Dairy Farmer Digital Edition April 2012

DAIRY FARMERForward thinking for a profitable future April 2012

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Inside this issue…

Animal HealthPages 16-27

On farmPages 6-7

New productsPage 28

Milk pricesPage 30-31

Win CCTV cameraPage 3

**DF Apr Cover 26/3/12 09:49 Page 1

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CONTENTS

1DAIRY FARMER APRIL 2012

Vol 59 No 4 April 2012

News and commentNews review 2 Cowmen comment 4On farm 6Potter’s View 8 Breeding 10

Animal HealthHealthy calves 16Schmallenberg 20Rations at grass 22 Minimise change 24

RegularsMarketplace 28Milk prices 30Workshop tips 32Good Evans 36

NEXT MONTH

Forage harvestingspecial feature

In this issue…Reading the runes…

All good things come toan end, or so it seems.The empowering forceof rising commodityprices has worked

wonders in lifting the market, butit looks as if that particular driveris now pausing for breath.

With the spring flush about tohit us, the crucial question then iswhether producer prices willshadow this demise. Tesco hasalready gone for a 0.65ppl cutand there’s little doubt otherliquid processors would dearlylove to pitch in given their currentsqueezed margins.

But producers themselves areno strangers to squeezed marginsand in essence they don’t wanttheirs squeezed any more. MilkLink to its credit has made itslightly more difficult for buyersto do that in April, but the criticalbit is what about May onwards?

Currently processors are caughton the horns of a dilemma of

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Editor

needing the milk but not wantingto pay for it. Cut the price, assome would like, and almostcertainly next morning their milksupply manager would be busyopening resignation letters.

Suddenly the inherent industrypower struggle seems to havegot legs, and is no longer theone-sided affair we’d resignedlygrown accustomed to.

Reading the runes as to whoholds the trump cards is some-thing pointedly facing one groupof producers. Next month,Sainsbury’s 320 suppliers vote onwhether to adopt a ‘Cost ofProduction + Margin’ price orremain on a market related one.

With the milk price currentlyexceeding production costs andthe market being what it is rightnow, then accepting the offer issorely tempting.

The trouble is that after yearsof pasting farmers do not trustretailers and generally don’t like

COP models as it straitjacketsthem, especially on rising markets.

That’s why the forthcomingvote will be more a reflection ofproducers’ confidence in gettingthemselves fair returns in futureversus the need for a safety net incase the going gets really rough!

**DF April p1 Contents 23/3/12 11:54 Page 1

2 DAIRY FARMER APRIL 2012

NEWS

Raymond re-elected■ MANSEL Raymond has beenre-elected for a second termas NFU dairy board chairman.The new vice-chairman is RobHarrison, a former chair of theNext Generation Dairy Boardwho farms in partnership withhis wife in Gloucestershire.

New board members includeJeremy Burdett representingthe South-East, Ken Proctor forEast Anglia, and Mike Gortonfor the North-West.

Board members continuingin their roles are MichaelOakes, West Midlands; BrainDalby, East Midlands; andDavid Shaw, North-East.

In the next few weeks theNFU will be advertising for anadditional four to six boardmembers to complement theskills and expertise of theeight existing members.

Herd numbers■ THE UK’s dairy herd fell2.5% to 1.8 million during2011, with England’s herdshrinking by 3.7% to 1.1m.Scotland had a dairypopulation of 150,000 cows inmilk, down 1.3%; Wales had adairy cow population of220,000, down 1.8%; andNorthern Ireland one of280,000 cows, up 1%.

Top PLI■ NMR top Holstein herd forgenetic merit (up to Sep 2011)is T H Davis, Gloucestershire,with a PLI of 101, and insecond place is the Ludwellherd from Devon with a PLI of£98.

DairyCo levy■ The Agricultural andHorticultural DevelopmentBoard (AHDB) has announcedthe levy will remainunchanged for next year at0.06ppl.

NEWS IN BRIEF Prices hold despite weakening marketC

oncerns are growing asto whether the line canbe held to at leastmaintain current pricesgoing forward, amidst

a weakening in markets andTesco’s announcement to drop itsprice by 0.65ppl.

It is hoped the supermarket’sannouncement will not lead toreductions elsewhere, but it hasto be recognised it is based on aproduction cost model whichmay make it more vulnerable.

Setting the standard asregards holding the ground, MilkLink has declared it will not bechanging its milk price for April,and this will make it extremelydifficult for others to move theirprices downwards.

The latest Defra average milk

price is 28.84ppl, but the averagebreak-even cost of productionhas been put at 29.33ppl for the2012 milk year.

The NFU has also upped theante on buyers wanting to cutthe price. “Any dairy processorwho is looking to the farm gatemilk price to relieve the pressureshould be warned – farmersnow have options and will notaccept price cuts,” warnedMansel Raymond at a EuropeanCommission Dairy Advisorymeeting in Brussels.

PressureBut with two dairy businessesfailing in the last month or so thepressure is clearly on – especiallyon those who have done long-term deals on the hope cream

prices would stay high. On the contrary, cream prices

have come down to between£1.10-£1.15/kg as opposed tothe £1.25 and even £1.30 pricesbeing achieved just a fewweeks ago. On this basis the UKbutter price has dropped to£2550-£2600, compared to aprice of £3800 for last summer,and there is no obvious end insight to the decline, with milkvolumes building in the flush.

The latest Global Dairy Tradeauction saw an overall furtherfall of 4.5% across all commod-ities. After gains in the lastauction, AMF crashed nearly10% to $3284, SMP fell 2% to$3125 and WMP was down 2.6%to $3316. Cheddar dropped11.3% to $3114.

FIRST Milk members will have theirpay packets boosted in Aprilthanks to a dividend payment as aresult of ‘the margin made on anumber of business activities,including their (Eilers andWheelers) international contract,and efficiencies gained from

investment in the firm’smanufacturing sites and supplychain’. An average one million-litre producer will receive adividend of £900.

This comes on top of the returnson investment for the sameaverage one million litre producer

of £2700 over the last year and abit. First Milk has also stated it willallocate a proportion of the profitmade on the recent sale ofWiseman shares to membercapital accounts. It is currentlyinvestigating the most tax efficientway to do this.

Dairy Crest reviewsits branded spreads DAIRY Crest is making virtuallyno profit on its huge liquid milkdivision, but makes a healthyreturn on its profitable French StHubert spreads business. Thelogical business decision for thefuture would be to put the mostprofitable part of the businessup for sale.

Which is what the company isdoing as part of a strategicreview which will ‘evaluate allpossible options available toDairy Crest to maximiseshareholder value, including apotential divestment of thebusiness’.

St Hubert has been a success-ful part of the Dairy Crest group

and has consistently increasedits market share andprofitability. But the companystates it ‘has been unable tomake additional synergisticacquisitions in Europe andbelieves greater value may begenerated for shareholdersthrough the consideration of allavailable options for St Hubert’.

Selling the business wouldalso reduce its debt and‘provide it with a number ofalternatives which includereleasing some proceeds toshareholders, investing in itscore business, and makingstrategic acquisitions ofbranded businesses in the UK’.

DairyLink goalsARLA Foods and Asda celebratefive years of DairyLink Asda –the first major supermarket toestablish a dedicated group ofdairy farmers with the objectiveto ‘provide a sustainable supplychain to meet customer demandand ensure farmers received afair price for their milk’.

There are currently 250 Asda‘DairyLink’ farms in the UK whosupply milk solely to Asda, viaArla Foods. During the fiveyears the farmers have investedaround £60m in capitalexpenditure on farm, helping toimprove the health and welfareof animals and the environ-mental performance of thefarm itself, said Asda.

Ash Amirahmadi, milkprocurement director at Arla,said: “Asda considers cowhealth and welfare to beabsolutely vital, and activelydrives best practice among itsfarmers, increasing trust acrossthe supply chain. Everyoneinvolved in DairyLink iscommitted to this journey andwe will continue to workcollaboratively and proactivelyto achieve mutual benefit andgrowth.”

First Milk to pay dividend to members

**DF Apr p2 3 News 23/3/12 11:28 Page 1

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Scour survey 2012■ There are three Omnisightcalving box cameras to bewon in our latest animalhealth survey. Survey sponsors MSD AnimalHealth are seeking to discovermore about the on-farmapproach to calving and calffeeding, and to discover therole of treatment practicesand vaccination in an attemptto reduce today’s level ofscour problems. ■ To take part in the 2012Rotavec Corona NationalScour Survey – see the insertin this issue of Dairy Farmer orvisit www.farmersguardian.com/scour2012

WIN CCTV CAMERACheck outyour buyer W

ith commodityprices falling andprocessors unable todrop the milk pricein case producers

resign en-masse, there is anexpectation more dairy companieswill find themselves in financialdifficulties in the coming year.

Two have already gone bust thisyear – Farmright and Rock Dairies– leaving producers tens ofthousands of pounds out ofpocket. Concerns are mountingother companies will face similarfinancial difficulties too, trappedbetween the prices paid tofarmers, the drop in commodityprices and crash in spot milkvalues – now down to 23pplbefore the flush has really gotgoing.

DairyCo has provided a guide tothe strategies of nine (now eight)

companies in its latest ‘Guide toMilk Buyers’ – Arla, Caledonian,Dairy Crest, First Milk, Glanbia,Meadow Foods, Milk Link andMuller/Wiseman – but these arethe companies least likely to fail.

OpportunitiesAHDB analyst Patty Clayton says:“In the current market environ-ment of tight margins and risingcosts of production, producersneed to look at whether theirbuyers are able to move forwardand take advantage of theopportunities available in thedairy industry. While many haveimplemented strategies to dealwith change, it is important forproducers to consider whether thebusinesses they are supplying aremaking the most of the currentsituation and are investing for thefuture.”

Top rankingproduction

THE second National HerdsmansConference will take place on April23 (afternoon) and 24 at HarperAdams University College.

The conference is for anyoneworking on a dairy farm andfeatures practical vet-leddemonstrations on the first dayand lectures from experts on daytwo. Demonstrations include foottrimming, managing freshly calvedcows and medicine administrationwith talks on Johne’s disease,grassland management, once-a-

day versus four-times-a-daymilking and much more.

There is an all-inclusive fee of£95 + VAT, which includes singlebed and breakfast, gala dinner,lunch and refreshments, and adelegate pack. Well-known farmerand comedian Peter Slack willentertain delegates at the dinner.■ To book a place call the LKLoffice on 01722 323 546, [email protected], orvisit www.nationalherdsmansconference.com.

National herdsmans conference

TAKING top spot in the NMRannual Holstein productionrankings is Gerald Allsop’sEnchmarsh herd, from ChurchStretton, Shropshire. Moving upfrom eighth place, the 84-strong herd has an averageproduction of 886kg fat andprotein. Milk yield is 11,731kgon twice-a-day milking and thecalving interval is 421 days.

In second place was NickCobb’s Chalclyffe herd fromDorset. The 741-cow herd hadan average of 882kg F+P andboasts an impressive 12,794kgmilk on three-times-a-daymilking. Calving interval is 384days.

SharedJoint third was Andrew, Julieand Martin Bray, from Helston,Cornwall, whose 97 cowsproduced 880kg F+P in their11,162kg milk.

Sharing the placing was theLuther family’s 64-strongFoxminster herd, from Poole,with the same 880kg F+P and12,283kg milk.

Taking first place in theShorthorns was Pearne Wyattand Son, Norfolk, with 622kgF+P in 8589kg milk, with theAyrshire crown going to Tinkerand Sons’ herd from Yorkshirewith 690kg F+P in 9067kg milk.

The Jersey title was taken bythe Mahon family from Norfolkwith 759kg F+P in 8203kg milk,and leading the Guernseys wasM & C Cox, Guernsey, with778kg in 8504kg milk.

The Friesian title was won bythe Nerewater Farm herd with645kg in 8643kg milk.

Maelor siteFIRST Milk has received the go-ahead to redevelop its cheese-packing site at Maelor, Wrexham.It promised to create a ‘UK centreof excellence for cheese packingand storage’.

As well as the redesign andrebuild of First Milk’s cheesepacking operation, Grocontinental,one of the UK’s leading storageand distribution companies, willalso build a cold store on the sitewhich will house all of First Milk’smaturing cheese.

**DF Apr p2 3 News 23/3/12 11:29 Page 2


COWMEN COMMENT

Rosemary CollingbornRosemary Collingborn and her husbandJoe farm a closed herd of 100 pedigreeFriesian type cows, 60 young stock andbreed bulls for sale. She has served on theMDC Council, Veterinary ProductsCommittee and RSPCA Council.

Even future of Brookfieldherd came under question

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My family lived inCardiff but alwaysfaithfully listened toThe Archers – theeveryday tale of

country folk – which we then tookto be an accurate reflection ofcountry life.

It was only when I actuallybecame involved in farming that Irealised in those days Ambridgesilage-making and harvest alwaystook place at exactly the sametime each year, and it neverrained. They’d be finished silagingwhile we were still waiting for therain to stop, which I thought wastaking the Michael a bit.

Ambridge didn’t have weatherand big themes such as BSE werevirtually ignored, which meantopportunities to involve andengage public sympathy weremissed.

Instead, Ambridge was quitetrendy with gay themes andlatterly a designer baby. One ofthe more promising moments waswhen farmer’s wife Ruth nearlyleft home with Sam the cowman– but she stayed put.

Now the Archers has a newagriculture adviser, who seems tohave a finger on the pulse of thecurrent dairy farming situation.

Tom Archer wonders ‘what he’smilking for’ as the organic price isso low. Dairy farmers Ruth andDavid ‘can’t see the light at theend of the tunnel’ now their slurrylagoon has been undermined bybadgers and they can’t afford toreplace it.

While it would be depressing tohave one less fictional dairy farmif Brookfield gives up, this is arealistic reflection of what hasbeen happening across the UK.

Just at the moment, the wholevillage is up in arms overBorchester Land’s big dairyproposal, possibly inspired by theNocton scheme. Ruth comments:“It breaks my heart to think ofthe way dairy farming is going,”and sister-in-law Pat has setherself up in direct opposition tothe mega dairy.

Public relationsIt underlines the point that youneed to start with public relations,not add them as an afterthought,even when, as in this case, you aredealing with fellow farmers.

The moment that really struckhome to me was Ruth sayingforlornly: “I’m sitting herewondering how to pay the bills”.There can’t be many farmers’wives who haven’t wondered thesame thing at some point.

Since my town cousins still useThe Archers to learn aboutcountry life, I am expectingbuckets of sympathy. However, Ireturned to being irritated when,on the day we were going to putour cows out for the first time, itrained heavily all night and all day,and The Archers omnibus tells me“we’ve got our cows out”!

We’re all hoping we won’tneed sympathy because ofSchmallenberg. Although thisdisease is very new, the little wedo know is thoroughly unpleasantas it causes birth defects in limbsand backs.

Mind you, there are still veryold diseases that can hit you aswell. Right at the end of thesummer, three of our heifersdropped dead from Blackleg inthe space of two days.

Of course I had heard ofBlackleg (something to do with

Long John Silver or Cold ComfortFarm) but had no idea what itactually was.

We found one heifer separatedfrom the herd – in retrospect thisseemed to be an indicator. I put itback with the main group and afew hours later it was dead.

We brought the next one intothe cow shed, but it still died, andanother died overnight. By thenthe vets had diagnosed Blackleg.The cause was still a mystery asthey’d moved on to new grazingwith good grass cover, but we’renow having to inject.

I am making progress with mysingle-handed campaign againstred tape, starting with the (in myopinion) unnecessary movementbook, and have received thefollowing letter from Jim Paice:“Cattle keepers must keep a herdregister as well as notifying cattlemovements to CTS. The herdregister need not be in book form;it may also be computerised.

“While the register must bekept for 10 years and madeavailable on request, there is noroutine requirement to submitherd registers to local authorities.”

I have pointed this out toWiltshire Council and am stillwaiting for results. Other farmersmight like to take the sameapproach with their authorities.

**DF Apr p4 Collingborn 23/3/12 10:36 Page 1

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ON FARM

It’s taken many years offarming for AndrewMcCollum to decide exactlywhat he wants to breed in adairy cow.

First, under the guidance ofhis father William, and nowtaking the lead role with theirColeraine-based Ballycairn herd,he has fine-tuned his breedingto the point where he can feeljustly satisfied with the result.

The father and son McCollumteam have done so much morethan just breed the number onePLI (Profitable Lifetime Index)herd in the UK. They have alsoproduced the UK’s leading bull ofthe Holstein breed – BallycairnTiergan, who ranks in the DairyCotop 10 with a PLI of £216 andwhose bloodlines are in hotdemand with major breedingcompanies around the world.

The herd prefix appears againin the top 30 of all UK andinternational bulls in the form ofBallycairn Linus (PLI £192). He isfrom a completely different familyin the herd but neverthelesstransmits the all-important healthand fitness traits which everybreeder now desires.

The recipe behind theMcCollums’ success is one manywould like to emulate, withannual sales of bulls into AI nowhaving reached around 15, whilestock bulls privately fall into thehands of some 30 lucky producersa year.

The herd itself was founded byWilliam in the early 1970s, but anenforced clean-out throughbrucellosis in 1998 led to acomplete restock, which sawyoungstock and heifers sourcedfrom the UK, Holland, Germany,Denmark, Canada and Italy.

By that time the McCollumswere confident in what theywanted, and their focus was oncommercial traits and profitability.

“Dad had been one of the firstbreeders to use Holsteins because

of their extra milk production, ashe wanted his cows to be asprofitable as possible,” saysAndrew. “He used bulls fromCanada, America and thenEurope, and when the bombshellcame and the herd went downwith brucellosis, we felt we hadlost a lifetime’s work.”

Never questioning whether toreturn to dairying as ‘this is whatwe knew and enjoyed’, theyrestocked quickly with highproduction-potential heifers withthe focus on milk, fat and protein.

However, the emphasis onproduction began to take its tolland Andrew – still only in his early20s at the time of restocking –recalls how the highestproduction animals tended tobring their own set of problems.

“You’d typically get a 60 litrecow which would go into negativeenergy balance, have difficultygetting back in calf and finallycalve again two years later. She’dthen go on to give 60 litres a day,and so the cycle would continue.

“If she had come in with 35 to40 litres and calved every 12months with good fat andprotein, she’d give a lot more milkper day of life,” he says.

Recalling some of the sires ofimported heifers, he says: “We

Team McCollum reaches thedizzy heights with top herdThe credentials of the McCollum family’s Ballycairn Holsteins are eye-watering, and include both top UK PLIherd (£122) and number one bull (£216). Ann Hardy went to Northern Ireland to investigate.

bought quite a bit of Mascotblood and also some daughters ofDelta Webster, but quickly realisedthey had good first lactations butdid not wear well or have goodcell counts, or get back in calf.”

Health influenceOthers, however, were far moresuccessful, including daughters ofNovalis, Lord Lily, Rudolph andMtoto, which ‘kept getting betterwith each lactation’ and whoseinfluence on health can be seen inthe herd today.

The experience of the importedheifers focused the McCollums’attention on the need for betterhealth, welfare and lifespans,which Andrew knew were thecornerstones to profitability andbelieved could be improvedthrough breeding.

“I was really keen to see healthtraits included in indexes, so bythe time they came along wewere more than ready to usethem,” he says.

His confidence was reinforcedwhen he saw Delta Webster’s firsthealth indexes, which exactlyreflected the performance of hisdaughters at Ballycairn.

“His somatic cell count indexwas terrible,” he recalls, “andnow we can also see that

daughter fertility and lifespanindexes are equally poor.”

Sensing a reluctance amongbreeders in the early days to takefitness indexes on board, heattributes this in part to ahistorical focus on breeding hightype cows, combined with theoccasional cow which failed toperform as predicted, knockingconfidence in the system.

“You will always get freaks inpopulations, but a genetic indextakes in the whole population, soI am far more keen to take noteof that than individual cows,” he says.

With his policy now keenlyfocussed on improving health andfitness, together with good,functional udders, legs and feet,alongside milk, fat and protein,he says Profitable Lifetime Index(which splits fitness andproduction around 55:45) hasbecome his first screening tool.

“To me, PLI is the best rankingout there, and while there may bereasons why I would not use everybull in the top 10, there is never abull among them which I wouldquestion why he was there.”

To this end, he was an earlyuser of Oman, moved on to bullssuch as Mascol, Laudan, Stol Joc,Planet, Jeeves, Garrett, Samboand Iota, and today has aroundsix to eight bulls in the tankincluding Tiergan, MorningviewLevi, Gunnar, Bomaz MarionEmerald, Pirolo Goldwyn Wymanand E-Longview CM.

“Some people have 20 bulls intheir tank, but I am not cleverenough to know how to breed 20bulls,” he says. “At the core arethe same fat, protein and healthtraits, but among them there maybe one that’s really good for feetand legs, one for udders, one thatgives more strength or one that’sjust a wee bit differently bred.”

Blending the bloodlines withthe immense skill and foresight hehas developed over the years, he

Andrew McCollum’s breeding focus has never wavered from commercialtraits, which now include health and fitness characteristics.

**DF Apr p6 7 On Farm 22/3/12 11:30 Page 1

ON FARM


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now has a herd producing inexcess of 9500 litres at 4.3% fatand 3.4% protein (305 days), withlow cell counts (SCC 150), goodfertility and long lifespans.

Breeding traitsStrength, uniformity and voraciousappetites are evident, while 80tonne cows are a recurring theme,with many of the Omans in theirfifth or later lactations.

But while an onlooker mayassume Ballycairn Garter Tinnie

VG87 (mother of Tiergan), withher remarkable blend of high milk(inherited from her sire Garter),high components (from hermaternal grandsire Boudwijn) andoutstanding health (from herimported Lord Lily-sired grandam),would be the key focus ofAndrew’s attention, they wouldbe wrong in their assumption.

“I’d say we have another 10families that would be very similarto the Tinnies,” he says, citing theLilians (behind Ballycairn Linus and

tracing to the famous Lou Ellafamily), the Agellas and Horizonsamong them. “And there arealways more coming in as we buya few embryos every year, notonly as a yardstick for comparisonagainst our own but also toprovide some fresh bloodlines.

“With the success of Tiergan, itwould be easy to concentrate onthe Tinnies and forget everythingelse,” he admits. “But I will notnecessarily mate to breed the nextAI sire, as if you are too heavily

influenced by numbers – especiallythose available from low reliabilityyoung genomic sires – you couldlose sight of commercial reality.

“If we never breed anotherTiergan that will be fine, as longas we are focussed on breedingcommercially sound cows we wantto milk,” he adds.

**All indexes and breedingchoices quoted are based on theDecember 2011 index run as DairyFarmer went to press before April2012 indexes were published.

THE management at Ballycairn isdescribed as ‘simple’ and ‘fairly highinput’.

An important feature is the total mixedration (grass silage, wholecrop wheat,soya, beet pulp, soya hulls, rapeseed mealand maize meal), with no supplementaryfeeding either in or out of the parlour.

“This means that the cows that dowell have done it on their own, withoutany encouragement,” says Andrew.

“If she can’t eat enough, do you really want to make her look better than she is?”

The herd is split into lows (around 30litres) and highs (around 40 litres), gener-ally spending a week in the former after

calving and five to six months with thehighs, unless body condition score risestoo high.

With Atlantic weather pouring in fromthe sea just half a mile to the north, thegrazing season generally runs from Mayto September, while high yielders are fedby night all year.

The climate, together with heavy soils,makes maize growing difficult and ofquestionable economic value, so rationslack the benefit of this high energy ingredient.

“The reason AI companies wereattracted to come here is because we ransuch a commercial system,” says Andrewwith his usual under-stated modesty.

Management of the Ballycairn herd

Dam of top AI sire Tiergan, Ballycairn Garter Tinnie, gave 13,865kg inher second lactation (305 days) in a strictly commercial system.

**DF Apr p6 7 On Farm 22/3/12 11:30 Page 2


POTTER’S VIEW

As Tesco announces a drop in its price, Ian Potter warns it is a critical time forthe industry and producers are starting to show their dissatisfaction with theirbuyers by giving in their notice. Ian Potter

Ian is a specialist milk quotaand entitlement broker.Comments please to [email protected]

Why buyers needto weather storm

Commodity market pricescontinue to soften butEU and internationalstocks are running low.Despite this there is still

no justification for an overly-depressed outlook on milk prices(and significant cuts), but thereare bound to be plans afoot insome quarters I’d have thoughtfor a ‘price correction’ from May1. I hope, if it materialises, it willbe minimal.

Dairy farmers who can’t make aturn at these current prices arelikely to struggle on until thereplacement for entitlements andthe Single Payment Scheme (BasicArea Scheme) is confirmed andfully tradable (expected to be in2016). If, at that time, they areunable to receive a stable realisticreturn of Cost of Production +Margin, then I can see a signifi-cant exodus and consequentreduction in production.

ProfitabilityThere is little, if any, room for areduction in farm gate pricesbecause such a move wouldseriously reduce (if not eliminate)profitability. It’s a crucial junctionand I worry about the long-termconsequences of any major cut.

Remember Kite Consulting hascalculated a break-even milk priceof 29.33p, and the Sainsbury’sfigure is 30.3p – both of which arehigher than the average farmgate milk price. Note thedifference in the two figures isdown to the additional cost forSainsbury’s farmers to provide anear level supply.

Couple these facts with thedemise of milk quota in less thanthree years time, plus theanticipated dramatic increase inproduction by some memberstates, and the combination willcertainly prove to be a challenge.All dairy farmers will have to hangtogether. Fortunately the long-

term fundamentals for dairyproducts are very good.

Meanwhile farmers are playingthe power card in increasingnumbers. Resignations fromdissatisfied milk producers areplentiful, and without doubtsome of the big hitters arescratching their heads.

Dairy Crest continues with itsfascinatingly unique milkprocurement policy, where itsigns-up large producers witharound three million litres-plus onits Farm Business (Special Deal)contract, also known as ‘MilkSuppliers Contract’. This isaccompanied by afive-pageconfidentialityagreement, which isthe Dairy Crestequivalent of theOfficial Secrets Act.

Several of the ones Ihave seen haveguaranteed prices forthe first six months,and most have beenfor a price of 30p ormore, and have been offered tonew suppliers and selected DairyCrest Direct producers whothreaten to tender theirresignation. It is certainly aninteresting deviation from thelevel playing field approach thathas been the case with their long-standing and loyal DCD suppliers.

Then there is Arla, who’shandling (mis-handling) of its so-called 4p/litre producer‘investment’ has resulted inunprecedented resignations,which now exceed 100 millionlitres from farmers who havesimply had enough. It’s a seriousissue for the firm, which hasresulted in its AFMP boardmembers personally visiting thefarmers in an attempt to get themto rescind their resignations.

When a firm is building a newfactory the last thing it wants is

member defection and unrest.While recent difficultiesencountered by some middleground farmer suppliers havehighlighted the need to find asafe and secure home for yourmilk, that has still not resulted ina rush of farmers wanting to joinArla. Hence the new one billion-litre Aylesbury factory is, I believe,short of at least 150 million litres.Add to this the 100 million pluscurrently under resignation andthe 250 million total represents aneye-watering 25% shortfall. It’s ahole which has to be plugged toensure the factory runs efficiently.

There are, tomy mind, twosolutions – oneto arrest thestream ofresigningproducers with acombination of amarket leadingmilk price andbetterinvestmentprospects (eg full

membership of Arla or a return onproducers’ investment). And twoto quickly team-up with someoneelse or buy an existing largeoperation to fill the shortfall.

If DC, Arla or others want toretain existing suppliers, theadvice has to be to try andweather this commodity pricestorm and, where possible,maintain farm gate prices atcurrent levels and to rectify anyprofit shortfalls by other means.

PivotalAs I stated in this article only afew months ago, 2012 will be apivotal year for a significantnumber of producers and theWiseman-Muller deal was the tipof the iceberg. The main questionfor me is not so much as whomight team-up with whom, butwho might be next to bale-out

and go under. Fingers crossed twomilk purchaser collapses in twomonths is our full quota for 2012.

On the matter of the unfort-unate producers who have beencaught up in the collapse ofFarmright and Rock Farm DairyLimited, I wonder what benefitthey derived from the latestDairyCo levy payer funded report:“Is your milk buyer moving in theright direction?” Once again thisreport focused on the big seven“top of the premiership” milkprocessors but neglects entirelythose buyers in the lowerdivisions. Time to look at allbuyers, I think.

Finally, I cannot resist comment-ing on the milk quota cobblersprinted every week by FarmersWeekly in conjunction with TheDairy Group.

For at least the past two quotayears they have published weeklymilk quota leasing prices underthe final ‘Prices and Trends’ prices,recently with lease values of0.07ppl (£700 for one millionlitres) and quoting previousweeks, four weeks ago and oneyear ago price comparisons. Ibelieve these are total rubbishand I’ll tell you for why.

Between April 2010 and March2012 only 11 lease transfers weresubmitted to the RPA and, ofthose, this year there have onlybeen two. Add to that the fact weare responsible for the lion’s shareof all milk quota transferssubmitted to the RPA, and wedivulge no prices to anyone, itmeans in the past two years thelease prices quoted are for amaximum of six deals.

It’s high time to stop reportingon a non-existent market, methinks!

Resignationsfromdissatisfiedproducersare plentiful.

**DF April p8 Potter 22/3/12 12:56 Page 1

SPONSORED SERIES


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Less wastage, healthiercows and a reducedconcentrate bill have allhelped Gloucestershire-based farmer Chris

Simmons significantly increasemargin per cow since heswitched silage additive fouryears ago.

With high yielding cowsfrom the 340-strong herdhoused all year round, MrSimmons relies on top qualityforages to supply thebulk of his cows’needs – this essent-ially means qualitygrass silage to ensureintakes are at goodlevels.

“In the past we’vehad big problemswith the clamp faceheating up during thesummer months, andhave experiencedsignificant spoilageboth on the face andon the top andshoulders of the clamp. Inaddition, the ration oftenheated up once in the troughs,limiting intake and meaningcows required more concent-rates to achieve top yields,” hesays.

High intakesWith the herd currentlyaveraging 11,300kg on three-times-a-day milking, highintakes are essential tomaximise milk from forageand herd profits.

“Over the last year we’ve

worked hard to maximise milkfrom forage. We have doubled theamount of milk being producedfrom our forage and have cut thefeed needed to produce each litreback from 0.37kg per litre to0.28kg per litre. This has resulted ina significant cost saving.

“On top of this, cows are nowmore content and we’ve seenintakes rise by more than 3.5kg ofdry matter in the last 18 months.Beforehand cows just weren’t

eating enoughto perform totheir maximumpotential,” heexplains.

Mr Simmonssays he hasmade aconscious effortto let theforage do thework in recentyears followingsignificanthikes in theprices of both

concentrates and straights.“We’ve now got a ration which attimes can be as much as 80%maize silage. To top it off we addgrass silage plus rapemeal, soya,rolled wheat, molasses and soyahulls.

“This ration is performingexceptionally. We’re seeing cowsmilking well off it and gettingback in-calf too.”

One of the key benefits ofusing Micron Bio-Systems AdvanceGrass silage additive is thepreservation of the energy levelsin the silage, says Mr Simmons.

“In the past we were finding nomatter how well the grass silageanalysed it simply wasn’t feedingas well as it should have. Aerobicinstability at the face wasresulting in a significant loss ofenergy in the silage and this wasmeaning cows weren’t getting theration we thought they were bythe time it was being fed.”

Performance“We rely on silage to be themainstay of the ration. Whensilage is not as good as youbelieve, this can have a big impacton cow performance. We reallyhave to get the silage right as werely on it throughout the year, notjust during the winter months.

“If we do get the silage wrongit can have a massive impact onthe herd performance and henceprofitability,” he claims.

And with his cattle now morecontent and fuller, Mr Simmonsbelieves his vet bill has also beenreduced. “Cows are definitelyhealthier than they were before,they’re cudding more and aregenerally in better condition.Admittedly we haven’t seen a yieldincrease, but yields were alreadyvery good and the reduction infeed costs is having the same effecton the margin per cow.

“We’re now running at a rollingaverage margin per cow of £2100,a significant improvement onbefore,” adds Mr Simmons whowas an RABDF-NMR Gold Cup

finalist in both 2010 and 2011.Earl Williams, northern

territory manager for MicronBio-Systems, explains eachproduct in its Advance silageinoculant range has beenformulated for individual croptreatments. They contain fourkey components at specificlevels that play a vital role inthe preservation of grass,legumes, maize and whole cropcereals as silage.

“The products contain acombination of lactic acidbacteria, acetic acid bacteriaand microbial stimulants,alongside innovative enzymesthat result in a better qualitysilage and one that is morestable and less prone tospoilage in the clamp and feedtroughs. With all the effort putinto making good qualitysilage, maintaining this qualityuntil it reaches the cow’s mouthis going to have clear benefitson the health and productivityof the herd,” he says.

We are nowrunning at arolling marginper cow of£2100, asignificantimprovement.Chris Simmons

Preservation of energy levels in silage is just one of the benefits ofusing a good additive, says Chris Simmons.

PIC

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■ Feed rate cut to0.28kg/litre bringssignificant cost savings ■ Intakes risen by morethan 3.5kg in 18 months■ Rolling average marginper cow of £2100■ Cows more content.

BENEFITS

**DF Apr p9 Micron Signed Off 23/3/12 12:09 Page 1

BREEDING

The much-vaunted genomic indexes for Holstein bulls are here, but what does this mean for the industry and will they really make any difference to the farmer when selecting AI sires? Ann Hardy reports.

Genomic indexes: will the

This month sees the launchof genomic indexes forHolstein bulls in the UK.This means the breedingindex of almost every

young Holstein bull will becalculated, to a large degree,from that bull’s own DNA. It isthis DNA which provides the codefor life – dictating the form,production and even healthcharacteristics each animal hasthe potential to transmit to hisdaughters.

This means young bulls willhave a more meaningful geneticindex earlier in life. Until now,the only index a young sire hadwas calculated from the perform-ance of his parents, so giving allfull siblings exactly the samegenetic index. And as anylivestock breeder knows, theperformance of full siblings canbe widely variable.

In essence, genomics gets tothe heart of the animal’s beingand, importantly, allows adistinction in genetic potential tobe made between full siblings.This is clearly invaluable forbreeding companies whenselecting young bull calves tobecome AI sires. But what aboutthe average UK milk producer –will they really see anydifference?

UnderstandingGeneticist Marco Winters, fromDairyCo Breeding+, says farmerstoo stand to benefit, but only ifthey use genomic indexes withcare and with a clear under-standing of what the indexmeans.

“Until this month, genomicindexes were shrouded in mysteryfor UK producers,” says MrWinters.

**DF Apr p10 11 12 Genomics 22/3/12 11:31 Page 1

BREEDING

■ Genomic evaluations areincluded in Holstein bull indexesthis month■ The main list of daughter-proven bulls, ranked onProfitable Lifetime Index,features marketed bulls whoseindex has a reliability of at least65%■ A new young sire list – alsoranked on PLI – featuresmarketed bulls with a genomicindex and a reliability of 40% ormore

■ A new column on officialrankings will feature a ‘G’indicating that some genomicinformation has gone into theindex’s calculation■ Almost every bull index willinclude a genomic component,but it will be of negligibleinfluence in a bull with manydaughters■ Genomic evaluations forproduction and fitness traits arecalculated by DairyCo. HolsteinUK calculates those for type.

What’s new for Holstein bulls in April 2012?

ey make any difference?

“They were available in somecountries, such as the USA andCanada, and some UK breederseven sent tissue samples to thesecountries to be evaluated.

“The trouble was they were notbeing evaluated against a UKpopulation, and they then had tobe converted back into ‘UKequivalent’ figures.

“This meant while they mayhave been marginally more usefulthan the traditional parent-average indexes, they were notparticularly reliable,” he explains.

The difference today comesfrom the fact the genomic indexes

will be calculated in the UK. Thecodes which are studied alongeach strand of DNA will have beencompared closely with actualanimal performance – rangingfrom milk production to cellcounts or from fertility to calvingease – and it is from therelationships between the twothat the indexes have beenderived.

This cross-checking betweenthe DNA and the actual perform-ance has been undertaken for allsires used in the UK over manyyears and it will continue to beongoing, so ensuring the genomicpredictions are as accurate andreliable as possible.

ReliabilityBut how reliable can they becompared with a traditionalgenetic index?

“Nothing will be as reliable asan index based on real daughterperformance,” says Mr Winters,“and no one at this stage issuggesting genomic indexesshould replace this system.

“However, genomic indexes canbe considerably more reliablethan the traditional parent-average index, which typically hasa reliability of around 30-40%.Genomic indexes, by contrast,have reliabilities of around 55 to65% which means as daughterinformation is added to theircalculation, they are slightly lesslikely to change than a parent-

average index.” (See diagram). How this should be reflected in

the average breeder’s use ofyoung sires is very much down topersonal preference and theindividual’s attitude to risk andreward.

“It’s a bit like investing in thestockmarket,” says Mr Winters.“Some people will stick with thecopper-bottomed FTSE100

Marco Winters: risk and reward.


BREEDING

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■ Genomic indexes arecalculated using informationobtained from the animal’sgenetic material (DNA).■ This raises the reliability ofthe index from around 35% toaround 55-65%.■ Young bulls can be usedwith greater confidence thattheir daughters will performcloser to expectations than abull whose index is based juston parent average data.■ If carefully selected, youngbulls with genomic indexesoffer the opportunity for dairyherds to make more geneticprogress.

But…■ The reliability of a genomic

index is still less than that of atypical proven bull based onmilking daughter performance.■ This means genomic indexesare more likely to change overtime, and the magnitude ofthat change is potentiallygreater.■ Individual young bulls withgenomic indexes shouldtherefore be used sparingly(up to a maximum of 13% ofthe herd per bull) and as partof a mix with daughter-provenbulls.■ It is tempting to over-valuegenomically evaluated bulls,but an animal marketed as a‘genomic young sire’ may beno better or worse than anyother bull.

The pros and cons of genomic indexes

companies while others will seekthe high potential rewards from astart-up company.

“In other words, some breedersmay feel safer with the higherreliability of bulls with secondcrop proofs – which can reachreliabilities of 99% – while othersenjoy the prospect of younger,

less reliable sires, which could goon to achieve even greater things.

“My advice would be to use amix of proven and young geno-mic bulls to obtain a balancebetween risk and reward, andlimit the use of any individualsire with low reliability,” hesays.

“I wouldn’t recommendbreeding more than 13% of aherd to a single genomicallyevaluated young bull, comparedwith up to 25% to a first cropdaughter-proven bull and up to50% to a bull with a highlyreliable second crop index.” (Seegraph).

“But remember to study hisindex closely and choose youryoung genomic sire with just asmuch care as you would anyproven bull. Some young bulls onthe market have very mediocregenomic indexes, and there willbe little argument in favour ofusing them at all,” he adds.


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BREEDING

Restrict sire numbersor you will lose focus

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Cow uniformity is important in large herds to make management as easy as possible. Jeremy Hunt reportson the thoughts of one UK breeder.

Holstein breeder PaulFindley believes it hasnever been moreimportant forcommercial milk

producers to meticulouslyevaluate the impact AI sires aregoing to have in their herd.

Paul runs his Bestfed herd nearWrexham and is also responsiblefor the feeding of 15,000 cowsthrough his company BestfedNutrition. He is also involved in adairy farming business in Hungaryand has a Holstein breedingpartnership with Steven Bell ofthe Holmland herd.

He is concerned about theinfluence of ‘fashionable’ bullswithin commercial dairy herds,particularly where decisions arenot always made on what is bestfor the cows those bulls are beingused on.

“The imminent arrival on tothe market of several sons of aleading sire does give me causefor concern. I think this is a typicalcase of where we may see hugeinconsistencies in the progenyproduced and run the risk ofbreeding small and dumpy heiferswith a loss of the functional traitswe need.”

A greater awareness of thedamage that can be caused to a

herd – and the length of time itcan take for that damage to berealised – should be at theforefront of every dairy farmer’smind when selecting sires, he says.

“Get it wrong and it can becostly, as well as having a reallymajor impact on a herd’s profit-ability years down the line,” saysPaul.

Popular sires Paul is a partner in a large dairyherd in Hungary and is respon-sible for the herd’s breeding, aswell as its nutrition.

“The previous managementhad been buying semen from ahost of different bulls. There hadbeen no structure to the breedingprogramme other than what wasperceived as accruing the geneticbenefits of using popular sires.

“The herd ended up being amixed bag. What was needed wasa total re-think on breeding toproduce uniformity among thecows which were needed to thriveon a fully-housed system, havegood legs and feet and goodudders and wearability.”

Firstly, two bulls were selected –both had a lot of daughters andgood second-crop proofs andgood reliability. The bulls wereBurt and Melody and the aim was

We may run the risk ofbreeding small and dumpyheifers with a loss of thefunctional traits we need.

Paul Findley

to create a base in the herd andprovide a foundation from whichto progress.

“And that’s what more UKcommercial dairy herds need todo. The priority must be to stopspreading the options by using alot of different bulls in the hopesome will click. The big risk is thata lot won’t,” says Paul.

“My advice to commercialdairy farmers in the UK – and inparticular those expanding where

uniformity will greatly aid overallmanagement – is to limit sireselection to just three or fourbulls.

“To do that may take longer toget to grips with what’s out thereand what can really do the rightjob for a particular herd of cows,but the time spent will be wellworth it in the long term. Using asmaller range of bulls shouldn’tbe looked at in terms of limitingthe genetic progress of the herd,but more of an opportunity tostrengthen and consolidate type.”

When making his own bullselection decisions he says‘structural correctness’ is essential.However, he firmly believes thecomplexity of the sire evaluationfigures presented to dairy farmerslooking for future sires makesselection more difficult and addsto the confusion, leading ultim-ately to incorrect choices beingmade.

In terms of type and uniform-ity Paul believes a lot of comm-ercially managed herds are ‘allover the place’.

“It’s a situation which is havinga direct effect on performanceand is impacting on how such abig spread of different cow typesresponds to the system ofmanagement that is in place.”

**DF Apr p14 Breeding Findley 23/3/12 10:37 Page 1

Cogent WP DF 22/3/12 12:01 Page 1


ANIMAL HEALTH

Rearing calves in low-cost polytunnelssituated in fields awayfrom the farmstead isproving to be a winning

formula for Ed Friend, who milks300 cows at Bridgemere Farm,Bridgemere, near Nantwich.

Ed, who is also a full time vetin Eccleshall, and his wife Pennymoved back to Cheshire fromOxfordshire three years ago totake over the family farm.

The decision to switch to asystem of grass-based milkproduction meant a move to anall-spring calving herd.

Now well under way, the newmanagement strategy has meant

large numbers of calves – around200 – are born over a two-monthperiod and an effective rearingregime had to be established.

With no suitable calf housingwithin the farm steading – andan ongoing concern about thehealth challenges faced by calvesreared in conventional indoorsystems – Ed has developed hisown field-based approach torearing large numbers of calves.

This embraces ‘fresh air anddaylight’ and an ‘inert’ sand bed,which is proving a successfulformula for keeping calveshealthy and rearing costs down.

For this spring’s calving, Ed setup three polytunnel systems – all

Fresh air and sand beds help keep calves healthyA Cheshire dairy farmer – who is also a full-time vet – has developed a system for successfully rearing largenumbers of calves that is challenging established practice. Jeremy Hunt reports.

Each polytunnel is split into sevenpens, holding 10 calves eachwhich are bedded on sand.

Ed Friend: reducing pathogen risk.

on slightly sloping fields abouthalf a mile from the main unitand accessed along the concretesleepered cow tracks.

The first job was to lay thesand bed about 4ins (10cm)deep and extending 3m in widthand 28m in length.

Sand bedding“I realise using sand as a bed forcalves from as young as one dayold may seem a bit radical, but Iwas convinced it would workand be better for us and thecalves compared with usingstraw.

“If we’d used straw, it wouldnot only have been an extra costand increased the labour time,but I wanted to give these calvesan opportunity to be rearedwithout the challenges of thepathogens that inevitably buildup in straw-based rearingsystems.

“The feeding and the housing– and the way we sited thepolytunnels – have all beendesigned to provide the calveswith a high standard of rearing.

“We looked at the cost ofpolytunnels and found we couldachieve the housing we needed

using what are known as wallcovers. They are individualpolytunnels which are purchasedin kit form, each measuring 3mwide and 4m long.

“The type we selected isactually used by builders orstone wallers to provide themwith protection from theweather.

“We lined up seven of theseindividual tunnels to create eachcalf house, and secured them tothe ground with fence postsover the pre-laid sand base,”relates Ed. X

**DF Apr p16 18 Health Calves 22/3/12 11:33 Page 1

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W The structure was coveredwith heavy duty polythenesheeting, but along one side – toa height of one metre – thesheeting was rolled back toprovide calves with access to anoutside penned area of grass.Each polytunnel was split intoseven pens, each pen holding 10calves. A straw rack is providedalong with dry feed from theirfirst day.

Calves receive colostrum bystomach tube as the first feed –whether or not they havesuckled. The farm has investedin a second-hand pasteurisercosting around £4000 (includingsome sophisticated computergadgetry) to provide calves withmilk for their twice daily feeds.

Each feed is two litres andremains at that level for theentire period (around twomonths or even longer) for allcalves, irrespective of age.

The pasteuriser takes all milkfrom the cows that are on milkwithdrawal, and it’s divertedinto a separate 1500-litreholding tank.

After being transferred to thepasteuriser, the warm milk ispumped into a heavy-duty

plastic milk container which ismounted on a quad bike.

“I load up precisely enoughmilk for the feeding I need todo and set off for the calfhouses,” says Ed Parrish, who isin charge of the day-to-daymanagement of the calves.

Milk is pasteurised for 60minutes at 60degC and fed at‘blood’ temperature to thecalves. It’s dispensed to the

calves in the outside grass areaof the tunnel system through‘feeders’ attached to thepenning.

The calves start off takingmilk from multi-teated bucketsand progress to larger dispensersand eventually to teated bluebarrels fixed to fence posts.

It is this final method offeeding which has continuedwhen the calves are three weeksold and allowed out into thegrass field – although they stillhave access to the polytunnelfor shelter.

Milk soup“But we are adding some milkpowder to the pasteurised milkso we’re feeding a high qualitymilk soup. The calves are fed themilk warm so they aren’t losingany of their own body heat,which would happen if we fed itcold. The milk mix itself is asgood as it gets to do the bestjob nutritionally,” says Ed.

As to the lying area, there isno additional sand added to thisduring the time the calves are

penned, but Ed has found that,provided the stocking density iscorrect, there are enough calvesto ‘stir it up’ and avoid itbecoming too fouled.

“I have to admit I wasn’t sureif this system would work – butit has,” he declares.

Navels are treated withiodine, but the calves receive novaccinations before going out tothe rearing tunnels at one dayold.

”We do vaccinate later with acoccidiostat preventative jab.Coccidia is probably the singlebiggest health challenge,” hesays. “Daylight and fresh air arethe best disinfectants to combatdisease and the tunnels areproviding the calves withadequate shelter.

“The milk is warm andproviding a highly nutritiousfeed, which further benefits fromthe addition of milk powder. Andby keeping them away from thefarmstead, we are reducing thepathogen challenge.

“Having been involved withoutdoor pig keeping as a vet, Iknow the benefits in terms ofhealth and performance whenrearing piglets outdoors ratherthan indoors. We wanted toreduce the health challengesand then to manage the calvesso they start eating grass as soonas possible – as well as receivingmilk feeds.

“The aim is to have healthycalves at grass from three weeks.It’s a new approach, but howoften do we see systems that,despite following very highstandards of calf managementinside, losses do occur andhealth issues are a constantthreat.

“Good calf rearing hinges oncorrect ventilation – it’s thebiggest cause of problems if youget it wrong,” he adds.

For their intermediate stage the calves use fence-mounted dispensers.

The aim is to have healthy calves out at grass by three weeks of age.

**DF Apr p16 18 Health Calves 22/3/12 11:34 Page 2

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Fabdec WP DF 22/3/12 12:01 Page 1


ANIMAL HEALTH

Schmallenberg virus couldwreak havoc in our cattleWhile the initial impact of the virus has mostly been seen in sheep, we don’t yet know just how devastating it will be for cattle. Westpoint vet Ian Nanjiani tells us more about this emerging disease.

Anew disease hasappeared this year indomestic ruminants inthe southern parts ofthe UK causing foetal

malformation and othersymptoms.

It is caused by a virus which isresponsible for similar diseaseelsewhere in the world (Africa,Asia, Australia and the UnitedStates), though it has notpreviously been identified inEurope. We don’t know when itdeveloped, or how it got intoEurope, so while it has beennamed Schmallenberg virus (SBV)after the small German townwhere the first cases wereidentified, it is unlikely this iswhere the virus originated.

Its effects were first noticed innorthern continental Europeduring the second half of 2011,where infection appears to havebeen widespread, and the actualvirus type was identified byGerman researchers late last year.

Experts believe SBV istransmitted primarily by midgesand mosquitoes, with animal-to-animal transmission unlikely.Indeed SBV had been found inmidges circulating in Belgium lastsummer and outbreak assess-ments conducted by AHVLAindicate infection arrived on ourshores after that, when infectedmidges from continental Europeblew into the UK and begantransmitting infection to ourlivestock population.

Infected adult sheep and goatshave shown no signs of disease,however adult dairy cattle do.Clinical signs include milk drop (ofup to 50% in some animals), lossof appetite, sometimes diarrhoea,and affected animals have highfevers (>40degC), are generally offtheir food, with most recoveringwithin a few days. We believeinfected animals develop strongprotective immunity within daysrather than weeks, ceasing to beinfectious to midges (though we

SBV is primarily transmitted by midges. (Picture: Institute of Animal Health.)

do not know how long-lastingsuch immunity will be).

Disease generally passesthrough a herd within two tothree weeks, by which time allanimals have generally returnedto normal. Since this clinicalpicture resembles many otherdiseases such as leptospirosis,BVDV and salmonella, this initialinfection stage was not generallydiagnosed as being associatedwith SBV when first observed.

The problem with this family ofviruses is that they are able (insome animals) to infect the foetusduring pregnancy – pregnantsheep seem most susceptible inthe first couple of months ofgestation, while pregnant cattleare likely to be susceptible forlonger.

We have all heard of the moststriking impact of infection onsheep in the south of the UK,where lambs which were infectedas foetuses in autumn developedbent limbs and fixed joints,twisted necks and spines, shortlower jaws and brain deformities.Initial indications are theseabnormalities affect around 7% ofthe overall lamb crop on affectedfarms (from EU feedback) withnumbers varying between farms,and no healthy newborns havebeen found to be virus positive.

We won’t know the full impactof the virus on our cattlepopulation until exposed animalscalve out this spring/early summer,but experience in continentalEurope (which was infected fourto six months before UK) tells usto expect a similar syndrome asthat seen in sheep. Assuminginfection took place aroundSeptember/October last year (asseems to be the case for affectedsheep), then these ‘at-risk’ calveswill be born in April-June 2012.We will only learn how long a calffoetus is susceptible to infectiononce these animals have beenborn (current assumption is early-mid pregnancy). Bear in mind, as Isaid earlier, many other infectionscan cause milk drop or foetalabnormalities, so not everyproblem will be due to SBV.

Our EU colleagues have foundaffected calves to be almostimpossible to deliver normally (thejoints are too stiff to allow correctpositioning), so my advice forsuspected cases is for earlyveterinary intervention and beprepared for a possible caesarean.

More than 1000 holdings havehad confirmed SBV cases inmainland EU (most in sheep) and63 cattle holdings across Germany,Netherlands, Belgium and Francewere confirmed positive by late

February 2012. We have 11confirmed affected cattle holdingsas of March 12, 2012 (comparedwith 147 sheep holdings), but asthe syndrome is detected atparturition, this figure is likely torise when the spring/early summercalving starts. All case farms todate are within the predicted riskareas in the south of the countrywhere midges blew over last year.

Infection in non-ruminants isconsidered unlikely based on pastexperience of this family, andthree different risk assessmentsconcluded the virus is unlikely tocause human disease, advisingfarmers and vets to followsensible hygiene precautions andconsumers to follow good foodhygiene.

Infected animals are believed tocarry the virus for a few days only,before developing immunity andeliminating infection. Animalsappear to recover completely withgood immunity, and infectionbefore mating is likely to givegood immunity with minimalimpact on reproduction.

We do not know how longmidges remain infectious, orindeed whether overwinteringmidges will be able to initiateinfection. As you’d expect thesituation will be closely monitoredin 2012 to see whether infectionwill circulate again, or simplyfizzle out.

Midge/fly control is unlikely toprevent the first bites whichtransmit infection, so will notprevent infection arriving but mayreduce local spread by preventingfurther blood meals.

We face a new challenge in ourindustry, and must work togetherto understand and control it.Your part is to report anysuspected cases to your vet, whowill work with AHVLA/SAC to geta diagnosis. ■ For more information on thevirus, visit www.farmersguardian.com, or see AHVLA andNFU websites.

**DF Apr p20 SBV 22/3/12 11:35 Page 1

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MSD Swish WP DF 22/3/12 12:02 Page 1


ANIMAL HEALTH

Compound launched to balance up spring grassMany early adopters of the ‘New Zealand’ system took the extreme approach of relying on grazed grass alone inspring, with just supplementary vitamins and minerals. Duncan Rose of Carrs Billington looks at the system.

While a few farmsstill rely on springgrass alone, manyhave recognisedthe benefits of

feeding a low level of a specialistcompound at this time. Thisshould improve fertility and givean economic return in terms ofmilk yield and compositionalquality responses as well.

In such circumstances theresponse to concentrates can behigh, even when cows are grazinggood quality grass andparticularly from newly-calvedcows. In this case we wouldexpect up to two litres from 1kgcake. At these low concentratefeed levels grass dry matter

intakes are not substituted andthe functioning of the rumen andcow is improved. So let’s look atwhat needs to be formulated intoa small amount of cake – forexample 2kg – to fill the gap.

Take a herd of Friesian (notHolstein) cows averaging 24 litresof milk per day, consuming 80kgof grazed grass and 2kg of cake.

Dry mattersFirst consider dry matters. Grass isa wet feed and while cows caneat 80kg fresh grass per day thisamount is approaching theirphysical limits. Given grass is sowet, it makes sense there will beless substitution of grass intakethe drier the supplementary feed

– hence the suitability of drycompound feed rather than amoist by-product.

ProteinGood grazing supplies excessrumen degradable protein (ERDP)and sufficient DUP (digestibleundegradable protein) to Friesiancows producing 25 litres per day,assuming they are consumingsufficient dry matter andfermentable energy to fuel thegrowth of rumen microflora.There is, therefore, no need forthe compound to contain anymore than 14% crude protein ormore than 25% of the crudeprotein as DUP.

EnergyEnergy yielding nutrients accountfor three quarters of the totalnutrients fed to a cow. In the pastmany compounders have thoughtthat a cheap moderate energy‘mineral carrier’ would suffice tobalance grass. While spring andsummer grazed grass tends tohave a high sugar content, it hasan imbalance of protein to energywith an excess of ERDP tofermentable energy. A wellformulated compound needs toredress this imbalance.

SugarGood grazing contains high levelsof sugar so it is not necessary totake up a lot of space in thecompound as sugar apart fromensuring good palatability andpellet quality of the compound.

StarchStarch is low or non existent ingrass. It is an excellent glucogenicnutrient and its importance inearly lactation when cows are tobe served must not be ignored.Generous levels should beformulated into a specialist lowinclusion compound. Obviouslyhigh starch levels would never beformulated into a compound

Duncan Rose of Carrs-Billing-ton which has launched acompound called KIWI 14 forfeeding from 2-4kg per dayas a complement to highquality grazed grass forspring-calving cows.

where the target feed rates aremore than 4kg per cow per day,for fear of increasing the risk ofSARA and depressing butterfats.

FibreGrazed grass has a relatively lowfibre content. Including feedmaterials such as sugar beet feed,soya hulls etc into the compoundwould at first seem sensible, but ifonly 2kg are to be fed, expectingchanges to significantly impact onthe total effective NDF content ofthe total diet is a little naïve.

OilGrazed grass can contain highlevels of unsaturated oil which ispartly the reason why butterfatsare depressed at turnout. Satur-ated C16 fats can be consideredby including for example 300grams C16, but at more than£1000/t in just 2kg compound isjust not realistic. It is perhapsmore cost effective to buffer feedsome conserved silage.

Mins and vitsGrazed grass is deficient in mostmacro minerals such as calcium,magnesium and sodium and traceelements such as copper, seleniumand zinc. The key is to pack theseinto the target 2kg feed rate.

**DF Apr p22 NZ System 22/3/12 12:51 Page 1

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DF_04_P23 22/3/12 12:08 Page 21


ANIMAL HEALTH

Make sure totune diet atturnout time

Sudden changes in diet at turnout can have drasticconsequences. Independent consultant Sam Kelly from theBristol-based Kelly Farm Consulting gives us some pointers ashow we can best manage the change.

Spring turnout is always a delicatebalancing act as we change fromone diet to another and care mustbe taken if yields are not to beadversely affected.

First, it is vital to ensure grazing isbalanced with a buffer feed to make surethe energy requirements of the cow aremet, while also ensuring grazing intakesare not being simply replaced by moreexpensive feeds.

Often a decrease in milk yield is seen atturnout because there is not enoughenergy being provided, particularly forearly lactation and higher yielding cows.Not only does this shortage of energydecrease milk yields, but will also makecows lose weight and this can lead tofertility problems later on.

Dairy cows do not like change. Turnoutis one of the biggest changes a cow will

see, so it is important to minimise theimpact from a nutritional point of view.We need to minimise the impact on thecow by ensuring she continues to receivethe same nutrients as she was receivingover winter on the forage-based diet, andthe main aspects of the ration to ensureremain constant are: ■ Energy■ Overall protein level■ NDF■ Minerals.

Feeding the same TMR as has been fedthroughout winter at a reduced rate issometimes enough to ensure a balancedration at turnout, with little impact on thecow. (See Table 1).

As can be seen from the table, feedingTMR at 60% of the rate it was being fed inwinter (but urea can be stopped), plus 7kgof grazing dry matter, limits the change in

Turnout is potentially one of the biggest changes a cow will see, so it is important tominimise the impact from a nutritional point of view.

**DF Apr p24 27 Turnout 22/3/12 11:42 Page 1

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DF_04_P26 23/3/12 10:50 Page 21

ANIMAL HEALTH


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■ Minimise the impact of turnout by makingthe overall nutritional change to the diet assmall as possible. ■ Ensure the energy requirements of yourcows are still being met after turnout. ■ Work out a level of mineralsupplementation based on the expectedamount of grass the cows will eat –remember to check you are feeding the mostappropriate minerals. ■ Keep the ration under constant review asthe season and weather change.

TURNOUT SUMMARY

ME, MP and NDF to less than 5% but alsocontinues to meet the needs of the cow.

It is important to have forages analysed so youknow the true feeding value of them. The rationshould be kept under constant review withassistance from your nutritionist as the seasondevelops, the weather changes, and dry matterintakes of grass increase or decrease withavailability. Protein, energy, dry matter andmineral content of your grass will varydramatically depending on the weather for theparticular season.

The most variable factors in grazed grass aredry matter and sugar content, which will varyevery day. It is impossible to know on a day-by-day basis exactly how much the cows are getting,but averages as the season progresses are shownbelow. (Table 2).

Tight grazingGood grassland management can keep grassquality close to spring grazing quality. The key toachieving this is grazing tight enough, especiallyat the first grazing. Take grass down to a twoinches stubble (1500kg DM/ha) at each grazingto keep regrowth quality high.

It is also important to ensure the mineralbalance of the ration is correct. Spring grass inparticular is high in potassium which can causeissues such as Hypomagnesaemia (grass staggers).Ensure magnesium is added to the buffer feed orcompound feed to achieve a magnesium intakeof 50g/day.

While the total amount of TMR is beingreduced back at turnout, we would recommendthe level of feeding of minerals is maintained atthe winter rate at least. Where possible, youshould estimate the amount of grazed grass drymatter you expect your cows to eat each day,and work out a mineral supplementation levelbased on that.

You should also bear in mind the mineralyou have been feeding through winter maynot be the most beneficial to be feeding atturnout – your nutritionist will be able toadvise you.

Additionally, if you are feeding dairy cakethrough parlour feeders or out-of-parlourfeeders, the magnesium level in these productswill normally be increased in the spring tocompensate for turnout – but do check withyour compounder to determine whether this isthe case or not.

Table 2: Changes in grazing over seasonME Crude Protein Sugar Oil NDF(MJ/kg DM) (% DM) (% DM) (% DM) (% DM)

Spring grazing 12.0 22 20 4.7 45Summer grazing 11.2 16 16 4.0 55

Table1: Example housed & turnout rations for a 30-litre cow (4% BF, 3.2% P)Winter ration Spring turnout Change

Feeds kg fresh kg fresh %Spring grass (kg DM) - 7.00Maize silage 25.00 15.00Grass silage – 1st Cut 23.00 13.80Hi Pro Soya 2.00 1.20Maize Balancer Mineral 0.13 0.13Urea 0.13Soya hulls 3.00 1.80Maize meal 3.00 1.80NutrientsME (MJ/day) 233 224 - 4%MP (g/day) 1894 1924 +2%NDF (kg/day) 8.6 8.3 - 4%

**DF Apr p24 27 Turnout 22/3/12 12:37 Page 2


NEW PRODUCTS

New products are now featured in each issue ofDairy Farmer. Please sendinformation and photographsto Jennifer MacKenzie [email protected] call 01768 896 150.

New products

Sire catalogue■ Bullsemen.com’s latest sirecatalogue includes newlyavailable genomic Holsteinssuch as the Mascol son Masseyand the leading £PLI sexed bullLogan (Oman x BW Marshall).

The genomic bull selectionincludes other Holsteins fromUS breeding co-operative CRI,which is leading the way inDNA-based bull selection. Allare high £PLI bulls with stronglinear trait profiles, and Pairand Glenton are available as90% heifer sexed semen.

Sexed semen is alsoavailable from eight otherhigh-ranking Holsteins withconventional progeny proofs,including Oman sons Loganand Loydie and Shottle sonSantana in the 90% heiferformat. Also available in thesexed semen category are twoOman sons – Holman andCavana – in the economicallypriced 75% sexed format.

The Bull Book, whichfeatures Bullsemen.com’sminimum standards protocoland applies the Promar profitfigure throughout, is free. Call Freephone 0808 202 3230or visit www.bullsemen.com

New herbicides■ Syngenta has launched anew maize herbicide for weedcontrol. Peak, a straightprosulfuron herbicide, can beused as a post-emergencetreatment on its own or as atank-mix with other products.

It has also introduced a newpre-formulated maize herb-icide, Casper, which is amixture of dicamba and pro-sulfuron covering all broad-leaved weed risks, with thebenefit of a boost in residualactivity for long-term springweed control. Details on 01223 883 526 orwww.syngenta-crop.co.uk

NEWS IN BRIEF

STERLING Sires is offering UKdairy farmers a new source ofgenetics with outcross and cross-breeding options, an emphasis onmilk from forage, and medium-sized cows with better thanaverage longevity.

As UK distributor for GeneticsAustralia (GA), the company hasaffordable Holstein, Jersey andAussie Red bulls available withnone expected to exceed £20 perstraw.

Aussie Red, a combination ofScandinavian Red and AustralianShorthorn bloodlines, allowspedigree breeders looking fornew bloodlines to stay withintheir breed’s herdbook, offeringoutcross choices from diverseancestry. They also present newoptions to farmers pursuing cross-breeding strategies.

Among the Holstein sires,Cardinal is in the Australian top1% for combined type andprofit ratings, with a converted

Manna Farm Del Santo is a daugh-ter of top ranking Delsanto.

proof of +414kg milk and+22.7kg combined fat andprotein (CFP).

For CFP improvementspecifically, Australia’s top ratedsire Delsanto rates +34.8kg, basedon +0.33% fat and +0.14%protein, and is also in his homecountry’s top 1% for combinedtype and profit. Some of the GAbulls are homozygous carriers ofthe a2 milk protein gene, in whichsome UK milk processors arebeginning to show interest.■ Details at www.sterlingsires.co.uk or 01531 890 810.

Aussie stud genetics forcross-breeding options

Monitor detectsdrill blockages

Anew electronicmonitoring system fordetecting blockages inpneumatic drills fromKuhn Farm Machinery

provides peace of mind andminimises any consequentcropping deficiencies.

The KLS 128 pneumatic seeddrill flow monitor, whichincorporates sensors in each pipebetween the distribution head

and the coulters, alerts the tractordriver through a cab alarm facilityand is designed to detect andidentify even partial blockages inany of the distribution pipes.

The KLS 128 can be fitted tomany of Kuhn’s pneumatic seeddrills, including models in theVenta, Moduliner and Speedlinerranges.■ Details at www.kuhn.co.uk or01952 239 300.

DAIRY farmer Jonathan Caygillhas designed an easy to use cowhoist to help save increasinglyvaluable cows.

Mr Caygill, who milks morethan 200 Holsteins near Skipton,developed the durable and valuefor money Easy Cow Lift after hecould not find anything else onthe market for his own use.

Made from recycled rubber andgalvanised steel, it is placed undera ‘downer’ cow which is thenlifted with pallet forks. He believesits ease of use will encouragefarmers to lift cows earlier,hopefully preventing permanentnerve and muscle damage.

It fits onto pallet forks or amuck fork – the cow can be left inthe raised position for longperiods and can be milked. It canbe left under the cow until thenext time she needs lifting, or itcan be easily removed once thecow is standing on her own. ■ Details at www.easycowlift.comor 01756 730 277.

Easy to usecow hoist

Drinker rangeMOORE Concrete Products hasexpanded its drinker range withthe addition of a 500-gallon(2270-litre) trough.

With the same distinctiveprofile as the double range, thedrinker measures 4000mm long x1200w x 800d. It includes a curvedprofile making the drinker saferfor animals and enhancing itsstrength. Each drinker includes a49mm rubber bung, which ispositioned on the sidewall of thedrinker, as well as a lid.■ Details on 028 2565 2566 or atwww.moore-concrete.com

**DF Apr p28 New Products 22/3/12 11:45 Page 1


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DF_04_P29 22/3/12 12:17 Page 21


MILK PRICES

Milk PricesMilk price analyst StephenBradley comments on the latest milk industry developments.

Milk Link price■ Milk Link has declared itwill be holding its price forthe sixth consecutive monthagainst growing speculationfarm gate milk prices could beon the way down this spring. The price freeze for the firstmonth of the new quota yearmaintains our standard litre(4%b/f & 3.3% prot,Bactoscans of 30,000/ml &SCCs of 200,000/ml, 1mltrs/yron EODC) price at 28.5ppl onboth Member Liquid andManufacturing contracts.

NEWS IN BRIEF

Prices hold upfor time being

Following Milk Link’sannouncement to hold itsprice for April, it waslooking quiet on the‘Western Front’. Of

course the following month(May) might be a differentmatter, but the generalexpectation at this time was forTesco alone to be the only oneto impose a modest downwardprice move (0.65ppl) linked tothe cost of milk production.

This month our milk price tablefocuses on milk prices paid forJan’12 supplies and possibly

reflects the last price increasesseen for some time to come. Pickof the increases include CadburySelkley Vale up 1.49ppl to30.04ppl for our standard litre,followed by Meadow Foods up0.5ppl to 28.88ppl with the sameincrease in Cumbria taking theirprice in the north up to 28.96ppl.

Lactalis increased itsCaledonian price by 0.15ppl to29.07ppl but United DairyFarmers was forced to cut theirbase price by a further 0.5ppl,taking our price for them downto 28.06ppl.

United’s push for quality HAVING introduced the RedTractor scheme to NorthernIreland in 2009, and with GBsales of Dale Farm productsgrowing strongly, United DairyFarmers (with a currentaccredited pool of around200mltrs/yr) are to open thescheme to all members fromApr’12 with an incentive of0.2ppl for accreditation.

This is in addition to the0.2ppl bonus already paid tothose whose accredited milk isused by Dale Farm to makecheese, butter and fresh milk.

Changes to Bactoscan will alsocome into force from Apr’12.United claim since the currenthygiene scheme was introducedin Apr’07, SCC quality from

members’ supply has deterio-rated while Bactoscans haveshown no improvement since thetest was introduced in 2005.

Therefore the bonus forBactoscan counts of 20,000/ml orless will increase from 0.1ppl to0.3ppl. The existing neutralsecond band starting at20,001/ml through to 250,000/mlswitches to an upper limit of30,000/ml with a new bonus of0.15ppl attached. The neutralband will then apply from30,001/ml to 150,000/ml with thefirst penalty of 0.5ppl applyingfor average counts of 150,001/mlto 200,000/ml.

SCC changes will take place inOct 12 and collection chargesincrease from July 12.

**DF Apr p30 31 Prices 22/3/12 12:55 Page 1

MILK PRICES


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5

ww

w.r

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gs.c

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Dec'11 Jan'12 Jan'12 12mth

4.0/3.3 4.0/3.3 4.0/3.3 Ave

Before Before 1mltr Jan'11

Seas'lty Seas'lty SAPP Dec'11

(i) (ii) **(iii) (iv)

D.C - M&S ∞ 32.10 32.10 31.87 30.43

RWD - Tesco Scotland 30.21 30.21 30.21 29.74

RWD - Tesco England 30.21 30.21 30.21 29.74

Arla Foods - Tesco •• 29.96 29.96 29.97 29.47

D.C - Waitrose ∞^ 31.09 31.09 30.83 29.36

D.C - Sainsbury's 30.79 30.79 31.08 29.34

RWD - Sainsbury's Central Scotland 30.53 30.53 30.53 29.21

RWD - Sainsbury's England 30.53 30.53 30.53 29.21

Arla Foods - AFMP Sainsbury's •• 30.48 30.48 30.48 28.97

Cadbury - Selkley Vale Milk 28.56 30.04 30.04 28.16

Caledonian Cheese Co - Profile ‡ 29.56 29.70 29.82 28.09

D.C - Davidstow ∞ 28.99 28.99 29.28 28.05

Arla Foods - Asda•• 29.38 29.38 29.38 28.03

United Dairy Farmers ≠ 28.56 28.06 28.06 27.85

Wyke Farms 29.00 29.00 29.00 27.81

Robert Wiseman - The Co-op Dairy Group 29.78 29.78 29.78 27.74

Barber A.J & R.G 28.61 28.61 28.61 27.70

Caledonian Cheese Co 28.93 29.07 29.07 27.48

Blackmore Vale Farm Cream 28.65 28.65 28.65 27.46

Wensleydale Dairy Products 28.49 28.49 28.50 27.40

Milk Link Rodda's ¢• 28.91 28.91 28.86 27.35

Parkham Farms 28.82 28.82 29.32 27.30

Milk Link - London Liquid 28.50 28.50 28.50 27.28

Milk Link - West Country Liquid 28.50 28.50 28.50 27.28

Grahams Dairies 28.60 28.60 28.60 27.25

Arla Foods - AFMP (Non-Aligned) •• 28.88 28.88 28.88 27.22

D.C - Liquid Regional Premium ∞¶ 28.61 28.61 28.90 27.09

Robert Wiseman - Aberdeen 28.43 28.43 28.43 27.06

Robert Wiseman - Central Scotland 28.43 28.43 28.43 27.06

Robert Wiseman - England 28.43 28.43 28.43 27.06

Saputo UK - Level supply # 28.21 28.21 28.21 26.99

Paynes Farms Dairies 28.45 28.45 28.45 26.97

Meadow Foods Lakes ± 28.46 28.96 29.38 26.97

Milk Link - Manufacturing ¢• 28.51 28.51 28.46 26.96

Arla Foods - AFMP Standard •• 28.63 28.63 28.63 26.96

Meadow Foods - Seasonal 28.38 28.88 28.88 26.91

Meadow Foods - Level 28.38 28.88 28.88 26.83

Belton Cheese 27.80 27.80 27.80 26.78

Glanbia - Llangefni (flat) 27.85 27.85 27.85 26.70

South Caernarfon 28.02 28.02 29.02 26.70

Saputo UK - Seasonal # 27.91 27.91 27.91 26.69

Joseph Heler 27.99 27.99 27.99 26.65

Glanbia - Llangefni (Constituent) 27.78 27.78 27.78 26.61

First Milk - Highlands & Islands § 27.97 27.97 28.02 26.53

D.C - Liquid Milk & More ∞ ¶ 27.80 27.80 28.09 26.32

First Milk - Liquid § 27.90 27.90 28.00 26.27

First Milk - Cheese § 27.50 27.50 27.60 26.10

First Milk Balancing § 27.50 27.50 27.60 26.08

Average Price 28.86 28.92 28.98 27.57

Notes to tablePrices paid for 1mltr producer supplying milk of average constituents 4% butterfat and 3.3% protein, SCCs of 200,000/ml and

Bactoscans of 30,000/ml on EODC excluding capital retentions and MDC levies. SAPP = Seasonally Adjusted Profile Price. (i) Dec11

prices before seasonality. (ii) Jan'12 prices before seasonality. (iii) Seasonally adjusted profile price for Jan’12 taking into account

monthly seasonality payments and profiles of supply. ** Seasonal adjusted profile supply for 1mltr supplier (using monthly RPA fig-

ures) for Jan’12 =2,813ltrs/day, flat supply=2,740ltrs/day. (iv) Table ranked on the seasonally adjusted price for the 12mths to

Jan’12. § SAPP reflects 80% of producer’s previous year’s daily average volume (2,269ltrs/day) paid as a core price with the remain-

ing marginal volume (544ltrs/day for Jan’12) priced @ 100% of the core price for Jan’12. ¢ SAPP reflects 2,726ltrs (Aug to Dec’10

daily average) paid as ‘A’ ltrs with the remaining ‘B’ ltrs paid @ 95% of the ‘A’ price (ie constituents plus Market Related Adjustment)

for Jan’12. • 87 'B' litres/day applicable for Jan’12 with daily volume of 2,813ltrs/day above the 'A' volume of 2,726ltrs. 0.5ppl pro-

duction bonus for Milk Link & First Milk applicable in the seasonal price due to Jan’12 daily production above Jan’11 based on RPA

monthly figures. •• No balancing charge for Jan’12.∞ Price before seasonality includes 12mth rolling profile payment of 1.21ppl to

Jan’12 (n/c from the previous month). Milk & More 12mth rolling profile payment also 1.21ppl. ∞^ Price before seasonality includes

12mth rolling profile payment of 0.57ppl to Jan’12 (n/c on previous month). ± Price before seasonality includes 12mth rolling profile

payment of 0.58ppl to Jan'12 (unchanged from the previous month). # Constituent payments priced by volume. ≠ Seasonality built

into monthly base price. Arla Foods – AFMP Standard reflects price before the addition of 0.25ppl Non-Aligned Farm Premium.

¶ Price includes 0.4ppl Regional Premium. ‡ Non-seasonal price includes 12mth average rolling profile 0.63ppl to Dec'11

(unchanged on previous month). Tesco milk prices include the 0.5ppl bonus for co-operation with Promar costings. Milkprices.com

cannot take any responsibility for losses arising. Copyright: Milkprices.com

**DF Apr p30 31 Prices 22/3/12 12:56 Page 2


WORKSHOP TIPS

With the growing incidence of farm theft, Mike Donovan looks at somesimple measures that can be taken to deter thieves. Mike

DonovanMike is a respected machin-ery columnist who gives ususeful tips on building ormodifying our own farmequipment. Sign up for hisfree newsletter atwww.farmideas.co.uk

Head scratchers for farm thieves

Take an inventory of theremovable contents ofyour yard and you will getto £150,000 withoutdifficulty – three tractors,

the quad bikes, Land Rover, 1500litres of red diesel and 700 litresof DERV. Then there's the IforWilliams to tow away, and youmay as well throw some tools inas well.

These days you have got moreinvested than ever before, andthere are more people out therewith the skill and inclination tohave it for themselves. They havethe contacts to get tractors andother heavy equipment sold forgood money, and unmarked toolsare easy to shift on the internetwith no questions asked.

There is a need for change. Thenumber of farm thefts is rapidlyincreasing, meaning greaterdisruption to work routines,higher insurance premiums, andincreased scrutiny over policiesand their small print. Changemeans more locks and less easyaccess. Here are three home-madesecurity ideas which werecontributed by a farmer who livesclose to urban sprawl, populatedby people with no socialconnection to their neighbours,and many with no conscienceeither. For them a small farm heistis all in a night’s work.

My contributor wanted themdeterred at the farm gate, bylocks and steel brackets whichtake time for even an expert tocut through. And, should theygain entrance, they'll find the

vehicles difficult to drive away asthe clutch pedals can't be used.

He buys high quality bolt lockswhich are stronger and moresecure than padlocks. His doublegates have a lockable frame,and/or a bracket which goesaround the end of each gate. Thefencing adjacent to the gates isdifficult to climb, and there arewarning signs about guard dogs,which do indeed exist.

Roamers, who operatethroughout the countryside, willassess the problem and move onto easier sites. However, securityat this level means discipline overkeys and routine, but still keepsthe place looking like a farmrather than part of HM Prisons.Clad gates so the passer-by has nosight of the booty beyond, addbarbed or razor wire to the top,and the extra protection comes at

The hinged frame has a tongue which drops level to welded on flanges,all three having holes which line up for a single bolt type lock.

This steel frame is beyond bolt cutters and will need a portable grinderto get through – hardened steel inserts can slow the grinder's progress.

The clutch pedal frame has aswivel tongue that locks acrossthe pedal arm.

the price of an attractive place tolive and work.

Gating the farm from theroadside, be it an A road ornarrow lane, is the mostimportant level of protection.Intruders will need to work in thegaze of passers-by and risk beingseen cutting their way through.Once in your yard they can mergeinto the background, and look asif they are legitimate contractworkers with their vehicle parkedtidily facing the exit for a quickget away. ■ Practical Farm Ideas now has483 ideas which can bedownloaded fromwww.farmideas.co.uk

**DF Apr p32 Donovan 22/3/12 11:46 Page 1

Endurance Wind Power WP DF 22/3/12 12:03 Page 1


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DF_05_P35 23/3/12 13:27 Page 22

Iwarned you all about FarmAssurance last time but it goeson. Friend of mine phoned upthe other day and I could tellhe had time for a chat. As the

chat went on and on I had to tellhim I was busy and he obviouslywas not.

Anyway, it turns out he sells hismilk on one of those supermarketcontracts, and he told me therewas a girl from the supermarketon the farm that day locomotionscoring his herd. “They make mestay in the house until she’s gone,she does my head in”, he tells me.

So now I hear that two majormilk buyers want to introduce thisto the farm assurance audit therest of us undergo. Told you, butyou don’t do anything. Farmerson supermarket contracts tell methe premium needs to be at least1.5ppl before they are better off. Iknow farmers walking away from2ppl because they say it’s notworth the hassle.

So what do you do about it?Well I never go to our local NFUmeetings but I will go to the nextone and complain under ‘anyother business’. Might not makeany difference but I might feelbetter, but if we all did it, whoknows? The only sure thing is thatif locomotion scoring is brought init will be a norm and it won’tbring any money. And after thatthey’ll think of something else forthe dedicated suppliers to do tomaintain a difference, and so itwill all go on and on.

One job I really don’t need islifting up the pallet tines to putthem on our loader. I’m alwaysstruggling to lift them on andthere’s always a bit of silage in theway. But we changed our loader abit back and the old tines don’t fitit so we’ve just found a shop-soiled set you can fit withoutgetting off the loader. First job isto unload some spring wheatseed. Trouble is the tines are newwith square edges and these cutthrough the loops on the bags

and suddenly there’s wheat seedall over the yard. On reflection,lifting pallet tines onto a loaderdoesn’t seem so bad after all.

I’m supposed to godown to the rugby clubon Friday night. There’san ex-Englandinternational andpresent-day Sky punditgiving a talk, but I’malso in charge at homethis weekend. We havecows calving, so somesort of warning kicks inand my subconscious tells me tostay at home.

I’ve got to be up early onSaturday morning, so at 9 o’clock Igo for a look round before I go tobed. For some reason all the lightsare off on the yard and in thesheds. I find the torch and put thetrip back up. But it doesn’t stay upfor long. Too sensitive thesemodern trips. We used to be ableto put a nail across those oldfashioned trips if someone waswelding.

All the electric trips go in thehouse if even a light bulb goes.This is always my fault forswitching the lights on tooquickly. So I go around the cowswith my torch and there’s one flatout with milk fever. This isn’thandy with a torch on your own,

so I ring Stephen who works here.I suppose I could get the missusout to help but we all knowwhere that would end up, falling

out aboutholding thetorch steady andwith Man Uplaying Chelseathe next day,there’s noknowing howgrumpy theweekend couldbe. Still, I’m back

in by 11 o’clock which is about theearliest I would have been back ifI’d gone to the club and the cowwould have been more sick andthe dog would have had to holdthe torch. So it could all havebeen a lot worse.

My wife takes the Daily Mail. Ialways say that, as if as an apology,but I read it as well, simply becauseit is the only newspaper we have.It follows that we also read theMail on Sunday. I’m notsuperstitious, well I don’t think Iam, but there’s lots of things Idon’t do that are called temptingprovidence. Going down to therugby club would have beentempting providence and myinstincts proved right.

But I read my horoscope in theMail on Sunday, largely because

it’s nearly always a good one. Ifyou asked me an hour later whatit was, I probably wouldn’tremember, but for that hour itusually makes me feel good. Mosthoroscopes predict love, power orwealth, but I’ve not had muchexperience of any of these andwhen it comes down to reality, it’sthe little things in life that make itall worthwhile.

So now it’s Saturday morningand I’m still in charge anddetermined to do well. So I go upthe yard a bit earlier than usualand the yard lights are still all out.It takes me some time to locatethe torch, it’s not that handyfinding a torch in the dark, butwhen I do I put the trip switch up.The lights come on, but only for acouple of minutes. The parlourlights are ok and I assemble thecows in the collecting yard. I getthe scraper tractor fired up andput the trip back up.

Scraping out here is not allstraight lines – it’s more like amaze. There used to be lights anddoors on this tractor, but we allknow how long such things laston a scraper tractor, so when theyard lights go out again I’ve got adilemma. All our scraping needsto be done while the cows arebeing milked – in fact you areunder some scraping pressure toget some done before the firstrow comes out of the parlour. So Igo and look for the torch again.Now I’m scraping one handedwhich isn’t very handy, the gearsare on one side, the hydraulic liftlever is on the other and I have tohave one hand outside the cabwith the torch to see where I amgoing or I will probably knock allthe cubicles down.

It’s the little things in life thatmake the difference, never mindlove, money or power. As Istruggle on with my scraping Iconsole myself with the thoughtthat I wouldn’t be able to scrapeout by torchlight if there wereany doors left on the tractor!


GOOD EVANS

Despite last month’s letter Roger Evans remains unconvinced about Farm Assurance, but just at the momentwith the electric tripped out he has other more pressing matters to resolve.

How I end up scraping out the cubicles by torchlight

...the cow would havebeen more sick and thedog would have had tohold the torch. So itcould all have been a lotworse.

**DF Apr p36 Evans 22/3/12 11:26 Page 1

Cattle Services WP DF 22/3/12 11:59 Page 1

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Dairy Farmer Digital Edition April 2012

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