December management notes
Date published:
Management Notes are prepared by staff from the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE). CAFRE is a College within the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA).
DAIRYING
Prepared by: Richard Gibson
Weaning calves at the correct stage is critical
Calves can be successfully weaned when adequate rumen development has occurred. Correct nutritional management of the calf helps improve rumen development in the early days of life. Through careful management early weaning can be successful, helping to reduce labour input and ultimately the cost of rearing replacements.
- Feed the calf good quality colostrum at a rate of 10% of birth weight; a 40 kg calf requires 4 kg colostrum. The use of accelerated growth programmes have recently been highlighted. Research shows that calves on these types of programmes can achieve higher live weights pre- and post-weaning compared to conventional feeding.
- During the first month of life, calves eat small quantities of starter. The aim is to offer small amounts (50-100 g) from two days of age on a daily basis. This keeps it fresh and encourages intake. Starter intake is critical for adequate rumen development. Providing clean water also encourages intake and supports the developing bacterial population in the rumen.
- In most cases, calves can be weaned at eight weeks if starter intake is adequate, that is, they are consuming more than 1.0 kg of starter per day for three or more days. Gradually reduce milk levels, ideally in the last week before weaning. Calves that had scours and were off feed or did not have water available may require longer. Delay weaning these calves for an additional week to allow for adequate rumen development.
Maximise the potential of your silage this winter
Variability in silage quality between cuts can present a challenge at feed-out and have a notable impact on rumen efficiency, if not carefully managed. Knowing how much forage you have available and its basic qualities is crucial for developing winter feeding strategies. It allows you to take full advantage of what is grown on the farm and reduce the risk of having to buy in forage later in the season or drastically change the ration. Taking regular silage samples throughout the winter feeding period is a crucial step in maintaining ration consistency. Due to the variability between cuts and the dry matter changes that occur once the clamp is opened, it is vital to analyse forage at least every four weeks. Also, use CAFRE’s Margin Over Concentrate (MOC) online tool on a monthly basis to help monitor milk produced from silage for your herd this winter. This tool can be found on DAERA online services within the CAFRE Benchmarking option.
Sufficient feed space and regular pushing up feed, before cows return from milking, is important to stimulate intake. A recent BDG event on Richard Corrie’s farm outside Newtownards, highlighted that increasing feed space from 60 to 75 cm per cow resulted in increased herd feed intake and improved fertility performance.
Parlour maintenance
How often do you change your milk liners? As liners wear, cracks form in the rubber which can harbour bacteria, increasing the risk of mastitis and high somatic cell count (SCC). As they age, they also lose their shape and elasticity. This impacts on their efficacy, milking out takes longer and is not as thorough. This can be detrimental to teat-end condition and may result in loss of milk yield. Manufacturers generally recommend that rubber liners should do no more than 2,500 milkings. Some experts recommend changing after 2,000 milkings. Do you know how often the liners in your parlour need changed? Do a quick calculation to see how often you should be changing them.
December top tips
- Identify cows to dry off in the next two months and assess body condition. Consider additional feed for these cows or a longer dry period. Target condition score 3 for dry cows.
- Assess body weight of young stock. Breeding weight for heifers should be 60% of mature cow weight.
- Consider pre-breeding checks on heifers three weeks before breeding starts. This will increase submission to first service for your heifer group.
- Have a dynamic milking machine test carried out on your parlour. Small adjustments to your parlour set up and daily milking routine could help herd health, milk quality and time management on your farm.
- Empty precast concrete field drinkers after the grazing season to ensure they do not crack in frosty weather due to the formation of ice.
- Carry out soil analysis on fields that have not been tested within the last four years. Ensure pH is at the optimum level to maximise the uptake of nutrients from manures and fertilisers. Fields with low P or K indexes can be targeted for manure applications.
BEEF AND SHEEP
Prepared by: Nigel Gould
Ewe scanning
Scanning ewes is important as it helps make decisions around pre-lambing feed management. It allows ewes to be grouped depending on birth type (single, twin or triplet) and fed accordingly. This in turn should reduce lamb mortality due to weak, small twin or triplet lambs and the associated difficult lambing of large singles. Aim to scan ewes 80-90 days after the ram was turned out to the ewes. The number of lambs is more difficult to determine late on in pregnancy. Use silage analysis, along with scanning results, to tailor a specific diet matched to the ewes demand. Housed ewes on a grass silage diet generally require supplementation in the last four to eight weeks pre-lambing. Scanning results, ewe body condition and silage quality all determine the timing and rate of concentrate supplementation.
Winter ram management
Do not forget the rams after the tupping season. Rams typically lose 15% of their body weight during the tupping season. Supplementary feeding may therefore be required, especially in the case of ram lambs and thin rams. Forage alone should be sufficient for rams with a body condition score of 3 or greater. Any open wounds around the head or brisket that have not healed should be treated. You should also treat for parasites.
Nutrient management
With sharp rises in chemical fertiliser prices over the last few months and predicted high prices into next year, soil analysis is more important than ever this winter. December is often a good month to take soil samples for analysis. The recommended three month interval between application of fertilisers (organic and inorganic) and lime will generally have lapsed and there may be more labour available on farm. Soil analysis allows you to calculate crop requirements by balancing the soil nutrient availability with slurry, farmyard manure or chemical fertiliser applications. Also, for land receiving applications of chemical phosphorus fertiliser or P rich manures, there is a legal requirement to show a crop need for the applied P. Samples should be taken every four years. On grassland use a soil auger which samples down to 75 mm. To ensure an accurate representation of soil within a field, it is recommended to walk in a ‘W’ pattern across the field and collect a minimum of twenty five cores. The more cores you collect, the more accurate the analysis will be. Collecting one or two samples from a field will not provide a reliable soil analysis. Avoid areas where cattle congregate, for example water troughs and gateways and dung pats.
Soils can be analysed for pH, phosphate, potash and magnesium. Low soil pH is a common problem across Northern Ireland. Your soil analysis report will indicate the amount of lime required, if any, to increase pH to the target of 5.5 and 6.2 for peat and mineral soils respectively. Use the report to determine the fertiliser requirement of the soil depending on the crop type, for example grass silage or grazing.
Autumn calved cows
The main priority for autumn calving cows at this time of year is to maintain body condition while lactating to ensure they go back in calf quickly. Supplementing lactating cows with a small amount of concentrate, particularly where silage quality and/or cow body condition score is lower, is beneficial until cows are settled back in calf. After this, concentrate supplementation can be targeted directly towards their calves. Target body condition score for autumn calving suckler cows at breeding is 2.5 to 3.
Autumn calving cows are ideal candidates for introducing superior genetics into the herd via AI as breeding usually takes place indoors. Using AI allows more targeted selection of bulls with specific traits to complement those of individual cows. It also allows the option of breeding your own replacements without the hassle of always having to keep them away from their sire on farm.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Prepared by: Pamela Gardiner
Tools to keep your accounts online safe
Almost every farm business relies on the internet for communications, transactions, payments and data access. Unfortunately, the internet has also become a channel of choice for criminals to commit financial and other crimes.
This month’s management note concentrates on how to keep your online accounts safe using strong unique passwords, two-factor authentication, password management software and biometric security methods.
Strong unique passwords
Passwords should be strong and secure, as they are the first line of defense in protecting your data. Do not use personal or predictable words as passwords. The National Security Centre (NCSC) states a good way to create strong and memorable passwords is to use three random words. Including numbers and symbols will increase the complexity of your password and substantially decrease the chances of someone hacking it, for example, 3GreenShedZebras%. The NCSC also advise to use a different password for each account, especially your main email account as this is often the gateway to all other accounts.
Two-factor authentication (2FA)
Two–factor authentication works by adding an additional layer of security to your online account, thereby making it harder for attackers to gain access. With 2FA, even if your password is hacked, the password alone is not sufficient to gain access to your online accounts. When 2FA is switched on, you will be asked to provide a second factor in order to access your account. This second factor could be an access code sent via a text message, voice call or authenticator app such as Google Authenticator or Microsoft Authenticator. Online service providers are increasingly using 2FA to protect their user’s credentials. Many of the Government Gateway accounts used to access DAERA Online Services already have 2FA switched on. If you do not already have 2FA activated, it is highly recommended you do so by going to the ‘My profile’ log in details tab and updating your profile.
Password management software
Password management software aims to make using and generating passwords easier. It can store your passwords securely and also automatically enter the password when required. This removes the need for you to remember lots of different passwords and reduces the risk of you reusing passwords for multiple accounts. Some password managers can also create strong unique passwords for you when you need to create a new password. Password managers need their own ‘Master’ password which should be unique and strong.
Biometric security
Biometrics refers to metrics relating to our human features and characteristics and can be used to help keep both our mobile devices and our online accounts safe, for example, using your fingerprint ID or facial recognition to access your online banking app.
Further information
If you are interested in finding out more, CAFRE have introduced a ‘Working Safe Online’ webinar as part of the ‘Farm Family Key Skills’ Programme. The webinar provides you with information and guidance about:
- The benefits and risks of working online and using online services.
- How to keep your devices safe and secure.
- Protecting your operating systems and application software.
- How to keep you and your information safe and secure while communicating, carrying out transactions and accessing information online.
The webinars are taking place during December and are free to farmers, members of the farm family and employees. You will need to pre-register via the CAFRE website to be sure of a place. These are live webinars and you will have the opportunity to ask the trainers questions.
The NI Cyber Security Centre works to make Northern Ireland cyber safe, secure and resilient for its citizens and businesses. As well as providing a range of advice and guidance, they also provide access to other key sources of cyber related information through the ‘Cyber Hub’. This includes bespoke guidance for farmers on cyber security published by the National Cyber Security Centre.
ENVIRONMENT
Prepared by: Nicola Warden
Why prepare a fertilisation plan
Preparing a fertilisation plan is more important than ever following the recent increases in fertiliser prices. It is also a requirement under the Nutrients Action Programme (NAP) 2019-2022 to demonstrate that there is a crop need, before applying chemical phosphate fertiliser to grassland, high phosphorus (P) manures or anaerobic digestate to any land. The following manures ae classed as high P: broiler breeder, pullet, layer, free range layer, duck and solid pig and horse manure. A fertilisation plan facilitates a planned approach to nutrient application and helps reduce the use of P fertiliser. This results in more efficient use of phosphate and potential savings in fertiliser costs, whilst protecting the environment.
Completing a fertilisation plan
To complete a fertilisation plan for your farm, use the CAFRE Crop Nutrient Calculator available at www.daera-ni.gov.uk/onlineservices. Enter your crop details and soil analysis results and the calculator will identify the crop requirement. Choose the appropriate manure type and chemical fertiliser to be applied. The report produced can then be printed off or saved and used as your fertilisation plan.
Soil sampling
A valid soil analysis is required to determine the pH and nutrient indexes of your soil and for your fertilisation plan. Soil samples can be collected where lime, organic manure or chemical fertiliser has not been applied in the previous three months. A soil sample, taken once every four years is adequate for four hectares in one or more fields, provided they have been under similar management. A standard soil analysis costs approximately £9 per sample, including VAT.
How to obtain soil sampling equipment
Soil sampling kits and augers can be obtained by emailing or telephoning your local DAERA Direct office on 0300 200 7840. Due to COVID 19 restrictions, access to DAERA Direct Offices is limited, however, a soil sampling kit can be posted out. A soil sampling auger can be collected and returned on an appointment basis.
Time to take stock
With an increasing emphasis on tackling climate change and the loss of biodiversity it is a good time to take stock on the farm and identify any simple environmental improvements that you could make. One of the simplest things you can do is to ensure your hedges are managed in a positive way. The winter months are an ideal time for identifying hedges where gaps can be replanted with a mixture of hedge plants such as, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Dog Rose or Holly. Even completing only small sections will have a positive benefit to the environment and will provide you with a more stock proof hedge. Order hedge and tree whips as soon as possible and control weeds in the first years by using, for example a weed proof membrane.
Another important feature of our hedgerows and field boundaries are the trees that are found along most of them. Over 50% of the trees are Ash and not only are they of benefit to the environment they also provide a significant visual benefit. With the progression of Ash Dieback disease an increasing proportion are in poor health and many will eventually die. Now is a good time to plan ahead and ensure that new trees are in place that will eventually replace the Ash. These can be planted into existing hedgerow gaps or when cutting hedges leave some saplings uncut to grow into trees. Ensure your new hedgerow trees are not sited where they may cause impediment to road users or pedestrians in the future.
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