Managing mineral nutrition and SARA in spring calvers

that Omya’s product gave the highest calcium availability at 94.4%.

SARA risk

One of the problems caused by feeding cows on high starch, low bre diets with large amounts of fermentable carbohydrates is the risk of SARA. “SARA is more common early in the lactation,” says Mr Bonsall. “There is also evidence that cows in their rst lactation are at a higher risk of acidosis. It’s important to remember that SARA isn’t just likely during housing, grazed cows are also at risk because spring grass is high in sugar and low in bre.”

SARA is caused by the accumulation of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) in the rumen. As feed is digested, VFAs including acetate, propionate and butyrate are produced. If this happens quickly, as it does with high sugar and starch rations, then the pH in the rumen drops. An animal is said to be su ering from SARA if the pH stays low (between 5.2 and 6) for a prolonged period each day.

The prolonged decrease in rumen pH leads to changes in the microbial population and can damage the lining of the rumen. Symptoms include reduced feed intake, weight loss, decreased milk production, and lameness.

The addition of a calcium carbonate-based bu er such as OmyaFeed C MgO to a high energy ration will help manage nutrition in two ways. Firstly, by providing readily available calcium and magnesium nutrition to the lactating cow, and secondly, bu ering rumen pH to prevent the incidence of sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA).

“OmyaFeed C MgO is a compacted feed supplement made from micronized ground calcium carbonate and magnesium oxide,” he says. “When added to the ration as a supplement, it o ers farmers an e ective solution for SARA and helps prevent mineral de ciencies in both housed and grazing systems.”

The calcium and magnesium in OmyaFeed C MgO are readily bio-available, which is particularly important for dairy cows. Calcium is a key component of milk, with about 1.2g of calcium in every litre of milk produced. Mr Bonsall explains: “A lactating cow needs up to four times more calcium than a dry cow. If she doesn’t get enough calcium, milk yield and quality su er.”

Meeting demands

During early lactation, when milk production is highest, the demand for calcium is also at its peak. A cow producing 30kg of milk per day may require up to 60g of calcium per day to maintain milk production and prevent metabolic disorders such as milk fever. It is generally acknowledged that calcium is more readily available to the cow when provided as a mineral supplement than as part of forage or other feedstu s.

Magnesium is an essential nutrient for many physiological processes in dairy cows, from bre degradation in the rumen to milk fat synthesis in the mammary tissue. It’s important that the magnesium source is easily absorbed otherwise de ciency will follow, alongside symptoms of grass staggers.

Mr Bonsall says OmyaFeed C MgO has proven bioavailability for dairy cows, as shown in independent trials at IRTA in Spain. “We measured calcium and magnesium absorption in dairy cows and found that even with lower calcium intake in the cows fed with OmyaFeed C MgO, there was no signi cant di erence in the amount of calcium digested. That shows more e cient calcium absorption. For magnesium, the intake was a bit higher, but the absorption di erence was 60% higher compared with a conventional mix.”

In another trial, scientists measured calcium absorption of OmyaFeed C MgO against seven commercially available products and found

SARA can be prevented by adding OmyaFeed C MgO to the ration, Mr Bonsall notes. It is required in lower amounts than other rumen bu ers, such as sodium bicarbonate, at only 130g per cow per day. This creates space in the ration for other feedstu s or can help reduce the overall ration cost. In trials, cows supplemented with OmyaFeed C MgO spent fewer hours per day with pH lower than 5.8 than those supplemented with sodium bicarbonate, without a ecting milk yield or fat content. Milk proteins were also higher, which gave a better fat: protein ratio.

Mr Bonsall concludes: “OmyaFeed C MgO is proven to both prevent and cure SARA as well as providing readily available calcium and magnesium to the lactating cow. Because of its formulation, it is palatable, breaks down easily on ingestion and is easily incorporated into the feed mix without settling out. At only 7p per cow per day, it o ers dairy farmers a cost-e ective way of maintaining healthy cows and calves, whilst maintaining high volume milk production.”

For more information visit: www.omyaagriculture.com/omyafeed FG

Magnesium “top of the agenda” for grazing cattle this season

With recent weather variations, keeping ahead of magnesium de ciency by analysing forage and providing supplementation where appropriate will be key as cows are turned out to grass this season, advises Dr Alison Bond, technical services manager at Rumenco.

Recently calved cattle or those that were housed over winter will be particularly susceptible to magnesium de ciency, Dr Bond notes. As recent weeks have seen variations from warmer weather to snow and sub-zero temperatures, now that temperatures are rising again and grass growth is improving, we could start to see magnesium de ciency.

Keeping on top of this is essential,

Feeding barrier and head yoke combined in one product

The Agri-Kit Comfort Self-Lock is a feeding barrier and head yoke in one, which is ideal for the safe handling of animals when working alone, the manufacturer says. This cattle headlock can be used for any animal treatment including arti cial insemination. Having a multi-purpose feed barrier removes the need for AI stalls which saves space and investment.

Key features include:

• Waved top for cow comfort

• Heavy duty product

• Can be connected for long runs

• Rubber brushed for noise reduction

• Can be adjusted for animal safety

• Reduces bullying amongst animals by providing a protected feed space

• It’s possible to operate up to 50 cattle headspaces from one operating handle

• Inclining the panels can allow total elimination of rubbing on the animals’ shoulders, neck and withers

• Junior and bull head locks are available.

Agri-Kit utilises the latest technology of laser cutting and computer controlled forming to provide cost e ective, competitively priced head yokes. All Comfort Self-Locking Yokes are hot-dipped galvanised and can be supplied at any length to meet requirements.

The self-lock features a double swing mechanism which allows the cow to pull her head out of the bottom if she loses her footing.

For further information on the Comfort Self-Lock, or a range of other comfort, feeding and drinking products, contact Wilson Agri or visit: www.wilsonagri.co.uk FG

Dr Bond says. “While the clinical signs are very obvious, potentially resulting in death quite quickly, there will be a lot of sub-clinical issues a ecting growth and intakes that we’re not aware of. Making sure there’s a magnesium supplement if required will be important.”

She adds: “Suckler cows can bene t from magnesium supplementation almost all year round. We know plenty of farms that would put a high magnesium supplement out all year round just to cover o that risk.”

As we see increasingly unpredictable weather, forecasting when magnesium de ciency may occur could become more challenging. “Even last year when we had the summer drought the weather started to pick up and that grass started to grow again. We had issues at all times of the year that wouldn’t usually be a problem.”

It’s also worth looking at minerals and vitamins overall in your forage, especially if this is not something your farm has done regularly, or if you’ve recently changed your fertiliser usage, for example, she points out. Get forages analysed to nd out what you’re working with in terms of energy, protein, mineral and vitamins – and whether forage quality is high enough to achieve your targets. Speci c requirements will vary depending on the farm; for example for breeding suckler cows energy and copper will be important for fertility, hitting targets and getting them back in calf quickly. Blood sampling can also be useful to help build a picture of what’s going on and make better decisions.

Last summer’s drought was a prime example of the importance of planning ahead, as grass growth and energy intake dropped away when the hot weather hit, resulting in growth checks for many farms, Dr Bond says. Predictions indicate there will be high temperatures again this summer, so making a plan will be key to ensure farms are not left short. On the other extreme, very wet weather and oods can also dilute the available nutrients.

Previous studies by Rumenco have shown that supplementing with extra energy in a block or bucket towards the end of the summer can stretch out the grazing season.

As we look ahead to summer, thinking about what you want to achieve and how to make the best use of forage will be important to make sure you go into the next season in the best possible form,” Dr Bond concludes. FG

Can-Am has launched the next generation of mid-cc Outlander ATVs with the new Outlander 700 and 500, and the Outlander Pro HD7 and HD5 – the biggest Can-Am ATV launch of the past 10 years.

For 2023, the new Outlander recreational line-up includes the standard models, the DPS 500, DPS 700, X mr 700, MAX DPS, and MAX XT 700. The Outlander PRO HD7 and HD5 haul, tow, and can store more than any other ATV on the market, Can-Am claims. The new Outlander PRO utility line-up includes the standard PRO models and PRO XU models.

An all-new rear facing 650cc single cylinder, liquid cooled, fuel injected Rotax Advanced Combustion E ciency (ACE) four-stroke engine design and con guration are complemented by a new integrated transmission design and pDrive clutch, for “class leading power and towing capabilities”. Thanks to ECU calibration and di erent camshaft designs, the 700 and PRO HD7 models have 50hp and 41ft-lb of torque, while the 500 and PRO HD5 models have 40hp and 37ft-lb of torque.

All 500 and 700 machines are equipped with the new pDrive primary CVT transmission for smoother shifting, increased durability and feature L/H/N/R/P gearing. The PRO HD5 and HD7 machines are equipped with a new pDrive primary CVT transmission that also features work calibration along with extra L/H/N/R/P gearing. Both the Outlander and Outlander PRO platforms share a selectable 2wd/4wd with Visco-Lok†, Visco-Lok† QE or Visco-4Lok with auto-locking front di erential drivetrain o ered according to the packages.

A new tubular steel chassis design, front and rear arched A-Arm suspension con guration o er the new platforms “class-leading suspension travel and ground clearance”. Both the recreational and utility models are equipped with 9.75in of double A-Arm front suspension travel with twin tube shocks upfront, and with 10.25in in the rear. The PRO models feature sti er suspension tuning to allow for working conditions and heavier payloads. The combination of the chassis and suspension design create “unrivalled” ground clearance, handling, and stability, with up to 13in of ground clearance on certain models.