New services available to farmers
A range of new services for livestock farmers are being launched at this year’s Dairy Event and Livestock Show. These include:
Parlour management
Dairy farmers can assess the efficiency of their milking process via a new service being offered by The Dairy Group. The Parlour Manager Service consists of three to four visits a year to assess the milking process and ascertain where improvements can be made. The company’s director, Ian Ohnstad, says the service aims to provide “unbiased, independent advice to improve efficiency, milk yield and quality”.
Insemination
A new improved insemination service is being offered to dairy farmers currently using activity monitors to aid heat detection. The AI Plus service from Genus allows farmers to call in ABS technicians when their activity monitors flag up a cow in heat. The technicians then come on farm and assess whether the cow is ready for breeding, to ensure only cows due for service are served.
Rumination monitoring (pictured)
Dairy farmers can now measure rumination in their cattle via a new neck collar featuring a specially tuned microphone to pick up on rumination time, chewing rhythm and time between feed boluses. Heatime Vocal is being launched by Fabdec and works by analysing vocal signals from the cattle. Fabdec’s Mark Madeley says the system is designed to detect drops in rumination and enable earlier detection of metabolic disorders.
Grassland management
The Field Recording and Grass Management System from Kingswood Computing is being brought to the UK market by Datag. The system allows farmers to calculate grass production figures, while compiling statutory NVZ records. The system costs £100 a year, with a one-off cost of £75 if computerised links to farm maps are required.
Johne’s Control
A new toolkit allowing dairy farmers to measure and manage Johne’s Disease is being launched by National Milk Records (NMR). The kit incorporates existing management systems as well as Johne’s Essential – a new screening tool available to non-recording customers. Ben Bartlett from NMR says: “It is just as important for herds to recognise the risk and protect their status, as it is for infected herds to bring the disease under control.”
Healthy feet programme
A new mentoring system designed to tackle lameness is being launched by DairyCo. The Healthy Feet Programme – a follow-on from the Healthy Feet project – incorporates the mobility mentor scheme where farmers form a partnership, overseen by DairyCo, with their vet or a qualified foot trimmer. Kate Cross from DairyCo says: “We are building the relationship with the vet or foot trimmer to make sure they follow it up.” More information on the Healthy Feet Programme is available on the DairyCo stand.
Anaerobic division
BOCM PAULS is launching a new anaerobic digestion division – FM BioEnergy. In partnership with Schaumann, the company is offering several new products to aid farmers with anaerobic digestion plants. These include preservatives, silage additives, plant start up additives, trace element products, and emergency products for when the bugs are struggling in the digestor. There is also potential to supply feedstocks to power the digestors.
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