Very low FPD in milk

[Martyn]

Since turn out we have been struggling with FPD being very low ranging from 507-514. We are mainly a very basic Autumn calving herd with a few straddles of Spring calvers. We are only feeding 2kg of cake then rest of the diet grass, totally ran out of silage which we usually buffer with but very little to change in diet. We put the pipe on the tank after third time milk pump has kicked in a good white milk coming through and use air blast to push it trough at the end of milking. Since it started to rain on off couple of days ago it's dropped further. Cows looking really well, very few health issues this year so far, 1 case of mastitis in Jan nothing since, ave SC 141, good scanning results, haven't picked a good up for months but this FPD issue really getting me down. Any ideas greatly recieved

 

[I thats it]

Firstly try not to let it get you down, (easier said than done)
Do the cows binge drink water just before milking? For example drink at a trough on the way down the lane back to parlour. Or do you have a back flush system?

 

[multi power]

Is your grass very lush ?

 

[Martyn]

Is your grass very lush ?

In secound year organic convertion a lot of 12/18month old leys but not had nitrogen just lots of natural clover

 

[Martyn]

Firstly try not to let it get you down, (easier said than done)
Do the cows binge drink water just before milking? For example drink at a trough on the way down the lane back to parlour. Or do you have a back flush system?

Cows got 500g water troughs in every paddock now and water available in collecting yard but never see rush to drink.

no back flush, have tried turning all plate coolers off but no diffrence

 

[TheRanger]

There were lots of threads on here last summer when cows went out, with people having the same problem.

It seemed to be a nationwide problem due to the very dry summer, some experts were putting it down to cows binge drinking water in the 2 hours before being milked.

 

[multi power]

In secound year organic convertion a lot of 12/18month old leys but not had nitrogen just lots of natural clover

It's a common ish issue with organic
Fibre may help
As said drinking water before milking can be a problem as well

 

[Princess Pooper]

I think the organic issue is to do with permitted minerals. Advice here but hot weather not really an issue this year. https://dairy.ahdb.org.uk/news/news...ps-in-freezing-point-depression/#.XP1nMG5Fzcw

Do they have access to rock salt (assuming you're allowed it in organic)?

 

[multi power]

I think the organic issue is to do with permitted minerals. Advice here but hot weather not really an issue this year. https://dairy.ahdb.org.uk/news/news...ps-in-freezing-point-depression/#.XP1nMG5Fzcw

Do they have access to rock salt (assuming you're allowed it in organic)?

Organic can use rock salt

 

[Martyn]

thankyou will do more reading, access to rock salts ok

 

[kill]

I had a FPD of 492 the other day due to very low numbers of cows going through robots (actually 3rd fail in a month) but now making a point of draining bulk tank manually which very often drains 3-4 litres of water after washing / drain cycle is finished as when my tank is hot after washing it keeps sucking up condensation like a rain forest and have now reduced wash cycles for robots and putting dump cows through in a group on one machine to save extra washes and calfs milk is taken from tank rather than diverted as extra milk in the tank helps thin any water.
At the moment it's helped as back up to 520 FPD but all these issues can get you nervous.
My bactoscan has been the worst issue as it jumped several times from under 20 to over 1500 randomly on multiple occasions, which no one could pin point but eventually I traced to a tank valve seal that was in poor condition. Not easy to find when in the first few months of dairying with a massive learning curve through a milking bail and then robots.
Cows have rock salt and access to dry silage at milking time

 

[spin cycle]

what is fdp and what should it be...non dairy farmer interested

 

[kill]

what is fdp and what should it be...non dairy farmer interested

Freezing point test. It shows the water content

 

[I thats it]

what is fdp and what should it be...non dairy farmer interested

Freezing point density

 

[spin cycle]

so anything near/under 500 isn't very good....whats a good score?

 

[kill]

so anything near/under 500 isn't very good....whats a good score?

My contract has anything under 509 as a fail

 

[lazy farmer]

Barbers just reduce the amount of litres picked up to allow for any extra water collected. Which seems very sensible.
Another vote for rock salt.

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

I think you supply omsco @Martyn ? There's a piece in on of the recent newsletters, about the issue last spring and ways to combat it. You'll find it on the farmers area of the website or in the link they email. I seem to remember they mentioned restricting water before milking and in the collecting yard. (If you aren't omsco I'll try and find it for you)

Edited - just realised you are dairycrest. I'll have a look for you.

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

Here's a screenshot of the relevant bits

 

[Martyn]

I think you supply omsco @Martyn ? There's a piece in on of the recent newsletters, about the issue last spring and ways to combat it. You'll find it on the farmers area of the website or in the link they email. I seem to remember they mentioned restricting water before milking and in the collecting yard. (If you aren't omsco I'll try and find it for you)

Edited - just realised you are dairycrest. I'll have a look for you.

thankyou very much omsco from May 2020