Dairy Farmer articles from February 2003

Dairy Farmer archives from February 2003

Pneumonia, abortion and landfill seagulls!(Column)
February 18, 2003... After hefty vet's bills, suspected salmonella outbreak and a loader breakdown, Donald McColm is beginning to see light at the end of the winter tunnel - in Canada, where he'll be curling 30 games and travelling 4500 miles before his next...

Got a cheap JCB 3CX, John?(Column)
February 18, 2003... What with taking on the insurance companies about a replacement JCB and the BCMS about cattle which departed long ago, Pat Bird is once again keeping the service industries on their toes. And how. Read on.... A heifer calf on Christmas day...

We're coming out to see you, say police.(Column)
February 18, 2003... If the police are coming out to see you then something must be wrong. Is it a speeding ticket, asks John Trunch, or something to do with when he gave a pig a thrill in a trailer at 40mph. What's that? Yes, find out more on the latest porcine...

Scotland looks for more flexibility within proposed decoupling round.
February 18, 2003... The ramifications of the draft proposals for the new decoupling arrangements are exercising minds up and down the country. Peter Hollinshead seeks clarification of the salient points from Scott Walker, policy director at the National Farmers...

Sperm cocktail promises to raise conception rates.
February 18, 2003... Genus Breeding has recently launched a new `Fertility Plus' semen range which has been designed to improve fertility levels in herds and individual cows with conception rate problems. On-farm trials have shown conception rate improvements...

Kimo tops list with #144 PIN.(Painley Jabot Kimo)
February 18, 2003... Average yields for recorded Holstein herds have increased by some 5% in the last year to 7650kg a cow, according to NMR's recently published annual production report. The top production herd in the national lists is owned by Norman West in...

Dutch select on productive life rather than type.(of cow )
February 18, 2003... Longevity and average herdlife are major bones of contention among breeders, many of whom argue that cows are just not lasting. While average age may not be rising, Dutch geneticist Arnold Harbers contends that production efficiency is...

Decoupling - what it might mean to you.
February 18, 2003... Reform of the dairy regime has moved to the top of the agenda in Brussels, with the Commission keen that reform should be implemented in 2004. Richard Wright looks at what is on the table - and what it might mean for UK dairy farmers. The...

Chaos - trying to pick a way through it all!(UK dairy industry in turmoil)
February 18, 2003... With the Mid Term Review (MTR) coming on top of the Thomsen case, the milk industry has been thrown into further chaos with producers left wondering which is the right way to jump to secure their survival in the future. Calling all...

Barclays no fears over debt.
February 18, 2003... The future remains bright for farming as long as you have an alternative source of income, it seems. Angela Rhodes reports from this year's Semex Conference in Glasgow where the banking sector remained bullish in the face of more sobering views...

Sainsbury's: Won't source British at (just) any price.
February 18, 2003... Supermarket giant Sainsburys fielded two speakers at the conference just as the news of the race for Safeways started to break. In the absence of Group Chief Executive Sir Peter Davis, the company's Trading Director for Food, Ian Merton,...

Higher yields are right response to costs, not more cows.
February 18, 2003... At current milk prices the cost of getting a cow to walk into the parlour can be equivalent to over 8000 litres of her production... before she earns you a penny, nutritionist Colin Orr told delegates at the Semex conference. Producers...

Sniffer dogs could provide answer to bulling detection.(longevity is a function of management not genetics, according to specialist cattle vet Dick Sibley. )
February 18, 2003... Contrary to popular opinion, longevity is a function of management not genetics, according to specialist cattle vet Dick Sibley. "Genetic selection has led to a 6% improvement in the potential longevity of the modern Holstein cow yet this...

Reaping the rewards of condition scoring.
February 18, 2003... Body condition scoring is not only an effective means of monitoring herd nutrition but can also act as a barometer for fertility. However, as Angela Rhodes reports, the majority of farmers overlook this valuable management tool. Condition...

Intake ratings could soon be part of the mix.
February 18, 2003... Intake characteristics can be influenced by physical factors like chop length and quality of fermentation, but it is becoming more widely accepted that it is also related to variety. So much so that intake ratings are growing in importance on...

Two new varieties.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Hot on the heels of the success of Chelsea, Maisadour, the French maize breeder is launching two new and very different varieties onto the UK market for sowing this year. Leeds, a very early maturing variety with a NIAB rating of 8, is...

NVZ rules could bring end to slurry dumping.(Nitrate Vulnerable Zone)
February 18, 2003... Maize land has historically served as a useful dumping ground for slurry but, for those now in a Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, sacrificial spreading is no longer an option. Like any crop, maize has a finite nutrient requirement but it is more...

Picking the right maturity.
February 18, 2003... Choosing the correct Maturity Class is the most important part of the maize variety selection process. And, as Angela Rhodes reports, playing safe with early varieties can be just as bad as growing a late variety in the wrong location. The...

MAIZE: New varieties.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... * New from Nickerson's this season is the high starch/high energy variety Nescio. Claimed to be suitable for all major maize growing areas, this particular variety has outperformed a number of recognised high energy varieties like Fabius,...

Trials point the way to designer plant spacings.
February 18, 2003... German research has shown that narrow row drilling can boost maize yields by up to 15%. We find out if initial UK trials have resulted in a similar yield lift. Narrower drill widths could make a significant difference to yields and feeding...

Let seedbed additive work its magic spell.
February 18, 2003... Improvements in maize yield and feed quality equivalent to an extra 4500 litres milk output/ha have been achieved in the most recent set of trials on the fertiliser additive FTC-1. Originally developed to enhance establishment in potato...

Energy yield is key to variety.
February 18, 2003... Maize variety selection is usually driven by yield, starch content and suitability to growing conditions. But, as Angela Rhodes finds out, more attention should be paid to energy yield and the end use of the crop in the clamp. Choosing...

Bigger yields from higher seed rates?
February 18, 2003... Maize growers on favourable sites could make more use of early maturing maize varieties without compromising on maturity if they increased seed rates. According to Lindsay Cousland, maize development manager at Advanta Seeds, trial results...

Laying firm foundations.(Trevor Lloyd)
February 18, 2003... When Trevor Lloyd returned from Harper Adams to the family farm on Anglesey he persuaded his father to change the mixed holding into a specialist dairy unit. Last week his success and forward vision earned him the top award in the Dairy Farmer...

Low cholesterol cheese hits market.
February 18, 2003... Natural vegetable oil is now being incorporated into cheese which can block off the receptor sites in the gut preventing the absorption of cholesterol. Following work at Cambridge University a natural vegetable oil has been isolated which...

Guinness man is MD at Lubborn.(James Farnham)(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... James Farnham is the new MD for Somerset-based speciality cheesemaker Lubborn Cheese. He takes over the reins from Piers Feilden who founded the company 20 years ago. Mr Fielden will continue as a consultant to the company. Prior to...

MDC marketing head faces up to pressure.
February 18, 2003... The potential for milk is far greater than its rivals, says the MDC's head of market development John Taylerson. "We don't just have one product, but a wide variety of very good products that can be targeted to different markets." Making...

Tackle disease now or risk export bans.
February 18, 2003... Delegates at this year's British Cattle Breeders' Conference were urged to clean up their herd health to ensure a market for their stock and to improve production efficiency to stay in business. Angela Rhodes reports. The absence of...

Indices: breeders fight back.(Brief Article)
February 18, 2003... Geneticists have been driving breeders in the wrong direction by promoting indices that don't reflect what the market wants. Strong words from Lancashire breeder and winning speaker in the conference balloon debate John Loftus, who was...

A taste of luxury in Paradise Valley herd.
February 18, 2003... In the last five years the herd average at Paradise Valley Farms in Ohio has gone up by just under 1500 litres purely through genetic improvement and doing the small things better. The Paradise-R herd is best known in the UK as the prefix...

Marketing is key to survival.
February 18, 2003... Pedigree exports and the pursuit of continued genetic improvement will not be the `Get Out of Jail Free Card' the UK dairy industry is looking for, claims business consultant Stuart Ward. While it may be a profitable sideline for a small...

Rolling eyes, pawing feet - our man prepares for battle.
February 18, 2003... Tired of chasing rats, our intrepid hero Roger Evans has gone into rigorous training for his latest and what may prove the ultimate pinnacle of his ingenious diversification career... senors and senoritas I give you El Evans, the toreador. ...