The Farmers Mart Dec-Jan 2019 - Issue 60 | Page 43

CATTLE 43
• DEC/JAN 2019
More Than a Third of Cattle
Producers Have Concerns
Over Youngstock Health
A significant number of UK beef
and dairy calf rearers feel they
don’t give their youngstock the
attention they deserve, according
to a recent survey conducted by
MSD Animal Health.
Between a third (of beef calf rear-
ers) and 45% (of dairy calf rearers)
of 749 UK farmers responding to the
national youngstock survey have
concerns over youngstock health
and think they could do better,
despite giving themselves between
seven and eight out of ten for their
current calf rearing practices.
“Youngstock are the future of
any herd and the way their health
is managed in early life has far
reaching consequences for the
profitability of any beef or dairy
farm enterprise,” says Dr Kat
Baxter-Smith, ruminant veterinary
adviser with MSD Animal Health.
“The number one concern high-
lighted by the survey – expressed
by more than one in five farmers –
was inadequate housing or rearing
facilities. Number two was an
inability to monitor and achieve an
appropriate liveweight gain, closely
followed by inadequate biosecurity
measures and disease prevention.
Other front of mind issues included
implementing correct colostrum
feeding and weaning management
protocols,” she says.
Beef and dairy producers con-
cerned about calf health can now
ask their vet to use an MSD Animal
Health checklist tool to score their
youngstock rearing system. More
than 100 youngstock audits have
now been completed this year
and farmer feedback has been
excellent.
The comprehensive and in-
teractive checklist – developed
in conjunction with vets and
nutritionists experienced in inves-
tigating youngstock management
problems – helps practitioner and
farmer work closely together to
draw up a workable action plan to
improve calf health.
Five steps to better
calf health:
1. Set goals and measure
2. Implement good colostrum
management and feeding
protocols
3. Feed calves correctly
4. Maintain low infection pres-
sure and vaccinate
5. Ensure a healthy rearing envi-
ronment
Farmers interested in how they can
use the new checklist to improve their
youngstock rearing efficiency should
contact their vet for further information.
Maize silage analysis key to
balancing varied starch levels
EARLY maize silage analysis re-
sults are indicating varied quality,
particularly when it comes to
starch levels. Producers are there-
fore being urged to test forage
stocks and adequately balance
rations to maximise cow health
and productivity.
Rob Fowkes, nutritional advisor
at Quality Liquid Feeds, explains
that he is witnessing two main
scenarios across the farms he sup-
ports, which are maize silages with
either low or high starch levels.
“There are health and produc-
tivity implications associated with
both of these scenarios, be that
ruminal acidosis from feeding too
much starch, or reduced produc-
tivity due to poor rumen function
from reduced levels,” he warns.
“For this reason, it’s critical that
farmers get their maize silage
tested to help them understand
exactly what they’re working with.
Rations can then be accurately
balanced to drive cow health and
productivity, while maximising the
value of home-grown forages.”
For those with lower levels of
starch, Rob recommends consid-
ering adding extra cereals to the
ration.
“Imported whole maize is a
very good option at the moment
as it’s very competitively priced
because of the high UK wheat
price,” he explains.
“Another way to balance out
low starch levels is to include sug-
ar in the diet. For example, adding
a molasses-based product, such
as Dairy SugR, provides an eco-
nomical source of carbohydrate,
in the form of six carbon sugars.
“By including these six carbon
sugars at 5-7% of the ration, over-
all efficiency, rumen function, and
productivity will increase, which
ultimately drive the bottom line.”
Liz Newman, northern nutrition-
al advisor at Quality Liquid Feeds,
explains there is huge milk from
forage potential for those pro-
ducers who have access to high
starch maize. However, it must be
balanced correctly.
“Higher starch levels in maize
forage means higher propionic
fermentation in the rumen which
equals higher milk yields and
milk protein. However, getting
the fermentable metabolizable
energy (FME) to effective rumen
degradable protein (ERDP) ratio
correct is essential to achieve this
and minimise the risk of ruminal
acidosis,” she says.
“For this reason, high starch
maize silages need balancing
with a higher degradable protein.
One of the options is to include a
‘timed-release- protein’.
“Timed-release’ protein sources
are unique, because the protein
source is urea phosphate, which
degrades at a similar rate to soya
and rape within the rumen. This
helps to increase rumen efficien-
cy by supplying rumen micro-or-
ganisms with a constant supply of
energy and non-protein nitrogen,”
she adds.
“The key message here is to es-
tablish what you’re working with,
and once you understand your
starch levels, make changes to
balance out the ration and ensure
cow health and productivity is
maximised.”
Increased ash readings
Stunted growth of maize plants
meant that crops were chopped
lower to the ground at harvest
which has increased ash readings
in forages.
“Ash carries unwanted microbes
and bacteria which can cause
heating of the TMR in the trough,
reducing FME and rumen produc-
tivity,” explains Rob.
“Including a mould inhibitor, such
as MycoCurb, within your mo-
lasses-based liquid feed can help
reduce heating, keeping your ration
cool and minimising the risk of pro-
ducing mycotoxins,” he adds.
www.qlf.co.uk