This months linked article's:
- THE VALUE OF FEEDING YEAST...
- THE VALUE OF FEEDING A MYCOTOXIN INHIBITOR...
- SUCCESSFUL CALF REARING...
- SILAGE STOCKS...
- FORAGE REPLACERS...
STOP PRESS (14th May 2013)
- McHale 540 baler with wide tyres - only baled 3000 bales from new - £14250
- Mc Hale 911 bale wrapper - only wrapped 3000 bales from new - £6750
- Hudson Livestock/Horse box seven feet high, demountable top cattle gate and ramps - used very little from new - £2950
Location of machinery is South Wales ring 01948 661601 for contact details.
THE VALUE OF FEEDING A MYCOTOXIN INHIBITOR
Are your animals experiencing problems similar to the ones shown below? It could well be a Mycotoxins. Mycotoxin problem. are produced naturally from all types of mould, there are hundreds of different known Mycotoxins. Mycotoxins affect animals is a variety of ways and since there are many types, identifying and diagnosing is often very difficult.
Common effects of Mycotoxins
Variable intakes |
Inconsistent milk yields |
Scour |
Acidosis-type symptoms |
Impaired immune function |
Poor rumen function |
Bloody faeces |
Lethargy |
Reduced fertility |
Lower leg / teat swelling |
Muscle tremors |
Unsettled cows |
General poor performance without any clear explanation |
|
Conditions for Mycotoxin production
Mould is highly adaptable and will develop on any growing or stored feedstuffs in a wide variety of conditions. Mould will produce mycotoxins under a wide range of conditions and therefore, the challenge should be considered ever-present. It will almost certainly be a problem in all silages when harvesting conditions are difficult (e.g. 2012)
Plant stress - soil infertility, insect damage, extremes of temperature or moisture. Harvest stress - late harvest, crop too dry, slow clamp filling. Storage stress - wet grain, poor clamp consolidation, poor fermentation. Feed-out problems - poor hygiene, spoilage at face, poor face management, are all responsible for the presence of mould / mycotoxins
If you are looking to feed both a Yeast & Mycotoxin inhibitor we have a combined Yeast/ Mycotoxin product called RA25 Mycobind. This is highly effective in addressing the situation(s) described above, and is efficient in controlling and overcoming the well-known problems where Mycotoxins are present, be it in silage (usually of higher dry matter), maize or wholecrop, or from cereal sources. At around 5 - 9 pence per day dependent on animal, it is highly competitive with other products, most of which only address a single situation! Feed at 25gms/cow/day.
RA25 Mycobind (contains protected Selenium and Zinc)
This concentrated live yeast product to stabilse the pH in the rumen along with the mycotoxin binder that will neutralise a broad range of mycotoxins.
SUCCESSFUL CALF REARING
HEIFERS FOR DAIRY REPLACEMENTS
The art of heifer rearing for dairy replacements is a very precise and ‘attention to detail’ job. Latest figures available show that the true cost of rearing a heifer is around £1300 to £1400 which will take the average dairy cow almost 1½ lactations to recover the cost. It is vitally important that throughout the rearing process, from birth to giving birth herself, the heifer is managed within a strict regime.
Stage 1
Over 5% of all dairy calves born in the UK each year will die, and others who have diseases in the first 3 months of life could also cause significant financial losses throughout their lives. Figures show that around 15% of heifer calves don’t make their first lactation with another 19% culled during their first and 24% culled during their second lactations.
It is critical that all calves receive colostrum followed by a milk substitute or whole milk. Figures show that by feeding milk powder rather than whole milk is more cost effective, and you can also put the whole milk in the tank for a better return. There are numerous types of milk powders on the market but we concentrate on selling the VOLAC products (see fig 1). Solid food in the form of a coarse mixture or pellet should be made readily available from 2 – 3 days after birth along with ad lib water and hay or straw. When the calf is eating 1kg of dry food it can be weaned (usually 6 weeks) but not before as it is less resistant to disease (fig 2). Straw is preferred to hay due to higher fibre levels being better for the development of the rumen.
Stage 2
After weaning it is vitally important you maintain optimum growth rates up to twelve months of age when the mammary cells are increasing in number and size. This is easier to control whilst heifers are housed but when turned out to grass you can lose track of intakes and nutritional values. One suggestion is by control of stocking rates using small paddocks and restricting intakes so they do not get too fat. Daily livewight gains of 0.7 To 0.8 kgs per day are essential to get to the correct weight at the bulling stage (fig 3)
Age at calving is a personal choice but the best time financially is around 24 months old. If you decide on 30 months it will mean you have to have 25% more animals to maintain replacement rates, which in turn means 25% more feed is used. If you follow all the basic steps, but above all grow your heifers like beef animals, aiming for maximum growth rates, you should end up with a heifer calving at 2 years old, in good condition which will then go on to produce good lactations in the future.
Fig 1. VOLAC RANGE OF MILK POWDERS
| NAME | USES | COST PER LITRE MIXED |
Blossom Easymix |
Bucket & cold ad lib systems. Can be fed through certain feeding machines |
23p |
Blossom Freeflow |
Machine feeding |
23.2p |
Enerlac Freeflow |
Machine feeding |
19.6p |
Enerlac Instant |
Once or twice a day feeding and some ad lib systems where an instant powder is required |
20.2p |
Heiferlac |
Mixes instantly in warm or cold water. Bucket feeding, cold ad lib systems and certain feeding machines |
24.3p |
Maverick Once A Day |
For once a day feeding. Bucket feeding and automatic feeders. Feed @ 125gms / litre twice a day for first 2 weeks then 155gms / litre once a day up to 3½ litres / day |
25p |
Maverick Healthy Start Rearer |
Instant mixing in cold or warm water, in bucket, cold ad
lib systems or certain automatic machines |
18.5p |
|
*All products mixed at 125 gms
/ litre unless once a day feeding
|
||
Fig 2. GP FEEDS DRY FEEDS FOR HEIFERS
| NAME | USES |
2 days up to 10 / 12 weeks |
|
Coarse Calf 18 Mixture |
2 days up to 10 / 12 weeks |
2 days up to 10 / 12 weeks |
|
Heifer 18 Nuts |
10 / 12 weeks onwards |
10 / 12 weeks onwards |
|
4 weeks prior to calving |
Fig 3. WEIGHT FOR AGE (kgs)
| NAME | USES |
Three months |
110 |
Four months |
140 |
Five months |
165 |
Six months |
190 |
Seven months |
215 |
Eight months |
240 |
Nine months |
265 |
Twelve months |
340 |
Fourteen months |
400 - Serving period |
Fifteen months |
430 - Serving period |
Eighteen months |
480 |
Twenty four months |
620 |
Total gain 510 kgs (over 640 days equivalent to 0.8kgs / day) |
|
CALVES FOR BEEF SYSTEMS
All the relevant details for heifer rearing also apply to calves being reared to fit into a beef system be it ‘rose’ beef, grass / silage fed beef, cereal beef or store animals.
Growth rates need to be maximised throughout their lives to get them to their optimum weight in the least number of days. Fig 1 and Fig 3 apply but Fig 2 is slightly different as follows:
Fig 2. GP FEEDS DRY FEEDS FOR HEIFERS
| NAME | USES |
2 days up to 10 / 12 weeks |
|
Coarse Calf 18 Mixture (totes only) |
2 days up to 10 / 12 weeks |
2 days up to 10 / 12 weeks |
|
Beef 16 Nuts |
10 weeks to slaughter |
10 weeks to slaughter on either silage systems @ 4kgs / day or straw system based on ad lib |
|
10 weeks to slaughter. Designed to be fed 50:50 with cereals to produce a 14% finishing ration fed in the same way as the Intensive Beef Blend above |
|
12 weeks to slaughter. Designed to be fed at 4:1 with cereals and fed in the same way as above. |
For further information and prices on products please call the office and speak to Gareth on 01948 661602
SILAGE STOCKS
Because of a disastrous harvest last year plus a long winter with lots of youngstock, as well as dairy cows and beef animals being housed early, silage stocks are disappearing rapidly. To ensure you can see out the remaining winter into the spring and possibly to have a buffer feed of silage at turnout you need to assess what you have left immediately in order to decide if you have to buy something in to make silage last longer. It is no use leaving it to the last minute because rapid changes in the diet later could result in major upsets, it is far more sensible to introduce changes now on a gradual basis to ensure a successful incorporation.
Over the years our FORAGE SAVER BLEND has proved highly successful and full details are given below along with other forage replacers, current costs and replacements rates.
For any of these products please ring Gareth in the office on 01924 661602 or your usual representative for up to date prices and availability.
DON’T DELAY CHECK YOUR STOCK TODAY
There are numerous products in the market place that can replace silages but not all of them are freely available at present. The wetter the product the more it will take to replace 1kg of silage / forage. The table below indicates a number of these products with current prices and availability to help you decide which to buy on an economic basis, but also bear in mind the dryer the product the less space is taken in the rumen. Also take into account some of these products may also add extra protein and energy / starch to the diet, more than the silage it is replacing.
FORAGE REPLACERS
Product |
DM % | Feeding | Availability | Approx. current pence per kg |
Wet Feeds |
||||
Brewers Grains |
23 |
Dairy - up to 10kgs max Beef - up to 20kg max |
Not available | 6p |
| Fodder beet | 18 | Dairy & Beef - 3kgs per 100kg L.W max |
Very Limited | 5p |
| Potatoes | 20 | Dairy & Beef - 3kgs per 100kg L.W max |
Very Limited | 5p |
| Grass silage | 20 - 30 | As required
|
Limited | 4p |
| Maize Silage | 25 - 35 | As required
|
Limited | 4.5p |
Semi-wet |
||||
Processed Bread |
65 |
Dairy - 4kg max Beef - up to 50% of DM intake |
Very limited | 17p |
Dry Feeds |
||||
GP Feeds Forage Saver Blend |
88 - 90 |
Dairy / Beef - 4kgs max Heifers - 3kgs max |
Available | 24p |
| Soya Hulls | 88 | Dairy / beef - 4kgs max |
Available | 22p |
| Citrus Pellets | 90 | Dairy / beef - 2kgs max Heifers - 1 -2kgs max |
Available | 20.5p |
| Sugarbeet Pellets / Nuts | 90 | Dairy - 4kgs max
Heifers / Beef - up to 25% of DM intake |
Available | 20p |
| Wheatfeed Pellets | 86 | Dairy - 4kgs max
Heifers / beef - up to 25% of DM intake |
Available | 23p |
| Maize Gluten | 88 | Dairy - 6kgs max
Heifers - 3kgs max Beef - up to 40% of DM intake |
Available | 29.5p |
| Straw | 87 | Dairy - up to 3kgs max
Heifers - Ad-lib Dry Cows - up to 5kgs max Beef - up to 4kgs max |
Available | 10p |
Nb
On average 1kgs wet feed will replace 1kgs silage @25% DM
On average 2kgs dry feed will replace 10kgs silage @ 25% DM
Sufficient long fibre must be available at all times (minimum 45% of overall DM intake)
Examples
- 10kgs Potatoes replacing 10kgs silage - will cost 50p per day
- 10kgs Brewers Grains replacing 10kgs of silage - will cost 60p per day
- 2Kgs GP Feeds Forage Saver Blend replacing 10kgs of silage - will cost 48p per day
- 2kgs Sugarbeet nuts / pellets replacing 10kgs of silage - will cost 46p per day
Over 60t of silage could be saved per month if a forage replacer was introduced on a 100 cow dairy herd with followers. This would adequately feed the whole herd and followers for a further 11 days for each of the months on the system.
Top tip
Put your replacement heifers on to ad-lib straw and 3kgs GP Feeds Heifer Rearing nuts to maintain steady growth to calving at the same time saving on silage.
QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR QUALITY PRODUCTION
Contact
Gareth or Rachel (Office)
01948 661602 Fax 01948 871776