The Extended Use Of The Milk Recording System In New Zealand

1946 ◽  
Vol 1946 (02) ◽  
pp. 20-25
Author(s):  
Arthur Ward
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Recording System ◽  
Soil Types ◽  
Dairy Herds ◽  
List Type ◽  
Young Stock ◽  
Improvement Plan ◽  
On Farm

In New Zealand, herd recording, since the introduction of the Herd Improvement Plan in 1938, has been governed in policy by the Herd Recording Council in Wellington. In 1938 the decision was taken to extend the scope of the milk recording movement so that milk records could be used for:— (1) improvement through breeding; (2) studies on farm management, including the prevention of disease in dairy herds; and (3) studies on problems of nutrition on dairy farms, em-bracing not only the feeding of dairy cattle and young stock, but also such matters as the influence of soil types, pasture species, etc. There are six Herd Improvement Associations and a representative of each Association is elected annually to the Herd Recording Council with full voting power.

scholarly journals Implications of increased use of brought-in feeds on potential environmental effects of dairy farms in Waikato

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 139-145
Author(s):  
S.F. Ledgard ◽  
N.L. Bartlett ◽  
P.J. Van Boheemen ◽  
B.R. Wilton ◽  
S.B. Allen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Carbon Footprint ◽  
Environmental Effects ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
N Leaching ◽  
Nutrient Efficiency ◽  
High Feed ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Farm System

Abstract The effects of increased use of brought-in feeds were evaluated across 25 dairy farms in central Waikato. Farms were classified into low, medium and high feedinput categories based on 1200 kg DM/cow, covering a range typical of that in the main dairying regions of New Zealand. Average milksolids (MS)/ha was 1087 and 1900 kg in the low and high feed-input categories, but total land-use/tonne MS was the same when all off-farm land was accounted for. Average estimated on-farm nitrogen (N) leaching increased from 26 to 30 kg N/ha/year between the low and high feed-input categories, but off-farm leaching sources were equivalent to an increase of 20 and 84%, respectively. Greenhouse gas emissions/on-farm hectare were 61% higher on high feed-input farms, but the carbon footprint and N leaching per tonne MS were similar across feed-input categories. High feed-input farms used feed-pads and increased effluent area (66 versus 21% of farm) to increase nutrient efficiency. Mitigation analyses indicated that N leaching could be decreased by optimising effluent area, reducing N fertiliser rate and utilising low-N feeds. Keywords: nitrogen leaching, whole farm system, greenhouse gases, land use

Evaluating rates of technology adoption and milking practices on New Zealand dairy farms

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 702 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. P. Edwards ◽  
B. T. Dela Rue ◽  
J. G. Jago
Keyword(s):  
Cluster Analysis ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Technology Adoption ◽  
Technology Use ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Significant Potential ◽  
Attitudes Towards Technology ◽  
On Farm

This study assessed technology use and evaluated rates of technology adoption and milking practices on New Zealand dairy farms. Industry surveys were conducted in 2008 and 2013, when farmers were asked a series of questions relating to their physical farm details, their role in the business, their attitudes towards technology, the technologies they had on-farm and their levels of satisfaction. In total, 532 and 500 respondents were questioned in the two surveys, respectively, with a similar representation of rotary and herringbone dairies. Questions relating to attitudes towards new technologies were subjected to a cluster analysis using the 2013 dataset. Farmers were classified into two categories, ‘fast’ and ‘slow’ adopters. Fast adopters are more likely to have a rotary, with a larger farm and more cows. The most common technology in herringbone dairies is automatic vat washing and in rotary dairies automatic cluster removers (ACR). Rotary dairies equipped with ACR, automatic drafting and automatic teat spraying achieve greater labour utilisation (cows/labour unit). Around half of farmers with herringbone dairies sometimes or always wait for slow-milking cows to milk out and 85% of farmers do not know the their ACR settings, highlighting significant potential to improve milking efficiency. Overall, technology is associated with greater labour utilisation. However, the benefits of each technology should be scrutinised to ensure appropriate investment decisions are made by farmers.

scholarly journals Milk losses linked to udder health treatments at dairy farms with automatic milking systems

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ines Adriaens ◽  
Igor Van Den Brulle ◽  
Ben Aernouts
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Time Window ◽  
Health Management ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Fixed Time ◽  
List Type ◽  
Intramammary Infections ◽  
Udder Health ◽  
Lactation Stage ◽  
On Farm

AbstractMilk losses caused by intramammary infections (IMI) have a massive impact on farm profitability and sustainability. In this study, we analyzed milk losses from 4 553 treated IMI cases at 41 AMS dairy farms. Milk losses were estimated based on the difference between the expected and the true production. To estimate the unperturbed lactation curve, we applied an iterative procedure using the Wood model and a variance-dependent threshold on the milk yield residuals. We calculated milk losses both in a fixed window around the first treatment day of each IMI case and in the perturbations corresponding to this day, at cow level as well as at quarter level. In a fixed time window of day -5 to 30 around the first treatment, the absolute median milk losses per case were 101.5 kg, highly dependent on the parity and the lactation stage with absolute milk losses highest in multiparous cows and at peak lactation. Relative milk losses expressed in percentage were highest on the treatment day, and full recovery was often not reached within 30 days from treatment onset. In 62% of the cases, we found a perturbation in milk yield at cow level at the time of treatment. On average, perturbations started 8.7 days before the first treatment and median absolute milk losses increased to 128 kg milk per perturbation. Mastitis is not expected to have equal effects on the four quarters so this study additionally investigated losses in the individual udder quarters. We used a data-based method leveraging milk yield and electrical conductivity to project the presumably infected quarter and compared losses with the average of presumably non-infected quarters. Median absolute losses in a fixed 36-day window around treatment varied between 50.2 kg for front and 59.3 kg for hind infected quarters compared to respectively 24.7 and 26.3 kg for the median losses in the non-infected quarters. Also here, these losses depended on lactation stage and parity. Expressed proportionally to expected yield, the relative median milk losses in infected quarters on the treatment day were 20% higher in infected quarters with a higher variability and slower recovery. In 86% of the treated IMI cases, at least one perturbation was found at the quarter level. This analysis confirms the high impact of IMI on milk production, and the large variation between quarter losses illustrates the potential of quarter analysis for on-farm monitoring at farms with an automated milking system.HighlightsMilk losses were estimated for treated cases of intramammary infectionsMilk losses were highly variable across cases with a median of 101 kgWe found large differences between infected and non-infected quartersQuantification of milk losses can be the basis for better udder health management

Identifying the pasture potential for New Zealand dairy farms

2019 ◽  
pp. 235-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark B. Neal ◽  
Simon J.R. Woodward ◽  
Brian T. Dela Rue
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Financial Performance ◽  
Soil Type ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Nitrogen Fertiliser ◽  
Farm Performance ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Potential Tool

Higher amounts of pasture and crop eaten on farm are associated with higher profit, and it is likely that many dairy farms have an opportunity to improve their financial performance. Regional averages of pasture and crop eaten are readily available but locally relevant estimates of achievable potential pasture and crop eaten are not, so farmers do not know what improvement to pasture and crop eaten and profitability might be possible. The Pasture Potential Tool was developed to provide a locally relevant estimate of that potential. Data on pasture and crop eaten were sourced from DairyNZ’s DairyBase farm performance database, and made available using an interactive web-based tool after testing with pilot groups of farmers. The tool defined a farm’s potential pasture and crop eaten in a particular year as the 90th percentile of farms within a defined radius, or the level that is exceeded by only one in ten farmers, with the data being filtered for comparable soil type and elevation, and adjusted for nitrogen fertiliser application. The tool is available on the DairyNZ website, and has been accessed more than 1300 times in the first 5 months since it went live (as of May 2019).

scholarly journals Animal Welfare Assessment: Can We Develop a Practical, Time-Limited Assessment Protocol for Pasture-Based Dairy Cows in New Zealand?

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1918
Author(s):  
Sujan Sapkota ◽  
Richard Laven ◽  
Kristina Müller ◽  
Nikki Kells
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Dairy Herd ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Welfare Assessment ◽  
Assessment Protocol ◽  
Specific Protocol ◽  
Almost All ◽  
On Farm

Despite being a leading producer and exporter of dairy products, New Zealand has no industry-recognised welfare assessment protocol. A New Zealand-specific protocol is essential, as almost all dairy farms in New Zealand are pasture-based and housing is rarely used. Therefore, protocols developed for intensive cows are not suitable. The aim of this study was to develop a simple yet practical welfare assessment protocol that could be used to assess the welfare of a dairy herd during one visit timed to occur around milking. Six welfare assessment protocols and four studies of dairy cattle welfare assessments that had some focus on dairy cattle welfare at pasture were used, along with the New Zealand Dairy Cattle Code of Welfare, to identify potential assessments for inclusion in the protocol. Eighty-four potential assessments (20 record-based and 64 that needed assessing on-farm) were identified by this process of welfare assessments. After screening to exclude on-farm assessments that were not relevant, that had only limited practical application in pasture-based dairy cows or that required more time than available, 28 on-farm assessments remained, which were put together with the 20 record-based assessments and were tested for feasibility, practicality and time on two pasture-based dairy farms. Assessments were then identified as suitable, suitable after modification or not feasible. Suitable and modified assessments were then included in the final protocol alongside additional measures specific to New Zealand dairy farms. The final protocol included 24 on-farm assessments and eight record-based assessments. Further testing of these 32 assessments is needed on more dairy farms across New Zealand before the protocol can be used to routinely assess the welfare of dairy cows in New Zealand.

scholarly journals Employee Management and Animal Care: A Comparative Ethnography of Two Large-Scale Dairy Farms in China

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 1260
Author(s):  
Maria Chen ◽  
Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk ◽  
Sabina Magliocco ◽  
Daniel M. Weary
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Farm Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ethnographic Interviews ◽  
Template Analysis ◽  
Care Outcomes ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Animal Care

Farm management can directly and indirectly affect animal care. We explored how farm management affected animal care on two large dairy farms in China (anonymized as Farm A and Farm B). We used a mini-ethnographic case study design whereby the first author lived for 38 days on Farm A and 23 days on Farm B. She conducted participant observation and ethnographic interviews with farm staff positions within five departments in Farm A and six departments in Farm B. In addition, she conducted 13 semi-structured interviews (seven on Farm A; six on Farm B). We used template analysis to generate key themes. On both farms, workers believed that animal care practices had improved over time, due to three key employee management factors: 1) organizational culture, 2) competency of worker and management, and 3) an effective incentive system. Our results suggest that animal care may be improved in this context by: 1) promoting a culture in which workers have ‘grit’ and are eager to learn, 2) ensuring basic worker wellbeing, and 3) using animal care outcomes as performance indicators linked to pay.

Temporal trends in home-grown forage eaten on New Zealand dairy farms

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan Mills ◽  
Mark Neal
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
National Level ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
International Markets ◽  
Positive Trend ◽  
Performance Metric ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
On Farm

Pasture is the main source of feed on New Zealand dairy farms, having the benefit of a low cost of production, giving New Zealand’s dairy industry a competitive cost advantage in international markets. Previous literature indicates a plateau in forage grown and consumed on farm (referred to as pasture and crop eaten) over the last 20 years. Farm-level performance data over 14 years from DairyBase across Northland, Waikato, Canterbury and Otago were used to analyse the medium-term trends of pasture and crop eaten at the middle (median) and top (frontier) portions of the distributions of pasture and crop eaten. A performance metric was designed to compare the time trends between top-, average- and bottom-performing farms at the national level. The results were consistent with prior literature with no substantial evidence of an increasing trend in pasture and crop eaten across any region. Furthermore, the results showed that at a national level, top-performing farms were not improving on their pasture and crop eaten, while the average- and bottom-performing farms are improving slightly. The lack of a consistent positive trend is concerning for the dairy sector’s international competitiveness, making further research into new pastoral technologies and techniques paramount for maintaining New Zealand’s competitive position.

Parasite control in pasture-grazed dairy cattle: are we at the edge of a precipice?

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 (7) ◽  
pp. 916 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. A. Sutherland ◽  
S. L. Bullen
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Anthelmintic Resistance ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Gastrointestinal Nematode ◽  
Parasite Control ◽  
Young Stock ◽  
Development Of Resistance ◽  
The Face

Gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites are one of the most production-limiting infections of pasture-based dairy cattle in Australasia. Intensification of dairy production systems in both countries has meant that farmers have come to rely heavily on anthelmintic drenches to control GIN parasitism. However, anthelmintic resistance is now widespread in New Zealand, particularly to the market-leading macrocyclic-lactones. Less work has been conducted on anthelmintic resistance in Australia but preliminary results of a study currently underway suggests that there are high levels of resistance on Victorian dairy farms. The identification and mitigation of risk factors for the development of resistance is crucial for long-term sustainability of control. These include the use of drenches with variable efficacy – particularly pour-on and injectable formulations. New Zealand studies suggest that this may be as a result of active not reaching parasites within the gut lumen as effectively as oral formulations. Also, the raising of young stock as monocultures is a risk factor for the development of resistance as it significantly reduces the numbers of unselected (and presumably susceptible) parasites on pasture. These risks can be mitigated: using effective drenches removes more resistant parasites. This often means the use of combination products containing more than one anthelmintic class. Combination products are more effective in the face of existing resistance, and can slow the development of resistance. Also, ensuring an adequate level of unselected parasites on pasture for ingestion by young stock will delay the development of resistance. While there are differences between dairying systems, both countries are likely to benefit from more active and collaborative research efforts to improving parasite control practices on dairy farms in their respective countries.

scholarly journals Flood Impacts on Dairy Farms in the Bay of Plenty Region, New Zealand

Climate ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 30
Author(s):  
Ryan Paulik ◽  
Kate Crowley ◽  
Nicholas A. Cradock-Henry ◽  
Thomas M. Wilson ◽  
Ame McSporran
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Dairy Farm ◽  
Dairy Farms ◽  
Flood Damage ◽  
Water Flooding ◽  
Farm Level ◽  
Changing Climate ◽  
Response And Recovery ◽  
On Farm

Flood damage assessments provide critical information for flood hazard mitigation under changing climate conditions. Recent efforts to improve and systemise damage assessments have focused primarily on urban environments with few examples for primary industries such as dairy. This paper explores the adverse consequences of flooding on dairy farms in the Bay of Plenty region, New Zealand. Ex-tropical Cyclone Debbie in April 2017 caused prolonged riverine and surface water flooding on over 3500 hectares of dairy farmland. The event provided an opportunity to develop and apply a participatory approach for collecting information about on-farm flood damage, and both response and recovery actions implemented by dairy farmers. Semi-structured interviews and transect walks with farmers revealed a range of direct and indirect damages to production and capital assets, influenced by duration of inundation, silt deposition and seasonality. Results highlight the need to identify on-farm and off-farm asset interdependencies of dairy farm systems to estimate long-term socio-economic consequences at farm-level. Enhancing dairy farm flood resilience in a changing climate will rely on farm-level response and recovery plans, proactively supported by emergency management agencies, farm service suppliers and support agencies.

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