Helping farmers recover herd health

After an appalling run through mid-spring for most Waikato farmers, an animal nutritionist has some good news for getting dairy herds back on track to make the most of the remaining season.

Dr Joe McGrath, DSM ruminant technical manager aims to bring some positive news for farmers during a series of farm walks focusing on dairy herd health he is leading in the Waikato during November.

Dr Joe McGrath, DSM Technical manager and animal nutritionist.

The farm walks are on properties where the owners have maintained cow production and health through the worst of the wet weather period.

“The start of spring in the Waikato had people pretty optimistic, only for the wheels to start falling off when we received incessant rain and low sunshine hours for weeks on end through September and early October.

“This really took the top off milk production and knocked farmers’ confidence back just that much further again after a tough season last year,” he says.

This has had herds plagued with problems for heat cycling, lameness and downer cows.

Joe labels the later metabolic problems as the “second round blues” with cows going down as they came onto the second spring grazing round onto low energy grass, just as their lactation demands started to rise.

The problems he has witnessed this spring prompted him to arrange some on farm seminars, highlighting the causes and some choices open to farmers wanting to salvage as much production pre-Christmas as possible.

A key issue this spring has been a lack of absorbed magnesium causing a range of issues, including an inability for cows to absorb sufficient calcium from their diet.

“But this year with more farmers relying solely upon grass as their feed input in order to cut costs, the problems have been more marked post calving.”

Ensuring cows also have highly available source of calcium and magnesium in their diet has been more critical than ever.

DSM, a leader in animal and human nutritional ingredients, has developed Hy-D, a patented form of Vitamin D.

Joe says Hy-D is more efficient at increasing the plasma concentration of the active form of Vitamin D. The concentration of this molecule in plasma is critical for active absorption of calcium and phosphorus from a cow’s diet.

By increasing dietary available calcium the cow reduces her reliance on stored bone calcium, helping maintain their strength and muscular integrity for a longer milking life.

Joe will be leading walks on two properties that have used Hy-D in their herd’s diets to great effect. They include the North Waikato farm of Russell and Alison Gibb, and further south in Atiamuri at Andrew Parker’s property.

The Gibbs kicked off this season using the Sollus transitional feed additive Tranzsol to help the herd move into milk production smoothly post calving by ensuring they have a good calcium source.

“We were sick of the time and money we had been spending getting cows back in calf using CIDRs, and after hearing Joe’s advice decided it was better to tackle the problem at the front end of the season,” says Russell Gibb.

After calving the cows are given Lactisol in their feed which provides calcium, salt, vitamins, trace minerals and Hy-D. Critically, Lactisol formulation is not set and changes with the season to try and accommodate for seasonal challenges such as second round blues.

“After that we will have a better idea how things have gone with it, but it is looking like a good move for us so far,” he says.

For Andrew Parker at Atiamuri poor liver condition and repeated health issues in his 1000 cow herd prompted him to look at new ways to boost herd health.

Now over a year into a Sollus programme, he says the outcomes were starting to prove positive, with significant declines in his animal health costs, fewer calving issues and minimal down cows.

Joe says the farm visits will provide a firsthand account from farmers who have managed to hit the right notes in balancing their herd’s calcium needs.

“And it has been for relatively little cost – collectively the industry is spending $400m a year on down cow metabolic issues, and for about a tenth of that the industry could be preventing those problems altogether.”

The farm walks will be held on November 16 at the Parker property, and November 17 at the Gibb property.

To learn more about the farm walks and Sollus visit: www.sollus.co.nz


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