Dairy farmers are being urged to carry out their winter forage budgets early to give them enough time to secure any additional feed requirements.
Farmers may be caught out if they leave it late to secure additional winter forage stocks, says Csaba Adamik, regional business manager for Lallemand Animal Nutrition. “It’s been a very mixed year for forage quality and quantity.”
While areas of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have generally fared well, prolonged drought conditions in other regions have left farmers facing tight stocks going into autumn and winter.
“We’re already seeing some producers selling off low-yielding or problem cows to ease pressure, while others will have bought in extra forage or standing crops,” says Mr Adamik.
Forage quality
Producers who haven’t done so are advised to assess forage quality and quantity as a matter of priority. “Make sure you complete your forage budget early because there’s still something you can do about it in early autumn.”
“If you leave it until late into the autumn, it can be difficult – especially in areas where there are forage shortages because you’ll be competing with other farmers in the area for any excess forage.”
Mr Adamik adds: “Farmers will also need to be open to alternative options which they may not have used in the past – including vegetable by-products and sub-standard potatoes.
“You can also feed extra concentrates but there’s a limitation on how much, so you are better off trying to close that gap with forage-type products or replacements such as draff or brewers’ grains.”
Changing rations
To help cows cope with changing rations and to maximise the value of available forage, he recommends feeding the rumen-specific live yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077 – known commercially as Levucell SC.
“We’re likely to see more ration changes than normal this year, with cows having access to certain feeds for only a short period of time before moving on to something else,” says Mr Adamik.
“The yeast provides the rumen with more stability and help to even out challenging periods in ration quality by optimising rumen function and increasing ration digestibility. This will ensure the best possible feed efficiency and return on investment for any bought-in feeds.”
He says research has shown that, depending on the acid load level of the diet, grass silage can have its NDF digestibility in the rumen increased by 5-9% when the live yeast is fed, resulting in increased feed efficiency and milk yields.