News
THE UNBIASED VIEW
As dairy and beef farmers, you live with your stock every day of the year and probably see more of them than your family!. Because of this closeness and familiarity with your stock you could miss certain points that might be fairly obvious to someone seeing them not so often. This could mean things like weight changes, general cow condition, mineral deficiencies etc. In our opinion, it is a good thing that your feed supplier looks at your stock on his visits, to see if he can spot any changes within the herd since his last visit. This may seem fairly fundamental but you may be surprised at what a different eye can spot!. If you would like any of our staff to look at your stock, if they don't already, ask them to put their wellies on and get them dirty!
THE UNBIASED VIEW
As dairy and beef farmers, you live with your stock every day of the year and probably see more of them than your family!. Because of this closeness and familiarity...
MAXIMISING YOUR MAIZE
Efficient utilisation of forage always has been fundamental to producing milk at least cost/litre - never more so than at the current time. Mixed forage rations are an important means of positively changing the basic diet, especially for the high yielding cow. Nothing can be done at this stage as far as the grass component of the mix is concerned, but this year most should be of good quality. Decisions on when to cut and how to treat maize silage will still have a significant effect on how effective it is in giving production responses. Targets of 30% dry matter and 30% starch are important, as is ensuring that the silage is spread in 6"-10" layers at the pit, rolled well and sealed efficiently. However, there is something else that can be done - treat the maize silage with DoubleAction Ecocorn. DoubleAction Ecocorn is a combination of an inoculant to efficiently control the initial fermentation and an acid to restrict the potential for aerobic spoilage and dry matter loss during feedout. Both of these aspects contribute to more digestible DM being available to the cow and improvements of around 1.8 litres /cow/day have been obtained from MTD/1 treated silages. Even a modest temperature rise of only 100C, with the face moving back 1 metre/week, can cause a loss in potential production of over 80 litres/tonne of silage - and you will not even be aware that this invisible loss has occurred! The acid salt component in DoubleAction Ecocorn directly inhibits yeast and mould growth, so reducing heating at feedout and minimising further energy loss. A recent article in Farmers Weekly detailed results of an MGA trial showing responses of around 20p/cow/day (£36/cow over the winter) following DoubleAction Ecocorn treatment, due to reductions in dry matter loss during fermentation and air exposure. On farm experience has also found a positive improvement in the stability of treated forage in the trough, giving a more even TMR intakes over the whole 24 hours and so more efficient and economic forage utilisation. Liquid application requires no premixing, is safe to handle, non-corrosive (pH 6.0) and will remain stable for 48 hours. Dry product is applied at 400g/t. Both the cans and bags each treat 50t of maize. Optimising the feeding potential of the forage component in the diet is crucial in terms of margin/litre and DoubleAction Ecocorn use on your maize silage has been shown to make a real, consistent and economic contribution to achieving this especially with the high yielding cow. Please ring the office on 01948 661602 for a special offer discount on Ecocorn.
MAXIMISING YOUR MAIZE
Efficient utilisation of forage always has been fundamental to producing milk at least cost/litre - never more so than at the current time. Mixed forage rations are an important means...
MAIZE HARVEST 2004
Following a very trying couple of months with the weather and harvesting we can now look forward to a more stable winter period. The maize harvest is well underway and the time has arrived to be finalising your winter feed programme. With such a variation in the quality of grass silages this year it is essential that you understand the value of it so that an accurate rationing programme can be set up. Failure to balance the correct types of protein and energy in the diet could result in loss of production, milk quality and cow health. Without running the risk of being accused of 'teaching our grandmother to suck eggs', balancing a dairy cows nutritional requirements for maintenance and production is not a simple procedure. The correct type of proteins need to be balanced according to the levels within the overall forages being used. The same applies with energy where levels of starch and sugar and high digestible fibre products may need to be rationed. As we discussed last month we feel that the sensible use of protein should be used in cow rationing whilst more attention needs to be paid to the energy side of the diet - not only in simple terms but also with the inclusion of by-pass starch (Processed B Maize) or energy dense product sources such as MEGALAC. For full details of all our technical and nutritional services plus our competitive prices on any of the above products, they can be obtained by ringing the office or your local agent. With a number of grass silages analysing at very low dry matters it may well be that intakes could be affected by the wetness and also the butyric features that tend to go with wet forage. In cases like this it may well be that a source of sugar such as molasses would be appropriate to encourage intakes as well as stimulating energy. Molasses has long been used in TMR situations to cut down dust and encourage intakes and now a new product from Feedtec, LACTEC 45 has been developed. Basically it is a molasses type product with added Lactose to enhance rumen function, reduce free ammonia in the rumen, improve performance and reduce the risk of acidosis which can often occur with the use of one sugar source. It is the perfect balance to be fed with a grass / maize silage mix and it also provides a valuable source of protein (45%) to help keep the cost of expensive proteins to a minimum. For the benefit of sugars and protein this product provides it is well worth considering its use. For further details of this unique product please contact Gareth at the office (or your agent) who will either give quotations or arrange a farm visit by a member of the nutritional team from Feedtec. We are very busy at the present time formulating 'custom blends' for individual farmers needs and are finding that more and more farmers are requesting blends for feeding to beef animals. Feeding a blend has the effect of increasing the forage intake when fed in a trough situation and mixed with the silage. Foraging for the blend stimulates the appetite and leads to increased liveweight gain and quicker throughput with increases of over 10% being achieved. This results in better utilisation of buildings and the potential to increase profits. If you are a beef farmer and would like to know more about formulating a blend for your own on farm situation please ring us on 01948 661602. The same comments also apply to heifer replacements and blends for those animals can also be formulated. Why not go and look at the blend calculator and formulate your own blend, then submit the form and we will price it up for you. It couldn’t be any simpler.
MAIZE HARVEST 2004
Following a very trying couple of months with the weather and harvesting we can now look forward to a more stable winter period. The maize harvest is well underway and the time...
THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF DRY COWS
Each farm is unique, our aim is to work alongside the farmer to improve the overall health of the cow. By achieving this aim a substantial amount of money can be saved by reducing vet visits and managing mastitis, fertility and lameness. If the cow is fed properly the fertility, mastitis and lameness problems can be controlled, thus improving the overall health of the animal, which will set the foundation for higher yields and better milk quality. a) Aims of the early dry period: Maintain dietary fibre content, but not necessarily with extreme levels of straw in the diet. Limit energy intake to prevent excessive calf growth but ensure that the level is adequate and the diet contains some fermentable starch. (See reference to lameness later) Avoid excessive crude protein, however, this can be difficult on a grazed grass system. Meet vitamin and mineral requirements. This is rarely done, some cows get mineral blocks but we have found that some competitors blocks are low specification and inadequate for the job. b) Aims of the transition or close up diet To acclimatise the rumen to post calving feeds including concentrate sources. The end products of starch digestion are absorbed through the rumen wall via papillae. If the cow is fed a coarse, high straw diet in the dry period, these papillae are reduced in size by up to 70%. After calving, when high starch diets are fed, the lack of absorptive papillae cause an increase in lactate hence rumen acidosis and laminitis. You get the most sole ulcers and white line disease, two and three months after calving. These lesions take this period to develop and the cause can be tracked back to management at calving. Diet can contribute not only to laminitis but also difficult calvings, retained cleansings and mastitis. Please remember these other factors can also be reduced by correct dry cow management as can lameness. When feeding maize or wholecrop to high yielding dairy cows these forage should be in the transition diet also. To provide adequate protein nutrition to enhance the immune system, improve colostrum quality and build up protein reserves. To maintain dry matter intake of feed and improve fertility. There is a sharp decline in the feed intake before calving but then the requirement increases rapidly when calving has taken place. A high density diet is needed and high fibre low energy feeds should be minimised, long fibre is important however at this stage. Extra dry matter intake in the dry period is important, as this carries through to early lactation. This can well be 2kg / day more which is about 4 litres of extra milk at peak and it also leads to reduced body weight loss and improved fertility. Cows in good energy balance at calving will resume heat activity much earlier and stronger, and these are the cows that are easy to get in calf. But remember fertility, the eggs are being developed in the dry period and need the correct nutrition to be viable at the time of service. To provide adequate vitamin and minerals. These are vital in meeting the aims of the dry period. Many dry cow feeds are well below their requirements for minerals or vitamins. An example is vitamin E requirements. The modern dairy cow should have at least 1,000 iu Vit E / day. Does your dry cow diet provide this? Check this out with GP Feeds. c) DRY COW RATION FAULTS Trying to slim dry cows in the dry period. Low quality forage. Poor cow comfort. "Roughing" it approach. Low vitamins and minerals. Mouldy feeds. One dry group. Wrong diet formulation. The use of milking cow minerals in a dry cow diet. Dry Cows out at grass Last month in our newsletter we emphasised the importance of feeding dry cows at grass with minerals and vitamins in order to maintain a healthy immune system at this stage of reproduction. Click here... Dry cow tubs On this occasion we explain why GP Feeds dry cow tubs should be an essential part of your management strategy as they contain high levels of Vitamins and Minerals. Click here... CAN YOU AFFORD NOT TO MANAGE YOUR COWS CORRECTLY! Please telephone GP Feeds today on 01948 661602 for further details because you dairy herd needs your vote to win the election for first class health.
THE MANAGEMENT AND FEEDING OF DRY COWS
Each farm is unique, our aim is to work alongside the farmer to improve the overall health of the cow. By achieving this aim a substantial amount of money can...
WINTER BLENDS
We feel that now is the time to be looking at contracting for the Winter period. Raw materials look as though they are fairly settled at present but increases in price through the winter look probable. We have good coverage of all the ingredients we use and a phone call to us would give you a fixed price for the winter as well as guaranteed FIXED FORMULATION - something we feel is vitally important for modern dairy cows. For those of you who read Farmers Weekly maybe you saw on Page 5 of the 9th July issue, on the opinion page, an article headed "Use a supplier who tells all". Whilst it acknowledges that the feed industry has progressed in its attitude towards declaration of ingredients in its blends and compounds it points out that bag labelling of minerals leaves a lot to be desired. That makes it difficult for producers to calculate precisely what they are feeding. Producers need such information to check planned rations against intakes. Farmers Weekly makes the point very strongly that if you find such information hard to come by, why not change to a more accommodating supplier? As you know we continually make the point that we have always adopted this policy with our blends and compounds to the ultimate of having fixed formulations. We can also confirm that a full mineral and vitamin declaration ticket is available for every bag of mineral we sell enabling you to see precisely what you are buying. We believe that if full declaration is not given there must be something to hide or something in it you would not like to see.
WINTER BLENDS
We feel that now is the time to be looking at contracting for the Winter period. Raw materials look as though they are fairly settled at present but increases in...
OUR SUPPLY PORTFOLIO
Alkacarb To balance acid silage Amino Pro-Tek Enhances milk production by reducing milk urea levels Brewers Grains We have 2 major suppliers Blended Custom Mixes Our speciality Compound Feeds For calves, dairy cows, beef & sheep with fixed formulations Cal. Mag. To help in the prevention of grass staggers Cereals Farm assured barley or wheat – whole, rolled or milled Milk Powder Calf Milk Replacers Dynalac Additive for promotion of milk butterfats Dri-Li / Dri-Li Plus For healthier cubicles Ecosyl Products Innoculant / acid additives for grass, maize, wholecrop and crimped cereals Fertilisers Kemira, blended products and imports Lindrox Salt To be added to maize silage surfaces Mega-Jewel New from Ufac Megalac The jewel in Volac’s crown Minerals Custom mixes of your choice plus our unique Excel Dry Cow mineral Molasses We have the luxury of 3 suppliers Molasses Tanks Brand new purpose built molasses tanks Nutritional Advice From our specialised team of experts Molasses Mineral Tubs/Blocks We can supply mineral Tubs and Blocks from 20kg Buckets up to 500 kg Blocks Silage Additives From Ecosyl Products Sugar Beet (molassed) We have the contracts (tonnage available in compounds and blends) Straights All available including our unique Biscuitmeal Supergrains Available for the first time this year Volac Calf Milk Replacers Wet Feeds Potatoes, Fodder Beet, Sugar Beet, Bread Waste, Grass and Maize silages.
OUR SUPPLY PORTFOLIO
Alkacarb To balance acid silage Amino Pro-Tek Enhances milk production by reducing milk urea levels Brewers Grains We have 2 major suppliers Blended Custom Mixes Our speciality Compound Feeds For calves, dairy...