PHOTO: JOHN MORAN
PHOTO: RUUD PLOEG
operations pay a lot of attention to good ventilation and temperature.” Heat stress reduces appetite and hence milk yield, Dr Moran says. “This is why farmers should put a lot of emphasis on cow comfort. I know switched-on farmers that actually have an automatic cow shed hose, where the cows can choose to have a shower and then dry off in the wind, which will reduce heat stress.” Dairy farming is the most sophisticated form of agriculture, Dr Moran says. “Good management depends on the farmer putting himself in the skin of a cow. He has got to look at his herd and think ‘If I was a cow, how could I be more comfortable and more productive?’ For example: You have to make sure that the forage is harvested before it gets too mature. Some farmers then let it wilt for a few hours. This will increase the dry matter content and the appetite. It will increase the rate of passage through the rumen. “The weaning age tells you a lot. A calf will tell you when she wants to be weaned. When she is eating a kilogramme of concentrates a day for instance, you can reduce the milk. You’re feeding the calf to increase the rate at which the ru- men develops. Good concentrates will help, but above all roughage.” Good heifer growth rates are important for milk production and fertility and to minimise calving difficulties. “Growth rate means bone development. The bones must develop a large enough gap for the pregnant heifer to calf-down. This reduces calving difficulties through a well-developed bone structure.” Feed efficiency will help good heifer growth rates and ulti- mately milk production. Dr Moran adds, “This is controlled by the quality of the feed you are giving to the milking cow and her ability to easily convert those nutrients into milk. This is also why I often speak about cow comfort. A grazing cow needs to lay down for 12 to 14 hours to produce the components of milk in the udder.”
Quality of feed After weaning, the quality and amount of dry feed has the biggest influence on calf performance. In the tropics farmers often save their best quality feeds for their milking cows, meaning that youngstock suffer from poor feeding manage- ment. Calves that are poorly managed after weaning are dis- advantaged for their entire life, he says. “Even if they are well fed after mating, their ultimate mature size will be restricted and, if they do put on extra weight, it tends to be fat.” If growth rates are not maintained, heifers will not reach their target live weights for mating and first calving. Undersized heifers have more calving difficulties, produce less milk and have greater difficulty getting back into calf during their first lactation. Looking after staff is also important for dairy farmers, Dr Mo- ran states. “It’s good to create a system of communication and
▶ DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 9, No. 2, 2022
involvement, so that all know what progress is being made in achieving goals and objectives of the farm operation.” He ad- vises dairy farmers to develop a set of key task areas and key performance indicators (KPIs) and to quantify progress within each task area of the KPIs.
Dr Moran’s e-books are available for online (free of charge). He is also an advisor for investors who want to invest in large-scale dairy farms in South-East Asia.
Colostrum feed- ing manage- ment is impor- tant for calves to develop an im- munity to infec- tions and bacte- ria as they grow up.
Dr Moran sign- ing one of his books in Malaysia.
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