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MI LK ING RECORDS
AUTUMN 2014 ISSUE
LIVESTOCK MATTERS
10
‘The time from calving to first service has
reduced by more than two weeks, and the
calving interval has tightened up too.
‘The target calving index according to the
DEW report is 404 days - but we won’t be
able to achieve that here due to the breeding
policy on some of the pedigree lines. Besides,
that’s not the aim on this farm. However, there
is still scope to improve efficiency.
‘Having a tighter calving pattern increases
overall herd annual milk yield - and yields
have risen nearly 1,000 litres/cow/year,
simply due to more cows being back in
production more quickly.’
Many members of the DEW Club are using
the charts on mastitis to help guide decisions
on control. Kate says: ‘At North Farm, the
record-keeping of mastitis treatments were not
very accurate at the start, but this has now
improved, and we can now track progress.
‘The Clarkes are looking to reduce the overall
cell count and also the high individual cell count
cows using the DairyCo mastitis plan.
Nick admits to hanging onto some of the
older cows which had high cell counts,
because of their good breeding lines. Kate
adds: ‘I understand the reasons for this,
but there has to come a point when hard
decisions are made. So when we could see
a good number of replacement heifers
coming through, the cows had to go.’
Kate explains: ‘Over the past 18 months we
have made some improvements across all the
KPIs. And now that I’ve got to know more about
the farming system here, and the family’s goals,
we can be more targeted, going forward.
‘There is certainly scope to further improve
fertility. Changes can be made slowly without
putting cows under stress. For instance, I’d
like to see Nick using more AI, rather than
the bull.
‘The DEW report also showed that milk protein
levels were low at both ends of the grazing
season, a reflection of cows’ low energy
levels. So maize silage is being buffer-fed at
grass this autumn to boost energy status. With
a better ration, cows will be more nutritionally
stable and this should help AI success rate.’
Nick adds: ‘We now have quarterly bulk tank
testing for IBR, leptospirosis and BVD. We are
never going to be a closed herd because we
take animals to shows, and buy-in pedigree
replacements. But the herd is fortunate to be
naïve, and Kate has set up a protocol to help
keep infectious diseases at bay.’
‘Kate knows our cows and our system well
now. And it’s good to be able to have a
one-to-one with her and discuss all sorts of
herd matters.
‘Joining the DEW Club has enabled us to get
to grips with new technology and new ways
of thinking, and we’ve adopted some new
practices for our own herd. The data in the
DEW report helps us to see the bigger picture,
and through the meetings and farm visits, we
are learning a lot, in an informal way.’
Light and airy buildings
Sam Clarke and one of the show heifers
Another element of the Drove’s DEW Club
is the option to sign up for Johne’s disease
monitoring and to have a management
plan drawn up by the farm’s vet so that,
over time, the infection in the herd can
be controlled.
Kate explains: ‘By the time a cow has
developed the clinical wasting signs of
Johne’s disease, it’s too late to do anything
other than cull her. These clinical cases are
the tip of the iceberg - because there will
be more animals in the herd that will be
going on to develop it.
‘And whilst the wasting seen in adult life
is the classic sign, the ‘big deal’ is that
Johne’s disease suppresses an animal’s
immunity. So, infected animals are more
likely to develop mastitis and lameness,
for instance.’
To identify cows with Johnes’ disease,
individual milk samples can be tested
quarterly, as part of the milk recording
service.
Kate explains: ‘Johne’s is primarily spread
to young calves by the faecal-oral route.
There is also some transfer of infection
through the mother’s colostrum, and
possibly even to the foetus in the womb.
‘So all cows which test positive need to
be kept separate around calving time, and
calves ‘snatched’ on birth to prevent them
drinking their dam’s colostrum.’
‘And when they come to be served, they
are put to a beef breed and not used for
heifer replacements.
‘All Johne’s-positive cows are added
onto the cull list, although they may not
be culled immediately. Due to the
immunosuppressive effects of the disease,
they are often already near the top of
the cull list for other reasons.’
Kate adds: ‘By reviewing the results of the
quarterly milk tests, cows newly showing
signs of infection can be identified.
Together with the management plan, this
will ensure that the negative impact of
Johne’s disease on herd health is brought
under control.
Eradicating Johne’s
disease
A pedigree Belted Galloway calf - a bit of a
sideline for the Clarkes!