FARMART EXPERTS


GUY TOMLINSON Farm Animal Director


Working with cattle herd health & performance, with a particular interest in mastitis control & fertility


Managing dry cows out at grass


Dry cows should stay at body condition score 2.5- 3.5 out of 5 from dry off all the way through to calving. Cows that are over condition at calving tend to have a reduced appetite before and after calving. They are also more likely to have difficulties at calving. This increases the risk of ketosis, LDA's, endometritis and mastitis. All these things reduce milk yield and fertility during the next lactation.


The energy requirements of far off dry cows are low, just 1.2 x maintenance. Restricting energy intake, while keeping the rumen full can be particularly difficult if dry cows are grazing over the summer, and grass is growing well. Managing the milk fever risk can also be difficult. So much so that it can be much easier to manage dry cows well by keeping them housed, to maintain complete control over their diet.


As dry cows enter the last 3 weeks before calving their energy requirements increase to around 1.8 x maintenance. Their rumen also needs this time to adapt to the kind of diet they will be eating once they have calved. The mineral balance in the diet becomes particularly important to reduce the risk of milk fever. The balance between positive charged ions (or salts) and negative ions in the diet is key to manage milk fever risk. This Dietary Cation Anion Balance, or DCAB needs to be as low as possible. Unfortunately, grass tends to have a high positive DCAB value, particularly grass from fields that have high Potash levels. So, grazing dry cows on young fast-growing grass is likely to lead to milk fever problems. Finding a way to feed dry cows the lowest potash forage you have available, and supplement transition cows with the right minerals and salts is essential to reduce the milk fever risk.


Daleside Veterinary Group WREXHAM


T: 01978 311 444 e: guy@dalesidevets.co.uk www.dalesidevets.co.uk


ROSS COLLISON Biomass & Renewables Expert


Eight months left for new RHI installations


ESP Sales and Service concentrate on the commercial sector for Biomass, CHP, Heat Pumps and Solar PV, either service and repairs or installing or extending existing systems. Based near Shrewsbury we are handily placed to cover a large area of the North West of England and the Welsh borders.


For several years I have been involved in specifying and selling some prestigious projects, not least the district heating system that was installed in Portmeirion village linking some 27 properties and 3km of heating mains. We delivered a million pound project, on time and on budget in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable, all while the historic village remained open to the public. Having succeeded there, nothing fazes us anymore!


We've worked hard to forge partnerships with key suppliers such as ETA, Froling, Heizomat, Twin Heat, Volter, Nibe and Canadian Solar to name a few. This puts ESP in a great position to source parts and offer skilled advice for the installation of quality systems built to last.


All paperwork requirements linked to the systems we install or amend are carried out in-house. I am immensely proud that of the several hundred systems that we have registered with OFGEM, we are yet to have one rejected. This requires in depth knowledge of the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme, a good relationship with OFGEM and a lot of patience.


At ESP we have a variety of commercial renewable ventures at our Shropshire site, including Solar PV, Biomass and Heat Pumps, all of which can be viewed by customers or we have many installations throughout the area where satisfied customers are willing to allow us to bring potential customers for a site visit.


If you require a price for a service or a quote for installing or extending your renewable scheme, please feel free to contact me.


T: 01743 718 003 : 01606 334 309


e: mbracegirdle@butcher-barlow.co.uk www.butcher-barlow.co.uk


e: ross@espenergy.co.uk www.espenergy.co.uk


ROBERT BALL MD of Farmline Machinery


UK distributor for advantage feeders


Need help achieving target growth rates for dairy replacements? Hitting that 24 month calving date is an important milestone - for every day missed past this date costs around £2.85 per head.


·Heifers need to reach 90% of their mature weight at calving.


·Heifers should be 50% of their mature weight at puberty (12 months old)


Mile stones


Weighing and monitoring growth rates is part of the solution, heifers target weight at 11-13 months should be around 330kg. Animals weighing in at 50kg short of this target would need to gain 0.8 KG per day to catch up.


Doing this from grass/forage alone won't be possible so we need to supplement the ration to achieve target, this presents challenges. Feeding the right amount per day at the correct times requires planning especially if they are away from the main unit.


Advantage Feeders have helped our customers achieve this with proven results; the unique features give users the ability to measure and control the amounts of supplement per day using a simple 3 way adjustment system.


The animals take the feed by licking, they are limited to how much is taken due to the amount of saliva they produce. Each visit last around 8 minutes before their mouth dries and the feed stops sticking to the tongue. They will return to the feeder once the saliva is replenished - around an hour providing a little and often feed pattern.


Advantage feeders offer ··Simple low tech solution


Talk to us about how we can help you hit that target growth rate.


··Ability to feed rolled grain rations or compound pellets


··All ages from calves to mature animals ··Group sizes up 70 animals per feeder


Hopper sizes from 500KG to 4 Tons Indoors or in the field


Freephone: 08000 786 030 e: sales@advantagefeeders.co.uk www.advantagefeeders.co.uk


IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A FARMART EXPERT CALL US ON 01625 529 900 Page 20 To Advertise 01625 529 900 email@thefarmart.co.uk www.thefarmart.co.uk August 2020


Feed rates from 1kg to add lib per day (little and often maintains rumen PH at safe levels)


Consistent growth across the group as it eliminates bullying


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