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X29473003 The Australian airyfarmer Vol 31, No. 3 MAY-JUNE 2016 CONTENTS
NEWS Developing products to suit Asia 15 Produc vity increases to provide a buff er 15 Cash cow scheme for sustainable industry 27 Honesty best in dealing with public 28 Working on clearing growth blockages 30 Road network inhibits dairy growth 30 Farmers gather for UDV conference 34 ATTRACTING AND DEVELOPING PEOPLE Cows create educa on 21 Confi ned spaces: not just a ght place 22 Young dairy network a ends ADC 24 69 PROMOTING & PROTECTING DAIRY Aussie cheddar transformed for Japan 36 INCREASING FARM PROFITABILITY New dairy ambassadors to target key groups 38 No bull approach to DairyBase 107 Dairy, meat and wine join forces 40 Ge ng ready for end of fi nancial year 108 Bringing a taste of farm life to the big smoke 47 Chart of Accounts helps DairyBase process 108 New website for healthy professionals 48 DairyBase a game changer: consultant 109 Healthy heifers for healthy profi ts 110 FOCUS ON BREEDING Quality heifer-rearing program delivers 111 Secrets of success of a Master Breeder 51 Helping farmers to maximise pasture 112 Dairy cow fer lity trends improve 55 New feed update for farmers 112 New partnership sees forma on of Cogent Australia 57 New calculator helps farmers be er use effl uent 113 Coun ng the cost of transi on diseases 59 Alta’s great expecta ons come to frui on 59 COLUMNS Holstein brothers dominate ABVs 61 At my desk 5 Viking Reds dominate latest ABVs 61 Milk Ma ers 6 Australian Breeding Values 63 Dairy Australia Roundup 11 NHIA News Roundup 18 FOCUS ON FEEDING Update from the Gardiner Founda on 32 Drought prompts change in farm system 69 Dairy market report 42 Irriga on farm changes tack 76 What’s On 103 Taking a bite into feeding behaviour 80 Think Again — the Ryan Report 104 Encouraging cows to eat more 82 Snippets and Titbits 105 ADHIS 106 BETTER CALF REARING Regional Development Programs 114 Calf health a life me event 85 Changed feeding regime could li profi t 88 Can calves be po y trained? 90 OUR COVER How to assess colostrum quality 92 Three genera ons of Farmers warned about calf illness 95 northern Victorian VICTORIAN WINTER FAIR PREVIEW farming family: Bill, Tom and Mick Acocks in the Fair grows to be leading dairy show 97 barn on their farm. Read Victorian Winter Fair program 97 about their move to a Quality judges for event 99 confi ned feeding system Bluechip’s swansong before dispersal 100 on page 76. Picture by Carlene Dowie
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 3
AT MY DESK Celebrate the di erence
The Australian Dairyfarmer is published on the 15th of every second month, in July, HE most interesting part of my summer. Moisture probes are also in- September, November, January, March job is getting to see and hear stalled to align individual paddock and May, for the Australian Dairy Farmers, Tabout different dairy farms. No growth and utilisation with irrigation two farms are exactly alike and no to really drive water-use effi ciency. So Level 2, Swan House, 22 William Street, two farmers are the same either. This this farm is trying to make the most of Melbourne, Victoria, 3000. was really brought home to me when the irrigation water available to it. I joined the Australian Dairy Confer- The Acocks family at Rochester, Vic, EDITORIAL ence’s pre-farm tour through southern have gone into a predominantly total Editors: CARLENE AND Riverina NSW and northern Victoria in mixed ration system with a barn that ALASTAIR DOWIE February. houses 500 of their 900-cow herd and PO Box 59, Carisbrook, Vic, 3464 In two days, we visited four different a drylot that houses the rest of the Email:
provided by Australian Dairy Farmers Ltd Adaptability key to success in vola lity
✔ Farmers facing con nued vola lity water policy. These are important ✔ Important to focus on issues that ‘Adaptability remains achievements that will help deliver a can be controlled more profi table and durable industry ✔ Advocacy produces vital progress cri cal to successful dairy in the long term. Key points Key Dairy Australia also has important By Simone Jolli e business ventures.’ resources to assist in preparation and Australian Dairy Farmers recovery from different conditions. president Services provided by programs such as the Tactics for Tight Times provide HIS year is proving to be a chal- like will differ from one business to an- a good vehicle for analysing the indi- lenging for dairyfarmers. Austral- other. vidual business and developing solu- Tian Dairy Farmers (ADF) recently The Sustainable Farm Profi tabil- tions. visited members in New South Wales, ity Report produced by the Austral- Integral to our future is ensuring South Australia and Western Australia, ian Dairy Industry Council and Dairy we protect what matters, by working and across the country farmers are Australia last year highlights some of to safeguard the health and wellbeing confronted with low milk prices, in- the solutions farmers can control. To of our workforce. In recent meetings, creased input costs and dry weather download a copy of the report go to both processors and farmers have conditions. website
Simone Jolli e says dairyfarmers are realis c and they are resilient. 6 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 MILK MATTERS Culture shi essen al for well-being
✔ Health, safety, well-being must be ‘Tragically there have need to lead the industry in prioritis- part of everyday life ing health, safety and well-being — for ✔ Zero workplace fatali es a target already been two con rmed the benefi t of our industry.” ✔ All workers to complete OHS Guests also heard from an expert training workplace fatali es in our panel including Dairy Australia’s pro- Key points Key industry this year.’ gram manager for industry workforce O achieve the dairy industry’s planning and action, Bill Youl; Work- well-being targets, the Australian safe Victoria’s Bruce Gibson; Lion’s TDairy Industry Council (ADIC) with state safety regulators and dairy leader for safety and well-being Josh says health, safety and well-being manufacturers to provide farmers Norton; Fonterra fi eld services man- must become part of the everyday with the tools and training they need ager Robyn Mitchard; and director of conversation and practice across the to operate safely. As an industry we the National Centre for Farmer Health, dairy value chain. need to work more collaboratively to Dr Susan Brumby. A key focus of the Addressing an audience of dairy- ensure uptake and implementation, to panel discussion was highlighting the farmers, manufacturers and indus- move the workforce from ‘knowing’ to benefi ts that implementing a formal try leaders at the ADIC’s Business ‘doing’.” occupational health and safety could Breakfast with the theme ‘Protecting The Dairy Industry’s Sustainability provide. what matters: ensuring the health, Framework has set targets for the in- Mr Youl said that, as well as being safety and well-being of our people’ dustry to achieve by 2020. One of the the right thing to do, safeguarding the in Melbourne in April, ADIC chair Si- targets is 100 per cent of on-farm and workforce made sense for farm profi t- mone Jolliffe said to retain a highly manufacturing workers to have com- ability. “A safe work environment will skilled workforce a culture shift was pleted Occupational Health & Safety ensure accidents are minimised, pro- required. training by 2020. A further target is ductivity is enhanced and the full ben- “Dairy farms are not typical work- zero workplace fatalities. Mrs Jolliffe efi ts of farm and manufacturing facili- places,” she said. said the industry was falling behind ties realised,” he said. “Our physical “There are many potential risks and on both accounts. and mental well-being is intrinsically stressful situations — particularly “Tragically there have already been linked to our industry’s success.” because we are often operating in a two confi rmed workplace fatalities The ADIC made a commitment at family environment, where there is in our industry this year,” she said. the breakfast to drive change across the added pressure of the day-to-day “Workplace injuries have also risen. the industry through improved col- challenges of running a small busi- Across Australia, one in fi ve people laboration between service provid- ness. suffering with mental health chal- ers, processors and industry repre- “Dairy Australia is already working lenges. This is not acceptable. We sentative bodies. D
Chair Simone Jolli e, Dairy Australia’s Ian Halliday, ADF na onal The expert panel from le to right, Bruce Gibson, Susan Brumby, councillor John Versteden and Geo Akers at the breakfast. Josh Norton, John Versteden, Robyn Mitchard and Bill Youl. The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 7 MILK MATTERS ‘E ects test’ to help balance market
✔ Government ‘ec ects test’ to tering a more competitive business provide more compe ve ‘The e ects test is environment.” marketplace “Further, the appointment of Mick ✔ Dairy strongly advocated for another tool to help Keogh OAM as the ACCC’s fi rst Agri- measure since 2011 provide integrity and cultural Commissioner and an Agricul- ✔ Tool to help prevent predatory tural Engagement and Enforcement Key points Key pricing in future transparency regarding Unit, highlights that the government the impact of retailer is committed to strengthening com- HE announcement in March 2016 petition across the supply chain.” of an ‘effects test’ will strengthen ac ons on suppliers.’ Mrs Jolliffe said the reforms would Tcompetition across the grocery support consumers’ interests as well supply chain. Australian Dairy Farm- legislation prevented fi rms with sig- as dairyfarmers. ers (ADF) has advocated strongly for nifi cant market power from engaging “Moving toward a more objective the change since 2011, which will be in conduct that had the purpose, ef- measure to assess the impact of anti- included in section 46 of the Competi- fect or likely effect of substantially competitive behaviour will build a tion and Consumer Act 2010. lessening competition. more open and transparent market- The provision will be a further tool “The effects test is another tool to place,” she said. to help the Australian Competition help provide integrity and transpar- ADF is hopeful that this will assist and Consumer Commission (ACCC) ency regarding the impact of retailer in preventing damaging practices, in- address the current unequal distribu- actions on suppliers,” Mrs Jolliffe cluding predatory pricing in future. tion of market power and encourage said. ADF thanked the Prime Minister, transparency to the benefi t of pro- “In conjunction with the govern- Deputy Prime Minister, the Treasurer, ducers, consumers and retailers. ment’s introduction of the Food and the Minister for Small Business and ADF president Simone Jolliffe said Grocery Code, which included a large the National Party for their strong she looked forward to working with number of ADF’s recommendations, support and action on this important the government to ensure that the this is a constructive step toward fos- reform. D
Moving toward a more objec ve measure to assess the impact of an -compe ve behaviour will build a more open and transparent marketplace. 8 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 MILK MATTERS
For farmers, higher water prices created as a result of the Murray Darling Basin Plan mean further nancial strain during an already dry season. Crunch me for Basin Plan
✔ Basin Plan decisions coming up in June 2016 ‘Rather than overbank commits to up to 650GL in offsets, but ✔ ADIC lobbying government to the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s recognise socio-economic impacts ooding, regulated website identifi es projects only sav- of plan on dairy ing 200GL. Key points Key structures can create This shortfall could result in the NDER the Murray Darling Ba- e ec ve ooding events Commonwealth again buying water sin Plan, the Commonwealth that achieve the same from irrigators. Despite a 1500GL Ugovernment has bought al- buyback cap being legislated in 2014, most 1200 gigalitres (GL) of water. outcome with less water. ‘ more than 300GL can still be bought. More than 500GL has come from The Australian Dairy Industry Victorian irrigators, and more than Council continues to lobby federal 440GL from southern NSW and South the Commonwealth and State govern- and state governments to deliver re- Australia. ments will make decisions that could sponsible decisions that will not fur- With this much water no longer result in even less water in the pro- ther distort the market, including: in productive use and the resulting ductive pool. This will likely add to • Environmental projects to achieve competition for what is available, it’s higher water prices in future. the full 650 GL in water savings. no surprise prices have shot up. For This decision is known as the Sus- • Delay the June decision to ensure farmers this means further fi nancial tainable Diversion Limit (SDL) adjust- environment projects can be fully strain during an already dry season. ment. It refers to plans to recover the scoped. The Basin Plan aims to recover 450GL upwater, and the environment • No moves to recover the extra 2750GL for the environment with spe- becoming a more effi cient water user. 450GL ‘upwater’ until the 2750GL tar- cifi c State targets agreed by all State Just as our irrigation networks are get is met fi rst. governments. A last-minute decision modernised, so too can the environ- • Change the socio-economic neu- in late 2012 saw an additional 450GL ment. Rather than overbank fl ooding, trality test for the 450GL upwater to imposed on top of 2750GL. This is re- regulated structures can create effec- consider regional impacts. D ferred to as ‘upwater’, and will only tive fl ooding events that achieve the For more information on the ADIC be recovered if the socio-economic same outcome with less water. Water Taskforce go to website
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12 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 bility and sustainability. “Dairy is Tas- implement sustainability measures mania’s biggest agricultural industry ‘Animal welfare prac ces in their business are seeing the re- and is worth more than $1 billion per wards in more effective utilisation of year post farmgate to the Tasmanian have con nued to resources, cost reductions and im- economy,” Prof. Meinke said. improve ...’ proved environmental outcomes. “Dairy Australia’s investment signi- The framework has established fi es a long-term funding commitment agreed industry targets, which all sec- for dairy-specifi c research, develop- tors of the industry are working to- ment and extension (RD&E) through Applica ons open for the wards across time. the TIA Dairy Centre. 2017 Nu eld Scholarships Some key advances made in 2015 “The industry has grown by 34 per included a marked increase in the cent over the past decade and re- Nuffi eld Australia is offering about 30 number of farmers (58 per cent) with search and innovation are crucial if scholarships to primary producers nutrient plans designed to ensure we are to see the sector continue to and managers in 2017. The scholar- minimal environmental impact and grow profi tably and sustainably. ship includes attendance at the 2017 the return of nutrients to paddocks. “Dairy Australia and TIA, through Contemporary Scholars Conference This has doubled in number since the joint venture between the Tasma- (CSC) in Brazil, a choice to attend one 2012, and the target of 80 per cent of nian Government and University of of six Global Focus Programs (GFP) farms with nutrient plans is well with- Tasmania, have a long and success- travelling with other scholars for six in reach. ful history of shared investment in weeks, and an eight-week individual Animal welfare practices have con- RD&E (research, development and study program. tinued to improve with 88 per cent of extension) over several decades. We A $30,000 bursary is available for farmers now not using routine calving remain committed to promoting eco- successful applicants to study a topic induction, up from 80 per cent a year nomic and environmentally sustain- relevant to their business and indus- ago. able growth in the sector.” try. Manufacturers too have made im- Dairy Australia’s managing director, The tenure of study is 16 weeks for pressive progress towards targets Ian Halliday, said the funding agree- two years with fl exibility provided. with waste to landfi ll having reduced ment would see the TIA Dairy Centre A full list of scholarships and the by 46 per cent since 2011, exceeding focus on areas that would deliver the application brochure are available at the 40 per cent target set for 2020. greatest overall benefi ts for the Tas- website
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 13 3% of Victorians work on farms.
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visit worksafe.vic.gov.au/farmsafety Farm deaths are preventable. NEWS Developing products to suit Asia
✔ Farm earnings forecast to decline Collins said the moderate recovery in in short term ‘Educa ng the market Chinese demand would help lift global ✔ Asia oc ers opportuni es but prices but that would be limited by in- everyone chasing market in order to maintain creased production. ✔ Need to understand what market premiums is necessary.’ Prices were projected to decline in
Key points Key wants real terms after 2018-19 as growth in world production outpaced growth in By Shan Goodwin consumption, he said. 16 down, there is some light ahead. The challenge for Australia will be EVELOPING the type of prod- Stocks of milk powders are still be- to secure the top-end markets that ucts that suit Asia rather than ing drawn down in China but by the pay a premium. Dtrying to sell them Australia second half of this year that situation The producer chairmen of two East will be the key to grasping potential should ease. Coast dairy businesses that have ven- as China’s import demand for dairy The 2016 forecast for dairy imports tured into new ground overseas in recovers this year, say those blazing to China should fi nish 14 per cent recent times say the key to that will trails in the sector overseas. higher, to 400,000 tonnes of whole be taking the time to understand the While the latest Australian Bureau milk powder, and fi ve per cent higher customer and cultural nuances. of Agricultural and Resource Econom- in skim milk powder. Greg McNarama, from farmer- ics and Sciences (ABARES) forecasts, In the medium term, world trade owned co-operative Norco, and Barry presented at the Outlook Conference in dairy is projected to rise, fuelled Irvin, from Bega Cheese, outlined to in March, have dairy as the only agri- largely by demand from China, plus the conference where they saw the culture sector in Australia where farm the Middle East and North Africa. opportunities in a changing dairy earnings are forecast to end 2015- ABARES senior economist Peter market. Produc vity increases to provide a bu er MPROVEMENTS in gene cs, pas- Chinese dairy import demand increases Meanwhile, Mr Collins said Australian Iture management and farm technol- are expected to drive a li in global prices dairy had faced big challenges in the past ogy should provide a solid founda on for for the next two nancial years. 30 years but remained resilient. “Milk pro- growth in milk produc on in Australia from Other developing countries in Asia, duc on is now much more e cient,” he the next nancial year out to 2020-21, ac- along with the Middle East and North Af- said. “In the past 35 years, produc vity has cording to analysts with the Australian Bu- rica would also play a role in that li , ac- grown at 1.6 per cent annually, thanks to reau of Agricultural Resource Economics cording to ABARES. widespread adop on of new technology and Sciences (ABARES). “Nirvana is not around the corner but and smaller producers leaving the industry. Those gains will help oc set small li s in there is some posi vity for coming years,” “There is scope for further produc vity farmgate prices of milk, with the forecast Mr Collins said. growth in both these elds. Produc vity average 48.7 cents a litre in 2016-17 only Despite that increased demand, li s in will provide a buc er against rising input three per cent higher than this nancial world dairy prices are expected to be con- costs.” year’s expecta on. strained by growing world milk produc on, In the medium term, the Australian Dairy was the only sector in the latest largely from the European Union. farmgate milk price is projected to increase ABARES outlook, released at the organi- The removal of milk quotas has en- in real terms, reaching 51.1 cents a litre in sa on’s Outlook conference in March, to couraged EU herd expansion, which has 2018-19. By 2020-21, that will be 6pc high- have a forecast average farm cash income reversed a long-term downward trend, er than this nancial year. ending this nancial year down. according to the European Commission’s Mr Collins said Australian milk produc- Senior economist Peter Collins said Tassos Hanio s, who presented at the con- on would grow steadily across the next it was expected to fall 28 per cent to ference. ve years, largely via increased per-cow $113,000 per farm. There would, however, Asked if quotas would ever be returned, yields, albeit at a slower rate than was the be signi cant regional varia ons. Mr Hanio s said it was unlikely. case up un l 2010-11. For example, the fall would be much “One, the decision-making process is Australian milk produc on is forecast to smaller in NSW, given northern farmers complex and lengthy and two, people now increase by two per cent to 9.8 billion litres were receiving some of the highest farm- realise it was not a solu on,” he said. in 2016-17, following a slight decline this gate prices in the country. The EU’s policy response to the dairy year courtesy of tough seasons in southern Farmer-owned processor Norco, with price collapse had focused on targe ng in- produc on areas. suppliers from Sydney north to southern come but refrained from replacing market In the medium term, milk produc on is Queensland, said as a co-opera ve its pri- signals, he said. projected to rise to about 10.2 billion litres. mary challenge had always been retaining ABARES has EU milk produc on increas- Expansion of dairy herds in the southern a stable and ever-increasing milk price. ing by about one per cent a year to 2020- export-oriented regions is expected to con- Norco’s chairman Greg McNamara 21, with the largest growth in states such nue with the rela vely good payments spoke at the conference on building oppor- as Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, the Neth- but for those supplying the domes c mar- tuni es in Asian markets, given the inroads erlands and Poland where produc on is ket, things should con nue on with li le it has made with fresh milk to China. more e cient. change, according to ABARES.
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 15 16 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 NEWS
Mr McNamara said branding had culture sectors, what was once value given Norco leverage into China to was now commodity. Given the fore- date but the other distinct opportu- casts of increased population, an Aus- nity emerging was for a customer-for- tralian agriculture producer may well mulated range. think he or she is going to make out Norco, a diverse agribusiness with like a bandit,” he said. rural retail and feed mill interests “But we all know those moments along with dairy processing and a are short-lived. Our industry is robust turnover of $510 million, broke new but fragile. ground exporting fresh milk to China “The dynamics of why we sit at two years ago. a particular point in the supply/de- Creating the right relationships mand curve change constantly and while products were fi ne-tuned to we have to think differently to fi nd the meet the needs of a target market was way out. now foremost on Norco’s mind in rela- “Around the world, I know all my tion to China, he said. competitors are trying to fi nd a path “Contrary to popular opinion, Asian that gets them away from global dy- markets are price sensitive,” Mr Mc- namics.” Namara said. “Yes, our fresh milk Indeed, the European Union dairy sells for $8 to $11 per litre in China, industry saw opportunity in Asia too, but profi tability of this market is still according to Tassos Haniotis, from about volume. the European Commission’s Directo- “Educating the market in order to rate-General for Agriculture and Rural maintain premiums is necessary and Talking global dairy at the ABARES Development. that goes right down to making sure Outlook conference in Canberra were Also speaking at ABARES, Mr Hani- retailers don’t discount when prod- Norco chairman Greg McNamara, Bega otis said the dairy price collapse in ucts near the end of their shelf life. Cheese chairman Barry Irvin, senior the EU was due to world oversupply “At the same time, we need to be economist Peter Collins and European coinciding with a slowdown in de- educating ourselves on market dy- Commission director Tassos Hanio s. mand from China and Russia. namics — portion size, for example, Broader macro developments were in China is a different concept to what “Our productivity can increase by also pushing commodity prices down it is in Australia.” accessing out-of-season markets,” he and an increase in the EU dairy herd Mr McNamara said seasonal bene- said. played a part, he said. fi ts offered dairy manufacturers enor- “Norco’s point of difference is that China was seen as important, given mous opportunity. we are not a seasonal commodity the Russian situation was not likely to Ice-cream, which is mostly made player, we can offer consistency of improve. from November to February in Aus- supply. Mr Irvin said that was why Bega, tralia, was one such area. “Our geographic supply spread cov- which takes product to 40 countries, Norco exited ice-cream brands ers a 1400-kilometre distance — that moved into the health space via a years ago on the realisation margins gives us a de-risking perspective. partnership with Blackmores to pro- were small but it was good at manu- “Reliability of supply is critical duce nutritional foods and high-qual- facturing ice-cream and was now fi nd- when attracting premium markets.” ity infant formulas. ing those brands were of interest to Meanwhile, Mr Irvin said in the “It was about separating ourselves,” China, Mr McNamara said. dairy world, as with many other agri- he said. D
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 17 ✔ Increased use of sexed semen ✔ Imported dairy semen 75% of sales ✔ Semen of 2600 individual dairy bulls used Key points Key
1/112 SYNOTT STREET WERRIBEE VIC 3030 PHONE (03) 9742 7244 FAX (03) 9742 7696 NO. 178 Herd test more valuable in ght mes
✔ Herd tes ng provides data to make be er decisions ‘Dairyfarmers in terrifi c improvements lately with phone ✔ AI provides long-term herd Australia want, and applications. Also, many farmers now advantages have access to Electronic Milk Meters Key points Key deserve, value for (EMMs) and have noticed how much By Carol Millar easier this has made herd test day. Ask money.’ the local herd-test centre about the new AIRYFARMERS in Australia are no options it has available. strangers to having watch where This would mean farmers only need Myth 5: Farmers want the most basic Devery penny goes. Drought, enter details on an animal once and service at the lowest cost. fl oods, low milk prices, high input pric- then this data could be accessed by a Not necessarily. Dairyfarmers in es all have their effects. When times are variety of organisations whether these Australia want, and deserve, value for tight, as they are now for many dairy- were herd test centres, breed societies money. But this doesn’t mean they want farmers, the temptation to save money or AI companies needing progeny test the same tired service that they got 20 on staples such as artifi cial insemina- information. Furthermore, having all the years ago. Farmers want products and tion (AI) breeding and herd testing be- data in one place would enable our sci- services that will help save them time comes hard to resist. entists and researchers to make much and money and help them to be profi t- But farmers also need to weigh up the better use of it. This way, the whole able. Herd-test centres have a duty to be consequences of their decisions. Herd- dairy industry benefi ts. The Australian innovative and responsive to the chang- testing data helps farmers to make good industry is close now to this becoming ing needs of their customers. Herd-test decisions affecting the herd. Skimping a reality. centres cannot operate effi ciently and now may lead to poor decision making, Myth 3: Herd testing is only for ge- innovatively without adequate resourc- which may cost more money than might netic evaluations. es. They are businesses that must have be saved. Similarly trying to save money This is old thinking. Herd testing the means to invest in new products by using bulls in natural service instead is fi rst and foremost all about giving and equipment. of an AI program will defi nitely lead to farmers the information they need to A mature industry much regret in three years time when manage their cows to best advantage farmers are forced to milk inferior cows. to make the most profi t. Genetic evalu- Neil Petreny of Canada made an impor- Myth 1: Genomics will make herd ation is only a secondary use of this in- tant point when he said “there are a testing obsolete. formation. Herd testing must give farm- number of common trends and issues This couldn’t be further from the ers the tools they need to manage their faced by the dairy industry in most de- truth. In fact, genomics will need ad- herds otherwise there is no point to do- veloped nations. For farmers, these in- ditional quality data to continually up- ing it. Today, herd testing still stands as clude declining herd numbers, increas- date the genetic equations upon which the best method farmers have to keep ing herd sizes, increased feed costs, genomics is based. If the dairy industry accurate, updated records on individual decreased profi t margins, increased use were to stop collecting herd test data cow performance. of technology and a challenge to fi nd now, genomics would lose much of its Myth 4: Herd testing is being re- and retain skilled labour. For herd test value. More and more data will be need- placed by new technologies. service providers there are fewer cus- ed to ensure that genomic evaluations Not without farmers having to spend tomers, increasing operational costs, are relevant to current cow populations. an awful lot of capital to pay for it. Herd increasingly diverse service demands, Myth 2: Farmers like collecting data. testing is still, dollar for dollar, the best limited fi nancial resources and geo- No, they do not like collecting data. value information for dairyfarmers. But graphical challenges. One of the biggest And they certainly don’t like entering new technology does provide some in- challenges for herd test service provid- the same data more than once which is teresting opportunities for both herd ers is to fi nd the right structure in a a waste of valuable time. This is the rea- test centres and farmers alike. For exam- shrinking industry.” D son why Australia needs a centralised ple, users of the MISTRO herd manage- Contact a local herd-test centre for data system. ment software will have noticed some more information. 18 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016
20 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 Cows create educa on
✔ Crea ng opportuni es in dairy because it covers science, maths and ✔ Student engagement high English.” ✔ Building awareness of the The Orroroo students’ dedication industry to CCC showed when they stepped Key points Key up to help the Kernich family prepare AROSSA Valley dairyfarmer Jeff two heifers for the Adelaide show. Kernich has been involved in “It was a wonderful experience,” Ms BDairy Australia’s Cows Create Hazel said. Careers (CCC) since it was introduced “We were able to go to the show be- to South Australia in 2008. “Since then cause of the Kernichs’ generosity. the project has doubled in size,” Mr “The students were actually inter- Kernich said. acting with dairyfarmers and people “In the fi rst year we had half-a-doz- who have dairy as their career — it en schools and this year we have 12 Barossa Valley dairyfarmer and Cows put all their learning into action.” scattered from the South of the Baros- Create Career advocate Je Kernich Dairy Australia’s industry capabil- sa Valley up to Orroroo.” speaks with students about the dairy ity program manager, Tracy Lloyd, With his wife, Erica, and four chil- industry. said CCC started in 2004 with dairy- dren, Mr Kernich operates Jersey farmers at the Strzelecki Lions Club in Fresh. Victoria and nine Gippsland schools. Through CCC he provides calves to ‘I’m a milk processor as With support from Dairy Australia’s schools and is an industry advocate, Regional Development Programs, speaking to school groups about the well as a dairyfarmer, so dairyfarmers and sponsors, the pro- dairy industry. as an advocate I can tell gram has now grown to more than 180 “I’m a milk processor as well as a schools. “CCC builds awareness of dairyfarmer, so as an advocate I can students the whole story dairy industry careers — from teach- tell students the whole story from the from the day we sow the ing students about educational and day we sow the crop right up to when vocational pathways to profi ling the we put the milk on the shelf,” he said. crop right up to when we diverse range of careers in the dairy In 2013, Orroroo Area School agri- industry,” Ms Lloyd said. culture teacher Sarah Hazel had an put the milk on the shelf.’ “Across Australia, CCC has been opportunity to introduce new pro- successful thanks to the dedication grams to the school. learn about dairy in the food triangle. and support from passionate dairy- While it’s not a dairy region now, The grade two, three and four classes farmers like Jeff, who are proud of the Orroroo has a rich dairy past and was learn about how a cow creates milk dairy industry and all the opportuni- once home to a butter factory. and other classes learn about pad- ties that it has to offer.” “I was looking for something differ- dock to plate — all the classes check Mr Kernich credits the success of ent that the school hadn’t done be- the calves once a week and do their CCC at Orroroo Area School to Mz Ha- fore,” Ms Hazel said. own observing.” zel and the dedication of the students. “Jeff heard that I was interested At the end of CCC, Mr Kernich trav- “The students are really keen and in CCC and, even though the school els to Orroroo to collect the calves Sarah is an energetic young teacher is not in his region, he was happy to and speak to the students about the who is passionate about what she work with us.” food pyramid and paddock to plate does,” he said. “CCC is the best pro- With a three-hour drive between ,and he does a CCC industry talk to gram we’ve had for the dairy industry them, Ms Hazel and Mr Kernich work the Year Nine and 10 students. — and Sarah and I have proved that together to deliver CCC. “When I pull up in the main street we can make it happen. Ms Hazel drives to the Barossa to in Orroroo people ask me where I’m “You don’t have to be right on each pick up the calves from Mr Kernich’s from, when I say I’m from the Barossa other’s doorstep. I’m getting to the farm. With the help of Kapunda High Valley they say, ‘You have the calves end of my farming career and some- School, Mr Kernich videotapes CCC at the school’. The whole town is in- times I think I should give it up and presentations, which are then shown volved; it’s absolutely amazing,” Mr just do CCC because it’s good fun. But to the Orroroo students. Kernich said. it’s all so exciting, so I think I better “CCC forms part of the Year Nine “Having been a farmer all my life, I keep going for a bit longer.” D curriculum but, while the calves are think CCC is the best part of my ca- For more information on CCC visit at the school, all students at levels reer, especially talking to the kids and website
✔ Require wri en entry permit for ‘When working on a farm fi ned space without having a responsi- con ned spaces ble second (standby) person present. ✔ Never allow anyone to work alone it is vital to determine This needs to be a person who is in in a con ned space constant communication, who can see ✔ Prac ce emergency rescue if any work areas may what the person in the space is doing procedures and someone who is capable of imple- Key points Key be classed as a con ned menting emergency procedures in case ONFINED spaces on a dairy farm space.’ of collapse or injury within the space. can be dangerous — their hazards • set up and rehearse the emergency Care usually hidden and can cause rescue procedure to be used; serious injury or death without warn- and legal obligations. Work Health and • provide information, instruction ing. Yet through employing farm safety Safety regulations require employers to and training for everyone involved in protocols there are ways of eliminating identify hazardous areas in a ‘Register entering a confi ned space or ‘standing confi ned space hazards. of Confi ned Spaces’. If a potential haz- by’ (by law, the person conducting the When working on a farm it is vital ard is registered, methods to assess business is responsible for all people in- to determine if any work areas may be and manage the risk must be developed volved — staff and contractors); classed as a confi ned space. All the dif- and implemented on the farm. Some ex- • ensure a safe atmosphere, for exam- ferent jobs on the dairy, and any possi- amples of risk management include: ple, set up ventilation and lock access ble dangers of confi ned spaces, should • put up signage on all confi ned spac- hatches open; be considered. es: Danger Confi ned Space Entry by • provide the safety equipment re- By law, the person conducting the Permit Only; quired such as gas-testing equipment, business in any workplace with an • always have a written entry permit if respirators and retrieval systems and area defi ned as a ‘confi ned space’ must someone has to enter the space; ensure that they are in good working comply with strict safety management • never allow anyone to work in a con- order and used appropriately. Confi ned spaces occur where there is: • restricted entry or exit; or • hazardous atmosphere, e.g. harmful level of chemical or contaminant or un- safe oxygen level; or • risk of engulfment, e.g. by grain, pel- lets or liquid. On dairy farms confi ned spaces can include milk vats or silos, grain silos, mixing wagons, tanks, effl uent pits, wells, trenches, tunnels, and other en- closed or partially enclosed spaces. The characteristics and risks of entry into each structure must be as- sessed — this is recorded in a Register of Confi ned Spaces on the farm. In ad- dition, the risks of each job must be as- sessed and managed — this is record- ed in the Entry Permit for each job. D More informa on Train: Confi ned spaces training is avail- able through the National Centre for Dairy Education (NCDE), for more in- formation contact the local Regional Development Program (RDP). Visit: Safe Work Australia — Confi ned Spaces — Code of Practice at website
Worker informa on and feedback about ❏ Not involved ❏ Some informa on and discussion ❏ Fully involved in decisions and safety developing procedures Tasks with safety risks ❏ Not iden ed ❏ Only some iden ed ❏ All iden ed Work procedures for relevant tasks, ❏ Not developed ❏ Limited development and review ❏ All developed and regularly including entry permits reviewed Implementa on of work procedures ❏ Never ❏ Some mes ❏ Always Safety equipment — gas-tes ng gear, ❏ None, or not in working order ❏ Some available ❏ Available, in good working respirators and retrieval systems order Supervision to ensure safety during work ❏ None ❏ Some mes ❏ Always Farm induc ons for new stac ❏ Not included ❏ General warnings ❏ Each con ned space and relevant safety processes iden ed Accredited training for con ned space ❏ None ❏ Some ❏ Must be completed (with entry evidence) before being allowed to do that work Records of induc on and training ❏ Not kept ❏ Some ❏ Complete and up-to-date Repor ng accidents and incidents ❏ No process set up ❏ Process set up, not used by all ❏ Process is used by all workers Follow-up ❏ None ❏ Limited review and ac on ❏ All issues acted on, including no ca ons required by law Emergency plans ❏ None ❏ Only for one type of emergency ❏ In place for all emergencies gov.au/forms-and-publications/forms- Resources: Dairy Australia’s 30 Minute eas including confi ned spaces, electrics, and-publications/confined-spaces- Safety Scan has been developed to help quad bikes, tractors, etc. To print a compliance-code>. reduce the risks on a farm. Safety Scan copy of the Safety Scan sheets, visit Watch:
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 23 Young dairy network a ends ADC
✔ Networking for the future ‘It was a great way to for four months and it’s opened a lot of ✔ Eager to soak up more doors and I’ve meet some really great informa on meet like-minded people people. ✔ Support for young people “I think it’s a great way to meet farm- important and listen to how they ers at different stages of dairyfarming Key points Key got to where they are in to learn about different ways of farm- OUR Young Dairy Network Aus- ing.” tralia (YDNA) members were the dairy industry and Kellie Price, farm hand on a 480-cow Fgiven the opportunity to attend dairy at Yannathan, West Gippsland, the 2016 Australian Dairy Conference where I could be in a few said that she would not have been able (ADC) with the support of their local years me.’ to attend the conference without RDP Regional Development Program (RDP). sponsorship. “There were some re- Shannon Jobe, Western Australia; ally good topics around employment, Kellie Price, Victoria; Joe Hammond, Shannon Jobe, from Busselton, West- research in genetically modifi ed rye- Tasmania; and Tracey Cowie, South ern Australia, found ADC a highly in- grass studies, and how competitive Australia, were all assisted to attend formative experience. “I enjoyed ADC the milk company’s are around prod- the national conference through their there were some very inspirational uct and price,” Ms Price said. RDPs. and informative speakers,” she said. Farm manager from Kongorong, The four young farmers also had the “It was a great way to meet like- South Australia, Tracey Cowie said it opportunity to attend a YDNA ‘meet minded people and listen to how they was her fi rst time attending ADC and and greet’ before the conference start- got to where they are in the dairy in- the opportunity to network at the ed. dustry and where I could be in a few event was an added bonus. As a new YDNA member, farm hand, years time. I’ve been involved in YDNA “I got an insight into a lot of things
24 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 happening around the world and in the area,” Ms Cowie said. “I see benefi t in YDNA supporting young farmers. The more information we have the better farmers we can be.” Tasmanian farmer Joe Hammond, Legana, has been involved in his lo- cal young dairy group since 2008 and joined YDNA when the network start- ed in 2012. “We have a great industry and it is nice to refl ect on how good it is and the conference was perfect for that,” Mr Hammond said. Tracey Cowie, Kellie Price and Joe Hammond were supported by Young Dairy Network “I met a lot of new people who I could to a end the Australian Dairy Conference. draw experience from and new con- tacts to use to improve my business. I farmers, so they can continue to con- young people in the dairy industry. think my main take-away message was nect, grow and learn within the dairy “Through YDNA young farmers the emphasis that I really need to treat industry,” Ms Gresham said. from across Australia have the oppor- my farm as a business and that human “All four young farmers were sup- tunity to connect and share informa- resource management is the key to my ported through their RDP to attend tion. There are heaps of activities held farm business going forward.” the conference. ADC also gave one free across all of our dairy regions includ- Dairy Australia’s YDNA program co- registration to a young person in each ing seminars, leadership programs and ordinator, Di Gresham, said it was im- dairy region. social events.” D portant to support young people in the “YDNA hosted a ‘meet and greet’ for For more information con- industry so they had ongoing opportu- young dairyfarmers before the confer- tact YDNA program co-ordinator nities to develop their career. ence kicked off. The purpose of YDNA Di Gresham, email
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 25
UDV CONFERENCE REPORT Cash cows for sustainable industry
✔ Proposal to help young farmers buy herd ‘We have an opportunity ✔ Established farmers’ cows to be use as collateral for the UDV to help ✔ Also to mentor young farmer Key points Key reduce risk mi ga on.’ By Laura Gri n signed a mentor to help make busi- INANCIAL support to help young ness decisions, to whom they would people get started in the dairy have to make their production data, Findustry was one of the presenta- budgets and cash fl ow information tion topics at the United Dairyfarmers available. of Victoria’s (UDV) 40th annual con- In the plan, if the young farmer de- ference in April. faulted on the loan, the young farm- Dumbalk North, Victoria, dairyfarm- er’s assets are called in fi rst, but if er Damian Murphy, who received the they don’t cover the loan, funds from 2012 Nuffi eld Scholarship, proposed the pool of established farmer’s nomi- a cow loan scheme in which the UDV nated assets are then called in to cov- would co-ordinate established farm- er the cost of the default. ers to put up cows as a guarantee to Mr Murphy acknowledged the pro- help young farmers secure loans to posed scheme could involve a lot of buy cows. time and money, and carried a small He said such a move would help risk of defaults (as cow loans have a the dairy industry be sustainable and low default rate). grow. Mr Murphy said the next steps were Mr Murphy said when people went working with legal representation and Damian Murphy: s ll a lot of work to to a bank to discuss taking a loan to with banks, including to establish do with legal representa on and with buy dairy cows, the discussion soon memorandums of understanding. D banks. went to risk. “We have an opportunity for the UDV to help reduce risk mitigation,” he said at the Young Farmer Breakfast. He said the Policy Council had acted on a resolution passed at the 2015 annual general meeting for the the UDV to encourage fi nancial insti- tutions to recognise the true value of dairy cattle when young farmers en- ter into loan discussions. Currently, major lenders will only fi nance between 25 per cent and 33pc of the value of a cow, despite fi nanc- ing 80- 90pc on new machinery. He said the idea had been bubbling since then and work to formulate the policy and talk to banks and other in- dustry stakeholders had been done in the past six or seven months. The proposal could see young farm- ers put forward a deposit of about 30pc of the value of the cows and take out a 70pc loan, of which 20pc would include the animals in the UDV “pool” as security. To spread risk, if a farmer put up 10 cows, they could be used against 10 different loans. Banks would negotiate with the UDV to access the cows in the ‘pool’. The cows remain on the established farmer’s farm as part of their herd. The young farmer would be as- The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 27 UDV CONFERENCE REPORT Honesty best in dealing with public
✔ Complete transparency helps in media rela ons ✔ People lack understanding of how milk produced ✔ Calving induc on to be phased out Key points Key By Laura Gri n
ULL honesty is the best policy for the dairy industry interacting with Fthe public. That was the key mes- sage of Katherine Teh White, Futureye, who has reviewed the issues manage- ment framework for Dairy Australia. Katherine Teh White: Important to engage with people who had issues with the Ms Teh White told April’s United industry. Dairyfarmers of Victoria conference recent crises in the banking sector this issue and use it as part of a narra- and fracking showed how emotions ‘It doesn’t ma er if it’s a tive of animal cruelty. could drive the public’s responses to Dairy Australia has had two farmer an industry and lead to stricter regu- pasture-based system or meetings to help them have positive lations. in sheds, but you need to discussions with people outside the in- She said the live export industry was dustry. Such moves are supported by a shining example of how to change be able to explain it.’ Dairy Australia’s programs including communications to be more transpar- on animal welfare and environmental ent. For example Australian Livestock “Fifty-fi ve per cent of all respondents issues. Exporters’ Council chief executive Ali- do not believe they have a good under- David Basham, from the Australian son Penfold was forthright in telling standing of how milk is produced in Dairy Farmers’ animal health and wel- journalists and the public that there Australia,” she said. fare policy advisory group, said the had been leakages in the Exporter Sup- “It doesn’t matter if it’s a pasture- dairy industry agreed to phase-out ply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), based system or in sheds, but you routine calving induction nationally which had seen some animals slaugh- need to be able to explain why and how last April. A 2016 target has been set tered in prohibited ways during reli- you’re managing it.” that routine calving induction would gious festivals. She said the industry needed to re- be limited to a maximum of 15 per cent Ms Teh White said this honest ad- sist the temptation to hide that some of cows in a herd, unless an exemption mission was reported by the media and big dairies use sheds because “if peo- was granted, either by implementing a the stories tended to focus on the posi- ple uncovered this ‘secret’ it could herd fertility management plan or by tives of how the live export industry blow up to be a crisis issue over which obtaining dispensation for exceptional had improved in recent years. the industry has no control”. circumstances beyond the control of Her analysis showed that activists, Another interesting statistic she the herd manager. who are people who want to change found was that 47 per cent of respond- He said industry agreement on the is- the status quo in dairy production, ents to a survey were opposed to sue meant calving induction could not had great infl uence on public percep- separating cows and calves. This was be used as marketing ploy to differen- tions including about dairy’s nutrition, assumed knowledge for those in the in- tiate farmers or the processors whom animals welfare and environmental im- dustry, but it wasn’t for others and ani- they supply to the detriment of the pacts. mals welfare activists could “expose” broader industry. Jack Holden, Fonterra, said it was an example of the industry “inoculating the public” against alarmist campaigns. Ms Teh White said it was important to continue engaging people and ensur- ing they were respected, particularly if they had issues with the industry. Branxholme, Vic, dairyfarmer Allan Campbell asked the panel how it was possible to pay for best animal welfare and environmental standards. Ms Teh White said other industries had suc- cessfully inspired those in the industry to compete to think of the best ways to address them by creating a game about David Basham: calving induc on to be phased out of Australian dairy industry. it. D 28 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 VR2348799 UDV CONFERENCE REPORT Working on clearing growth blockages
✔ Project aims to iden fy barriers to back by shortcomings in research growth ‘We need to understand and development, social licence and ✔ Blockages may be dic erent in cultural change within the industry. dic erent regions what are the constraints Mr Halliday said the ongoing project ✔ Vital to ensure export markets to identify and address impediments Key points Key to pro table volume to growth was vital to reassure export Laura Gri n growth in di erent customers that Australia could reli- ably fi ll their growing dairy needs. LL levels of Australia’s dairy in- regions...’ “We don’t care what the number dustry have to work to address is (for the growth target, because) if Athe potential hurdles to sustain- we’ve got profi table dairy farms, our able and profi table growth. That was volume will grow,” Mr Halliday told the key theme running through pres- the about 90 dairyfarmers at the con- entations at the United Dairyfarmers ference. of Victoria’s (UDV) 40th annual con- “We need to understand what are ference and general meeting in Mel- the constraints to profi table dairy bourne in April. volume growth in different regions Dairy Australia managing director because we’ve had $2-$3 billion in Ian Halliday said milk production in investment in stainless steel but how Australia had declined since peaking will we get volume to grow?” at 11.2 billion litres in 2001-02, where- He said Australia’s mainland dairy as New Zealand had steamed ahead regions could learn from DairyTas, to 22 billion litres from a comparable which is the past few years had gal- rate early in the new millennium. vanised stakeholders and govern- He said despite modest growth in The UDV Conference and Young Farmer ment through the project ‘Into Dairy’ the past couple of seasons, there was Breakfast debated a number of issues to raise $1.6 billion to drive profi table no clear pathway to profi table milk challenging farmers including industry milk volume growth. production expansion. growth. “Their goal was to increase (pro- Mr Halliday said the important fi rst sess potential growth in each dairy duction by) 30 to 40 per cent in four step was to understand the indus- region, set achievable growth targets to fi ve years and they will get close, al- try’s current position and hurdles to and the actions needed to achieve it. though this year’s dry conditions will growth, before proposing pathways to Depending on the region, this could interrupt it,” Mr Halliday said. overcome them. include any combination of actions to He said getting the whole industry He said in the past 18 months to overcome issues with land availabili- in different regions to discuss milk two years, the project ‘Pathways to ty, feedbase and climate, water, cows, production growth and its inhibi- profi table growth’ was started and fi nance, infrastructure and factories, tors would undercover solutions and was being rolled out nationally. It has and labour and skills. prioritise public and private invest- involved creating a framework to as- The industry might also be held ment. D Road network inhibits dairy growth
NDERSTANDING Victoria’s road Mr Di Cristoforio said the rst step where some of the bigger truck con gu- Unetwork and its limita ons to using was mapping routes available to bigger ra ons were permi ed. new, larger, more e cient milk tankers trucks, as this informa on was not readily “If you don’t like what you see, you can was one way Dairy Australia is addressing available as main roads were managed by make noise or could ask to have more ine ciencies. This issue was discussed at VicRoads but smaller ones by local gov- roads added to the maps,” Mr Di Cristo- the United Dairyfarmers of Victoria con- ernment areas. forio said. ference in April. “VicRoads is pre y well equipped to He said the dairy industry and agri- Advan a Transport Consul ng’s Rob answer for their roads, but councils lack culture more broadly would bene t im- Di Cristoforio said new trucks oc ered resources to understand and approve dif- mensely in terms of produc vity gains if enormous gains in maximum volumes, ferent load movements,” he said. the road network was comprehensively but many of these trucks were prohibited The biggest hurdle to allowing big- mapped and any bridges that could not from Victorian roads. ger trucks were old bridges that could carry heavy trucks iden ed and ad- He said as dairy farms and processing not safely support increased load sizes, dressed. sites were consolidated, milk needed to however Mr Di Cristoforio said the UDV president Adam Jenkins said be transported further. number of bridges in need of repair these projects were star ng to paint a Advan a worked with Marsden Jacob were low so securing funding should picture of impediments to milk produc- Associates on a Dairy Australia project to be a priority. on growth and only by understanding nd out what is holding back transport He urged dairy farmers to look at these can representa ve bodies advocate growth. VicRoads’ newly released map showing for change.
30 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 The Teatseal feeling is the feeling of relief you experience when your freshly calved cows and heifers come into the shed with signifi cantly fewer cases of clinical mastitis. Mastitis causes milk loss, loss of cows, loss of income and eats into your time. Take action to minimise these frustrations by using Teatseal.
Zoetis Australia Pty Ltd. Level 6, 5 Rider Boulevard, Rhodes NSW 2138. © 2016 Zoetis Inc. All rights reserved. March 2016. ZOELIV1437. VR2329862
ZOETIS LEADING INNOVATION IN ANIMAL HEALTH FOR OVER 75 YEARS UPDATE FROM THE GARDINER FOUNDATION
Bolstering farm business management
✔ Despite having her eye on the pro- 30 business scholarships for gram for almost a decade Ms Jenkins dairyfarmers ‘The message that you had found it too expensive to justify ✔ $1 million to upskill business need to be pro table acumen and leadership until the Gardiner scholarship made it ✔ Nu eld scholarship to inves gate where you are — before possible. “Adam and I both like to be manure management active on and off the farm,” Ms Jenkins Key points Key you expand — is an said. “I want to utilise this course to de- By Alexandra de Blas velop a sustainable business model to important one.’ balance our on and off-farm activity so HE Gardiner Dairy Foundation has we can be really good at both.” invested $1 million dollars across When she heard in the course that Tthree years in a Farm Business Manager Program, and three scholar- “you need to earn the right to grow”, it Management Program, as the major ships for the Rabobank Executive De- hit home. “The message that you need investment in its people development velopment Program. Each farmer will to be profi table where you are — before strategy. The program, which is being be inducted into the Australian Dairy you expand — is an important one,” run in partnership with the three Vic- Leadership Alumni (ADLA) after gradu- she said. torian Regional Development Programs ating. Allison Potter and her husband, Aar- (RDPs), will upskill Victorian dairyfarm- Rabobank Execu ve on, work in a business partnership with ers in business acumen, risk manage- Development Program her brother and his wife at Poowong ment and leadership. North in Gippsland. They started with The Farm Business Management Pro- Cath Jenkins and Allison Potter began 300 cows in 2011, bought the farm next gram is for farm owners who are look- the Rabobank program in August last door two years ago and now milk 500 ing to take their business to the next year and will fi nish in July. cows. level and are willing to give back to the Ms Jenkins and her husband, Adam, Ms Potter said: “The Rabobank pro- dairy industry. moved from Melbourne to begin dairy- gram suited me with its two intensive The program offers 10 scholarships farming, at South Purrumbete in West- weeks spread over two years and pre- per annum across three years. Annu- ern Victoria, 11 years ago. They started paring a strategic management plan ally this includes one scholarship for out as sharefarmers — with no prior for the business in between”. The pro- the Australian Rural Leadership Pro- experience — and now own their prop- gram has helped her to be proactive, gram (ARLP), six for the University of erty with 240 cows in a self-replacing “creating a business by design, not by Queensland Business School — Owner herd. They have four children at school. default”.
Dairyfarmer Andrew Tyler, Northern Vic, enjoyed the high calibre of people and business exper se in the UQ Business School — Owner Manager Program. 32 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 UPDATE FROM THE GARDINER FOUNDATION
“The course gives you a set of tools to get the most out of your business, particularly around setting meaning- ful measurable goals,” she said. “Inter- acting with the other farmers has also given me the sense that nothing is im- possible.” UQ Business School — Owner Manager Program Andrew and Robyn Tyler have farmed at Tongala in Northern Victoria for 26 years where they are now milking 720 cows. Mr Tyler said that during the course “Albert Einstein’s quote, ‘We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them’, really made me sit up and think. “Sometimes we have got to look at things differently — doing the course 5 and removing myself from the day to Cath Jenkins dairyfarmer from Western South Gippsland, Victoria, dairyfarmer 5 day, gave me that opportunity. Victoria is u lising the Rabobank Allison Po er is employing the Rabobank “Being exposed to a different calibre program to balance on and o -farm Execu ve Development Program to of people and business expertise high- ac vity. create a business “by design, not default”. lighted the skills that I haven’t accessed in my business up until now and I’ve are milking 500 cows on fl ood irrigation Potential applicants are encouraged to made a commitment to seek more pro- and have been farming in the area for start investigating these opportunities fessional advice.” 17 years. now, given the commitment required to Australian Rural Leadership Ms Mitchell said it would be a “fantastic complete these courses. Anyone who Program (ARLP) opportunity and I am looking forward would like to learn more can contact to commencing the program and the their local RDP or the Gardiner Dairy Sally Mitchell, from Torrumbarry challenges that await me”. Foundation. D Northern Victoria, was accepted into The next round of scholarships under Contact: website
OHN Keely, a h-genera on farmer poultry industries deal with e uent and Jfrom Cohuna in Northern Victoria is in Europe he will look at innova ons em- undertaking a Nu eld Australia Farming ployed to address strict new regula ons. Scholarship in 2016 with support from He will examine large desert-based dairy- the Gardiner Dairy Founda on. farming opera ons in Israel and Saudi Ara- He is using his scholarship to inves- bia and will nally visit New Zealand where gate be er ways to use the nutrients nutrient management plans are in place. from manure and e uent generated by Dairy resource management specialist intensive dairy opera ons, with a speci c with the Department of Economic Devel- focus on biological farming systems. opment, Jobs, Transport and Resources Mr Keely and his wife, Michelle, are Sco McDonald said: “John’s scholarship already implemen ng soil nutrient prac- into manure management is very mely. ces around their feedpad and on their Nu eld Scholar and dairyfarmer, John “The move towards larger and more 423-hectare ood irrigated farm. They Keely, Northern Victoria, is inves ga ng intensive dairies is driving the develop- have a peak milking herd of 310-cows in manure management and biological ment of new technologies in e uent and autumn and spring. farming. manure management. Mr Keely said he was keen to nd out “There is a lot that John can learn and “What is the most ec ec ve way of u lis- His study tour in the United States will a lot that we can learn from his experi- ing the resource? include visi ng Gary Zimmer’s biological ences too.” “Am I be er oc compos ng and what farming organisa on, Midwestern BioAg Applica ons for 2017 Nu eld scholar- is the best way of ge ng it into the in Wisconsin and a Manure Expo in Ohio. ships are now open. Contact:
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 33 UDV CONFERENCE REPORT Farmers gather for UDV conference
Murray Dairy board member Chris Thomas, chief execu ve Gemma Monk, Undera, Vic, and Lindsay and Ann Jarvis, Kiewa Jenny Wilson, and Greg Ault, Rochester, Vic, dairyfarmer. Valley, Vic.
Tim Leahy, Girgaree, Vic, and Brad Knight, GeoCommodi es, Christopher O’Keefe, Warrnambool, Vic; Craig De ling, Macarthur, Bendigo, Vic. Vic; Aaron Thomas, Yarram, Vic; and Ken Lawrence, Jindivick, Vic.
Basil Ryan, Grassmere, Vic; Harper Kilpatrick, Koroit, Vic, and Tony Marwood, Echuca, Vic, and Daryl Hoey, Katunga, Vic. Andrew Tyler, Tongala, Vic.
34 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 VR2348800
B&DEL0023G Aussie cheddar transformed for Japan
✔ Japan-Aus trade partnership bene ts dairy ✔ TPP could give bene ts to some compe tors ✔ Long-standing trading rela onships Key points Key ORGET about cheddar and brie, Japanese consumers can’t get Fenough of strawberry, cherry blossom and wasabi-fl avoured cheese lining the supermarket shelves across Japan. What people might not know is a sig- nifi cant amount of that fl avoured proc- essed cheese starts out as Australian cheddar. When the 20-kilogram blocks of cheddar land in Japan they are transformed by cheese manufacturers Much of the huge variety of avoured cheese sold in Japan contains Australian into all manner of sweet and savoury- cheddar. fl avoured cheese. As the Japan Australia Economic we may fi nd the Trans Pacifi c Partner- Partnership Agreement (JAEPA) en- ship (TPP) could change the playing ters into its third year, new fl avours of ‘The EPA is also helping fi eld if and when it is implemented. cheese are being developed all the time maintain demand for “If the TPP is implemented, over time to satisfy Japanese consumers tastes tariffs on dairy from New Zealand and — which means the need for Australian our cheese, giving us the US, for example, will decrease. This cheese for processing continues. means it will come to a point where it Japan is the highest value export an edge over our major will be easier for Japanese manufactur- market for Australian dairy accounting compe tor in New ers to import cheese and other prod- for 17 per cent ($483 million) of the to- ucts from those countries because tal value. Zealand.’ they won’t have to satisfy the domestic More than 100,000 tonnes (14 per quota ratio currently in place under cent of Australian dairy exports) were JAEPA.” exported in 2014/15, with cheese mak- However, Australia will always hold ing up most of that volume. Of the developed a line of cheesecake, sold the advantage of having deep historical cheese exported to Japan, a signifi cant in single serves, which rocketed into connections with Japan. When the Eu- amount is natural cheese for process- popularity. ropean Union was established and Aus- ing — a percentage of this can take Despite Japanese consumers being tralia lost the United Kingdom market advantage of the improved ratio quota unaware their cheese is predominantly in the 1970s, the industry went search- under JAEPA. Under JAEPA, Japanese made from Australian cheese, Dairy ing for new markets and became the manufacturers must use 1kg of local Australia international trade develop- fi rst mover into Japan. cheese for every 3.5kg of cheese im- ment manager Peter Myers said JAEPA “Since then the Australian and Japa- ported from Australia until the quota is had provided benefi ts to both the Aus- nese dairy industries have strength- exhausted. Then it reverts back to the tralian dairy industry and Japanese ened their relationship and we remain traditional 1kg to 2.5kg ratio. customers. a major supplier to Japan because our All of Australia’s major dairy ingre- “It is extremely expensive to manu- manufacturers make cheese for a very dient manufacturing companies ex- facture cheese in Japan, and given de- specifi c end use for the market,” Mr port cheese to Japan — most of which mand outweighing supply, it makes a Myers said. comes from south-east Australia. Other lot more sense for their cheese proces- “A key pillar of the ongoing partner- key cheese types exported to Japan in- sors to use imported product,” Mr My- ship between the two countries has clude mozzarella and gouda, which are ers said. been the annual Kangaroo Kai and exported in blocks for what is known “The EPA is also helping maintain de- Dairy Scholarship programs developed as the shred market and processed for mand for our cheese, giving us an edge by Dairy Australia. These two activities pizza manufacturers. over our major competitor in New Zea- work very well to maintain the demand The demand for cream cheese has land. for our dairy products through strong also increased in recent years since a “New Zealand currently doesn’t have relationships across companies and Japanese chain of convenience stores an EPA in place with Japan. However, government.” D 36 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 Want expert eyes, 24/7? Problem solved.
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WO sparkling media personali es have “Young women really trust her when it Tjoined Olympic star Michael Klim as comes to advice about what to eat and Legendairy ambassadors to promote the she’s a yoga instructor too, which helps excep onal nutri onal bene ts of dairy to us highlight dairy’s muscle recovery at- key target audiences. tributes,” Ms Barnes said. Consumer project manager for mums “We will be taking Bianca on a journey and kids at Dairy Australia Emily Barnes about dairy foods and the role they play said celebrity chef Karen Mar ni and Celebrity chef Celebrity health as part of a balanced diet. She will be talk- popular health guru Bianca Cheah had Karen Mar ni. guru Bianca Cheah. ing to experts to get the facts about dairy been chosen as new ambassadors be- and bus ng myths. cause they appeal to women consumers Ms Mar ni will also speak at the Di- “It’s a very public journey where she is in the industry’s target groups. e ans Associa on of Australia’s na onal educa ng herself and her followers. She “Karen is looking forward to sharing conference breakfast in May, which is will be doing a lot for us on social media, her passion for dairy products and reci- supported by Legendairy, together with Instagram and in tradi onal media. pes,” Ms Barnes said. “She believes there Dairy Australia’s marke ng manager “We did a lot of research and looked is no exact subs tute for dairy to deliver Glenys Zucco. The pair will highlight the into many dic erent personali es for new the same avour or, more importantly, amazing quali es of milk and show die - ambassadors and found Karen and Bianca the nutri onal bene ts integral to the ans why milk is an important core food really resonate with our core target audi- diet throughout stages of life.” for their clients. ences. “Karen is extremely popular with both Bianca Cheah is a celebrity sport and “Each of our ambassadors speaks to mums and 50-plus audiences and we will health guru, who runs a website and dic erent target groups, and Michael Klim be working with her in social and tradi- blog called
38 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 39 Dairy, meat and wine join forces
✔ Coordinated promo on of ne food and wine ✔ China a key market ✔ Support from Austrade and ASA 100 Key points Key
AIRY Australia has partnered with Meat & Livestock Australia D(MLA) and Wine Australia to develop and test a co-ordinated ap- proach to promote Australian fi ne food and wine in key export markets. The fi rst-of-its-kind cross sector col- laboration was launched at Australia Week in China (AWIC) in April at the Premium Australia Lunch and Show- case in Shanghai. The event attracted up to 500 Australian delegates and MLA general manager interna onal markets Michael Finucan, Dairy Australia’s group Chinese guests, representing local manager trade and industry strategy Charles McElhone and Wine Australia CEO importers, distributors, e-commerce Andreas Clark spread the word about Australian meat, dairy and wine at the Premium platforms and industry associations. Australia lunch in Shanghai which showcased the na on’s premium produce. The Minister for Trade and Invest- ment, Steven Ciobo, was the keynote Dairy Australia’s group manager sells a stronger proposition to our speaker. trade and industry strategy Charles customers and gives us a great edge The initiative has involved a joint McElhone said the initiative had al- over our competitors.” production of a set of promotional ready received positive traction from MLA general manager, international messages and images incorporated key Chinese customers, importers markets Michael Finucan said a con- into a range of communications such and distributors who worked with the sistent set of messages could help as an audiovisual presentation, dem- Australian dairy industry. build a platform to allow Austral- onstrations and other printed collat- “Initial feedback from some of our ian premium agricultural produce to eral and imagery. The collateral was Chinese customers has indicated they successfully differentiate itself from featured at a number of events across are quite impressed and enthusiastic competitors and to grow demand and AWIC. for this type of collaboration, so it will preference for our produce in China. The launch builds on detailed work, be exciting to see how far this can go,” “This will ultimately create more begun in 2015, to develop a co-ordi- Mr McElhone said. value for Australian producers and nated approach to promoting Austral- “We believe this partnership can the whole Australian supply chain,” ian dairy, red meat and wine in China. mark a new chapter for the way in he said. It draws on common themes of qual- which we drive fi ne Australian pro- Mr McElhone said the learnings ity and provenance and emphasises duce into key markets. We each have from this pilot project would be the links to the unique and diverse developed key relationships within shared with other interested industry Australian environment, agricultural China and other regions so to join to- stakeholders and, if proven success- systems and people. gether and harness these further, only ful, may be used in broader industry collaborations and initiatives across other key export markets in future. Key selling points developed for export The industry-led project has been co-ordinated and assisted by Aus- markets on Australian ne food and wine trade, and ASA 100 (the Australia Sino One Hundred Year Agricultural •ŶAustralia is uniquely rich and beau - •ŶThere’s always something new to and Food Safety Partnership) has ex- ful, producing an abundant diversity of discover in Australia’s fine foods and pressed support for the program. ne foods and wines. wines because they are a product of its The premium food and beverage •ŶAustralian ne foods and wines are unique multiculturalism, its love of in- program at AWIC saw Australian dairy like its land: pure, full of avour and nat- novation and fusion of traditions with on show through various activities ural goodness. modernity. and events and also included site vis- •ŶAustralian ne foods and wines are like •ŶReward yourself with Australian ne its to key Chinese food manufacturers its people: diverse, innova ve and original. foods and wine. and market access and insights semi- nars. D 40 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 PASTURE PROPHET
NEWLY SOWN PASTURES – IMPORTANCE OF WEED & PEST CONTROL
Weeds and pests have the capacity to severely reduce the success of a new Rob Winter pasture, so don’t take any prisoners. Ideally, you should have some knowledge Heritage Seeds Regional Agronomist of what types of weeds and maybe some of the pests to expect during the establishment phase. This is an opportunity to be on the front foot to nip problems in the bud, avoid potential production losses and have the right tools on hand to deal with problems in anticipation.
In some cases pre-emergent or post-sowing mites, although monitoring and a follow-up Observe legal requirements and stock pre-emergent options are warranted for insecticide may still be very much warranted. grazing WHP and related slaughter or some weeds and some pests, including milk harvesting intervals. You may need to Cut-worms, cockchafers, armyworm, corbies grubs and slugs. Good observation and consider stock movements and integrate the and other caterpillars, plus grasshoppers, some record keeping will be useful. post-sowing care accordingly. Sometimes it weevils and crickets may also need attention. may be necessary to firstly graze with light Once a new pasture has been sown, monitor Weeds can prove devastating to a newly stock to reduce the cover, open up the sward at 7-10 day intervals for leaf discolouration, sown pasture. By following the previous and allow effective spray penetration. insect attack and weeds. The likelihood year’s preparation, the weed seed bank of insect pests being present is generally Other forages such as cereals, brassicas ought to have been reduced, especially the greater in direct drilled than conventionally and lucerne will also need monitoring and grass weeds. In most cases there will need to sown new pastures. Direct-drilled pasture, equivalent actions may be required. It is be some broad-leaved weed control in the heavier soil types, higher pH and trash load often a narrow window of opportunity to new pasture. Spray with a selective herbicide all contribute to potential damage from slugs spray due to weather, soil condition, weed/ when the pasture is at the correct growth and snails. It is well worth considering mixing pasture growth stage, stock movement etc. stage (three true leaves for clovers, four-five slug bait in with the seed and / or broadcast Get organised, monitor the paddocks, leaves for grasses) and before the weeds get post sowing if this is a concern. spray sooner rather than later to get too big. weeds and pests early. Learn to identify Red Legged Earth Mites (RLEM) and Blue It may be appropriate to mix a couple of weeds from around the cotyledon stage as Oat Mites (BOM) can cause significant herbicide options for the weed spectrum early attention may allow lower application damage to new pastures in the first few presented, and it is an opportunity to include rates, with lower cost, and will allow more months, especially in low – medium rainfall an insecticide if necessary. There are also space, nutrient and opportunity for the areas once the first autumn frosts come some options that allow earlier application sown species. through. Correct identification is necessary timing. Seek experienced advice for more as the different species require slightly subtle herbicides that may be softer on the different approaches. Seed coating with an clovers or other companion species and can be appropriate insecticide will provide useful tailored to address a specific weed spectrum. protection from sucking insects including VR2349030
Blue Oat Mite – bright red legs, red splash on the back. (GRDC) Red Legged Earth Mite – plain back and legs lighter, more pink rather than red. (DAF Qld)
For more information visit www.heritageseeds.com.au or call 1800 007 333 DAIRY MARKET REPORT Interna onal market tough for dairy
Figure 1: Global dairy commodity prices 6000
4800
3600 By John Droppert Analyst Dairy Australia
US$/tonne FOB 2400 ✔ Abundant supply and weak demand keep interna onal commodity prices low ✔ Europe main oc ender, and will 1200 remain so in short term ✔ Australian market stable, though Butter SMP WMP Cheddar some erosion of value
Key points Key 0
HE international market remains
a tough place for dairy commodi- Mar-10 Jul-10 Nov-10 Mar-11 Jul-11 Nov-11 Mar-12 Jul-12 Nov-12 Mar-13 Jul-13 Nov-13 Mar-14 Jul-14 Nov-14 Mar-15 Jul-15 Nov-15 Mar-16 Tty exporters, with little change to the overall dynamic in recent months. jor trends in Australian supermarket Demand remains soft, as Chinese and ‘Milk intakes are slowing sales of the main dairy categories Russian buying fails to recover and persist. Year-on-year sales volumes of the impact of low oil prices begins to in some major producing milk are up slightly, but total values bite in many oil-exporting economies. countries, but adjustment have continued to fall as the market Ample supplies are driving aggressive share of private label brands increas- sales and stock build up, and these will take longer in others es. supply side factors have further re- Meanwhile, dairy spreads grew duced buyers’ propensity to worry. that are s ll powering strongly in terms of both volume and As the northern hemisphere peak ahead.’ value, as the trend back towards but- season approaches, Europe contin- ter consumption continued, with but- ues to fl ood the market, having pro- ter also increasing market share at the duced an extra 3.2 billion litres of milk one per cent) despite the national expense of butter blends. in 2015 (up fi ve per cent from 2014). dairy herd tracking at similar levels to The cheese market remains steady, The trend has continued into 2016, the same time in 2015. with increases in sales of block and in- and the normal 109,000 tonne limit for The US hasn’t had the same impact gredient cheeses offsetting slight falls sales of skimmed milk powder (SMP) on global markets as Europe in the in other categories keep the volume into public intervention was reached past year, however. A strong domestic of sales unchanged, while sales of in early April. market has absorbed the extra milk, yoghurts and dairy snacks have fall- The European Commission has an- keeping US export shipments largely en slightly in both volume and value nounced an additional 109,000 tonnes in line with 2015 levels. This could terms. will be bought, but as at mid-April, this change, as cheese production outpac- A stable domestic market remains measure has not yet been enacted. es domestic demand, and manufactur- the best buffer against depressed The result is that product must now ers shift from nonfat dry milk (NDM) commodity returns this season, but be sold into intervention via a tender to SMP, which is better accepted in downside risks to farmgate pricing system — under which the usual 1698 many export markets. remain. Those seeking bright spots Euro/tonne (about US$1900/tonne) Australia (down fi ve per cent for for dairy commodity exporters will fl oor price may well fall away until the February in leap year-adjusted terms) fi nd some comfort in the potential for new limit is implemented. and New Zealand (down two per cent) improved demand from China and/or Milk intakes are slowing in some have seen a more signifi cant supply Russia. However, the general feeling is major producing countries (such as response to current market condi- that in the short term at least, the fun- the United Kingdom and France), but tions. New Zealand, however, has so damentals remain weighted towards adjustment will take longer in others far defi ed early predictions of a 5-10 a continuation of the current slump, such as the Netherlands and Ireland, per cent fall, thanks to better than ex- given the absence of clear signs of a that are still powering ahead. pected rainfall in the summer boost- defi nitive return to supply/demand Milk production growth in the Unit- ing pasture growth. balance in the market in the lead-up ed States has also persisted (at about On the domestic market, the ma- to the northern hemisphere spring. D 42 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016
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LPA13313AG Bringing a taste of farm life to the big smoke
✔ Interac ve Urban Dairy educates metro consumers ✔ The sights and sounds of dairy feature ✔ Part of Melbourne Food and Wine Fes val ✔
Key points Key Educa onal workshops also a feature
HOUSANDS of Melburnians made the connection, many for the fi rst time, between the dairy foods Tthey take for granted and the farms and factories that make them at this year’s Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, which was supported by Legendairy. Australia’s dairy industry was the central focus at the Festival Hub from March 4-13, with an interactive ‘Urban Dairy’ exhibit at Queensbridge Square, Southbank, where visitors enjoyed an absorbing dairy experience right in the heart of the city. Dairy Australia’s farm communities engagement and communications manager, Suzi O’Dell said more than ever people want to know where their food was coming from. “Often consumers have little understanding about what really goes into these amazing products, where they come from and how they are made,” Ms O’Dell said. “The Urban Dairy brought farm life and the dairy story right into the middle of the city and highlighted the qual- ity of Australian dairy products.” In the past, the festival program has centred around favourite drinks, such as coffee, and on culinary tech- niques, such as baking.
The Milk Bar made a welcome return to the city at this year’s Urban Dairy exhibit. The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 47 “Look over there: a city full of people who need our dairy foods”. Picasso Cows at the Urban Dairy exhibit.
This year, the Urban Dairy included an outdoor exhibi- the industry’s people, processes and products, and the tion with grassy steps where people could enjoy a stun- feedback shows it was tremendously successful.” ning line-up of a dozen brightly painted Picasso Cows Dairy Australia’s Legendairy program was the lead from local primary schools that had recently participated partner in Urban Dairy, which was also supported by in the popular Dairy Australia educational program. Lion Dairy & Drinks with its milk, yoghurt and cheese There was also a ‘sounds of dairy’ noisescape, where brands being showcased during the Festival. people could immerse themselves in the typical sounds Ms O’Dell said educational workshops including cheese of dairying — from the noises of the dairy farm to the and wine matching (for the adults) and educational ses- familiar sounds of milk splashing into the glass. sions for children were available and all were enthusiasti- Visually, the ‘personalities of dairy’ came to town in a cally attended by the public. pop-up gallery, with behind-the-scenes photographs and During the launch weekend, Dairy Australia and Lion stories, including profi les of Legendairy Gippsland dairy- also coordinated the Big Mmm Zone at Melbourne’s river- farmers Brendan Cunningham and Deb Parkes and im- side Batman Park, where the focus was on family fun with ages that transported people right onto the farm. activities like farming demonstrations, face painting, ce- “People took the time to look at the pictures, which ramic cow decorating and giveaways. showed the whole story from paddock to plate, giving “The Urban Dairy brought the country to the city and them a sense of the textures and images of pastures, pad- even though research tells us that Australians already docks, hay and earth,” she said. “It gave them an emotive know a lot about dairy quality, this was a great way to connection with dairy. The idea was to create a fully im- remind people living in the city that dairy starts on the mersive experience so that city visitors could learn about farm,” Ms O’Dell said. D New website for health professionals
USTRALIA’S general practitioners (GPs) say a third teractive website in March designed to make it easier for of their consultations with patients have a nutri- health professionals — and interested consumers — to Ation component. That adds up to about 800,000 GP fi nd the latest evidence-based recommendations on diet consultations a week (41 million/year) that will have an and nutrition. element of diet and nutritional advice. “Dietitians, doctors and dentists face a challenging However, surveys of GPs and dentists indicate they environment, complicated by the rise of unqualifi ed would like more training and information on the recom- health infl uencers, pseudo-science and fad diets,” Dairy mended dietary guidelines, which were signifi cantly re- Australia’s health professional communication manager shaped in 2013. Emma Glassenbury said. To meet this need, Dairy Australia launched a new in- “Foods That Do Good is a new communication pro- 48 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 The new website promotes the importance of dairy foods in the context of an overall balanced diet. gram that will give health professionals easy access to all-inclusive nutrition information to help them better inform patients on how to enjoy a healthy diet,” she said. Curated by Dairy Australia, the Foods That Do Good program features a dedicated website where scientifi c information relating to the 2013 Australian Dietary Guidelines for all fi ve food groups can be found, with an added emphasis on dairy science. The site is easy to navigate and daily serving recom- mendations can be printed off for review and distribu- tion to patients. The idea is to promote positive messages about all healthy foods, up weighted for the dairy food group, to provide health professionals with a single source of in- formation to ensure they don’t shop around. “We want to promote dairy in the context of a bal- anced diet; therefore it makes perfect sense to include other food groups,” Ms Glassenbury said. The Foods That Do Good site also hosts a nutrition calculator to help patients assess the number of daily serves they need from all fi ve food groups based on age and gender. The site will be kept current with guest blog posts from well-respected health professionals across a range of disciplines. All the content is backed by science and edited by a team of professional dietitians. The Foods That Do Good program is also focused on engagement through partnerships, education, media re- lations and online communications. “It is important to have collaborative working rela- tionships with third parties who share our objectives and messages,” Ms Glassenbury said. “Together we can support and educate health profes- sionals to include more up-to-date nutrition advice in consultations.” D Visit website
FOCUS ON BREEDING Secrets of success of a Master Breeder
✔ Family breeding philosophy quality of the cattle. The size and dair- maintained for 90 years ‘Elmar has also enjoyed yness is evident and when the cows ✔ Awarded Master Breeder twice are on the 44-unit rotary platform ✔ Good commercial opera on as success at Interna onal their evenness is on show. well as stud Dairy Week including Steven and Deanne Hore are third- Key points Key generation owners/managers of the By Keith den Hou ng three awards in 2015.’ Elmar farm. The Elmar stud was founded by Martin and Elsie Hore HEN a visitor fi rst arrives at in 1926 with the fi rst cow registered Elmar in Horfi eld, Northern irrigation system has lost about 50 in 1931. Martin imported some New WVictoria, midway between per cent of its pre Murray Darling Ba- Zealand cattle and as their son Geoff Cohuna and Leitchville, they will be sin Plan allocation. became involved he and his wife Rosa struck by the dryness of the region. Steven and Deanne Hore have, like became the owner/managers. Season 2016 is a tough one for dairy- most other dairyfarmers in Northern These days Steve and Deanne are ing and all other types of primary Victoria, used their water allocation the owner/operators and decision production, with low rainfall and thus in spring to harvest pasture growth makers. The home property consists high prices for seasonal or temporary into silage and hay to feed out over of 260ha with another 400ha block water. summer. This is the face of Northern about 30 kilometres away. The herd The fi nancial margins are not so Victorian dairying these days. comprises 400 Holstein Friesian cows. good either with milk processors’ Elmar has 12 hectares of summer Breeding philosophy prices being at the low end of the pay pasture. This is utilised when possi- scale. Most of Horfi eld, Leitchville and ble, with the herd rotated and given The breeding philosophy has not Cohuna used to be a green grass ha- emphasis on hot days. This area of changed throughout the farm’s 85- ven for all sorts of insects, frogs, and pasture and trees gives the cows year history. The emphasis is on birds fl ocking to the irrigated summer shade and some relief, before being breeding cows with the best genetics pastures. That was the environment let under the sprinklers in the yards. available, to maximise the cows’ dair- that our ‘water experts’ don’t under- However, when that same visitor yness and capacity and improve the stand. Nowadays this only happens in views the Elmar Holstein herd, they volume and components of the milk. spring and autumn. The Torrumbarry will be immediately impressed by the This breeding selection is assisted
The Elmar herd is prac cally closed with only the one animal, Avonlea Windbrook Lulu 2nd, bought in the past three years, in partnership with Western Australia interests. The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 51 FOCUS ON BREEDING
Flushing cows is an integral part of the breeding program and before any cows are culled their aspects and fu- tures are thoroughly examined and discussed. Production, as well as cell count and potential as an egg recipi- ent, are all part of that discussion. Strategic fl ushing is done, with cy- cling cows, timing and implanting all playing a part in the decision about which animals to fl ush and when. Steve and Deanne said some of the recipient cows could have had their own genetic offspring but as recipi- ents are all from within the herd, tim- ing is important. Specifi cally designat- ed recipient cows are not used. The success of the Elmar herd is well known throughout the industry and the family has been awarded Mas- ter Breeder twice by the Holstein As- sociation of Australia. Master Breeder is an achievement of points awarded The evenness of the Elmar herd is evident when the cows are on the rotary milking for 20 years for classifi cation scores pla orm. and number of animals submitted as well as production achievements. by assessor Rick Orchard to try to ‘cor- The herd is practically a closed Elmar has also enjoyed success at rectively mate’ each animal. Genetics herd with only the one animal, Avon- International Dairy Week including from all over the world are used with lea Windbrook Lulu 2nd, bought in the three awards in 2015 for supreme names such as Blackstar, Chief, Leader, past three years, in partnership with champion, reserve champion and Goldwyn and Icefi re being evident. Western Australia interests. honourable mention to Ice Jessica,
52 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 FOCUS ON BREEDING
Goldwyn Jessica 11 and Goldwyn Jes- sica 4; champion cow in 2003 with Leader Jessica and being the inaugu- ral winner in 1990 with Elmar Farex. Prominent in the herd are the Farex, Jessica and Josephine families. Genomic tes ng About 100 heifer calves are kept and genomic testing is carried out on about 10 per cent of those. Calves are reared with a grain mix additive un- til 12 months old with targets set for weight and size at joining and calving. Any heifers falling behind are sepa- rated and challenged to catch up with some extra care. Any heifers still not of adequate size will be held back to the next joining period. Elmar sells about 40 bulls annu- ally. Health checks are guaranteed on these including for pestivirus. Heat detection is done via the cow collar measuring activity, Kamars and Steve Hore is the third-genera on of his family to operate the award-winning Elmar visual observation. Holsteins. Farm opera on March and August. Total milk solids The average milk composition is 3.9 Although the Hores have a focus on are 240,000 kilograms, and Elmar sup- per cent fat with 3.4 per cent protein. breeding top cows, the operation plies milk to Dairyfarmers. The Elmar This is offl oaded into a road tanker is still a commercial one. Some 400 farm is on the second of a three-year nearby and may end up in Melbourne, cows are milked with split calving in 50 per cent fi xed price contract. Adelaide or Sydney within the next 12
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The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 53 FOCUS ON BREEDING
The Elmar farm has one female em- ployee milker and two male employ- ees, but Steve and Deanne ensure one of them is also always present at milk- ing. One of the employees has been with Elmar for 12 years. The success of the Elmar herd is not just on breeding but also good management and hard work. The em- phasis is on good cows that pull their weight. Show success is a huge bonus and demonstrates the skills Steve and Deanne have developed and practice. Steve and Deanne, have three chil- dren: Kelsey who is studying graphic design in Geelong, Marty who is a Summer pasture and trees provide a cool environment for the cows. third-year apprentice cabinet maker playing reserves football with Colling- hours. Such is the versatility of milk backbone channel. Because of the wood and Brady who is studying year distribution. suction height a safety surge tank was 11 at Cohuna Secondary College and The water entitlement is 1200 meg- installed. A variable speed pump op- training with the Bendigo Pioneers. alitres and Elmar has 18.46 delivery erates the system. The pump is manu- This is a big commitment as Brady shares. That costs $57,000 without ally operated 24 hours a day when has to be driven to Bendigo weekly at any water being guaranteed. required. minimum, for training and then play- Steve used a water effi ciency grant Steve and Deanne lead feed the ing on a weekend. Steve himself was a to install fi ve kilometres of pipe and springing cows. A partial mixed ration more than handy footballer winning a riser about six years ago and said is fed on the feedpad including silage, Northern and Echuca league best and this was a great success. A feature hay and a component of grain. The fairest in 1995. For relaxing, the fam- of this was the decommissioning of cows are also fed 5kg/day of a local ily enjoy water skiing on the nearby their supply channel and installation commercial wheat-based mix on the Gunbower creek or one of the lakes at of about 1km of suction line to the milking platform. Kerang. D
54 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 FOCUS ON BREEDING Dairy cow fer lity trends improve
✔ Gene c trend for cow fer lity Genetic trend of Australian Holstein cows — daughter improving ‘The reliability of the fertility ABV (herd recorded and sired AI bulls) ✔ Now at similar levels to 1996 ✔ Bulls with high daughters available Daughter Fer lity Key points Key in Good Bulls Guide ABV has improved Daughter FTER 20 years of declining dairy signi cantly.’ fer lity ABV cow fertility, the genetic trend Ahas turned around and improved the focus on fertility in indices has in- every year since 2011 year. It is now creased further in the past couple of about fi ve per cent higher than cows years,” she said. “On top of that, bull ity ABVs and more confi dence in those born in 2011, and similar to cows born companies and farmers are paying ex- bulls. in 1996. tra attention to the Daughter Fertility “The reliability of the Daughter Fertil- This fi nding and others are reported Australian Breeding Value (ABV) when ity ABV has improved signifi cantly, and in the latest Herd Improvement Report, making their fi nal bull selections. there are more bulls with much higher published recently by the Austral- “We are now seeing the direct bene- Daughter Fertility ABVs to choose ian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme fi ts on farm. Cows with higher daughter from,” she said. “This is the outcome of (ADHIS) and the National Herd Improve- fertility ABVs get back in calf sooner — collaborative work between ADHIS and ment Association of Australia (NHIA). that is they have higher six-week in calf the Dairy Futures CRC.” Michelle Axford from ADHIS said this rates.” To fi nd out more about the chang- was an example of the gains that could Mrs Axford said the simplest way to ing dynamics of Australian dairy herds, be made through increased emphasis of improve the genetics of herds for fertil- download the Australian Dairy Herd fertility in Australian selection indices, ity was to choose bulls from the Good Improvement Report 2015 from website particularly in the Balanced Perform- Bulls Guide or app with a high Daugh-
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New partnership sees forma on of Cogent Australia
A market leader in bovine genet- pand customer-focused services. Our ics, innovation and selection, Co- combined expertise, resources and gent Breeding Ltd, has announced a capabilities mean we’re in a strong groundbreaking partnership with the position to enter an important, new specialist dairy genetics company, market through the proven abilities of Universal Sires Australia. a great team, led by Peter Semmens.” The move, which creates a major Mr Semmens will remain at the helm new player in Australia’s bovine ge- of the new business ensuring custom- netics and artifi cial and herd improve- ers throughout Australia will continue ment sectors, will see the two com- to benefi t from his extensive exper- panies come together under the new tise and local market knowledge. name of Cogent Australia — creating a For him, the new partnership repre- strong, new platform to offer farmers sents a combined strength that will bet- throughout Australia quality genetics The new team at Cogent Australia Andy ter address clients’ growing demands. and signifi cant new technologies. Smith and Peter Semmens. “This is a very exciting time for us and is As the world leaders in sexed se- very good news for our customers,” he men technology, Cogent is continu- “There are many synergies between said. “From their perspective, they can ally bringing innovation to breeding the United Kingdom and Australian expect business as usual with the added programs through resource effi ciency markets and we have long held simi- benefi t of more cutting-edge services, and the application of science, best lar views on the importance of genetic products and technology. practice and precision technologies. potential. The focus of Cogent Australia will The addition of Cogent Australia “This is a strong fi t for both Cogent be to supply the best of Austral- represents the latest landmark in an and Universal Sires and reinforces our ian-bred genetics along with those international growth program and strategic focus as a company. The for- sourced from North American and Eu- underpins the company’s ambition mation of Cogent Australia opens an ex- ropean markets. D to become the world leader in the im- citing period of opportunity and market- Article supplied by Cogent Aus- provement of beef and dairy genetics. ing initiatives for both businesses. tralia, contact Peter Semmens, email Cogent’s International sales man- “Cogent Australia represents an-
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Coun ng the cost of transi on diseases
Tens of thousands of dollars are lost Mr Quinlan said: “The Transition- each year to transition diseases — Right index turns the tables on transi- mastitis, metritis and ketosis. While tion management from being reactive research on the transition period for to being proactive or preventative. dairy cattle has been evolving for more Typically, the transition period has than a decade at home and abroad, un- been handled through changes to nu- til now little, if any, focus has been on trition, vaccinations and physical treat- the role genetics plays. ment of the cow when she comes down The value of ABS TransitionRight with one or more of the common tran- genetics, which identifi es sires with sition diseases. transition-disease resistance traits, has “With TransitionRight, we can plan been boosted by the recent release of to improve resistance to this costly list a complementary DNA testing product of metabolic disorders through each for females. dairyfarmer’s breeding program, tak- In releasing their new female test, ing into account their breeding objec- Zoetis, the leading provider of ge- tives.” nomic testing globally, has said it fur- With the benefi t of access to ABS ther augments the success of the ABS Real World Data, which is comprised of TransitionRight index, the fi rst genetic more than 22 million records, ABS has solution to improve the effi ciency of created a genetic evaluation for transi- ABS Transi onRight gene cs iden es transition cows and reduce disease in- tion cows that is truly revolutionary. sires with transi on disease resistance cidence. It is the only company that is able to traits. “Together with the female genetic offer a genetic solution specifi cally for test, we expect to see an acceleration the transition period. in improved transition-disease resist- with TransitionRight genetics. “We get “We would expect to have about sev- ance through using TransitionRight about four or fi ve LDAs (Left Displaced en fewer daughters out of 100 that had sires,” ABS Australia’s national sales Abomasum) every year, particularly in a case of mastitis in fi rst lactation if a manager, Paul Quinlan, said. “We will heifers,” he said. “Every LDA operation fi ve-star TransitionRight sire was used be able to use the genetic information costs $300-$400. in place of a one-star sire,” Mr Quinlan to match males and females and breed “It’s not hard to lose the fi rst year of said. for optimum disease resistance.” production from a heifer that’s not eat- Current evaluation of progeny per- It is estimated a typical incidence ing and not producing milk.” formance demonstrates that fi ve-star rate of metritis alone is 15 per cent. With an estimated 75 per cent of dis- TransitionRight sires create $100 in A 500-cow herd can lose more than ease in dairy cows occurring in the fi rst value per cow per lactation through 26,000 in reduced productivity, treat- 30 days in milk and as many as 50 per reduced health costs. D ment costs and herd loss from this one cent of high-producing cows affected, Article supplied by ABS Austral- cause. transition cow disorders take a ma- ia, phone 1800 227 2855 (1800 ABS Kyabram, Vic, dairyfarmer, Cliff War- jor toll on dairy operations, which go BULL), website
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 59 Australia’s Best New Jersey RRPRRP $$30.0030.00 Proven Bulls Broadlin Aussiegold AUSSIEGOLD P Elton x Vanahlem
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Holstein brothers dominate ABVs
The 2016 April Australian Breeding sires and the results for the coopera- Values (ABV) release was not only a tive could not have been more pleas- great result for Genetics Australia but ing. Seven of the top 10 Holstein bulls an even better result for Australian stand at Genetics Australia, reinforc- farmers, according to Genetics Aus- ing the investment in genomics and tralia general manager Anthony Shel- assuring Australian famers will con- ly. In what could be an ABV fi rst, full tinue to have ongoing access to world- brothers Wrangler and Geemcee hold class bulls standing in Australia. the top two positions on the Balanced Kingtut, also bred by Rengaw Hol- Performance Index (BPI) while a third steins heads the Holstein BPIg list at full brother Challenger, also obtained 308 while the successful Manna Farms a top all-round fi rst ABV. herd from Yankalilla in South Austral- New Holstein sensa on Wrangler is All bulls were bred by George ia bred second-placed Holstein Cool- Australia’s best new total performance Wagner, Rengaw Holsteins in Win- blue. Holstein sire following the 2016 ABV naleah in Tasmania. Sired by leading The result for the Jersey genomic release. international Holstein Man-O-Man team is no different with seven of the and grandsons of health and fi tness and support Genetics Australia had top 10 bulls standing in Australia and leader Oman, all three bulls have in- shown in embracing Australia’s new all owned by the co-operative. herited many of the qualities of their breeding indices and in the use of ge- Mr Shelly said Genetics Australia well-known and respected sires. Their nomic technology. shareholders would again have exclu- maternal line is equally impressive, “We fi rst began to include genomic sive access to these top young bulls their dam Rengaw Shottle Janea VG88 data in our young bull selections as as members of the Horizon progeny and the next Dam Rengaw Goldbullion far back as 2008 and with continual test program. Janea Ex91-6E were both top produc- improvements to the reliability of ge- Polled Jersey Aussiegold also ob- ing cows at Rengaw and both sired by nomic breeding values we are really tained its fi rst daughter-proven ABV. farmer-friendly bulls in Shottle and beginning to see the improvement in Mr Shelly said the reliable fi rst ABV of Goldbullion. Australian bulls, particularly in the Aussiegold further validated the use Wrangler and Geemcee join 2015 hard-to-measure traits such as health of genomics as it had been a high de- leading BPI sire Christmas and high and fertility,” he said. mand sire based on his ABVg and now rated Goldcrest to see Genetics Aus- “Medallion and more recently with 113 milking daughters closely tralia hold an impressive four of the Christmas were great examples of mirrored his genomic ABV. top fi ve BPI positions on the new 2016 how genomics can help lift the quality Through the alliance with US ge- Good Bulls Guide. In addition Christ- of bulls selected at a young age. Wran- netics supplier World Wide Sires, a mas is now the number one bull for gler and his brothers now with the number of high rated bulls are also Type Weighted Index (TWI) while improvements to genomic technology available. Jersey breeders will be Goldcrest holds the number one were selected on the basis of their ge- pleased to see the fi rst ABV of US mantle for the Health Weighted Index nomic rating and now represent the Jersey sire 7J1038 — All Lynns Louie (HWI). A total of seven new Holsteins new era in Australian standing Hol- Valentino. from Genetics Australia had gradu- steins, and that is not only great news Top ABVg Jersey Drogo still leads ated to the proven team following the for our cooperative but even better the charge as the highest genomic April ABV release. news for Australian farmers.” Jersey bull standing in Australia. D Mr Shelly said the result was most The April ABV release also saw the Article supplied by Genetics Austral- pleasing and justifi ed the investment new release of the top new genomics ia, website
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 61 (Bowser /Ramos) Alta AltaBowie (Freddie /Planet) Alta AltaEmbassy daughter the management of your herd? of your toas part genetic assistwith selection Have youconsidered incorporating gestation length (Planet / Shottle) Alta AltaMETEOR daughter
+5.3 DPR+6.4PL Extreme Calving Ease 3.6 111 Cow Gestation length +2.3 DPR+6.5PL 111 Cow Gestation length Impressive Udders+2.10 Calving Ease 5.6% 114 Cow Gestation length BOWIE EMBASSY METEOR (04/16) (04/16) over 31,000obs (04/16) A2/A2 % (04/16) (04/16) talk to your Alta SalesRepresentative Consider using Gestation Short sires too: theherd by using inthelastweeksof theAIperiod. for high volumeproducers. 1H128DERS LAAFR-W41953 32+. A1A2 A2A2 +2.6 +4.2 7392 A1A2 1232 5.3% +2.3 5.4% A2A2 A1A2 7346 +0.6 109 +2.3 A1A1 110 6.7% 2856 +5.3 0 6.2% 4 111 4482 A2A2 5 +4.0 A2A2 3.6% 6.8% 110 +0.9 1415 DYECREST ALTASANFORD-TW 4 011HO11298 111 8372 112 5.4% A1A2 NO-FLA ALTAGENUITY-ET 4 +0.6 011HO11389 6.4% A2A2 112 LONE-OAK-ACRES ALTARABO-ET 6498 4 5 +1.5 011HO11379 113 5.4% 31583 APINA ALTAEMBASSY A2/A2 011HO11143 4 5.6% +1.6 ROSYLANE-LLC ALTABOWIE 114 4 011HO11116 8567 114 DFALTAPARISIAN-ET 011HO11608 5.8% 4 MELARRY ALTAFLEX-ET 011HO11451 3 118 SULLY ALTAMERCI-ET 011HO11283 DYECREST ALTASKYCREST 4 011HO11228 SULLY ALTAMETEOR-ET 011HO10661 BOMAZ ALTABETTMAN -ET Name 011HO11316 BullCode Gestation data length nowavailable onAlta Genetics Sires than abull with aGestation EBV of 100.Conversely abull with arating with improved fertility through ConceptPlus andanincreased selection equal to3days shorter gestation. For example abull with aGestation of 90 will transmit agestation length 6days longer than theaverage.
EBV of 110 will beexpected totransmit agestation period 6days less The April 2016Gestation EBV information isnow available from CDN. Alta Genetics Australia clientshave already beenabletoincorporate Reduce thecalving period. cowperiod. Ensure dry correct Increase conception by extending settling time Minimise days openwithtighter calving pattern in this information intotheir breeding programs. This new tool,along Gestation EBV’s are calculated indays andrepresented instandard deviations of 5 with anaverage of 100.Onestandard deviation is those progressive farmers looking tomaximise theirreturns. www.altagenetics.com/australia [email protected] ! ! Alta Genetics Australia Concept Plus Gestation Cow Calving Ease Ease Obs Calving rating DPR A2/A2 Status
VR2348296 AUSTRALIAN BREEDING VALUES — APRIL 2016 RELEASE cs cs cs Rel page nued next Saved con AUSRED Gene AUSRED World Wide Sires World Semex Australia Semex Sires Universal Be Advised To Gene Livestock Total Viking Gene Viking Livestock Improvement Livestock Cell Count Saved Feed Source VIK WWS TBA SEM UVS TLG LIC RED Rel CC Rel Feed Fertility Fert cs cs Australia cs ABS Australia Coomboona Holsteins Gene GGI Australia Agri-Gene Australia CRV Temp Like Rel Dtr Gene Alta Source of Bulls Source ABS AGR ALT CBH CRV GAC GGI Spd Milk Rel Type Syst Mam Type Rel Over Sur- vival No. Herds No. Dtrs Rel HWI TWI ASI ASI Indices Production Survival Traits Conformation Workability Daughter Rel BPI $ BPI email:
AUSTRALIAN BREEDING VALUES — APRIL 2016 RELEASE cs cs Rel cs Rel Saved Saved AUSRED Gene AUSRED World Wide Sires World Semex Australia Semex Sires Universal Be Advised To Gene Livestock Total Viking Gene Viking Livestock Improvement Livestock Cell Count Saved Feed Source Cell Count Saved Feed Source SEM UVS TLG VIK WWS TBA LIC RED Rel CC Rel Feed Rel CC Rel Feed Fertility Fertility Fert Fert cs cs Australia cs Temp Like Rel Dtr Temp Like Rel Dtr ABS Australia Coomboona Holsteins Gene GGI Australia Agri-Gene Australia CRV Gene Alta Spd Milk Milk Spd Source of Bulls Source ABS AGR ALT CBH CRV GAC GGI Rel Type Type Rel Syst Mam Mam Syst Type Type Rel Over Rel Over Sur- vival Sur- vival No. Herds No. Herds No. Dtrs No. Dtrs Rel Rel HWI TWI ASI ASI HWI TWI ASI ASI Indices Production Survival Traits Conformation Workability Daughter Rel Rel Breed Indices Production Survival Traits Conformation Workability Daughter email:
AUSTRALIAN BREEDING VALUES — APRIL 2016 RELEASE cs cs Rel Rel cs Saved Saved AUSRED Gene AUSRED World Wide Sires World Semex Australia Semex Sires Universal Be Advised To Gene Livestock Total Viking Gene Viking Livestock Improvement Livestock Cell Count Saved Feed Source Cell Count Saved Feed Source VIK WWS TBA SEM UVS TLG LIC RED Rel CC Rel Feed Rel CC Rel Feed Fertility Fertility Fert Fert cs cs Australia cs Temp Like Rel Dtr Temp Like Rel Dtr Coomboona Holsteins Gene GGI Australia ABS Australia Agri-Gene Australia CRV Gene Alta Spd Spd Milk Milk CBH CRV GAC GGI Source of Bulls Source ABS AGR ALT Rel Rel Type Type Syst Syst Mam Mam Type Type Rel Over Rel Over Sur- Sur- vival vival No. No. Herds Herds No. No. Dtrs Dtrs Rel Rel HWI TWI ASI ASI HWI TWI ASI ASI Indices Production Survival Traits Conformation Workability Daughter Indices Production Survival Traits Conformation Workability Daughter Rel Rel email:
❁ Drylot farming system provided to their grass-based system. evolved due to lack of ‘We were tracking the Their fi rst experience of the impact of water drought was in 2000, when water al- ❁ Plan to have feed 12 cost of pasture through locations were cut to 29 per cent. Like months ahead of using it many farmers in the area, the Single- ❁ Consistently pro table opera on that dry me and as tons’ strategy was to go to the market Key points Key pasture yield dropped and buy more water to continue to By Carlene Dowie grow pasture. because of lack of water, The next two years’ water alloca- HE twin challenges of drought the cost grew to peak at tions were back to normal. But the and reduced irrigation allocations drought hit with a vengeance in 2003 Tprompted a major change more $403/tonne.’ with irrigation allocations slashed to than a decade ago in the system oper- eight per cent, and water prices start- ated by Blighty, NSW, dairyfarmers, the ed to climb. The next three years saw Singleton family. Crossmaglen, near Coffs Harbour, low allocation of about 50 per cent. The family moved from year-round NSW. The family retains a connection The Singletons continued to manage grazing of perennial ryegrass relying to their past through the name of their with temporary water trading. on irrigation from spring to autumn to farm Crossmaglen Pastoral. But in 2007 and 2008, there was zero a hybrid system with 850-cow herd fed Rob and Gai, along with Rob’s broth- allocation and combined with excep- a total mixed ration (TMR) in a drylot er Ian, bought a 400-hectare rice, sheep tionally dry conditions, it meant little for half the year and grazed on annual and lucerne property in 1994, building feed was conserved in the spring. pastures for the rest. a 50-unit rotary dairy to milk the 140 One of the Singletons’ consultants, It also meant a major change in how cows they brought with them from the Brian Crockhart, of CRC Agrisolutions, feed is viewed. The grazing system north, soon building that to 200 cows. said at this point farmers in the re- aimed to maximise pasture production They then developed a whole farm gion started to question the way they all year round through a judicious use plan for the property and by 1999 had were doing things. “And part of that of perennial ryegrass (about one-third the farm laid out to that plan. In 2005 involved the cost of pasture,” he said. of the farm) and annual ryegrass (two- the partnership between Rob and his “We were tracking the cost of pasture thirds of the farm) with excess spring brother Ian was dissolved — Rob and through that dry time and as pasture production conserved as silage or hay Gai continued with the dairy operation yield dropped because of lack of water, and concentrates fed in the bail to while Ian went into cropping. In 2008, the cost grew to peak at $403/tonne. It make up for any shortfall. Rob and Gai’s son Sam joined the farm was very, very expensive, a similar to Now the Singletons look to build a operation and in 2015 their daughter cost to bought-in feeds.” 12-month stock of high-quality home- Ellie, a business graduate, joined the But the cost wasn’t the biggest is- grown conserved feed and to maximise business. sue. The uncertainty about having wa- production from available irrigation Feed certainty ter to grow pasture created a big risk in water allocation by growing summer their business. crops for silage. The millennium drought and its im- The Singletons have now set up a The family has shown its ability to pact on water allocations in the region farming system that provides greater master both systems with consistent challenged the Singletons’ philoso- certainty around feed. good levels of profi tability. Return on phy around the certainty that their Perennial ryegrass has been re- assets has averaged 8.6 per cent in 1859-megalitre irrigation allocation placed with maize grown for silage. Lu- the past 15 years and they have not recorded a loss, despite years of no or very low water allocation and tight milk price. Move to area Like many dairyfarmers in the Finley area, Rob and Gai Singleton moved to it from another region. Fellow Riverina dairyfarmer and former chair of Mur- ray Dairy, Malcolm Holm, attributes much of the success of farmers in this region to the fact that so many have moved there from other areas, bring- ing with them different ideas and pio- neer zeal. The Singletons made the move from a region that could not be more dif- ferent to the fl at, dry inland plains of the Riverina — subtropical, hilly, wet Sam, Ellie, Rob and Gai SIngleton run a pro table dairy farm at Finley, NSW. The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 69 SCOURS CAN CHANGE THE FUTURE FOR YOU AND HER.
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To highlight that point, in February before the current season maize crop was harvested, the Singletons had stored on farm 1400 tonnes of maize silage, 1000 tonnes of grass silage and 2000 tonnes cereal hay — enough to feed the cows for a year. Another 30ha of corn — or 800 tonnes — was due to be harvested. They were also planning a fully irrigated autumn start up on the grazing platform with annual ryegrass on part and grazing cereals on the rest, with shaftal Persian clover as an un- derstorey throughout. Mr Singleton said he would always The Singleton herd is fed a total mixed ra on from about late October to April before look to buy in forage to bolster his feed moving to pasture, supplemented with a ra on. stores if it was cheap enough. Mr Crockhart said the strategy of cerne has been recently introduced to he has grown more and more each having large feed stores on hand also the summer crop rotation, with 40ha year,” he said. meant farmers were not forced to buy grown this season. Mr Singleton plans “This means you start to have choic- forage when it was at its most expen- to double that next year and then es. In a tight year like this year, you can sive. “It takes you out of the market work on a cropping rotation across the reduce your feed stores, because of the when everyone else is in the market farm with different paddocks put into amount of feed you have on hand. The for feed, if you’ve got that bank of for- three years of lucerne and then back point being because the spring failed age on hand,” he said. to maize. and there was so much hay and silage “If you look at the ratio of forage and Another consultant Scott Rathbone made, that feed is there for next year, grain price, you see this year it has said this system meant maize was be- it is not for next week. And that’s the turned around. The grain price is not ing grown to be conserved as silage real step change you’ve got to make driven as much by the dry conditions this season and then fed out next sea- between growing pastures and being a — it is driven by international prices son. feedlotter — you’ve got to be growing — so we are still paying close to $300 “Since Rob started growing maize, for next year.” a tonne for wheat now, the same as
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 71 FOCUS ON FEEDING
said he hoped to become self-suffi cient in grain — “if we can get smart and ir- rigate wheat”. Infrastructure The switch to a feedlot system for part of the year has also seen more infra- structure developed on the farm — but it has been done gradually with careful prioritisation of areas deemed to de- liver the best returns. Through the early years of the mil- lennium drought, the Singletons fed out conserved silage on a dirt feed- The drylot at the Singleton farm where cows are housed and fed during the hot pad, with trees providing shade for summer months. the cows. In 2007, they travelled with a group of dairyfarmers to the United last year. But when it is dry, forage it is production, with no plans to graze States to assess dry climate farming more expensive.” cows on it. systems in California and Arizona. The desire for more feed certainty Mr Singleton said the cropping prop- The Singletons decided the cheaper has also driven the Singletons’ expan- erty provided a number of options. Arizona drylot system would work sion in the past eight years. In 2008, In a good year, the wheat and canola well to feed cows in the dry Riverina they bought a 275-hectare cropping grown on the farm provide up to 400 summer, and cows could be grazed property. In 2013, they bought a 223ha tonnes of feed for the dairy. But he is through late autumn, winter and dairy property with a deep bore with fl exible about how he manages it. In spring. a 392-megalitre licence. They decom- 2014 high-quality H1 grain was har- They built their fi rst drylot with missioned the dairy and grow lucerne vested, which he sold; he then bought shade shelter in 2008 at a cost of $214 and forage on the farm and run young in ASW1 at a lower price. Last year no a cow. A second shade shelter drylot stock there. grain was harvested after the spring was added later. In 2012, they bought 101ha adjacent failed but the crops were all cut as ce- The drylot has a nine-metre by 130m to the dairy property, which has been real hay, providing an enormous bank shade shelter. It is designed for about developed for cropping and lucerne of stored forage in a tight season. He 300 cows, providing 3.5-4 square me-
72 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016
FOCUS ON FEEDING
tres of shade area per cow. The loafi ng ing additional barns or upgrading to a the other above 100 days). The early area around the shade shelter is also freestall barn. lactation group is fed 26-27 kilograms important, providing about 60 square The silage area was concreted last of dry matter each per dry and the late metres per cow. This stocking density year to prevent bogginess in winter lactation group about 20kg DM/day helps prevent the area being constant- and to provide better quality silage. The herd remains split into two ly wet and boggy. The loafi ng area pro- The silage contractor said the upgrade groups even when cows are being vides space for cows moving from the helped reduce the amount of silage grazed during the winter. shade shelter to the feedpad and for wasted. Business performance cows to stand on and lie down at night, Mr Crockhart said feed management particularly in summer, when they dis- was critical to these systems. Feedlots The business has performed well, de- sipate heat built up during the day. Ini- that did not manage their feed well, spite the years of drought. Return on tially, the surface under the shade shel- struggled to make money out of feed- assets peaked at more than 20 per cent ter was hard-packed clay but the cows lotting. and has not fallen below 1.5 per cent. did not like it and would not lay down. It was vital to get silage harvest right. Asset value has grown to more than It is now a good pack of dried manure “Pastures are easier because you can $12 million. that the cows fi nd comfortable. go out every day, and if the cows did The more intensive system has seen Maintenance of the area is vital. It not eat enough, you can change it for an increase in labour cost both overall is rotary hoed at least once a day, and tomorrow,” he said. “With silage if you and per litre of milk. But that labour twice a day when it is humid, to ensure haven’t got it right at the start when cost is now settled and is running at it dries out. The outer area is boarded you harvested it, then you can’t do any- about 94 cents per kilogram of milk sol- with a blade to break up the manure thing with it.” ids, on a par with the top 25 per cent pats and to ensure it dries out. It takes The latest piece of infrastructure is of farms in northern Victorian on the about two hours a day to maintain both a new springer barn. Springers were Dairy Farm Monitor Project. the drylots. previously kept in two paddocks and The farm employs 7.7 full-time equiv- The shade shelters run north-south, fed hay in hay rings. The new $200,000 alents, based on a 50-hour week, but an essential element of the design that 12-metre wide by 80m long shed has a most staff do not work more than a 40- allows all areas under the shelter to be central concrete feed lane with pens on hour week. The staff usually includes exposed to sunshine for part of every both sides. 2-3 backpackers. day. It also means the cows follow the Herd management All the grass silage and hay and crop shade, so a larger area is utilised, re- harvesting are done by staff, but con- ducing the accumulation of manure Another big management change tractors are used for the maize silage directly under the shelters. brought about by the move to a TMR and seeding. Mr Singleton said he had But the limitation of the drylots system was to split the cows into dif- no problems fi nding contractors. “If are that they cannot be used in wet ferent groups. The herd, which com- you pay on time, you always get them,” conditions. Although the region has prises about 60 per cent purebred he said. an average annual rainfall of only 400 Holstein and 40 per cent purebred Jer- As for future development plans, Mr millimetres, the Singletons are some- sey, calves year round in six to seven Singleton said he worked by the phi- times forced to move the cows out of batches. losophy of looking at what was needed the drylots if heavy storms hit in the All cows are bred to fi xed-time ar- to improve the way they did things. summer. tifi cial insemination, while heifers are “Things pop up and you think that fi ts It also means that cows cannot be bred on a Controlled Internal Drug Re- and you just do it,” he said. supplementarily fed there during the lease (CIDR) program using sexed se- Having a good relationship with the wetter winter months. At other times of men with heifer returns put with the bank was critical to being able to de- the year, even when the cows are graz- bull. velop the business. “If he knows where ing, they are fed a ration in the drylot. The milking herd was previously run the business is at, he can be confi dent,” The need to ensure high-quality feed together and fed the same ration. Now he said. “If you are hiding stuff from the prompted the Singletons to upgrade the herd is split based on stage of lacta- bank, they are probably going to hide their feed storage facility before add- tion (one group less than 100 days and money from you.” D
74 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 IMPROVED UDDER HEALTH -14.9%
SCC
VR2240648 FOCUS ON FEEDING Irriga on farm changes tack
❁ Drought brought about changes to water availability ❁ Focus changed to growing dryland crops as feed ❁ Barn constructed to house cows Key points Key By Carlene Dowie
ROCHESTER, Vic, dairy farm family’s determination to make Athe most of the resources avail- able has inspired it to change tack and move from an irrigated grazing sys- tem to a confi ned feeding system. The Acocks family — Mick and Heather and their son Tom and his wife Emma — milk 900 cows, which are run in two herds. One herd is fed a total mixed ration in a 500-cow fully housed barn and the other is fed a partial mixed ra- tion in a drylot and grazed for part of the year on annual pasture. The closure of the Campaspe Irriga- Three genera ons: Tom Acocks with his son Bill and father Mick in the 500-cow barn tion System as part of the Northern built on their farm in 2013. Victorian Irrigation Renewal Project cost of the water is about $30 a mega- in 2010 was the catalyst for the ‘This is a complex system, litre. Pumping through the centre Acockses to look at how they could pivot irrigators costs an additional maximise feed production from the but we can control it.’ $22/Ml, while pumping to another water and land it had available. It was part of the farm that has gravity-fed a major change for the farm business Tom, who left school in 2002 to irrigation costs $18/Ml. There is no that had grown on the back of a typi- study at Melbourne University before additional cost to run irrigation on cal northern Victorian irrigated pas- backpacking and working around Eu- another 130ha where annual ryegrass ture system. rope for three years with no intention is grown. The family has been in the district a of farming, returned home in 2009 The Acockses own only 30Ml of long time — Tom is the sixth genera- after the Global Financial Crisis saw permanent water — so most of the tion to farm in the region. Mick, who jobs in Europe disappear. His father water used to grow feed on the farm started milking on the family farm had sold half the herd at that stage, is bought through the water market. when he left school in 1967, farmed and Tom saw an opportunity to be “We trade every year,” Tom said. initially in partnership with his broth- able to put his mark on the business “We are trading water about 18 er. They bought the block on which and take it in a new direction. months out from when we use it.” he and Tom now farm in 1982, before The crunch came in 2010. Goulburn But years of zero water allocation amicably splitting the partnership in Murray Water decided the Campaspe had also taught Mick how to farm with- 1990, with his brother retaining the Irrigation System, which was devel- out irrigation. The farm is surrounded family’s original farm. oped in 1962 when the Eppalock Weir by good, reliable non-irrigated crop- At that time, the herd was 130 cows was constructed, was too expensive ping land. Across the years, the family being milked through an eight-unit to run and offered to buy out irriga- added to this and the family now has double-up dairy. They increased the tors, who had at that time not re- 900ha of dryland cropping. herd to 300 cows, and in 1996 built a ceived an allocation for four of the “Through necessity, we changed rotary dairy. The farm was based on previous fi ve years. our system,” Tom said. “During the irrigated perennial ryegrass/clover The Acockses joined with 22 other drought, dad started to focus on max- with the cows also fed 1.5-2 tonnes of irrigators to the east of Rochester, imising feed we could get off that dry- grain a year in the bail and grass si- including horticulturalists and crop- land. lage in a simple feeding system. pers, to form a co-operative to start “Having the security of that feed But the millennium drought chal- their own irrigation scheme, taking changed the way we were feeding lenged that system. As water alloca- water via a pipeline from the reliable cows and that reliance on water. It tions were reduced, Mick swung to Waranga western channel. also meant we could increase num- grazing lucerne and annuals to make It took two years to construct but bers here and feed cows something the most of available water, with si- “since then have had complete cer- other than grass or lucerne.” lage fed to cows on a feedpad to sup- tainty around the supply of irriga- Tom said one thing they realised plement the pasture. Cow numbers tion”, Tom said. was that good dryland farmers could stabilised at about 400-500. But that came at a cost. Delivery grow feed reasonably cheaper. “We re- 76 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 77 FOCUS ON FEEDING
The Acocks opera on comprises a drylot, where dry cows, transi on and low produc on cows are run, and a barn, where high produc on cows are housed. alised that this area is actually reason- whole crop barley cost $150/tonne when we can get water back at $40 it ably reliable — and probably in the dry matter (DM) in the pit, vetch $200/ will be cheap,” he said. past 10 years has been more reliable tonne DM and wheat $120/tonne in Feeding system evolves than our water allocation,” he said. the silo. But in 2015, when the spring The family has set up a rotation failed, the grain crop was harvested The change in what was being fed to with crops that suit some sort of fod- as silage, while the vetch costs went cows also led to a change in how cows der production. Vetch is grown for to $500/tonne. were being fed. Initially cows were fed silage and hay, barley for whole crop The pivot irrigators grow lucerne silage in concrete troughs on a feed- silage and wheat for grain to be stored (yielding 18 tonnes DM/ha) and a ro- pad without shade. on farm and fed back throughout the tation of maize (yielding 25 tonnes In 2010, Tom visited the Singleton year. Export oaten hay is also grown DM/ha), vetch and a wheat mix. Tom family farm at Finley, NSW, (see story on part of the dryland area and is said this effi cient use of water made page 69) and saw their drylot system. traded each year. The cost of feed on for cheap feed production. Even with He decided this system would work farm varies depending on the season a total applied water cost of $350/ML well in the summer on his family’s and the yield. Tom said in 2014 when (water bought at about $290/ML), the farm and built one to accommodate there was a good winter and spring, lucerne cost $180/tonne to grow. “So the milking herd. “It turned out to be the wettest summer on record, so it was mastitis pit for six months,” he said. “Once we learned how to manage it, it allowed us to increase numbers to 800 cows, run in two groups (a high production and a low production) through the summer. “But by then we’d maxed out the drylot and its limitations. Once it’s wet, you just shut the gate and you can’t use it in the winter.” With a split-calving herd, at times, Tom was trying to manage 700 cows on 180ha of ryegrass pastures when it was too wet to use the drylot. The drylot could be fenced and used as a feedpad but it was a diffi cult juggling act, particularly in the shoulder pe- riod from mid-April to mid-May when the annual pastures were just starting. “So the decision was made to move to a barn — something that was more conducive to year-round use,” Tom said The design and approval process for barn went through in early 2013. The 6000-square metre barn was built by a local fi rm at a total cost of about $800,000 and the cows were moved into it on January 1, 2014. The 500-cow high-producing early- lactation herd is housed in the barn and fed a TMR. The cows in this herd are run in 5-6 groups. All receive 78 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 FOCUS ON FEEDING
The farm grows 75 per cent of the herd’s ra on. the 28.5kg TMR but are fed different yond my control. This is a complex amounts of grain, canola meal and system, but we can control it.” minerals in the bail, depending on the The drylot was the biggest stepping level of production. stone in terms of of feedlotting cows. The initial plan was for the barn to “Once you get the concept of feedlot- be a composting system with saw- ting animals, then the rest of it will dust-and-dried-manure bedding but fl ow,” Tom said. Tom said they found they could not The business now is growing 75 keep the bedding free of moisture and per cent of everything that goes into it required a lot of daily maintenance. the cows’ mouths. The only bought- So they have evolved to using straw in feeds are protein feeds, including for bedding — about 1500 bales are whole cottonseed, a starch extrac- needed a year. Straw is topped up tion byproduct called blackcake and every second day and cleaned out canola meal. every 12-14 weeks, which takes about Tom said he was looking to make 4-5 hours each side. The feedlane is more of the manure produced in the dry scraped every time the cows are system, planning to compost it and taken out to be milked. use it as fertiliser. They started milking this herd three Where manure had been spread on times a day in July. the farm, Tom said it had lifted the wa- The second herd comprising low- ter-holding capacity of the soil, boost- production late-lactation cows, dry ing crop yields. It could save as much cows and transition cows fl uctuates as $300-$400/ha in artifi cial fertiliser between grazing plus a mixed ration costs. to a full TMR in the drylot, depend- Staff management is also vital. The ing on the availability of feed and the farm now employs 11 full-time equiva- weather conditions. lents. Training people in how to ap- Two years ago, the farm moved to proach animals in the facility was batch calving with seven matings a important, to ensure things were safe year. The herd is mainly Holstein with and quiet. a few crossbred cows, which are re- The plan for the next 12 to 18 tained offspring from maiden heifers months is to fortify the feed supply over which Jersey semen is used. and refi ne the system to help control Tom said the change to the TMR the costs. barn system had seen big improve- “This is a high cost system to run,” ments in cow health and cow com- Tom said. “It is not just building this. fort. It was a great facility for manag- There is a lot of machinery, conserv- ing cows in the heat. “We are achiving ing fodder, money spent on changing some good results with the facility our commodity and fodder storage, we’ve got and the money we’ve spent,” running tractors and diesel. he said. “We are right at the start of it. Business direc on There’s been a lot of money spent in the last 18-24 months on scaling up, For Tom, the big driver to the TMR so there is a lot of presure on system was control. “I don’t like the vagaries at the moment to perform and meet of grazing paddocks,” he said. “To me our commitments. it looks like an area where I could be ”But as we chip away at it, and work growing other feed. at it over time, I think it is an easy sys- “In this sort of system (TMR), I can tem to run, and something you can get control things. With the other system, really good returns from by achieving there are so many things that are be- really high levels of production.” D The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 79 FOCUS ON FEEDING Taking a bite into feeding behaviour
❁ Individual cow intake Figure 1: Varia on in ea ng measured in feed behaviours between cows feed a low experiment ‘This observa on ❁ Varia on between and high amount of supplement individual cows doubled when demonstrates that the amount of total supplement Key + Low supplement management decisions increased High supplement Key points Key about supplementary EFICITS in pasture dry matter 450 production and nutrient sup- feeding can be used to Dply are often alleviated using reduce between cow supplementary feeds, typically in 400 the form of cereal grain fed in the variability in feeding dairy during milking. Feeding sup- 350 behaviour.’ plements this way allows cows to be fed individually, resulting in control- 300 led supplement intake. (minutes/cow/day) me determination of individual cow feed in-
The use of partial mixed rations ng 250 take in pasture-based feeding systems (PMR) that incorporate a total mixed can be challenging. ration fed on a feedpad between pe- To overcome this challenge Ms riods of grazing pasture are becom- 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 Wright investigated the variation ing more common in Australia, with ea Pasture Ra on ea ng me in feed intake between cows by in- about 16 per cent of Australian dairy- (minutes/cow per day) vestigating individual cow feeding farmers using this feeding system, behaviour. Feeding behaviour can according to Dairy Australia. canola meal increased the time cows be used as a proxy for feed intake as Previous research conducted spent eating by 30 minutes/cow per feed intake is a product of feeding at Agriculture Victoria’s Ellinbank day, this was mainly a result of an behaviours, including eating time Centre (Department of Economic increase in grazing time. and intake rate. Development, Jobs, Transport and Cows fed in PMR feeding systems The feeding behaviours of cows Resources [DEDJTR]) has demon- are group-fed both the pasture and in the experiment were investigated strated increases in milk production ration component of their diets, continually over a 24-hour period. It in grazing cows offered maize-based which may result in large variations would be laborious to monitor this rations as a PMR, compared with in the feed intake between cows, behaviour by visual observation, feeding wheat in the dairy during thus making it diffi cult for farmers so Ms Wright captured these be- milking and forage in the paddock. to assess the overall effi ciency of haviours with the use of automated Further research found increases their herds. Large variation between feeding behaviour devices. These in milk yield when canola meal was cows in feed intake can also result in devices can be left on the cow for 24 incorporated into the ration. Some increased feed wastage and reduce hours, without disruption to normal of this milk production response the ability of farmers to accurately behaviours, to record and store data was due to enhanced feed intake. formulate the diets of their herds. for each jaw movement that the cow Research conducted by research A recent experiment conducted by makes, which is about 70,000 jaw scientist and PhD student Marlie Ms Wright set out to measure this vari- movements in pasture-only systems. Wright found that replacing some ation in individual cow feed intake in These jaw movements are then en- of the wheat grain in a ration with the PMR feeding system. However, the tered into a program that classifi es
80 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 FOCUS ON FEEDING
A cow wearing an automated feeding behaviour device that detects every jaw movement the cow makes. them into behaviours such as pick- found that increasing the amount of ing up feed, chewing the feed and pasture allocated to grazing dairy ruminating, to enable the determina- cows did not affect pasture eating tion of eating and ruminating times. time but resulted in an increased A major discovery of this research grazing intensity (increased bite was that the variation between in- rate and intake rate) and pasture in- dividual cows doubled when the take. amount of total supplement in- Ms Wright’s PhD has also taken creased from about six kilograms her to Ireland to investigate the to 13kg dry matter per cow per day variation in individual feed intake (range: 303-475 and 218-450 min- in the Irish dairy industry, a result utes/cow per day for low and high of a Memorandum of Understanding amounts of supplement, respective- between DEDJTR and Teagasc, the ly). Figure 1 demonstrates this vari- Irish Agriculture and Food Develop- ation. ment Authority. This trip allowed This observation demonstrates Ms Wright to return to Australia that management decisions about with some of the techniques used in supplementary feeding can be used Ireland and apply these to Victorian to reduce between-cow variability dairy feeding systems. in feeding behaviour (pasture allow- This research is defi ning best ance did not affect this variability). feeding management practices for Ms Wright also found that increas- reducing the variation between ing the amount of pasture allocated cows in PMR-fed herds, primarily to each cow resulted in slower con- through optimising the ratio of pas- sumption of the ration via reduced ture to ration. Ms Wright hopes that bite mass and intake rate. This is at the completion of her PhD she will an important fi nding for the dairy be able to provide dairyfarmers with industry as it suggests that when feeding management guidelines to dairyfarmers feed large amounts of promote reductions in the variation concentrate-based supplements to between cows within their herds in dairy cows they should consider feed intake and potentially minimise combining this with increased pas- feed wastage. D ture allowances to slow down ration Contact: Marlie Wright at DED- consumption. However, further in- JTR on email
❁ Introduce cows to stuff turns out to be positive — they variety of dic erent ‘If the reward from like the food — it reinforces eating be- feeds haviour, while negative feedback will ❁ Ensure cows well fed consuming a feedstu reduce feeding behaviour. This results before oc ering a new feed in the animal learning that it likes or ❁ Varied feeds li feed intake turns out to be posi ve doesn’t like a particular feed. Key points Key — they like the food It is not always possible for dairy- By Frank Smith farmers to have provided animals with — it reinforces ea ng prior experience of particular feed- TEMPORARY drop in feed intake behaviour.’ stuffs, however, there are a number of during lactation, for whatever techniques to help animals maintain Areason, results in a fall in milk intake when a new feed or diet is of- output. “Once daily yield is down it is fered. diffi cult to get it back up,” according The fi rst is to provide animals with to former CSIRO scientist Dr Dean Rev- a wide previous experience of differ- ell, now operating consultancy service ent foods. Animals that have learnt to Revell Science. consume a variety of nutritious foods “Meat animals have compensatory are more likely to consume other new growth,” he said. “They can increase foods. intake or use nutrients more effi cient- “It’s as if they’ve learnt to see the ly to make up for an earlier period of glass as half full when offered some- feed restriction. But that doesn’t work thing new, not half empty,” Dr Revell with milk production because once said. “And the earlier in life that an ani- the milk-producing cells in the udder mal is exposed to variety, the better. slow down, they can’t fully rebound to Dean Revell: a herd manager needs to “There is even some evidence that make up for lost time. teach calves by o ering new and di erent prior exposure during foetal develop- “Because dairyfarmers are in con- feeds in a posi ve environment. ment can affect liking in the adult ani- tact with each animal twice a day, we feedstuff is because they have not yet mal. What the dam eats during preg- can think about ways to manage the had the chance to learn about its nu- nancy can infl uence voluntary intake cows to maintain and stimulate feed tritional reward. of that food by the calf later in life.” intake during lactation. This can be Reward is a complex process involv- This could be due to feed compo- important because it is directly re- ing ‘wanting’, which equates to appe- nents crossing the placenta to the foe- lated to milk production and farm in- tite, and ‘liking’, which is an incentive tal calf in the last third of pregnancy. come.” based on prior experience with the “Don’t ignore this possibility,” he Feeding behaviour is a result of food. The term ‘palatability’ is often said. “It can’t hurt and there are few many signals that integrate the antici- used when describing how much an other opportunities to change liking pated reward from consuming a par- animal ‘likes’ a particular feed or for- during post-natal life. ticular feed and the metabolic state of age. However, palatability is not a per- “Young animals generally learn what the animal at that time. manent trait of a feed source, but is is good to eat from their mother. This When cows make a decision to seek shaped over time by how well the food positive reinforcement lasts for years. food, that initial decision is based on meets the nutritional demands of the But this is not available in dairy cat- the expected reward, rather than the animal. Hence, prior experience with tle as calves are separated from their actual reward that they receive. So a food is crucial to initiating the desire mothers shortly after birth. the reason animals initially avoid or to seek it out and consume it. “It therefore depends on the herd consume only small amounts of a new If the reward from consuming a feed- manager to teach the calves by offer-
82 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 FEEDING IN FOCUS
ing new and different feeds in a posi- from these sources can have positive tive environment. Earlier in life is the health effect, he said. best time to expose calves to a variety Introducing silage in the diet of feed. Younger animals tend to be more adventurous and more willing to Getting cattle to readily consume si- try novel foods.” lage can be diffi cult, especially given Managers don’t have to expose heif- the volatiles from silage that affect ers to novel feeds on more than three taste and smell, and its appearance to six occasions for them to learn. and texture. “It is better to have several short The earlier cattle encounter silage, exposures than to leave a novel food the better the outcome, as long as it in front of them for a long period,” he is a positive nutritional experience. If said. fi rst exposure is to bad silage, it can Another technique available to build lead to negative reinforcement. the confi dence of animals to consume When fi rst offering silage (or any a new food is to use older, experience new feed), providing small amounts animals as mentors. in addition to other familiar feeds to In a mixed-age group of replacement well-fed cattle is likely to be most ef- heifers, younger animals can be infl u- fective. It will encourage cattle to try enced by what older animals are eat- it due to their natural inquisitiveness. ing and learn from them. But this will “It appears counter-intuitive but it only work if the heifers function as a is better to introduce a novel food to herd rather than a bunch of individu- well-fed animals,” Dr Revell said. “We als. want animals to fi rst sample the food Using mixed pastures without being driven purely by hun- ger, but by a desire to seek variety. It’s The quality, smell, taste and appear- rather like how kids can always fi nd ance of pasture, hay, grass and silage room for ice cream after a meal. varies widely throughout the year. “Expose cows to new feeds in small Getting cows to make the best use amounts on several occasions. If you of a mixed pasture is a challenge. They make a bigger offering that lasts a tend to eat the best and leave the rest. week, it only counts as one lesson. The herd manager’s challenge to get Several shorter exposures are better. them to combine the less attractive “One method available to manag- feed with the more favoured pasture. ers is creating a conditioned refl ex Naive cows eat what they know best. by pairing visual or audible signals “Earlier exposure to a range of for- with positive experiences. Research- age is essential so cattle learn to eat ers have used witches’ hats to act a broader, more diversifi ed, diet com- as a cue for a good food. When the bining and sequencing different pas- witches’ hat are moved to new loca- ture components,” Dr Revell said. tions, animals follow the cue and, at “This is particular relevant because least initially, try more of the new feed recent research has shown that the or pasture. complementary effects of two forage “The signal needs to be unique and species may depend on the sequence consistent. Animals are very good at in which they are eaten. learning an association between a spe- “Cows presented with a monoto- cifi c signal and reward. We see it play nous diet may reach satiety sooner out all the time, for example when ani- than those given more variety. We mals learn that a particular vehicle or need to manage animals to build up trailer is associated with supplemen- their experiences of more than one tary feeding. plant species.” “We can use our understanding One option to consider is to spatial- of the relationship between animals ly separate different pasture species learning to like feeds and rewards, in paddock. It can help the animals their interest in seeking variety to to more effi ciently locate and use the stimulate appetite, and hence infl u- different species, and it can also help ence how much and what feed cattle with pasture management decisions. consume by managing the range of Monoculture, having a single pas- feedstuffs and plants we offer them ture species, can result in a lower and the way we build their experienc- intake and lower overall output than es with them. having a mixed sward. “Good herd management can posi- Cattle herds may benefi t from sec- tively infl uence feed intake to meet nu- ondary compounds obtained from tritional requirements and to improve eating herbs or shrubs. Up to 20 to 30 animal welfare, health and perform- percent of pasture biomass obtained ance.” D The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 83
CALF REARING Calf health a life me event
✔ Salmonella outbreak the herd last year carrying through to prompts plans for new ‘Hopefully then, this autumn,” Mr Missen said. calf area He suspects that assuming only one ✔ Plan to change to recons tuted through isola on and calf pen was affected by the infection calf milk formula — and consequently disinfected — ✔ Calves housed in groups of 12 disinfec on, we can beat was too cautious. Key points Key the infec on.’ “Initially only the calves housed in By Jeane e Severs one pen were affected,” Mr Missen said. SALMONELLA outbreak among der we feed to cows and, by feeding “So we haven’t used that pen. But his calves in 2015 is still creat- anionic salts, lowered milk fever from calves in other pens have been infect- Aing headaches and repercus- 15-20 per cent of the heifers to one per ed with salmonella this year, so we sions in Brad Missen’s production cent,” Mr Missen said. were probably too cautious.” system this year. It has caused him to “Stock health overall is better and His immediate plans were to estab- rethink how he will house the calves we believe the milk we are producing lish a new calf pen area on a green- in the future — beginning with build- is healthier.” fi eld site on the farm — “where cows ing a new facility on a greenfi eld site The herd calves down 50:50 autumn haven’t been for a long time” — and in spring. and spring. Split-calving also reduced alternate between that and the exist- Mr Missen manages the multi-gen- the herd’s infertility — single calving ing site, on a year-by-year basis. eration family farm at Denison, Victo- equated to 25 per cent empty cows, “Hopefully then, through isolation ria, milking a 350-cow high-production year-in year-out. and disinfection, we can beat the in- split-calving Friesian herd, producing The production fi gure is back a bit fection,” he said. an average 650 kilograms of milksol- this year, given the salmonella infec- He will make other modifi cations, ids per cow. tions in autumn and spring last year including installing infrastructure to Stocking rate is four cows/hectare seem to have had an effect on over- feed reconstituted powdered milk to and cows are fed 2.7 tonnes grain all herd health. He has so far lost fi ve the calves and building pens that pro- each annually. Production has grown calves to salmonella infection this au- vide more all-round weather protec- by 50 per cent, from two million litres tumn. tion. Feeding reconstituted milk for- six years ago to three million litres. “We’re having a really good autumn, mula to the calves would also mean “We increased the grain and fod- if it wasn’t for the bugs that affected more milk available to sell.
In order to manage an ongoing salmonella infec on, which has proved fatal for some of his calves, Brad Missen will build a new set of calf houses and yards on a green eld site. The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 85 CALF REARING
In the two months befi re calving, the heifers joined the main herd of dry cows, where they are fed the same ration — 4kg/day of lead feed pellets and 6-8kg each of cereal hay — and were drafted according to estimated calving dates. Then, as the calving date ap- proached, the heifers and cows en- tered a regime of being fed hay in the late afternoon, to encourage calving in the morning. It is a regime Mr Missen has fol- lowed for several years and claims 90 per cent success rate. “Once a week we draft the herd up, at about three weeks out from expect- ed date of birth,” he said. As well as 90 hectares of dedicated grazing area for the milkers, 80ha of ryegrass “We herd them together in one pad- pasture is cut for hay and silage and used to graze growing heifers. dock; ideally we have them here for a minimum of two weeks, we aim for 2.5 “The existing sheds provide good can run around and use their energy weeks in this paddock prior to birth. protection from cold westerly weath- in the calf pens,” Mr Missen said. “We feed them enough hay in the er; we want to include protection from Once weaned, the calves move to evening for them to get full and sit easterly weather conditions,” Mr Mis- an irrigation runoff paddock, where down and chew their cud overnight. sen said. “So they’ll be built with that they receive a daily ration of 2-2.5kg When we get up here in the morning, in mind, still open to northerly sun each of ad-lib pellets and straw, until we want to see them still sitting down, and with plenty of room for the calves six months of age. comfortably full from last night. to run around.” “They are on the irrigation block “Basically, when they’re sitting The calves are housed in groups of until they are 18 months old, and they down is when they’re likely to calve. 12, with ad-lib water, pellets and straw hang out together in that group until Ninety per cent of our cows calve be- available from day one; and each calf calving starts,” Mr Missen said. tween 5.30am and 10am.” receives four litres milk/day, initially Joining is based on reaching 350kg. Post-calving the heifers and cows fed twice, then reduced to once a day In another strategy to realise opti- stay together and go straight onto when it is two weeks of age. mum calf health, Mr Missen has organ- fresh grass, pasture silage and 8kg The calves’ progress is measured ised for his local veterinarian to weigh milker pellets; and cereal hay if they based on chewing straw at three the entire herd every two months. Any need it. weeks of age and eating pellets at four cow under target or showing signs of The female calves receive their fi rst weeks of age. Weaning occurs, based parasites or lower weight gain than its colostrum feed; calves are picked on a consumption of 1.5kg/calf/day of sisters is drenched. up on the daily 2pm run and heifers pellets, between six to eight weeks of His entire operation was geared to- begin their lives growing and geared age. wards optimum calf health from birth towards delivering a healthy calf. Bull “They tend to eat a bit because they to calving. calves are sold weekly. D
Brad Missen with some of his herd of 350 Friesian cows. 86 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016
CALF REARING Changed feeding regime could li pro t
✔ Current feeding regimes farmers with the appropriate infra- can mean calves ‘Increasing milk feeding structure that allows individual calf underfed milk intake to be controlled and regu- ✔ More milk fed more frequently levels has not been lated, it may be worth trying this ap- li s growth rates proach. For farms with systems where ✔ Need to have appropriate scien cally linked to calves are fed from large multi-feeders, infrastructure to implement the negative effects may outweigh the Key points Key scours.’ positives.” CHANGE in feeding techniques There are some negatives associated may not only be better for ply during the pre-weaning phase can with increasing milk or milk solid in- Acalves but also for bottom-line achieve growth rates well in excess take including: profi t, Dairy Australia’s Healthy Calves of 0.5 kilograms per day giving calves • the calf-rearing period may be ex- project leader, Dr Jamie McNeil, told the potential to enter the milking herd tended; and the Australian Cattle Veterinarians earlier, produce more milk and have • the additional cost of milk, if there Conference in April. improved reproductive performance.” is not enough surplus milk available or “Our current approach to feed- Generally the industry has reserva- milk powder. ing calves is based on a concept that tions about high volume milk feeding However, the positive effects of this dates back to the 1920s,” he said. “The because of its link to scours (diar- approach may include: idea is to feed a calf half the amount rhoea). But according to Dr McNeil, • fewer disease problems; and of milk it would normally take from its this could be avoided by feeding • bigger heifers that produce more mother and then supplement it with smaller amounts regularly, like the calf milk and have better reproductive per- grain-based feeds. This maximises the would if it was allowed to naturally feed formance. amount of milk available for sale and off its mother. Dr McNeil said farmers capable of minimises labour input, so it looks like “Increasing milk feeding levels trying to mimic Mother Nature by in- a win-win. has not been scientifi cally linked to creasing milk supply in the fi rst 12 “However, this method of calf rear- scours,” he said. “It does make sense weeks of life would be likely to see ing can result in the calf being under- though that if you drink high volumes better results from the calf in the long- fed, which has signifi cant impacts on of fl uids, then faeces will generally term. its overall health, not just immediately have more fl uid in them and this can be “After 12 weeks of age, farmers then but in the longer-term.” mistaken for scours. need to maintain this early growth gain Dr McNeil said there was a fl ow-on ef- “Increased milk solid intake can be by managing the transition to increas- fect from increasing a calf’s milk or milk achieved by adding milk powder to ing concentrate consumption and a solids intake, especially in the fi rst four whole milk, which reduces the volume smooth weaning,” he said. weeks of life and up to 12 weeks of age. of milk consumed. This practice can “Feeding higher volumes of milk in “Young calves are very effi cient at sometimes cause scours and digestive the fi rst four weeks of life is certainly converting feed into daily liveweight upsets if too much milk powder is used. economically sensible if surplus milk is gain,” he said. “Increasing milk sup- “It’s about balance and for those available.” D
Those farmers with the appropriate infrastructure that allows individual calf milk intake to be controlled and regulated may want to try feeding more milk to boost growth rates. 88 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016
BETTER CALF REARING Can calves be po y trained?
✔ Researchers toilet train calves ✔ Poten ally could train cows to use speci c areas to defecate and urinate in barn systems ✔ Looking at automated systems to do training Key points Key By Alison Vaughan
S anyone who has worked with A calf urina ng in the training pen. Figure 1 - Dimensions of a) the urina on cattle knows, cows produce a stall (above) and b) the experimental pen Ahuge volume of urine and faeces As soon as the calves urinated (typi- (below). each day. All that manure quickly adds cally within seven minutes of entering up, increasing the risk of slips and falls, the stall), a buzzer sounded and calves mastitis and lameness. were released from the stall to receive Accumulation of manure is also a milk reward (about 20 millilitres) via costly in confi ned systems in terms of a teat. After consuming their milk re- both bedding and labour costs. Conse- ward, calves were returned to the uri- quently, dairy barns in those systems nation stall by the handler for two more are typically designed to limit cows’ urinations in the stall followed by milk contact with their manure. reward. However, current attempts to handle The following day was a test day. manure often rely on barn designs that Calves were placed in the stall without restrict or inhibit expression of cows’ receiving the diuretic. If calves urinated natural behaviour and may compro- within 15 minutes, they were released mise cow welfare. to drink their milk reward before return- Training cattle to urinate and defecate ing to their home pen. in specifi c areas of the barn has the po- The following day was another test tential to revolutionise the way cattle are day. Calves failing to urinate in the allot- ing session, urinating every time it was housed, allowing barns to be designed ted time were given a fi ve-minute “time- placed in the stall for the following 16 around cow comfort rather than around out” (released from stall into a small test days . removal of manure, while improving “time-out” pen without milk, see Figure This study is the fi rst to show that cleanliness and cutting bedding costs. 1b) before returning to their home pen. cattle can be trained to urinate in a Cattle are generally assumed to have The following day was a training day. specifi c place and demonstrates that little or no control over urination and Thereafter, the experiment continued calves have both the cognitive ability defecation. Thus, the fi rst step towards in this manner for a total of 17 days with and physiological control required for toilet training cattle at the University of each successful test day followed by an toilet training. British Columbia, Canada, research facil- additional test day and each unsuccess- Obviously researchers don’t expect ity was to test if cattle could learn to as- ful test day followed by a training day. producers to train each and every one sociate a cue (for example, a command To make sure calves were not simply of the calves and cows on their farm or location) with urination or defecation. urinating because they were excited or manually. They are now working with Typically toilet training begins with scared, each trained calf was assigned UBC’s Department of Physics to de- young animals. The experiment was a control calf. velop a fully automated system for de- therefore conducted to see if calves Control calves were brought to the tecting and rewarding urinations and could be trained to urinate in a specifi c same experimental pen and placed defecations in specifi c areas of calves place. in the same stall in between trained home pens. D The researchers chose to focus on calves. See a video of one of the toilet urination training because multiple Control calves were never given a di- trained calves at
BETTER CALF REARING How to assess colostrum quality
✔ Good quality colostrum vital to protect calves ✔ Quality can be measured in dic erent ways ✔ A number of rela vely inexpensive tools available Key points Key OLOSTRUM management is one of the most important factors in Cprotecting calf health for the fi rst six weeks of life. All calves need to be fed good quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth, so they will obtain the antibodies they need to fi ght dis- ease. Colostrum quality can now be eas- ily identifi ed from a single drop, so it makes good sense to routinely assess the quality of each colostrum sample collected. Colostrum quality depends primarily on the amount of the antibody (IgG) it contains. High quality colostrum is defi ned as having an IgG concentration of greater than 50 milligrams/millitre (see Table 1). All calves need to be fed good quality colostrum as soon as possible a er birth, so Direct measurement tools they will obtain the an bodies they need to ght disease. Direct measurement tools such as the day-to-day basis. But direct testing can ture to measure the sugar content of Radial Immunodiffusion (RID) assay be used to verify the accuracy of other grapes. measure the actual levels of antibod- indirect measurements. Refractometers have different meas- ies in the colostrum. RID assays are the Indirect measurement tools urement scales depending on their in- gold standard in testing and are often tended use. For measuring colostrum, used during experimental trials. An indirect tool measures something a refractometer calibrated in the Brix These tests are carried out in a labo- that is related to the property to be as- scale is used. Values are read as a per- ratory using standardised protocols, sessed. centage. and provide accurate and repeatable Refractometer: A refractometer is a The refractometer works by shining results. device that uses light to determine the a beam of light through a sample of liq- However, RID assays are costly and density of a liquid. uid. The device measures the amount the results often take more than 24 Refractometers are commonly used of light that is refracted (or bent) from hours, so this method is not a practical in medicine to determine concentra- the light path when passing through way to assess colostrum quality on a tions of body fl uids and also in agricul- the sample. Quick facts: measuring colostrum quality •ŶColostrum quality should be rou nely ture of between 20-22 degrees Celsius, checked to ensure that calves get suf- a er wai ng at least 10-20 minutes af- cient an bodies (IgG) for successful ter collec on and making sure there is transfer of passive immunity. minimal froth at the top of the sample. •ŶAn indirect method of measuring IgG •ŶTaking a good look at the colour and is most prac cal for rapid on-farm as- consistency of the colostrum (visual as- sessment of colostrum quality. sessment) is be er than nothing and •ŶA Brix refractometer is a simple yet can help to con rm readings obtained ec ec ve tool to assess colostrum qual- from the colostrometer. ity. •ŶPoor quality colostrum should not be •ŶA colostrometer is a fragile instru- fed to calves in the rst 24 hours of life, ment that lacks accuracy. but is s ll a valuable food for calves in •ŶBest results are obtained if colostrum their second or third day when they can Colostrum quality should be rou nely is consistently measured at a tempera- no longer absorb IgG. checked.
92 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016
BETTER CALF REARING
In colostrum, the proteins cause Table 1: de ning colostrum quality out of every three low-quality samples light to bend. The greater the protein as acceptable. level, the more light is bent from the Ra ng Measure This means that the user can trust a light path. of quality low-quality reading but a good quality As a large proportion of the protein (milligrams of reading may not actually contain suffi - in colostrum is IgG, samples with high IgG in each ml of cient antibodies. IgG levels will cause more bending of colostrum) Colostrometer readings are also af- the light. fected by temperature, frothiness of Very good 60 mg per ml Refractometers are pocket-sized de- the sample and the fat/total solid con- vices that are quite robust so are well tent. suited for the dairy environment. Good 50 mg per ml Freshly collected, machine milked Results are quite accurate and re- Poor 30 mg per ml colostrum will have large amounts of peatable and only a single drop of sam- small air bubbles (not always visible ple is required. to the eye), which reduce the density Sometimes the reading on the scale of the sample. This gives a falsely low of an optical refractometer can be a ‘Brix-calibrated reading on the colostrometer. bit fuzzy (wide band reading). High fat Also the froth on the top of the sam- content is believed to affect the read- refractometers are quite ple can make it diffi cult to read the ing. accurate in measuring scale on the colostrometer. If a reading appears fuzzy, wiping If the colostrum is high in fat or total the face of the refractometer clean and IgG levels in colostrum.’ solids, the density of the sample will re-applying a smaller drop may help. also go up and lead to falsely high read- Alternatively, choose a point midway The sensitivity (percentage of good ings. between the end and start of the blue quality samples that are read as good) Despite all of these drawbacks, a co- fading. is 90.5-92.5 per cent and specifi city lostrometer can be a handy tool, par- This problem can be overcome by (percentage of poor quality samples ticularly to eliminate colostrum of poor using a digital Brix refractometer. that are read as poor) is 80-85 per cent, quality if used as follows: The digital version does not need a indicating that this is an accurate test- • leave fresh colostrum to settle for at bright light source to read the scale, ing tool. least 10-20 minutes to reduce air bub- and they take the guess work out of Suitable refractometers can be eas- bles; the reading by supplying an exact ily bought on-line, through some vet- • allow the sample to cool to 20-22 de- number. erinary clinics or local scientifi c sup- grees Celsius; Brix-calibrated refractometers are pliers. • remove any froth from the top of the quite accurate in measuring IgG levels Prior to buying one check that it sample; in colostrum. measures on the Brix scale with a range • fl oat the colostrometer in the colos- Researchers have found a strong re- of at least 15-25 per cent. trum and take the reading off the scale; lationship between the actual concen- Colostrometer: A colostrometer is • if the colostrometer indicates poor tration of IgG and the reading from the a simple instrument designed to fl oat quality colostrum, do not feed it to refractometer. A Brix score (or density) in a sample of colostrum and measure calves during the fi rst 24 hours; save of 22 per cent is the cut off for detect- specifi c gravity. As a rule the more IgG it for feeding to calves at days two and ing good quality colostrum (50mg/ml). in the colostrum the more dense it will three of age. This is true for both fresh and frozen be and the higher the specifi c grav- Visual assessment colostrum and for optical or digital re- ity reading. A colostrometer will fl oat fractometers. higher in a good sample and lower in a Judging the quality of colostrum by If a colostrum sample is measured poorer sample. looking at its colour and consistency and found to have a value below 20 Colostrometers are made of glass (visual assessment) is the least accu- per cent it should be considered as and are easily broken, particularly rate method when used alone. poor quality (less than 30mg/ml). Do when they are coated in colostrum as Visual testing is based on the notion not feed it to calves during the fi rst 24 they become slippery. Colostrometers that thicker, darker coloured colos- hours of life. Save it for feeding calves tend to overestimate the quality of co- trum will be more concentrated and at days two and three of age. lostrum, and on average classify two therefore have higher IgG levels. Unfortunately breed and fat content can affect colostrum appearance re- gardless of IgG concentration. A cooler solution will also appear more dense. However, a visual assessment is bet- ter than none, and becomes more valu- able when used in combination with another indirect test such as colos- trometer or refractometer. D Courtesy of the Dairy Australia. The information in this fact sheet should be used in conjunction with the publica- tion “Rearing Healthy Calves - how to raise calves that thrive”, a comprehen- sive guide to calf management. Website A refractometer is a device that uses light to determine the density of a liquid.
✔ New illness of weaned Emergency Animal Disease was ruled be government subsidies available to calves out in the illness. assist with the costs of the investiga- ✔ Causes weight loss, Ten cases, from all three major tion. If following appropriate diagno- diarrhoea, mouth ulcers and dairyfarming regions in Victoria, were sis, a situation fi tted the case defi ni- death spread out with no obvious pattern to tion, a more detailed follow-up on ✔ Under inves ga on by authori es identify a possible cause. “Almost all farm may be conducted by a DEDJTR Key points Key of the affected calves are dairy breeds district veterinary offi cer. There will ICTORIAN dairyfarmers have with mortality rates up to10 per cent,” be no cost to farmers for this follow- been warned to be on the look- Dr Milne said. up investigation and testing. Vout for a new disease affecting “Affected animals lose weight and The emergence of the condition weaned calves. The disease, which scour. They do not improve with and its subsequent management had is still being investigated by offi cers worm or coccidiosis treatments and been a good test for Victoria’s proto- from the Department of Economic are only occasionally improved with cols around a new emerging condi- Development, Jobs, Transport and antibiotics. tion, he said. Resources, causes weight loss, diar- “In seven out of eight herds closely The biosecurity response had been rhoea and, in some cases, death. investigated, some affected calves good with people reporting the condi- Ulcers in the mouth and throat re- displayed small mouth and/or nasal tion and authorities being able to rule gion and infl ammation in the gut were ulcers. out an Emergency Animal Disease. also observed in most cases of the “On post-mortem, severe acute The condition was then able to be disease, which affects weaned calves, ulceration in the oesophagus with investigated through the National up to eight months old. secondary bacterial infection are the Signifi cant Disease Investigation Pro- Calves in New Zealand have been most prominent features. Infl amma- gram, which provided subsidies for affected by a similar condition and tion of the gut is seen in some calves. the investigation of signifi cant disease Victorian authorities are working with “We want farmers who think their incidents in livestock so there was no their counterparts there to discover calves may be affected to discuss the cost to the farmers. D the cause. situation with their vet.” Contact: a private veterinary prac- Victoria’s chief veterinary offi cer Dr They may submit samples to the titioner or a local DEDJTR animal Charles Milne said the presence of an laboratory for testing and there may health offi cer.
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 95 96 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 VICTORIAN WINTER FAIR PREVIEW Fair grows to be leading dairy show
✔ What: Victorian Winter Fair ✔ When: June 28-30 ✔ Where: Bendigo Showgrounds, Victoria Key points Key By Carlene Dowie
N just two years, the Victorian Winter Fair has grown to be one Iof Australia’s leading dairy shows. The event, to be held this year from June 28 to June 30, offers an oppor- tunity for Holstein breeders to show autumn-calving cows at their best. Event secretary Clare Modra said exhibitors liked the fact that everyone was under the same roof. The Bendigo Showgrounds venue has a large shed that means the show ring and the cow holding pens were in the one area. The short program also attracted exhibitors who only needed to be off farm for a few days. Exhibitors also liked the relaxed, friendly atmosphere at the event and the low costs to com- The 2015 Victorian Winter Fair supreme senior champion Mooramba Talent Randell pete, she said. with owner Nick Flanagan, Woodlawn Holsteins, Finley, NSW. Mrs Modra said the only major with high levels of sponsorship, and bled last year and looked like increas- change to this year’s program was the entries looking to be about the same ing again this year with more people introduction of an intermediate su- as last year, despite the tough season- breeding the animals. preme udder award. al conditions, particularly in northern “Eventually, we would like to have This would allow intermediate Victoria. a stand-alone Red Holstein show, but cows to be milked immediately after A unique feature of the show is the that’s a few years off yet,” she said. showing. classes for the Red Holsteins. Mrs Mo- The event is also aimed at devel- Interest was strong for the event, dra said entries in those classes dou- oping the interest of young people in Victorian Winter Fair program HE Winter Fair will incorporate a born a er the 30/6/15, handler under 17 Class 17: Senior 3 year old in milk born Tyouth sec on (handler under 18 years of age 1/7/12 - 31/12/12 years), a Red Holstein and a main Hol- Class 9: Autumn yearling born 1/4/15 - Supreme Intermediate Udder: judge’s se- stein sec on all to be judged together in 30/6/15 lec on from classes 14-17 the allocated animal age groups. Ribbons Class 10: Summer yearling born 1/1/15 - Red Intermediate Champion to be allocated to each sec on within the 31/3/15 Intermediate Champion Supreme Inter- class. The youth sec on will nish at jun- Class 11: Spring yearling born 1/10/14 - mediate Exhibit ior champion and the main show and red 31/12/14 Class 18: 4 year old in milk born 1/7/11 sec on will con nue un l the last class. Class 12: Winter yearling born 1/7/14 - - 30/6/12 Wednesday, June 29 30/9/14 Class 19: 5 year old in milk born 1/7/10 Class 1: Junior Handlers, Under 12 years Class 13: 2 years old heifer dry born - 30/6/11 of age 1/1/14 - 30/6/14 Class 20: 6 year old in milk born 1/7/09 Class 2: Intermediate Handlers, 12-15 Junior Champion — Youth Show - 30/6/10 years of age Junior Champion — Red Show Class 21: 7 year old and over born before Class 3: Senior Handlers, Over 16 years of Supreme Junior Exhibit 30/6/09 age Junior Champion - Open Show Class 22: Veteran Cow, any age in milk, Class 4: Autumn calf born a er 1/4/16 Thursday, June 30 minimum six lacta ons, 50,000 litres, Class 5: Summer calf born 1/1/16 - Class 14: Junior 2 year old in milk born 1875 kilograms fat and 1600kg protein 31/3/16 a er 1/1/14 Supreme Senior Udder: judge’s selec on Class 6: Spring calf born 1/10/15 - Class 15: Senior 2 year old in milk born from classes 18-22 31/12/15 1/7/13 - 31/12/13 Red Senior Champion Class 7: Winter calf born 1/7/15 - 30/9/15 Class 16: Junior 3 year old in milk born Senior Champion Supreme Senior Class 8: All Australian Calf Class, heifer 1/1/13 - 30/6/13 Exhibit
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 97
VICTORIAN WINTER FAIR PREVIEW
The judges check out a line up of animals in the rst class of the intermediate show at last year’s Victorian Winter Fair. A unique feature of the show is that it features classes for Red Holsteins as well as Black and White Holsteins. showing, being held during the Victo- Another highlight this year would rian school holidays. ‘It’s a great experience be a new event for young people aged The show has secured world-re- for young judges in our 15 and under. This would be a pizza nowned international judge Eddie and chips dinner on Tuesday, June 28, Bue, from the United States, which country.’ the night before junior judging starts. has created a lot of excitement and A vet will be the guest speaker, pro- anticipation for the event. viding tips on calf rearing. Another unique feature of the Dairy Livestock Services will again show was the opportunity offered to judge who would often be appointed conduct the Australian Holstein a young judge to be associate judge to the main role a year or two after be- Showcase Sale on the Wednesday and be mentored by a more experi- ing the associate. evening (June 29). Mrs Modra said the enced judge. The committee had received an sale had again attracted interest and Mrs Modra said the Victorian Win- “overwhelming number of applica- looked like having between 35 and 40 ter Fair was the only dairy show in tions” for the associate judge role. “It’s lots offered. D Australia to have an associate judge, a great experience for young judges in Contact: Clare Modra, phone (03) while at the big shows in the United our country,” Mrs Modra said. 5487 1127, mobile 0419 200 981 or States and Canada, the associate Cameron Yarnold, from NSW, has email
Quality judges for event
DDIE Bue, from Fithian, Illinois, ciate judge for the 2015 Interna onal EUnited States, will preside over the Holstein Show at World Dairy Expo in judging arena for the third Annual NHD Madison, Wisconcin. Victorian Winter Fair. Like the previ- Cameron Yarnold, Killawarra, NSW, ous two judges, Mike Deaver and Perry has been selected as the 2016 associate Phend, Mr Bue is another Klussendorf- judge. Mr Yarnold owns and runs Arral- MacKenzie Award winner. lik Holsteins. Mr Bue, a na ve of Wisconsin, cur- He started Arrallik in 2007 and has rently works at Ludwig Farms in Fithian. had some success since then, winning This year’s associate judge Cameron In addi on to his success with his own Interna onal Dairy Week juvenile cham- Yarnold leading a class winner at last Legendholm herd, Mr Bue has a long pion in 2009 and Sydney Royal supreme year’s Victorian Winter Fair. resume of experience ng, caring for champion in 2010. and preparing an impressive list of high- He is the current president of the Hol- camp. He has judged numerous shows calibre dairy cows, as well as an impres- stein Australia Manning Sub Branch and as well as winning the NSW state junior sive judging resume. He was the asso- a leader at the na onal all breeds youth judging nal in 2013.
The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 99 VICTORIAN WINTER FAIR PREVIEW Bluechip’s swansong before dispersal
✔ Bluechip Gene cs dominates in Holstein shows ✔ Complete dispersal in October ✔ Planned exit for stud Key points Key STUD that’s dominated in the ring at the Victorian Winter Fair Ain the past two years will bring a team of about 30 to the event this year in its swansong from the world of showing. Bluechip Genetics, which has domi- nated at the two leading Holstein shows in the country — the Winter Fair and International Dairy Week — has announced a complete dispersal sale later this year. This year’s winter fair will be its last major outing, with the only other event it will attend before the dispersal being the NSW State show at Nowra, NSW, in August, to which it will take a small team. Owned and operated by Dean and Michelle Bra y, from Na onal Herd Development, with the supreme intermediate Dianna Malcolm at Zeerust, in north- award at last year’s Victorian Winter Fair Paringa Windstorm Ezra, and owners Dean ern Victoria, Bluechip Genetics has and Phil Malcolm. changed the registered game within Australasia in the past decade. chip showed fi nished in the top-fi ve of All the individuals in this year’s It achieved three record prices at their class — including Junior Cham- show team will sell on October 13 at auction — peaking at $101,000 in 2012. pion Holstein, Reserve Junior Cham- their Zeerust property. It has set the tone for partnerships pion Holstein and Senior Champion “The complete dispersal sale at within Australia — also welcoming Holstein, Windy Vale Contender Rose- Bluechip will certainly go down in his- several international partners in high- ET EX93. tory as the ‘spoilt for choice’ day in the profi le cattle. Its dominance showing It won four of the eight Best Udder of breed,” Dairy Livestock Services (DLS) heifers has been hard for the industry Class awards up for grabs and it cap- auctioneer Brian Leslie said. to match. tured Premier Exhibitor and Premier “It’s hard to comprehend just how At International Dairy Week (IDW) Breeder for the sixth time in seven many ‘star lots’ will be catalogued. To in January, 20 of the 24 Holsteins Blue- years in the Holstein show. think the entire show string from this
100 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016
VICTORIAN WINTER FAIR PREVIEW
‘Bluechip Gene cs has changed the registered game within Australasia in the past decade.’
year’s IDW will all sell is simply incred- ible. “Dean and Dianna have — along with their partners — developed many of the breed’s greatest maternal lines, Owners Debbie Palmer and Peter Hurley with the supreme junior champion at the with all saleable cattle selling. It will 2015 Victorian Winter Fair Bluechip Finalcut Marion, led by breeder Dean Malcolm. give the industry just so many oppor- tunities. “I look forward to seeing this sale take place. It will be an event not to miss.” Bluechip’s IDW results in January backed up its showing at the 2015 Vic- torian Winter Fair last July where Blue- chip Genetics (and its partners) won seven of the nine broad-ribbons on offer in the Black and White Holstein Show and two in the Red and White Show. In the Junior Show, it had 10 of the 12 animals pulled out for Junior Cham- pion — winning Junior (back-to-back), Reserve (back-to-back) and Honour- able Mention (with a maternal sister to the Junior Champion). Established in 2006, the Malcolms say the dispersal was always planned for this moment. The offering will include animals classifi ed to EX94. “We never been afraid to challenge ourselves, or to test the market,” Dean Malcolm said. “We’ve had a lot of success and we’re really grateful for that. “But we feel like it’s time for us to step back and have a change of direc- tion. Bluechip is not our only busi- ness. “We have our magazine, CrazyCow In Print, and cattle photography and we have Dianna’s family to consider who live off-shore. We’d like more fl exibility to visit them. “We feel the time is right. We’ve got a lot of great animals under us now and we’re ready to give people the oppor- tunity to buy them. “It’s important to note that we’re not selling the farm — it’s simply a deliberately planned change of direc- tion.” D Contact: Ben Minogue (DLS), phone 0438 145 926, Brian Leslie (DLS and auctioneer), phone 0418 365 934, Dean Malcolm (Bluechip), phone 0417 302 037 or Dianna Malcolm (Bluechip), phone 0419 483 763. 102 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 WHAT’S ON
May 17 QDO/ADF Dairy Industry Forum Warwick, Qld Phone: (07) 3236 2955 Email:
To have dates for a major event included in the diary, send informa on to Carlene and Alastair Dowie. Phone (03) 5464 1542, email
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The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 103 THINK AGAIN — THE RYAN REPORT Preparing to bounce back
ment or learning new management ‘Ge ng a balance skills. Evaluation of infrastructure, soil between redeploying types, contours, staff capabilities and capital and op mising access to processing facilities along with feasibilities supported by top opera onal performance quality professional advice should be By Kerry Ryan* initiated now. That will mean the abil- will be a key challenge.’ ity to act when the time is right. ✔ The need for diversi ca on The off-farm investment environ- ✔ Moving away from tadi onal ment also offers opportunity. strategies With interest rates at an all-time low ✔ Time to capture opportuni es there is little reward for holding cash Key points Key investments. IGHT now trading conditions for Consequently investors are having New Zealand dairy are as chal- to compete with each other to secure Rlenging as I have seen in my ca- commercial and residential property reer. or buy businesses that can deliver A sustained downturn in milk re- meaningful returns. turns combined with a series of dis- This is resulting in rapid gains in ruptive international events are con- asset values and there are possibili- tributing to a real volatility-driven ties emerging to create value through rollercoaster ride. development or trading of such ven- This environment requires busi- tures. All of this takes time. nesses to focus even more on control- Many farm business leaders will be ling their controllables while having so busy driving their day-to-day farm- the wisdom to “accept the things they There is no doubt the rate of change for ing operations that they won’t realise can’t change”. all business has accelerated. what is happening off farm. It’s not all bad news. Lower staffi ng rates and business In the spirit of never wasting a good lyst for rebalancing farm enterprises owners being more hands-on to max- recession, top farming families are to generate multiple revenue streams. imise farm performance during a pe- learning from the situation and in- For some larger operations, this riod of low dairy returns accentuates creasing their focus on creating buff- may even mean taking the chance to the risk from this. ers and structures that will mitigate sell a portion of their core dairy in- Priority must be to ensure the farm- these events both now and in the fu- vestment and reinvest the proceeds ing enterprise can be delegated so key ture. in other types farming or off-farm en- people can concentrate on business Ingredients for this include a realis- terprises. development and be fully informed of tic response to market trends and ac- Obviously there is an option to con- options across the economy, regard- knowledgement that diversifi cation is centrate on building signifi cant cash less of their ability to restructure or likely to be a key factor in reducing re- buffers or aggressively reducing debt invest right now. liance solely on dairy for profi tability. to insulate the business from fl uctuat- It’s all about being ready for action There also needs to be awareness ing returns. when opportunities arise. that a number of capital markets This will take time and with volatil- There is no doubt the rate of change across the economy are also strug- ity caused by rapid and often unpre- for all business has accelerated. gling with their own challenges, pre- dictable market conditions, it may be Getting a balance between rede- dominantly driven by cash-rich inves- a less effective than redeploying capi- ploying capital and optimising opera- tors bidding against each other for tal to investments that can operate tional performance will be a key chal- something better than market interest independently from traditional dairy lenge. rates. markets. Capturing these opportunities will It’s ironic that many in non-farming Diversifi cation could include enter- require new insights and skill sets as sectors are fi nding having cash avail- prises that utilise similar management well as robust strategic planning to able for investment is currently more skills or resources already available maintain or grow future prospects. of a weakness than a strength. to a dairy business such as dairy-beef Things are as tough as I’ve seen My sense is that when dairy inevita- or cropping ventures. them but I’m confi dent stronger and bly bounces back it will be vital to use A number of different dairy sys- more diversifi ed businesses will the upswing to restructure away from tems (including goat and sheep milk emerge to capture an inevitable op- this volatile milk market. production) are gaining real traction portunity in a hungry world. D Traditional strategies that have in New Zealand. *Kerry Ryan is a New Zealand based seen dairy operations expand when Many horticultural enterprises are agribusiness consultant available for milk prices are high can no longer be enjoying positive returns. Involve- face-to-face or online for advice and justifi ed. Instead, more positive cir- ment in these industries could be ideas. Contact him at website
treatment. The vet will pull both back els and/or feed bags and cool water legs back to decrease straining when ready for the vet. This is one of the few they are ready to replace the uterus. times that the vet will ask for cool wa- 2. Give a standard dose of 4-in-1 ter — it helps to slow tissue swelling. under the skin. If they are down, the If the cow is up: uterus is easier to replace if they stay 1. Hold off on milk fever treatment down, however, no one wants the cow until vet arrives. to die from milk fever before getting 2. Calmly and quietly walk the cow to By Sherri Jaques* the opportunity to treat the prolapse. a head bail or safe clean area. Further calcium is usually given intra- 3. If it is a quiet cow, a wet large towel ✔ Quick rst aid key to trea ng venously once the prolapse is replaced. may be able to be draped over its hind uterine prolapse 3. No hormone injections. Although quarters to hang down over the pro- ✔ Usually associated with milk fever most vets will give oxytocin to ‘shrink’ lapse. The uterus can be badly dam- ✔ Complica ons can occur the uterus, the uterus becomes fi rm aged if it swings about and ‘hits’ things, Key points Key and hard after the injection, and timing protecting them can be more diffi cult. By Sherri Jaques* of the injection is important. If given Some may require vulval sutures, too early it can make replacing the but most do not. All will require anti- ROLAPSED uterus occurs at or uterus diffi cult. The vet will want to biotics and monitoring for mastitis if close to calving and is a true check for other prolapsed organs being they have been down. D Pemergency that should be treated inside fi rst. Some give ocytocin as they *Sherri Jaques is a practising veteri- as soon as possible. With quick treat- begin replacing; other wait until its in. narian and reproduction adviser in the ment, these can usually be placed back 4. Cover exposed uterus with a clean West Gippsland region of Victoria. All inside the cow. Few of these cases die moist sheet, to keep the uterus moist comments and information discussed in and it is well worth treating. The fi rst and prevent drying out and dirt and ma- this article are intended to be of a gen- aid steps outlined below will make it nure from contaminating the tissue. An eral nature only. Please consult a veteri- easier to replace and will help to pre- old tarp or feed bags can be placed un- narian for herd health advice, protocols vent some of the complications that der the uterus to lift it out of the mud. and/or treatments that are tailored to a can be seen. Speedy, correct fi rst aid 5. Have clean old sheets, tarps, tow- herd’s particular needs. greatly increases the cows survival. Uterine prolapse involves the entire uterus (breeding bag) slipping out of the vulva and hanging down to about the level of the hocks. The uterus is in- side out, and exposed to physical dam- age, drying, and contamination. It be- gins to swell and dry and can become hard, leathery, cut and damaged and dirty if not treated straight away. Although uterine prolapse can be seen following diffi cult calvings with no sign of milk fever, in the bulk of cases the underlying cause is clinical or sub- clinical milk fever (hypo-calcaemia). The cow can be standing, down or up and wobbly, depending on the severity of the milk fever. The cow’s shock, milk fever, and the prolapse all require treatment. Complications that can alter treat- Our roller mills are the most effi cient ment, or make replacement more dif- way to process grain, due to low fi cult, include other abdominal organs maintenance, high fl ow rate and (bladder or intestines) being inside the prolapsed uterus, tearing to the uter- tonnage to kilowatts. We can ine veins during prolapse, which re- convert most systems from blanket sults in massive internal bleeding once feed to individual feed. the uterus is replaced, and the uterus being too damaged or dry to replace, We also make irrigation pumps in which occasionally requires amputa- 6”and 8” for all of your recycling tion or rarely euthanasia. needs and EFFLUENT POND USE. If the cow is down and fl at out: 1. Sit it up on its belly (sternal posi- DON’T SETTLE FOR SECOND BEST!!! tion). This helps treat and prevent bloat VR2203742 and is the position it needs to be in for The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 105 Talking bulls to be more lively
✔ Good Bulls App to provide more informa on ✔ Can be used even without mobile recep on ✔ Allows users to create bull short lists Key points Key ESTERN Australian breed- ing advisers Nick and Rod WBrasher love talking about dairy bulls and this year they are look- ing forward to having more lively dis- cussions with their FarmWest clients, with the release of the Good Bulls App. The Brashers expect the app to be a big hit with dairyfarmers because it’s easy to use and accessible anywhere, even if there’s no mobile or internet reception. “Once you’ve downloaded the lat- est ABV (Australian Breeding Values) release, the app will work anywhere,” Nick said. “Dairyfarmers hate wasting time and now they can research bulls whenever they have a few spare mo- ments. “Of course, dairyfarmers want to breed for profi tability, but beyond that, there’s a big range in traits that they may want to improve in their herd. The app has 50 fi lters to allow you to narrow down the options to bulls most suited to your individual breeding priorities. “For example, if the A2 gene is im- WA breeding advisers Nick and Rod Brasher are looking forward to having more lively portant to you, just set the A2 fi lter discussions with their FarmWest clients with the release of the Good Bulls App. to display only A2 bulls. Then you can narrow the list down further by but you still have a list of about 100 adding fi lters for other traits that you ‘For example, if the A2 bulls to work through,” Mr Noakes want to improve in the herd. You end said. “There’s so many young genom- up with a short list of bulls suitable gene is important to you, ic bulls available now that I am not for the herd.” familiar with them all. I can use the Bulls of interest can be saved to a just set the A2 lter to app to fi lter out the ones that won’t customised short list that can be ex- display only A2 bulls.’ be suitable and highlight some that ported to other users such as a client might be suitable that I’m not even or breeding adviser. aware of.” The app is also handy when the recently we used the app to look up Mr Noakes set his app to limit discussion turns to individual bulls. the details of specifi c bulls that came health traits such as daughter fertility The app contains breeding values up in the conversation. It was a much (to above 100), calving ease, fat per- and pedigree information on 20,000 better discussion because the infor- centage and protein percentage. dairy bulls around the world and can mation was so readily accessible.” ”This helped me zero in on bulls be used to view an individual bull in Following up from Rod’s visit, Mr that are strong for the traits that are detail or compare bulls. It’s a feature Noakes used the app to create a short important to me,” he said. “Not only is that Rod has found handy when vis- list for each breed of potentially suit- the app convenient, it also makes the iting clients, such as Steven Noakes able bulls. process much quicker.” D from Margaret River. In the past he used the Good Bulls Contact: Michelle Axford, Aus- With a three-way crossbreeding Guide, working from the lists for Bal- tralian Dairy Herd Improvement program, Mr Noakes needs to select anced Performance Index (BPI) and Scheme extension and education bulls from multiple breeds for his 600- paying particular attention to health manager, phone 0427 573 330 or cow herd. traits. email
✔ Discussion group members put we compared to each other and how data into DairyBase ‘I looked at it and we compared to farms of similar size.” ✔ Allows robust discussion about thought ‘what have I got Mr Stewart, who milks about 400 performance cows on his irrigated Avon River farm, ✔ Helps iden fy business strengths myself into?’ but once I said he found DairyBase to be slightly and weaknesses overwhelming when he fi rst started, Key points Key started doing it, it was but he quickly realised that it wasn’t HE Gippsland, Victoria, based actually pre y easy.’ as complicated as it fi rst appeared. Boisdale-Newry discussion “I looked at it and thought ‘what Tgroup has the perfect mix of have I got myself into?’ but once I farmers to use DairyBase. The 12 started doing it, it was actually pretty dairy farmers from Victoria’s Macal- Stewart said he and his fellow discus- easy,” he said. ister Irrigation District are described sion group members were among the “I learned quickly that it was pretty as a “no bulldust” group who like to fi rst to open up their books and have simple to do. Once you’ve got those say things as they are — just like the them scrutinised through DairyBase. accounts and you start putting every- numbers from DairyBase do. “You could say we are an honest thing into the right places it was very DairyBase, which is an online tool group — a no-bulldust group — we’re easy.” developed by Dairy Australia, allows not there to prove that we are better With guidance from the Department farmers to measure and compare than anyone else,” he said. of Economic Development, Jobs, their performance across time. Like “We did (DairyBase) as a group so Transport and Resources staff Maria the Boisdale-Newry discussion group, we could go through our fi nances as Rose and Greg O’Brien, the group was the results from DairyBase are honest a group and let everyone see our fi - soon able to accurately compare farm and cut straight to the point. nances. We were trying to see where accounts, giving a clear picture of the Stratford, Vic, dairyfarmer Iain people were making savings and how strengths and weaknesses of each farm business. “It was good to compare with eve- rybody else because it showed that we are all good at one particular thing and we were all just above average in other areas,” Mr Stewart said. One farmer in the group had pas- ture consumption at just 48 per cent of total feed input, compared to about 80 per cent for other farmers. The DairyBase fi gures, however, showed that he was still running a good busi- ness. “He made a beautiful profi t that year running on that system, but dur- ing a bad year when prices for wheat, grain and hay go up, he would be struggling,” Mr Stewart said. “But he also knows in that year he can cut back his numbers heavily to utilise his pasture more.” For Mr Stewart, who is also a board member of GippsDairy, the opportuni- ties that could be created from Dairy- Base seem limitless ù as long as fam- ers back the initiative and input their fi gures into the database. “I’d like all farmers to put their fi g- ures in because then we have that farm benchmark we can really start to see how things actually are,” Mr Stew- art said. D For more information, go to web- Boisdale-Newry discussion group members Iain Stewart and Jakob Malmo. site
✔ DairyBase allows farmers to ✔ A en on given to young stock we’ll have more who are going back ✔ Earlier iden ca on of best stock into calf regularly and won’t be culled and culling of others as fi ve and six-year-olds.” ✔ Feeding heifers be er Queensland Department of Agricul- Key points Key ture dairy extension offi cer Ross War- HEN Queenslander John ren said farmers who have attended Blackwood walked out of the the Heifers on Target workshops have WHeifers on Target workshop shown positive results. he knew what he’d been doing wrong, “You talk to the people who’ve done but more importantly, knew how he the workshops and they have pretty could improve a critical part of his good records of mating heifers at a dairy business. younger age and bringing them into John Blackwood, and children Jackson, The Gympie farmer, who attended the dairy at a younger age, which Georgia and Temperance with one of the the Dairy Australia workshop two- means greater milk production and heifers on their Queensland farm. and-half-years ago, said the informa- less freeloaders on farm,” he said. tion day had refocused his attention John, who milks 140 cows on 107 Mr Warren said a key message from on young stock. hectares with Bradley, has focused on the information days was the signifi - “It made us have a good hard look identifying the best young stock, cull- cant results that could be achieved by at what we were doing,” he said. ing questionable animals and putting regularly weighing young stock to in- “Once we started doing it properly, a greater effort into those he keeps. dicate growth targets were being met. we realised what a bad job we had “Anything that is not doing well, we “Through the workshop program been doing. get rid of it early so we’re not looking we were able to discuss the critical Since the workshop, John and his after it,” he said. stages of heifer development and brother Bradley have invested in bet- “The heifers we keep, we feed well each farm was able to develop its own ter calf and heifer rearing, confi dent from day one and, even in bad times, benchmarks and key performance in- that it will pay off in the longer term. make sure they get looked after like dicators,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of benefi ts and queens. “Heifers on Target is a comprehen- hopefully going forward we will see “We’re spending just as much mon- sive and informative program that is the two-year olds calving and in bet- ey on them, but we’re getting our backed up with good research to sup- ter condition, getting more milk out money back a lot quicker. We have port the recommendations.” D of them earlier and with the fl ow-on less heifers, better heifers and ones For more information on the pro- effects of lower cell counts,” he said. that are going to grow into better gram or to access the Heifers on “We’re spending just as much mon- cows. Target app, go to website 110 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 Quality heifer-rearing program delivers ✔ Single-calving system with ght Reasons for a no induc on eight-week ma ng ‘An important change in policy on this farm ✔ High numbers of bulls used a er AI period their opera on has been The Cervis have used early calving ✔ Improved diet oc ered to the heifers to ensure heifers are induction on farms they have worked Key points Key on previously. They observed that de- kept in good condi on spite the fact it is a tool that is meant SIMPLE farming system with a through be er nutri on.’ to reduce calving spread, it seemed focus on quality heifer rearing to result in a similar number of empty Ahas enabled Dennis and Penny cows at the end of the season. Cervi to maintain a herd fertility that They also found that there was an exceeds average industry perform- Although no synchrony programs increased rate of retained afterbirth ance. are used in the cows, high submis- and cow deaths, a depression of the The Cervis have owned and man- sions rates are achieved. cow’s immune system and decreased aged their farm at Trafalgar East in During the four-week artifi cial in- milk production. central Gippsland since 1998. They semination (AI) period, Jerseys are Calving induction increased their milk 180 cows on 65 hectares of shal- joined to Jersey sires and New Zea- management requirements and there low sandy loams and peat fl ats, sup- land crossbreeds sires are joined to was always the unpleasant task of eu- ported by a 39ha outpaddock for re- crossbreed cows. Any returns are thanising calves. placements and fodder production. joined to Friesian sires. The Cervis see plenty of advan- The milking herd is 85 per cent Jer- After the AI period, two teams of tages by not using calving induction. sey and 15 per cent crossbred, pro- two beef bulls are run with the herd The good reproductive performance ducing an average of 317 kilograms for six weeks, rotated twice weekly. of their herd means that the prac- milk solids per cow from a pasture Bulls are tested for semen fertility. tice is unnecessary. They don’t miss consumption of 10.7 tonnes/hectare The eight-week mating period results the health worries, extra costs and and 663 kilograms of concentrates in all animals being calved before mat- the emotional issues of the effect on feed per cow. ing start date. cow and calf, and by not using induc- The couple used to operate on a Cows observed with a vaginal dis- tion each cow has a better chance of split-calving system. Now calving charge are treated with an infusion of reaching its full potential. They see starts August 15 and continues for 10 antibiotics or iodine, but only one or no disadvantages from not using the weeks. two are treated each year. practice. The herd is dried off completely for The herd is pregnancy tested six Why does their system work? six weeks from the end of June. weeks after the end of the mating pe- Reproductive performance in this riod. The farm operates with a basic sys- herd is equal to or above InCalf tar- Selec on for fer lity tem that aims to keep things routine gets. Features include: and produc on and simple. Keys to the success of the • both heifers and the adult herd Cervis’ reproductive management in- calve quickly and have a greater op- No replacements are kept from heif- clude: portunity to get back into calf; and ers. AI heifer calves from the cows are • a low ratio of cows and heifers to • a very high submission rate due to reared, as well as two or three Jersey bulls; a good heat detection rate. bull calves, which are reared to sell to • fertility testing all bulls; How is reproduc ve other farmers. • ensuring every AI heifer calf is performance managed? A couple of crossbreed bulls are reared; also kept as replacements. The re- • removing empty animals, which Reproductive management on the placement rate varies between 20 and the couple believes is the key to im- Cervi farm is relatively simple. 25 per cent. proving herd fertility. It is important Heifers are joined for eight weeks at The main criteria for sire selection to pregnancy test and to make sure the outpaddock and start calving at are feet, temperament, udder confor- empty cows are sold. the same time as the adult herd. mation and teat placement. The Cervis said to reduce or elimi- They are run with one or two Jer- Most sires used are New Zealand nate the reliance of calving induction sey bulls, and one beef bull (one bull Jerseys. in dairy herds the mating period had per 12-8 heifers). They receive sup- All empty cows are sold at the end to be restricted, but to make it work plementary hay when pasture runs of the season. The normal empty rate required high rates of heat detection short. is 8-9 per cent. and good AI technique. An important Heifers are offered a new paddock Cows with poor temperament are change in their operation has been to every Thursday and Sunday to aid culled, as are cows with poor udder ensure heifers are kept in good condi- growth. conformation. tion through better nutrition. D The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 111 Helping farmers maximise pasture ✔ Dairy Australia now delivers ing seven tonnes of pasture per hectare, Feeding Pastures for Pro t ‘Previously we may have now we are aiming to reach at least 10 ✔ Highly regarded course tonnes and that’s a huge saving consid- ✔ Gives farmers skills and been u lising seven ering the cost of bought-in feeds,” Mr con dence Flett said. “I would absolutely recom- Key points Key tonnes of pasture per mend the course to other farmers.” ARMERS across Victoria are now hectare, now we are Dairy Australia’s feedbase program learning about better managing aiming to reach at least manager, Richard Romano, said FPFP Ftheir home-grown feed through gave farmers the concepts and tools the Feeding Pasture for Profi t (FPFP) 10 tonnes...’ to help with daily pasture allocation program being offered by Dairy Aus- and the amount of supplements they tralia. required to maximise profi t. As part of the transition of produc- Cobram East, Vic, farmer Tony Flett “Feeding Pastures for Profi t is a tivity extension services from Victo- said he was so impressed with FPFP very successful program developed ria’s Department of Economic Develop- that he decided to do it twice. by DEDJTR and Dairy Australia, and ment, Jobs, Transport and Resources “I wanted to make sure I hadn’t is highly regarded,” he said. “It gives (DEDJTR) to Dairy Australia, the course missed anything as it is by far the most farmers the skills and confi dence they is being delivered by Murray Dairy, valuable course in terms of outcomes I need to make decisions about their GippsDairy and WestVic Dairy in col- have ever taken,” Mr Flett said. feed, which is vital for profi table farm- laboration with the National Centre for “I am now confi dent we are doing a ing. Dairy Education. reasonable job with growing and utilis- “The fi rst part of the program is all Delivered by Phil Shannon, Tom Far- ing our pasture, especially in the peak about getting the rotation right using ran and Janet Sloan, FPFP helps farm- growth period between September to the ‘Rotation Right’ tool. ers increase the use of home-grown November when we grow more than “The second part of the program is feed by growing more grass, promoting 40 per cent of our feed for the year, learning about effective supplement the profi table use of pasture and crops because if you don’t get that right then use and how to integrate it with your and the effi cient use of supplements by you can lose a lot of money.” grazing management to optimise prof- using simple and practical tools. “Previously we may have been utilis- it.” New feed update for farmers AIRY Australia has released a new Dbrie ng note oc ering an overview of current market condi ons and a snapshot of on-farm dairy feeding management prac ces. It also discusses some current feeding issues. While it is aimed primarily at nutri on advisers and stockfeed suppli- ers, this brie ng note will be of general in- terest to other dairy service providers and farmers. To download the pdf visit website 112 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 FPFP gives farmers the concepts and tools to help with daily pasture alloca on. The course has two core days and up Programs (RDPs) were well equipped (ESKi, Stepping Stones), Young Dairy to fi ve on farm days afterwards. to deliver FPFP and other extension Networks, fi eld days and projects such Dairy Australia program manager programs relevant to their region’s as Accelerating Change,” Mr Webster Neil Webster said he was pleased with dairyfarmers. said. D the response from farmers to the pro- ”The RDPs understand regional pri- For information about extension gram continuing to be delivered. orities and needs and already deliver services and programs in a region “The demand from farmers was broad-based extension services for contact the relevant Regional De- strong with up to two to three groups farmers, such as Focus Farms, discus- velopment Program. Their contact being run in each region, refl ecting the sion group support, Countdown 2020, details can be found inside the back quality of the program,” he said. InCalf, Farm Business Management cover of this edition of the Australian He said the Regional Development programs, DairyBase, People programs Dairyfarmer magazine. New calculator helps farmers be er use e uent AIRY Australia has released a new about working out how much to put on,” e uent or sludge is an important part of Dcalculator that aims to help farmers he said. fer liser planning,” he said. make be er use of the nutrients con- “The ques on is cri cal if it is pond “The calculator helps me to target the tained in dairy e uent and sludge and sludge that is being spread as the con- areas of the farm that need the nutrients save money in the process. tractor’s cost is partly dependent on the and also understand when too much ef- The ‘Nutrients from E uent and applica on rate, and more importantly, uent on a paddock may be detrimen- Sludge Calculator’ assists dairyfarmers to the distance to the paddock that you’ve tal.” determine a suitable applica on rate for chosen for reuse. Early autumn is typically a me of e uent as well as the value of the nitro- “The tempta on to apply heavy rates maintenance around e uent ponds in gen, phosphorus and potassium that is of sludge in paddocks close to the pond southern dairy regions. applied during reuse. is understandable but if you can match Drawing down the e uent storage Users can also calculate a value for the amount of nutrient available to pond to it’s minimum level going into the their e uent or sludge based on equiva- what the soil or crop needs and then autumn break and also removing sludge lent fer liser prices. subs tute for purchased fer liser, des- that has accumulated in the primary Dairy Australia’s land, water and car- ludging becomes a cost-ec ec ve part pond are key maintenance requirements bon consultant, Sco Birchall, said farm- of the fer lity program rather than just to support a func onal e uent pond sys- ers were o en told to sample their e u- another cost.” tem. ent and to then get a lab to analyse the Kerang, Vic, agronomist Ma Page has The Nutrients from E uent and amount of nitrogen, phosphorus and po- been using the calculator while preparing Sludge Calculator’ calculator is available tassium it contained. Fert$mart nutrient management plans for free download from Dairy Australia’s “The calculator was developed to an- for his clients. Dairying for Tomorrow website The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 113 114 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 The Australian Dairyfarmer May-June 2016 115 Australia’s best new Holstein sensation Rengaw Manoman WRANGLER Man-O-Man x Shottle x Goldbullion Breed Leading BPI 291/69% High Milk Solids +.32%P +.35%F SCC Improver 122 Improves Fertility 105 Calving Ease 102 Solid Type 104 Semen Fertility +2.9/389 obs A pedigree that features farmer favourites Goldbullion, Shottle and from the same cow family that produced the ever popular JUDGE! April 2016 ABV Rengaw Man-O-Man Wrangler Bradley Cullen Wrangler daughter bred by Steven & Jodie Huth, Cooriemungle, Vic VR2348088 Proving the world’s best genetics for Australian farmers and conditions and standing in Australia! Freecall: 1800 039 047 www.genaust.com.au