Technical Information: Cows and Beef Cattle

Many people are advising that this winter offers the opportunity for profitable milk production as a result of the favourable relationship between milk prices and feed prices.

The incessant wet weather over recent months has created huge pressure on dairy and beef farmers for the coming winter. It is, therefore, important to plan winter feeding now to mitigate the financial impact on farm.

Feeding dairy cows is a balancing act. It is important 
to get sufficient energy and protein into the cow to maximise genetic potential in milk yield, and yet energy dense diets can increase rumen acidity, leading to health problems and poor performance.

Turning livestock out to grass as soon as weather and ground conditions allow and once sufficient grass covers have built up, should at least in theory be the core focus for farmers over the
 next few weeks. Because grass is cheaper than silage or concentrate feeds, getting cows out 
to grass early ...

Actisaf Sc 47 is widely regarded as the most 
effective live yeast on the market for creating and
 maintaining a stable rumen pH. Rumen stability is 
of vital importance in order to facilitate the effective
 digestion and absorption of nutrients, which is essential 
if average daily gains are to be ...

With dairy heifer prices around £2,000 a head and rearing costs approaching £1,500 there are clear reasons to focus on efficient heifer rearing to improve overall dairy herd profitability. One of the key factors affecting the cost of heifer rearing is the growth rate achieved.