Home grown feed is the cheapest feed available to farmers. Hardly a revelation but as farm inputs continue to rise the drive for milk from forage becomes a more crucial metric. Every additional litre from forage could be worth up to 20p per cow per day, or £600 per month for every 100 cows in the herd.
Dry matter – Is grass providing enough dry matter intake to support the energy requirement for milk production and getting cows back in calf?
Protein – Grass is high in rapidly degradable protein; this needs to be utilised by the rumen microbes in order for them to produce microbial protein. Poorly utilised protein can have a negative impact on fertility and limit milk yield.
Rapidly fermentable carbohydrates – Early season grass is high in sugar (and digestible fibre), this can be an issue for rumen health. A consequence of this can be milk fat depression and a reduction in milk value. It is important to understand the nutrient content of grass. Fresh grass analysis throughout the grazing period will provide useful information about the points above.
Sustainability is a key part of our business, with our mission being to help farmers feed the UK in a more sustainable way. As a business, we are working towards becoming carbon net zero and aim to support our customers with products and services that help drive sustainability and efficiencies. Through our feed division we have made the following commitments:
Wet and mild conditions over the winter can lead to higher fly populations in the spring, which is why it is important for dairy farmers to act early to control the pest while the majority of the population are yet to hatch.
In 1987, the United Nations (UN) defined sustainability as ‘meeting the needs of the present without compromising the needs of future generations’. If we then relay this to food production, it’s producing nutritional food in a system that’s productive, profitable and resilient, while tackling climate change. But what does this actually mean for dairy farmers who are aiming to produce more sustainably?
Congratulations to the Albutt Family of Winchcome who recently won our January prize draw in conjunction with QLF. The family chose the prize of an IBC of L-CBF BOOST as they already use QLF Allstock Lite molasses.
Heat stress in the dry cow pen can have significant implications on both cow and unborn calf performance. Heat stressed cows have decreased dry matter intakes, increased metabolic stress, poor transition and decreased milk production and immune response. A factor which can often become over- looked is the impact heat stress can have on the calf in utero, which can impact its future on your farm.
Dairy farmer Jonathan Evans wanted to improve milk quality from his 220 cows to improve milk price and he is now reaping the benefits of close teamwork between his Wynnstay Agronomist and Nutritionist.
Due to improved animal welfare, new regulations and an overall push in the industry, the next topic will not be a concern to all, but it is still an area for improvement.
58% of non-vaccinating dairy farms and 22% of non-vaccinating beef farms test positive for exposure to leptospirosis. In the UK, two strains have been identified - Leptospira interrogans serovar hardjo and Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar hardjo.
