sustainability of milk production and says the supply trade must take a leading and proactive role in helping dairy farmers carbon reduction targets. “Dairy farmers face a huge challenge in


meeting the target of being carbon net zero by 2040. They cannot and should not be expected to change on their own. Achieving net zero is going to require fundamental changes to how cows are managed, how heifers are reared, how forage is made, how purchased inputs are sourced and how cows are rationed. What is needed is a team approach to develop effective solutions. “The supply trade has an obligation to


help farmers navigate the evolution of their systems. With feed being the largest variable cost of dairy farming and contributing up to 60% of a farm’s net carbon, it is a good place to start and the recent AIC Sustainability Roadmap is an important development.” The UK used an estimate 250,000


tonnes of soya meal in dairy diets every year. Data reported at Dairy Tech earlier this year suggested that eliminating soya on farms could reduce CO2 by over 6%, which he says would be a big step in the right direction.” He adds that the issue of sustainability is


rising up the agenda of milk processors and buyers which is increasing the immediate focus. Ingredient sourcing is one of the many factors being considered. “We have seen the first real impact of


this with Marks & Spencer removing soya from the production of milk from its 44 dedicated supplying farms. Arla are also pushing for carbon neutrality from its 2,000 farms in the UK.” Mr Massey believes while soya and


palm products have become common place in dairy diets, there are viable alternatives. As with other commercially available


feeds, Planet Dairy Compounds and Blends are available with a number of different protein levels to suit all production systems. But they contain no soya or palm products, making this the first range in the UK to replace the ingredients with the highest environmental impact.” Mr Massey says that the new range


has similar energy and protein content to other products in the Massey Harpers range, insisting that switching to more sustainable


ingredients has not compromised the effectiveness of the diets. “We have replaced soya bean meal,


soya hulls, palm oil, palm kernel and C16 fats with equivalent established ingredients including rapeseed, sugar beet pulp and wheatfeed. Fats have been replaced with non-palm alternatives. “All ingredients are included on the


NutriOpt diet formulation database and farm trials confirm the new range performs as well as other compounds, meaning that switching to more sustainable ingredients has not compromised the effectiveness of diets.” He says the levels of key parameters


including total and rapidly fermentable carbohydrates and proteins are the same, glucogenic energy supply is matched and acid load and fibre index are comparable. If a 200 cow herd feeding two tonnes


of compounds and blends per cow per year were to switch to the new range and away from more typical formulations, Mr Massey predicts they could save over 110 tonnes of the ingredients most closely associated with environmental impact. He concedes that increased feed


efficiency will possibly have a greater impact on dairy farm CO2 levels. For this reason, the range also contains high quality minerals and speciality ingredients to drive rumen function and overall feed efficiency to further help reduce the CO2 impact of feeding dairy cows. “The need to drive towards lower


carbon systems of production is undeniable and milk producers are going to need help to achieve this as they cannot do so on their own. By challenging all aspects of their business, opportunities will be identified. At the same time, the supply trade must play its part by understanding the net carbon contribution of farm inputs and creating ways to reduce the environmental impact. “Dairy feeds without soya and palm


products is a starting point. We are continuously reviewing all ingredients to further improve the sustainability of manufactured feeds. Then, working with customers we will help them improve not only the sustainability of their purchased feeds but also efficiency of production to help meet carbon footprint targets.”


NEW BOLUS RANGE EXPANDS


WITH THREE EXTRA PRODUCTS Following the successful launch of its boluses, the Denis Brinicombe Group has expanded the range with three new products in order to meet the needs of a wide range of cattle: EnduraBol® Calver and EnduraBol®


Biotin, EnduraBol® Organic.


Pre- Keith Greig, Denis Brinicombe Group


managing director, states that it is essential to stay on top of the nutritional needs of cattle to help optimise productivity. Which is why all the products in the range reduce the risk of micronutrient imbalances in grazing and forage fed cattle over 150kg, through a sustained release of nutrients. “The first new bolus, EnduraBol®


Biotin,


provides up to four months supplementation of six essential trace elements: cobalt, selenium, copper, manganese, iodine, and zinc as well as three key vitamins. “These boluses also deliver a targeted


supply of ~20mg of biotin per day, helping to reduce lameness by optimising the hoof horn structure keratinisation. In support of this, evidence from studies shows that cows supplemented with this level of biotin per day had better locomotion while helping high yielding dairy cows reach their potential.” says Keith. A second new offering contains the same trace elements and vitamins, but in levels tailored to pre- and post-calving cows and heifers.


“EnduraBol® Pre-Calver delivers an


accurate and sustained release of these vital micronutrients for up to four months, to support the cow either side of calving and optimise post-calving recovery for future fertility. “By promoting a healthy immune system Pre-


in the run up to calving, EnduraBol®


Calver also supports foetal growth and development,” says Keith. Finally, EnduraBol®


Organic supplies the


six essential trace elements for up to six months, in order to maximise production and performance potential in both beef and dairy cattle. Every bolus is manufactured using


cutting-edge patented technology and each pack of EnduraBol®


contains a 10-cow supply


of boluses which can be administered using a recommended bolus applicator.


FEED COMPOUNDER JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2021 PAGE 63


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