Dairy chit chat II

All Cull cows loaded up this morning.
Dried on the 20th of Dec, just silage since
550kg, €700

blackdog1 wrote: »

Probably different for me as I've winter milkers. Could cause abortions very quick. Somebody posted an article about nitrogen poisoning and it's effects on cows earlier and it was very interesting.

Here it is.



Graise Consultancy
August 5 ·
I have spoken to many farmers about my concerns in the increased incidence of various diseases/viruses/issues in dairy cows which I believe stem from decreased resistance. One of the major links to reducing this resistance is the use of N fertilisers, see article below;
Urea as a Crude Tool
Using urea as the basis for pasture growth creates high levels of nitrate nitrogen in the forage. We’ve all been assured that we grow ‘good’ pasture with a crude protein content around 20%+. The international standard for ideal pasture crude protein content is 16%. What that figure really tells us is that we have excessive levels of nitrate in our grass, not real, complete protein. These excessive levels of nitrate start the negative urea cascade of poor animal health, depressed production, higher costs and lower profit.
Our pasture crude protein test actually cheaply measures elemental nitrogen. It’s expensive to measure amino acids or real protein content, so the test measures nitrogen and then multiples it by 6.25 to get an assumed level of ‘protein’. It is indeed a crude measure since to actually get usable protein from nitrogen you need a range of other minerals and lots of energy to change nitrate into amino acids chains and then into real protein. To turn nitrate into usable protein, the cow’s rumen microbes need high levels of carbon/sugar/ energy and trace elements in their diet. The easiest way to get that is to grow grass that’s high in soluble solids/brix/ minerals/energy. This doesn’t happen with reliance on neat urea as the main fertiliser. Our standard Urea and Superphosphate fertiliser program is not supplying an adequate balance of the dozens of minerals needed for complete proteins and high soluble solids in forage. One of the most visible effects is projectile cow poos.
The majority of the nitrogen in neat urea applied (over 50% according to research) either off-gases into the air or becomes nitrate leachate through the soil. The nitrate takes calcium, magnesium and other minerals with it when it heads into the water ways. It’s not possible to have high nitrate grass with high levels of soluble solids. It’s also difficult to get fully mineralised forage or crops from soils treated with glyphosate. Glyphosate does NOT decompose in the soil for decades and in the meantime it locks up soil minerals while promoting the fungi that create mycotoxins in preserved feed. Thus we put high nitrate, low energy and low mineral grass into our cows and the rumen microbes can’t cope with the excessive nitrogen. And this is where the urea ill-health cascade really kicks in:
Excessive nitrate in the forage promotes the growth of methanogen bacteria in the rumen. This class of bacteria can digest high N feed better than the ideal rumen microbes. Problem is they create methane and cows then belch it out and get tarred with the ‘nasty greenhouse gas producing’ shame label. Ruminants don’t inherently pollute, it really depends on what they eat.
Excess nitrate in the rumen becomes ammonia and seeps into the blood through the rumen wall. Ammonia is toxic to the animal. It reduces oxygen in the blood. The result is basically sick, underperforming cows that are overtaxing their livers and pulling lactose/ sugar out of their systems in an attempt to convert the excess nitrate/nitrite/ ammonia back to urea and get it the hell out of their bodies by every conceivable means. We’re feeding our animals unnaturally high levels of nitrate. We observe their frantic efforts to get rid of the nitrogen and assume it’s normal. It’s NOT, it’s just average and a poor, expensive average at that. Cows can be a powerful positive source of soil regeneration but not with the way we’re fertilising. If we took the hundreds of millions we’re spending on Greenhouse Gas research and used it for lime and trace element applications we’d markedly reduce emissions, have healthier animals AND prompt humus formation, CO2 sequestration for better infiltration and water-holding in the soil.
Since we assume that high crude protein/ nitrate levels in pasture are good, we don’t generally take the timely measures to compensate: things like long stem hay for more carbohydrate/ DM and a good rumen mat. Eventually the cow’s liver can’t cope with the demand to convert ammonia to pee-able urea and ammonia ends up circulating in the blood where it accumulates in the extremities contributing to lameness. Converting ammonia to less harmful urea in the liver requires lots of energy from the cow prompting the negative energy balance and rapid loss of body condition we see post-calving just when the demands of high milk production coincide with….you guessed it – high nitrate, lush, urea- fueled spring grass.
A cow losing condition in a negative energy balance is not going to figure it’s a good idea to ovulate and sustain a pregnancy as that could threaten her very existence. So we have non-cycling cows, use of CIDRs to force ovulation, increased phantom pregnancies and an embarrassingly low first mating conception rate and overall fertilisation rate. And we congratulate ourselves on having stalled the decline when we are a long way from the goal of 78% 6 week fertilisation rate. Even if the cow conceives, the circulating ammonia is toxic to foetus which could help to explain our disappointing breed back rates. Remember that the number of lactations you get out of a cow is the most powerful factor in long term dairy profit. Cows don’t hit peak production until years 5 – 7 and they used to last until year 14 – 16. Now the majority are going to the factory before 5 years old. I think we need to acknowledge that we’ve become accustomed to nutritionally crippled cows and take on board that we can do much better with the quality of the pasture we provide. Better for the animals, for production and for profit.
So now we have a pregnant cow producing, but losing condition, on a minerally deprived diet which leads to an impaired immune system. We purchase supplemental minerals to put in the water or in the ration to compensate for what is not coming through in the pasture. Where are these soil minerals that the cow’s system needs? Well, they weren’t there enough in the first place, or they’re locked up or made less available by the low soil pH created by urea and Superphosphate applications. Or they’ve ended up in the rivers having been pulled out of the soil profile by the nitrate leaching from straight urea applications.

Any one sold cull cows lately.
Have 30 empties still milking to go. Was going to mart next week but dealer calling tomorrow.
Ave 610kg range 510-720 kg.
Will sell straight from parlour either way's

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Not what you want to hear, but straight out of The parlour at the moment is a hard sell. They want them with a cover on them and dried up. If a dealer buys them now, they'll be going into a shed so that's why they want them soaked up. In a months time they'd be buying them for grass.
Lean cows are just about making their weight, with a cover on them €150+ with their weight ( 28 went todAy, 30 days dry, average 550kgs, €700)

We got 750 for slightly heavier ones today. But you're absolutely correct about dried up and needing a bit of cover. Hard to see any other animal gain 150 in a month for relatively cheap feeding.

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

Yeah, she came across well and fair play to her for admitting they have a way to go to match the grassland management to the targets they have set.

Great presentation. Wasn't fond of the cows being scoured from 42 herds though.
Enjoyed Mike Egans presentation.
You really get an awful lot for your membership

freedominacup wrote: »

We got 750 for slightly heavier ones today. But you're absolutely correct about dried up and needing a bit of cover. Hard to see any other animal gain 150 in a month for relatively cheap feeding.

Similar here also, well a mix of all sized cows, most were dry a few weeks and been with the milkers so getting a very good diet. Definitely suited to leave them with the milkers, pit face is wide so going through the maize that bit faster, the dry winter has let me outwinter good few animals so very little pressure on sheds. Now if only I can find afew more incalf heifers to replace them, it would be lovely if I only have to add 450 again to get them but the market has well swong around last few weeks.

alps wrote: »

NOOOO justification whatsoever....

It's just business..

But all have risen prices, where's the competition, seems like a cartel.

Buford T. Justice V wrote: »

He was really shafted, I thought. They could have given him an extra hour and it wouldn't have been a waste. A very good presentation by him.

A little list here, shafted by whom?

GrasstoMilk wrote:

Anyone know the correct height for drinking trough in calve pen?

For x-breds?

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Mixture, too late now. Put them in at 2ft off the ground

You'll be grand.

Can always get a small step ladder for the Jersey-ish ones.