January 2018
Following on from Michael Gove’s speech at the Oxford Farming Conference last month, the government launched four new Countryside Stewardship offers on 15th January 2018.
Negative energy balance during early lactation is a demanding physiological state for the cow at the best of times, and can be made worse through the feeding of butyric silage. The cow’s liver requires optimal condition as the demand for glucose increases from 1kg/d in late gestation to 2.5kg/d 3 weeks post calving. A successful transition determines the success of the subsequent lactation, with energy levels crucial to immune function during the transition period. The feeding of butyric silage, however, can increase the risk of ketosis in cows at all stages of lactation. This is often referred to as type III ketosis, which is the focus of this article.
Cows do not have a Crude Protein (CP) requirement, Varga et al (2007). Yet, for many years CP has been used when formulating diets, and this often continues to be the case. Cow’s have a requirement for Amino Acids (AA), not protein, and the supply of the AA is predominantly produced by the cow herself in Microbial Protein (MicP) in the rumen. Together with Rumen Undegradable Protein (RUP) and Endogenous Protein (EP), this makes up the supply of Metabolisable Protein (MP) to the small intestine. Both MP and the component AAs are then absorbed by the small intestine and used for protein synthesis and meeting the needs of the cow for: maintenance, growth, reproduction and lactation.
With the first fertiliser applications for 2018 not too far away, there is plenty of spring fertiliser still to be purchased by growers in the UK market. This means, as in previous years, fertiliser availability in terms of both product and delivery, will be subject to supply and demand.
Getting the ewe into fit condition
- Monitor Body Condition Score (BCS).
Lowland ewes should reach a BCS of 2.5-3 and hill ewes 2-2.5 eight weeks before lambing and maintain it throughout.
Fat ewes are at risk of having dystocia and prolapse whilst too thin ewes are likely to have small sized lambs and insufficient milk.
As we enter into a new year and turn our minds to the spring, many of you will be looking at your grassland and deciding what, where and whether to reseed. When considering your options, the emphasis will be on just how cost-effective reseeding is and whether you will see a difference to your bottom line.
The 2018 spring seed market continues to see tight seed supplies across the UK, with some of the most popular varieties selling out before the New Year.
Historically, dairy rations have generally formulated Crude Protein (CP) to the standard value needed to supply adequate feed N in the cow’s diet, to help maintain the cow’s health, welfare and milk productivity. In most diets CP is fed at an average of 16.5% of dry matter content (DM). Where these levels are exceeded, Nitrogen (N) emissions are found to increase, whilst milk production levels remain relatively static (Wonfor, 2017). Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) in cattle is inherently poor, with approximately 75% of that consumed lost through a combination of Faecal and Urine output, along with body losses (See Figure 1). Of the N lost through excretion, that from urine is the most volatile and easily converted from ammonia into the greenhouse gas of Nitrous Oxide; 298 times more potent than carbon dioxide (EPA, 2017).
