Ma Mana nageme gement nt Fact actor ors s Impleme Implement - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Ma Mana nageme gement nt Fact actor

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Maintain P in Produc

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Morgan Overvest, M. Sc. Overdale Farms, L’Orignal, ON

Ov Over erdale dale Far arms ms

Located in L’Orignal, Ontario

Welcome! elcome!

• New robot barn built in 2016
• Owned and operated by Gerry, Linda and Morgan Overvest
• 1 full-time employee, 1 part-time employee

Overdale Farms – The Big Picture

Moved from tie-stall to free-stall robot on January 11, 2017 Today:

▪ 95 milking cows ▪ Current production:

(Average of the month prior to submitting presentation)

▪ 42 L/cow/day ▪ 4.00% fat ▪ 1.68 kg/cow/day

Far arm Goals m Goals

1.High Production from High Type Cows 2.Cow Health 3.Animal Comfort and Welfare

Cal Calf F Facili acility ty

• Robotic calf feeder
• On the feeder at 7 d, 12 L limit, weaned at 60 d of age, step-down weaning
• Fresh water intake encouraged. Hay and grain always available

Heif Heifer ers

• Free-stall housed
• Bred between 13-14 months

depending on size

• Fed haylage and high moisture corn in

PMR and dry hay

• Moved to robot barn 30-40 days pre-

calving

Robot

• botic Bar

ic Barn n

• 6 row, perimeter fed, free-stall barn
• 120 stalls in milking group (1 group)
• Milking with 2 Lely robots
• 2.8 visits/day
• 1x day feeding – high forage PMR
• Fresh pen (8 stalls)
• Dry cows housed in same barn

Healt Health

Reproduction:

• Herd health visits every 2 weeks
• Fresh cows checked at 45 DIM
• VWP: 65 days
• Heifers bred ≥ 13 months
• Pregnancy rate average of 2018 = 27%

Adapting to the new barn …

• Production in the first year in the new barn

= NOT up to expectations

• 2x to 3x milking
• Tie-stall to free-stall robot
• Mobility – foot bath required (Copper Sulfate 1X week)
• Hoof trimming:
• Every two months and special cases as necessary
• New feeding patterns – 6 times per day to once per day

Huge transition for owners and cows

Adapting to the new barn…

First summer in new barn was HOT – too hot

• Struggled to meet production

expectations

• During 2017 – set goals for

better management of heat for summer 2018

Pr Product

• duction in y

ion in year ear one

• ne

Average production from June – September 2017 Milk 35.4 kg/cow Milkings 2.8 per cow Refusals 1.8 per cow Fat % 4.07 Protein % 3.26 Fat/cow/day 1.44 kg

Far arm Goals m Goals

1.High Production from High Type Cows 2.Cow Health 3.Animal Comfort and Welfare

Planning for year two…

• Change feeding strategy
• From LOW energy concentration in the

bunk

• To HIGHER energy ration at the bunk
• LESS grain in the robot
• Improvement: Free choice HAY

Planning for year two …

Improvement: more sand in stalls

• Cleaned/leveled 4x per day
• Lower SCC
• Help stay close to or below 100000 during the summer months
• Cow comfort

… keeps production up

Planning for year two …

• Management factors:
• Robot access
• Decrease access to lower producers
• Example: 275+ DIM, less than 30L, less than 2x

milking is OK

• Improvement: more visits for higher producing cows

Planning for year two …

• Water
• Summer:
• Cleaned/scrubbed every day,
• Water trough dumped 3 times per day
• Improvement: more frequent cleaning

Planning for year two …

• Ration monitoring
• 1x feeding (at 0900h), pushed up every hour
• Check dry matter frequently
• Increase refusals to allow better/more even access to feed
• NO EMPTY BUNK
• Summer - daytime temperatures may discourage daytime

feed consumption

• Improvement: Increase refusals, more consistent feed available

Planning for year two … AIR FLOW

• Feed alley
• High traffic in outside alleys for feeding and prime lying area
• = congestion and bad air flow
• No effect felt of large ceiling fans
• Improvement: Added 14 new fans…

Orig Original inal vent entila ilati tion

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Orig Original inal vent entila ilati tion

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Upda Updates tes

Fans ans

14 new fans

• Located at high traffic areas and popular lying areas

not hit by large fans

• 12 in milking cow group
• 2 in fresh cow group
• 5 foot basket fans
• Turned on at 22-24 ºC

Pr Product

• duction Summe

ion Summer 2018 r 2018

Average production from June – September 2018 Milk 42.1 kg/cow Milkings 3 per cow Refusals 1.9 per cow Fat % 3.90 Protein % 3.31 Fat/cow/day 1.64 kg

Repr eproduct

• duction C

ion Challe hallenges nges

* VWP 65 days ~ 70% natural heats detected by activity monitors ~ 30% Ovsynch program

• Less cows showing estrus behavior in the heat of the summer

Insemination Rate Pregnancy Rate All of 2018 66 % 27 % Summer 2018 56 % 21 %

Tak ake Home P e Home Point

• ints
• Create a plan for the summer months
• Small management changes (ex: more cleaning of water troughs)
• Air flow
• Makes the largest impact
• New barns are not always perfect
• Don’t be afraid to alter plans/make additions/changes to new barns

Summ Summar ary

• We made both large and small changes in a 2 year old barn
• Don’t be afraid to adapt
• Goals for year 3
• Less decrease in fat test during summer
• Achieve higher pregnancy rate during the summer

Don’t get discouraged – summer adaptations require trial and error

Thank y hank you!

• u! Que

Questions? stions?