Take the heat out of your Dairy Cow Ration!

James Shenton (Sherborne)

Silages from now onwards become an increasing part of a cow’s diet. This combined with warm weather, can lead to heating of the dairy cow ration. Heating is a problem because:

• Heating is the first part of decomposition and leads to the production of toxins that can cause scouring and metabolic upset in cattle.
• The heat energy is being created by the feed you have paid for and results in lost milk production.
• A heated ration invariably reduces intakes and increases wastage, again reducing milk output.

Many of the causes of poor autumn milk production which are blamed on grazing quality, are actually ration heating problems. How do you combat this?

First assess where the heat is coming from. Is it occurring in the trough or in the feed clamps? If it is in the clamps, it suggests either a lack of stability in the product or poor clamp management. The latter means a tidy up and improvement of routine. The lack of stability in a silage can be dealt with by using it faster. If heating in the trough, you may need to look at various proprietary products that can be added to the mix to prolong its shelf life.

For more information please contact James Shenton at jamesshenton@fcgagric.com