Sand Bedded unit in Devon

Sand Bedded unit in Devon
Originally uploaded by Wilson Agri

This is a recent conversion from straw yards to cow cubicles. These are out post mounted stalls with open fronts. The cows knees are positioned by a 6inch round wood rail set in the beds. These cows are positioned well.

Floor Mounted cow cubicles

Floor Mounted cow cubicles
Originally uploaded by Wilson Agri

This is a recently installed unit in Shropshire - UK. These are head to head cow cubicles.

Cows lying down

Cows
Originally uploaded by Wilson Agri

Recently installed unit in Somerset, UK

Social media links launch

Today, Wilson Agriculture have launched links to

our social media sites:

Twitter

Facebook

YouTube

Flickr

Spring open day

We had a very successful open day at Ballygraffin House back in April.

The farm is run by Paul and Noelene Warnock and the event

was run by the Ulster Grassland Society.

Many thanks to all who attended!

Well done Jones family

Wilson Agriculture supplied all the housing equipment at this Jones family unit near Magor, South Wales. These very good cows are now starting to win national competitions [SEE BELOW]:

National Holstein Show 2009

Livestock Shows | 16 February, 2009

SOURCE: http://www.farmersguardian.com/story.asp?sectioncode=31&storycode=24438&c=1

THE National Holstein Show has kicked off with champions already named in the calf and junior sections, and two wins for Sahara Holsteins.

The Newport, Wales-based herd, owned by the Princess of Bahrain and ran by the Jones family, had a tremendous day at the All-Breed All-Britain Calf Show yesterday (Sunday, February 15), taking all three top spots in the Holstein calf champion.

And today has started out equally as promising with two Sahara females winning early on.

BBC and comfortable cows:

SOURCE: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/7854745.stm

Happy cows produce more milk, according to researchers at Newcastle University.

Cattle that are named and treated with a "more personal touch" can increase milk yields by up to 500 pints a year.

The study, by the university's School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, involved 516 farmers across the UK.

Published in the journal Anthrozoos, the study found farmers who named their cows gained a higher yield than the 54% that did not give their cattle names.

Dairy farmer Dennis Gibb, who co-owns Eachwick Red House Farm outside Newcastle with his brother Richard, said he believed treating every cow as an individual was "vitally important".

'Own personality'

"They aren't just our livelihood, they're part of the family," he said.

"We love our cows here at Eachwick and every one of them has a name.

"Collectively we refer to them as 'our ladies' but we know every one of them and each one has her own personality."

Dr Catherine Douglas, who led the research, said: "What our study shows is what many good, caring farmers have long since believed.

"Our data suggests that, on the whole, UK dairy farmers regard their cows as intelligent beings capable of experiencing a range of emotions.

"Placing more importance on knowing the individual animals and calling them by name can, at no extra cost to the farmer, also significantly increase milk production."

Dairy Expansion Seminars 2009

Ivor Davey and Andrew Wilson from Wilson Agriculture have just returned
from attending the Dairy Expansion Seminars in Florida, hosted by 5G consulting.



Wilson Agriculture aim to work with companies like 5G and their associates,
in order to offer a complete design services from site selection through to
plan development to construction management.

Here are a few units previously worked on:

12,000 COW DAIRY

2,100 COW DAIRY


Further information on these seminars is available at:
http://www.dairyman.com/seminars/


Keep an eye on our website for further information and dates
of seminars like these in the UK and Europe!
www.wilsonagri.co.uk/blog

State of the market - UK dairy supply

UK milk supply in 07/08 was the lowest in 30 years – and estimations suggest that,
despite the higher milk prices received during 2008, this trend is set to continue. A new
report issued on 30 January 2009 by DairyCo gives an insight into why UK milk supply is
still falling.

This continued decline in milk supply could lead to a knock-on effect with processors
reluctant to invest in what they feel is a contracting industry. This would ultimately
disadvantage British dairy farmers.

Factors affecting milk supply looks at the numerous issues that have affected both cow
numbers and yield, the two factors that govern milk supply, both in the past and their
predicted future effect – including the influence of TB, genetics, breeding, fertility, cull
cow prices, forage quality and weather.

In particular, the document highlights the many factors which have acted to reduce dairy
farmer confidence and an individual farmer’s ability and willingness to invest in and
develop their business, a key negative influence on milk supply.

Dairy farmer confidence increased in 2008, as a result of rising milk prices. However,
DairyCo analysis suggested this increase in confidence was extremely fragile and with
falls in farmgate price already announced for 2009, with the likelihood of more to come,
this increased confidence will very quickly disappear.


Read the rest of the article here: http://www.mdc.org.uk

Cow comfort essential to yield potential

Cow comfort essential to yield potential
07/10/2008 08:00:00
FWi



There has been much written recently - and rightly so - about the importance of cow comfort. Winter is on the whole a period of total confinement for the herd, restricting some of the freedoms cows enjoy at summer pasture.

So now is the moment, before they come in, to consider cows' daily needs, the most important of which is the need to lie and ruminate for between 12 and 14 hours a day.

Cows that lay for this period are healthier and more productive, while an uncomfortable cow will lie less and stand more. However, there are two constraints on lying time. One is enough actual time with in a 24-hour period to lie down, and the other is the comfort of their environment or cubicles.

Time

Milking cows lead busy lives. If one takes the 14 hours out of the 24 hours in a day for lying time this leaves just 10 hours for milking, eating, drinking and socialising. It is worth considering that a cow needs six hours to feed, leaving four hours a day for milking and social activity.

The best way of creating more time for lying is to look at ways at shortening the "turn time". (The time taken from getting cows out of the pen to milk to returning them to the pen). Really, this needs to be done within one-and-a-half hours to allow ample time for the cows' other needs.

Measures such as using a backing gate, getting individual groups in for milking one at a time, ensuring pen scraping and feeding is done during milking so as not to hold up the return of cows and not leaving cows to stand for half an hour for the teat canal to close before access to the pens all help to cut the turn time.

The other period that can be made more efficient is the time cows need to feed. Shorter feeding times allow cows to lie for longer. By creating the correct feed bunk environment, such as space a cow (60cm a cow), trough height, foot and neck rail comfort and well mixed ad-lib TMR all help to shorten the time at the trough.

There has been recent interest in the use of rubberised flooring at the feed trough which not only encourages feed intakes, but also decreases lameness. However, drawbacks include preference of the rubberised surface by dominant cows, resulting in bullying, and cows lying on the rubberised flooring instead of cubicles.

Environment

Cows like an environment which is dry, clean, well-bedded and airy, with enough sure-footed loafing space for behavioural needs, such as social interaction and bulling expression. Straw yards provide the optimal winter housing, but are expensive to maintain and predispose to mastitis and cell count problems, which account for their declining use.

It is fair to say cubicles of the wrong dimensions and insufficient bedding have a profound effect on decreasing lying time, resulting in increased lameness, mastitis and weight loss, with subsequent knock-on effects on milk yield and fertility. A rough rule of thumb is that cubicles should be 1.2m wide and 2.2m long, with a further 1m of lunge space in front.

Research trials which have given cows different options have shown they prefer cubicles with neck rails sufficiently far in front to allow them to stand with all four feet on the cubicle and without brisket boards or, when brisket boards are used, they are to be no greater than 15cm in height.

Sand and well-bedded mattresses are chosen in preference to mats. An interesting study recently showed cows will lie an average of 13 minutes less a day for every inch of sand lower than the standard 8in depth and also, given the choice between damp bedding and dry, they will choose dry bedding. Studies have also shown lying time reduces with increased stocking density. Therefore, current guidelines are for 10% more cubicles than cows.

The best advice this winter is to make time to just observe cows in their sheds, paying close attention to health issues such as lameness, hock lesions and cubicle occupancy. After all, a "comfortable" cow will be a more productive cow, as she will be healthier, get in calf quicker and produce more milk.

SOURCE: http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2008/10/07/112485/cow-comfort-essential-to-yield-potential.html

Interesting article on Cow Comfort

Cow comfort is key to lower cull rates

Livestock | 29 August, 2008 -

SOURCE: http://www.farmersguardian.com/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=20960&c=1

Shropshire-based P&L AgriConsulting used Liverpool University’s new dairy buildings at Wood Park Farm – part of its Leahurst Veterinary Field Station near Neston, Wirral – for a dairy open day and workshop.

FAILURE to pay close attention to the needs of the cow when building new or modernising existing farm buildings would result in lost milk production, said P&L consultant, Adrian Caine.

He said lack of attention to cow comfort generated stress and related problems in cows resulted in increased culling rates in a herd. With the relatively high cost of a dairy cow and the low value of the cull cow, dairy farmers simply could not afford to have high culling rates within their herds.

The height and position of rails in cubicles and in feed barriers were a case in point. Farmers should look at the back of the cow's neck. If the neck was shiny from rubbing against a rail then she was being discouraged from eating at the barrier and/or lying comfortably in her cubicle.

Compromise

There would always be an element of compromise, but every effort should be made to adjust the height and position of the rails causing problems. For instance, it was clear the rail along the feed barrier in the new housing at Wood Park Farm was poorly positioned and would have to be modified.

In theory it should be brought forward, allowing better access to the feed, however, experience on another farm had shown that where a similar bar had been brought forward it had solved the problem of rubbing, but created a new problem of allowing the cows to tread on their feed, said Mr Caine.

Each supplier had their own ideas of the correct dimensions for cubicles, and here, if the neck rail was too far back, it would encourage cows to 'perch' with their fore feet in the cubicle and their rear feet in the walk-way. With the rear feet constantly in damp conditions, including slurry, this inevitably led to foot problems.

It also discouraged cows from lying in their cubicles. This was the period when the cows were producing milk and failure to lie down for sufficient time could easily result in the loss of 1 litre of milk per cow per day, said Mr Caine.

Open plan

The large open plan building at Leahurst was also important in allowing the cows to socialise and to give them the feeling of having escape routes should they need them, he said.

With cows housed throughout the year it is important that the temperature in the shed should not become too hot. The Leahurst design incorporated slotted roofs and in conjunction with open sides, this gave a chimney effect drawing air out of the building, he said.

Anyone who had doubts about ventilation in a building should go to a plumber's merchants and buy some smoke pellets which, when lit, would show the movement of air within a building. It was important that the request should be for smoke pellets and not smoke bombs as the latter request could result in the police arriving, he joked.

Light levels

Light was another factor with lighting time to simulate day length and natural light around April and May. Light levels affected blood sugar levels in animals and in the dairy cow this meant milk production. Light levels in the Leahurst shed were around the 300-400 lux level. It was equally important that the cows should also have a dark period, said Mr Caine.

Comfortable cows produce

It was nice to see the following article highlighting the importance of Cow Comfort. The first picture is a Wilson Agriculture installed unit of Comfort Zones:



From: http://www.farmersguardian.com/story.asp?sectioncode=29&storycode=19883&c=1

Livestock | 11 July, 2008

By Katie Lomas

Vets and dairy farmers met for the Large Dairy Herd Seminar organised by Lillico Atlee and the Evidence Based Veterinary Consultancy.

FARMERS needed to focus on cow comfort as a way to both assure consumers that animals were being treated correctly and to optimise productivity.

That was according to Jon Huxley, associate professor of farm animal medicine at Nottingham University, who argued the behaviour of dairy herds needed to be monitored, especially the time cows spent standing.

He said increased standing time, especially on concrete, raised the incidence of lameness and therefore effected yield.

Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

A good cubicle design will ensure dairy cows spend as much time as possible lying down, thus taking the pressure off their feet.

Every effort should be made to encourage dairy cattle to lie down when not eating, drinking or being milked, he said. This should include ensuring cubicle size was sufficient, the lying surface was as comfortable as possible and the building was designed in such a way as to encourage lying down.

Mr Huxley said that when cattle stood up in the field they used a ‘pendulum effect’ to raise themselves up. “If you have housing right they can replicate this movement in the cubicles,” he said, arguing that if cows found it difficult to get into a standing position in the, they would ‘just stop lying down altogether’.

He also urged dairy farmers to consider using sand in cubicles. According to Mr Huxley groups of cows operated within a social hierarchy. ‘Dominant’ cows would do well, ‘bully’ ‘subordinate’ cows at the feed fence and water troughs and enter the milking parlour first. This, he said, meant subordinate animals spent more time standing, increasing the susceptibility to lameness and lowering productivity.

Credit: © FARMERS GUARDIAN please contact 01772 799445.

To maximise dry matter intake dairy cattle need plenty of room at the feed fence. This should be 0.8metres per cow, says Prof Huxley.

This could be eased by putting rubber matting down in areas where cows spend considerable time standing, ensuring there was sufficient feed and water trough space for all animals and creating a ‘circular flow’ in buildings so subordinates could keep out of the way of dominant animals.

The social hierarchy also meant that mixing groups would be problematic, as the group would have to re-adjust and each cow would spend time assessing where they were in the social hierarchy of the new group.

“Mixing groups is not good for yield,” he said. “It can lead to a 3 to 5 per cent reduction in yields. The cows are going around the group instead of eating.”

Staff management in large herds

Dairy farmers on opposite sides of the Atlantic face different challenges but have similar solutions.

• John Gilliland, from Florida, is the dairy operations manager for McArthur Farms, a dairy enterprise with four units each comprising 2,000 cows.

One of the biggest challenges he faces is ensuring the cows can cope with the sub-tropical weather conditions.

He is concerned with breeding consistent heifer replacements and ensuring he has healthy cows. He said staff management was key to success. Staff were set goals and had regular training and development, including vets coming in to give training updates and regular reviews of protocols.

“Higher levels of production require a higher level of management,” he said.

• Somerset-based Neil Christensen milks 500 Holsteins in Glastonbury.

He said one of his biggest challenges was fitting his business around Glastonbury Festival, which takes up 400 acres of his land. Other challenges were low prices compared to high input costs but, like Mr Gilliland, he saw the people behind the business as the most important part of the enterprise.

He said he wanted to ‘manage people effectively to satisfy the business needs and their personal needs’ and also holds regular training sessions and encourages good communication amongst his work force.