RISKS AT GRASS


fi rst. For example, a cow will not be able to eat as much grass as possible if she is unable to get around properly. Lameness can considerably hamper intake in cows at grass. So, indirectly, maintaining tracks and paddocks will help reduce the ketosis risk. There is also the additional option of feeding biotin which will help maintain the integrity of the horn and white line. In terms of approach to grass management, the aim is to get as much energy into every mouthful of grass as possible. To do this, the cow would need to eat tall, dense sward. To maintain this situation consistently, the cows would have to be moved to fresh pasture more frequently, the youngstock then following on to clean up.


Many people manage the energy issue by buffer feeding, often with forage such as maize. For higher yielding cows, this really is a necessity, particularly towards the end of the season when grazing quality is decreasing. However, when planning buffer feeding with maize during the turnout period, remember to allow suffi cient stocks to last all the way through until at least October.


It is also important to ensure buffer feeding is not done at the expense of reducing appetite and, therefore, grass intakes, which is the cheapest source of forage. This is where monitoring of the balance between the amount of grass available and the amount and timing of buffer feeding becomes essential - and it is the skilled farmer who gets it right.


When considering buffer feeding, the risk of sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA)


THE JOURNAL JUNE 2015 37


should not be forgotten. A good rule of thumb is to ask ‘could this buffer feed be fed as a stand-alone feed without causing SARA?’ When the answer is ‘No’, adding more fi bre in the form of whole-crop, grass silage, hay or straw should be considered. Buffer feeding also provides the opportunity to add a mineral mix to the diet. Minerals such as magnesium, calcium and phosphorous along with vitamins such as vitamin E can be included in such a mix.


Managing dry cow condition is vital too as fat, dry cows mobilise even more fat at calving, leading to a higher ketosis risk. The energy requirements for a pregnant cow are low. Therefore, ‘steam feeding’them is an expensive way to calve cows which are likely to succumb to ketosis and all the production diseases which go with it.


Dry cows need the right minerals. The easiest way to do this is to give dry cow minerals, available in various forms. When cows are going straight out after calving, they may benefi t from being outside in the lead up to calving. But grass contains high levels of potassium which brings with it a high risk of milk fever. Grazing dry cows needs to be planned carefully by considering the pasture the dry cows are on. They should be kept away from pastures which have been heavily fertilised and it may be necessary to consider feeding anionic salts in order to manage the DCAB balance.


Having said all this, the simpler the dry cow system, the more likely the system is to work and the more likely cows will calve in a healthy state and keen to eat as much grass as possible. Achieve this, and the chances are the ketosis risk will be low.


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