UK Dairy Day
Cow Signals workshop gives farmers the edge
• Lower costs and increase effi ciencies • Ensure cow routine is not interrupted • Small changes can have bigger impact
A
special workshop due to be held in Lincolnshire this month aims to help dairy farmers better understand their cows and meet herd needs. Organised by AHDB Dairy, the Cow Signals workshop will be held on 30 August at Home Farm, Spittle on the street, Mar- ket Rasen. It is the latest in a se- ries of workshops to help improve dairy cow health and production. Master trainer Rob Davies hosted the fi rst Cow Signals work- shop in mid-June. The meetings are designed to support AHDB’s optimal dairy systems pro- gramme which is helping farm- ers’ lower costs and increase ef- fi ciencies.
Behavioural signs Mr Davies explained: “Cows al- ways tell the truth. Understand- ing the signals they give out can help farmers manage stress and produce happier healthier cows
who live longer and are less prone to disease.” Small changes could help im- prove productivity, added Mr Davies. As well as explaining a cows’ physical and behavioural in- dications, the workshop included a practical session in the sheds where farmers could try out their observation skills. Ideally, cows should spend 14 hours lying, six hours feeding, two hours socialising and two hours milking daily – doing little of each in two hour cycles. But poor ven- tilation, uncomfortable beds, lack of easy access to feed and water can all disrupt natural behaviour and cause stress.
Fresh perspective Mr Davies said: “Farmers should focus on bedding and feed as this is where cows spend most of their time. It’s not always possible to make lots of changes at once so you have to think about what is
going to have the biggest impact for the lowest cost.” Dairy farmer Mark Wood, who attended the workshop, said: “A lot of what Rob said was common sense, but sometimes it helps look at things from a fresh perspective. A lot of little things can make a big difference and sometimes those little things need pointing out.
“
Think about what will have the biggest impact for the lowest cost
“The workshop has made me think about what to look at back at home. I’m defi nitely going to be looking at my feed barrier placement, to stop neck rubbing, which will hopefully improve feed intakes. I would also like to look at lighting and lux fi gures, to im- prove feed intakes even more”. The Lincolnshire workshop will be hosted by trainer Lowri Davies and AHDB Dairy knowl- edge exchange manager Steve West. For full details, including booking information, please visit
dairy.ahdb.org.uk/events.
Producers should focus on margin management, says Nigel Davies
Delayed spring hits dairy margins
A late spring and indifferent silage quality meant reduced dairy margins this April, ac- cording to the latest National Milkminder statistics. For the fi rst time in 17
months, the margin per cow achieved by the average herd in the matched National Milk- minder sample for April 2018 was less than what it was the same month last year. Promar national consultan- cy manager Nigel Davies said individual producers in differ- ent parts of the country would have fared differently. “The ex- tent of the decrease in margin per cow will vary from region to region,” he said.
But an overall rise in year- on-year feed costs of 1.3ppl for April 2018 had been caused by higher costs due to the com- bined effect of a carryover of indifferent silage quality from 2017, the delayed spring, and an increase in concentrate prices, added Mr Davies. “The increased feed cost per litre doesn’t really come as a surprise given the circum- stances. The fi nancial out- come reinforces the require- ment for a continued sharp focus on margin management and the importance of a daily rigour for detail to help ensure long-term sustainability. “This is especially perti- nent when set against the in- creasing prospect of a summer drought at the time of writing and the continuation of up- ward pressure on feed prices.”
AUGUST 2018 • ANGLIA FARMER 67
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