February is a time for checking forage stocks. We don’t know how much winter is left, or when turnout will be, but the land is still wet. I think there are 60 -70 days left for some dairy farmers. Some are planning to turn out after 1st cut so more stocks of forage are needed for those farmers.
If after checking forage stocks you find there is a deficit. What are the options this year?
Bulk feeds and moist feeds are expensive or not available at all.
Silage Bales are being sold in some areas for up to £50/bale.
Dry Cows. Can the dry cow diets be altered to include more straw? Straw is still available this year. Dry cow diets can include straw to up to 5kg/head. At these levels of straw feeding the straw must be chopped, to ensure adequate intakes. The diet must be balance for energy protein and minerals if this change is made. Use Transform or RBB Dry Cow meal to balance the diets.
Youngstock. Are the youngstock being fed silage? If they are these can be reduced or excluded from their diet completely. They can be fed straw and concentrate (Blend, Lifetime Rearer, or Calf Rearer). Larger heifers need about 4.5kg of concentrates when fed straw. The changes to the diet should be made gradually. If the heifers have been bedded on straw the total amount of straw needed does not increase. This is because the bedding is dryer on animals fed straw and less is needed for bedding. The silage saved here can then be fed to the cows.
If the silage saved from the dry cows and heifers is inferior to that currently fed to the milking herd, it should be used throughout the rest of winter, rather than fed when the other runs out. This will reduce the change of diet effect.
No spare silage on the farm. It is better to make small changes to the diet sooner, rather than large alterations at the end of winter. If the amount of forage fed needs reducing then a high fibre blend can be fed to balance the diet. Wheatfeed, Soya Hulls, Palm Kernal as well as Sugar Beet Pulp can be used in blends for this purpose.If straw is to be incorporated in the milking cow diet then it is best if it is chopped to reduce sorting.
When forage changes are made to any diets, care must be taken to ensure the animals are not showing symptoms of SARA. Restricting high D, low fibre silage is more risky than doing it with low D fibrous forage, (PE NDF). Always observe the cows for cudding and dung scores after changes of forage to a diet.
Contact Carrs Billington today for help calculating your forage stocks and advice on the most suitable alternatives and options for your dairy herd (Click Here)
