One year makes a fool of another” is a saying that is so true for this year compared with 2018.

Last year, we had one of our worst seasons ever and this year is a doddle in comparison.

However, Johne’s continues to raise its head, with the majority of our culls falling foul of the disease. Though we are gradually reducing the numbers of a?ected animals, it will be interesting to see the situation with this year’s crop of heifers coming into the herd, as these were fed pasteurised milk as calves.

Though we have been working to combat Johne’s for about six years or so, it has been a belt and braces approach for the last three years. We estimate Johne’s to be costing us 2.5p/l per year – so ignore it at your peril.

Calving

Calving is coming to an end now, with about 80 cows left to go. We exceeded our targets with 52% calved at two weeks from the planned start date, 68% at three weeks, and 86% at six weeks.

Milk is now at 23 litres, with milk solids just over 2kg/cow/ day. SCC has been high enough at 250-350, but is now back down to 190 as the season gets going. This improvement is largely down to our excellent team, and their e?orts to identify mastitis problems and act straight away. Not to mention an improvement in teat condition by keeping udder cream well applied, therefore reducing cluster slippage, etc.

Rearing

We have had a fairly trouble-free calf-rearing. For the third year running we have used a system of pasteurisation and colostrum testing prior to collection. This formula seems to work, with virtually no scour for those three years. The only disappointment is the run of bull calves, which in turn is reducing the bonus of having heifer calves to sell.

We had two batches of maiden heifers, one batch kept outside and one inside. We put out the housed heifers this week and thought they would have surpassed the ones outside.

However, when we see them together, the outwintered heifers are de?nitely superior. I was going to house all the animals next year, but now I’m not so sure.

Stocking rate

The lowering of our stocking rate seems to be working. Having it back down to one cow to the acre has taken the pressure right out of the system.

The cows are ?ve litres ahead of 2017 (I will leave 2018 out of it for comparison proposes) at much reduced feed costs.

In other words, we are producing almost as much now with around 180 fewer cows in the herd than there were in 2017.

Strangely enough, we are just comfortable with the grazing at this stage, and that is in a very good grass year. So if we still had the larger numbers, all this feed would have to be bought-in and/or we’d be underfeeding the cows.

Other advantages we are seeing are very small amounts of lameness, a lot less mastitis and generally a lot less pressure on staff, leaving time to deal with small problems before they become big ones.