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Dairy Management Notes

Soil Test Now

With the price of fertiliser predicted to rise possibly by as much as 20% and the proposed Nitrates Action Plan limiting the future availability of phosphate fertilisers, now is the time to carry out soil analysis to see where savings can be made.
Have you built up excess reserves of phosphate and/or potash in any fields? Continual use of compound fertiliser on grazing ground over the past number of years and/or regular applications of slurry to easily accessible ground may have created this situation on large areas of your farm. If so there will be considerable scope to reduce costs by making use of both on-farm nutrients and straight nitrogen fertilisers.

Maintaining Herd Health

Poor weather in mid/late May 2005 meant that the majority of farmers had to delay taking the first cut of silage. A potential consequence on farms where stock do not have access to TMR or out-of-parlour feeders is the increased risk of laminitis with higher levels of concentrate than normal having to be fed through the parlour.
Eating high levels (5kgs +) of meal in a short period of time can lead to acidosis – the build up of excess acid in the cows rumen which can give rise to laminitis. This problem may only become evident with cows becoming lame 8 weeks after calving.
The following action plan will minimise the risk of laminitis:
  • Control cow condition aiming to calve down at condition score 3.0. Overfat cows are at greater risk
  • Provide at least 40% forage in the diet on a dry matter basis
  • Offer some long forage (hay or straw) to encourage cudding
  • Avoid feeding more than 4 kgs of high starch concentrates in any one feed.
  • Introduce a mid-day feed
  • Feed a quality ration containing a high digestible fibre content comprised of sugar beet pulp, citrus pulp and soya hulls
  • Ensure the overall crude protein content of the diet does not exceed 18%
  • Avoid sudden diet changes. Increase meal feeding levels gradually for fresh calvers
  • Use a zinc based footbath regularly to harden hooves
  • Including a buffering agent such as Aldicarb in the concentrate can help reduce rumen acidity.
Maximising feed intakes as early as possible in early lactation minimises loss in body condition, thus enhancing milk yield, milk composition and herd health. Ensure that cows calve down at condition score 3.0, have adequate feeding space (450 mm per cow in an easy feed system) and continual access to fresh feed.
Many farmers include a second forage such as maize silage or wholecrop cereal silage in the winter diet in an effort to increase feed intake. While the inclusion of such feeds can increase intakes, it is important to ensure that the concentrate fed has been balanced to take account of the lower crude protein content of these forages.
Monitor feed intake on a regular basis to ensure that planned winter feeding targets are being met. In the absence of a weighbridge, the weight of silage used can be measured by measuring the volumes of silage blocks taken from the silo. These measurements in combination with silage density figures can then be used to determine the amount of silage eaten by the herd.
The intake figures, along with your silage analysis reports can then be used to calculate an energy balance for the herd to determine if cows are being adequately fed. Your local DARD Development Adviser can assist you in developing an energy balance for your herd.

Herd fertility

Using an effective recording system and effective heat detection are essential parts of a successful programme for maintaining herd fertility. All recording systems should identify cow number, calving date, all heats and services. There should be space for additional comments such as calving difficulty, health problems and pregnancy diagnosis. By doing this it is possible to produce action lists for the herd e.g. identifying cows due on heat, due to repeat or problem cows requiring veterinary attention.
The efficiency of heat detection can be improved by:
  • Carrying out heat detection at least twice a day for at least 30 minutes each time
  • Being able to clearly identify cows – freeze brand stock
  • Using an effective recording system
  • Maximising total feed intakes to minimise loss of body condition
  • Watching out for secondary signs of heat before during and after standing heat such as head mounting and chin resting, restlessness and reduced appetite and milk yield.
The Dairy Herd Fertility Challenge examines aspects of herd fertility management such as heat detection with groups across the country. Contact your local Dairying Development Adviser to find where your nearest group is located.