2000 February

New Feed Additive Products

We are now able to supply cost effective feed additives from a source we consider to be reputable and reliable.

The products are in a pellet form and made up to provide a choice of vitamins, minerals and rumen modifiers.

The product range is "Cows-R-Us" feed additives and has been specifically formulated by Dr Ian Lean, one of Australia's foremost specialists in Dairy Cattle Nutrition. The range also includes products for use in the transition period from dry cow to early lactation.

Dr Lean has used these products extensively in NSW and parts of Victoria with impressive results. Formulations are designed to be used in all types of production systems. All are in pellet form for addition to supplementary grain mixes. The pellets are available in 50 gram premixes as well as 500 gram complete pellets which include macro minerals.

The 50 gram pellets are:

Trace 50: containing Vitamins and Minerals.
RT50: containing Vitamins, Minerals and Rumensin.
RET50: containing Trace Elements, Rumensin and Eskalin.

These are all added at 50 grams per cow per day.

The 500 gram pellets:

Contain Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous and Sodium at formulated rates to supplement diets in grazing dairy cows.

Trace 500, RT 500 and RET 500 also have the constituents of their 50 gram per day counterparts.

These pellets also have 300 grams of wheat, which represents about 6 cents per cow per day in pure nutritional input.

These additive products can be purchased by contacting Timboon Veterinary Group to organise delivery. Please contact us to discuss any of these products or arrange a consultancy visit to examine your production system and discuss the suitability of one of these products.

Transition Ration Products

These products are designed to enable rumen adaptation, prevent metabolic and post partum disease and maximise dry matter intake at calving and immediately post partum to ensure an early and high peak production level.

Biochlor is a high protein palatable feed with a high level of anionic component. It is a unique product in its ability to achieve the above mentioned objectives.

Kickstart is Biochlor with RET pellets plus flavourings to create a readily acceptable transition food which can be easily added to grain currently being used at 1kg per cow per day.

Transit is Kickstart with grain already mixed into a pelletised feed. It is to be fed at 3kg per cow per day.

More discussion of these products will occur in further newsletters, closer to calving.

Choosing which dry cow product should be used

There are a number of dry cow antibiotics that are available and the choice of which one should be used can be difficult. The products differ in their active ingredients, the dose of antibiotic, the size of antibiotic particles, duration of action, and price. So which products should be used?

The choice of which product used should be made based on:

Mastitis history of the farm
Which bacteria have been causing infections this season and in the past
Amount of clinical mastitis experienced during the calving period
BMCC
The length of dry period given to cows
Price.

While many people select the dry cow products based on price, the price difference between the cheapest and the most expensive products is less significant than the cost of additional mastitis cases, or of having a poorer cure rate. Price really only becomes a consideration when there is little or no difference between the efficacy of products.

Products:

Cepravin Dry Cow:

    Best product to use if the bacteria Streptococcus uberis is responsible for a majority of
    clinical cases or if you get a lot of mastitis at calving (greater than 3 cases per 50
    cows calved). Cows treated with Cepravin DC must have a dry period of 8 weeks or
    greater.

Orbenin Enduro/Elaclox Extra:

    600 mg Cloxacillin products with small antibiotic particle size have the highest reported
    cure rates for Staphylococcus aureus.    Orbenin Enduro is best used where there are
    numerous cows with chronic Staph infections, where the BMCC is frequently greater
    than 250,000 or there are a large number of cows with high cell counts. Cows treated
    with Enduro must have a minimum dry period of 35 days.

Orbenin/Elaclox DC:

    Contain a lower dose of cloxacillin than Enduro or Elaclox Extra (500mg versus 600mg)
    and bacteriological cure rates have been reported to be lower than Orbenin Enduro.
    Cows Treated with the 500mg cloxacillin products require a minimum dry period of 30
    days.

How much is a high BMCC costing?

At this time of year as the cell counts rise the penalties for high BMCC's become more frequent and bonuses paid for high quality milk increase. Each factory calculates these payments in their own way. In some circumstances the penalties can be so severe that it is not viable to continue to supply milk. The payment schemes for each factory are set out in the table below, based on the losses incurred at each level.

It is obvious that in most cases, there are strong financial incentives to stay out of high cell count milk supply, especially for supply to factories which exclude seasonal incentives from the higher categories.

The highest payment category for all factories offers an incentive of less than one cent per litre. Although this represents approximately 3% of the milk cheque and can add up over a large number of cows, it may not necessarily be cost effective to cull high cell count cows to stay in this high bracket.

A cow consistently delivering a cell count of 2 million, producing herd average in a 200 cow herd, will only drop the BMCC by 10,000. If the drop required is 100,000 to make the highest payment bracket it will require at least 10 such cows to be culled (5% of the herd). Often farmers attempt to stay in this bracket by culling, yet poor mastitis control or deteriorating production will soon see the count rise again. Unless there are fewer than 2-3% of the herd contributing to the high count (in this case that is 5 or 6 cows), it is advisable to keep these till the end of the season since their production at the higher payment levels may well exceed the lower payment differential.

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Maximising Profit in Late Lactation

In the past there was a choice as to whether it was worthwhile endeavouring to milk cows at the end of the season. Today it is often a necessity and it can be a profitable exercise. Between March and June factories pay between 25 and 35 cents per litre for premium milk, with a typical test of 4.2% fat and 3.3% protein. This compares with a final payment of 18-22 cents for milk sent over spring and early summer. To cash in on the higher milk price cows need to be kept at a reasonable level of production in late lactation, alternatively some farmers choose to calve some of their herd prior to or during this high payment period.
The cost analysis of income from milk production over feed costs at this time of year is illustrated in the top table.

All feed costs are $150 per tonne assuming a mixture of grain, hay, silage and crops. Once the autumn break arrives, feed costs will be reduced to an inputted cost of $50 per tonne for pasture ($100 if nitrogen boosted).

Typical Net Income for a standard production decline over winter spring and early summer is demonstrated in the bottom table of this page. Grass is included in the feed costs at a diminishing proportion as the season progresses. Price of milk rises with test as well as seasonal payment.

As these calculations show, there is very little difference between daily income per cow in April versus August-October despite the relative difference in production.

The first table showing the potential profit from a cow production well during autumn demonstrates the reason why some entrepreneurial farmers are making an effort to produce well at that time of year. Many have split calving so that a greater proportion of the herd are in early lactation in autumn whilst others have maintained the higher nutrition path all the way through spring and summer. Either option is potentially unprofitable if the whole farming system is not managed to cope. If cows produce more milk over 300 days they will need more feed. The timing of the extra inputs, the ability to balance the dietary fibre, protein and energy needs and the management of the pasture, especially the spring flush, will all influence the outcome.

The feeding system does not need to be complicated. A large supply of silage rationed across summer and autumn, supplemented with good quality purchased hay form the basis of the forage ration. Input of cereal grains and a protein source such as lupins, will be sufficient to reach production targets. Crops are a bonus which, in good summers, will keep purchased feed costs down and slow the milk yield decline.

The end result, a cow producing a net profit of over $4 per day for at least 60 days in late lactation, can be the difference between showing a profit for the year or not.

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Water Requirements for Dairy cows

When considering the daily requirements of cows considerable attention is paid to the amount of grain, crop and hay provided to the herd. Water is not always considered, yet it is one of the crucial components of a cows diet, and the one that must be provided in adequate amounts every day.

Restrictions on water intakes have a profound effect on feed intakes and milk production, drinking also assists cows compensate in hot weather.

How much water does a cow need?

Water requirements are dependant on the level of production, dry matter intakes, environmental temperature and humidity, moisture content of the diet, and the level of dietary sodium (salt).

The table below provides a guide to the daily water requirements for cows at varying production levels and temperatures. A herd producing 20 litres per day will require 20000 litres of water on a 30ºC day. These requirements will be greater if the cows need additional cooling or if there is insufficient shade.

Consequences for inadequate water supply?

Reduced milk production
Reduced feed intake
Reduced ability to cope with high daytime temperatures

Water quality will have some effect on water intake however, if the cows do not have an alternative source of water cows will drink to their requirements. The presence of various minerals, chemicals and bacteria in the water can impact on the cows health.

Milk Litres	15			20			25			35
Ave Temp	10	20	30	10	20	30	10	20	30	10	20	30
Water Intake L	65	77	89	73	85	109	81	93	105	96	108	120

Crop Poisoning

Brassicas are most frequently grazed during summer and autumn and less frequently during winter. They provide high quality feed for cows and young stock when pasture availability and quality is often low. In addition they are a useful part of pasture renovation programs. While many herds graze brassica crops without clinical disease problems, over recent years a number of diseases have been identified. Some of these incidents resulted in multiple deaths and substantial economic loss.

In the early grazing period cattle are at a greater risk of disease occurring. This highlights the importance of careful grazing when cattle are first fed brassicas.

Signs commonly observed with crop poisoning include:

Cows with red painful udders or kicking at their bellies e.g. from photo
Staggering or down cows
Diarrhoea
Bloat
Choke
Redwater (red urine)
Jaundice (yellowing of the pigments around the face, vulva, etc)

If there are any signs of disease observed while the cattle are on the crop:

Remove the sick cow(s) or herd from crop.
Feed high quality hay or silage.
Continue feeding concentrates if scouring/staggering not caused by lactic acidosis (overload).
Contact veterinarian if necessary.

Some of the diseases associated with crop poisoning are easily cured / managed.

Photosensitization (Photo, Swamp fever, Fire fever)

Feed grain and hay/silage.
Inject with 5ml Histamil for 3 days if early, or while the skin is irritated if severe
Restrict access to green feed until recovered.
If possible provide shade.
Other products which may be beneficial in a case of photo, include zinc creams, teat creams etc.

Photosensitization outbreaks were more likely when nitrogen-containing fertilisers were applied and when crop yields were low.

Scouring cows

The scouring may be caused by carbohydrate overload (lactic acidosis); excess amounts of green leafy feed or nitrate poisoning.

If you suspect carbohydrate overload as the cause, drench the cow with 2 cups of bicarb.
If the eyes are sunken (dehydrated), call a vet to administer IV fluids.

Keep a close watch on these cattle after treatment, as the signs may deteriorate quickly, especially if carbohydrate overload or nitrate poisoning is the cause.

Staggering and down cows

May be caused by milk fever, grass tetany, carbohydrate overload or nitrate / nitrite poisoning. Nitrite poisoning may show signs of muscle tremor, it is important in these cases not to stress the cattle affected.

Give calcium subcutaneously or intravenously.
If no response and cow is down, call vet to distinguish between carbohydrate overload and nitrite poisoning.

Choke

The fodder (eg turnips) being stuck in the throat causes choke. If complete blocking of the throat occurs the cattle will blow up rapidly because they can not belch to release rumen gases.

Call vet for assistance.
Stab only if the condition is life threatening.

Redwater

Requires veterinary attention as some cases may require a blood transfusion or other necessary treatment.

Mastitis Analysis Service

The Timboon Veterinary Group is now able to offer a new Herd Test Mastitis Control Analysis.

The analysis reviews all of your herd tests currently stored on file to:

Estimate of the current level of mastitis in your herd.
Identify the periods when high levels of infection occurred in the past
Indicate the current new infection rate occurring within your herd
Compare the current new infection rate in your herd to your performances at previous tests and to other herds in the district.

By performing these analyses we can evaluate the success of your mastitis control program and identify areas where extra attention is required. As newly infected cows may self cure during a lactation, be cured with treatment or never experience a cure it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of the current control measures simply by monitoring herd BMCC alone.

For example, if you experienced a high level of mastitis in your herd causing a cell count problem last month. High cell counts experienced over the next few months could occur either of the following scenarios:

You are still experiencing high new infection rates and mastitis remains out of control in your herd.
You have implemented good control measures and have now lowered the new infection rate to acceptable levels. Mastitis is coming under control in your herd. The BMCC remains high as many of the cows that became infected when you first experienced the problem persist with high cell counts in the herd.

The difference in the long term between the two outcomes is that the farmer exerting good control and preventing new infections will see that the BMCC will reduce in time. The farmer who fails to control the new infection rate will not return to a low BMCC. In fact they are most likely to experience further increases in their BMCC. Any delay in implementing effective control will delay your return to low BMCC production and will involve greater economic losses.

To be involved all you need to do is contact the Timboon Veterinary Group and give us permission to access your herd test records from the HI Centre.