BioPro Farmers' Results
Long term results that make a big difference
• Pick up slip from Jamie Berne's farm Tasmania at the end of the second lactation
on the BioPro Program
• Jamie is rated in the top 100 producers Australia-wide for milk quality
• Feeding 8 - 9 kilos of concentrates average in the dairy
• 30 days until drying off
• Average 28 liters (3 - 4 liters higher than past years)
• Minimal mastitis, very low SCC
• Consistent solids
• Similar figures on other high producing farms using BioPro products
on similar feeding strategies
• Trouble-free calving, minimal herd health issues
• Greatly improved results compared with previous years
Autopsies performed on high grain-fed cull cows from herds that have been fed BioPro products for several years have shown very healthy rumen papillae, both in length and width with no indication of scaring or insult. (Image below high grain-fed cow from Jamie Berne's farm)
These high grain feeding herds had removed their usual rumen buffers at the start of the Biopro program. These autopsy reports, which are available on request, showed long term maintenance of rumen and digestive tract health.
Rumen image below from post mortem performed by Dr. Dave Nolan (BVSc.) from Meander Valley Veterinary service on a cull cow from Jamie Berne's herd showing extremely well-developed papillae from one of five autopsies performed, two in Qld, two in Tasmania and one in NSW. This cow had been fed very high amounts of grain, producing over 14,000 litres in the first year on the Biopro program. In the period prior to the autopsy she was on 9 kilos of concentrate and milking 36 liters from 3 quarters, rumen and digestive tract health and well-developed papillae are paramount for nutrient absorption, herd health and consistent production, especially in high grain-fed cattle and herds on volatile rye grasses high in nitrates and low in effective fibre.
The Robbie Malcolm Story
Being very efficient and high production farmers, Robbie and Allison had struggled with the many problems that can be associated with such a high input system. Once starting on the full BioPro program and after removing the commonly used chemical rumen buffers and bicarb, Robbie and Allison were very happy with the ongoing results they observed.
Since then, the efficiencies created have allowed them to reduce their inputs while maintaining production. They have had very good herd health and cell count, with very consistent production.
Q & A session - Robbie Malcolm
The following are questions in a quick Q & A format that we put to Robbie and Allison in what they have observed in the last 3 years since starting on the Biopro probiotic based program. Robbie and Allison are the owners of Pardee Holsteins, a well known, very high production herd in Northern Victoria.
Their observations are consistent with what other farmers from North Queensland to Tasmania and New Zealand are reporting.
As Robbie and Allison have often said, “In our opinion, this product has assisted our operation from calf rearing to springers. It has helped make dairying easier and more profitable and we would not dairy without this product in our system.”
Springers
1. LDAs - "Haven't had one for about 3 yrs, after being plagued with them
on the standard lead feed supplements we used to use"
2. Milk Fever - "Combined with the correct cereal hay we don't have milk fever"
3. Ketosis - "Don't get any." (This is extremely important as ketosis is extremely
limiting and can be a base cause of many of the metabolic disorders in early lactation)
4. RFMs - "Minimal, but that only happens if there are calving complications; even cows
that have twins usually clean immediately."
5. Mastitis - "Maybe 1 in a 100 might calve in with mastitis, cows respond quickly to treatment and get over it faster than normal"
6. Assisted calvings - "If there is a foot backward or something isn't right.
This Autumn we've calved 160 and assisted no more than 10"
7. Ease of calving - "They calve quicker"
8. General energy and strength of cows at calving - "calve quickly because their energy is good"
9. Appetite - "Eating well so that all works in with above"
Fresh Cows
1. How do they come in - "Ready to fire"
2. How long to get onto milk flow - "About a week"
3. Cell count - "Low right from the start"
4. Acidosis - "Practically nil"
5. Clinical Mastitis - "Very rare"
6. Body condition through first 90 days - "Very good"
7. Heats - frequency & strength - "Strong heats and start cycling
in the first 3 weeks of calving"
8. Fat - "increased slightly"
9. Protein - "Protein test is good due to them holding body condition"
10. Volume - "Increased"
11. Lactation curve - "Very consistent and protracted"
Mid-to-end lactation
1. Fat - "Higher"
2. Protein - "Higher"
3. Volume - "Consistent and higher at dry off"
4. Cell count - "Herd average under 100. Range from 43 to 110"
6. Mastitis - "Very rare"
7. Acidosis - "Practically nil"