PRACTICAL ADVICE
We are frequently asked by publications to help provide insight into essential and prevalent issues. These include animal nutrition features written by our technical specialists. Practical advice that works made available to you. Sit back and have a read.
Poor Summer Performance
About this time of year farmers may notice a number of behavioural issues with their stock, along with declines in performance. Typical symptoms are grouping together particularly where shade is available, and around water troughs, or an increase in temperamental cows that kick off cups during milking. Peeling skin can occur in severe cases. Such [...]
Why use Silage Inoculants and Which are Best?
Farmers often ask if silage inoculants are beneficial when making forage silages, and my answer is yes, irrespective of situation and type of crop. It is a matter of risk and limiting losses, of dry matter and nutrient value, at every stage in silage making and utilisation. Plants naturally have several varieties of bacteria, yeasts [...]
Tackling Thermoduric Bacteria in Silages
Thermoduric bacteria are those that can survive high temperatures, such as during pasteurisation, and can cause spoilage in dairy products. The most common thermoduric bacteria are spore forming Bacillus and Clostridium species, which are widespread in the farm environment. One major route of contamination can be from cows eating soil or poor quality silage, producing [...]
Strategies for a Lower Payout
Financial cycles are a normal part of agriculture, subject to international factors beyond farmers’ control. Farmers need sound business strategies to deal with these fluctuations, to ensure their long term future. Large companies used to such cycles, tend to build up equity during positive cycles, and reduce it during negative ones. Released equity is used [...]
Silage Inoculants – Investment or Expense?
There is a tendency to undervalue silages, both in terms of feed value and the true costs of growing and ensiling them. Consequently, many farmers do not pay enough attention to making and using them for maximum benefit. The cost of land has to be included when calculating growing costs. If debt free, then opportunity [...]
Types of Protected Fats
High energy levels in fats make them useful for boosting energy intakes of cows, to increase production, improve fertility or condition at key times during the year. Unsaturated fats can be toxic to rumen microbes at high concentrations, so may adversely affect fibre degradation. Therefore, supplementary fats must be “protected” from rumen activity if they [...]
Coccidiosis Control in Milk Fed Calves
Clinical and subclinical coccidiosis in calves can result in significant financial losses, as a result of poor health, ill thrift, lost condition and weight, and severe cases death. Even under rigorous hygiene regimes, calves may be exposed to the coccidiosis causing protozoan parasites soon after birth. This is because the coccidia oocytes shed by infected [...]
Benefits of Good Transition
Some of the biggest opportunities to increase production efficiency and reproductive health come from supporting dairy cows as they “transition” from late pregnancy to early lactation. Whilst many traditional systems have taken a “hands off” approach to the transition period it is now generally considered to be the most critical time of the year, with [...]
