveweight
per day. Feeding concentrates offers a means to increase total nutrient intake
and support higher levels of milk production.
Protein level
The protein level of the concentrate part of the diet must be
reduced once cows are out grazing for longer periods. The high level of protein
in early grass will increase the overall percentage of protein in the diet. This
will lead to increased levels of blood urea nitrogen which can cause fertility
and dietary problems. Take this into consideration when ordering the next load
of dairy concentrate.
Mineral supplementation
When reducing concentrate feeding rates at grass it is
important to ensure that mineral inclusion levels are correct and that the
magnesium inclusion level will supply 60 grammes of calcium magnesite per cow
per day.
Digestible fibre
For those farmers who have maize silage or whole crop wheat
available at turnout this will complement early grass very well. The high dry
matter, starch and low protein of these forages helps improve total dry matter
intake and improves rumen function.
Grazing systems
Were you satisfied with your grazing system last summer? Was
it flexible enough to allow you to cope with periods of slower and faster grass
growth? Now is a good time to reappraise your grazing system and to make any
adjustments before turnout. Perhaps some of your fields need subdividing so that
it is easier to control grazing and grass does not become too stemmy for higher
levels of milk production.
Check the condition of roadways and tracks and make any
necessary repairs. Good roadways allow cows to walk faster to and from grazing
with less mud adhering to legs, udders etc. Not only should roadways/tracks have
a smooth, fine surface free of stones but they should also be long-lasting with
low maintenance. The most practical system is a central roadway with a network
of tracks leading off into fields/paddocks. It is important to avoid
bottle-necks in the system, particularly when entering and exiting housing from
milking, and to make gateways wider than roads/tracks leading from them.
Water troughs should be large enough to hold sufficient water
to met herd demand, particularly during hot weather. Troughs/drinkers should be
situated so that cows do not have to walk long distances and 10% of the herd
should be able to drink at any one time. Some producers use mobile drinkers,
which can be shifted to different grazing areas.
DARD Farm Management Notes for March 2004 have been prepared by Greenmount
Campus, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise - Tel: 028 9442 6771.
We acknowledge the contribution from Veterinary Service. For further information
contact your local Development Adviser.
