It is estimated that 10% of UK farms already use robotic milking, but they also constitute 35% of all new milking systems being purchased. In Holland 40% of dairy farms are automated, with some Scandinavian countries as high as 50%. The number of cows milked in robots is expected to more than double in the next 5 years.
For cost-effective weed control in root crops the emphasis must be placed on pre-emergence application of herbicides. Every year we receive a large number of calls from concerned growers who have applied no herbicide at all and who are concerned that their root crop is disappearing under a sea of weeds. By this point, it is usually too late to save the crop!
Pica is an abnormal behaviour usually seen in grazing cows, where they lick, chew, or eat inedible materials. This can include licking soil and fence posts, eating stones, drinking urine etc., and while cows may look healthy there is the risk of them ingesting material that can damage their gut and could ultimately lead to death.
With spring turnout fast approaching, it is a crucial time to be thinking about dietary magnesium and making sure that the milkers’ ration is targeted to meet the cow’s production needs.
Putting the economics to one side, a dairy cow has a genetic potential to produce milk and they will try their best to achieve this whether we choose to feed them appropriately or not. We must meet a cow’s nutrient requirement and feed for genetic potential or risk a negative effect to health or milk production. The skill for a nutritionist during challenging periods of feed cost is to manage the purchased feed cost per litre to mitigate the impact, whilst not sacrificing health or yield. Easy!
80% of output and outcomes can be traced to 20% of inputs or activities (otherwise known as the Pareto principle). In dairy farming, a specific focus on inputs in the transition phase (the period three weeks pre- and post-calving) will lead to improved performance for the remaining 80% of the time.
Restore 5 + is a new mycotoxin binder for use in 2021 dairy rations, available exclusively through Wynnstay.
It is the first of its kind in the UK market, it offers complete mycotoxin binding and immune support, with 5 scientifically proven modes of action.
The last three maize seasons have had the same result – a mixed bag of performance depending on region, drilling date and harvest timings. However, in 2020, growers had a new challenge to contend with.
The removal of the maize seed treatment Mesurol left a hole in the crop protection armoury, resulting in crops being at greater risk from bird damage, which in previous years would not be high on the list of issues for most growers.
All good nutritionists know that every single farm has a minimum of three rations. The first is the ration that the nutritionist formulates, the second is the one that is loaded, mixed and fed out and the third is the one the cows sort out and consume. The difference between the first and final ration can be enormous & the principal affects grass-based herds as much as TMR fed ones. Afterall there is the grass that is measured (either by eye, sward stick or plate meter), the grass that is allocated to the cows (by field or fence) and the grass (and concentrate) that the cows consume and digest.
Did you know zinc (Zn) is the second most abundant trace mineral in the body and is involved with over 300 enzyme systems, playing a key role in hoof, skin and gut health, the immune system and optimizing productivity?
