GP Feeds Ltd - Quality Products for Quality Production...

FEBRUARY 09 NEWSLETTER

This months linked article's:

Why choose Ecosyl...

MYCOTOXINS...

MINERAL AVERAGES (Courtesy of Frank Wright)...

DRY COWS

WHAT TO AIM FOR:

Two groups of dry cows with the far off dry cows fed at least a minimum of a high specification mineral tub and some forage as well as ad-lib straw. All cows and heifers to have at least 21 days on a transition diet. Cows should have a body condition score of between 3.0 to 3.5. Thinner cows should be on a transition diet for longer.

Diets should contain similar forages to those fed post calving and either blend or EXCEL PRE CALVER ROLLS. A high specification mineral should be fed. Our EXCEL DRY COW MINERALS / BUCKETS cover all your mineral and vitamin requirements.

This transition diet should be formulated by a competent nutritionist to check it meets the modern cows requirement. If you need advice with dry cow management please ring the office on 01948 661602.

Remember comfort is paramount. Pay attention to these cows and mastitis, lameness and infertility will be reduced.

Ration faults:  
  • Trying to slim dry cows in the dry period
  • Poor cow comfort
  • Low vitamin and minerals
  • One dry group
  • The use of milking cow minerals in a dry cow diet
  • Low quality forage
  • 'Roughing' it approach
  • Mouldy feeds
  • Wrong diet formulation

Excel Pre-Calver Rolls (Oil 2½%, Protein 21%, Fibre 6.8%) A QUALITY PRODUCT TO PRODUCE QUALITY RESULTS
Phone the office today on 01948 661602 to discuss your needs.

Why choose Ecosyl

  • A clear and effective product range covering all of your requirements, with each being supported by proof and in most cases being the market leader, at a realistic prices
  • The Ecosyl Product Range is manufactured exclusively in the UK and delivered to over 20 countries worldwide.
  • Ecosyl Products Ltd was awarded The Queens Award for Industry in 2007 in recognition of its role in assisting dairy farmers to improve efficiency.
  • Ecosyl is the only silage inoculant in the world with milk production improvement claims supported by 15 totally independent full scale trials.
  • Ecosyl is the only product Guaranteed on the label to apply 1 million bacteria per gram of forage treated.
  • Ecosyl ultra low volume formulation is the only ULV product declared to apply at 1 million/gramme. Their ULV applicator The Ecosyler was developed in partnership with Claas and has proved to be the First Choice of contractors
  • The Double Action Range for dry grass and wholecrop/maize contains the food preservative Potassium Sorbate to reduce heating. Double Action Ecosyl and Double Action Ecocorn have received acclaim from both Kingshay and the Maize Growers Association, for keeping silages cooler for longer.

If you want any further information or just want to place your order please give us a call today on 01948 661602

MYCOTOXINS

Are you experiencing problems? It could well be Mycotoxins. Mycotoxins are produced naturally from all types of mould, there are hundreds of different known mycotoxins. Mycotoxins affect animals is a variety of ways and since there are many types, identifying and diagnosing is often very difficult.

Common effects of mycotoxins

Variable intakes Inconsistant milk yields
Scouring Acidosis-type symptoms
Impaired immune function Poor rumen function
Bloody faeces Lethargy
Reduced fertility Swollen ankles / teat swelling
Muscles tremors Unsettled cows
General poor performance without any clear explanation  

Conditions for mycotoxin production

Mould is highly adaptable and will develop on any growing or stored feedstuffs in a wide variety of conditions. Mould produce mycotoxins under a wide range of conditions and therefore, the challenge should be considered ever-present:

Plant stress - soil infertility, insect damage, extremes of temperature or moisture. Harvest stress - late harvest, crop too dry, slow clamp filling. Storage stress - wet grain, poor clamp consolidation, poor fermentation. Feed-out problems - poor hygiene, spoilage at face, poor face management.

Control or eradication of toxin's is not as easy task, but a product that can help is Mycosorb - a natural feed supplements based on the inner cell walls from specifically selected yeast.

How does it work - when mycosorb is fed, mycotoxins present in the gut of the animal are absorbed by the yeast sugars and are excreted with the faeces, thereby maintain the health of the animal. Mycosorb has been extensively trialled and is effective against the vast majority of known problem-causing mycotoxins.

Response - mycosorb becomes effective as soon as fed and animal responses are typically seen from 3 days to 3 weeks after inclusion, depending on the type and severity of the mycotoxin challenge.

Feeding - can be fed as part of a TMR or direct into the trough. To be fed at 100g per head per day for the first 7 days, then reduce to 50g per head per day thereafter.

MINERAL AVERAGES (Courtesy of Frank Wright)

The 2008 growing season appears to have created a much larger variation in mineral levels in grass silage than in 2007. Of the analysed elements, all but sodium and lead were lower in 2007 when compared to 2006. However, this years' results show 3 elements with the same average, 9 higher and 5 lower than the 2007 averages.

Copper

  • When looking at copper levels it is very important to also consider the key copper antagonists, iron, molybdenum and sulphur, which reduce the availability of dietary copper.
  • Iron is down 10.9% from 368.95 mg/kg DM to 328.86 mg/kg DM. This is not all good news, though, as 43% of all grass silages contain greater than 250 mg/kg of iron, putting them in the high range.
  • This, coupled with a 15.3% increase in molybdenum, is likely to negate any positive effects from the copper increase of 6.1%.
  • Troubling is the fact that 55% of samples contained molybdenum levels greater that 1.0 mg/kg DM placing them in the high range with the average of these samples being 1.97 mg/kg DM.
  • Sulphur has remained the same but at 0.19% is still very close to being in the high range.
  • Levels of copper antagonists and the number of grass silages in the danger zones must not be ignored.

Manganese

  • Interestingly, 20% of grass silages contains greater than 150 mg/kg DM (88% DM basis) which is the MPL (Maximum Permitted Level) in the total diet.
  • Of this 20%, the average is 214 mg/kg DM which means that the level would need to be 'blended down' with other dietary ingredients to avoid exceeding the MPL.

Phosphorus

  • The Phosphorus level has increased by 3.2% (0.30 vs 0.31%). However, aluminum, which decreases the availability of phosphorus to the animal, is up by 9.4% which puts the grass silage phosphorus balance in much the same position as last year.
  • Balanced but not excessive phosphorus supplementation will be required, especially when the cost of phosphorus supplementation is considered.

Magnesium

  • The average magnesium content is the same as last year but the potassium has increased by 3% (2.29% vs 2.36%). Much like aluminum's effect on phosphorus, potassium decreases the availability of magnesium in the animal, making it essential to consider especially when trying to prevent magnesium related deficiencies such as staggers.
  • This should not make the situation much worse than last year but the average values do suggest that magnesium lock-up by potassium may still be an issue. Dry cows need particular attention.

Calcium

  • Calcium has continued to decrease (8% since 2006 from 0.62% to 0.57&) equating to 0.5/kg DM.
  • Attention to supply may be needed in grass and maize diets to an inherently lower dietary contribution.

CAB

  • The CAB value has decreased slightly largely due to the 10% drop in sodium.
  • Current research suggests the CAB levels should be around 200 - 400 meg/kg (average of 295 meg/kg DM) in the total diet for lactating cows. This year 49% of grass silages fall within this range.
  • Conversely, this is not ideal for dry cows. Though only 7% of grass silages have a CAB above 500 meg/kg DM, forages with high CAB values may be more difficult to balance in a DCAB diet. In these instances it may be necessary to severley limit, or even remove the green forage, from the diet to get within the target DCAB range.

MAIZE SILAGE AND FERMENTED WHOLE CROP

  • The maize silage results show decreased levels of antagonists which will help to ease associated 'lock-up' problems.
  • However, maize silage copper levels have decreased by 24.2% (from 7.1 mg/kg DM to 5.38 mg/kg DM) so copper supplementation will still need to be addressed.
  • The final word on maize silage is the decrease in calcium levels. Being down 14.3%, where maize silage inclusion is high in the lactating diet, it is likely that extra calcium will be needed to meet requirements.
  • Wholecrop forages have decreased levels of sulphur and potassium levels but iron, molybdenum and aluminum have all increased, the latter two quite substantially. Phosphorus has decreased which will compound the problem of the higher aluminum.
  • Wholecrop copper levels have increased by 17.4% (equivalent to nearly 1 mg/kg DM) but the average molybdenum level is now at 1.02 mg/kg DM putting in the high range even by grass silage standards.
  • Where whole crop is included in the diet, copper and phosphorus may need careful consideration.
  • In general, dietary mineral supply will need to be increased should maize or whole crop silages be incorporated in the diet due to the inherently lower levels of minerals.

FRESH GRASS

  • The phosphorus and magnesium levels have decreased as have their antagonists aluminum and potassium.
  • The effect on phosphorus should not be too great as the current level in the grass (depending on other dietary components) should be high enough to meet requirements and address 'lock-up'.
  • The copper antagonists, iron and sulphur have decreased but the current averages of 305.59 mg/kg DM and 0.24% respectively, put both in the high range. Couple this with an increase of nearly 55% in molybdenum content and it is obvious that target copper supplementation will be necessary.

In summary, averages show a trend but hide the wide range of results. It is always best to have the specific forages tested and feed a specially designed mineral to meet the animals' requirements in the most cost effective manner. For example, the light increase in phosphorus of 0.01% would provide an extra 1.0 g/10kg DM of grass silage. This is equivalent to 1% phosphorous in an on-farm mineral fed at 100g per head per day. With the current costs involved in phosphorous supplementation this could offer significant savings. Supplementation of livestock at grazing is essential for year-round performance.

With the above in mind, give us a call, so we may help you to maximize your profits by targeting the correct mineral for your specific needs.

Ring us today on 01948 661602

QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR QUALITY PRODUCTION

Contact

Gareth or Rachel (Office)
01948 661602 Fax 01948 871776

 

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