Factsheets
A result of the R4D project is to collect solutions/innovations from the different countries and publish the most helpful ones for the future as factsheets. Those are divided in 3 main Knowledge Areas:
Economic and social resilience 
Technical efficiency 
Animal welfare, Environment and Society 
Feel free to navigate through the factsheets and find the corresponding videos and webinars, as well:
https://view.genially.com/666ab42a5473290014564e11/presentation-r4darbre-decision
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| Knowledge Area | TITLE | DESCRIPTION | LANGUAGE | VIDEO | PDF DOWNLOAD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Biodiversity monitoring – A way to assess the impact of farming practices on ordinary biodiversity Environment Society friendly |
Across Europe multiple evaluation processes assess the impact of farming practices on ordinary biodiversity, using indirect indicators. Through an inventory of agricultural practices and agroecological structure, conclusions can be made on the impact of the farm on ordinary biodiversity. This allows for farmers to talk about biodiversity within a structured framework through the example of their farm. Within the dairy chain, tools are available to effectively use these processes to set up an action plan to preserve biodiversity on and around the farm. |  |
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Catch crops - cheap and environmental beneficial forages Environment Technical efficiency |
Ruminants are able to transform non-human-edible forages to high quality protein such as milk and meat. In the discussion of the future role of ruminants in global food production, there are strong arguments that the decreasing area of arable land mainly should be used for human nutrition and ruminant nutrition should mainly be based on grasslands and by-products from food production. Cover crops (=catch crops or intermediate crops) are usually grown between successive cash crops and are grown as green manure and ploughed in before establishment of the succeeding crop. Short lived forage species like Westerwold or Italian ryegrass, forage rape, fodder kale and vetches allow, besides all beneficial ecosystem services of traditional catch crops, additional harvesting of forage. The forage quality of catch crops is often underestimated. Many farmers in northwestern Europe have rediscovered the role of growing catch crops as strategy to make their farms more sustainable and resilient. | |
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Improve feed energy self-sufficiency through growing feed energy crops such as fodder beets and grains that can replace concentrates Animal welfare Economic resilience |
The feeding of dairy animals is a very important factor in the efficiency of farm production. It is also a key factor in animal welfare, health, longevity, duration of economic use and reproduction. The farmer's choice of feed ingredients can have a significant impact not only on the quantity and quality of the milk, but also on the overall economic performance of the farm. | |
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System to provide live reports on feed-intake and efficiency based on weighing system on mixer wagon Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Accuracy while weighing and adding the individual feed elements is essential to produce a feed mix that is optimized for the energy and nutritional needs of animals. There are several systems that, by attaching a unit on the weighing system of the mixer wagon, can provide live recording of weight to an app that is accessible on handheld terminals. The app can provide accurate data on consumption of feedstocks, the components of the rations and the ability to monitor feed costs and dry matter intake and more, depending on the specific app. | |
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Application of new grazing systems to increase market value of milk Animal welfare |
Nieuw Nederlands Weiden (‘Grazing New Dutch Style’) is the solution for dairy farmers who want to convert more fresh grass into milk, with a simple and easy-to-fit system. This system is convenient for both dairy farmer and cow, because it is clear to both where they stand every day. | |
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Housing technology for heat stress management Animal welfare Environment Technical efficiency |
Heat stress negatively affects the performance, reproduction, nutrition, health, and welfare of dairy cattle. Selection for increasing milk yields is lowering the minimum temperature-humidity index (THI) at which heat stress starts to depress milk production. Housing design, including cooling systems, is the primary way to reduce heat stress. Fans and water soakers or misters increase evaporative cooling effectiveness. | |
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Early detection of diseases - combination of sensors and software integrating information to assess fertility, health and location of animals Animal welfare Environment Technical efficiency |
Health disorders not only negatively affect the wellbeing of dairy cows but are also associated with significant economic losses to the farm. With a cow monitoring system such as use of sensors and other technologies, farmers can be alerted as soon as there are changes in rumination, activity, behavioural or eating patterns. | |
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Cross breeding with dairy breeds to improve performance, health fertility and longevity Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
In the past few decades, the focus in dairy cattle breeding has been mainly on the production of high volumes of milk. Pure-breeding is used in almost all breeds. Purebred and pedigree breeding has led to a deterioration in animal health parameters and reproduction traits. However, heterosis through crossbreeding has a positive effect on the fitness of the animals. | |
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Increase grazing vs indoor feeding to meet customer desires and added milk value Animal welfare |
Understanding consumer desires may help in adding value to milk (products). Consumers are found to care about sustainability, animal welfare and grazing - however, despite seeing higher value in systems that support animal welfare the willingness to pay does not necessarily go together with consumer preferences. One of the more apparent consumer preferences is having milk from dairy cows that have a relative higher degree of movement freedom, typical for free walk systems either with or without grazing, in line with their natural behaviour and/or fitting with cultural image. | |
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Biodiversity advisory and implementation package for dairy farms Environment Society friendly |
Biodiversity is crucial for both the planet and people, playing a key role in providing ecosystem services, regulation of the climate, pollination, maintaining soil health and adaptation to climate change. However, biodiversity is currently declining at an unparalleled rate, creating one of the most urgent environmental issues. | |
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On Farm Milk Sales Economic resilience Social resilience Society friendly |
Many farms have invested in fresh milk vending machines as a means of diversifying and getting more money for their milk. While these can be very successful there are the lot things that need to be got right and pit-falls that need to be avoided. | |
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Provide farmers with a bull selector tool to identify available sires that are consistent with their breeding goal Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
This tool helps to identify the most complementary match between the chosen sires and females in the herd to maximize the chance of producing high genetic merit offspring, but also a more consistent herd. Both genetic and genomic selection are important and provide complementary information. | |
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Community supported agriculture on dairy farms Economic resilience Social resilience Society friendly |
Community-supported agriculture (CSA) is a contract based partnership between farmers and consumers. The basic idea is that a fixed circle of consumers finances a farm and thus ensures their own supply of sustainable and high-quality food. It is an alternative socio-economic model of agriculture and food distribution that allows producers and consumers to share the risks of agriculture. The members advance money to the farmer for seeds, wages and agricultural equipment, decide together with the farmer what and how to produce and in return receive their share of fruit, vegetables, dairy products and meat. | |
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Attract workforce/employee cooperation Economic resilience Social resilience Society friendly |
Recruitment and managing the workforce (or human resource management) is becoming more important in agriculture since an increasing number of farms have employees. Creating anattractive workplace is important for attracting and retaining staff. | |
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Practices to capture carbon in the soil Environment Technical efficiency |
Climate resilience is one of today’s major challenge and carbon management is important to succeed on it. Indeed, carbon sequestration in the soil is an important lever. This sequestration is closely dependent of soil organic matter level. Some agricultural practices are benefit for it like no tilling and permanent vegetal cover. | |
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Working together on a farm Quote Economic resilience Social resilience Society friendly |
Dairy farms are typically family ventures were parents, children, siblings and others (including employed staff) need to work together in a coherent and cohesive manner. This can include the day to day running of the farm (daily tasks) to the longer-term strategic future of the farm which includes topics such as setting values, investments and significant changes to the business. | |
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Cooperation between tillage and dairy farmers Economic resilience Environment |
Increased co-operation between tillage and dairy farmers can be beneficial to both parties. The benefits achieved depend on the arrangements made between both but include slurry transfer from dairy to tillage farms, contract growing of fodder or tillage crops for dairy farmers or the swapping of land between the tillage and dairy farms. | |
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Selective dry cow therapy (using milk recordings) Animal welfare Environment Society friendly |
The spread of antibiotic resistance has become a major public health problem. Dryers are antibiotic-containing drugs that are used in milk production to dry off dairy cows, i.e. to switch them to the non-lactating phase. The selective drying-off of dairy cows means that not all cows are systematically dried off with antibiotics, but only cows with health problems. Selective drying off therefore makes a significant contribution to reducing the use of antimicrobials in milk production (according to estimates: 50% of cows could be dried off without antibiotics). | |
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Improved barns for greater animal welfare with outdoor access Animal welfare |
Providing cows with access to the outdoors, allowing them to move freely and ensuring cow comfort, is a concept that fits well with current trends in farm animal welfare Increased public awareness and consumer expectations of the treatment of animals are of great importance here. | |
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Strategies to reduce silage storage losses Animal welfare Economic resilience Environment Technical efficiency |
Strategies to reduce silage storage losses are key to achieving high forage quality and farm resilience. Appropriate harvesting and packing methods, as well as optimising storage conditions, can significantly reduce losses in silage quantity and quality. These strategies are based not only on modern technologies, but also on careful monitoring and planning of silage production. This comprehensive approach improves animal performance and the environmental sustainability of agricultural production. | |
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Improve protein self sufficiency through pulse crops Technical efficiency |
Pulses, such as faba beans and peas, are annual grain legumes that can be grown and used as feed to reduce dependence on purchased fertilisers and imported feeds. Legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen in association with Rhizobium bacteria in their root nodules and leave also some N in the field for the subsequent crop. Using pulses, protein supplements can be produced on the farm with virtually no nitrogen fertilisers. | |
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Improved water access for pre weaned calves to improve concentrate intake, hydration and welfare Animal welfare Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
The importance of providing drinking water to calves for improved production and animal welfare is widely recognised , however surveys and animal welfare assessment schemes suggest that many dairy calves do not have sufficient access to drinking water. | |
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Technical solutions to mitigate ammonia emissions Environment |
As dairy cows consume large amounts of nitrogen through proteins in their diets, a large amount is excreted in urine and feces. In manure, ammonia is formed by breaking down urea and is promoted by the amount of urea, temperature and the degree of mixing feces and urine. Depending on several factors, some of the ammonia formed is volatilized into the atmosphere. Gaseous ammonia in the atmosphere is undesirable, due to its negative influence on environmental and public health, due to the effect on air quality in both rural and urban areas. | |
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Cooperation between farmers to optimize farm efficiencies Economic resilience Social resilience |
Stimulate cooperation between farmers saves or creates new resources. Pooling these resources helps to optimise the farm. This cooperation can take different forms and activate different levers. It helps to make the farm more resilient. Cooperation strengthens the links between actors within a community in a given area. | |
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PREVENTION: GOOD PRACTICES AND BIOSECURITY Animal welfare Technical efficiency |
Biosecurity is a set of structures, tools and best practices (management and behaviour) that prevents the entrance of pathogens and/or prevents their circulation. Therefore, to achieve effective prevention, a robust biosecurity plan is needed, with the objective of reducing the need for antimicrobials. | |
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Multispecies Swards (MSS) - using forage herbs for enhanced forage yield, nutrient uptake and biodiversity Environment Technical efficiency |
Multispecies swards are swards that have a variety of plants including grasses, legumes, brassicas and herbs. When combined in a pasture, the species root at varying depths allowing them to access more nutrients and moisture in the soil, promoting better soil health and increasing pasture biomass. The deep rooting depth of herb species, such as chicory and plantain, increases carbon sequestration and improve the drought tolerance of multispecies swards. In addition, diverse pastures help improve biodiversity, particularly pollinators, and can help to reduce nitrate loss from pasture via a lower nitrogen fertiliser requirement. | |
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Cattle Eye as a tool to assess lameness in the dairy herd Animal welfare Society friendly |
AHDB have estimated lameness to cost between £3.30 6.80/ €3.80 --€8 per day per cow depending on how lame she is. In order to minimise these losses and optimise animal welfare, lameness needs to be detected at a very early stage. However, this is very difficult to do by eye. Cattle eye offers a technology that mobility score dairy cows using cameras. | |
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Replacement strategy when is my cow now longer profitable? Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
As a dairy farmer, you make daily decisions that have an impact on the final farm result. Making the right choices is therefore hugely important. Six dairy farmers took the initiative to help the sector move forward by offering practical tailor made tools for the dairy sector. The development was done together with Boerenbond and ILVO through an Operational Group and with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. This tool aims to support the dairy farmer in decisions regarding replacement strategy It easily calculates the minimum production of a (reformed) cow to break even. And this is always for two possible situations: comparison with an upcoming heifer and calculation of the minimum production to break even. | |
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Insemination strategy - inseminate with the right straw Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
As a dairy farmer, you make daily decisions that have an impact on the final farm result. Making the right choices is therefore hugely important. Six dairy farmers took the initiative to help the sector move forward by offering practical tailor made tools for the dairy sector. The development was done together with Boerenbond and ILVO through an Operational Group and with support from the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. This tool aims to support the dairy farmer in making his insemination strategy. It shows in a simple way what the financial additional yield can be if a dairy farmer uses sexed semen and utility crosses. Through this tool, the optimal situation for his farm can also be simulated. | |
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Strategies to reduce methane emissions: Methane captured and processed into biogas via a mobile plant Environment |
A major goal to reduce impact on the climate is to reduce emissions of the greenhouse gas methane (CH 4 ). Methane from manure (about 10 15% of farm emissions) can be captured to be processed and reused as biogas. A mobile plant can enable the use of the residual stream. | |
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Electricity Production on farm Economic resilience Environment |
The last few years have been marked by rising electricity prices and increasing energy demand. In a lot of European countries, guidelines have been put into place on photovoltaic production. With the dependence of dairy farms on electricity, the availability of building roof space and the economic profitability, more and more farms are considering the photovoltaic installation. | |
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Tool to calculate greenhouse gas emissions and carbon sequestration (carbon footprint) and to facilitate decision making about reduction on dairy farms Economic resilience Environment Social resilience |
The EU has targets in place to reduce agricultural emissions by 25 by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050 compared to 2018 levels. Using a carbon footprinting tool allows farmers to know their number, and use this to help put actions in place to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase carbon sequestion on their farm. | |
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Fencing of Water Bodies Environment Society friendly |
Preventing access by fencing off water bodies is a simple solution to help reduce pollution and damage to watercourses. Heavy trampling by livestock can erode banks and increase inputs of sediment and organic matter into a watercourse. This can then reduce water quality and can lead to the contamination of bathing waters and drinking water supplies. | |
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Feed additives to reduce rumen methane production Environment |
Different feed additives included in dairy cow diets can reduce ruminal methane emissions. Many countries target carbon neutrality and combating enteric methane emissions is one way to reach it. | |
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EFFICIENT USE OF WATER FOR CLEANING FLOORS Environment Technical efficiency |
One of the problems facing farmers in the near future will be water scarcity, largely due to climate change, so systems that help to optimise and improve water use efficiency are indispensable The following factsheet explains a strategy to save water, increasing both environmental and economic resilience, as it also results in economic savings. | |
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Cooperative organisation that co ordinates slurry storage, transport and application of slurry in the field, and provides slurry to arable farmers Environment Technical efficiency |
One of the problems faced by many dairy farmers in northern Spain is the management of the slurry generated. The lack of land and the rainfall of the area result in slurry tanks filling in a short period of time, so organisation systems are essential for efficient nutrient use. Below is a strategy through which it is intended to manage slurry surpluses generating energy and products with greater added value, in the geographical area of the Carranza Valley (Basque Country). | |
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Low emission slurry spreading by application of slurry directly on the ground or beneath the sward of grass Environment Society friendly Technical efficiency |
The application of slurry to match to grassland needs means applying slurry at the right place and time to provide readily available nitrogen (i.e. ammonium nitrogen) to support gassland growth and increase the organic matter content of the soil. The targeted use of slurry can partly reduce the need for highly energy intensive chemical fertilisers based on non renewable in puts. Using low emission slurry spreading equipment ( is a way to reduce ammonia emissions, improve water quality, reduce odour and increase the environmental and economic efficiency of growing grass. | |
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ENCOURAGING IMPLEMENTATION OF VARIABLE SPEED DRIVE VACUUM PUMPS, USE OF MILK PRE COOLING AND OPTIMISATION OF WATER HEATING CYCLES TO REDUCE ELECTRICITY USE Environment Technical efficiency |
The current scenarios of climate change and climate crisis make it necessary to work, in all aspects, much more efficiently and economically. In the dairy sector, conventional vacuum pump systems most often do not take into account air demands, with this varying widely throughout the cycle. The Variable Speed Drive determines exactly how much vacuum the system requires and regulates the speed of the pump. The result is a pump that runs at a much lower speed most of the time and requires less electricity to do the job. In addition, the heat released by the cooling tanks can be used for water heating. With these two measures, more and more farmers can improve energy efficiency, and reduce energy and water consumption, as well as CO 2 emissions. | |
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Adding value to milk: the A2A2 case Economic resilience |
A2A2 milk is characterized by the presence of A2A2 Beta Casein, unlike the commonly available milk which mainly contains the A1A1. Beta Casein Beta Casein A2A2 was originally present in bovine milk but over time, due to the genetic selection that occurred in dairy cattle, it was replaced by A1A1 variant. In the last few years, production and marketing lines of A2A2 milk have been created in several countries, valorizing this niche product. | |
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Separation of effluents Environment Social resilience |
The management of effluents is pivotal both for environment and for the social acceptability of farming. The separation of effluents can contribute on both aspects. | |
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Develop biogas plant Economic resilience Environment Technical efficiency |
The development of biogas plants on dairy farms reduces greenhouse gas emissions and increases the efficiency of slurry use, converting it into renewable energy and preserving its natural fertilizer properties. This dual benefit reduces energy costs and is in line with sustainability goals, offering an additional income stream on farms However, improper management of digestate can lead to worse environmental impacts than slurry. | |
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Earning carbon credits by implementing mitigation actions Environment |
The French Ministry for Ecological Transition has introduced the Low Carbon Label to encourage farmers to change their practices. To qualify for this certification, the assessment method must be certified by the Ministry. The method is called Carbon Agri and applied to mixed crop and livestock farms. The label concerns emission reductions . The tool used to evaluate is CAP'2ER cf FS93) | |
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Increasing the efficiency of slurry by soil injection to reduce nitrogen losses and increase yields Economic resilience Environment Society friendly |
The use of slurry injectors provides the fertilizer to the point where the plants receive the nutrients required for growth. This reduces nitrogen losses and strong odour to a minimum. Therefore, injectors are the best solution for improving the value of slurry, increasing yields and being environmentally friendly. | |
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CAP'2ER, a tool to assess carbon footprints and support innovative approaches Environment |
Consumers, politicians or dairy farmers are increasingly concerned about the environmental impact of farms and, more specifically, about the carbon emissions, as part of the climate change challenge. | |
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Breeding indexes and genetic selection to improve the characteristics of the dairy herd Animal welfare Economic resilience |
Breeding indexes can help to make better breeding decisions i.e. selection of the cows and bulls to be parents of the next generation. Breeding decisions have a long term effect on the future of the dairy farm as the effect of breeding is permanent and cumulative . Breeding is one of the main ways to influence the sustainability of cattle farming. | |
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Creation of agrifood value chain transparency Economic resilience Society friendly |
The primary agricultural sector faces several problems related to price volatility, dependence on intermediaries, unequal competition, rising production costs and lack of price transparency, so a food value chain observatory is crucial to collect, analyse and share relevant data on production, distribution, prices and market trends in order to solve many of these problems. | |
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MANURE APPLICATION TAILORED TO PLANT NEEDS Economic resilience Environment Social resilience |
The fertilisation with manure is a biological help for crops and it allows to lower the use of chemical fertilizers, but it can be a potential perturbance of the “soil crop” system and it can lead to negative effects on the environment (soil, water and air) when it is not properly performed. The following practice can minimize the side effects of the agronomic interventions and maximize the benefits. | |
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Career coaching support and stimulation Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Experience and knowledge gained over time are no longer enough to run your farm. Farming requires constant decision making, and it is normal that farmers cannot do everything equally well. If you find that you have more talent or desire for some tasks than others, then ask yourself questions such as: what do I want, what can I do well and where do I want to go? Career coaching may be for you! | |
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Working hours monitoring Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Labour cost is one of the major costs on dairy farms. Working time monitoring is a relevant topic especially in large and growing dairy farms. Digital and easy-to-use work time monitoring is useful both in measuring the farmer’s own work efficiency, but also in relation to employees’ work time monitoring. | |
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Re educate and inform the (young) public about farming - Fro de Bauer" (ask the farmer) Social resilience |
There are many preconceptions circulating about modern agriculture To dispel these, a group of Luxembourg's rural youth and young farmers took the initiative of communicating the facts with objective articles and engaging in active public relations work | |
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Increased use of contractors for fodder production Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
Dairy farmers are now looking after many more cows per labour unit than in previous generations. In addition, farm sizes and the area needing to be harvested etc. has increased resulting in the need for larger machinery which has become much more expensive. This makes the use of contractors for fodder production an attractive option for dairy farmers. | |
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Exploring the possibility of on-farm milk processing Economic resilience Environment Social resilience |
The dairy market is volatile and very much linked to world dynamics of supply and demand. To limit price volatility, a possible solution is to sell agricultural products directly to the final consumer to be able to recover added value along the supply chain. This is currently made possible because the necessary technology is affordable for small scale dairy family farm businesses. | |
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Relying on specialized expertise in specific aspects of farming Animal welfare Economic resilience Environment Society friendly Technical efficiency |
Dairy farming is a complex enterprise that requires expertise in areas such as animal health, breeding, nutrition, and environmental management. External service providers contribute specialized knowledge and abilities that might not be present internally and they also play a critical role in ensuring regulatory compliance and promoting sustainability. | |
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Improve protein self sufficiency through improvement of grassland management Animal welfare Environment Society friendly Technical efficiency |
Increasing the consumption of grazed grass through better grassland and grazing management will help to improve protein self sufficiency. The key to pasture management is synchronizing the animals' daily requirements with the grass supply. | |
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Automatic calf feeding Animal welfare Technical efficiency |
Automatic milking of calves is an innovative solution that contributes significantly to improving efficiency and animal welfare in agriculture. With precision monitoring and an individual approach to each calf, better production results can be achieved and at the same time the health of the young animals can be taken care of. | |
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Automation of labour using milking and feeding robots Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
Growing dairy herds on farms leads to a higher workload, especially due to regularly recurring, time bound activities such as milking. This leads to less flexibility on the farms and can also have a stressful effect on personal life. In addition, trained skilled workers are increasingly difficult to find. In order to achieve the goals of reducing working hours and increasing time flexibility, making work easier and providing individualized animal care for herds, farms are focusing on automating work processes. | |
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Use of recycled manure solids as bedding material in cubicles for cows Animal welfare Technical efficiency |
Interest in using recycled manure solids (RMS) as bedding material has increased in recent years. Potential advantages include increased cow comfort, reduced costs and increased environmental sustainability compared with other bedding materials. | |
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Automatic feeding systems AFS Animal welfare Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
The TMR (Total Mixed Ration) is the most common feeding system in in door dairy farming. Thanks to modern technology, the process of preparation and distribution of feed is partially or totally automated, with positive effects on several aspects of the farm management. | |
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Explore, align with stakeholders and develop opportunities to align with regional rural goals on biodiversity and water and farm management Economic resilience Social resilience |
Farmers are entrepreneurs that sometimes may feel that they are being managed in how to do their job as well as being piled under by rules and regulation. This may lead to growing displeasure, unhappiness and resistance amongst farmers at the expense of their relations with influencers, stakeholders, policy makers and society, who are often experiencing the same challenges. Approaches that encourage collaboration , discussion and working on perspectives that are carried more broadly can help to steer and reach multi stakeholders’ targets, wishes and desire s. One such approach is called in the Netherlands the ‘De Marke Model’. This model may serve as a basis, example or reference for similar approaches elsewhere. | |
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Biogas - How to utilise cattle effluents Economic resilience Environment |
The reduction of GHG emissions, the improved utilization of effluents, and the increase of green energy use are top priorities in dairy farms Anaerobic digestion of the effluent/livestock waste fits the realisation of those targets Biogas plants allow ruminant producers to get carbon credits both because of the emissions avoided by the storage of effluents and because biogas, which is a renewable energy source, can replace fossil sources. | |
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Virtual fencing Animal welfare Economic resilience Social resilience Society friendly |
Wire fences are labour intensive (e.g. strip grazing), need frequent maintenance and hinder efficient grazing with overgrazing. A virtual fence may solve these problems. The investment cost may be recovered by mo re efficient grazing with higher production results and the loss of labour and maintenance costs of wire fences. | |
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Reduction of first calving age to 23-25 month results in increased lifetime yield and profitability Animal welfare Environment Society friendly Technical efficiency |
A first calving between 23 and 25 months of age maximizes the profitability of the business, but the heifer must have sufficient conformation to reach this objective without danger. Sustained, controlled growth from birth is therefore necessary to ensure the harmonious development of the future dairy cow, without compromising her future production capacity. | |
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Good practices for calf rearing that leads to high productive dairy cows Animal welfare Economic resilience |
Young stock can often be overlooked as the incur cosy rather than delivering an income. Rearing quality heifers is essential to maintain dairy herds. To achieve key targets (such as 24 month calving), a good start in life is essential. This factsheet with outline Good practices for calf rearing that leads to high productive dairy cows. | |
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Measuring young stock for optimal growth Animal welfare Economic resilience |
By measuring young stock on a regular basis, the farmer gets a better insight into the growth of the young stock. For example, the farmer can detect at an early stage if growth is not optimal and can intervene quickly. Optimizing young stock growth leads to lower rearing costs, higher milk production when they become lactating cows and more sustainable livestock as they have a higher lifetime production. Therefore, this measure can lead to a more resilient farm. | |
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Preventive Mastitis Milk Testing (MASTdecide) to apply a better treatment strategy Animal welfare Environment Society friendly |
The development and spread of antimicrobial resistance has become a major issue for public health. In dairy production, most antimicrobials are applied for the treatment of udder inflammation (68%). A significant reduction of antimicrobial usage in dairy production can be achieved either directly by optimization of antimicrobial usage for clinical mastitis and dry cow treatment or indirectly by general udder health improvement. | |
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Strategic hoof trimming to improve herd health status and longevity Animal welfare Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Lameness is a major animal welfare concern within the dairy industry, and leads to financial losses . Strategic hoof trimming, also knows as routine hoof trimming, is a preventative practice where the entire herd has their hooves examined (and trimmed if required). | |
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Colostrum management Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Calves are born without antibodies in their blood and are totally dependent on antibodies in the colostrum they drink after birth. Good colostrum management is extremely important to rear healthy calves, but also productive cows. However, colostrum management is not optimal at many farms, which has of course a financial impact. | |
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Herd health plan produced with vet Animal welfare Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Good animal health is key to improving animal welfare and increasing productivity. Creating a herd health plan (HHP) with a vet helps to mitigate the risk of disease and review the current health status of the herd. The plan should outline preventative strategies as well as treatment protocols. | |
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Maximizing forage performance to reduce concentrate feed - grass silage Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Ruminants have a unique ability to convert fibrous feed materials into high quality milk and meat products thanks to the genius evolutionary development the rumen. The rumen harbours fibrolytic microbes that allow utilization of e g grass that is not directly human edible Grass cultivation provides many ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, improved biodiversity, less erosion, capture of nutrients, better soil structure etc. Fibrous forages are natural feeds for ruminants and support the health of their digestive system. Typically grass based feeds are also cheaper than concentrate feeds. All these factors support high use of grass in the diets of ruminants, but it requires production of good quality grass based feeds. | |
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Red clover as a pure stand for silage can bring benefits Environment Technical efficiency |
Red clover (Trifolium pratense ) has many benefits, such as the ability to fix nitrogen thanks to the symbiotic Rhizobium bacteria in its root nodules, it improves biodiversity, and it has favourable characteristics as a feed component in ruminant diets. However, the persistency of red clover is poor in Boreal swards and the leys seldom last longer than two years. | |
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Picking sires to suit specific traits of dairy cows on farm Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
A dairy farmer must take into account numerous genetic and environmental factors when selecting sires. These factors include the breeding objective, genetic level of the herd, genetic information on individual animals, relatedness, technological circumstances, input and market prices. The decision on mating pairs has a long term impact on the herd. | |
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Cross breeding with beef cattle breeds to increase the value of surplus young stock Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
The price of Inseminating dairy calves is very low or null. The innovation propose to increase the value of calves by inseminate dairy cows with semen from beef bulls breed to produce calves for meat production. | |
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Use of sexxed semen to increase the number of heifer calves Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Sexed semen is an innovative technology that allows the predetermination of calf sex with about 90% reliability. However, uptake has been hindered by lower conception rates, higher costs and limited availability of both semen and sires. Greater utilisation of sexed semen can help improve the efficacy of both dairy and beef production, increase farm profitability, and help improve the environmental sustainability of cattle production. | |
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Genomic assessment of newborn calves Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Genomic assessment of newborn calves is a process in which their DNA can provide valuable genetic information. Herd management based on genetic information helps improve breeding value, productivity, usability and conformation of the herd. It is more reliable and efficient. Each new generation represents a new, higher genetic potential. | |
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Management of hedges and marginal areas to improve biodiversity Economic resilience Environment Social resilience |
Hedgerows and marginal areas, such as field margins and road verges, are a typical landscape feature in many parts of Europe. They provide an important habitat for a variety of flora and fauna. However, increased agricultural intensification and associated land use changes over the past decades have led to a dramatic decrease in the biodiversity of hedgerows and marginal areas. | |
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Agroforestry on dairy farms Animal welfare Environment Society friendly |
For several decades, plots of land have been grouped together, and trees have been pulled down to facilitate the cultivation of agricultural land. Nowadays, some farmers are experimenting with planting trees/hedges within plots for various reasons: to provide shade for the animals, to create a microclimate favourable to grass growth, to increase biodiversity, to diversify production (e.g. orchards, wood chips as bedding material). | |
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Use of Hospital Pens Animal welfare Society friendly Technical efficiency |
Animals suffering from injuries or diseases tend to change their behaviour and have other needs than healthy animals. Animals suffering from infectious disease must be separated from healthy animals to avoid spread of diseases. Use of hospital pens is a solution to handle these challenges. | |
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Use of rubber-coated flooring in alleys improves and stimulates safe cow movement Animal welfare Technical efficiency |
Concrete is a hard and abrasive surface for cows to stand and walk on. Rubber matting is designed to increase grip and create a softer surface, increasing cow comfort and health. Farmers should consider implementing rubber matting in high risk and high use areas to improve animal welfare and production. | |
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Offering milk to calves via teat using bucket or milk bars Animal welfare Economic resilience Social resilience |
Traditionally many calves are fed milk in buckets. Offering milk to calves via teat, teat bucket or milk bars (instead of buckets or troughs) provides an out let for the sucking motivation and can therefore prevent the development of cross sucking . | |
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Group housing of calves Animal welfare Society friendly |
Housing calves in small groups of 2-7 calves pre-weaning has welfare benefits compared to both individual housing and housing in larger groups. Individual housing in the milk feeding period is stressful for calves because it prevents social behaviour and restricts calves movement. Housing calves in groups larger than 7 calves is associated increased incidence of respiratory disease. | |
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Sand Bedding in freestalls Animal welfare |
Sand provides a comfortable lying surface and provides extra grip when getting up and lying down. Cows lie down longer on sand than on harder surfaces. In addition, sand is an inorganic material in which environmental bacteria growth is limited, and the prevalence of lameness and mastitis problems is low. However, management of sand in cubicle housing has its challenges. | |
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Improvement of health, fertility and longevity in dairy herds to provide higher income for farmers and to reduce negative environmental effect Animal welfare |
Improving the health, fertility and longevity of dairy herds is a multifaceted task with far reaching benefits. As well as improving animal welfare, it can significantly increase farmers' incomes and reduce the negative environmental impacts of dairy farming. Described below is a comprehensive strategy to achieve these goals. | |
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Cow-calf contact systems for improving animal health and welfare - Foster cows Animal welfare Society friendly |
Cow calf contact ( systems, where calves are housed together with dairy cows, are being developed and evaluated to enable animals to express more natural maternal and suckling behaviour. Calves in CCC systems generally have greater growth rates, especially before weaning, than conventionally reared calves. Different management strategies are based on the amount of maternal contact and suckling allowed. Here a ' CCC system is described. | |
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Freewalk housing system Animal welfare |
A freewalk housing system is a barn without cubicles. In the past, deep litter systems with straw as bedding material was developed. The freewalk systems are in development with various bedding material and ample space per cow, about 10 to 15 m 2 per cow in the bedded area where cows can walk and lie down. The aim of the freewalk housing system is to create more movement space for the animals, as well as to provide manure fractions, or manure products that can improve soil quality. To this end, feces and urine may be separated on a permeable synthetic floor or a sand bedding, or composted organic material, such as sawdust or wood chips, can be used. | |
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Work Assessment Method - a way to discuss labour with farmers Economic resilience Social resilience |
The Work Assessment Method (WAM), designed by INRAE and Idele French Livestock Institute in the 1990s, quantifies the work related to management of herds and lands. It assesses farmer’s room for manoeuvre in terms of time needed to carry out other professional activities and to have free time. This tool was created for advisers and farmers to help global analysis of livestock farming systems from a work perspective. | |
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Applying LEAN on a farm Social resilience |
Dairy Lean is a management system that encourages continuous improvement in production efficiency, maximizing value creation and minimizing losses in every dairy production process. | |
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Managing employees Social resilience |
Management can be defined as "All the different techniques of organization and management of all resources and teams within a company that enable the development of an organization". In addition to remuneration, it is important to consider human relations with employees as a key factor in recruiting, motivating and retaining staff. Poor management can deteriorate working conditions and organisation on the farm. | |
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Human resource management, incentive systems and financing benefits to retain employees, linked to production results Economic resilience Social resilience |
Agriculture has long been based on farming families to supply most of the farm labor. The number of farming families has decreased, due to the migration of youth from rural areas to cities to pursue employment and obtain a more competitive income In the long er term new agricultural technologies have the potential to help address the challenges of the labor requirements on dairy farms. | |
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Generational succession strategies, support and planning Economic resilience Social resilience |
"The average age of farmers is very much at the older end of the age spectrum; one third (32%) of farm managers in the EU were 65 years of age or more in 2016. Only 11% of farm managers in the EU were young farmers under the age of 40 years." Volatile profitability, low prestige of rural jobs, demographic issues, and an increasing number of policy regulations make dairy farming less attractive to young people to remain in the sector. | |
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Finance models to facilitate succession Economic resilience Social resilience |
Dairy farm succession involves transferring ownership and management from one generation to the next. It's a complex process due to emotional attachment, financial considerations and legal complexities. Several financial models can be used, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. | |
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Training of vets on advising on prevention methods Animal welfare Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Training vets to provide advice on preventive measures for animals is essential for promoting their well being. Such training should cover topics such as vaccination schedules, parasite control, nutrition and health assessment. | |
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Engage advisory services/consultants to improve farm management Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
Dairy farming is a complex enterprise which encompasses fields such as animal health, nutrition, grass and crop agronomy / management, HR, machinery, environmental compliance, business planning etc. It is almost impossible to have expertise in all these areas. This is where advisory services and specialist consultants can help. | |
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Peer groups of farmers to share technical skills, socio-economic knowledge and provide support with the use of facilitation methods Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
To be resilient, farms need to adapt to an evolving environment. Organised support groups enable people to share personal experiences and ideas that push the whole group forward. At a local level, peer groups of farmers help each other adapt to change by sharing knowledge, innovations to be tested, failures and successes. Peer groups benefit from collective strength and professional facilitation. | |
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Personal development on a wide spectrum of topics to increase resilience skills Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
Personal development covers a wide range of topics aimed at improving a person's resilience skills. Resilience is the ability to adapt, recover and thrive in the face of difficulties, challenges and setbacks. It encompasses various aspects of personal growth and self improvement that are important to invest in and deepen. | |
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Improve quality of advisory services Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
Quality advisory services are the basis for successful decision making, personal and professional growth and long term success. Improving the quality of advisory services requires developing a strategy, which we describe in this factsheet. Improving the quality of advisory services provided to the dairy sector is crucial to the sustainability and success of dairy farming. | |
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Grants to promote knowledge dissemination, skills enhancement and oppoprtunity identification Economic resilience Social resilience Society friendly |
Provide financial aid to hire, promote and encourage people to work in the agricultural sector, food industry and rural environment. This can be carried out by teaching trainees in the management, operation and reality of the agriculture and agri-food sector and thus achieving the transfer of knowledge. | |
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Outsourcing of General Contract work Economic resilience Social resilience Technical efficiency |
Over recent years the number of dairy farmers has decreased while the average herd size has increased. Dairy farmers are now looking after many more cows per labor unit than in previous generations. At the same time agricultural machinery has become much more expensive. This makes contracting of machinery work an attractive option for dairy farmers. | |
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Routeplanner Dairy cattle Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Many dairy farmers do not know enough about the level of costs and income on their dairy farms. This knowledge is essential to make correct management decisions Instead of making decisions based on intuition, it is better to adjust your business operations based on factual results. Not only is the knowledge of one's own company of added value but also comparable knowledge from similar companies. Through external comparison, strengths and weaknesses can be quickly identified and this knowledge can give rise to the correct action. A management tool can include both economic and technical figures. | |
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Individual Farm KPI/Economic indicators including sectoral indicators for benchmarking Economic resilience Social resilience |
Many dairy farmers do not know enough about the level of costs and income on their dairy farms. This knowledge is essential to make correct management decisions Instead of making decisions based on intuition, it is better to make adjustments to business operations based on accurate information. The knowledge of one's own company, and of other similar companies, adds value when making decisions. Through external comparisons, strengths and weaknesses can be quickly identified and this knowledge can give rise to the right action. A management tool can include both economic and technical figures. | |
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Managing cash flows Economic resilience Technical efficiency |
Grass based milk production is seasonal and results in peaks and troughs in cash flow for the farm business. Because of this, a cash flow planner will help farmers to better manage their cash flow throughout the year, improving their mental health and the resilience of their farm. | |
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