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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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FEED AND NUTRITION

8 ways to produce award-winning silage

Producing a first-cut silage with a metabolisable energy value of 12.76MJ/kg dry matter and 14.7% crude protein does not happen by chance. That level of quality requires attention to detail…

FEED AND NUTRITION

3 ways a farmer is optimising silage management to cut costs

A focus on planning, harvesting and ensiling silage is helping a Wiltshire dairy farmer to optimise feed utilisation and keep costs down.  Joe Carter believes you get from cows what…

DAIRY

Video: How a dairy farmer cut concentrate costs by £30,000

Close monitoring of daily production and producing more milk from forage have enabled a Suffolk farmer to reduce concentrate use by almost one-third. In 2019, Jonny Crickmore was comparing the…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Lucerne cuts farm's reliance on bought-in protein

Farmers Weekly's Dairy Farmer of the Year 2021, Mark Larwood, is a seasoned grower of lucerne, a crop that other producers might consider as a way of displacing soya in…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How maize shredlage aids digestion in dairy rations

Feeding maize shredlage is helping a Dorset dairy farm maintain a rolling milk butterfat average of 4.2%. Joe and Sam Foot harvest all the maize they grow for their dairy…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How forage maize no-till system cuts costs and improves soil

No two years are the same in farming, as Max Tite’s experience of growing maize with minimal soil disturbance shows. But, with the right weather conditions, he has found that…

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FEED AND NUTRITION

First-cut silage analysis: fibre and energy lower than 2021

A higher proportion of overwintered material means this year’s first-cut silages are tending to have higher fibre and lower energy levels compared with last year. But the trend, shown in…

DAIRY

Ketosis in dairy cows: Cause, symptoms and prevention

Ketosis is a metabolic disorder affecting dairy cows in early lactation. It happens when they enter negative energy balance caused by the dramatic increase in energy demand for milk production.…

LIVESTOCK

6 top maize growing tips to help livestock producers

Results from a new survey of maize growers have revealed valuable cropping knowledge which can be shared to help livestock producers get more from their crop. Nearly 100 producers, with…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Guide to maximising fibre potential in grass silage

Formulating diets to get the most out of forage, rather than bought-in compound feeds, has long been accepted as a way for dairy producers to be more profitable. However, nutritionist…

FEED AND NUTRITION

3 ways to get the best results from maize crops

Making use of cover crops, adopting mechanical weed control practices, and fine-tuning the timing and depth of drilling can all help optimise maize production, according to the latest research by…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How to grow better fodder beet - 5 expert tips

Fodder beet is a high-energy forage crop, consistently providing metabolisable energy (ME) of 12 MJ/kg dry matter (DM),  improved livestock performance and outyielding alternative options. What’s more, it offers farmers…

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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,…

ENVIRONMENT

Scientists developing EBV for lower methane emission

Farmers could be selecting cattle bred to produce lower methane emissions in the near future, according to a leading scientist. Methane is an important greenhouse gas, with 28-times the potential…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Study shows how calcium can affect dry cow fertility

Increasing calcium in pre-calving diets can improve postpartum uterine health and fertility, a recent study has revealed. The study, which took place at the University of Illinois, examined feeding dry…

MAIZE

Rain puts pressure on maize with tricky harvest

Prolonged rain has made maize harvesting difficult in recent days, with some suffering with flooding and high rainfall. Maize maturity has already been slowed by rain as green plants have…

GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT

How to profit from forage-based dairy-beef system

Forage-based dairy-beef systems are profitable even in extreme weather conditions, a two-year study at Harper Adams University has concluded. The project investigated whether it was feasible to finish dairy-bred beef…

FEED AND NUTRITION

Why structural fibre is essential for fresh cows

Ensuring structural fibre is available to fresh cows in very early lactation could ease transition by reducing metabolic issues and stabilising rumen function. This is according to NWF head of…

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