Hello and welcome to the blog for Lancashire’s monitor dairy farm, I am Robert Burrow the facilitator for the monitor farm.
I am part of the Rural Team, based in the Rural Business Centre at Myerscough (Tel:01995 642206) delivering the Northwest Livestock Programme in Lancashire. I will be working with the Hartley family at Bashall Eaves, Clitheroe, for the next three years (2009-2012), organising and facilitating the business group meetings and posting updates here.
report by Robert Burrow
THIS meeting focused on improving the grassland at Mason House with the aim of increasing the amount of Perennial Ryegrass in the cutting swards to produce higher quality silage so it is consistent throughout the clamp
The meeting built on the suggestions that Chris Savery made at the previous meeting of trying to produce grass silage that was as stable in the clamp as whole-crop or maize.
Out in the fields: With Helen Mathieu (left) and Jim Bretherton (right)
To help bring all of this together the speakers for the day were Helen Mathieu (British Seed Houses) and James Bretherton (Agscope) who had both been on the farm a fortnight earlier to assess the fields available for cutting and start to plan which fields should be tackled first, when and how.
And this information would then be used to develop a re-seeding programme that can be reviewed on an annual basis.
Top Tips from the Meeting
• Swards should be assessed to establish which grass species they contain
• The heading dates of grass are not affected by when they were last grazed or cut, instead it is day length that triggers it
• Soil is the farmer’s greatest resource, it should be regularly condition scored
• Soil life is like rumen health in cows, it needs managing in the same way
Update since last Meeting
Following the recommendations made by Chris Savery, John has now opened up the bottom end of the cattle building to give the cows another route to the feed trough. He has also started feeding potatoes under the silage in the feed trough to increase the energy content of the diet.
The outcomes from these changes are now being monitored and will be discussed in more detail at future meetings.
Utilising Nitrogen
In her opening introduction, Helen Mathieu stressed how important it was to maximise the farm’s output from forage, regardless of whether it was grazed or grass that had been ensiled.
She said that the more that is produced and utilised effectively per hectare the higher the corresponding gross margin would be. This has dropped by 10% nationally over the past five years at Mason House as average herd size has increased, whilst the stocking rates have remained fairly constant.
Helen Mathieu shows the group what Perennial Ryegrass looks like
Helen also explained that once the percentage of Perennial Ryegrass drops below 50%, the weed grasses that replace them don’t utilise nitrogen fertiliser as efficiently. This then means there is a drop in yield of grass, combined with the nitrogen fertiliser being wasted through not being utilised fully.
The swards that contain the higher percentages of Perennial Ryegrass are also quicker to start growing in spring and recover faster when they have been mown or grazed, plus they have a higher D value.
Grass Species
When considering what species are in the sward, try not to identify most of the grass species out there, you only need to recognise the Perennial Ryegrass content.
This is a simple process of walking the fields taking in probably 20 areas and in each one gauging the percentage of Perennial Ryegrass. Helen then assured everyone this is not easy, or an exact science, as we are talking about small numbers that make such a big financial difference, it is just attention to detail to get it right.
Helen then went on to discuss the pros and cons of the different types of ryegrass, comparing the difference between Italian and Perennial, whether they should be Diploids or Tetraploids and either early, intermediate or late varieties.
With tremendous improvements through breeding now increasing the use of intermediate types, particularly diploids, new Aber varieties have early spring growth higher than most early varieties – but with heading dates approximately a week later – enabling good quality silage cuts to be taken which will persist in a well managed sward for 5 to 7 years.
Visual Assessment
Looking for Ryegrass
The group then had the chance to assess the amount of Perennial Ryegrass in one of the cutting fields, one of the grasses that was growing there was Rough Stalked Meadow grass easily identified by the leaf blades being smooth above and below, with a groove either side of the central line on the upper surface.
These blades are shaped like the bow of a boat at the tip and are usually paler green or a dull blue in colour.
Whilst this is a highly palatable grass that provides a good ‘bottom’ to sward, it shouldn’t be considered for agricultural purposes when compared to the higher yielding ryegrasses and is now mainly used in horse paddocks.
The Perennial Ryegrass has leaves with a very waxy or shiny appearance and a distinct purpling at the base of the stem. The general observation on the field was that the percentage of Perennial Ryegrass was below 50% and it was unsatisfactory.
Therefore consideration was given to either a complete re-seed (which would last 5 to 8 years) or over-seeding, (which would only be a short term fix and last 2 to 3 years.).
When considering a re-seeding programme, it should take into account all the fields, whilst remaining flexible enough to be changed. This depends on the conditions within the different swards and as to whether the weather is suitable for carrying out the work at the appropriate time.
CLICK HERE to view Helen Mathieu’s grassland improvement presentation from the day >>
SOIL: A Farmer’s Greatest Resource
A FARMER'S GREATEST RESOURCE: Jim Bretherton discusses the importance of having healthy soil
To ensure that any grass is growing to its potential then the soil condition needs to be right. Jim Bretherton described soil as the farmer’s greatest resource and that it was a ‘living environment’. He then compared its health to the rumen health of a cow and how it needed managing in the same way.
Mineral Imbalance
The soil structure can affect the mineral uptake, especially in grass silage, and if there is an imbalance it can increase the Molybdenum, Iron and Potassium levels in the forage, lower the available Copper, Zinc and Calcium levels and cause poor crop structure in terms of fibre and lower the crop’s disease resistance.
In turn these mineral imbalances can then affect cow health, causing increases in Displaced Abomasums, Milk Fever and fertility problems. If there is a problem then not only should the blood of the cows be tested but so should the forage and the soil to establish exactly what is causing the problem.
Jim then explained that normal soil composition is 48% mineral content, 26% water, 21% air and 5% organic matter. He showed how the air content is often reduced by the increased application rates of slurry due to higher stock rates on many farms.
This causes the soil to become anaerobic, making it sour, with the grass becoming unpalatable and often rejected by grazing stock.
The sourness is due to the soil slowly dying due to it suffocating through lack of air, as one teaspoon of soil can contain up to a billion different microscopic organisms. There should also be between 5 to 7 worms for every square foot of soil and these should vary in size, indicating that the worms are of different ages.
Dig a Hole
Condition scoring soil: The first thing you should assess is soil smell - an earthy smell indicates good ‘bug life’
The group then put all of this into perspective by digging a foot square of soil, about 6 to 9 inches deep in one of the fields which will be used for cutting. Jim then described to the group how to condition score the soil, explaining the first thing you should assess is the soil smell, an earthy smell indicates a good ‘bug life’, and if it doesn’t smell, one of the easiest ways to improve it is by aerating it, as the pans caused by livestock and machinery will starve soils of air.
When dug up, the structure of the soil looked in reasonable condition with a good amount of root growth, however there were tinges of orange indicating that it could be slightly panned and would benefit from being aerated.
“Worms will move as much soil as ploughing a field”
There were a reasonable amount of worms in the soil, which will help with drainage and over a twelve month period these worms will move as much soil as you would if you ploughed the field.
Conclusions from the Presentations
• Assess swards for ground cover (perennial ryegrass, clover and weeds)
• Have a reseeding programme that targets the appropriate fields
• Decide whether to reseed or over-seed, choosing the correct mixture selection
• Soil is a living environment and should be treated as a living thing
• Understanding soil is much more than NPK & PH
• Regularly condition score your soil
Outcomes from the Meeting
John will now over-seed a percentage of the cutting ground each year, and re-seed the worst fields.
The over-seeding using either a slot seeder or grass harrow or both, will take place following either first or second cut, depending on weather and soil condition.
The soil and forage are both being tested for mineral content, to aid future stock health planning.
CLICK HERE for James Bretherton’s Soil Improvement presentation >>
Future Business Group Work
The next meeting will be to assess the financial implications and cost benefits of re-seeding. Group members will be notified of the date and time once arranged.
THE next monitor farm business group meeting will take place on Wednesday 5th May, 10am – 2pm at Mason House Farm.
The speakers will be Helen Mathieu from British Seed Houses and James Bretherton from Agscope.
Invites have been sent out to the business group members that attended the last meeting.
report by farm facilitator Robert Burrow
THE second monitor farm meeting looked at the nutrition of the milking cows at Mason House.
Chris Savery from the Dairy Group comments on the 'excellent clamp' at Mason House
There was plenty of focused discussion around the diet of John’s cows from the 27 farmers that attended, particularly looking to see if there are any areas within the current feeding programme that could be tweaked to improve the performance of the milking cows, and whether John should consider taking three cuts of silage rather than the two he presently does.
To address these two topics Chris Savery from the Dairy Group was the speaker for the afternoon, and after spending the morning with John looking at the cows, the current feeding regime and all the available records, he reported back to the business group.
Business Improvement Plan
Following a hotpot lunch, I opened the general discussions by explaining the Business Improvement Plan that I’ve written for John. This is a live document, looking at all the business; it includes financial and physical figures and data from the Livestock Programme’s Animal Health Plan, Nutrient Management Plan, Resource Audit and DairyCo’s Milkbench+.
The aim of the Business Improvement Plan is to help John maintain a viable business, improve his cash flow and overall farm profit – with the long term critical factor being to maximise and maintain the amount of milk produced daily at a realistic margin against measures and targets set out in the plan for the next 12 and 24 months.
Opening discussion
We will be monitoring John’s cows’ performance using the Dairy Group’s monthly MCi costings and annual Milkbench+ figures, which led me to question the group “what are the main financial/physical figures we should be using to monitor any dairy enterprise”. The responses included; margin over concentrates, the cost of feed, finance, vet, labour, power, machinery, culls and replacements, net margin, pence per litre, average yield, milk from forage and calving index.
This was quite a comprehensive list, so the group then chose the main 5 we could use. In no particular order of importance these were: average yield, concentrate feed costs pence per litre, margin over concentrates, milk from forage and calving index, with net margin per litre added as a 6th option. The group were then asked to write their own figures down, without revealing who’s they were, the results of which will then be included in the Business Group Members Area.
I also asked those there who would be willing to form a sub-group to start to compare some of these figures in more detail. This will then allow comparisons to be made within the group and should highlight possible areas for further discussion, either at future monitor farm meetings or as separate topics within the livestock programme.
The two questions posed to Chris Savery
1. Are cows being fed to maximize their milk yields at present and what other options are there?
2. Currently John takes 2 cuts of silage (early June & Aug) ensiled with a by-product to create silage with a higher feed value, or should he take 3 cuts?
Chris Savery
Chris started his talk by reiterating the need to keep up-to-date records that will allow the performance of the herd to be measured, otherwise how can anyone tell if they are moving in the right direction. He then looked at the two questions I had posed him before his discussion with John earlier that morning.
We have now started using the DCi monthly costings, so Chris was well aware of John’s monthly and annual rolling figures, which he also linked into the herd’s health, milk yields, butterfat %, protein %, and overall herd fertility.
Regular nutrient supply
His view was that you should look at the full production cycle, highlighting that cows need nutrients rather than specific feeds, including the consistency of regular nutrient supply, showing that many production related problems often reflect a poor forage supply and the need for the management of the feeding not to be too complicated.
However, not forgetting health issues, he said with a high proportion of problems being created around calving, along those that were metabolic, also meant there was a need to have good feet to be able to move around easily to maintain good forage intakes.
Improving nutrient uptake
Chris had earlier viewed John’s cows, stating that they looked in good health, with no signs of anything evident. However, he said that they could possibly benefit from extra access to the feed trough as currently they only access it from one end – which could be leading to bullying and be stopping some cows from eating adequate levels of silage.
He then added that the inclusion of hay in the diet, to create more ‘scratch factor’ would help keep the rumen healthy and improve the nutrient uptake from the diet.
The discussions then turned to the second question I had asked Chris, should John carrying on taking two cuts and include a by-product which was Trafford Gold last year or possible look to take three cuts?.
An excellent clamp
His general observation on John’s clamp was that it was admirable, with no waste on the top or sides, the dry matter and fermentation quality were both good, it was very stable, with no heating or spoilage, although it was slightly mature affecting the digestibility, which John explained was due to the cutting date being delayed by the weather. He did question the use of an additive, but admitted it was good insurance against secondary fermentation.
The discussion then turned to whether John should carry on taking two cuts of silage, (whilst including something like Trafford Gold) or start making three. The general feeling was that the cost of making a third cut, combined with John’s heavy land was a high prohibiting factor, however the main focus should be on cutting the grass as early as possible, without it affecting yields and to aim to make the silage with a dry matter of 30%.
As over the last winter many grass silages have been very variable, due in the main as a consequence to last years wet summer, and this has now been the same for the last three years.
Another area which created quite a discussion was the ideal chop length for ensiled grass. Chris felt John’s cows would benefit from the grass having a longer chop length than at present, as it would create longer fibre within the clamp, again helping improve the function within the cow’s rumen.
Bearing in mind that longer chopped grass does take more managing when being clamped, this will help in improving the overall performance of the cows.
Outcomes from the meeting
Whilst the group were in the yard, John described how he will alter one end of his cattle building to allow his cows extra access to the feed trough and look at the options for feeding hay to his milking cows. The affects of these will both be monitored over the coming months and reported on at the next meeting.
The figures the group gave during the opening discussions are available in the Business Group Members area (password protected and accessed via this link )
A sub-group will be formed to start to look at John’s, and the group’s own, financial and physical figures in more detail.
The cost of bulk feeds on the farm is to be examined in more detail to allow for improved planning in future years.
And to help improve the consistency of his grass silage long term, John now needs to put together a grassland management plan to improve the types of grass in the cutting sward and lift both the sugar content and yield.
Next meeting
The next meeting in early May will look at the growing grasses within the sward in John’s cutting ground to establish which fields need improving first and the different options available for grassland rejuvenation.
THERE were 19 farmers at the first business group meeting held at Mason House.
The group discussed John’s Animal Health Plan (AHP), the issues it has highlighted and the problems arising with the transitional cows before and after they have calved.
This is an area John has highlighted in the Business Improvement Plan carried out as part of being the monitor farmer and one he is keen to see improved over the coming years. Another key area John is looking to address is the monitoring of his costs, realising that if he can’t measure it then he can’t manage it.
Opening Discussion
During the opening discussions everyone was asked to consider how they used their vet, did they think it was an investment or a cost? This was then linked to the AHP, which should both be looked upon as an investment in time and money, resulting in fewer cull cows, improved performance and a reduced calving interval.
Report on Animal Health and Welfare Plan
Roger Marsden from the Myerscough group, who is John’s vet and has carried out the AHP, explained what it found and how the different issues are currently being dealt with.
Dry Cow Accommodation Discussion
The group then re-located to the cubicle housing, to discuss the options for new dry cow housing.
John would like to double the size of the dry cow accommodation; however he is unsure as to whether to have cubicles, straw beds or a mix of the two. Following quite a lengthy debate the group was split between the two options, with plenty of pros and cons for both options.
Presentation on Dry Cow Transition
The group then returned to the barn for the remaining presentation from Richard Cooper from Evidence Based Veterinary Consultancy on dry cow transition. He gave a very in-depth presentation on dry cow management – one area often neglected on many farms.
The presentation covered the fact that for a modern dairy cow to achieve maximum yields it needs looking after correctly in the dry period – it cannot just be dried off and forgotten about.
All of this was then wrapped up by a short period of group discussion around general dry cow diets and appropriate accommodation, followed by a welcome hot-pot lunch.
Robert (Farm Facilitator)
You can leave your thoughts or comments at the foot of the page to generate discussion between meetings by clicking ‘Add a Comment’ below.
The next meeting on this monitor farm is planned for Tuesday 8th December 2009, 10-30am to 2pm.
Farm vet Fergus Condi from Myerscough Vets will be discussing the farm’s herd health plan and nutrition following blood test results, with input from nutrionist Richard Vecqueray.
For further information, please contact Robert Burrow at Myerscough College (01995 642 206) to book your place at the meeting.
The first meeting on this monitor farm came in the form of a launch day (Wednesday 7th October 2009) >>Read the launch day report
In the press…
>>”More time, better welfare with robotic milking”
- read the Farmers Weekly report on Mason House Farm
Farm facilitator Robert Burrow, Myerscough vet Fergus Condi, John Hartley and nutritionist Peter Storr
The day was organised to introduce Lancashire and Greater Manchester dairy producers to the concept of monitor farms, to familiarise themselves with the farm and interest them in attending future meetings as part of a business group that will discuss relevant performance issues with input from industry specialists.
John Hartley, who milks 140 pedigree Holstein Fresians at the Bashall Eaves farm, explained why the family chose to put in robotic milkers, how the cows have taken to them and the permanent indoor system they now work with.
The farm’s nutritionist, Peter Storr from Graham Surtees Associates, explained the work being done to improve the dry cow transition diet, by introducing higher dry matter after calving, as well as the importance of two cuts of quality silage.
Farm vets Fergus Condi and Roger Marsden from Myerscough Vets outlined the advantages of having an animal health and welfare plan completed (under the Northwest Livestock Programme), and how they’re now working to cut the calving interval by improving fertility and calving to conception.
A tour of the farm’s 24-hour robotic milking machines proved popular. In two groups of 25 the tour observed the indoor herd have free access to routinely visit the two Lely Astronauts whenever they wanted.