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• 2000 April

2000 April

Johnes Disease (JD)

The Johnes Disease Calf Accreditation Program (JDCAP) has now been officially launched in Victoria. This is essentially a program that is designed to minimise the risk of spread of JD within a herd. Calves that are reared under this program should be significantly less likely to be infected with JD than calves that are not reared under these conditions.

The first 800 herds that are successfully assessed and signed up on the program will be eligible for a rebate from the cattle compensation fund.  The rebate will be paid directly to farmers to offset the costs involved in assessment and development of a farm management plan for controlling JD.

Who is eligible for JDCAP?

Eligible herds are those with a JD status of :

• Non assessed - (this is the status of most herds that were previously classified as No Known JD)
• Suspect
• Check tested
• Tested low prevalence

While heavily infected herds are not able to be accredited under JDCAP, they should still be rearing calves under the same regime.  In fact, it could be argued that these herds have the most to gain by following JDCAP recommendations.

Herd status is issued and monitored by NRE.

How do I get my herd accredited?

An accredited vet inspects your herd and calf rearing facilities and together you develop a calf-rearing plan that complies with the JDCAP.  Your herd is then registered with NRE.  You are required to have an annual audit to maintain your status.

What are the benefits of JDCAP?

The ability to demonstrate that a herd is unlikely to be significantly infected with JD is becoming more important when selling cattle. Quality assurance programs such as Murray Goulburn Milk Care will become more prevalent. Herds that comply with the requirements of JDCAP will satisfy the JD requirements of these QA programs.

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Feeding Options for a Dry Autumn

The dry end to summer and possibly a dry autumn has made it important to examine feeding options to prevent problems later in the season.  Recent rains may help to alleviate the problem.  If follow up rain does not occur strategic feeding of stock will still have to be high on the list of priorities.  Meeting nutritional requirements is important in both milkers and dry cows.To Milk Her or Not to Milk Her

The economics of continuing to milk cows rather than dry them off is usually cut and dried.  Consider a situation where the milk price is 25 cent per litre, grain costs are 17 cents per kg and hay costs 12 cents per kg.  A cow in late lactation producing 10 litres has an energy requirement of about 130 MJ ME.  This could be met using 6 kg grain at 12 MJ per kg as fed and 7 kg of hay at 8.5 MJ per kg as fed.  Doing a partial budget we see the return of continuing to milk her:

 

Difference $1.64 per cow per day

If she is milked for another 30 days she will earn you another $50.

In the scenario of a farm which has run out of water the option of drying cows off and putting them on agistment has been suggested.  If a 25,000 litre tanker of water costs $250 that is $1.00 per 100 litres.  At the maximum a cow doing this production would drink 150 litres of water per day.  Even when buying water for her, continuing to milk her is breaking even.

It is important to remember some of the nutritional facts of this stage of the lactation.

Cows will increase body condition more efficiently when lactating than when dry. - This does not mean you need to feed the milking cow less feed than the dry cow.  It means that after she has produced milk with the feed she is offered, the excess feed required to gain body condition is less then that required if the cow was dry.

It is difficult to maintain body condition during the dry period when feeding low quality hay. - In the scenario above the cow may be able to maintain condition if the hay is very good quality.  If there is 1 to 2 kg DM of fresh pasture available this will have enough energy density to do the job.  If not, supplementary grain will be required.

In the scenario above a weight gain factor has been allowed for in the milking ration.  This will have the ongoing benefits in next lactation in terms of milk production and fertility.

Dry Cow Management

One of the major animal health problems seen during a dry autumn is pregnancy toxaemia in dry cows.  It is easy to put the dries out and forget about them when a lot of other autumn jobs need to be done.  Most of the time this is OK as there is pasture of some description available to them.  The energy density of pasture ensures dry cows have adequate dry matter and adequate energy to maintain body condition and a rapidly growing foetus.  Problems occur when adequate energy is not supplied either through low energy density forage (poor quality hay) or low dry matter intakes.  The cow will start to break down body condition to supply energy to the foetus.  This results in the build up of blood acetates and pregnancy toxaemia.

The cost comparison table below shows the relative values of different feeds given the suggested prices and an allowance for utilisation rates.  In general, utilisation will decrease as the energy density of the feed decreases.  This is the result of wastage when fed in the paddock.  Obviously animals that are starving are not going to waste as much as fully fed cows.  Starvation is the exact thing we are trying to avoid.  By definition, wastage will occur to some degree if cow condition is to be maintained.

 

 

Agistment Costs - $9.50 per head, intake of 9 kg/day

From this table it is obvious that individual circumstances must be assessed on their merits.  Prices and feed values can vary considerably for hay especially.  You should use this information as a guide to making your own decisions.  When considering the cost of agistment the value provided above assumes the cows are fully fed from the available pasture.  If there is little feed available agistment becomes very expensive.

A few things are obvious:

1. Do not discount grain as an option for dry cows.  In the case of Barley quality may be more reliable than bought hay.  More care needs to be taken with the quality of oats.
2. Price per tonne of hay is not the only measure.  In this case the fact that cows will "lick it off the ground" makes good quality legume hay a more attractive option.
3. If agistment can be found that will supply even half the dry cow's diet it may still be a good option.  If the pasture being offered is fresh autumn feed it will supply the energy density required and is a far better option than an all hay diet.  Factors such as managing cows on agistment and access to supplementary hay and to water are important.  Obviously agistment must have a significant amount of pasture available to be worthwhile.

Don't take up any agistment without looking at the property.

Care should be taken feeding grain when only 1-2 kg per cow is fed.  Run the grain along a fence line to avoid the cows walking on it and soiling it.  Cottonseed has been put in as an alternative as it is very safe to feed.  During the 1997 autumn when hay was very scarce and very expensive, cottonseed was very effectively combined with grain and straw to maintain dry cows.

Early Lactation

Feeding in early lactation is too important to be adequately covered in this article.  It should not be neglected in dry autumns.  Ensure you have an adequate and well-formulated transition and early lactation diet to get the lactation off to a good start.  Once pasture is available, a cow milking well will have a greater appetite and be able to consume a maximum amount of pasture.  Compare this to a cow that is struggling to cope with excessive weight loss in early lactation due to inadequate dry matter intake.  She will be producing less, consume less pasture and have poorer fertility.

The main message is:

A dry autumn can have consequences now on cashflow or greater consequences later on profits.  The choice of which is entirely up to you.

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The Dairy Industry Adjustment Package

Preparation of a Farm Business Assessment

The final details of the deregulation package are about to be released.  All farmers who qualify for the package will be required to apply for their payments.  Part of the application requirements is the completion of a "Farm Business Assessment".  This requires the collection of financial data for the current year including income and expenditure, assets and liabilities.  This data is then used to project the financial performance of the business next season based on the likely milk price post deregulation.  For Victorian farmers, the milk price will not be influenced as much by deregulation compared with other states.  A worst case scenario will need to be calculated based on possible milk prices for next season.

The "Farm Business Assessment" must be examined by a financial adviser and "signed off" prior to lodgment of the application.  The purpose of having a financial adviser examine these financial predictions is to guarantee that each farmer has considered in detail, the impact of deregulation on their enterprise and has planned for effective use of the deregulation payment. A number of industry service providers including accountants and farm advisers will be able to examine these financial records and "sign off" for farmers to complete their application. Tom Walsh and I will be included in this list.  For clients with whom we contact regularly as part of our farm management consultancy service, this will be a simple process of signing the form since such financial planning is an ongoing part of the service.

For many other farmers, they will have the required documents prepared as part of this business management and will need to present these to a financial adviser for signing off.  In doing so, they will need to discuss with the adviser how best to respond to the changed market circumstances for their dairy farm business.

Some farmers will require professional assistance to complete the farm business assessment form in order for it to be "signed off" by their financial adviser.  For many accountants, this will impose an even greater burden on their GST instigated heavy workload.  It will not be necessary to have completed the 1999-2000 year tax returns to have the forms signed, however a forecast of the current year's income and costs and a projection for next year will need to be calculated.  As a minimum, the following details will need to be collected and analysed to adequately complete a farm business assessment:

• Last years profit and loss statement from the tax return.
• Production statements to date for this season.
• A list of current creditors.
• The latest bank statement.
• A list of assets and liabilities.

Tom and I will offer this service to farmers as an alternative to their accountant.
For farmers who have prepared forecasts, this will be a short process requiring perusal of documents and discussion of the range of options available with the package to adjust to changed market circumstances.  For others, it may involve simple or detailed analysis of their farm business options. The minimum requirements before signing the application, however, will be to prepare a budget for next season and summarise assets and liabilities.

We will offer this service based on the individual needs and requests of each farmer.  It may be appropriate to first discuss this assessment by phone prior to arranging an appointment either at the Clinic or on farm.

The federal government has decided that this process is a pre requisite for farmers before qualifying for the deregulation package.  No adjustment package payments will be received until this process has been completed.  Farmers failing to comply with these requirements will not be eligible to receive payments starting in the first week of September.  Failure to complete these applications within 90 days will deny farmers the ability to receive the deregulation payments.  There is no government or dairy industry assistance with the cost of preparation of these financial documents.  For those with financial planning skills who prepare the documents themselves, the cost will be minimal.

 

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Worming Your Dog

Intestinal worms can cause serious health problems for your dog, they can also be a potential health risk for humans, especially young children.  It is import that a regular worming program is followed.  The table below provides a schedule for worming your dog.  If the period between treatments is longer than these recommendations, there will be a good chance that adult worms will be present and that they will be producing eggs.

Puppies

At this point in a dogs life it is very important to worm your pup.  Worms can affect the growth rate of your pup and in some instances make them very sick, it can also represent a significant health hazard for humans, particularly for young children and toddlers.
Children love to cuddle and kiss puppies, puppies love to lick children's faces, children tend to put their hands in their mouths - worm eggs and larvae can be swallowed in the process.

The main internal parasites causing problems for immature dogs are hookworms, roundworms and whipworms.  Symptoms of worm infestations can be as simple as diarrhoea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and pot bellies.

Recommended products

• Drontal Worming Suspension for Puppies and Small Dogs
• Canex Puppy Suspension
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Adult Dogs

Dogs which are 6 months and older carry the same worm types as puppies, they also carry another group of worms being tapeworms.  The best known tapeworm is the hydatid.  Tapeworms often do not cause a problem for adult dogs, but can be seen in the droppings of infected dogs.  Hydatids when they are present pose an important human health risk.  In humans, the hydatids can form large cyst like structures, which require surgical removal.

For pregnant bitches it is important to continue worming the dog as usual.  A worming treatment at  weeks during pregnancy will decrease the worm infestation transferred to the pups whilst in the womb and once they are suckling.

Recommended products

• Drontal Allwormer for Dogs
• Popantel Allwormer Tablets for Dogs

 

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