Cell count targets.

[Beef farmer]

I can only speak for the herds I work with, but out of my 10 best herds (in terms of animal health, production, profit) 9/10 milk record and the other one doesn't because it would be too costly in the parlour. Of my 10 worst herds 2 of them milk record.

It's basic cow management information, along with calving, inseminations, PD etc.

Production? Define production? Maximum liters per cow? And do your clients honestly discuss with you there farm accounts?

 

[The Agrarian]

Anyone using conductivity as a selection criterion in selective DC?

 

[jimmer]

Production? Define production? Maximum liters per cow? And do your clients honestly discuss with you there farm accounts?

the profitable ones have new tractors and machinery , didnt you know that sir

 

[bovine]

Production? Define production? Maximum liters per cow? And do your clients honestly discuss with you there farm accounts?

In terms of most productive, then litres per cow but also looking at health (like tube usage). A lot of the better farms talk about money yes. How else can you have a sensible conversation over things like vet spend/investment in health and production without that information?

If I rank farms in terms of tube usage, production, milk/cow/year, in calf by 100d, cell count, age at first calving, calf losses, lameness etc then it's usually the same farms at the top. Quite easy to see who is best at managing cows.

Anyone using conductivity as a selection criterion in selective DC?

It's simply not reliable enough.

 

[Beef farmer]

the profitable ones have new tractors and machinery , didnt you know that sir

Ah yeah, check out the all things dairy thread. He had it all.

 

[Beef farmer]

In terms of most productive, then litres per cow but also looking at health (like tube usage). A lot of the better farms talk about money yes. How else can you have a sensible conversation over things like vet spend/investment in health and production without that information?

If I rank farms in terms of tube usage, production, milk/cow/year, in calf by 100d, cell count, age at first calving, calf losses, lameness etc then it's usually the same farms at the top. Quite easy to see who is best at managing cows.



It's simply not reliable enough.

Well my friend your wrong. As a vet you enjoy high yielding herds, and why shouldn't you. It's your bread and butter. I haven't seen my vet since October. Does that make me a bad farmer? Or even an unprofitable one?

 

[Beef farmer]

In terms of most productive, then litres per cow but also looking at health (like tube usage). A lot of the better farms talk about money yes. How else can you have a sensible conversation over things like vet spend/investment in health and production without that information?

If I rank farms in terms of tube usage, production, milk/cow/year, in calf by 100d, cell count, age at first calving, calf losses, lameness etc then it's usually the same farms at the top. Quite easy to see who is best at managing cows.



It's simply not reliable enough.

Oh and definatley don't talk to him about my accounts. He doesn't talk about his either.

 

[bovine]

Well my friend your wrong. As a vet you enjoy high yielding herds, and why shouldn't you. It's your bread and butter. I haven't seen my vet since October. Does that make me a bad farmer? Or even an unprofitable one?

We know higher yielding herds are more efficient. The maintenance requirement for a cow is similar so every extra litre you produce has a lower carbon footprint. I do think as things move forwards and there is greater control over on farm medicine usage that you will have to work more closely with your vets. There also becomes legal issues with 'animals under the care' of the vet if they've not been on farm in 6 months, they probably shouldn't be prescribing you medicines with such little idea of what is going on.

There is a model with grazed herds, giving bugger all milk with no infrastructure and low costs. If I was a cow it's not where I'd chose to live. If a vet can't add value to a farm, then you have the wrong vet (or the wrong attitude farmer who's not prepared to change).

 

[Beef farmer]

We know higher yielding herds are more efficient. The maintenance requirement for a cow is similar so every extra litre you produce has a lower carbon footprint. I do think as things move forwards and there is greater control over on farm medicine usage that you will have to work more closely with your vets. There also becomes legal issues with 'animals under the care' of the vet if they've not been on farm in 6 months, they probably shouldn't be prescribing you medicines with such little idea of what is going on.

There is a model with grazed herds, giving bugger all milk with no infrastructure and low costs. If I was a cow it's not where I'd chose to live. If a vet can't add value to a farm, then you have the wrong vet (or the wrong attitude farmer who's not prepared to change).

I've purchased NO medicines in that time. And not used any other than a few tubes.

 

[jimmer]

We know higher yielding herds are more efficient. The maintenance requirement for a cow is similar so every extra litre you produce has a lower carbon footprint. I do think as things move forwards and there is greater control over on farm medicine usage that you will have to work more closely with your vets. There also becomes legal issues with 'animals under the care' of the vet if they've not been on farm in 6 months, they probably shouldn't be prescribing you medicines with such little idea of what is going on.

There is a model with grazed herds, giving bugger all milk with no infrastructure and low costs. If I was a cow it's not where I'd chose to live. If a vet can't add value to a farm, then you have the wrong vet (or the wrong attitude farmer who's not prepared to change).

Speechless

 

[Beef farmer]

We know higher yielding herds are more efficient. The maintenance requirement for a cow is similar so every extra litre you produce has a lower carbon footprint. I do think as things move forwards and there is greater control over on farm medicine usage that you will have to work more closely with your vets. There also becomes legal issues with 'animals under the care' of the vet if they've not been on farm in 6 months, they probably shouldn't be prescribing you medicines with such little idea of what is going on.

There is a model with grazed herds, giving bugger all milk with no infrastructure and low costs. If I was a cow it's not where I'd chose to live. If a vet can't add value to a farm, then you have the wrong vet (or the wrong attitude farmer who's not prepared to change).

I wouldn't let my vet tell me to increase my yields to line his pockets.

You will see more and more block calving grazed herds, it's about lifestyle and profitability. Intresting that your not going to accept that.

 

[More to life]

We know higher yielding herds are more efficient. The maintenance requirement for a cow is similar so every extra litre you produce has a lower carbon footprint. I do think as things move forwards and there is greater control over on farm medicine usage that you will have to work more closely with your vets. There also becomes legal issues with 'animals under the care' of the vet if they've not been on farm in 6 months, they probably shouldn't be prescribing you medicines with such little idea of what is going on.

There is a model with grazed herds, giving bugger all milk with no infrastructure and low costs. If I was a cow it's not where I'd chose to live. If a vet can't add value to a farm, then you have the wrong vet (or the wrong attitude farmer who's not prepared to change).

@Irish NZ @lazy farmer ive got the popcorn

 

[TomB]

I wouldn't let my vet tell me to increase my yields to line his pockets.

You will see more and more block calving grazed herds, it's about lifestyle and profitability. Intresting that your not going to accept that.

They might not be quite so profitable for @bovine.

 

[Beef farmer]

@Irish NZ @lazy farmer ive got the popcorn

On no you didn't.

 

[Princess Pooper]

I've purchased NO medicines in that time. And not used any other than a few tubes.

I can understand that, even as a Holstein owner very few of our cows need vet attention, or even medication from us (other than dry cow tubes) between mid lactation and calving, so on a block basis that would cover off 6 months. It's even more rare for us to need a vet for young stock.

I'll edit that - sure we'll do routine vaccinations in that period but don't need a vet on farm for that it is all in the health plan which they have seen anyway.

 

[Beef farmer]

I can understand that, even as a Holstein owner very few of our cows need vet attention, or even medication from us (other than dry cow tubes) between mid lactation and calving, so on a block basis that would cover off 6 months. It's even more rare for us to need a vet for young stock.

We Have a visit booked this week, then I.dont plan to see him till we start calving. No doubt then for a few months we will see him.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Yeah, that's just being blockist.

I'm probably a little above average yields and now I've finished breeding unless i have a difficult calving the vet won't be back till October.

 

[Aircooled]

Pre dip deals with environmental mastitis, post dip with contagious. Depends what your problem is. Best practice is almost always to do both (with different products as we want very different properties)[/QUOTE]
Have you not got your dips the wrong way round. Some good points on dct though.Some other points not so good. If I were a cow I would be hoping never to need my feet lifted nor expected to carry any more than 30L of milk about and also hoping never to see a vet ...

 

[lazy farmer]

We know higher yielding herds are more efficient. The maintenance requirement for a cow is similar so every extra litre you produce has a lower carbon footprint. I do think as things move forwards and there is greater control over on farm medicine usage that you will have to work more closely with your vets. There also becomes legal issues with 'animals under the care' of the vet if they've not been on farm in 6 months, they probably shouldn't be prescribing you medicines with such little idea of what is going on.

There is a model with grazed herds, giving bugger all milk with no infrastructure and low costs. If I was a cow it's not where I'd chose to live. If a vet can't add value to a farm, then you have the wrong vet (or the wrong attitude farmer who's not prepared to change).

respect is hard to gain and easily lost. pity.

 

[bovine]

Have you not got your dips the wrong way round.

Pre dip deals with environmental mastitis, post dip with contagious. Think about it - environmental mastitis is contamination on the teat from the environment. Without proper pre milking teat disinfection this is made into soup when the cow starts milking. Contagious bugs passed via the cluster and milkers hands so contamination occurs during the milking process - post milking teat dip kills these bacteria before they can colonise (and helps with teat condition).

If I were a cow I would be hoping never to need my feet lifted nor expected to carry any more than 30L of milk about and also hoping never to see a vet ...

I want heathy cows, and I do think routine foot trimming is a part of that. My concern with block calving (particularly spring block) is that in the desire to cut costs to a minimum (because you have much lower milk sales) you cut corners in terms of foot trimming (your example), cell counts (the example in this thread) or even basics like vaccination and ACR in the milking parlour. All that happens is welfare suffers.