Building performance on home-grown feed
Adding Actisaf® to the ration has settled acidosis and improved performance in James Stainthorpe’s intensive beef herd...
On the West Hamfield Estate, beef farmer James Stainthorpe finishes around 270 cattle each year. His system makes the most of home-grown arable crops, with all cereals fed back into the herd. Calves arrive from a dealer at Lancaster Auction Mart at under six months old, and are put onto once-a-day milk and a weaning pellet from feed supplier W.E. Jameson.
Once the calves are settled, James transitions them onto a rearing pellet and forage, then gradually adds home-grown barley with a protein pellet. Within that pellet is Actisaf® live yeast – a small addition that James says has made a big difference.
“We’re pushing them all the way, trying to hit 350kg deadweight as quick as we can,” James explains. “At the moment, we’re averaging 350 kilos by 14.5-15 months old, when they go to ABP with that. I want them to be hitting a R2 or R3 grade in an ideal world.”
Overcoming acidosis
High-cereal diets are cost-effective, but they carry the risk of acidosis, something James’ cattle had struggled with in the past.
“Seven or eight years ago, we were struggling when the cattle transitioned on to new barley in their diet, and that’s when acidosis became a problem,” he says. “Andrew Grayshon from Jameson suggested using Actisaf® and that year, we averaged 370kg dead throughout that summer. And I don’t think it could just be a coincidence that the Actisaf® was a part of that.”
Later, a change in feeding equipment meant Actisaf® - which had been added in a farm pack format directly into a mixer wagon - was briefly taken out of the ration and James quickly noticed the impact. “Straight away, they dipped off in weight and condition of the cattle just didn’t look right. So, we knew we needed to work with Andrew to get Actisaf® back into the cattle’s diet, and the best way to achieve this was to add it to their protein pellet.”
Once reintroduced, results improved again. “We definitely saw the cattle gain weight again, they got better coverage across their backs, and it settled down the acidosis that we were struggling with.”
Healthier cattle, faster finishing
Andrew from W.E. Jameson, who supplies the feed, recalls the issues James faced a few years ago.
“James was struggling to finish the cattle within 15 months, which is what his buyer requires, and their dung was loose with a little bit of acidosis. I started looking at products that would fit with his system, which is how we came by Actisaf®.”
Because Actisaf® is encapsulated, it survives the journey to the rumen, where it supports the growth of beneficial microbes that digest fibre and utilise lactic acid. This results in better feed conversion efficiency and stabilise rumen pH, even in diets with high levels of cereals.
“It creates a really nice environment for the rumen bugs: rumen pH is stabilised and the rumen runs more efficiently, so we create an environment to break down feed and get the most out of it,” Andrew explains.
The impact has been clear: more consistent dung, happier cattle and higher performance, he concludes. “We’ve also increased growth rates for James since using the Actisaf®, and the cattle are finishing faster, which means that he’s getting more animals through on farm every year. He also gets better grades, more consistently, both in fat grade and conformation, which is helping the price and getting James where he wants to be.”
Hear his story in his own words...