TURNOUTS A RELIEF, BUT WATCH THE FEED
TURNOUTS A RELIEF, BUT WATCH THE FEED
MOST milk producers breathe a sigh of relief when they finally turn their cows. But turnout can bring its own set of problems, as ADAS dairy management consultant Terry Rose points out.
High grass dry matter intakes, when the crop is between 18-20% dry matter, can be worth maintenance plus 30 litres, but that is rarely achieved and supplementation of high yielders is often needed, says Mr Rose.
"Sward density, sward quality and the time available to graze are important when it comes to bite rate and bite size. An average cow can take up to 35,000 bites of food a day and the size of bite has been shown to be influenced by sward height. At less than 10-12cm, grass intakes may be restricted."
Rotational grazing can often help get round this problem, but it must fit in with field access and water availability, he advises. Buffer or concentrate feeding may also be useful, especially if there is a risk of metabolic disorders due to the variable quality of spring grass.
"It is important to remember that feeding must be geared towards the higher yielding half of the herd when all the cows are managed as one.
"When the herd is split, the position is easier and lower yielders can take greater advantage of grazing, probably with no buffering."
Mr Rose stresses that cows should be introduced to a new feed over gradually over a period of two to three weeks. He says research has indicated that 3kg/cow/day of buffer forage would maintain yields in cases where grazing was restricted or in wet weather. This could be increased to 6kg/day in extreme conditions.
"This 3kg can normally be eaten when cows are brought back at milking time. However, it is important to make sure all cows have access to feed. When the amount of buffer feed goes up, cows must be allowed more time to eat it." *
• Consider splitting herd.
• Feed may help high yielders.