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April 2, 2024
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UK - Tackling lameness in grazing cows
Spring turnout often has a positive effect on lameness, as grazing cows are at less risk of developing lesions like sole ulcers and digital dermatitis. But there are other causes of lameness to watch out for in grazing herds, as British Dairying reports.
During the grazing season, sole ulcers and digital dermatitis are less of a risk. This is because sole ulcers are associated with the amount of time the cow spends standing on concrete, and digital dermatitis thrives on wet, dirty skin. But recent research highlighted that there are still a number of other things to look out for that can cause lameness in cows while they are out at grass.
"A paper published in the Journal of Dairy Science in 2022 looked at the causes of lameness in grazing herds in Ireland," explains vet Will Gratwick at LLM Farm Vets in Shropshire. "They were all pasture-based spring-calving herds that house the cows for around 4.5 months. The findings will be applicable to spring-calving herds in the UK with a similar production system, as well as the many all-year-round calving herds who do significant amounts of grazing."
Previous studies into the causes of lameness have been carried out mainly in fully housed herds or fully outdoor herds in New Zealand, so herds like this with a mixture of housing and grazing have not really been looked at before, he says.
The main findings were as follows: The average percentage of lame cows was around 9% (range 0-30%). This is much lower than was found in studies in the UK, which have been carried out across a range of systems and usually show around 30% of cows to be lame. This supports the fact that grazing cows is generally a positive thing with regards to the risk of lameness. "However, the large range in lameness observed across the farms indicates that it is still a serious issue in some grazing herds."
Genetics was one of the key factors that affected the chance of a cow becoming lame. Cows which were more genetically susceptible to lameness had a massive 37.5% increase in risk of becoming lame.
For full story read the March edition of British Dairying.
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UK - Monmouthshire dairy farm cut staff after losing council contract
Raglan Dairy, located just 15 minutes drive from Monmouthshire County Council's headquarters in Usk, had been supplying the local authority with milk from eight farms in the county for the past nine years but its contract hasn't been renewed. Instead, Monmouthshire primary schools, leisure centres and some care homes will be served by Haverfordwest-based Totally Welsh which says it sources its milk from farms in Pembrokeshire and the neighbouring Carmarthenshire and Ceredigion.
Monmouthshire council spends around £120,000 a year on milk but said its "desire" to buy locally has been trumped by procurement rules that require a competitive process. James Durose, of Raglan Dairy, said as a result of losing the contract its four full-time employees have lost their overtime and six part-timers have seen a reduction in their hours. "
Opposition Conservative Councillor Tony Kear said Raglan Dairy had previously assisted the council's aims in moving to glass bottles, to reduce plastic waste, and said he was concerned at the impact of the decision. "This will increase food miles and we don't know the unintended consequences of taking out £120,000 from the local economy or on the business, it's bound to have a knock-on effect. I think the process is clearly flawed." Monmouthshire council has said it works with 20 other Welsh authorities on a food framework that was re-tendered, with bids evaluated on 30% price and 70% quality.
It said it could consider a stand-alone option for buying milk but it couldn't guarantee it would result in a local supplier and it would need "sufficient supplier interest to justify deviating from the all-Wales collaborative approach."
Herald.Wales
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UK - Curious about clover?
AHDB Dairy has launched its 'Curious about Clover' campaign, aiming to raise awareness about how to harness the benefits of including clover in farming practices, its positive impact on the environment, and all-important livestock nutrition.
Join the three events holding in the North, South and Midlands.
Somerset: Thursday, 04 April 2024, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Cheshire: Tuesday, 09 April 2024, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
Cumbria: Thursday, 11 April 2024, 10:00 am - 4:30 pm
The events are designed to provide farmers with the knowledge and tools to integrate clover successfully, Whether you are a novice in the world of clover or a seasoned grower seeking to elevate the quality of your grazing and silage, the events will cater to all levels of expertise. Led by experts and supported by cutting-edge research, farmers will gain insights, dispel myths, and explore clover's benefits for your farm.
Speakers' sessions include:
Why clover? What is the potential? - Paul Morgan - Germinal/NueFarm Project
Considerations when establishing clovers - Andre Van Barneveld (Graise Consulting)
Maintaining forage stocks when grazing - Helen Mathieu (independent consultant) or Gaining the benefits of clover within silage - Dave Davies (Silage Solutions Ltd), Rhun Fychan (IBERS Aberystwyth University)
Does diversity make sense? A look at herbal leys - Ben Rodgers (Catchment Sensitive Farming), Hannah Jones (Farm Carbon Toolkit) or The role of Clover-based silage within feed rations - (Charlie Cooper-Harding)
Farmer panel session (Andre Van Barneveld and regional farmers to be confirmed).
Listen to this episode of the Food and Farming podcast discussing clover and emissions.
For more information about the campaign and to book your space at the upcoming events, please visit: ahdb.org.uk/curious-about-clover
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UK - Carbon opportunity beneath our feet
The British dairy sector is under pressure to reduce emissions and reach net zero targets. A hidden ally is delivering incredible benefits. British Dairying reports.
Carbon footprinting is increasingly in the spotlight, with most dairy farmers now having undertaken a measurement of their farm emissions. But that only tells one side of the story - sequestration is an equally important part of the equation, which cannot be ignored. "There is a big opportunity which lies directly under our feet," says Dr Harry Kamilaris, Senior Business Development Consultant at Agricarbon. "Farmers can go one step further, from reducing emissions to removing CO2 from the atmosphere.
"Soil is at the centre of our food and carbon systems - it has the potential to sequester billions of tonnes of CO2. But managing the landscape sustainably is equally important, to reduce erosion and increase drought resilience," he adds. With some simple land management changes, farmers can benefit from improved biodiversity, soil health and carbon sequestration. "Soil health plays an important role in food security - it enhances productivity and improves water and nutrient holding capacity, thus improving potential grass growth," says Harry.
"The dairy sector provides a major benefit to the world in upcycling grass to nutritious food, and yet we still face calls to reduce livestock numbers to meet carbon targets. We need to communicate all of these benefits more clearly to the consumer." However, for the dairy supply chain to tap into the advantages of soil carbon sequestration, it's vital that there's an accurate and cost-effective way to measure what's already there on which to build.
"There are two parts to this solution - understanding carbon stocks, and improving them. What gets measured, gets managed, and we need robust and auditable data."
Read more in the March edition of British Dairying.
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UK - Goats go for gold at British Cheese Awards
The UK's largest goat's milk producer is celebrating its first award wins of 2024, being awarded four accolades including two golds for its products in the coveted British Cheese Awards.
St Helen's Farm at Seaton Ross near York was founded 38 years ago and products include fresh milk, yogurts, cheese, and butter. The company's handcrafted products are stocked in major supermarkets, and have a long history of winning awards in highly regarded industry competitions.
The British Cheese Awards take place at the Royal Bath & West Show and are judged by experts from across the dairy industry including makers, retailers and food writers. St Helen's Farm was awarded a gold for both its butter and natural yogurt, a silver for its mature cheese and a bronze for its mild cheese.
Head of Marketing, Katy Gray said: "Quality and consistency are really important to us, so to have our products recognised repeatedly in industry awards is testament to the work that we do to achieve this. These four accolades are a real coup for the team and we're excited for the rest of the awards season." St Helen's Farm has been back in the hands of original owners Angus and Kathleen Wielkopolski since December 2021 and has dedicated time and financial resources to supporting the local community, as well as national causes such as Hope For Justice.
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Could you be our next winner of the HIGH FEED EFFICIENCY DAIRY AWARD?
Sponsored by KW Feeds
What are our judges looking for? The essential ingredient to a high performance, healthy herd is accurate nutrition. The ability to achieve the optimum balance is the key to driving feed efficiency. Feed selection and profitability go hand in hand - the correct feeding regime makes a significant difference to milk output, milk quality and of course the sustainability of your herd. It is essential that up-to-date KPIs and costings are submitted with your entry.
Category Judge Anna Sutcliffe, Ruminant Technical Manager, KW Feeds.
www.creamawards.UK
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2023 All Britain Award Winners Announced
A total of 168 cattle were entered in the 2023 All Britain Awards, announced by Holstein UK on Saturday 16th March. A total of fifteen classes were judged based on the quality of animals displayed in show rings throughout recognised shows in the UK in 2023. Final placements were determined by the Holstein UK National Judging Panel:
Champion Results:
Junior Heifer: Drointon Jordy Crispy Promis
Intermediate Heifer: Woodcatt Crushabull Rapture
Senior Heifer: Slatabogie Lambda Gold
Junior Two Year Old: Wiltor Chief Atlee
Intermediate Two Year Old: Wolfa Chief Sue
Senior Two Year Old: Riverdane Tatoo Ambrosia
Junior Three Year Old: Eedy Crushabull Acclaim
Senior Three Year Old: MAG Pandor
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Looking for our next Cup winner - The ANTHONY WILLS DAIRY FARM DEVELOPMENT AWARD
Sponsored by Trouw Nutrition and Willsbro Holsteins
The winner receives The Anthony Wills Memorial Cup. This category represents a celebration of new dairy farm construction or redevelopment of existing farm infrastructure to improve efficiency and sustainability of production. Entrants will demonstrate clear business vision for the future and the next generation through investment and will showcase dairy enterprises that are investing effectively for the future. The judges will be looking for stand out strategies, implementation and evidence of successful delivery resulting in development, innovation and sustainable practice.
Category Judges Mathew Wills, Trevor Birchall and Georgina Thomas.
www.creamawards.UK
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