In today’s economy, we are all hard-pressed to make every cent count. The choice that both consumers and producers are faced with is whether to cut costs in other ways or to delay routine maintenance until better times.
Delaying maintenance may work as a short-term solution, but bigger problems can arise when such tactics are prolonged and take over as standard procedures. Routine maintenance is something that needs to be done; however, when we are faced with this expenditure, our default might be to think of the initial cost rather than the long-term financial benefit it brings to the business. A case in point is our beloved power entity, Eskom, which neglected maintenance on its ageing coal-fired power fleet and is now relying on rolling blackouts to try to keep up with power demand, costing the South African economy billions due to production losses, business interruptions, and inconvenience to the public.
A dairy cow is a valuable biological asset, and her maintenance is just as crucial as attending to the upkeep of the milking parlour or the mixing wagon. Hindsight is the best teacher, and many producers can attest to this. Neglecting maintenance for dairy cows will end up costing more in the long run and result in inefficient, less productive animals.
The key to longevity
Trying to save on the building blocks needed for rearing heifers and supporting production and reproduction in dairy cows will prove more costly than any initial expenditure. The most profitable animals on the farm are the mature dairy cows that have broken even on their rearing costs. Improving the longevity of cows in our herds will improve overall farm profitability. Although health plays a crucial role in ensuring such longevity, the impact of a few vital points in the cows’ life cycle and stages of lactation is a major factor in improving the longevity of dairy herds.
A key metric that positively influences the longevity of herds is age at first calving (Sherwin et al., 2016). While this may seem like a simple metric to achieve, it takes focused heifer rearing to improve age at first calving in the herd. There are two alternatives to consider when rearing heifers. Heifers may either be 1) left to grow out in the veld on poor-quality grazing with no additional supplementation to meet their daily requirements, or 2) given a consistent daily supply of quality nutrients to adequately meet and support optimum growth and development. The first option is a low cost plan, which will not achieve a reduced age at first calving. The alternative is focused heifer rearing. While the second option may seem more costly compared to the low-input system, this route will help achieve an earlier age at first calving, thereby contributing to herd longevity. The cost benefit will be reaped once those heifers reach lactation.
Transitioning for success
The next crucial stage in the lactation cycle is the transition period up to 60 days in milk (DIM). The risk of disease and early culling increases during this period, which can have a major impact on herd longevity.
One factor that is often neglected is the monitoring of body condition score (BCS) in cows during early lactation. Cows that are over conditioned in the period leading up to calving have a higher risk of losing excessive body condition, thereby exposing developing follicles to adverse metabolic conditions. Excessive loss of BCS at calving can compromise fertility by negatively affecting follicle quality and the success of artificial insemination (Fricke et al., 2020). In a study by Barletta et al. (2017), it was found that cows that had a BCS of less than three, three weeks prior to calving, had a lower risk of losing BCS once in lactation, which had positive benefits for reducing the number of adverse health events suffered by these cows versus cows that had a BCS equal to or greater than three. Maintaining the body condition and health of transition cows and setting them up for success in lactation also has knock-on effects. Reduced body condition loss or gain in body condition early in lactation results in improved fertility and reduced health issues throughout the lactation period, and carries over to improved health and transition in the next lactation.
Conclusion
Lowering the risk of culling and ensuring higher production and reproductive success in early lactation positively influence herd longevity. Improving herd longevity may seem like a daunting task, but it is achievable when we break it down into the critical periods in the dairy cow’s life cycle that have the biggest impact on lifetime performance and profitability.
Neglecting the maintenance of assets, whether they take the form of a tractor or a dairy cow, often leads to more significant expenses when the asset eventually breaks down. Considering the cost of a dairy cow in her second lactation, it is evident that retaining this productive asset that will just increase in efficiency as she ages is a more cost-effective approach than replacing her every other year due to lameness or transition diseases. Hence, the basic principle that maintenance is cheaper than breakages also applies to the productive animals on the farm. Proactive care is key, and Chemuniqué supports farmers with research-backed products that sustain herd health and productivity.
CELMANAX™ SCP
A combination of yeast culture and Refined Functional Carbohydrates (RFC™) work together to improve herd resilience. This value-added product addresses rumen and gut health, contributing to improved milk quality and protection against variable feed quality. Modulation of the immune system increases the stress threshold of cows, better equipping them to produce under stress. A 4-in-1 value-added product that focuses on improving herd health and resilience!
X-Zelit®
X-Zelit is a novel approach to pre-fresh dairy diets. By utilising a different mechanism than the parathyroid hormone cascade to mobilise calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) from bone, blood calcium levels at calving are significantly improved, setting the cow up for a successful transition. X-Zelit offer farmers flexibility in use of raw materials typically not fed to pre-fresh cows and a reduction in the costly treatment of milk fever at calving. A simpler, more effective transition does exist!
Zinpro® Performance Minerals®
Single amino acid complexes utilise proprietary technology to ensure efficient absorption of trace minerals. Trace minerals encounter various antagonists and challenges to being absorbed, and more so under stressful conditions. The proven performance benefit of Zinpro Performance Minerals are unmatched due to exceptional absorption and utilisation despite stressful conditions. Choose Zinpro Performance Minerals for minerals that work when others fail!
Building resilient and healthy animals takes constant attention but will always be more profitable in the end. Herd health is very important in meeting the challenges that modern-day farming and the environment throw at our cows.