Sweden Description of Milk recording 2011-07-15 Recording system and methods Method B4 according to ICAR. A4 is possible but not requested by farmers. Appen dix Organization Swedish Dairy Association is responsible for Milk Recording (MR), methods, the database and issues the rules. 1 Three Livestock Cooperatives are responsible for the fieldwork and carries out the work at the farms. Swedish Board of Agriculture (SJV) issues the framework rules, mainly to secure that MR must be open to all, non-discriminating etc. No interfering according to practical implementation of MR. Analysis The milk samples are collected on the farm mainly by the tank trucks from the dairies. Within three areas in southwest of Sweden the technicians are collecting the samples and the forms. The milk samples are transported to EurofinsSteins in Jönköping for analysis. The cost of the analysis is paid by the Livestock Cooperatives. Fat, protein, somatic cells and urea is analyzed on all samples. If the amount of milk in the sample is not sufficiently priority is given to the analysis of the somatic cells. Input. Forms and electronically Central Cattle Database (CDB) Reporting of input data is done via scannable forms or by PC software. All scanning is made at Freja Husdjur, Skara. Data files are sent several times a day to the cattle database at the Swedish Dairy Association. Most areas use scanning but some areas register the data by hand using a RODEpunch program at the Livestock Cooperatives. Farmers with PC software often register the data by themselves and send the data files via Internet to the Swedish Dairy Association. Scanned, registered data and data sent by PC software are continuously processed. In connection with the processing of the milk recording the forms for reports the next milk recording are printed. The milk report is therefore created a month in advance. By the PC-Software it is possible to transfer data from on-farm management systems to milk recording/cow database, for a number of systems (DeLaval, GEA, Nedap, SAC ) Information from herds, within the system for milk recording, is sent to the National Cattle Database. Information that should be sent to SJV, to the Central Cattle Database (CDB) is sent every night. Calving, transportations of animals, animals that have entered or left the herd have to be reported to CDB/ the Milk Recording-system 7 days, at the latest, after it has occurred. CDB is not connected to the Cattle Database at Swedish Dairy Association. 2
Database Datasystem Reports Output Results Milk recording - the periodisation Identity A farmer who sends his reports within the Milk Recording System does not have to send his reports to CDB. The Milk recording system is responsible for that all the necessary information from the Milk Recording System is transferred to CDB. Informix database on UNIX environment The milk recording system mainly consists of Cobol-programs in a Unix environment. Corrections are made directly on-line. Everything that is registered or scanned (inseminations, treatments, milk, calving, animals that have entered or left the herd, orders etc.) is processed and extensive plausibility tests are done. The database is updated continuously during 0600-2300, as soon as new data is entered Information that is missing or wrong is placed in an error register and must be corrected before the data is processed. Error register are available on-line to the livestock cooperatives. Corrected error registers updates the database every full hour during day through batches. There is an on-line client for the Livestock Cooperatives and the Swedish Dairy Association with different permission levels for various officials. The results, reports, are written the night after the calculations are done and are sent back to the farm about 5 days after the recording. The time between milk recording to lab analyzing is 2,5 days and to data processing about 4,5 days. Standard reports presentation is available and it is possible to order various reports for observations on individual cows, Reports with results, observations and registrations for each cow. The annual report is sent to the herd at the end of September. PC software is available to present the results from milk recording and the registrations for insemination. In connection with the processing of the results from milk recording it is possible for the farmer to fetch the results and, via Internet and a PC, create different reports. This can be done immediately after that data is processed. A number of different webb-reports are available with data from the Milk Recording. 1st of September to 31st of August is the year for the Milk Recording. The 12 months are divided into periods whose number is equal to the number of the amount of milk recordings during the 12 months and the length is decided from the days of the recordings. The interval between two milk recordings is divided into two equal halves (in case of an uneven amount of days the second half will be one day longer). A calculation period consists of two of these halves. Correct identity of the animals control of the identity 3
Identification of the animals is a mandatory part in the Milk Recording. All identification of animals shall be as directed by SJV, Swedish Board of Agriculture. Cattle must be marked with ear tags and equipments approved by the SJV. Calves must be marked with original tag in each ear within 20 days after birth, and have to reported within 7 days from tagging. All events on the farm must be recorded in one of the SJV approved stable journals, either on paper or on electronic media. This applies to all owners of cattle, whether you are in the Milk Recording or not. SJV s regulations for records of animals regard animals in herds in the Milk Recording. For complete rules regarding this, refers to information from SJV. To facilitate the accurate identification of animals should strive the following procedures: - Calving should immediately be recorded on the farm and must be reported within 7 days. - Calves should be tagged with ear tags immediately at birth, reducing the risk of confusion between mothers and calves, especially important in large herds, at times of many calving. - ET-calves: will not get any known pedigree before it has been verified through DNA analysis of blood or test from the hair follicles. There are special rules for procedures regarding this. The identity a calf gets at birth, which is printed on the ear tag, is unique and will never change, and is also known as SE-identity. In the system for the Milk Recording this identity is also called birth identity. On the eartag provide information about: - Country name (SE for Sweden). - The identity number of the herd where the calf is born. - The individual identity number, so called ear-number. - Check digit. In the data system for the Milk Recording is birth identity, sex (1 for male and 2 for female) and year of birth (the last two digits) also included in the full identity. The data system for the Milk Recording demands that every animal in the herd has a unique ear, individual number for identification in the herd. If you e.g. buy an animal with number 99 and there already exists an animal with this number the new animal will get another serial number that is used in this herd. This identity is called barn identity, number (bruksidentitet) and includes the current herd identification, the unique number and a number for the Livestock Cooperatives that the herds belong to. In general reports When a cow is calving a report is made including the identity of the calf. Controls are made checking that the
calving Paternity verifikation information of the mother are correct according to the time of gestation, calving interval etc. There is no report of father. Information of the father is made within the AI system. This is made by searching insemination or mating on the specified mother. Only inseminations or matings that have occurred 310-240 days before calving are included in the calculations. Exceptions are made when the farmer reports that it is an early calving. Then inseminations or mating that occurred 310-215 days before calving is used. When known day of mating or insemination is reported for the latest used bull following rules are used: The latest used bull is reported as father except for following cases when it is impossible to define a father, unless the pedigree can be verified by DNA analysis. - If the mother is inseminated/mated with different bulls within six days starting from the last stated bull. - If the mother is inseminated/mated with semen from different bulls within more than six days and the calving has occurred from the day for the second last used bull within specified number of days ( see table). Is the mother a crossbreeding the breed is defined from the father s breed. Breed Interval, days Swedish Red and White breed Within 289 days Swedish Holstein Within287 days Swedish Polled Within 294 days Swedish Jersey Within 289 days Hereford Within 292 days Charolais Within 293 days Angus Within 288 days Limousine Within 296 days Simmental Within 294 days Highland Cattle Within 283 days Blonde d aquitaine Within 289 days If the latest used bull is used with natural service following tests are used: No bull within the interval 240-310 days, (215-310 days at early calving) = Father unknown. A bull within the interval 240-310 days (215-310 days) = Father known. A bull within the interval for normal gestation + 11 days. Another bull outside normal pregnancy + 17
days. The first bull will become father known. Normal gestation with regard to the breed of the mother, see table. Breed Interval, days Swedish Red and White breed 281 Swedish Holstein 279 Swedish Polled 286 Swedish Jersey 279 Hereford 281 Charolais 285 Angus 280 Limousine 288 Simmental 286 Highland Cattle 275 Blonde d aquitaine 291 Other breeds 281 Two or more bulls within the interval normal gestation + 17 days = Father unknown. The Livestock Cooperative may decide pedigree if coloring can verify paternity or result of an early pregnancy test clearly exclude other possible fathers. Pedigree information (father and mother) for animals born in herds that are not involved in official control at the time of the birth, must not register in the Cattle Database, Milk Recording with an official pedigree. Milk recording Samples for analysis Rules for collecting samples Minimum 11 test-days per year ICAR B4 1
Instructions for sampling of milk The milk samples are collected during 24 hours, normally for all of the milk recordings throughout the year. - A farmer can choose to collect milk samples every second milk recording, but this is very uncommon. - The farmer can choose between to collect a sample at every milking or to collect a sample at one of the milkings, when milking two times a day. - When milk recording with a sample at every milking, en equal amount of milk is collected at morning and evening milking = total 25 ml of milk. - When milking a cow once a day a full amount of milk, 25 ml, is collected in the morning and in the evening. - If one analysis is chosen for one milking an amount of 25 ml is collected. In the report should be noticed if the sample is collected in the morning or in the evening. -When milking 3 times a day samples are collecting at least at two different milkings. - AMS= one analysis every time the cow visits the AMS unit. An average (not weighted) is used for fat, protein, somatic cells and urea. Samples older than 5 days should not be analyzed at Eurofins Steins (lab). There is a possibility to send two analyses from the milktank. The milk is poured from the tubes/containers of the milkmeters to a cup/vase for mixing. A dipper is used for immediate collection of milk. The vials for the samples are in cassettes of 60 vials/cassette, tray Bronopol is in the vial to preserve the sample. The sample is put into the room with the milktank until the transporter or a technician from a livestock cooperative collects it. There are labels with barcodes for identifying every vial and cassette. The vials are not marked with the identity of the cow. The cassettes are marked with dates, number of sample vials in total and cassette number. The cassette is marked with red colour left to show which way the cassette should be turned. The vials are connected to cow s id either by the order in the cassette/on registration forms on paper, in the PC program or by a connection between the cow s identification and the sample cup by barcode, the same as the system in Denmark. The same type of sample cup is used in Sweden as in Denmark since May 2011. Excluded are herds with AMS/VMS systems which not yet are adjusted to the new sample cups. 4
Laboratory Follow-up on test results Correction for fat samples every milking, 2 times a day Correction for fat - exception Corrections for fat and protein, samples only at one milking Correction for yield with specific codes The results of analysis is sent continuously from the laboratory to Swedish Dairy Association and is matched together with the results from the milk recording report. Result from analysis is processed at the database from 7.00 hours until 23.00 hours every weekday, but they can be sent and received during all day and night. The analysis is processed every 30 minutes at the Swedish Dairy Association and is processed immediately together with information about the yield. If there are no information about the yield available the analysis are put in to a waiting register. In order to monitor the results from the analysis observation lists are sent to the Livestock Cooperatives: Abnormal fat levels, not calculated and Calculated milk yields/ result of analysis Correction for fat content is made in the processing of the milk recording for different levels of yield morning and evening. Correction for average daily fat content for individual cows are made by even amount of milk in the sample cup from the morning and evening milking provided that the amount of morning milk is more than the evening milk. Fat % + 0.69 1.3 x there 0.69 and 1.3 are constants x = the ratio of the cow s morning milk/ the evening milk + the morning milk There is no correction for fat amount if there is an average for 7 days, milking 3 times per day and for AMS system. When a sample is collect only at one single milking during a day there must be a correction for fat and protein content depending on when the sample is collected. On the report should be noted if the sample is taken in the morning or evening. Correction of fat and protein content is then done depending on the ratio of evening/morning milk, the same principle and constants as used in Denmark. If you state the 7 day average yield, the daily yield is divided into evening respectively morning milk from milking intervals during the day. Correction code 3: If the daily yield is not representative for the cow because the amount of milk at one milking could not be obtained ( e.g. failure of the milk meter) the milk yield is estimated from the difference between the herd s total daily yield and the evening- and morning milk from the cows that had milk at both milkings. For making an estimate it is required that various code 3 is reported and that evening or morning milk are missing. 5 6
Milkmeters Types Rules Ownership Correction code 5 with milk data: If a cow have a production disruption at a given milk recording ( temporarily ill) an average estimate is done one the subsequent milk recording if the following conditions are met: The daily yield at milk recording has to be more than 0 and code 5 is reported. The following milk recording must not include calving. In addition, the daily yield in kg ECM must have increased by at least 30 percent in order to make an average calculation. If the daily yield is 0 at the milk recording next to the recording there various code 5 is reported, no calculation of the average is done. Instead the cow will get the same daily yield as she had in the milk recording immediately following the one with various code 5. Correction code 5 without milk data: If a cow can t be milked because she is ill (various code 5 without milk is reported) a V is reported in the latest monthly column at the milk recording report. If a milk yield is reported at next milk recording an average is calculated for kg milk, fat procent and protein procent. TT Hi: The most common in Sweden. Tested by the livestock cooperatives once every three years. TT WB: Is increasing, about 400 are used. Tested by the livestock cooperatives once every three years. MKI: No longer maintained with spare parts. Attempts to change these to the newer meters. There are often a lot of problems with these meters. Tested by the livestock cooperatives every year. MKII: Not many left. These meters often display faults. It is difficult to take sample for a correct fat content. Tested by the livestock cooperatives every year. Recording glasscontainers: It is difficult to take sample for a correct fat content. Be soldered or tested by the livestock cooperatives every year. ALPRO and other electronic meters: Service technicians from the supplier shall calibrate these every year. AMS: Service technicians from the supplier are responsible for the function, calibration of the meter. All new meters should be approved by ICAR. All meters shall be tested at regular intervals. The livestock cooperatives have registers on meters/herds and testing intervals. There is no central register at the Swedish Dairy Association. All portable milk meters are owned by the herd or shared between a number of herds. Sampling units for AMS herds is also owned by the herds, farmers. 7 8
Testings Testing of meters and equipment is done under special test instructions either on the farm or at the livestock cooperatives. Test results before and after any adjustments are noted in the specific test protocols that are archived at the livestock cooperatives. Statistical summary is sent each calendar year to the Swedish Dairy Association. The herds pay the test by hourly rate. 9 AMS Sampling/Method Processing 1. The sampling period for milk recording includes 14-24 hours. 2. All the analysis from the cow is included in the calculations. 3. An average (not weighed) is calculated for fat, protein, somatic cells and urea from all analysis from the milk recording for the cow. 4. An average for 4-7 days is used as data of the yield. The day for the milk recording can be finished when one of the following requirements are met: 1. There are at least two cup of samples per cow or 2. At least 14 hours have passed since the milk recording began. It is increasingly common to take out only one sample, and if supervisory staff considers the result of the analysis to be accurate they will approve it. A file is sent from the herd including yield and number of the sample cups to the Swedish Dairy Association. The results and analyses are matched with information of the yield in a special data program made at the Swedish Dairy Association. After matching the file is sent for processing at the cattle database. Yield - calculations Production so far during the milk recording year Last 12 months production The first day of the milk recording year is always the 1st of September regardless when the milk recording in September is done. Days so far in the milk recording year is always equal to the number of days between September 1 and the date of the first test after 1st of September. There has to at least 11 test days per year. For cows that have attended the Milk Recording for at least for 365 days a last 12-month yield is calculated. The calculations use the total return of kg ECM, average of fat and protein percent for the entire period.
305-days of lactation 305-days of lactation is calculated by summarizing all the current yields for different periods ( see periodization of Milk Recording) inclusive before the period when the animal reach 305 days after calving. In the period when 305 days is reached, the yield is calculated only inclusive 305 the day. Quality Assurance In general Each livestock cooperative has a manager responsible for the fieldwork in the Milk Recording. He or she should supervise all work with registrations, archival materials, corrections, monitoring reports and quality assurance. A business plan is available for each livestock cooperative in which a selected numbers of quality indicators are followed by each cooperative and month. 10 Education/informa tion Dairy comparison (quality indicator) The manager for Milk Recording at the livestock cooperatives has a responsibility for the education of all field staff in the cooperative. Twice a year the Swedish Dairy Association arrange meetings for the all the managers for Milk Recording. Everyone that works with fieldwork for the Milk Recording must have an education. Further training, Green Card is available for advisors, veterinaries etc. All herds are attached to the dairy company comparison. Milk yield from the Milk Recording is converted to calendar months and is coordinated with the delivery information from the dairies. Milk yield and fat content are compared. Three samples from the dairy per month of the delivered milk is calculated to an average (not weighed) and is compared with the fat content in the herd from the Milk Recording. Dairy comparison= (Delivery to the dairy + milk used or wasted on farm)/herd production in milkrecording. The dairy comparison is calculated every month and lists with herds that differ is sent to the Livestock Cooperatives for investigation. Different levels of variation: 1-month = Delivery index kg milk and/or 4% milk <80 or >120 and/or deviation in fat content > 0, 60 percentage points. 3-months= Delivery index kg milk and/or 4% milk <90 or >110 and/or deviation in fat content > 0, 40 percentage points. 12-months= Delivery index kg milk and/or 4% milk <92 or >107 and/or deviation in fat content > 0, 20 percentage points. 11
Retesting (quality indicators) Inspection visit (quality indicator) Average calculations (quality indicator) Special investigation documents are available to assist at a visit to the herd. Retesting is used as a tool in investigation of farms that not pass this test. Supervised milk recordings is also used in this work. The livestock cooperative must report if there are herds that deviate too much to a committee at Swedish Dairy Association, which handles matters around rules and regulations for milk recording and other registrations. The number of retested milk recordings should be carried out to a number of 3 % of the total herd number in the country. These are divided between the Livestock Cooperatives depending on how many herds that differ in the 12-month dairy comparison. Retested milk recordings must be conducted in respective milk recording year. There are rules for how much a prolonged milk recording may differ from the regular milk recording, to qualify as qualified deviation ( not consistent with regular milk recording) Regular milk recording made by the farmers can be replaced by the prolonged, conducted by the Livestock Cooperative if the cattle recording committee can detect improper handling of the meters or the test samples. Retested milk recordings should be seen as a service to the herd and as a means to correct errors in the milk recording. Retested milk recordings will primarily be available to herds with deviation in the dairy comparison. The responsible for the milk recording at each Livestock Cooperative decides which herds that should have a prolonged milk recording and is also responsible for that the association s quota is met. The Cattle Recording Committee may decide that a retested milk recording is necessary as investigation documents. The legal framework for the official Milk Recording indicates that each herd must have at least one inspection visit per year. There is a checklist available in what the inspection visit must include. The visit can be combined with advisory services/insemination etc. The visits are paid by the hour by the visiting livestock cooperative. The livestock cooperative shall record the visits and ensure that each herd gets a visit per year. No central register is available at the Swedish Dairy Association. If a herd can t do the milk recording a month or forget it, a so-called average estimate can be calculated. To construct a milk recording with information about yield based on the yield before and after current period and add fat content of each animal calculated for the 11 most recent milk recordings. According to the framework it is allowed to replace two milk recordings with an average under a rolling 12 month period. Will a third average enter the herd is taken out from the milk recording and will enter again when it is due for next recording. The result will be called for a broken milk recording year. Verification of Paternity calculation is as a base to ensure legal parentage of the milk recording. 15 12 13 14
pedigree (quality indicators) Error statistics (quality indicators) Days between milk recording and analysis (quality indicators) Days between milk recording and reports (quality indicators) Short and long gestations and unknown fathers (quality indicators) Long-term pregnancies 296-310 days and short pregnancies <259 days is calculated on a weekly basis and sent on list to the livestock cooperatives. All heifer calves with deviant gestation is followed up and corrected if necessary. Follow-up lists on late reports from insemination made by the farmers (>100 days) are sent to the livestock cooperatives for a follow-up. Specific monitoring is also done on heifers that are mated on the grazing and which has calved and has no designated father of the calf. There is a regular monitoring of error statistics in the milk recording. There is plausibility tests that add non-approved data in an error register which actively must be corrected to end up in the main register. Each livestock cooperative is followed up monthly. The most frequent error codes are listed and have specific action plans to be prevented. Most of these error codes are due to incorrect reporting periods for example, calving, animals that have left or entered the herd. Monitored by livestock cooperative and months. The chain from the farm to the laboratory is followed up and examined especially for the herds that have >5 days from milk recording to analysis. Monitored by livestock cooperative and months. Total in the country is approximately 5 days between milk recording and report. Registration of the yield data is about 1-2 days before analysis. Work is ongoing to try to optimize the chain. Short gestations is monitored, females with short gestation (215-259 days). Long gestations is monitored, females with long gestation (296-310 days). Unknown fathers are monitored, females with unknown/uncertain father. 16 17 18
Supervision and administration The Cattle Recording Committee Product manager Manager for the milk recording in the livestock cooperative Registrations / corrections Livestock technicians A committee appointed by the board of the Swedish Dairy Association. The Cattle Recording Committee formulates rules and frameworks for the milk recording under Swedish Board of Agriculture s constitution. Shall also monitor that the milk recording is applied correctly throughout the country. Decide in cases where one can question the results of the milk recordings. Responsible for the Milk Recordings data systems, reports and practical follow-up works through the country. Relations with the responsible for the milk recording in the livestock cooperatives. Responsible for the fieldwork and that it works together with the livestock cooperative activities. Planning the days for the milk recording year for the herds in the livestock cooperative. Supervises that the planned milk recording are conducted and contact herds that have forgotten to do the recordings. Follows up the dairy comparison of the livestock cooperative each month. Responsible for error lists to be corrected and the corrections are performed. Monitors that all retested milk recordings are implemented. Follow up the results of the milk recordings and the monitoring lists. Is the contact person for the herds in the livestock cooperatives regarding milk recording. Responsible for that the chain from the farm to the laboratory is functioning. Have training responsibilities for the livestock technicians and advisors that work with the milk recording at the livestock cooperative. Administration personal register forms by hand using a punch program. In Skara forms are scanned. After the registration files are transferred to the Swedish Dairy Association. The error lists can be corrected by the livestock cooperative after each data processing immediately following possible telephone contact with the herd or through the technicians that makes the correction when visiting the farm. All error lists should be corrected as soon as possible. Correction of information discovered by the personal or the farmer can be corrected on the livestock cooperative via online application. In difficult cases the corrections are made by the Swedish Dairy Association. Responsible for the practical work with the milk recording in the field. 19
Financing Financing Swedish Dairy Association charges a fee of the livestock cooperative per cow and month in the milk recording, plus a fee per herd and month. The livestock cooperative pays for the analysis at the laboratory. The livestock cooperative charges a fee of the farmer per cow and month in the milk recording plus a fee per herd and month. The fee per cow and month varies between livestock cooperative, approximately it varies around 10-13 SEK depending on how the farmer report to milk recording. Observation-lists and all other services are paid separately. The milk recording visits and service of milk meters are charged by an hourly rate.