SEPTEMBER 2009 NEWSLETTER

This months linked article's:

STATE OF THE ART PRECISION BLENDING

As the major manufacturer of blended and compounded feeds supplied to GP Feeds Ltd customers throughout Cheshire and surrounding counties, SC Feeds have invested to provide our customers with the only precision blending plant built in this country within the last 20 years. This plant is now fully up and running and providing state of the art blends.

By precision blending we mean a fully enclosed, computer process controlled system where raw materials are stored in enclosed bulk bins and weighed precisely through weighers controlled by the most modern computer systems - not raw materials stored on floor or bunkers and loaded into mixer wagons using inaccurate buckets as is the norm of most blending plants.

The accuracy and precision of our blending operation is second to none with weighments available to the nearest gram. Our mixer is also one of the most accurate and efficient in the industry, primarily designed for precision mixing in the pet, equine and mineral business, it mixes in seconds and provides recovery test results better than any other mixer used in animal feed manufacture. Recovery tests, are tests we have to do twice yearly as part of our feed assurance audit to check accurate mixing and vitamin/mineral dispersion.

The vast majority of our blends are custom own blends or bespoke blends requested by you the customer or your consultant or feed advisor. This is, and will remain, a very important part of our business to provide the right feed to compliment your feeds and forage, and to fit your own system and requirements.

High quality feeds and proteins continue to be of high value and therefore warrant correct and accurate mixing, which is why precision blending will give our customers exactly what they want - to the last gram.

We at GP Feeds have recently taken on a new customer and are supplying them blend through the new precision blending plant. The customer asked us to price up a blend which they were currently using, and when we quoted them our price, it was satisfactory with the customer so they booked a contract. Since beginning to supply this blend in July the customer has seen some excellent results. He is supplying his milk on a cheese contract so the following results are all good news for him. Butterfat was 3.82% now 4.20%, Protein was 2.80% now 3.16% and he has also seen an increase of 4 litres per cow.

He asked us how this could be, our answer is simple - we are supplying you exactly what you requested and with precision blending. So our question to you is: are you getting exactly what you ask for from your current supplier - you will with us!

EXPECTATIONS OF DAIRY PERFORMANCE FOR WINTER 2009-10

(Reproduced with kind permission of Frank Wright Trouw Nutrition International)

Milk from grazing and early season grass silage average

With over 600 grass silage samples analysed from this season's first cut, comparison with the equivalent averages from the previous 2 years' first cuts show this year's average silage to be of very similar quality, despite the very different growing seasons.

Therefore, if history repeats itself, we could be facing another winter of general under performance on many dairy farms this year. Over the past 2 winters many herds typically averaged 2 litres per cow per day short of target yields, particularly in cows calving from now to the end of the year.

The reasons for this centred on two main issues. Firstly, underfeeding at summer grazing lead to cows with inadequate body condition entering the winter and secondly winter forages had very average nutrient supplies with which to feed both the rumen bugs and the cow.

Milk yield from grazing update

Over the past two summers, many cows at grazing lost excessive body condition due to an over expectation of the potential milk production from grass. Consequently, when those cows were housed the dietary energy that should have been used for milk production was diverted to replenish body condition. The good news is that the current estimations of the average potential milk yield from grazing during early summer is on average of some 2 litres per cow per day more than the past two years, being M+15 litres this June. Similarly July to date and is currently averaging M+12.3 litres compared to M+10 litres last year.

Milk yield from grazing update

Careful attention to grass management, potential milk from grazing (ideally using the FWTNI milk from grazing system, including the ready-reckoner), cow performance and body condition are critical to year round profitable milk production.

Early season first cut grass silage averages

Over the past two winters the average grass silage and subsequently also the maize silage, has lacked the rumen energy required to maximise rumen digestion and microbial protein production to promote milk yield. Unfortunately, the early season average for this year's first cut grass silages is very similar. Comparative results are summarised on the attached table.

The dry matter, crude protein, energy and intake potential are acceptable at 31.5%, 13.6%, 10.8 MJ/kg DM and 97.5 g/kgLW0.75 respectively, whilst fermentation quality and clamp stability, measured as pH, ammonia and fermentation acids (lactic acid and VFA), is good.

Both NDF and rumen stability value (RSV) are somewhat lower than last year at 46.9% and 283 respectively and therefore careful attention should be given to fibre intake and rumen health this winter.

Ensuring sufficient rumen energy supply coupled with the balance with rumen nitrogen will once again be important when formulating this winters grass silage based rations. A daily intake of excess rumen nitrogen can significantly reduce milk production because of the energy expended by the cow to remove that nitrogen. It is estimated that each 500g excess rumen N (MPNMPE) requires the equivalent energy of over 1 litre of milk to deaminate and excrete. Cow fertility can also be seriously compromised associated with excess blood urea status.

Simple ration formulation for M+35 litres suggests that 11kg of concentrate per head per day will be needed to balance an ad libitum grass silage based ration. The crude protein content of the concentrate should be around 18% but in association with a good balance of rumen energy and by-pass protein. A minimum NDF of 14% will be needed in the concentrate to ensure the total dietary minimum of 33% NDF is achieved for optimum rumen health.

EARLY SEASON FIRST CUT GRASS SILAGE RESULTS

 

  July 2007 July 2008 July 2009
Average		 July 2009
Minimum		 July 2009
Maximum

 

% 30.4 30.8 31.5 15.8 64.2
Crude Protein % 13.2 13.1 13.6 8.1 18.6
'D' Value % 67.3 67.2 67.7 57.6 77.4
ME MJ 10.8 10.8 10.8 9.2 12.4
pH 4.1 4.2 4.1 3.6 5.4
NH3N % 4.7 5.0 2.7 1.4 4.8
Sugar % 2.9 2.8 2.9 0.1 6.7
Ash % 8.0 7.7 7.8 5.0 10.0
NDF % 47.2 50.8 46.9 39.6 63.6
ADF % 32.9 33.0 32.2 25.2 41.3
Oil B % 3.7 3.9 3.5 2.3 4.5
VFA g/kg 22.5 21.0 29.5 2.7 83.9
Lactic Acid g/kg 79.1 76.5 70.4 2.8 161.9
Vitamin E Mg/kg 40.5 35.2 82.6 37.0 129.4
Intake Potential g/kg 95.1 96.0 97.5 66.1 134.0
PAL Meq/kg 834.6 849.1 783.8 597.4 1004.9
RSV 279.9 299.9 282.8 232.1 366.4
MPB g/kg 27.8 23.7 23.7 12.5 39.7
MPN g/kg 90.0 88.1 91.4 53.7 125.8
MPE g/kg 76.6 73.2 73.0 53.0 86.7

 

QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR QUALITY PRODUCTION

Contact

Gareth or Rachel (Office)
01948 661602 Fax 01948 871776

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