2017/18 Season HUB Weekly Farm Update as at 6th March 2018

Concrete grooving close to the entry to the shed to help alleviate a slippery yard; thanks to Doug from ‘Cow Yard Grooving’

Week summary:

• APC lifted to 2900 kgDM/ha (although pasture growth was lower this week)
• Round length extended to 40 – 42 days
• Baleage contractor contracted
• Herd pregnancy test results: 7 – 11% empty, 64% calve in 3 weeks, 83% in 6 weeks (refer to stock section notes)
• Winter feed budget in progress, factoring in potential late lactation fodder beet grazing

Critical Targets this week

• Herd test
• BCS check

Herd & Production

• Four herds split evenly on age, BW / PW and on the winter crop trial treatment groups to ensure the herds are as even as possible.
• Each herd allocated a farmlet corresponding to their herd tag colour Green, Blue, Yellow and Pink.
• Farmlets have paddocks allocated so each herd has equal walking distance from the shed and the same proportion of each soil type and equal proportions of pastures in the FVI trial (forage value trial – refer web site section on research).
• Staph Aureus has been identified in approximately 40 cows at The Hub. A high bulk SCC and cows not reacting quickly to treatment encouraged investigation leading to this diagnosis.
• Infected cows have drafted out and are being milked last to prevent the spread of this infection.

Milking frequency

• Farm team to discuss continuing with milking 3in2 for the rest of the season vs. returning to twice a day
• Target of 1.6 kgMS/cow/day before considering twice a day option

Other considerations are –

• Will the move to extend the round drop per cow production?
• Range in cow BCS
• Are the farm team happy to continue 3in2 or not?

Lame cows

• 3 cases in the last 2 weeks
• No issues

Feed Management

• The four herds are to remain on their allocated farmlets at all times. The 2017/18 season aim is to feed all cows in a similar manner all season. Any differences to be recorded. 
• Decision rules for Cows of BCS 4 or less are that they can be fed extra supplement in the shed as required by the farm team and be milked OAD but will remain in their allocated herds for research purposes.
• The concentrate in the shed is a 50:50 mix of PKE and barley.

Pasture

• APC lift over the last 3 weeks; harder to hit the residual target of 1600 kg DM/ha for the autumn
• Round extended mid-month from 30-day to a 42-day without the addition of any supplement. The 42-day round will help refocus the residual APC target of 1600 kgDM/ha
• If paddocks exceed APC of 3300 kg DM/ha, they will be harvested as baleage. The intention is to keep an even approach towards the 4 different farmlets.

Crop feeding

If the winter feed budget allows, fodder beet may be considered as a supplement for 2 of the herds late season, in preparation for wintering on fodder beet.

This will allow the farm team to:

• Offer a supplement feed with pasture to take pressure off the APC late in the season
• Introduce the cows to beet through early winter transition
• Open up the fodder beet paddock face ready for winter and ease of grazing
• Avoid the use of pasture paddocks when transitioning onto fodder beet early winter (and the pugging damage associated)

Replacements

• R1 heifers behind a wire rotating around the platform; no supplements offered
• R2 heifers have returned to the platform after developing ryegrass staggers grazing on the support block; R2’s not in calf have been sold off farm

Land, Pasture, Crop & Silage Management

• Total area is 327ha(eff), 32.5ha(eff) young stock block and 294ha(eff) platform. Winter crop is grown on both blocks for all stock.
• Crop rotation is two years in crop then re-grass. PGG Wrightson grass cultivars used are Rely, Platform and Excess, all diploids.
• Where target residuals are missed, topping after grazing is the tool the farm team use as needed.

Crop management

• Fungicide spray (recommended by our agronomy support PGGWrightsons) applied to 12ha of beet, mixed with a thistle spray to control thistles present in the beet.
• A second fungicide spray due on same area at the end of month.
• Spray has a 42 day with holding period so half of the beet area was sprayed to allow for potential late lactation grazing (should feed budget and yields allow).
• No spray drift onto surrounding pasture paddock. Our research tech team had to allow 24 hours post spray before entering to avoid contact with residues.

Hub Kale yield assessment done end of February at 7.8t/DM/ha

Reproductive Performance

• The herd had an empty rate of 7 – 11%. This is either 7% of cows scanned or 11% of cows mated. The 11% is from that start of mating inclusive of cows culled due to the Staph outbreak and the dry period.

Research Update (fortnightly)

No update this week

Research Proposals

The SDH welcome research proposals for any sampling or research on the SDH, these are assessed by the Research Advisory Committee (RAC). Just send your request or ask for information via guy.michaels@southerndairyhub.co.nz

For more information check out the DairyNZ link:

https://www.dairynz.co.nz/about-us/research/research-farms/southern-dairy-hub/

People Management

• Advertising and interviews continue for another permanent employee to lift our team to 5 permanent farm staff for the rest of this season and into the next.

• https://www.southerndairyhub.co.nz/jobs/