June 2016

Page 1 Building Resilience

Page 2Recent MailingsDairy Manager UpdateEpic News

Page 3 Maize is set for an early fi nishRed CloverKingshay Grazing Trials

Page 4Cubicle CornerLivestock EventMore Cake at KingshayComing Soon

KingshayBridge FarmWest BradleyGlastonburySomersetBA6 8LU

Tel: 01458 851 555Fax: 01458 851 444Email: contact.us@kingshay.co.uk ask.us@kingshay.co.uk

www.kingshay.com

Kingshay has been monitoring, analysing and benchmarking UK dairy costings data for nearly 20 years. If we look at the trends over the last 10 years using Kingshay Dairy Manager costings, there have been a 41% increase in the average herd size, from 140 in 2006 to 197 cows in the year ending March 2016. The dramatic fall in milk prices and the introduction of A & B milk contracts appear to have done little to slow this increasing trend over the last 18 months.

Total herd output was 1.61m litres in the year to March 2016, an increase of 54% from 2006, with an above average 5.8% increase between 2015 and 2016.Yield per cow increased by 10% over the past 10 years to close to 8,200 litres. However, there was an above average increase last year, with yields rising 180 litres, or 2.2%.Milk from forage has fl uctuated over the last 10 years, with a dip in 2013, due to poor weather in 2012, resulting in poor quality grazing and conserved forages. Last year saw an increase in milk from forage back to the levels of 2006 through producers making the most of grazing and home grown conserved forage, reducing purchased feed costs and consequently lowering costs of production.

In 2006, concentrate prices averaged £131 per tonne, whereas the year ending March 2016, averaged £211 per tonne, increasing total feed costs per litre by 74% to 7.15ppl. Even though the average milk price has come down from 29.9ppl for the year to end March 2015, to 24.41 to March 2016, this is still higher than the 18.44ppl in 2006. However, the current average hides a much greater range in milk prices – see Kingshay’s latest Annual Dairy Costings Focus Report for more details. This has meant that margins are 32% higher than they were in 2006 but still needs to cover higher variable costs and overheads that have also risen.Kingshay’s latest Annual Dairy Costings Focus Report is due to be published at the beginning of July which includes further Dairy Costings trends, including analysis by herd size and milk yield bands. Visit Kingshay at the Livestock Event on Stand AH152 to pick up your copy.If you are interested in monitoring & benchmarking your herds’ key production trends, contact Kingshay on 01458 851555 or email dairy.manager@kingshay.co.uk.

in this issue

Contact us ...

Understandably, there is much concern over the sustainability of dairy farming. Kingshay has been proactive with advice workshops across the country on how to build resilience into the dairy business, focussing on knowing all costs and how to reduce costs of production of milk produced now and in the future, simply by challenging the system. Price volatility is not a new issue and it is often a good idea to look back in time to see how we coped with low milk prices. What can we learn from this, to help survive the current crisis?

BUILDING RESILIENCE

Providing practical support to professional producers

benchmarking

key production trends, contact KingshayKingshay

Bridge FarmWest BradleyGlastonburySomersetBA6 8LU

Tel: 01458 851 555Fax: 01458 851 444Email: contact.us@kingshay.co.uk ask.us@kingshay.co.uk

www.kingshay.com

Contact us ...

IN THIS REPORT

YEARLY TRENDS

HEALTH TRENDS

FERTILITY FACTS

MILK PRICE AND FEED COSTS ANALYSIS

ORGANIC AND CHANNEL ISLAND UPDATE

MILK FROM FORAGE ANALYSIS

MILKING FREQUENCY ANALYSIS

MILK YIELD AND HERD SIZE BANDS

COMPAREAND MONITOR YOUR HERD PERFORMANCEWITH

INDEPENDENT DAIRY SPECIALISTS

Dairy Costings FocusAnnual Report 2016

www.kingshay.com

DAIRY MANAGER

Encourage your friends & neighbours to join - the more members we have, the more independent work we can do for you.

Twice a month, Kingshay’s farmer, consultant and vet

members receive Farming Notes and a Monthly Checklist and have access to previous ones in the members’ area of the website at www.kingshay.com. Here are some highlights from those produced in recent months:Summer Catch Crop Trial - Last summer, Kingshay trialled a number of brassicas as grazing extenders for the Bridge Farm herd, and identifi ed which encourage the highest dry matter intakes. Cattle Health Schemes - We investigate how to navigate the diff erent schemes on off er and what you can achieve with disease control plans.Fibre Supplementation at Grass - Fibre supplementation can improve feed effi ciency of early season grass, but can be tricky to feed a grazing herd. We discuss the options.Collecting Yards - How quick is your parlour fl ow and milk let down? If it’s slower than you’d like, your collecting yard may be the problem. Sulphur - A reduction in pollution in recent decades has led to an increase in sulphur defi cient soils, which may need correcting.

Encourage your

RECENT MAILINGS

DAIRY MANAGER UPDATE

The start to the grazing season has been later than last year for many, and average milk yields fell 0.6 litres to 26.3 l/cow/day for April 2016 compared to last year. Milk from forage was also lower by 3% at 8.8 litres per cow per day, compared to the same month last year. The graph highlights monthly changes to daily milk yields compared to the previous year. Each month is higher than

last year apart from April 2016 which is 1% lower. Concentrate use was similar at 7.9 kg/cow/day for that month.The continuing milk price drops are proving a challenge for even the most effi cient producers. Many herds are challenging their cows and systems to make the most of cheaper farm resources where possible. Monitor your feed effi ciency using

Kingshay costings and compare to other similar herds.For April 2016 monthly & rolling averages go to www.kingshay.com/dairy-costings/latest-results

EPIC NEWSKingshay are delighted to announce that they have been selected to host one of three brand new state-of-the-art dairy centres of excellence for research, development and demonstration. Run by the newly

established Agricultural Engineering Precision Innovation (Agri-EPI) Centre and funded by the government through Innovate UK, the 3 farms will provide a showcase for new ideas and technologies to generate a vibrant and sustainable r o u t e to effi cient milk

production.

The Kingshay site has four objectives:1. To demonstrate profi table and

resource effi cient milk production2. To integrate robotic milking and

precision grazing3. To use the latest technology

available to support animal welfare and sustainable milk production

4. To provide state-of-the-art facilities to industry supporters for near market research, development and demonstration.

We will be publishing updates as the project develops so keep your eyes peeled.

Encourage your

which may need correcting.

Encourage your

for research, development and demonstration. Run by the newly

established Agricultural

Innovation (Agri-EPI) Centre and funded by the government through Innovate UK, the 3 farms will provide a showcase for new ideas and technologies to generate a vibrant and sustainable r o u t e

RED CLOVER With the growing emphasis on sustainability in agriculture and mounting concerns surrounding the production of soybean, there is an increasing need for good quality alternative homegrown protein sources. The forage legumes, white clover and red clover are viable options as they provide a highly digestible, high protein feed source when included in the ruminant diet and also have the added bonus that they are able to fi x atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for nitrogenous

fertilisers.

In light of this, one of our current trials is looking at diff erent red clover varieties, grown both as monocultures and as part of a hybrid rye grass mix. We are comparing yields and protein levels and are particularly interested in the yield potential of the monocultures.After a slow start in the spring the trial varieties responded well to improving growing conditions with a 2nd cut being taken in the second week of June.As the season ends, we will be

reporting our fi ndings so watch this space!

protein feed source when included in the ruminant diet and also have the added bonus that they are able to fi x atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for nitrogenous

trial varieties responded well to improving growing conditions with a 2nd cut being taken in the second week of June.As the season ends, we will be

reporting our fi ndings so watch this space!

able to fi x atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for nitrogenous

fertilisers.

quality alternative homegrown protein sources. The forage legumes, white clover and red clover are viable options as they provide a highly digestible, high protein feed source when included protein feed source when included in the ruminant diet and also have the added bonus that they are able to fi x atmospheric nitrogen, able to fi x atmospheric nitrogen, reducing the need for nitrogenous

fertilisers.

MAIZE IS SET FOR AN EARLY FINISHAfter last year’s slow dry-down,

caused by a cool, wet August, harvest was late and proved a stressful

process for many maize growers and their land.

A late maize harvest risks damaging the soil structure and can lead to excessive soil erosion, which could bring fi nancial penalties under GAECs 4 and 5 of Cross Compliance. A late harvest could also reduce the opportunity to drill autumn-sown crops.Earlier in the year many Kingshay members rang the offi ce, interested in our trial results for earlier varieties.

Our early variety results mainly come from marginal growing sites, which need to grow these types of maize to achieve silage-appropriate dry matter and starch levels in a growing season. Some of the enquiries, however, were coming from members with better growing ground who were seeing the appeal of a guarantee that they could get the crop off before October.To provide further results this year, we are running an intermediate site trial drilled solely with early varieties, to investigate which is the best variety to use in terms of yield and nutritive value in a slower growing period. Factors requiring an early variety:

Threat of penalisation due to GAEC failures

Soil structural damage aff ecting future crop performance

Problems with mud on road in past years

Maximising the opportunity to drill autumn-sown crops

KINGSHAY GRAZING TRIALSAs well as maize and our multiple ongoing grass variety trials, two of our new trials are getting us excited.Kingshay’s catch crop trial this year is keeping it simple – we’re testing seed rates. Too high a seed rate and plants will be small. Too low and weeds will be a bigger annoyance than the yield potential lost. When you mix turnips with rape/kale hybrids, should you decrease the seed rate? We intend to fi nd out.Now our diploid versus tetraploid grass trial has been cut once for silage, it’s time to put the grasses to the test for milk production from grazing. The herd will be grazed on 3 diploid varieties constantly, then 3 tetraploid varieties, and we will wait to see diff erences in daily intakes and milk production.For information on becoming a Kingshay member and receiving

our trial r e s u l t s , call the o f f i c e on

01458 851 555.

Do you know the mineral status of your forage and fresh grass?

Only £34 per sample

(Members Price)

FORAGE MINERAL ANALYSIS

MORE CAKE AT KINGSHAYAs part of the Blooming Great Tea Party, in aid of Marie Curie, staff at Kingshay ate far too much cake and road tested ‘The Dairy Game’, our new show game, at the beginning of June. Despite having far too much fun, we still managed to raise a healthy £42 towards a great cause.

Hook bone width

Rum

p he

ight

Hook bone

38o

CUBICLE CORNERIf you are looking at replacing some, or all, of your cubicles,

consider the new 38o for maximum cow comfort and welfare. For the cubicles that you cannot replace, look at making some

adjustments to improve the design.Ideally cows should spend approximately 12-14 hours a day lying, so choosing a comfortable and secure cubicle is critical to maximise lying times.Problems with incorrectly constructed cubicles can include perching, lying diagonally, reluctance to spend time lying down, lying backwards, getting stuck or leaving excessive dung on bed ends, e.g. more than 5% of cubicles at each milking. All of these can lead to increased lameness and lower yields.By identifying the size of your animals and adjusting cubicles accordingly you can improve your existing cubicles. Our Cubicle Modifi cations Farming Note provides a calculation table, based on average rump height and hook bone width, to help you adjust your cubicles to suit your herd. Increasing width and lunging space can be more problematic when r e d e s i g n i n g cubicle space. A typical Holstein Friesian requires over 3m (10’) of bed and lunging room when she gets up. Improvements can include removing walls, adjusting rails to the front of the cubicle or increasing side lunging space.Badly designed cubicles often make cows feel unsafe so they minimise the amount of time they spend lying in them. Old fashioned designs, not suitable for the modern dairy cow, can lead to high levels of lameness and even injury.

The has a unique design with its patented 38 degree angle of the top rail that ensures the neck rail can be positioned exactly right for both the height and length of your cows. This gives your animals freedom of movement when they stand or lie down and ensures the cow is able to lie in the correct place within the cubicle.The rail-mounted cubicles can be used in any situation, which makes them equally well-suited for deep sand, mats or mattress systems. Kingshay’s technical consultants can provide support to customers to ensure that they optimise the benefi ts of the cow-friendly design, or to assist in optimising existing housing.

LIVESTOCK EVENTWe are getting excited about the upcoming Livestock Event. Come and see us on Stand AH152 for your copy of the Dairy Costings Focus report, a chat and refreshments.

We will be on hand to discuss: Our recent Building

Resilience Roadshows Dairy Manager Profi t Manager Membership Trials our new K38 cubicle.

and tea and biscuits

Dare you play the Dairy Game?

We have lots of great prizes to be won in our new game. Can you make it to the Golden Churn?Win prizes on the way and be in with the chance to take away our star prize.

We look forward to seeing you!

Marie Curie, staff at Kingshay ate far too much cake and road tested ‘The Dairy Game’, our new show game, at the beginning of June. Despite having far too much fun, we still managed to raise a healthy

that ensures the neck rail can be positioned exactly right for both the height and length of your cows. This gives your animals freedom of movement when they stand or lie down and ensures the cow is able to lie in the correct

The rail-mounted cubicles can be used in any situation, which makes them

COMING SOONThe 2016 Dairy Focus Report which brings together all the Kingshay Dairy Manager results from the last year and highlights key fi ndings and trends.

Disclaimer - Kingshay can take no responsibility for the consequences of actions carried out as a result of the information contained in this document.www.facebook.com/kingshayfarming www.twitter.com/kingshayfarming

Dare you play the Dairy Game?