A healthy herd is a happy herd – characteristics just as important as beef and milk prices
A HEALTHY herd is a happy herd
BRITISH beef and dairy producers prioritise animal health as the No 1 care factor on their farms, ahead of milk and beef prices, according to a new survey.
While milk and beef prices came a close second, both sets of producers rate animal happiness as one of the most important care factors on their units, going by the report commissioned by feed supplier, KW Feeds
Based on the average response from the total number received, cow health was the most important factor for dairy farmers (18%), ahead of milk price (15%) and cow happiness at 14%. Beef producers scored similarly, with animal health at 20%, ahead of beef price and animal happiness, both at 16%.
“What this survey reveals, is that refreshingly our farmers are recognising the direct correlation between a healthy, happy herd, and a profitable herd,” says KW Feeds ruminant technical manager Georgie Croxford.
The survey which was commissioned to understand farmers attitudes to feeding and feed strategies, considering the unprecedented price increases for feed and fertiliser during 2022, also reveals environmental considerations are becoming increasingly important.
Across beef and dairy producers, 81% of farmers said the origin of feeds and carbon footprints was of importance, with 95% of those giving that rating aiming to buy British where possible.
This is despite the majority of respondents (66%) not yet required to meet sustainability requirements, or environmental goals, as part of their contract. Only 50% are currently being asked to measure carbon footprint on farm via a variety of audit requirements, mainly managed by milk processor assessments.
With 85% of dairy farmers incorporating grazing into their feeding system, and most beef farmers grazing within the lifecycle of the animal, the types of feeds used on farm was similar, with dairy farmers mainly feeding compound (78%) and blend (59%) in their rations. Beef farmers mainly fed straights (60%).
Despite spiralling input and production costs, most respondents (74%) were not planning to change their current feeds. However, of those that were, almost half (47%) said they wanted to utilise more grass and forage.
However, the long dry summer has resulted in tight forage supplies and variable quality silage as we head into winter feeding, Ms Croxford warns.
“Forage does need to be supplemented with minerals, energy and protein sources,” she says.
“British co-products, for example, such as rapeseed expeller NovaPro and Vivergo wheat distillers, can help improve protein utilisation and enable producers to make the most out of rations based on forage or grass silage.”
Ms Croxford concludes: “It has never been more important to maximise farm efficiency, and one way to do so is to make the most of forage. Investing in the right complementary feeds will have a bigger positive impact on margins, than trying to cut costs with cheaper or less feed.”
OFTEN, mineral supplementation is made more complicated than it needs to be. It should be relatively straightforward; know what is missing from the diet to meet the animals’ daily requirements for the performance you are looking for.
However, as the genetic merit of herds and flocks increase, management practices change and improve, cropping routines change soil balance and an increasing importance is put on reducing environmental contamination; there are more components to consider.
This means mineral offerings need to be updated, to ensure farmers are getting value for money, looking after the environment, while also supporting optimal animal performance.
It is always worth remembering that oversupply of certain minerals can be just as detrimental to health and performance as undersupply, with a balance required to meet optimal supply. Actual animal requirements should be considered when choosing which mineral to buy and give to animals – more is not always more.
Mineral supplementation can be expensive and right now, many mineral sources are caught up in volatile worldwide markets. Therefore, there is no better time to take stock and ensure the mineral and vitamin pack being offered is suitable and fit for purpose.
Rumen function is key
Cattle and sheep are ruminants and whether the target is to rear a dairy or suckled calf, yield 40 litres of milk or achieve 21kg lamb carcases, the key to cost-effective performance is to look after the rumen and allow it to get as much performance from low cost forage as possible.
The raw materials in mineral supplements have differing effects on rumen function. Traditionally, copper sulphate and zinc sulphate have been used as the main copper and zinc sources. However, recent
MORE IS scientific studies have shown these sulphates can have a negative impact on rumen function, meaning feed conversion efficiency may not be as good as it could be.
As an example, copper sulphate is commonly used in a footbath for cattle and sheep to remove microbes from feet. If copper sulphate is capable of clearing microbes from feet, imagine the impact on rumen microbes.
Modern mineral sources have come on leaps and bounds in recent years and because of this, it is now cost neutral to remove copper sulphate and zinc sulphate from minerals.
As such, Harbro has been the first to make the move to remove copper sulphate and zinc sulphate from all ruminant powdered minerals in order to improve rumen function, improve mineral availability and ensure responsible mineral supplementation.
The new sources of copper and zinc included in the company’s minerals are more readily available to the animal, meaning less copper and zinc needs to be added in the first place. This reduces the level of copper and zinc passed through the animals unabsorbed which usually ends up on pasture or in slurry and farmyard manure. The change will also result in up to a 3% increase in NDF (fibre) digestibility, which will translate into performance such as growth, milk yield or fertility.
This means mineral labels are changing and there needs to be an industry shift away from focusing on the number on the mineral label. Consideration must be given to the sources used, how well the animal will be able to absorb them and if the mineral meets the requirements of the animals at the given stage of production.
Mineral nutrition is changing for the better and ahead of the winter, we invite farmers to have their forages analysed for minerals and have one of our nutritional advisors match the correct mineral to their forages, diets, production targets and animals.