Preventing milk drop this winter

Dr Robin Hawkey, Mole Valley Farmers Senior Nutritionist 

A hot, humid September coupled with variable silage quality means milk yields have taken a dive this autumn, with many farmers worried about the impact on milk cheques.

National figures from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) show milk production for the week of October 28th was 3.1% down compared to the same week last year.

This is being mirrored on farm, where some producers are reporting about a one to three litre a cow per day dip in production.  

Our Senior Nutritionist Dr Robin Hawkey said the hot and humid September had left its mark on cows, particularly those close to calving or fresh during the challenging period.

He said: “In the hot weather, the cows simply didn’t eat enough. As a result, dry cows didn’t consume sufficient energy and protein to prime the liver and rumen before calving, restricting rumen expansion. And it’s likely they calved-in already in negative energy balance meaning they never got off the block.”

The variable growing season has also resulted in big differences in silage quality and challenges with forage stocks, although that has varied depending on location.

During the dry June and July, many farmers were forced to buffer feed first cut silages which tended to be the best quality cuts of the season.

They’ve been left with lower-quality subsequent cuts for winter rations. Some have also been forced to open maize clamps immediately after harvest due to dwindling forage stocks.

This has meant the crop has not had time to mature and starch degradability has been reduced, which could negatively impact performance.

With milk prices under pressure, Dr Hawkey said it was important to think about ways to maximise the milk cheque and boost yields by:

1. Understanding milk contracts and ROI 
What do you get paid for on your specific milk contract? Is it litres or fat and protein? This will impact decision-making and help calculate return on investment (ROI) from inputs. Don’t look at the milk price to feed price ratio in isolation. Benchmark feed cost per litre and compare yourself to similar systems to get an idea of where you sit. If your costs appear too high, look at the ration components in detail, understand their function and scrutinise their return on investment.

2. Testing silages 
There’s huge variability between silage cuts, so silage analysis is essential to ensure rations are balanced correctly. It’s never been more important to really understand your silage and how it should be balanced in the ration.

3. Considering concentrate feeding rates 
With third cuts averaging 10.2MJ/kgDM and first cuts, 11.0MJ/kgDM, at 12kg of forage dry matter intakes (see table), that equates to two litres of lost milk production. It could be tempting to just feed more concentrate to boost yields, but doing so could reduce forage intakes and disrupt rumen health and performance. Consider ration balance carefully.

4. Addressing ration balance 
Third cuts and many subsequent cuts are tending to analyse with high protein and fibre (NDF) levels. Consequently, feeding more of a lower protein feed might be appropriate to balance the ration. Dr Hawkey added: “It will also be important to consider the impact of increased fibre silage on intakes and rumen fermentation. Slowing rumen output will potentially lower the production of rumen microbial protein, so consider feeding products like Fibre D+ to break down ‘stemmy’ silages in the mixer wagon, X2 Dual Action Yeast to enhance rumen function or incorporating bypass ‘protected’ nutrients.”

5. Targeting feeding 
On farms with large volumes of low energy, high fibre, high protein, and later cut silages, it could be worth target feeding energy-dense concentrate to fresh cows. If silage analysis shows high protein levels protein could be reduced in the concentrate across the herd to lower costs. If quality silage is limited, consider the possibility of regrouping animals so the best silage can be targeted towards fresh cows.

6. Monitoring cows 
Carry out dung scoring to assess ration utilisation, track body condition to ensure cows are not losing or gaining excessive weight and monitor cudding rates as a sign of rumen health. 
Routinely blood test a sample of fresh cows for NEFAs, as an indication of energy balance and blood ureas. If blood ureas are high, dietary protein could be oversupplied or energy undersupplied. 

For more information call our Feed Line on 01566 780261 or contact your local nutritionist.