Are You Weaning Heifers Calves Too Early?

How do You Decide to Wean Calves?

This week I have seen many heifer calves that have just been weaned. When do you wean your calves? How do you decide to wean? Most use age/number of weeks of milk feeding?????? Do you know how much they weigh????

Why NOT..........even a weigh band is useful for calves. However we must step up a notch here & start using scales to weigh heifers regularly.

The groups who have calculated the 'cost of rearing heifers' have discovered that the farmers who spend the most during the milk feeding phase actually have the lowest overall costs for heifer rearing. A number of dairy farmers in the Pasture to Profit Discussion Groups have discovered that to only feed milk for short periods of time is NOT a saving with heifer rearing. This is a very important message. One farmer in the Hybrids group in Devon weaned last year after 8 weeks of milk feeding when the Crossbred dairy calves were 85 kgs liveweight. He spent all spring & summer feeding extra concentrates to the heifers in an attempt to get them up to target.

This year the heifer replacement calves are being weaned after 12 weeks of daily milk feeding & when they have reached the target weaning weight of 100kgs. Much better calves Much better result!

Calf milk powder is often cheaper than wholemilk but you still must feed at least 165grams per litre of water to get good calves. Many think that should be lifted to 200 grams to ensure you reach the target weaning weights on time. Increasing the concentration by reducing the water is a good option as it is the daily intake of Energy/Milksolids that is important for the calf NOT the volume of milk. Calf feeding is about calf growth & the rapid development of the rumen....so access to a grain like whole maize or a concentrate PLUS straw PLUS grass is very important.

We All Gain From International Visitors

I have been very fortunate to have had a visit from Nuffield Scholar Graeme Nicoll from Victoria Australia. I am also hosting/mentoring French student Gwennoline Caroff from Toulose Uni in France who is looking at heifer rearing practices in Quebec, Denmark, Brittany & UK. So far one of the main differences between the countries is the culling rate (required replacements) & the degree of voluntary culling.

We all learn so much from these exchanges.

So have you weaned your heifer calves too early?

I was excited to see Alex in Hampshire part of the Realfarmers Discussion Group with a new set of Tru Test 3000 cattle scales. These NZ made cattle scales are world class & can record & weigh large numbers of calves very quickly. Calves need only be steady on the platform for a few seconds to accurately record the weight.

Many more farms need to invest in a good set of Cattle Scales....I would recomend Tru Test which is what I used in Australia to regularly weigh over 10,000 heifers for weight gain contacts.

Pasture Covers, Growth & Rotations

Farmers all over the UK (except Cornwall & SW Wales) are reporting falling growth rates & very dry conditions....this is a worry given that spring has only just arrived. Check your pasture wedge graphs to see when holes/deficits are likely to happen on your farm. What are you going to do about it if it doesnt rain? First issue is should you cut all your silage????? Maybe not...maybe you can use the shortest silage to extend your rotation by using it like a crop. If you add in any supplement or deferred grass you MUST extend your round. Getting caught on a short rotation in a dry period is a disaster waiting to happen.

Cumbria 2200kg Av Cover, 67 kg/ha/day pasture growth, 25 days, V Dry

Cheshire Organic 2000, 40 growth, 35 days

Northern Ireland 2237, 97 growth, 22 days demand 66

North Wales 2168, 53 growth, 21 day

Staffordshire 1860, 47 growth, 30 day, very high DM feed

Staffordshire 2050, 52 growth, 27 days very dry

Shropshire 2438, 47 growth,

Shropshire 2000, 59 growth, 25 days

Herefordshire 2075, 65 growth, 20 days, demand 60

Herefordshire 2050, 44 growth, 21 days

Gloucestershire 2068, 68 growth, 20 days

SE Wales 2075, 37 growth, dry already

Derbyshire 1961, 37 growth, 23 days, dry

South West Wales 2100, 107 growth, 20 days

South West Wales organic 2045, 40 growth, 22 days

Limerick Ireland 2100, 75 growth, 21 days

Somerset organic 2260, 48 growth, 34 days

Dorset 2199, 48 growth, 25 days , very dry

Devon 2050, 47 growth, 40 days, very dry

Cornwall 2320, 120 growth

Cornwall 2150, 75 growth, 17 days

Sussex 2079, 37 growth, 21 days, very dry have put autumn herd on OAD milking to reduce demand.

Clearly the lack of rain is threatening pasture growth rates & on farm changes MUST happen NOW

Must Keep Fertility Focus in Dairy Cross Breeding Program

9-12 Week Block Calving….Target 80+% in first 6 weeks
Now that we are using the 12 Week Block Calving Analysis we have a much better idea of what must be improved with our Herd Fertility.

All too often I see farmers either hesitant to cross breed or of more concern just trying any breed to see what happens????

The main advantage of cross breeding in grass fed pasture systems is fertility & cow longevity......more cows incalf quicker & fewer empties. This creates opportunities to increase the number of lactations per cow......a seriously important outcome & a major factor in the Moorepark trials showing the JFX being the most profitable breed. Bulls or AI sires MUST be selected for fertility NUMBER 1
To their credit some farmers are hitting all the Targets (Fantastic result!) mainly thru cross breeding, front end loading with heifers (75%+ calving in the 1st 3 weeks), disease control, culling late calvers (those outside the 12 week window) & ensuring that problem cows if they exist, are sorted early. This includes cows that are in light condition or have for some reason lost condition score recently. The best fertility herds have very few problems…..surprise, surprise!

Heterosis
When two breeds are crossed, intuitively we expect the performance of the crossbred offspring to fall midway between that of the parent breeds. However, in practice the performance of crossbreds is often better than we expect, due to heterosis or hybrid vigour. This is measured by the difference between observed and expected for the measured trait and is usually greatest in traits associated with reproduction, survival and overall fitness, while being less for production traits such as milk production and growth.
So for farmers who have serious concerns about the survival rate of their cows, crossbreeding is the most practical tool currently available in relation to breeding decisions.
Farmers are sometimes put off crossbreeding by uncertainty about how to proceed with a crossbreeding program beyond the first cross. The strategy that captures the greatest amount of the first cross hybrid vigour is called "rotational crossing". In this scheme you mate the cross‑bred cow to the opposite breed of sire of her own sire. For example, if the cow is by a Holstein‑Friesian bull you mate her to a Jersey. If she is by a Jersey bull herself, then you mate her to a NZ Friesian or a carefully selected high fertility Holstein.
On a whole herd basis, this rotational crossing preserves two thirds of the original first cross hybrid vigour if you are working with two parent breeds.

Current Research at Hillsborough in Northern Ireland suggests the major advantage of cross breeding is in increased fertility. Comparing Holstein 1st & 2nd lactation cows with Jersey X Holsteins……The XBred cows had less days to first observed heat cycle, fewer days to 1st AI service, higher conception to 1st AI & a much higher % in calf in the 1st 12 weeks. Interestingly the value of the milk produced was very similar due to the higher components of Milkfat & Protein.
Fertility measure
Holsteins vs Jersey X Holsteins
Conception to 1st AI
36%
63%
Cows Incalf after 12 wks
61%
96%
Trial data from Hillsborough Northern Ireland using 1st & 2nd lactation cows (Conrad Ferris)

Elaine Vance's work with cross breeding at Hillsborough in Northern Ireland shows higher conception rates to 1st service & higher pregnancy rates after 12 weeks to the crossbred JFX cows. This data is very similar to the Moorepark Strain trial where the profitability of the three strains of Holstein-Freisians was compared. The profitability of the NZ Friesian strain herd was consistently the highest mainly because the cost of replacement heifers was always lower due to the higher fertility of the NZ bred cows.

Getting cows in calf is a complicated set of “getting it right management” yet the successful farms keep it simple.
Calves must get off to a good start. Too few herds are getting the 75% target for heifers & much of this goes back to the rearing!
Heifers need to be carefully watched, weighed & fed.
Disease must be eliminated eg BVD which I suspect is rife in both UK & Ireland
Front end load the calving pattern with heifers Plus plenty of bull power for heifers. Minimum 1:20 ratio.
Be very conscious of cow condition & changes in condition for individual cows

Be prepared to use OAD milking to retain cows in the front 9 weeks

Excellent heat detection eg. Spray paint tail paint on heifers with a second colour
Cross Breeding selecting breeds & bulls on fertility & components
Good records…..especially of cows “with a history” of problems at calving
Excellent staff, who know the targets & are focussed on the goals
Courage to go “cold Turkey” if your calving is too spread
Everyone is refreshed after calving & keen to succeed
Analyse your 12 week block & focus on what needs to change in your herd.

What do you think? Please add your comments below

Visit to Brookfield Farm, Ambridge...best known farm in England

It's a lovely sunny warm spring day & the grass is growing on Brookfield Farm in Ambridge. The dairy cows are out grazing pastures & David is right up with the play.....he platemeters grass, Autumn block calves, uses cross beeding & has a very good farm layout with concrete railway sleepers on the tracks.....it is a very modern farm using the latest pasture grazing technologies which are environmentally friendly & kind to the welfare of the dairy cows. Grass fed milk is healthy with high levels of Omega 3s. Beneath those lush green pastures with the attractive cross bred dairy cows....carbon is being sequested in the top soil under permanent pastures.

PS The photo at the top of this blog is NOT of Brookfield Farm but rather real live pasture grazing action from the Ankle Deep Discussion Group in Gloucestershire....just like in "The Archers".

I've just visited the best known dairy farm in England.....Brookfield Farm, Ambridge. Millions of listeners to BBC Radio 4 "The Archers" tune in either to the daily broadcast or online across the world to listen to what David & Ruth Archer are doing on their dairy farm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Archers#cite_note-22

"The Archers" first broadcast on 1st January 1951 is now the longest running radio soap in the world (over 16000 episodes). "The Archers" was created from radio programs during the WW2 that were broadcast to help farmers to produce food both during & post war.

I had the privilege to meet Tim Bentinck the actor who plays David Archer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/archers/whos_who/actors/actor_timothy_bentinck.shtml

Tim I can tell you is a great guy with a quick wit & good humour. He has a genuine interest in farming firstly being born on a sheep station in Tasmania & secondly having family faming interests & connections in England.

I work with Graham Harvey who is the Agricultural editor for "The Archers", we are keen to include pasture grazing excellence into the program & highlight some of the innovative on farm practices from the Discussion Groups. Graham has also written "The Carbon Fields" book which is about the benefits of grass fed food & to the environment of pasture based farming. http://grassrootsfood.co.uk/

Working with Graham (& ofcourse David Archer) is a unique opportunity to speak to a much broader audience. Approximately 5 million people tune into the BBC Radio 4 each evening.....not only farmers but people who live in villages, towns & cities all over the UK....plus the online listeners. Every one given the opportunity needs to become an ambassador for their industry & profession. Grass fed milk farmers need to all become ambassadors for grass fed milk & the way in which you very efficiently farm.....if you don't or won't......then who will?Graham kindly arranged the visit to the BBC studios at Birmingham. It was very interesting to watch Kate the producer, the technical staff & actors rehearse & record another episode to go to air shortly. Thank you Kate.

One of the current story lines is related to the use of dairy bred calves being used for beef. The day after I visited Brookfield Farm I made a visit to Cheshire with the Turf Accountants Discussion Group to see a young farmer rearing dairy bred beef on a grass based system. It was very successful efficient production of healthy beef. So the Archers really are up with the game!

As to "The Archers" episode we watched being recorded...

what happened?.................You may ask that .........I could'nt possibly comment!

Launching My Very Own Manifesto.....Just for Fun

I've decided to run for President of the United Kingdom. Yes I know there isn't a vacancy but I'm proposing to have a chat with the Queen......maybe she would be happy to be the 'Monarch of the Glen' after I take office?

To revive interest in Westminster I propose bringing back public executions....starting with MPs who fiddled their expenses, then say past PMs & Business Secretaries. These events could be sold to TV & perhaps auctioned off.....I feel this could be bigger than Ben Hur.....& will probably solve our national debt problems.

At a local level.......I'd like to see the "Stocks" re built in all villages.........this could smarten up the performance of your local MP & would almost certainly ensure that MPs didnt seek a second term.

I'd abolish the House of Lords & replace with the "House of Comedians"

I want to make some real changes to the political landscape. Firstly I'm prepared to offer the three main parties each 50 seats. The total number of parlimentarians will be halved with the remaining seats offered to a wide range of independents. This will I imagine avoid a hung parliment.

I want to allow some sectors of the population extra votes......so if you live in rural GB you would get 2 votes, farmers who produce food will be given the right to have 3 votes. If you produce grass fed milk or beef this would allow you a further 3 votes i.e. 8 votes in total. This should even up the political power in GB.

I would halve the number of public servants in Year 1 & in Year 2. These fine people would be re allocated work to fix the pot holes in English roads. Starting with country roads & lanes.

This will keep them very busy (especially in rural England) at least until the economy improves. Once they have fixed the millions of pot holes they can start on broken drains & ragwort pulling. (This is part of my environmental manifesto....the photo below is of a broken water pipe in my county that has been in this state for months..lets assume the leak is flowing at 10 litres/minute then the losses of water amount to 14,400litres per day & over 400,000 per month.....outrageous in a world that has insufficient fresh water!)

All MPS would also serve in the armed services. This should reduce the number of armed conflicts our elected MPs vote for in the future.

My main Manifesto platform is to 'Ban Road Cones'......yes that's right.....those little orange critters are a public menace.....that come out onto the Motorways in England during the night. They apparently indicate that speed cameras are now in operation & also that the proposed roadworks haven't started yet & no one has any idea of when they will be completed! Once some Road Cones are out on the road they very successfully multiply out of control.....they have to be stopped!

Speed cameras would be eliminated immediately I took office.

I would replace all current motorcars with modernised Morris Minor & Austen Mini s.....this would regenerate British manufacturing & lower the Carbon Footprint.

While I'm ranting about my motorway policies.....I would ban all current drivers of black BMWs for life to make roads a much safer place for Dairy Consultants!

Aaaarh!.... What it is to be bored by endless hours on the motorway & listening to an extremely boring election. I was going to sort the airline business & food security but it seems the Icelandic volcano has beaten me to it. Mind you if I ever meet the bosses of the guys with the white paint brushes!!!??!??

If I haven't won you over yet I'm proposing that 'Joanna' succeed me (after I've gotten rid of the Road Cones.....in a succession plan.....you understand!

Arrest, Search, Treat & Regain Cow Condition Score (BCS) early like NOW

If you put a Grass based Dairy Discussion Group in front of a herd of dairy cows & ask them about the Cow Condition Score (BCS) they will usually respond by saying that "they're okay!"

Why? Why wont they be more objective & more critical of the thinner cows? As Dr Clive Dalton recently wrote in NZ..."A culture has developed over years that if you are ever asked to score someone else's cow always say she's CS 4.5 (NZ) & you won't get into any trouble"

A condition score was never meant as an average. It's a target ALL cows in the herd must reach. Cow Condition Score (BSC) is a visual assessment (reasonably accurate too) of a cows "energy reserves". There are a number of critical points in the year where these target BSC are very important to milk production, fertility & maybe some animal health issues. The most important of these "criticals" is the Condition Score at calving. Given that most spring cows have now calved we need to look at the next two critical points for BSC.

Firstly there is the minimum BSC (sometimes referred to as the nadir BSC) this occurs 50 to 100 days after calving or about 70 days on average. The minimum BSC & the loss of condition post calving varies considerably between cows in the same herd for lots of different reasons. However the BSC at calving is the single most important factor & has a big influence on both the minimum BSC & the loss of Condition post calving. (Extensive review by John Roche et al).

If you can reduce the Condition Score loss postcalving you reduce the postcalving anestrus.

The lower the minimum BSC & the greater loss of Condition (postcalving) both have a negative effect on conception, pregnancy to 1st service & 6-12 week incalf rates.

Low BSC & greater BSC loss are risk factors for uterine infections especially in younger cows.

I have been working with three grass based dairy farmers in England since October 2009...we have been condition scoring every cow thru out the late lactation, dry period over winter, at calving & now 70 days after PSC.

Since calving we have measured a little over one NZ Condition Score loss (av for each herd). That sounds okay as it is within the recommended CS loss range.

However when you look at the data in more detail it reveals that some cows have lost a lot of condition since calving. The risk of these cows NOT conceiving in the 1st 6 weeks is very high.

On closer examination some of these cows had difficult calvings, uterine infections, lameness, some are Holsteins in a XBred herd & a disproportionate number are heifers. Some we just can't explain why they are in this "SAD" group.

We need to sort this asap. Isolate this "sad" group & call the vet. Discuss with your vet possible reasons....which might include eg liver fluke,wasting diseases or mineral deficiencies????

We have to get this group of cows back on track ASAP.

Act NOW pull out the worst 10% cows with low Condition Scores. ARREST any further loss of condition score. SEARCH for reasons why they are so thin compared to the rest of the herd. TREAT any sick cows asap & seek vet help for the cows with unknown reasons for big losses in condition since calving. Finally decide how you might best regain the lost condition....is it best to reduce milk production (OAD) or can you feed this group of cows separately to rapidly regain condition pre PSM.

I'd like to thank Tom Malleson, John Millington & Rupert Major for their patience & active participation in this important Condition Score project.

We hope to produce a really useful set of 'decision support tools' for Cow Condition Scoring so we can identify thin cows early & act early to improve milk production & fertility & to reduce losses of valuable cows from the herd.

What do you think? Please leave your comments below to add to the discussion.

Spring is Here!.....Or is that just a Rumour!

Most UK & Irish grass based dairyfarmers are struggling for grass. Pasture growth up until the past week has been next to nothing due to the very cold soil temperatures. The lack of moisture in most of the country has not helped pastures either. Soil temperatures need to be about 5 degrees C for Ryegrass to grow & above 8 degrees for clover to grow. Soil temperatures have only just risen so there has been NO growth.
However there are encouraging signs that the daily weather is changing......at long last!

Winter Damage to Pastures.

Most dairyfarm pastures have been damaged this winter by the extended cold & freezing temperatures. Cows appear to be grazing these fields really well despite the damaged plant tissue.

The big question is what damage has actually occurred?

There is a difference between winter damage & winter kill. Winter kill is where the meristem or growing point is killed by the freezing temperatures (ice rather than snow). The meristem or crown in ryegrass is very close to the ground & undamaged by grazing down to 1500 residual. It appears that this winter we have had pasture plant tissue damage & very little winter kill where the meristem has died. Most of the lower fertility grasses eg annual meadow grasses have been damaged & may explain why grazed pastures look so open. So very few ryegrass tillers have been lost.(Scott Laidlaw at AFBI Crossnacreevy agrees)

Once growth starts new tillers will be initiated..this is already happening. If we continue to get frosts this may effect the flowering of ryegrasses. Since 1997 at Aberystwyth Alan Lovatt tells me that the number of days to flowering have been reducing as we have had warm springs. So continued cold temperatures may possibly delay heading of ryegrasses.

Too early to say if pastures need additional ryegrasses....maybe clover will fill the gaps left by the killing off of the meadow grasses.

There is a marked difference on most farms between pasture that has been grazed & those fields still to be grazed. All the growth is happening on grazed pasture whereas the ungrazed pasture is still going backwards.

It is critical that cows don't go short of feed & lose body Condition Score in the month prior to mating. Most farms are faced with buying feed even though grazing conditions have been excellent. Many silage clamps are virtually empty. Time to Measure Pastures.

Ben, Sam, Michael & George from the DMS course for Herdsmen were out this week at Reaseheath College practising with the pasture platemeter. It's time everyone got out & measured pasture. Make sure new staff are using the platemeter correctly & that everyone on the team understands the Pasture Wedge Graphs. If you dont have them on your computer email me tiphillips@aol.com

PASTURE COVERS & GROWTH around the UK

http://www.ruralni.gov.uk/grasscheck

Cumbria Still using Spring Rotation Planner, Soil Temp 6.7 degrees

Staffordshire 1725 Average Farm Cover, 14 daily growth

Staffordshire 1650, 15, Soil Temp 8.5

Herefordshire 1650

Herefordshire 1780, 7

Monmouthshire 1684, 21

Pembrokeshire 1801, 20

Pembrokeshire 1690 Av Farm Cover, 6+kgsDM growth per ha, 7.5 degrees C

Gloucestershire 1861, 19, 8.7

Wiltshire 1840, 19

Dorset 1554, 2

Sussex 1671, 18, 8.2

Devon 1650, 5+

Cornwall 1840, 40

Cornwall 1900, 50, 9.0 degrees C

Limerick, Ireland 1750 Av Farm Cover, 13kgsDM/ha daily growth

So book your tropical holidays now...........warmest destinations are either Lizard Point Cornwall or Lydney in Gloucestershire! C'Mon the sunshine!!!!

Do You want Grass Fed Milk in Wales...A response to the Welsh Assembly Report on Climate Change

Last week the Welsh Assembly released a report on the future of Agriculture in Wales. This report has serious implications for all Welsh (probably all UK dairy Farmers too) dairy farmers as Prof Gareth Wyn Jones & his research group has recommended fully housed dairy cows 365 days a year. Wales has an international obligation to reduce CO2 emissions. The Welsh Farmers Union has agreed to senario 5 which includes fully housing cows in the near future....this is a surprise & one wonders how they made this decision!
Tough decisions need to be made about how Agriculture must change to reduce CO2 emissions.
But are you part of the food debate?

Will the public accept dairy cows being housed full time?

Or do you want Milk & Dairy Products to come from grass fed cows out grazing pasture?

You need to have your say! What do you want to happen to dairying in Wales & the UK?

The Key points I want to make on behalf of the low input pasture based dairy farmers are :-

1. Wales has a Comparative Economic Advantage in pasture based systems of dairying....Wales has NO comparative Economic Advantage in growing either cereal crops or protein crops such as soya nor any advantages in fully housed TMR dairying....not now & not I suspect anytime in the future. TMR rarely includes fresh pasture & is heavily reliant on cereals & imported protein from Brasil & Argentina.

2. Currently the financial returns on high input systems are very marginal. This will rapidly deteriorate as world agriculture struggles to meet human food demands & renewable energy production. What the Americans refer to as the "Perfect Storm"!

Within decades world Agriculture will struggle to fed the world population.
I would expect world cereal & protein prices to rapidly escalate & even be in short supply. This would leave the Welsh dairy farmers extremely vulnerable to outside price fluctuations. Wales produces primarily manufactured dairy products.

3. Given the expectation of the world facing chronic food & water shortages surely we should be looking forward to the dairy export opportunities that Wales will be able to capitalise on if we can operate successfully in new environmental constraints. In fact we could argue that Wales has a moral obligation to help feed the world as Wales may well be advantaged by global warming cf to Africa & the countries such as Australia who are already extremely vulnerable to droughts & water shortages.

4. We accept that Wales MUST change. Not changing is not an option. However we believe that many of the points made in the Welsh Assembly report have already been implemented on farm by the innovative grass based dairy farmers in the Discussion Groups.

For example....they all calve heifers at 22 months of age. The fertility of these same herds is such that the average number of lactations is in excess of 5 lactations per cow. Compare this to the UK average of approx 2.5 lactations.
The current average production in Wales is approx 6200 litres (from 2 tonnes of concentrates per cow). If we assume say 3 lactations then the total lifetime production is approx 18600litres. The grass based dairy farmers average say 5200litres X 5 lactations = 26000 litres lifetime production. ie +40%.

5. Most of the information/technology is already available to assist Wales & Welsh dairy farmers to make significant & profitable changes to their businesses NOW which would result in major reductions in CO2 emissions.....eg Calving heifers at 22 months, improve fertility by cross breeding to highly fertile breeds, reductions in Nitrogen fertilizer & reduction in purchased cereals & replace with home grown pasture. Block calving both autumn & spring are essential.
The way to get this adoption on farm is through effective Discussion Groups on farm with highly effective professional group facilitation. It would require the commitment of farmers, Welsh Assembly & the dairy processors.
6. We acknowledge serious problems with both the lack of pasture based research & current deficiencies with the IPPC systems of calculation CO2 emissions & LCA. The current inventories neglect the imported dairy food rations & the LCA in the country of origin. They also severely under estimate the LCA CO2 emissions of farm buildings, concrete & farm machinery.

7. To address the lack of pasture based research issue I would urge both Research & the Welsh Assembly to work with say 20 of these efficient pasture based dairy farmers to initiate on farm data collection & on farm research projects to collect the "gap" information. In a similar way that Dr Christina Marley is already doing with pasture based emissions. I am sure the top 20 farmers....both conventional & organic would in fact volunteer themselves into such a project.

One obvious starting point would be the measurement of 30cm Soil Carbon Baselining of soils under intensive grazing. This baselining data should include separate 'A Horizon' (Top Soil) depth measurements.

8. Can I both support the report in regard to on farm forestry & tree planting. This could be implemented immediately by the Welsh Assembly using the Australian Landcare movement as a very good & effective model. In Australia this has been fully accepted & adopted by the farming community ( there are even urban programs too) with millions of trees being planted each year on farm to the benefit of both the farm businesses & the environment.
http://www.landcarevic.net.au/

9. NZ research by Dr Garry Waghorn et el at AgResearch has shown that when LCA is included (rather than methane alone) pasture based diets when harvested directly by the grazing dairy cow are likely to have lower total emissions than TMR systems.............& this does not include Soya from Argentina as NZ can grow their own protein crops.
Much of the research & press reports when referring to methane from pasture in fact refer to some early work in Queensland Australia that compared dry unimproved Rangeland grasslands with grain (grain can not be fed alone as in a TMR it requires the addition of roughage.)

10. We acknowledge the difficulties in measuring soil carbon. However we suggest further research & a National Soil Carbon Strategy rather than the exclusion out of the report due to lack of data. The following websites from Australia illustrate possible options for Wales & the UK.
http://nationalsoilcarbonstrategy.blogspot.com/ http://carboncoalitionoz.blogspot.com/2008_07_01_archive.html
Every day I see permanent pasture based dairy farmers making significant progress toward what they refer to as "healthy soils"...this is a rapid build up of Organic Matter in the Top Soil & a dramatic increase in "Soil life & activity".

As Pasture Dry Matter Production increases so does the soil activity increase............this needs to be measured & monitored so that farmers can off set their carbon emissions. Average Discussion Group pasture production is approx 10 T DM/ha consumed (by grazing dairy cows) compared to an estimated UK average of less than 5 T DM/ha. The organic farms I see average between 7-8 T DM/ha. What I dont think is being acknowledged is the increase in top soil depth.
I accept the need for more research.

11. It is very important that the Welsh Assembly appreciate firstly that farmers want to be environmentally seen as "being green". The farming families want to leave the farm & the land to the next generation in a better condition than they themselves inherited the land.
But it is very important that Government understand that :-
"It is very hard to be green when your business is in the red"
Environmental programs & initiatives will be implemented by profitable dairy farm businesses as soon as possible.

Already there is a strenuous effort being made by pasture based low input farms to reduce fuel use, electricity thru technologies such as "Varivac...Variable speed vacumn pump & milk pump control systems." All efforts are being made to fully investigate on farm energy generation such as wind power by the progressive Discussion Group members.

12. Lastly I'm hoping that this is the beginning of an ongoing dialogue between pasture based dairy farmers, research,the authors of this report & the Welsh Assembly.

What do you think?