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.
Facial eczema is caused by a toxin, sporidesmin, which cows eat when grazing pastures high in fungal spores. Trials conducted at AgResearch by Dr Neale Towers calculated the effect of low doses of sporidesmin on milk yield. Over a three-week period, production across the herd had dropped by as much as 25%. For a cow […]
Protein digestibility kinetics: A key criterion for discriminating protein sources in feeds. Proteins are biological macromolecules made up of amino acids. Protein bioavailability is strongly related to its amino acid composition, size, and mass range. Big proteins, protein-associated molecules and nucleic acids have lower digestibility than free amino acids and small peptides, which have been […]
Written by Dunstan’s nutritionist, Gretel Webber Assoc.Dip.App.Sc, BBus, MSc Equine Nutrition of the pregnant mare has a huge impact on the subsequent foal. Ensuring that the mare maintains adequate body condition is important (without becoming overweight) as this ensures she has sufficient body condition to take on the energy demands of lactation once she has […]
Written by Nadine Olsen, Ruminant and Forage Technical Services Manager, Nutritech Even with relatively high costs of business for contractors and farmers, grass silage and lucerne silage remain one of the most cost-effective protein sources for livestock. At $1.60-$1.80/kg crude protein for grass and lucerne silage, compared with $2.50- $2.90 for concentrated protein sources such […]
Written by David Lewis, Lallemand Animal Nutrition Warmer growing conditions and improved plant breeding have improved most cereal silages’ harvest index (HI). While maize and pasture remain the most common silage sources in more northerly areas (including the South Island), cereals are more common in the southern regions and can produce a high quality and […]
BEFORE CALVING Increased Calcium Demand During the last weeks of pregnancy, the demand for calcium increases significantly for colostrum production and the developing calf requires large amounts of calcium for bone growth. When blood calcium levels drop rapidly, it can lead to milk fever. Failure to contract smooth muscle Low blood calcium makes it difficult […]
We pride ourselves on providing our customers with the best trace element programmes for their farms’ needs. With more than 100 years of customer satisfaction, we have made this process easier with our Custom Quote App. Why Nutritech?: Our three-pronged approach allows us to understand your farm’s requirements in a holistic way using information from: […]
It can be easy to think of dry cows as a group of animals ‘on holiday’, who don’t need much by way of nutrition. However, this time is one of the most critical stages of her lactation to get right. A recent Cow Manager roadshow for example highlighted that around 85% of all health alerts […]
It has been said many times before but cannot be said enough. Your calves are the future of your herd. Getting this season’s calves off to a flying start is crucial for our herd fertility and production in years to come. Colostrum is the key to this, right at the start. Colostrum is the very […]
For over 50 years, scientific and on-farm case studies have supported the importance of a well-executed transition period (three weeks before and after calving) on overall performance. More recently, cow-wearable technologies have given us a better understanding of why this period is critical to overall performance. A study in 2016 published in the Journal of […]
