Demonstration Site Project - Llysun

Getting to grips with soil fertility

To maximise the productivity of soils it’s important to understand its chemical, physical and biological properties. Soil analysis is the starting point and foundation to delivering the correct balance of both major and minor nutrients.

The main focus of this project will be linked to the supply of Calcium in the form of both Calcium Carbonate (Lime) and Calcium Sulphate. From previous soil analysis it is known that the farm is deficient in both Boron & Zinc. These two elements will also feature in the project, which are linked to the transport of Calcium into the plant and ultimately cell strength and quality of crops and grassland.

 

Project aims:

The aim of the project is to demonstrate the importance of more complete soils analysis and the targeting of nutrition to enhance the quality and productivity of grassland.

 

Project in practice:

Steps of the Project

  • Identify fields suitable for project
  • Send soil samples for detailed analysis
  • Select products suitable & spread at advised rates
  • Monitor soil and root development
  • Measure grass production
  • Tissue test each of the 4 blocks twice during the growing season
  • Produce a report costing the benefits of the treatments
  • Hold on farm event to present results and promote the importance of soil nutrition

There are 4 treatments planned.

  • Granulated Lime
  • Granulated Lime plus Boron & Zinc
  • Calcium Sulphate
  • Calcium Sulphate plus Boron & Zinc

Project update:

Due to the unusually dry summer, grass yields have been generally low and uptake of the nutrients applied have been very slow. We will therefore continue to monitor performance of the plots into next year.

 

Project updates:

Technical Publication (Issue 18, page 2-3): Introduction

Nutrient Supply at Llysun

Getting to grips with soil fertility

Reducing the Use of Antibiotics at Lambing

The projects main aim is to reduce the use of antibiotics and encourage more responsible use of medicines. This will be done by ensuring ewes are in optimum condition to produce good quality and adequate quantity of colostrum to reduce the use of antibiotics as a precautionary measure at lambing.

 

Project aims:

  • Ensure ewes are in optimum condition to produce good quality and adequate quantity of colostrum to reduce the use of antibiotics as a precautionary measure at lambing.
  • Explore the role colostrum plays in lamb performance.

Strategic objectives:

  • Reduce the use of antibiotics and encourage more responsible use of medicines
  • Improve lamb performance

Project in practice:

  • Three weeks before lambing, ewes will be body condition scored and blood samples analysed to create a metabolic profile. The metabolic profile measures levels of energy, protein, minerals and trace elements and enables adjustment of the diet prior to lambing to minimise health risks.
  • Blood samples will be collected from the lambs - a mix of singles, twins and triplets - at 2-5 days old and tested for level of immunoglobulin, which is an indication of the quality and volume of colostrum absorbed.
  • The lambs will also be weighed on sampling day and given an ID tag for future identification to monitor growth rate and worm burden. During the season these lambs will be individually FEC sampled to monitor their worm burden.
  • Some lambs will also be screened for immunoglobulin levels using a refractometer and up to 10 sick lambs will also be sampled for colostrum adsorption levels.
  • Lambs will be weighed at birth, eight weeks and at slaughter to evaluate growth rates. Any health issues will also be recorded.

Project update:

The project has already highlighted the importance of maintaining good biosecurity when sourcing replacements and to ensure that incoming animals are of optimum health. Through blood sampling a small number of ewes the project has already increased awareness and management techniques for the following animal health challenges:

  • Anthelmintic resistance
  • Liver Fluke
  • Maedi Visna
  • Caeseuous Lymohadinitis
  • OPA
  • Johne’s

The industry is working towards refining the way antibiotics are used on farms by encouraging more sustainable approaches to disease control. The main areas for sheep farmers to reduce, replace and refine the use of antibiotics within their flocks are; lameness control, abortion prevention where whole flock antibiotic treatment is often used and preventative treatment of lambs against neonatal bacterial infections. All of these can be tackled through the use of vaccines, improved hygiene, biosecurity, and other disease specific management strategies.

Last year, Responsible Use of Medicines in Agriculture (Ruma) set targets for the industry which included cutting sales of prophylactic antibiotics for neonatal lambs by 10% between 2017 and 2021 and increase abortion and foot-rot vaccine sales by 5%.

In 2018, the demonstration farm Llysun undertook a project to reduce the use of antibiotics at lambing. Following previous joint ill outbreaks within the flock, antibiotic use at lambing had become common practice and was contributing to the overall farm vet and med costs.

The Texel cross and Welsh mules lambed indoors from mid-March onwards. Prior to lambing the forage was analysed and ewes grouped according to condition and the number of lambs carried to decide on an appropriate ration. Three weeks before the ewes were due to lamb the ewes were blood sampled to create a metabolic profile, which measures the levels of energy, protein and minerals to enable adjustment of the diet prior to lambing if required. The majority of the ewes at Llysun had appropriate levels, therefore no major adjustments needed to be made.

At lambing, good hygiene in the lambing shed was paramount, from the lambing pens to the feeding equipment and during assisted lambings.  Lambs were monitored to ensure they received optimum amounts of colostrum – aiming for 50ml/kg as soon as possible after birth with a total of 200ml/kg within the first 24 hours. Navels were treated promptly following birth and again a few hours later after the ewes had licked the lambs.

To monitor colostrum absorption, blood samples were taken from lambs between 2 to 5 days old. They were tested for levels of immunoglobulin, which is an indication of the quality and volume of colostrum absorbed. Most lambs showed good levels of immunoglobulins, those with poorer levels were lambs from ewes with lower body condition scores. This highlighted the importance of ewe nutrition and body condition for optimum lamb performance.

Body condition score (BCS)

Level of immunoglobulins (ZST)

 

2

8.8

 

2.5

10.0

 

3

22.6

 

3.5

25.2

 

4

32.0

 
     

ZST units

>14 = adequate colostrum absorption

    

5-14 = relative failure of colstrum absorption

    

<5 = absolute failure of colostrum absorption.

    

 

High risk lambs received antibiotics, this included triplet lambs, weak/small lambs with poor vigour and twins from young ewes. Due to this, Llysun used at least 50% less antibiotics over the lambing period this year compared to previous years.

The lambs growth rates will now be monitored to evaluate future impact of colostrum quality on lamb performance.

This project has highlighted the importance of ewe body condition and its impact on colostrum quality. Ewes have had a challenging season this year and with grass growth slow to kick off, it is essential to ensure that ewes reach body condition scores of at least 2 (hill ewes) or 2.5 (lowland ewes) at weaning, rising to 2.5 (hill ewes) or 3.5 (lowland ewes) for tupping to avoid having an impact on next year’s lambing season.

The Potential for Balansa Clover in Wales

The project aims to evaluate the suitability of Balansa clover to Welsh climate and conditions for forage and grazing compared to other forage crops.

 

Project aims:

  • To evaluate the suitability of Balansa clover to Welsh climate and conditions for forage and grazing compared to other forage crops.

Strategic objectives:

  • To explore crops that can maximise outputs from grass-based systems and reduce reliance on bought-in feed

Project in practice:

  • FIXatioN Balansa clover can tolerate a variety of soils and is capable of producing large amounts of biomass. Its rosette growth patterns allow it to be persistent for intensive grazing or cutting. Balansa clover is also resilient to cold and dry conditions. In terms of feed value, Balansa clover can produce up to 5,882 kg/ha DM and 28% crude protein on a dry matter basis.
  • A 20-acre block will be split into plots of Balansa Clover (2 acres); 50% Balansa Clover and 50% diploid Westerwold Ryegrass (6 acres); Ryegrass only (6 acres); 50% Crimson clover and 50% diploid Westerwold Ryegrass (6 acres).
  • Yields will be evaluated for each plot and fresh samples taken to identify appropriate cutting time. All plots will be baled by local contractor and bales will be marked to distinguish between different plots. The number of cuts for silage will be dependent on crop growth and wet chemistry analysis will be undertaken to identify forage quality.
  • Lambs will then graze the plots in late summer/autumn and data on crop yields, lamb growth rates and kg/ ha produced will be recorded. Stocking density will be determined by crop yield. Lambs will be weighed every two to three weeks and FEC analysis will also be monitored every four weeks.

Conclusion:

The Balansa clover produced a high yield at the first harvesting but since cutting for silage there has been no re-growth observed. However, the silage crop was analysed with the following results:

 

Balansa clover

Crimson clover & Westerwold Ryegrass

Dry matter

49.7

59.7

Crude Protein

19

18.1

D Value

67.9

62.5

ME

10.9

10

 

Key messages:

  • The lack of persistence of the Balansa clover may have been due to the time of year the crop was sown. Autumn sowing may be looked at.
  • The clover was performing well under light grazing by lambs into the autumn.

Project update:

Article: Pioneering Welsh grassland farm is the first in the country to grow a new variety of high yielding, high protein clover

Two step weaning

An upland suckler beef producer’s ‘two-step’ approach to weaning is resulting in less stress on the calf.

Richard Tudor attached anti-suckling nose plates –QuietWean, to half his Charolais-cross and Simmental-cross calves a week before weaning. The aim of the study was to establish if calf distress at weaning could be reduced by eliminating the suckling prior to weaning the calves from their mothers.

The plates, which originate from Canada, prevent the calf from suckling because it hangs down over the calf’s nose. To test the efficacy of this approach, Mr Tudor allowed the remaining 50 calves to continue suckling.

Both groups had access to a 2-3kg ration of a cereal, sugar beet and soya blend daily.

Calves should be offered additional feed at least 4 weeks prior to weaning to minimise ‘weaning check’. The feed must be palatable, dust free and contain high levels of digestible fibre.  

The trial showed a marked difference in the behavior of the two groups at weaning. “The calves with nose plates were much calmer. You could easily pick them out, they didn’t bawl and adapted very quickly to being away from their mothers,’’ says Mr Tudor, who farms 291.6ha (700 acre) Llysun, a Farming Connect Demonstration Farm near Llanerfyl, Montgomeryshire.

“The cows were also less unsettled by the two step weaning process, they were much quieter than the other group when separated from their calves.’’

He says that these calves were more settled in the shed and because they were already used to a diet that didn’t contain milk, they adapted well to the feed ration. “This must have a positive impact on performance because stress at weaning can impact quite significantly on productivity, a calf can easily lose up to 10kg during the course of weaning.’’

Mr Tudor runs a herd of 140 suckler cows that are housed on rubber mats in cubicle system, with slatted flooring for muck removal into a gravity flow channel.

Calves are sold as 10 month stores at Welshpool livestock market. Tight margins in suckler production mean that any improvements to cattle performance must be captured, says Mr Tudor.

“I am a big believer in marginal gains through attention to detail, those little things that can be can be done to gain a few kilograms before sale will inevitably ad value and improve returns. The nose plates were not expensive at £2 each – and they can be reused. They are a good management tool and are easy enough to fit.’’

Mr Tudor left the nose plates on the calves for six days. He blanket-weaned all the calves on the same day. "Out of 50 who had the plates, six came out during the course of weaning but they worked well on the rest.”

“The calves were able to readjust gradually to being separated from their mothers because they hadn’t been suckling.’’

When the Quietwean plates were removed, the calves from the original groups were kept together for a period to allow some continuity. Once they were settled, they were sorted into groups according to breed and size.

Mr Tudor, whose herd calves in a nine-week block from April 15th, plans to use the nose plates on his calves again.  

Calves are weaned in January with the strongest steers and charolais heifers sold at 10 months old while the 25 SimmentalxSaler heifers are retained as replacements. The farm runs from 160m to 375m (550ft to 1250ft) but great emphasis is placed on meat production from grass as the most cost effective feeding and option. The land includes 167ha (400-acre) of hill, much of which has been improved.

To keep costs down, spring calvers could be weaned from 6 months of age, depending on cow body condition. This would allow the condition put on at grass to be later mobilized during winter months when feed becomes more expensive. For autumn calvers, delaying weaning until 10 months of age can avoid cows putting on excess condition at grass in mid to late pregnancy.

Lisa Roberts, Red Meat Technical Officer at Farming Connect, who was involved in the weaning trial at Llysun, says the advantages of the two-step approach are likely to be enhanced further in weaning systems where calves are not housed. “Research has shown that calves walk around less when the weaning process has been gradual so if the calves are in a less confined space they are likely to spend more time walking around aimlessly and less time eating,’’ she says.