the increase as has the reduction in price with many good bulls now available sexed at less than £25 a dose. The biggest reason is the improvement in sorting technique that has led to conception rates coming close to parity with conventional semen. Good fertility management is still critical to get the best results


from sexed semen. Herds that have better fertility management overall generally have a similar figure for conception rates between sexed and conventional semen. Herds that are struggling with fertility (i.e. pregnancy rates below 20% or conception rates below 30%) often see a wider gap between sexed and conventional semen. My colleague, breeding specialist Kevin Lane says “The same


breeding goals must apply whether sexed or conventional semen is used, and apart from calving ease, the main selection criteria should always be adhered to.” A final point to make about using sexed semen (and producing heifer calves) is a study of 2.4 million lactations, which indicates that birth of a female calf can give a yield rise of 140kg in comparison to a bull calf for the dam.


Heat stress We have seen some extreme weather for June from very cold, wet, days when heat stress has probably been far from most UK dairy producers’ thoughts to a heat wave and expected highs of 25


°C - 30 °C as I write. Cows start to suffer from heat stress at lower temperatures than you might expect and there is evidence that heat stress is most noticeable when it comes in short periods with no time for cows to adapt. Dairy cows maintain a body temperature of 38.8°C (± 0.5°C) and


are sensitive to factors such as air temperature, radiant temperature, air velocity and relative humidity. Often it is the combination of these factors that amplifies the effect of heat stress. The link between ambient temperature and relative humidity led


to the development of the Temperature Humidity Index (THI). Typical humidity levels in the UK are between 60 – 90% during summer months so it’s important to note that at these levels, cows can suffer from moderate heat stress at temperatures as low as 24°C and severe heat stress at 28°C. Heat stressed cows become lethargic and inactive and will often


stand with heads bowed and pant in an attempt to increase heat loss. They will also move closer together and stand in tightly packed groups with potential udder cleanliness and health consequences. The main effect of heat stress is reduced dry matter intake resulting in reduced milk production, milk quality and pregnancy rates so producers should be encouraged to take action to minimise the possible impact before heat stress really does become a drain on profits.


www.adifo.com Adifo develops and services sector-specific software tools for the international


nutrition industry. We enable you to gain maximum control over your core processes and guarantee the protection of critical business knowledge.


Optimize your feed formulation


BESTMIX® Software: Profit-driven feed formulation


Staying ahead of the competition requires smart feed formulations. You – as formulation manager – are key in this strategy. But how do you create the best quality and lowest cost recipes – under any condition and at any time? BESTMIX® provides the answer.


This user-friendly software makes it easy to manage accurate nutritional values, production parameters and recipe specifications. You can adapt instantly to volatile material costs, ingredient stocks and purchasing positions. The results are perfect recipes that can be translated directly into practical products and synchronized automatically with labelling and safety data.


Want the least cost recipe, no matter how challenging the requirements?


Call us today on +32 50 30 32 11 and get BESTMIX®. The smartest way to beat the competition.


B E S TM I X SOFTWARE


•Profit-driven feed formulation •Smart lab data management •Balanced ration calculation •Formulation as a Service


FEED COMPOUNDER MAY/JUNE 2019 PAGE 17


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76