The Farmers Mart Oct-Nov 2018 - Issue 59 | Page 45

CATTLE 45
• OCT/NOV 2018
New calf growth app and website from Volac
Cattle youngstock rearers now have a quick and easy way of recording and monitoring individual calf
growth rates against pre-set targets, thanks to the availability of a new smartphone App from Volac.
performance targets,” says
Product Manager Saman-
tha Sampson.
“Once you have regis-
tered on the new www.
feedforgrowth.com
website and keyed in your
growth ‘roadmap’ target
data (i.e. calf birthweight;
weaning weight; age at
weaning; mature body-
weight; and desired age
at first calving), simply
download the App and get
started.”
Volac has also re-
freshed its ‘Feed for
Growth’ website, which
LAUNCHED as a free
tool available as a down-
load from the company’s
refreshed ‘Feed for Growth’
website, the new calf
growth App is one of an in-
novative range of practical
resources available from
Volac to help farmers grow
better cows.
“Our new ‘Feed for
Growth’ App is designed
to help farmers working
with youngstock to simplify
the process of assessing
whether individual animals
are on track to meet key
contains a host of prac-
tical advice, help and
resources to help farmers
understand exactly what
the calf needs, how to
put an efficient growth
plan together, and how
to simply and effectively
measure and monitor
performance. The site
also holds a range of
downloadable calf rear-
ing guides, a calf feeding
calculator and the contact
details of the local Volac
business managers.
www.feedforgrowth.com
DAIRY
Plan ahead to understand
cost implications
THE National Milkminder
matched sample for June 2018
highlights that production levels
of milk litres and solids, for the
average herd of 210 cows, have
survived the challenge of the
late winter, and remain largely
unaltered from June 2017.
However, Nigel Davies,
Promar’s National Consultancy
Manager, notes that the average
total purchased feed bill for the
month is now almost a five-figure
sum at £9,777 per herd, which is
effectively 9.1% higher per cow
compared to twelve months
ago.
“Aside from practical challeng-
es, these numbers serve as a
prompt to start planning ahead
to help understand the financial
implications of ensuring that
there will be adequate sup-
plies of both home-grown and
purchased feed for the months
ahead,” he explains.
“Producers should aim to
gauge an understanding of the
potential cost implications of
feeding livestock right through to
Parameter
this time next year and beyond,”
adds Nigel.
“This is a real challenge for many
and for this reason, using a cost-
ings service like Milkminder can
be beneficial in helping to give an
accurate indication of likely pur-
chased feed costs, against which
farmers can compare the likely
costs of other feed sources.
“For example, additional feed
this year could come from catch
crops sown in the autumn or
spring, or other external sources
of forage.”
Nigel encourages farmers to
map out the relative costs of any
additional feed sources now,
thereby making informed deci-
sions, rather than waiting until
next year and then realising that a
better decision could have been
made.
www.promar-international.com
Month of June 2017
Month of June 2018
Yield per cow in milk per day (litres) 25.9 26.1
Concentrate use per litre(kg/l) 0.28 0.28
Concentrate price per tonne (£/T) 215 233
Total other purchased feed cost (£) 254 295
New tool developed
to help dairy
farmers proactively
manage mastitis
A new tool to help dairy farmers
make better decision about mastitis
management in their herds has been
launched today, at UK Dairy Day.
DEVELOPED by AHDB Dairy and
the University of Nottingham, this
easy-to-use tool will give farmers
and vets a better understanding of
the mastitis patterns in the herd.
The Mastitis Pattern Tool identifies
problem areas and potential risks
to udder health and gives farmers
and their veterinary adviser a way
of tracking progress in the herd.
Dr Jenny Gibbons, Senior Dairy
Scientist at AHDB said: “As an in-
dustry, and within dairy businesses
we generate an immense amount
of data associated with mastitis.”
The tool uses cow SCC and clini-
cal mastitis treatment records. Milk
recording herds are at an advantage
as cow SCC information is readily
‘ As an industry,
and within dairy
businesses we
generate an
immense amount
of data associated
with mastitis
’
available. Using the tool, records are
converted and merged into a simple
output allowing farmers to assess
the patterns of mastitis in the herd.
You can download the AHDB Mastitis
Pattern Tool here: dairy.ahdb.org.uk/
mastitis-pattern-tool