Drying off cows with a sealer?

Many cows are set dry with just a ‘teat-sealer’ treatment like Orbeseal.
Three things are incredibly important when it comes to using a sealer.
The obvious first tip is to work hygienically ofcourse.
Second, make sure that you do not insert the sealer to high. The sealer should close the teat canal and not the udder. (That’s just bad for the udder.)

The third and final tip is that you need to make sure that you “don’t include burglars”. So, when you dry-off a cow don’t only look at the cell count but also take the graph on the Cow-monitor in consideration. Set it to an overview of 365 days and you can review the results per quarter/teat. You can overview the last week or last month but also the entire lactation history and assess whether every quarter is clean enough to set the cow dry only with a sealer or have to use antibiotic.

Dry cows at a distance.

If your farm allows for it, it is much better when you place dry cows at a distance from the VMS station or milking parlor. It would have to be far enough that they do not hear or see any pulsations, concentrate falling or other cows moving around the AMS. Also, its recommended that the cows have no sight of the VMS.

But place them where you can see them often! (Are they healthy? Is their rumen filling ok? etc.)

Losses at the silage storage.

It has been discussed many times but the ration what is calculated should be lying at the feeding fence.

Calculations and plans for the feeding rations come from analyses, and a plan, usually made with your feeding advisor.

For some reason it occasionally still goes wrong. The silage might have gotten warm which results in loss of energy and taste. Inevitably, the cows will eat less and receive less energy that what was calculated.

What also happens is that crows, starlings and ducks, spend a lot of time at your roughage storage. Predominantly for the corn kernels. Besides taking away valuable energy and starch, and walking around in the storage, they also shit in the cows food

This also happens in the stable…

By keeping the silage storage as clean as possible, and by pulling a protective cover every day over open silage we can eradicate these forms of energy/taste loss.

Making the stable “bird-proof” won’t be easy.

Also pay attention to what extent the sun can shine on the open surface of the silage, this also dries and heats more than intended.

Make note of the details

Most engineers are proud of the DeLaval VMS and how it works. They would be eager to tell what they know and what you can do to improve your workflow. What they don’t always know is what you don’t know. For example, a farmer could think that milk cups do not connect properly by a few, or more, cows is normal, or sounds that you now find normal but that are not. If the farmer doesn’t make note of the details, then the technician would have to coincidentally experience the issue in order to solve it.

So, make sure to always have your phone or a pen and notebook with you. Make a list of things for the technician to take a look at and they’ll let you know if anything is out of the ordinary. Having the possibility to take notes would also make your work easier. If you think of something while you’re standing behind your barn or in the middle of the field, you could just jot it down and make note of it.

Making more effective use of activity measurement.

You know that the best time to inseminate cows is usually between 60 – 90 days after the calving date.
That is the time that the cow has likely been immersed in negative energy for a while. This means she gives already a few month more milk than the amount of energy that she can absorb from the feed she receives.
This also means that the cow does not always clearly show that she is in heat. Sometimes, this means that the cow does not always achieve 1+ 2 ++ and 3 +++.
And this doesn’t get any better during hot summer days either …

Most cows only show their heat for 4 – 7 hours and often also at night. During this time, you are not all the time in the stable, but the activity meter is.
Thus, it is very important that the system displays correct measurements. For this it is important to know that the transponders are good – (there’s a checklist in DelPro for that) – that they’re not too loose or tight around the neck – (place a flat hand between neck and collar ) – and that the antenna is not too close to the cow recognition place, such as the VMS, selection gate, or too close to electric motors, thick walls, solar panels, cables, etc.

Since DelPro version 5.2, a “Worklist Activity” is available in which the latest knowledge of possibilities is applied using smart filters.
Through these filters, you can also find those cows that have too little activity for a +.

In this list, cows in heat are categorized as: too early for insemination, correct insemination moment or a return. It then churns out a proposal for the right insemination moment!
Lastly, the category “too little activity” you find the cow who is not fit.
This information worklist results in advice about what you can do with the cow.

Users rate this list very positively, which proves that it adds value to the system!

Ask your technician or DeLaval DelPro Advisor for this “Worklist Activity” list!