• 1.7 times more likely to have mastitis and • 2.4 times more likely to have ‘apparent’ ketosis “A rumen fill score of five is optimal,


COW PERFORMANCE STILL BEING HIT BY EFFECTS OF SUMMER


HEAT Warning that the consequences of this year’s difficult summer continue to impact dairy cow performance, nutrition expert, Mark Hall, advises that rumen fill is critical. Speaking at the Total Transition


Technical Conference, Mark Hall, Premier Nutrition transition manager, said there is new and compelling evidence that reduced dry cow rumen fill, due to reduced feed intakes, in the summer of 2018 is still knocking back milk production. He explained that it has been a tough


year. “Cows that were hammered by heat stress are now coming through the system and many are down by two to three litres per day. “The effect of reduced rumen fill during


the summer may also be impacting in metabolic disease incidences, ranging from ketosis, acidosis and retained cleansings, to milk fever, displaced abomasums and even mastitis.” Mark’s evidence is based on a dataset


of 68,000 transition cows involved in Premier Nutrition’s Transition Management System (TMS). This is a leading monitoring service through which the impartial assessment of body condition, rumen fill, lameness and hock hygiene, aims to improve transition management, either side of calving. Preliminary data has revealed that cows


with a rumen fill score of two in the dry period produced five litres less milk per day, than a cow scoring three (scale 1-5). The difference was even more pronounced, at over 10 litres per day, when score five cows were compared with those with a score of one. It was also demonstrated that rumen fill


scores this summer were around half a point less than in 2017. This went hand in hand with increased body condition score change, which was on average 0.25 points higher. Although the importance of keeping the


dry cow’s rumen full with a high fibre ration is already well established, this is thought to be the first major study that demonstrates the link with milk production. Remarking that the scale of the effect


was greater than expected, Mark said it warranted further study. However, the associations between rumen fill and metabolic disorders are better established. An in-depth analysis revealed that cows with rumen fill scores of under three were: • 3 times more likely to have acidosis • 2.8 times more likely to have retained foetal membranes


• 2.3 times more likely to have milk fever • 4.2 times more likely to have displaced abomasums


but those scoring two or less are classed as problem cows. “I’d focus on ensuring you can keep the


rumen full for 30 days pre- and post-calving. This helps improve efficiency, which has a knock-on effect on fresh performance,” said Mark. “I’d advise farmers to increase dry matter


intake to maximise rumen fill. This can be done easily by optimising neck rail height or ensuring a good chop length to prevent sorting. Further interrogation of the TMS results,


believed to be the largest dataset of its kind, will be undertaken at Nottingham University.


ICCF LAUNCHE S PUB L IC CONSULTATION ON TWO GUIDANCE DOCUMENTS ON ‘STABILITY TESTING OF FEED INGREDIENTS’ AND ‘SUB- CHRONIC ORAL TOXICITY TESTING


IN LABORATORY ANIMALS’ The International Cooperation for Convergence of Technical Requirements for the Assessment of Feed Ingredients (ICCF) has launched its first two draft guidance documents for public consultation covering ‘Stability Testing of Feed Ingredients’ and ‘Sub-chronic Oral Toxicity Testing in Laboratory Animals’. Interested stakeholders are now invited to provide their comments on these two draft guidance documents by 01 February 2019. The ICCF aims to establish common


guidance, across different international jurisdictions, which cover technical requirements for the assessment of feed ingredients, including new uses of existing feed ingredients. This important international collaboration is the result of a collaborative effort to bring together feed regulators and industry feed associations to work on mechanisms that help facilitate free and fair trade of feed ingredients while supporting the safety of the feed and food chain and sustainably meeting the global growing demand for animal protein. The draft guidance documents provide


advice to applicants on the design for conducting a study supporting a risk evaluation of feed ingredients. Each document was developed with a panel of experts drawn from the ICCF founding members. The two draft ICCF guidance documents


can be downloaded at the IFIF website. Stakeholders are invited to provide comments by 01 February 2019 via email to: iccf@ifif. org.


Both general and specific comments


are welcome. Specific comments should be provided in tracked changes.


EVONIK AND VLAND ENTER


STRATEGIC COOPERATION On 16 November 2018, Evonik and Vland signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic cooperation. Both companies want to cooperate in the field of probiotics for animal nutrition and in the field of enzymes for industrial applications. In the cooperation the partners will exchange know-how, develop new products and improve process technology. Vland, a high-tech enterprise focussing


on enzymes, probiotics and animal health, provides core technology support for biological manufacturing, green solutions for food safety and also clean energy saving technology for biotech industries. In combination with Evonik’s strong global market presence and key focus on technology and application in gut health solutions, the new cooperation is expected to bring mutual benefits to both partners. Both organisations share the same belief


that the only way to meet the current demands for sustainable livestock farming is through adopting holistic solutions. For Evonik, this means linking data and knowledge based services with technical services, and at the same time ensuring the availability of a wide portfolio of feed additives for livestock farming.


FORMER FOODSTUFFS ARE HELPING UK TO MEET UN


SUSTAINABILITY GOALS Former foodstuffs are helping the UK to move towards meeting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, according to James McCulloch Head of Animal Feed Sector at the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC).


As part of its targets to ensure sustainable


consumption and production patterns, the UN has set a goal of ‘halving per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels, and reducing food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses’.


James says: “Recent clarification from


the EU has made it clear that former foodstuffs are not ‘waste’. By taking food products that cannot be used for human consumption from food manufacturers and converting them for use as animal feed, the former foodstuffs industry is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and the amount of food going into one-time energy generation or landfill. “Members of the UK Former Foodstuffs


Processors Association (UKFFPA) already process around 650,000 tonnes of material every year, and we believe that there is room for even greater quantities. The Association is committed to ensuring that food manufacturers reduce waste, and, wherever possible, food is used for human consumption. Pushing food up the ‘waste hierarchy’ developed by WRAP will help this country to meet the UN targets.”


PAGE 48 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 FEED COMPOUNDER


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