One of the main causes of teat damage is the milking process, with excessive pressure being applied to the teats from the liners, and an inadequate resting phase at the end of milking, often responsible.
“Sugar Beet Pulp improves butterfat”, “Feeding over 4kgs of wheat causes acidosis”, “Feeding straw reduces milk yield”
These are some of the many comments that you hear when discussing dairy nutrition, and although these are valid in many situations, these types of comments totally miss out on the potential of modern dairy nutrition. Historically, relying on certain ingredients has always ensured good herd performance with a typically predictable response, but with an ever growing drive for financial efficiency, there is a demand to push the boundaries of dairy nutrition.
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With advancements in the field of genetics, we now have the ability to selectively breed based on animal productivity, efficiency, longevity and even carbon footprint. These developments are encouraging producers to be as selective with their calf milk formula as they are with their breeding, matching the correct amino acid intake and balance to the growth and performance requirements of their calves.
Body Condition Score (BCS) is a subjective measurement of the amount of body fat the cow is carrying. This measurement can be taken at any time, with different scores recommended across the differing lactation stages. B with the minimum being: at calving, during early lactation, at service, during late lactation and at drying off.
In the UK, the scoring system is based on a 1-5 scale; with 1 being emaciated and 5 being obese. The scores increase in increments of 0.25. A majority of cows fall into condition scores between 2-4, with those found to be outside this range making up extreme cases. As BCS is directly related to body weight, each 0.5 BCS equates to approximately 50kg body weight. There is also a significant relationship between back fat thickness (BFT) and total body fat (TBF), as a change of 1mm of BFT is equivalent to 5kg of TBF. Therefore, 10mm of BFT equates to approximately 0.5 unit of BCS.
Negative energy balance during early lactation is a demanding physiological state for the cow at the best of times, and can be made worse through the feeding of butyric silage. The cow’s liver requires optimal condition as the demand for glucose increases from 1kg/d in late gestation to 2.5kg/d 3 weeks post calving. A successful transition determines the success of the subsequent lactation, with energy levels crucial to immune function during the transition period. The feeding of butyric silage, however, can increase the risk of ketosis in cows at all stages of lactation. This is often referred to as type III ketosis, which is the focus of this article.
Cows do not have a Crude Protein (CP) requirement, Varga et al (2007). Yet, for many years CP has been used when formulating diets, and this often continues to be the case. Cow’s have a requirement for Amino Acids (AA), not protein, and the supply of the AA is predominantly produced by the cow herself in Microbial Protein (MicP) in the rumen. Together with Rumen Undegradable Protein (RUP) and Endogenous Protein (EP), this makes up the supply of Metabolisable Protein (MP) to the small intestine. Both MP and the component AAs are then absorbed by the small intestine and used for protein synthesis and meeting the needs of the cow for: maintenance, growth, reproduction and lactation.
Grass is the cheapest feed available on farm and, if managed correctly, it offers significant potential to reduce the cost of production. However, crops can be extremely variable in terms of quality and quantity, so targeted investment into aftercut nutrition is key to realise the potential of the leys.
Traditionally growers often reach for contact acting postemergence herbicides for spring cereals. However, by considering the use of pre-emergence residuals, weed control can often be improved, whilst at the same time reducing the total spent on sprays.
Having a plan to harvest some of your cereal crops for whole-crop cereal silage is a "no brainer" if you need to top-up tight grass silage stocks on dairy and other livestock farms, says silage specialist, Derek Nelson.
