Dairy Notes October 2010
October spreading of slurry
If tanks have to be emptied before winter, spread as soon as possible while there is still some growth and weather conditions are suitable. When slurry is spread during early October, most of the phosphorus and potassium will be retained in the soil and available for growth next spring, but much of the nitrogen will be lost.
The best response, with least risk of pollution, will be achieved by:
- spreading on soils which have low reserves of phosphorus and / or potash (index 0 or 1 as indicated by soil analysis). Silage fields tend to be low in potash.
- applying moderate amounts of slurry – about 22,000 litres per hectare (2000 gallons per acre).
Under the Nitrates Action Programme, the closed period for slurry spreading runs from the 16 October to 31 January inclusive. Friday 15 October will be the last possible day for spreading slurry this autumn.
Tackling high somatic cell count (SCC)
High cell counts (>200,000) are a problem on many farms. Attention to detail in terms of hygiene, milking-machine maintenance and herd management are essential in controlling mastitis and minimising SCC. Pay particular attention to the following areas:
- Milk sampling to identify the bacteria responsible for the infections in your herd. The recently introduced Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test available from National Milk Records (NMR) should allow more accurate information to be obtained from milk samples with results available within hours rather than days. These results will assist your vet to plan an effective control programme for your herd.
- Milk recording is a must – records allow you to monitor individual cell counts and quickly identify potential carriers and sources of infection.
- Always examine the hand stripped foremilk for the presence of clots. This allows early detection and treatment of clinical mastitis, helping to reduce spread through the herd.
- Keep hands and clusters clean during the milking period. Wear disposable gloves, use a fresh paper towel on each cow and wash heavily soiled clusters.
- Clusters used to milk cows with known clinical or sub clinical mastitis should be dipped in a 5 per centhypochlorite solution before being put onto the next cow. Ideally these cows should be held as a separate group and milked last.
- Teat dip after milking to form a protective barrier. Prevent cows from lying in their cubicles for 30 minutes after milking so the teat canal has time to close. Install gates to direct cows to the feed passage after milking. Where cubicles back onto the feed passage, some producers use an electrified wire to prevent cows lying down too soon.
- Service the parlour equipment at least twice per year. Ineffective pulsation or excessive vacuum levels can damage teats leaving the animals more susceptible to infection. Ensure air bleeds are clear and regularly check milk tubes for wear. Promptly change liners after 2500 milkings. It is a false economy not to carry out this routine.
- Keep cubicles clean and dry. Scrape dung off the back of cubicles at least once per day. Keep passages clean with regular scraping to prevent cows carrying excess dung on to the cubicle bed – even slatted passages directly behind the cubicles may need to be scraped twice a day. Mixing lime with the bedding material can help reduce infection. Where SCC or mastitis are a particular problem, specially approved disinfectant materials can be applied to the cubicle bed once or twice weekly.
- Low herd health status often reduces the general immunity of a cow. Diseases such as Leptospirosis and BVD can leave cows more susceptible to mastitis. If you do not vaccinate for these diseases, discuss the value of a milk sample test to check if you have a problem with your vet.
15 October will be the last possible day for slurry spreading this autumn
Clean passages and cubicles will help control the spread of mastitis
