Technical Information: Cows and Beef Cattle

Grazed grass and quality forage are essential components of any profitable dairy enterprise. But while grazed grass is a high quality, low-cost feed resource, it’s essential to be aware of some key challenges that can impact on cow health and performance.

Every farmer will have noticed that protein prices have surged over the past months, driving up the cost of other raw materials and resulting in more expensive compounds and blends on farm. As the most exensive component of any ration in any case, farmers may be looking to reduce the quantity of bo...

With feed and forage representing 70pc of the variable costs of finishing beef and lambs, improving its utilisation can have a substantial impact on profitability. Feed efficiency, or the amount of growth achieved on a decided amount of feed, is affected by a number of factors including genetics, en...

Feed and forage costs make up the largest single cost of milk production, therefore controlling these expenses is essential to the profitability of any dairy business in the UK and Ireland. In order to minimise feed costs per litre or kg of milk solids produced, optimising feed efficiency of the her...

As we look ahead to the mid-lactation period for dairy herds throughout Ireland, it is important that herds strike the right balance between maximising grass intakes and balancing this with maintaining milk solids yield persistency and ensuring cows are back in calf after the 12-week breeding period...

Summer 2018 has been a difficult season for grass growth, resulting in most farmers having less silage in store for next winter than they’d like, with many having to tap into winter stocks already to make up for the lack of grazing. Technical Manager for Phileo Lesaffre Animal Care in the UK & Irela...