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Know How / Dairy / Feed and nutrition

Managing feed and nutrition to maximise milk output has become a precise science in dairy herds. We have information on grazing management, developments in grass and maize silage and formulating rations with a balanced protein, energy, mineral and fibre content.

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DAIRY

How a greenfield dairy targets 'resilient' 50% yield lift

An autumn-calving herd is targeting 7,500 litres from 1.5t of parlour cake after moving farm, breed and system. The Barnes family of Alma Bank Farm, near Oakham, have endured six…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

How cow minerals unlocked calf health for Somerset farm

The Creeds are meticulous when it comes to calf rearing, so when animals suddenly started to get sick, it was a mystery as to why – until they discovered their…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Gold Cup winners share body condition scoring strategy

Embracing technology and keeping a close eye on cow condition have helped maintain pregnancy rates at 23% and support cow longevity at an Ayrshire family farm. The Logans, from Holehouse…

LIVESTOCK

How Welsh dairy has halved carbon emissions

A Welsh family dairy has almost halved its carbon footprint from 1,447g to 809g of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilogram of fat- and protein-corrected milk, placing the farm within the…

LIVESTOCK

How brothers secured future with second autumn-block herd

A second dairy unit set up on neighbouring arable land has given two brothers a long-term future on their Leicestershire family farm Martin Wade and his sons, George and Ben,…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Silage calculations save on feed for autumn block-calver

For organic grower Jonathan Hughes, working out how much is needed to get through winter, including wastage and contingency, then filling clamps with home-grown forage, hits the sweet spot rather…

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LIVESTOCK

Options for harvesting maize in wet conditions

A switch to grain maize could be the answer for farmers with maize crops still standing because harvest has been hampered by wet ground conditions.   This is according to…

MAIZE

Maize Watch: Bumper maize yields for many

Maize growers around the country are reporting very good yields this year. “Contractors are chopping now in all regions. Yields are 44-49t/ha, which is very good compared with the long-term…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

Maize Watch: Harvest yields off to a promising start

As foragers start chopping maize crops across the South and East, reports are that yields are very good, ranging between 43 and 48t/ha. Excellent growth throughout the summer was due…

MAIZE

Maize Watch: Crops perform well despite challenging weather

Maize has done well in this year’s challenging weather conditions, utilising summer rain for excellent plant growth, reports Neil Groom, manager of forage specialists Grainseed. “Spring was wet and maize…

LIVESTOCK

Three-cut silage: Go for leaves, not bulk

Three-cut silage systems can take first cut a week earlier next year and still get the same yield, plus better quality. Scheduling all three cuts in the clamp before the…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to stop losses when grazing youngstock on herbal leys

A fundamental misunderstanding of how to manage stock grazing herbal leys has caused heartache on some farms this summer, as more yearling cattle and weaned lambs have died from twisted…

Insights

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DAIRY

How early life calf nutrition affects long-term metabolism

Researchers are discovering more about early life programming and how critical this is for adulthood, according to Trouw Nutrition’s Dr Leonel Leal. This starts with colostrum, but also includes feeding…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How home-grown forages could make dairy protein more green

Making better use of home-grown forages could help eliminate the overfeeding of costly dietary protein in dairy cow diets and, in turn, reduce associated emissions, according to Liam Sinclair, professor…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Maize-bean cropping tipped to see huge growth in Germany

More German growers are companion-cropping maize with beans to address astronomical ammonium nitrate and protein costs, saying the dry matter and protein performance of the resulting silage outweighs the energy…

LIVESTOCK

High-yielding herds top efficiency stakes

High-yielding dairy herds are more feed-efficient than low-yielding herds, but improvements must be made in cow fertility and longevity to lower methane emissions. A study of 21 farms across five…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Maize silage should feed well despite drought, analysis shows

Analysis of nearly 700 samples of maize silage suggest it should feed well this winter and complement this year’s grass silages. This is according to Liz Homer, ruminant technical development…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Why big cows are inefficient and how to breed smaller stock

Cows are getting bigger. UK dairy farmers are feeding and managing the equivalent of nearly five extra cows for every 100 in their herds, compared with 30 years ago. And…

DAIRY

Can palm-oil be replaced in feed to help cut dairy emissions?

Fat supplements are incorporated into dairy diets to provide energy and enable cows to maintain butterfat levels. Most of those used in the UK are formulated with palm acid oil.…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How to cut silage spoilage and on-farm plastic with HOB film

Opting for high-oxygen barrier (HOB) films instead of black plastic sheets has been shown to reduce silage clamp losses from 15% to 7%. This could go some way towards protecting…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How ‘chemichanical’ approach is aiding maize production

About 180,000ha of maize is grown in Denmark, with the majority of production concentrated in the South West. However, continuous rotations and a reduced chemical armoury mean weed control is…

DAIRY

How to get the most from this year's variable silage crop

This year’s silage is proving to be variable in quality and will need careful and frequent monitoring to make the best use of it. That is the verdict on samples…

LIVESTOCK

Calf bottles and tube feeders on test

It is unsurprising many farmers are switching from bottles to buckets with teats for feeding milk to older calves. Our test, carried out over a four-month period at my family…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Why urea-based products should be avoided to preserve grain

Urea-based products used to preserve rolled grain lose at least 40% of nitrogen content before they are consumed by the animal, new research has shown. Urea acts as a preservative,…

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