Dairy Notes November 2011

• Provide a clean, dry place for the calf to lie down. Damp bedding harbours harmful bacteria and conducts heat away from the calf’s body.  If a calf lies on damp bedding energy is lost which could have been used for growth. Regularly bed calf pens, either individual hutches or group pens with straw, wood shavings or sand. Provide feed and water outside the pen or hutch to keep manure and urine away from the resting area.
• Provide proper ventilation. This means providing clean fresh air around the calf without draughts. Good ventilation removes dust and excess moisture from the environment and controls temperature. Too much ventilation can lead to draughts causing problems for calves in cold weather. Too much air movement, especially under a calf in an elevated pen with a slatted floor, can chill the calf and rob it of the energy needed for health and growth.  The design of most hutches allows steady air movement without draughts.  Success with calf hutches depends on proper drainage and siteing in relation to the direction of the prevailing wind

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Isolate calves aged less than three months from older animals

• Isolation. In conventional calf housing very young calves are often in physical contact with older calves.  As there is a difference in the disease resistance of calves of different ages, it is recommended not to allow older and younger calves physical contact during the first three to four months of age.
• Financially viable. Developing the best calf rearing facility for your dairy herd depends on capital, labour and management resources available. Making the best use of these resources to provide a healthy environment for the calf is what it takes to be successful.

• Record the amount of electricity used on farm, ideally every week. Energy benchmark your dairy farm. Ask your local CAFRE adviser for assistance.
• Familiarise yourself with electricity usage on your farm. Note the major pieces of electrical equipment and the time they are in operation
• Wherever possible use cheaper night time electricity tariffs, especially for water heating
• Compare what your current supplier is charging you with what other suppliers are offering
• Install a plate cooler
• Consider using a heat recovery unit
• Switch off equipment and lighting when not in use
• Ensure everyone is aware of the focus to save energy

Plate heat exchangers or plate coolers for milk pre-cooling

• Check existing plate heat exchange systems to ensure the number of plates is optimised and that the ratio of milk to water running through the system is correct
• As a guide the ratio of water to milk cooled ranges from 1:1 to 2:1
• Borehole water is best for the cooler as it is colder than mains or roof water
• Ensure the milk transfer pump is set up correctly with the plate cooler