OCTOBER 2009 NEWSLETTER

Should you be investing in an additive for your maize silage?

Are You Still Unsure Which Product To Choose?

Start With A Very Simple Question You Need To Answer?

Is significant reduction of heating, energy loss and waste, best achieved by treating maize with a bacterial additive or is a chemical preservative more likely to produce a reliable, consistent result???

The independent work including recent research from MGA and Kingshay shows that chemical preservative treatments, keep the silage cooler for longer and the effects are more consistent than bacterial treatments. Now make your choice!!!

Ecocorn is based on the most commonly used chemical food preservative Potassium Sorbate.

As you consider your options weather to us Ecocorn or not, there are 2 facts to take on board.

1. The Typical Dry Matter Loss from the maize silage process (from field to cow) is recognised as being at least 20%. These losses at 32% Dry Matter can be represented as follows

2. Recent figures put the value of maize in a ration at around £100/tonne of Dry Matter

SO HOW CAN YOU SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THESE LOSSES?

• Fill clamp with long ramp in thin layers
• Roll continuously… no dual wheels
• Only lengthen chop under 30% DM
• With a late crop, chop under 1cm
• Fill in one day or sheet at night
• Apply Ecocorn with a focus on the top half
• Use double top and enveloped side sheet
• Use New Clamp Film under the black plastic
• Top weight must be consistant

Ecocorn Treatment - The Facts and Figures from Independent Trials

• You can reduce typical Energy Losses from £90 down to £45/acre so saving £45 /acre
• You can increase Milk Yield By £90/acre (assuming: 8t/acre:25p/L:50/50maize,grass)
• Cost of treatment £26/acre so a 5:1 return after product cost can be achieved

So give us a call on 01948 661602 for Ecocorn, Clampfilm or just for good advice.

TEXT US

Moving forward in this technological age, you can now can text us on our dedicated text line if you need an urgent price on something.

Simply just text us the details such as:

• Product
• Load size
• Tipped or blown
• Delivery period (such as spot or month(s))
• Your address details - for delivery purposes

Then we will gladly text you back with a price, saving you the hassle of locating a piece of paper to write it down on - especially if you are busy out and about on the farm.

Our text number is: 07969 808188

Don't forget you can also get in touch with us through our website www.gpfeeds.co.uk, e-mail us directly on admin@gpfeeds.co.uk or if you want a chat on 01948 661602.

SAVE TIME - SAVE MONEY!

Taking the hassle out of calf rearing and putting you in control, the benefits of computerised calf feeding are obvious. The systems are specifically designed to feed and manage group housed calves on an individual basis. Entering the feeding pen, the calf is identified automatically and is provided with the quantity of milk that is allowed appropriate to its age and the time of day. The systems are geared to rear up to 100 calves at a time and can, depending on which system you choose, accommodate both milk powder and whole milk thus fitting easily into your farm management system.

On farm trials have shown conclusively that calves reared on this system benefit from a managed and consistent feeding curve, significantly reducing digestive upsets early on and encouraging solid feed intake and good rumen development. Nutritional scours are virtually eliminated and consistent growth is achieved with no checks at weaning. Any calves not feeding as they should are highlighted on the daily alarm list therefore allowing you to pick up early any problems that may occur.

These computerised systems are reassuringly easy to use and come with a dedicated customer support system from Volac. If you are interested and require further information and/or a farm visit from a Volac specialists to discuss the matter further, please call us now on 01948 661602.

ARE YOU GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR MIXER WAGON?

What makes an ideal dairy ration?

For optimum dairy performance, the ideal dairy ration need to have the correct balance and density of nutrient (including energy, protein, minerals and vitamins) which can be consumed in the available appetite of the cow. It must be presented in a suitably attractive physical form to achieve the target intake whilst maintaining peak rumen health.

Remember a good ration is one where the cow eats the same diet as that formulated by your nutritionist.

What is the ideal physical make-up of the ration?

The ideal ration must be:

• Well mixed
• Difficult for the cows to sort after feed out
• Have a target physically effective fibre (peNDF) of 16% in the total ration
• Have the ideal total ration particle size profile based on the Penn State sieve of typically:
  • 20% large particles
  • 35% medium particles
  • 30% short particles
  • 15% fine material

In practice very few farms fully achieve these targets.

What happens if the physical make-up of the ration is not correct?

Research has shown that 85% of farm mixed dairy rations are poorly mixed and / or sorted by cows after feed out.

This means that only 15% of dairy rations are consumed by the cows as it was formulated by the nutritionist. This can significantly impact on dairy cow performance and health, including reduced feed intake, increased rumen acidosis, lower milk production and or poorer quality, reduced fertility and increased lameness.

Simply put - less return on investment from the dairy herd.

What determines ration quality?

Every farm, mixer wagon and ration is different. Factors affecting the quality of farm mixing include:

1. Mixer wagon type, age and service history
2. Operator training and experience
3. Total ration composition
4. Forage type, chop length and physical and analytical quality
5. Order of filling the mixer wagon
6. Mixing time

Factors affecting the ability of cows to sort the ration after feed out include:

1. Particle size profile of the mixed ration - long chopped, light material such as straw can be easily picked out.
2. Dry matter content of the mix - moist mixtures better bind ingredients
3. Ration composition
4. Quality of mixing - well mixed rations are more difficult to sort

Alternatively you could speak to us about making a blend for you using our precision blending plant as mentioned in last months' newsletter...

NEW ECOSYL 100 - ONE FOR ALL

Scientists at Ecosyl Products Ltd have made significant advances in product formulation to further enhance the benefits of their liquid and dry silage inoculant.

Dr Andy Beardsmore, Ecosyl’s managing director,stated: “We used to have two products for liquid application dependent on whether an ultra-low volume (ULV) or a standard application system was being used. These scientific developments mean we now only need one product, Ecosyl 100, for all liquid applicator systems. ”

“As they examined product integrity and particle size, our scientists were able to substantially increase bacterial coverage which has also led to a lower application rate with the dry-applied version of the product.”

One bottle or bag of Ecosyl 100, for liquid or dry application, treats 100 tonnes forage, up to 50% more than the previous pack which means less mixing and less packaging saving time and storage space. The bottle formulation can be used with any standard or ULV applicator and can be applied at dilution rates from 20ml to two litres per tonne of forage. The bag formulation allows dry application at a new lower rate of 200g per tonne and gives excellent coverage with fewerstops to fill hoppers.

“In making these changes it has been very important to ensure that the core benefits of Ecosyl were not affected,” said Dr Beardsmore. Ecosyl 100 is still guaranteed to apply one million live bacteria per gram of forage and it still contains Lactobacillus plantarum MTD/1 which has been extensively tested at independent universities and research institutes and shown to improve silage fermentation and significantly increase milk yield and live weight gain.

QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR QUALITY PRODUCTION

Contact

Gareth or Rachel (Office)
01948 661602 Fax 01948 871776