Dairy Herds

The strategic use of informed advisors can help make the difference between a profitable and an unprofitable dairy enterprise. With the level milk price volatility so high in today’s industry this has never been truer, and with fluctuations being as large as 30%, survival will depend upon our ability to run truly efficient enterprises.

At Endells we try to structure our involvement with you and your herd that best achieves this efficiency. We can work with you and your other advisors through the application of quarterly management meetings, the provision of a primary routine vet but also a secondary vet allowing for continuity of care, free monthly reports summarising fertility, mastitis and nutritional performance. However, every farm is unique, and we will work with you to develop the bespoke solution which best suits you and your herd. We can offer a full range of training courses for you and your staff, all while aiming to provide the highest level of clinical care.

Fertility

Nationally, as herd size and yield per cow continues to grow and stockmen numbers per cow decline pressures on performance inevitably increase. One of the cornerstones of the efficient and productive dairy enterprise we need to survive and indeed prosper is herd fertility through its influence on milk per cow per day and feed conversion efficiency (FCE).

At Endells we provide a proactive service through the application of sound clinical skills but more importantly through data analysis and problem solving so that you achieve the level of cow fertility that you require. Tight management of herd reproductive performance is one of the keys to successful profitability, your designated vet, combined with Endell Breeding Services (EBS) can help you achieve your goals.

Mastitis

With the national mastitis rate running at around 45-67 cases/100 cows/year and the average mastitis case costing around £220, mastitis costs the average herd around £11,000/100 cows/year – a significant drain on profitability. At Endells we can deliver evidence based, milk buyer recognised AHDB Mastitis Control Plan as part of a formal mastitis programme or an ad-hoc as required investigation in combination with in-house bacteriology.

Lameness and Foot Care

Lameness has recently come to the attention of the media and has been described as “one of the most significant welfare and economic diseases affecting the UK dairy industry”. As a consequence, a number of milk buyers have begum mandatory monitoring programmes.

To help our dairy clients we have developed Endell Mobility Service (EMS) provided by our NACFT Category 1 foot trimmer, Dave Pinnegar. EMS working alongside our Vet Techs can provide electronic mobility scoring and treatment records which can then be interpreted by your designated vet giving a complete solution to the challenges of lameness on dairy units.

Nutrition

The importance of subclinical ketosis as a "gateway disease" for displaced abomasum, retained foetal membranes, reduced fertility and reduced milk yield is well established, highlighting the importance of appropriate nutrition as another cornerstone of dairy herd management.

At Endells we use a range of software to critically evaluate rations and monitor performance through milk quality analysis, metabolic profiling using our in-house laboratory. We also test urine pH to monitor dietary cation-anion difference and rumino-centesis to detect sub-acute ruminal acidosis in Penn State separators to evaluate physically effective neutral detergent fibre (peNDF).

Routine meetings with your nutritional advisors allows the herd nutrition to be optimised for your goals without herd health being compromised. Again, all herds are unique and bespoke solutions can be devised to suit you and your animals and Endells wish to play a full supportive role in your management of your cows.

Livestock Service and Sales

With two qualified SQPs animal health advisors and two experienced Vet Techs, Livestock Service and Sales (LSS) are able to advise and prescribe POM-VPS animal health products. The LSS team is more than capable of taking you through all your animals’ parasite control needs and supplying the appropriate products at competitive prices along side many of your daily dairy requirements.

Our “Helping Hands” service has been designed for those times when all you require is a pair of experienced hands for an hour or so without having to employ someone for a whole day.

Please refer to the Livestock Service and Sales section of this website for further details of the extensive services and sales that can be supplied by our experienced team.