Getting the measure of dairy herd health
Milk recording is a vital service for dairy farmers to assist a farm with running an efficient and cost effective business.
It ensures the farmer is aware of the profitability and health of each individual cow through measuring and recording of milk, fat, protein, urea, lactose, ketosis, acidosis and cell count.
In dairy herds, a simple way of monitoring disease exposure is by measuring bulk milk antibodies. Antibodies are part of the cow’s immune defence and are produced in response to disease challenge. The antibodies produced are specific to each infection and are measurable through milk. A bulk milk sample can therefore offer guidance on the level of exposure within that herd.
Assessing disease through milk samples offers an efficient and non-invasive way of checking herd health status and enables a farmer to track and monitor disease spread. Milk recording provides important information to look at the herd as a whole, but more importantly, each cow within the herd, providing data that identifies whether the animal is making a positive or negative difference to business performance and the associated trends throughout the year.
The Cattle Information Services offers a number of packages from a simple DIY system to a full milk recorder service, with reports supplied within 48 hours after sample receipt. Milk recorders visit farms on a regular basis to take samples, deliver them to the laboratory and then upload the results online.
The results are then sent to the farmer via email, text or post. For data on the hoof, customers can take advantage of Mobile Herd, a service which has been created to allow farmers and advisors the ability to securely access animal data and record information while out and about on the farm.
Are you asking yourself ‘why should I milk record?’ Here are a few top reasons why you should:
• To increase the profitability of your herd, that is, increase fats, proteins, lower cell counts
• Improve on calving interval
• Identify fertility areas of concern
• Benchmark your herd and track performance against regional and national data
• Meet legislation with linked movement book and medicine records
• Short and long-term production planning tools
• Track herd health, and monitor disease prevalence
• Whole management team, including farmer, herdsman, vet, analysts and consultants can have access to the same information and at the same time to make informed decisions
The Whitticase family at Glanywern Farm, near Oswestry, milk record with CIS. Commenting on the service, Ian Whitticase says: “Milk recording is important and invaluable to us.
"It is an excellent way of monitoring our herd health and monitoring milk components after a cow has calved. Access to results within 48 hours either online through the YourHerd portal or via the Mobile Herd App is fantastic and we can make decisions immediately if required to improve individual or overall herd performance.
"The service provides a great way to measure herd performance on our farm which ultimately saves us time and money while allowing us to focus on enhancing our herd.”
Bernadette Crayston, Cattle Information Service (CIS).
