RWN News Digest

One of our key roles is in sourcing, developing and evaluating new products including feeds, seeds, supplements, forage additives and other inputs at very competitive prices, which together with our dairy nutrition advice provides a comprehensive package designed to increase our customers profitability

New Developments in Feeding the Dairy Cow

ABER High Sugar Grass and White Clovers:
The new Aber high Sugar Grass varieties developed at IBERS (IGER) have given all livestock farmers the opportunity to significantly raise output and reduce costs simultaneously. They offer huge advantages over other varieties with up to 2.5 litres more milk, 2kg higher dry matter intake and up to 25% better protein utilization. The new varieties of Aber White Clover used in grass/clover leys, with no additional nitrogen are capable of producing higher forage DM yields and better quality forage than grass only leys even where 200kg N/ha is applied.  Re-seeding with the new Aber High Sugar Grasses and Aber White Clovers offer enormous benefits

The benefits of ABER white clover have been estimated to be worth 
as much as 2p / litre of milk produced 

FIAM GoldShake Silage Additives:

The case for using a silage additive as a routine on pretty well all silage has long since been proven. Silage additive can no longer be seen as a cost to the farm business. The cost of applying an inoculant to silage is little more than 5p / cow / day. Not using an additive incurs a yield penalty of around 1.5 litres of milk / cow / day worth around 28p / cow / day. 

 Using an effective silage additive is now an economic necessity on all conserved forages, grass, wholecrop and maize silage
The benefits are clear. All silage should be treated, clamps, bales, grass, wholecrop, maize come wind, rain or shine whether for lactating cows, dry cows, or youngstock.

There are a number of good well proven, inoculants on the market, some more effective than others. We have worked heavily with both Sil-All4x4 and more recently the Goldshake Range of Additives, which have proven to be pretty well bullet proof, and will give extremely reliable rapid fermentation of grass silage.

Over the past several seasons we have seen changes to silage making, resulting from better machinery, faster wilting, changing weather patterns and increased interest in maize and wholecrop cereal silages resulting in much dryer silages. Even last seasons grass silage averaged almost 32% dry matter. 

With dryer silages, which are naturally higher in sugar and much, more difficult to consolidate there has been a rise in aerobic instability leading to increased potential for mycotoxin problems. Every effort should be made to restrict wilting times, to consolidate and thoroughly seal dry silages as soon as possible after completion of the clamp. Nets over the plastic sheet are very helpful however they still need application of tyres, sandbags or other weights to consolidate the top layers of the clamp, and effectively exclude air on high dry matter material.

 Dry silages, wholecrop and maize silage benefit from treatment with a silage additive which is effective at controlling heating at the silage face
For fermented forages much over 25% dry matter use a specialist inoculant designed specifically for high dry matter material. The GoldShake Range of Additives has been developed in conjunction with other members of FIAM. This new generation of additives represents the cutting edge of technology. The range incorporates both products based on homo-fermentative lactic acid producing bacteria for traditional lower DM silages, and products based on hetero-fermentative bacteria designed specifically for treating high DM grass, wholecrops and maize. Trialled commercially over several seasons these products are proving to be a major breakthrough in giving us excellent fermentation quality, greatly improved face stability on high dry matter material as well as extremely good intakes and milk yields.

Biocell Farm Mix - Live Yeast:

Yeast supplements have been used on UK farms for well over 20 years. Recently we have gained a much greater understanding of the mode of action of yeast, how, where and why yeast is so effective. To be fully effective yeast must be live and fed to cows on a daily basis over long periods of time. Much of the beneficial effects are due to the ability of live yeast to remove oxygen from the rumen and the effect that this has on lactic acid, rumen pH, and the numbers and activity of rumen microbes. 

 Live yeast supplements such as Biocell offer clear benefits to dairy cows
The net effect is to lift both dry matter intakes and to improve feed conversion efficiency both for energy and for protein. This in turn invariably results in improved output both on milking cows and on youngstock. Typically we might expect between 5% and 15% improvement in feed conversion efficiency, providing up to 30MJ of energy on a high yielding cow at a fraction of the price of supplying it from protected fats or concentrates. In addition the health benefits of working with yeast to improve rumen function as opposed to using higher concentrate to forage ratios are well recognized. 

It is becoming increasingly difficult to argue against the routine use of yeast supplements in both dairy and youngstock diets

Not all yeast supplements are equal. Due to the long term nature of the effects of feeding yeast it is quite difficult for an individual farmer to compare the effectiveness of one yeast supplement against another. The efficacy is dependent on the yeast strain used, the amount of yeast fed or number of colony forming units (CFU’s) within the supplement, and the viability of the live yeast cells. We have worked extensively with Biocell Farm Mix over several years. Biocell Farm Mix is based on the micro-encapsulated yeast strain, Biosaf SC47. Our experience of Biocell has been that it is extremely effective and produces consistent results across a wide range of feeding situations. Our enthusiasm for Biocell has been endorsed by recent independent trials in France, which clearly demonstrated the advantages of Biosaf SC47 over other commercially available yeasts.

Maxcare Reviva:

The hours immediately post calving are a critical time, which can have massive implications for performance during the ensuing lactation. It is vital to get new calvers fully re-hydrated, up and back on to feed as soon as possible. Maxcare Reviva now used by many of our clients, achieves rapid post-calving intake of energy, calcium, probiotics, vitamins, trace elements, electrolytes and water in order to achieve effective re-hydration. 1kg is dissolved into 20 - 30 litres of hot water and fed immediately post calving. 

 Many farmers have commented that their cows have fewer problems recovering from calving when using Maxcare Reviva re-hydration drink
Farmers using Maxcare Reviva report fewer milk fevers, reduced incidence of retained placenta, less metabolic disorders during early lactation, as well as improved performance with fewer health problems in the subsequent lactation.

FIAM Trans-Omega:

The importance of good nutritional management during the transition period which takes the cow from the dry cow diet to the high yielding lactating cow diet cannot be over stressed. Trans-Omega is a state of the art supplement, developed by FIAM. Fed for 21 days prior to calving, Trans-Omega is the most effective solution to feeding the transition cow that we have seen to date. 

 Trans-Omega fed for days pre-calving is the most effective solution to feeding transition cows
Farmers have found that feeding Trans-Omega during transition has proven extremely successful as a means of controlling milk fever and metabolic problems at calving and improving dry matter intakes, milk yields and fertility during the forth coming lactation.

FIAM Nutri-Plus

FIAM Nutri-Plus for calves, is a supplement based on carefully selected natural herbs, essential oils and plant extracts providing nutrition to boost the calves’ immune system. Trials have shown that ingredients used in Nutri-Plus improve the calf's natural ability to fend off disease resulting in general disease protection, better respiratory health and higher growth rates. 

 Nutri-Plus provides nutrition aimed at boosting the calves imune system
Customers using the system, report that Nutri-Plus provides good control and prevention of Virus Pneumonia and other potential health related problems, resulting in improved performance and accelerated growth rates. Nutri-Plus consists of two products; one for adding to milk or milk replacer and one for adding to dry feeds and are fed from birth to 6 months of age. 

For dairy farmers committed to producing high yielding healthy heifers, 
Nutri-Plus is a must

Summary:

There is a vast range of feeds, seeds, additives, supplements and other products available to today's dairy farmer. Which of these are used and how they are is a major determining factor to the level of profitability on a dairy farm.

Our advice is to work closely, on an ongoing basis with an experienced nutritionist to develop feeding strategies to raise milk output and increase profits in your business.

Richard Webster Nutrition specializes in providing detailed nutrition advice for dairy farmers. One of our key roles is in sourcing, developing and evaluating new products capable of generating more profit for our clients. Working closely with FIAM, the Federation of Independent Agricultural Merchants, we supply a wide range of top quality, well researched and proven feeds, seeds, supplements, forage additives and other inputs at very competitive prices to produce a total nutrition package.

For more information contact  Richard Webster

Working together for a more profitable future

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