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.
Did you know that poorly managed and untreated maize can be subjected to significant losses of nutritional quality and volume? On a dry matter basis there can be 20% or greater losses of silage, which in a time where purchased feed cost is so high, this can have a devastating impact on farm profitability. Many […]
The dry period in dairy cows represents a critical phase with significant implications for overall herd health and productivity. While dairy cows experience their lowest dry matter requirements during the dry period, with dry matter intake (DMI) ranging from 2.6% to 2.2% of live weight (LWT), it is one of the most important diets to […]
Increasing intakes of high-quality silage are crucial to driving on-farm profitability, but to achieve this, we must first understand the role of fibre. Fibre plays a vital function in milk production and the utilisation of silages, influencing rumen function and regulating total dry matter intakes. Crop growers and maize silage makers should plan to produce […]
Rearing calves in the autumn has a different set of environmental challenges than calves traditionally reared in springtime in New Zealand. Weather conditions tend to be warmer and drier in autumn so the challenges of maintaining hygiene in calf sheds is easier with less moisture in the bedding material. Additionally, the nutritional energy demands of […]
Spoilage found on the top and sides of stacks, which can be dark and slimy or contain visible mould, should not be fed to livestock. Studies have shown that including a small amount of spoilt silage (eg top spoilage) with mostly well fermented silage can have a detrimental effect on the digestibility of the whole […]
Mycotoxins occur in animal feeds when moisture and temperature (humidity) combine to allow the growth of fungi which, when stressed, produce mycotoxins. Specific mycotoxins, when present in sufficient quantities, will cause a range of symptoms from behavioural issues to reproductive and immunological disorders. These mycotoxins are present in most plant feedstuffs including grain (wheat maize, […]
Wholecrop cereal silage is an excellent feed source. However, it has a high risk of spoilage due to the hollow stems that trap a lot of air, and also due to the grain content which spoilage yeasts and moulds thrive on, especially in the presence of oxygen. With wholecrop cereal silage harvest just around the […]
Dairy farming is a vital sector of agriculture, providing a steady supply of milk and dairy products to meet the nutritional needs of people worldwide. To ensure the health and productivity of dairy cows, it’s crucial for farmers to adopt innovative practices and technologies. Levucell® SC, a probiotic specifically designed for ruminant animals, has gained […]
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 […]
