Phase II members of the Dairylink programme recently met at the farm of Owen and James Martin for a tour of their facilities and to examine opportunities offered for business development through improved calf rearing and selecting sires for improved fertility and milk components.

Farm details

Owen and James Martin are members of the Dairylink project and manage a herd of around 160 cows near Dromintee in Co Armagh.

Most of the land farmed is not close to the yard, so Owen and James manage the herd indoors all year round in a high-input/high-output system. The wet summer of 2012 was the catalyst to house the cows fully, plus the fact that the farm is very fragmented with only 11 acres around the yard.

The first-cut silage has been analysed and shown to have a dry matter (DM) content of 27 %, crude protein (CP) of 17 % DM and energy (ME) concentration of 11.7 MJ/ kgDM.

Dairylink members also had the opportunity to review the milking operation

The herd is split into two feeding groups according to level of milk production and these are fed a total mixed ration of grass silage, concentrate (23% CP), caustic-treated wheat and chopped straw.

Cows may receive additional concentrate (18% CP) in the milking parlour. Current levels of milk production are around 9,400 l/ cow/ year with a corresponding milk solids yield of 640kg fat and protein per cow per year.

Dairylink members also had the opportunity to review the milking operation, in particular the rubber mats which have been placed at the entry into the milking parlour to reduce the risk of cows slipping.

Calf rearing

Improving calf-rearing skills have been highlighted at a recent CAFRE Dairy Conference as a means of improving lifetime performance of dairy cows and reducing replacement costs. Suggested targets for rearing calves were as follows:

  • Achieve a liveweight gain (LWG) in the first month after birth greater than 0.7kg/calf/day.
  • Achieve a LWG between birth and weaning of least 0.9 kg/calf/day.

    • Dairylink members have recently begun weighing calves on their farms at various stages between birth and weaning and took time to review the results. Overall average LWG across all calves was over 0.8kg/calf/day, with most calves being weaned at between 65 and 70 days of age.

    However, there was variation in the LWG of individual calves ranging from 0.42kg/calf/day to 1.4kg/calf/day despite the fact that most members were attempting to feed 850g to 900g milk powder/calf/day and calves were consuming at least 1kg concentrate/calf/day at weaning. The resulting discussion highlighted some points that may require further investigation on some farms:

  • Colostrum – everyone in the group attempted to feed at least 4l of colostrum as soon as possible to their newborn calves. However, when individual samples of colostrum from across the farms were examined using a refractometer, it was found that there was a range in quality with recorded BRIX scores between 19 to 28. A score of at least 22 is considered to be satisfactory. Those who recorded low scores are reviewing their dry cow feed plans to address this and in particular the protein supply within those diets. Low-quality colostrum should not be fed as the first feed, but can be fed for subsequent feeds.

    • Measuring colostrum quality using a refractometer.

  • Calf milk replacer: Most members were feeding calf milk replacer to their calves though some had experienced some issues with nutritional scour at higher feeding rates. This had been addressed by changing the type of milk replacer. Most members were now feeding a milk replacer with 23% crude protein content and a fat concentration ranging from 18 to 25%.
  • Ventilation and draughts: farmers concluded that improving ventilation and minimising draughts in the rearing environment would improve growth rates. In some cases, it was felt that the strategic placing of a straw bale in the rearing accommodation would reduce the risk of draughts.
  • Bedding: all calves needed to be bedded in enough straw to keep them warm and dry. Some farmers said that the calves’ legs shouldn’t be seen in the depth of straw when they are lying down.
  • Calf jackets: some members of the group felt that using jackets on calves within the first month of life, particularly during the colder winter months, was beneficial in terms of calf performance. The jackets needed to be made from a material that was washable and breathable.

    • Sire selection

    The group reviewed a list of sires which they have selected for the upcoming breeding season.

    At a previous meeting, the importance of selecting sires to improve fertility and milk components was highlighted as a means of improving long-term dairy profitability. Sires being used by some members included Praser, Commend and Ronaldo.

    However, there were concerns among some farmers that adopting a breeding policy that might involve using bulls with a negative rating for milk volume will negatively affect milk yield in their progeny. Data from a presentation by US farmer Lloyd Holterman (Rosy Lane Holsteins) at the CAFRE Dairy Conference (Table 1) was highlighted to everyone to show that increases in fat and protein yield through strategic sire selection can be obtained without negatively affecting milk yield.

    Members were also encouraged to continue collecting data to generate a herd genetic report which will allow them to more easily select sires that will complement existing genetics in their herds.

  • Improved calf rearing skills will enhance lifetime performance and reduce replacement costs. Pay attention to feeding management and the rearing environment.
  • Consider focusing on selecting sires that will enhance fertility and milk components of resultant offspring.

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