Morgan Sheehy’s Monthly Nutritional - Management Notes. Morgan Sheehy is chied Ruminant advisor with Devenish Nutrition.

 

It is with great pleasure that I commence writing monthly nutritional notes for cows365.

First of all I would like to congratulate Dan and Aileen for their brilliant brainchild cows365.  I know cows365 will be an extremely successful website and will be centre stage  in agriculture for 2010 and beyond.

January  2010 Take Home Messages.

  • Write out your 2010 goals, monitor and  review  them  monthly.
  • Check that you have enough feed stocks.  If you are short take action immediately.
  • Feed dry minerals for 7-8 weeks precalving.  With first calved heifers feed for 12+weeks.

 

2010 GOALS

Everyone should  start  their  year with written goals.  Some  people call them New Years  Resolutions  but it does not matter what you call them as long as you do them. 

I believe you should divide your goals into personal, family and business goals.  In relation to your business goals- what do you want to achieve on your farm?

-how many cows do you want to milk ?

-how much milk do you want to sell?

-what are the key areas of your farm that you want to improve ?

-what areas do you need help in ?

-where , when and who will help you?

These are just a few brief ideas on your goals.  However, your goals must be personal( to you and not your neighbour ).  They must be measurable ( if you cannot measure them- how will you know when you achieve them?)   You must put deadlines on each of the goals.  They must be written down.  Monitor  and review them monthly or more regular if you want to achieve them in a shorter  time frame.

FORAGE STOCKS

Have you enough forages for the number of animals  on your farm.  3 steps.

1.Calculate how much freed you have.

This is done via one of two ways.

a)-measure your silos in m³ and calculate tones of silage present. This will depend on dry matter of the forage.

-count the number of bales of silage, hay, straw on hand.

b)-what average , yields per  acre  and dry matter of crops were harvested.

 

2.Calculate Total Requirement

This will depend on dry matter % but ,e.g

Type of animal                                          Tonnes  silage @ 20% DM Required per month

Dairy cow                                                                       1.6

Suckler cow                                                                    1.4 

In calf heifer                                                                   1.3

Weanling                                                                        0.7             

Store cattle                                                                    1.3

 

3.Consider your options

a) buy silage

b) buy alternative feeds

c) buy meals

d) Target feed silage to groups of animals that will give best response

e) Sell surplus stock

NOTE:

  • Grass silage is only worth so much. How much it is worth depends on

a)Silage dry matter %

b)the digestibility of the silage 

          e.g €33/t max for 70 DMD at 25% dry matter.

  • Concentrates are very often one of the cheapest options.
  • Some groups  of animals can be fed on straw and meals i.e replacement heifers.

Please contact your local feed supplier to help determine

-  if you have enough feed

- what are your options.

If you need further help contact Devenish Nutrition on  0044 2890 7555 66

 

DRY COW MINERALS

I have been alarmed with the number of farmers who are commencing calving in January and who are only starting feeding dry cow minerals in early January.

In Devenish we produce dry cow minerals for customers in France, Belgium and Holland.  In these markets dry cows are fed minerals from the day they are dried off  until  they calve again. First calved heifers are fed dry cow mineral for 12-14 weeks precalving.  Such practices are the norm in Europe and America yet-how can some of our Irish farmers think they will get away with starting feeding minerals when the first cow calves ?

If you are using straw in your dry cow diet consider using a mineral with a higher Vitamin E level.  Remember that sunshine levels were low in 2009 and hence  many  of the grass silages are lower than normal in Vitamin E status.

If you had milk fevers, retained placentas, metritis and / or uterine discharges post calving last year consider getting a forage mineral/trace element profile  ± a milk sample tested.  Then a specific mineral can be formulated for your herd.  Ring  Devenish Nutrition for more details on how to do this  on  0044 2890 75555 66.