Dairy Farmer articles from April 2003

Dairy Farmer archives from April 2003

COMMENT: TB - it takes two to tango.(DEFRA species protection)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Last year's stratospheric 22,000 TB culls will have shocked all but those wanting to turn a blind eye to the matter. The dreaded scourge has locked up large swathes of the south-west in its crippling embrace, and has prompted the NFU to try...

Bust-up likely as MDC genetic evaluations go out to tender.(Milk Development Council)
April 30, 2003... Fears abound that Milk Development Council plans to put its genetic evaluation work out to tender could lead to a major bust-up in the industry. The bull and cow genetic evaluation work is currently carried out by MDC Evaluations Ltd which...

EC faces possibility of decoupling delay.(European Commission, decoupling of dairy support)
April 30, 2003... Having created massive uncertainty, the European Commission could yet abandon its plans to decouple dairy support in 2004. In the face of member state opposition over the problems this policy would create for grass-based livestock farming,...

Grass silage: focus should turn to fibre.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Forget about going for those high quality first cut grass silages next month. Difficult, maybe, but according to Swedish ruminant nutritionist Tomas Andersson, British producers should instead be targeting a cut that will analyse at a maximum...

Open Day.
April 30, 2003... Dairy Farmer columnist Tim Gibson has kindly agreed to open his Bedale farm to DF readers to view his labour saving system including the robotic milkers. Full day with seminars lead by fellow columnist Ian Potter who will be telling us the...

Milk margin claims denied.(Sainsbury's on retailer margins)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Sainsbury's denied this week that retailer margins across the dairy sector are as high as those quoted in the KPMG report - a view it says is shared by other major retailers. "I will not put a figure on our margins, but I will say they are...

Top lifetime daily yield cows break the 30kg barrier.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... The top four cows ranked by NMR's new Lifetime Daily Yield (LDY) measure have produced an impressive 30kg or more of milk for each day since birth. Ranked on Lifetime Daily Milk Value, the top three cows nationally have contributed #4.65...

Turnout can't come too soon in Dumfries.
April 30, 2003... A late attack of digital dermatitis and a couple of displaced abomasums means that Duncan McColm will be more than pleased to get his herd out to that spring grass... before anything else happens! My rain records show that from the...

Kami-kaze chaffinches blow hole in dairy regs.
April 30, 2003... What with fighting her corner on TB, titivating the parlour ahead of the inspectors and collecting dead chaffinches, Pat Bird has had a rather busy month. But then they can't touch you for it. Read all about it! It's a time of miserable...

Education is a wonderful thing but.
April 30, 2003... This month John Trunch has some good news on the threatened Abbey Vale bakery but is fearful that rationalisation within academia could spell the demise of the much-respected Seale Hayne college. It is refreshing to be able to start with...

Express merger destined to take out capacity.
April 30, 2003... Conditional agreement has been reached to merge Express Dairies plc with Arla Foods plc, the wholly owned subsidiary of Europe's largest farmer-owned dairy co-op Arla Foods amba. Peter Hollinshead talks to Neil Davidson, chief executive of the...

First UK fertility index set for an early launch.
April 30, 2003... Genetic indices are only as good as the recording data that goes to produce them, and the onus is on producers to make sure they supply the right information, according to SAC geneticist Eileen Wall. Speaking at the British Society of...

Kermit leads the way back.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Two new high component sires are being launched by Alta this spring. Isidorous Kermit is one of the first sons of top German sire Lukas and out of a VG Emerald Acres SA Tonic dam. His sire died during his test period so semen has always...

Scotchhills Patriot joins the `cream team'.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Most recent addition to the Cogent stud is Scotchhills Patriot, a fat and protein percent improver with good production and type. British bred Patriot joins the `Cream Team' of Picston Shaker, Eastland Figaro and Cogent Lucky. With a...

NMR launches lifetime yields comparison.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... A new benchmarking tool which can be used to compare daily lifetime yields and milk value has been launched by National Milk Records. Individual cow lactation certificates will now include a Lifetime Daily Yield value which is calculated by...

Amateur is latest US udder improver.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Semen World has added new US proven sire Bay-Bob Amateur to its line- up. Amateur is quite unusually bred being a son of Lenzway Tesk Rubytom and his dam is a Luke daughter Bay Bob Amanda VG86. This bull has plenty of proven form in his...

Strunz steps out in style.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... German proven sires had a good run in the February proofs with two in the top three of the #PLI rankings. Another newcomer from Germany is Strunz, who will be marketed by Supersires. This bull is a Maughlin Storm son out of a Lylehaven Ambition...

Bulls for low cost systems.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Research in the UK and Ireland has shown that Holstein bulls selected for functional type and less extreme dairy traits can perform well in extended grazing and lower cost systems. In previous issues we have looked at traits which low cost...

Canadian fat specialist Freeman.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... New from Canada this spring is the high type, high fat, Maughlin Storm son Braedale Freeman. Bred from an 88point Gilbrook Grand daughter, Freeman is one of only two currently available sires that are rated over +2.00 on all type composites and...

Breeding robust cows to survive.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... The hotly disputed topic of cow longevity came to the fore in a series of roadshows up and down the country and it became apparent that the sort of cows we never notice in the herd because they don't demand our attention are the sort to which...

High type is no guarantee.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Over a quarter of the 661 Holstein-Friesian bulls currently available in the UK through AI have serious longevity faults, revealed Cogent sire analyst Chris Shepherd at the longevity meetings. In addition, many more carry the Complex...

Selecting for SCCs.
April 30, 2003... While somatic cell count traits are not as heritable as more common elements like yield, the effect of the on-going drive for production has been to raise SCCs. In this, the first of a breeding management series, Holstein UK Animal Breeding &...

EU NEWS: Value-added key to success.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... A report on the Irish dairy industry has concluded that its future success and long term survival are critically dependent on its ability to change and deliver improved international competitiveness. The report calls for a move away from the...

EU NEWS: Italy's bluff is called on superlevy.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Member states have called Italy's bluff over milk superlevy bills by refusing to back down to attempts to blackmail them into agreeing that the Italian government could ignore state aid rules and pay the bills on behalf of farmers. It could,...

EU NEWS: Milk quota retention linked to decoupling?(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... European Union farm ministers may not agree on much when it comes to reform of the CAP - but a clear majority are in favour of retaining milk quotas through to 2013. This should help create some certainty about the future, although it is not...

EU NEWS: Cut in export subsidies would raise prices!(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... The Global Dairy Alliance, which is made up of pro free trade milk producing countries in South America and the southern hemisphere, has claimed that the European dairy industry would fare better financially if it put its weight behind the...

Letter: Wanted: Mr Milk to give unity and clout.(Letter to the Editor)
April 30, 2003... FROM: Mike Haskew, vice-chairman and milk negotiator for Farmers For Action. (Mr Haskew is a tenant farmer milking 90 cows on 120 acres at Ross-on-Wye, south Herefordshire.) Milk is worth very little in the market place and is sold as a...

Letter: Move from production to supply chain management.(Letter to the Editor)
April 30, 2003... FROM: David Johnson, Greenhills Farm, Lower Whitley, Nr Warrington, Cheshire WA4 4JD. It is no surprise to hear the reaction from all the experts: "Currency is about 75% responsible for low farmgate prices" (Neil Davidson), "nothing but...

Letter: Beware: milk producers in danger of being stitched up.(Letter to the Editor)
April 30, 2003... From: Michael Haywood, Lea Farm, Twycross, Atherstone, Warks CV9 3NP. I would like to draw your attention to two articles on the mid-term review put out by Richard King of farm business consultants Andersons. The first shows a 863-acre...

New look for Yeo Valley.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Yeo Valley Organic is putting #1m behind the brand this year as it takes on the fight for third position in the yoghurt market. Starting off the campaign is a new logo, new packaging and a range of new products including fat-free organic...

Bute cheese in #7m deal.(A McLelland & Son signs agreement with Sainsbury's to supply own-label Isle of Bute Mature Scottish Cheddar)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Scottish-based cheese suppliers A McLelland & Son have signed a deal with Sainsbury's to supply own-label Isle of Bute Mature Scottish Cheddar which is being launched on the supermarket shelves this week. The deal, reputed to be worth #7m,...

Success spreads to farmers.(Dromona Pure Butter accounts for 10% of Dromona branded butter sales in Northern Ireland)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Dromona Pure Butter has taken the market by storm. Marketed by Dale Farm in Northern Ireland, a subsidiary of United Dairy Farmers, it sells at a premium price and represents 10% of Dromona branded butter sales in Northern Ireland. "It is...

Full shelves boost sales.(milk sales can be boosted by 3% if shelves are kept "topped up")(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... Milk sales can be increased by 3% if shelves are kept `topped up' and point of purchase material is available. These are results from a 3- month study in three large multiple retailers carried out by the MDC in conjunction with Dairy Crest and...

Anti-cancer research set to lift milk image.
April 30, 2003... Manipulation of the forage component of cow diets may be the way ahead to give milk its potentially greatest fillip yet - as an anti-cancer agent. Latest US research has found that butter containing high levels of a naturally occurring...

On school milk trail.(Sainsbury's will offer school milk vouchers on packs of milk)(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... With the latest findings showing that 70% of milk is consumed by children, Sainsbury's has joined the school milk bandwagon. Its scheme, in conjunction with Express Dairies (now Arla Foods UK) and the MDC, targets primary schools in the south...

POTTER'S VIEW: Potter turns armchair general.(Column)
April 30, 2003... With understandable annoyance, anxiety and confusion following the announcement of the decoupling proposals, producers are left having to second guess Brussels in an attempt to grope their way forward. Ian Potter finds himself doing a dairying...

TB - a ruddy duck by any other name!
April 30, 2003... The ever-growing TB scourge seems set on an unstoppable path and, unless something is done pdq, looks like spiralling out of control. But is there an answer to this seemingly intractable problem? With this in mind, the NFU gathered the great...

Probiotics boost rumen efficacy to dizzy heights.
April 30, 2003... Recent trial work shows that the use of probiotics in early lactation cows can boost production by a staggering 1.5kg/day. Roger Chesher reports on the latest findings presented at a recent research seminar in Milan. After a somewhat...

Hidden dangers lurk with neglected liners.(investing in preventative testing and maintenance could help minimise disease consequences)
April 30, 2003... As herds expand and yields increase, all aspects of milking equipment come under greater pressure and investing in preventative testing and maintenance could go a long way to minimising disease consequences. Regular six monthly testing of...

Milk replacer acts to boost worm immunity.
April 30, 2003... Calves fed fish oil in their milk replacer look set to generate greater immunity to gutworms, according to findings released at this year's British Society of Animal Science meeting at York. Angela Rhodes reports. Conventional worming...

Lameness - take early action to avoid trouble.
April 30, 2003... Lameness is a major cause of loss to many dairy herds and over 200,000 cows leave the national herd prematurely every year because of incurable problems. Improved diagnosis and recording as part of a Farm Assurance Herd Health Plan could help...

Why cell count blues can strike at turnout.
April 30, 2003... A rise in somatic cell counts appears to accompany turnout on many farms but, according to NMR, this is more to do with the number of cows nearing the end of their lactation and the age of the cow rather than the effect of life in the great...

Herd plans: farmer money saver or vet money maker?
April 30, 2003... The requirement for herd health plans, partly to ensure red tractor status, may be seen by many as nothing more than regulations imposed on hard-pressed producers to keep others in work. David Matthews takes a critical look at whether vets are...

Early link helps detect mastitis.
April 30, 2003... A newly discovered protein which is released by cows into their milk in response to bacterial infections in the udder looks set to provide one of the earliest indications yet of the onset of mastitis. This new protein, known as Milk Amyloid...

New kit cuts cost of antibiotic test.
April 30, 2003... Although on-farm testing kits are widely accessible to dairy farmers, to date many have viewed them as a costly option and been reluctant to use them. However, that could soon change with the launch of a new, much cheaper and easier to use test...

Why worming is claimed to boost yield and fertility.
April 30, 2003... Recent trials are supporting earlier claims that adult cows will perform better when given a wormer at calving. Peter Hollinshead investigates. New work from Canadian trials is confirming the belief that worming dairy cows will not only...

Making best use of what SCCs tell you.(somatic cell counta)
April 30, 2003... The majority of milk recorded herds receive monthly Individual Cow Somatic Cell Count (ICSSC) information yet very little use is made of the data beyond highlighting potential culls. Angela Rhodes finds out how more detailed analysis of this...

Role of minerals to keep SCCs in check.(somatic cell counts)
April 30, 2003... Some producers could incur milk price penalties this summer if somatic cell counts continue their seasonal trend and reach record levels. Cell counts are at their highest in mid to late summer, with levels in July and August being around...

Trial data.(Brief Article)
April 30, 2003... University of Florida trial data shows the effects of feeding two groups of lactating cows and heifers on identical diets, one group receiving minerals in-feed from wholly inorganic sources, the other receiving minerals from inorganic and...

Good Evans: Our man breathes new life into faltering friend.
April 30, 2003... Despite all your sympathy over the passing of his late lamented scraper tractor, which undeniably had every ailment known to such beasties, our head scraperman finds the unsavoury prospect of administering the kiss of life is after all...