New feedstuff helps finish cattle faster

Beef farmers could finish their cattle quicker and more efficiently thanks to a new feedstuff.

Available in blends or as a farm pack, ProFinisher boosts daily liveweight gain by up to 6% – so cattle are finished earlier on less feed. Cattle are said to achieve an overall 19kg increase in total liveweight.

ProFinisher is manufactured for Carr’s Billington by Techna. It contains a blend of 100% natural plant-based essential oils, which work to improve the energy efficiency of the digestive tract in ruminants while helping to keep animals healthy.

Financial benefits

Carr’s Billington feed specialist Jessica Bertram says: “This not only delivers a financial benefit for farmers due to less feed being required but also delivers environmental gains because the cattle are being finished on fewer inputs.”

ProFinisher works by increasing the amount of propionate – a volatile fatty acid – in the rumen. This improves energy utilisation and increases the crypt depth of the villi in the hind gut ensuring better absorption of nutrients.”

Sales manager Jamie-Leigh Douglas says another benefit of the feed is the inclusion of specific coatings on the natural oils for targeted release within the rumen and hindgut – ensuring it is effective where it needs to be.

Ms Bertram believes these two modes of action, alongside the coatings on the oils, are key to ProFinisher’s success, and the wider success of a beef enterprise.

She adds: “By ensuring cattle make better use of the energy and nutrients in their diet, they will gain weight more quickly – something which is key to the success of a profitable and efficient finishing enterprise.”

Feeding ewes in late pregnancy

Part 1: How to make the most of winter forage.

Variable weather last summer has meant varied forage samples for feeding this winter, writes Nerys Wright. Yet many of us continue to feed the same amount of forage and the same supplements – year in, year out – regardless of quality.

The advantage of analysing our forage means we can utilise its quality in good years – potentially saving supplementation costs. Then, when forage quality is poorer, we can supplement sooner or choosing a higher quality feed product.

Long-term approach

This approach may cost more in the short term, but it certainly does pay more in the longer term. The trick is to do it correctly. It is important, for instance, to inspect supplies and avoid feeding damaged or mouldy forage.

While optimising forage intake, be sure to consider the amount a ewe can eat in a single day – the dry matter intake (DMI). This varies by forage type and pregnancy stage. Calculated as a percentage of a ewe’s bodyweight, it typically ranging from 1 to 3%.

Forage analysis reports can look complicated and daunting. But I recommend looking at five of the key details (or four if its hay or haylage). The table here provides a summary of key elements and targets.

In next month’s article, we will look at the best way to select your compound feed. For a list of companies offering forage analysis, visit the AHDB website or speak to your local merchant who may offer this service.

Nerys Wright is an independent sheep consultant. For more details, call 07891 187643 or visit sheepconsultancy.co.uk.