New low-cost feed program is user-friendly
New low-cost feed program is user-friendly
A new version of the US
Cornell rationing system, which
is already used for some of the
UKs high-yielding herds, could
allow more producers to
benefit from its accuracy.
Jessica Buss attended a
training course to see how
easy the program was to use
USING Cornells Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS) for dairy cows, heifers and beef rationing could help producers develop their own low cost diets with accurate predictions of animal intake and performance.
Training dairy producer members of the Straights Feeders Group, run by Dorset-based nutrition consultant Ivor Bending, Tom Tylutki of Cornell University, New York State, said the program had been completely rewritten. This process has taken two years.
Using a Windows platform and a software engineer to develop the program has made it much more user-friendly. "The previous version has worked well but it wasnt easy for anyone to use."
New to the program is its focus on reducing environmental pollution, said Mr Tylutki. Although currently behind Europe, the US is starting to impose environmental regulations. "Decreasing nutrient excretion from stock also decreases inputs and costs."
But like previous versions of the CNCPS rationing system it is based on research. Research papers on which rationing is based are included on the program CD. And the rationing software still includes a range of cow environment factors which continue to set it apart from many others ration programs.
Temperature is one of the factors taken into account. "Heifers are sensitive to cold," said Mr Tylutki.
"Cows are less sensitive to cold, but are affected by heat especially when it is also humid. At 25C with 65% humidity cows will start suffering heat stress. This increases their maintenance requirement and decreases intakes.
"But as long as temperature falls below 20C at night, some of the impact of heat stress is lost as cow intakes are better maintained. However, when cows spend 12 hours a day in direct sunlight it increases the temperature equivalent by 5C."
Other environment factors influencing performance are housing type, group size, hair depth, wind speed, mud depth and cow activity.
"The amount of activity a cow does adjusts her maintenance requirement." The program requires an input of distance walked on flat ground and on slopes.
"The energy requirement for walking on slopes is 10 times greater than that for the same distance on the flat."
Other factors important to input accurately include describing the cows age, days pregnant, days calved, calving interval, age at first calving, current weight and mature weight.
Real weights of cows are vital for accurate rationing. "This impacts on feed requirements of the cow and mature weight influences growth requirement," he said.
When designing a ration, users describe the cow group and then select feeds from the UK or US library, or input their own. Once an amount of a feed to be fed is keyed in, up to the third decimal place, the program instantly computes the resulting spec.
This predicts the performance limit for energy and protein separately, so it is easy to see which is limiting.
While it proved easy to use at the training course, interpreting the ration will still need some care. Users must check the ration report meets target ranges, such as for fibre supply and minerals.
The new Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein Systemversion can be used by producers to develop low cost diets, as Straight Feeder Group member Neil Christensen found out at a recent training session.
Completely rewriting the CNCPSrationing system has made it user-friendly, says Cornells Tom Tylutki.
CNCPSRATIONING
• Now user-friendly.
• Uses cow environment factors.
• Accurate intake prediction.
Webwise
For information on the Straights Feeders Group check www.cowfacts.co.uk and Cornell Research is featured at www.ansci.cornell.edu/ dm/dm.html