Practical Nutrition: Actual Options on the Farm (Year 4 2021)

Practical nutrition: Actual options on the farm Robert Smith with thanks to Dai Grove-White Learning objectives • Be able to recognise and evaluate different feeding systems for cows. • Apply a range of methods to monitor nutrition. • Recognise problems with on farm feeding and suggest practical...

Practical nutrition: Actual options on the farm Robert Smith with thanks to Dai Grove-White Learning objectives • Be able to recognise and evaluate different feeding systems for cows. • Apply a range of methods to monitor nutrition. • Recognise problems with on farm feeding and suggest practical alternatives. The four diets • • • • Diet formulated by nutritionist Diet mixed by farmer Diet received by cows Diet cows require The 4 diets should all be the same! AHDB Optimal Dairy Systems https://dairy.ahdb.org.uk/optimal-dairy-systems/#.Xa8F5XdFw2x What do you know about the herd that other advisors may not? • Fertility performance currently • Disease incidence and when they occur in the production cycle • An overview of whole business? • Mineral supplements supplied as Vet Medicines What is your client trying to achieve? What does their milk contract require? What resources and skills do farm staff have? What do they need help with? Where does vet currently fit in? Feeding systems for lactating cows. • Grazing vs housing • Traditional. – Silage at barrier & cake in parlour. – Grazing in summer & cake in parlour • Total Mixed Ration (TMR). – all food at barrier – 24 hours/day – ad lib – “complete diet” • “Hybrid”. – Partial mixed ration at barrier & – cake in parlour – Out of parlour feeders • Buffer feeding. – TMR supplement to grazing in summer Traditional feeding. Traditional. • Fibre fed at barrier – grass silage. • Occ. other silages in same clamp • May get mid-day feed on top of silage • Concentrate – fed to yield in parlour. • Peaks of acidity after milking. • Out of parlour feeders to allow smaller more regular meals TMR • Diet set for given yield e.g. M+35 L. – Assumes (measure/guess!) DMI – Energy density M/D 11.2 – 12.4 • If cow yields more – she can eat more. • Encourages maximal DMI. • Consistent pH of rumen. • Forage & concentrate can be balanced in every mouthful Tub vs Axial mixer wagons Magnets on feed out shoot Hybrid Feeding. Hybrid Pros Cons • • • • • Accurate rationing. Resources focussed on peak yielding cows Can feed enough energy to very high yielders. Don’t overfeed low yielders as base mixed ration can be less energy dense than full TMR • • If fed in parlour – eats less at barrier = Substitution If eats less at barrier – gets less long fibre. Less rumination and buffering of rumen “Double whammy”!! SARA Reduced DMI – ”bellyache” Grazing • Cows harvest grass themselves: • “Natural” • How to harvest when plant contains peak energy and protein? • Ground conditions and damage / pollution • High water content reduces maximum DMI and thus yield/cow. Rye grass grazing Weekly grass growth and composition data from around UK. Email newsletter. #ForageforKnowledge. Weekly grass growth and composition data from around UK. Email newsletter. #ForageforKnowledge. Grass growth varies by country too • https://pasturebase.teagasc.ie/V2/login.aspx Looming deficit note scale - 4 cm residual grass height • • Note difference is scale – this one from “0” previous based fro 1600kDM/Ha Irish system start measure from “residual” grass not the ground Monitoring of nutritional status • Body Condition Score & observation • Production? • Milk quality – routine milk recording • Biochemistry – metabolic profiles – selected parameters Ask the cows – the cows are always right ! Observation • BCS changes • DMI – how much are they eating – average amount fed to the group e.g 25.5Kg DM/day • • • • • • cudding rumen fill faeces cleanliness lying time ………. ▪ Why can’t we just give cows a more energy dense diet? ▪ Can we give them high fat diets (like Eskimos eat to get energy)? ▪ Can we give them high starch diets? ▪ Relationship between Dietary Fibre and Ruminal pH ▪ Relationship between Dietary Fibre and Dry Matter Intake Figure 4 Dietary starch, DMI and Ruminal pH Modelling the Adequacy of Dietary Fiber in Dairy Cows Based on the Responses of Ruminal pH and Milk Fat Production to Composition of the Diet. Q. Zebeli, J. Dijkstra, M. Tafaj, H. Steingass, B.N. Ametaj, W. Drochner Journal ofJournal DairyofScience 2008 91, 2046-2066 DOI: (10.3168/jds.2007-0572) Dairy Science 2008 91, 2046-2066DOI: (10.3168/jds.2007-0572) Figure 4 Dietary Fibre and Ruminal pH Modelling the Adequacy of Dietary Fiber in Dairy Cows Based on the Responses of Ruminal pH and Milk Fat Production to Composition of the Diet. Q. Zebeli, J. Dijkstra, M. Tafaj, H. Steingass, B.N. Ametaj, W. Drochner Journal of Dairy Science 2008 91, 2046-2066DOI: (10.3168/jds.2007-0572) Journal of Dairy Science 2008 91, 2046-2066DOI: (10.3168/jds.2007-0572) Figure 4 Dietary Fibre and Dry matter intake Modelling the Adequacy of Dietary Fiber in Dairy Cows Based on the Responses of Ruminal pH and Milk Fat Production to Composition of the Diet. Q. Zebeli, J. Dijkstra, M. Tafaj, H. Steingass, B.N. Ametaj, W. Drochner Journal of Dairy Science 2008 91, 2046-2066DOI: (10.3168/jds.2007-0572) Journal of Dairy Science 2008 91, 2046-2066DOI: (10.3168/jds.2007-0572) Assessing Data • Bulk tank milk composition • NMR, CIS, QMMS individual cow milk composition • Milk fatty acids – NMR Energy Balance – ForFarmers Visiolac • Cow side BHB monitoring • Costings Dry Matter Intake (DMI) • Lactating cow: 3% Bodyweight (kg) • or 2.5% Bodyweight (kg) + 0.1 x yield (L) • CORRECTION FACTORS Complete diet (e.g.TMR) + 20-30% Out-of-parlour feeder + 5-10% Mixed forages < 5% Breed – Holstein < + 20% Heifers with cows - 5-10% Self feed silage - 5-10% Electric fence at silage face - 10-20% Poorly preserved silage - 10-30% Week of lactation < - 45% Adapted from Feeding the Dairy Cow - Look up tables A T Chamberlain and J M Wilkinson Feed Access • Minimise stress / competition for feed and water • Feed barrier or trough space vital • at least 24“ (60 cm) for milkers • at least 30“ (80 cm) for dry • 36” (90 cm) close to calving • Clean water with 3.5” (9 cm) of trough edge per cow • 24 hour access Feed barrier = barrier to feed! Alternative to electric fence Feeding at the front of cubicles! Trough – the “T” word How do you get through? Movable barriers Conclusions • • • • • Use your eyes and ask: What is being done? How does it influence palatability and DMI? How could it be improved? Is there any reason it has not been improved already?