Practical steps for sustainable dairy farming

Dairy farmer, Andrew Gilman has introduced a range of measures to help reduce emissions from his 280-cow herd. Jonathan Wheeler finds out more.

The environmental impact of the dairy farming business run by Andrew Gilman at Statfold Farm, Staffordshire, has been slashed by maximizing the use of home-produced forage and other protein sources, and by generating as much power on-farm as possible.

Mr Gilman, a third generation tenant, explains that while these changes have resulted in a reduced environmental impact, yields have not been compromised with the cows giving an average of 10,500 litres at

4.39 per cent butterfat and 3.53. per cent protein.

Cows calve all year-round and are milked three-times a day at the 182-hectare (450-acre) farm, which has been part of AHDB Strategic Farm programme since 2020

The 50kW wind turbine was installed a decade ago. It achieved pay-back in four years. It was as good an investment as we could make, says Mr Gilman, who also has a biomass boiler in the farmhouse.

The 65kW solar panels, on the roof of the newest livestock building, came on line this spring.

For Mr Gilman there was one key financial driver in all of this rising prices were set to take energy from being the farms tenth biggest bill to its second, only topped by labour.

Between them, the turbine and the panels will supply much of the power the farm needs. Some power from the turbine is exported and they still import power, such as when milking at night.

And he aims to source more of his water needs, with a new bore hole being sunk this spring.

But with feed being a huge part of the farms costs and environmental impact, changes to this regime may have had the biggest impact.

The new diet was formulated with David Levick from Kite Consulting, and is based on multi-cut silage and other protein sources, replacing the soya and palm oil fed previously.

The feeding changes were prompted more by price rises than environmental concerns, but Mr Gilman was relieved to make the transition without any reduction in yield.

Good quality multi-cut silage is key, and has raised both metabolisable energy and protein levels from the 13 per cent he generally achieved with conventional cutting practice and dates to between 16 - 18 per cent.

Mr Levick says: That is raising its feed value and improving digestibility as well. Feed is also the biggest contributor to the farms carbon footprint, so even small changes can produce significant savings.

Feeding an appropriate level of protein is also crucial to reducing emissions says Mr Levick. Analysis of cow pats and slurry often shows significant levels of protein that is wasted feedstuffs.

He advocates considering the latest research from Wangeningen University in the Netherlands.

This suggests maintaining a consistent 16 per cent protein ration is the most efficient way to feed cows from both a production and an environmental standpoint.

With a diet above 16 per cent protein there is a risk some of that protein will not be utilised efficiently. And if protein falls to 14 per cent then there is the risk that output starts to suffer, says Mr Levick.

Getting this aspect of feeding correct is key to raising nitrogen use efficiency from the current level of 23 25 per cent towards the 43 per cent that is achievable, he adds.

Acerage

Making the most of the farms acreage is a long-term aim says Mr Gilman. We are surrounded by large arable farmers, so expanding the acreage is not an option.

The key to the new system is getting higher protein silage, and the multi-cut system is achieving that, says Mr Levick. We are aiming for a 16 per cent protein ration containing a much higher proportion of home-produced

forage.

Multi-cut silage delivers much more protein and energy, so it allows us to get up to 60 per cent forage inclusion, but is only possible if the forage is high quality.

C16 palm oil was fed until recently, but its availability, ridiculous price and huge feed miles made us review that.

By looking at methionine analogue use, we have been able to significantly improve fat and protein production, and achieve a lower cost diet.

Multi-cutting is dramatically improving silage quality, taking it from a typical ME of 11 to around 12, with protein content rising from 13 per cent to between 16 and 18 per cent.

The feed value is much better than what we could get with the conventional system and the digestibility of the fibre is better too.

First cut is taken in mid-April off 129ha (320 acres), with subsequent cuts at broadly monthly intervals off 60ha (150 acres).

Mr Levick says this means all cuts achieve good quality, whereas with the previous conventional system only the first one could be relied on, with ME often falling to 10 later in the season.

System

The system also suits the contractor, says Mr Levick. He can plan his work. In addition the younger grass causes less wear on his machinery.

Andrews costs may be a little higher but he gets broadly the same volume of silage, and it is typically one unit of ME higher and contains 3- 4 per cent protein, which offers 30 40 per cent more energy per acre.

That translates into a saving of 3kg of concentrate/cow/day, which more than covers the higher costs.

Over the last 18 years milking cow numbers have increased from 90 to 280, with a target of 300.

Mr Gilman says: At the moment our main concern is fertility, and we have left no stone unturned in trying to improve it.

I started genomic testing seven years ago. Replacement heifers are tested at two months so we know which are most feed efficient and can tailor future breeding programmes.

The rate of genetic gain [6 6.25 per cent] is faster than ever before and is now nearly double the national average.

The main housing is in a range of Victorian buildings, which were switched from loose yards to sand-bedded cubicles, and the new shed that supports the solar panels.

The new building holds 100 animals with plentiful cubicles, drinking/feed barrier and loafing space, and a resin feed strip so the TMR feed stays clean.

The other major infrastructure project has been grooving all the concrete walkways, a £7,000 operation that paid for itself almost instantly by halving casualty losses a welfare gain that also helps cut the farms carbon

footprint.