WHAT ARE YOUR COWS TELLING YOU?

Friday 21st November 2008

Cows have been inside for a couple of months now, sometimes longer on account of poor weather, so this is a good time to assess their general health and performance.

The key questions concern whether the herd is achieving the quantity and quality of milk required, in terms of fat, protein and urea levels. Sometimes milk yields can drop when cows come in for the winter and the sooner this is identified, the quicker a remedy can be provided to get the herd - or a section of it - back on track.

As ever, a cow's behaviour is the best guide to what the problem might be. Are the cow's cudding properly? Are they eating enough; fresh weight and dry matter? Is the cow digesting properly and what are the levels of concentrates in the diet? Is the herd consistent in its behaviour?

"What the cows are doing will tell you exactly what is going on. And if there are problems, the first thing to check is quality of the forage," says Dr Robin Hawkey, Cornwall Farmers' Feed and Forage Technical Manager. "Make sure you have enough quality and quantity for the winter ahead. Ration formulations can be checked, so too the actual eating behaviour of the herd, what are they leaving behind, and how much? All these factors are the vital signs which, when monitored consistently, can lead to the farmer enjoying the benefits of a fit and healthy herd during the winter months."

"One of the other issues that occur at this time of year is acidosis, due to high levels of starch, which can often be caused by cheap cereals and made worse by wet, acidic maize silage, or even potatoes. One way of combating this is to increase the scratch factor with more straw or wholecrop content. This increases the level of saliva production in the cow, which is its best natural defence against acidosis. Farmers also need to ensure the right balance is being struck between starch and sugars and the correct fibre levels. A good feed to use in this instance would be Cornwall Farmes' Supreme Match 2008 LS."

Another issue facing farmers this winter is Mycotoxins. This year with so many cereal crops being wholecropped or crimped, fungi infected crops are producing the toxin Mycotoxin. There are several signs for the presence of Mycotoxins; high dry matter and/or heating silages, poorly preserved grain, visible spoilage of feeds. As a result the cows will show symptoms including; lower dry matter intakes (feed being left), lower than expected yields, unexplained random scouring and cows just seeming 'off colour'. Two strategies to manage the problem is to treat the grain with propionic acid to inhibit further mould growth and to include a mycotoxin binder in the feed to deal with toxins already present. Straw is also another source of mycotoxin contamination and can lead to significant reproductive problems including abortion and loss of fertility.

Cornwall Farmers Duchy Blends have recently introduced the Supreme Match 2008 range of blended feeds to help balance many of this season's issues and difficulties. The flexible ration can be balanced to meet each farmer's specific requirements.

To discuss these issues and for further information from Cornwall Farmers, contact Robin Hawkey on 07770 816581; Tom Mann on 07901 854477 or Andy Hawken on 07901 854463.