Case Studies

David Walker milks a herd of 100 dairy cows at High Woodifield Farm in County Durham. His all-year-round calving herd averages 10,500 litres with 3.35% protein and 4.12% butterfats, and they are fed a TMR ration of grass silage, wholecrop, soya meal and barley.

Loose, bubbly dung is often indicative of bigger problems in cattle, and can often accompany stressful periods such as calving, diet transitions or group changes. Quick recognition and early intervention is key to ensuring that a more serious condition doesn’t occur.

Paul and Angie Proudley keep eight show jumping horses and ponies on Hall Farm in the North York Moors National Park, all of which are ridden by their daughters Sarah, aged 10, and Rachel, 13, as they compete successfully across Great Britain.

Diet changes and forage variability are inevitable parts of any dairy business, often leading to digestive upset, acidosis and subsequent losses in milk production which often go unseen. However, these negative effects can be avoided managing diet changes and by optimising the rumen environment.

Transitioning dairy herds to grass in the spring means a change in diet and environment for cows, which can often impact rumen function whilst gut microbes adjust to the change in levels of nutrients.

Many dairy herds will see milk butterfat levels drop when their herd is grazing lush, spring grass – something that is often accompanied by dungs becoming loose.