FEEDING FOCUS March 2016 • Issue 13
Preparing for turnout Deciding when to turn out your cows to grass will depend on individual circumstances, but it is expected that most farmers will look to do so early this year, in the hope of maximising milk from forage and reducing feed costs. Before you turn your cows out to grass, consider the following six points to help make sure that you maintain good herd health and strong productivity levels after turnout.
Average grass growing season March
April
May
June
July
Grass intake (kg/ DM/head/day)
10
10
13
13
12
Milk yield potential (M+litres)
6
6
14
14
10
Exceptional grass growing season March
April
May
June
July
Grass intake (kg/ DM/head/day)
11
11
13.5
16.5
14.5
Milk yield potential (M+litres)
8
8
15
22
17
1. Don’t over-estimate quantity and quality To realistically assess the amount of milk you can produce from grazing, it is important to understand the quality of your grassland and the potential of your management system to utilise forage. The temptation will be to reduce feed bills by cutting buffer feed or concentrate use after turnout. However, underfeeding cows will increase fat tissue mobilisation, resulting in poor body condition and increasing the risk of long term health and fertility problems.
2. Assess what you are feeding It is important that you know the nutritional intake that your cows will be getting from grazing, as grass quality can be extremely variable. >
Spring grass is very different to the silage you used through the winter period and tends to have lower dry matter, high energy and high degradable protein content, as well as low levels of fibre.
accurately using a plate meter, sward stick or cutting and weighing. For a more general assessment, use your boots to gauge grass performance.
Knowing the nutrients that your cows are getting from grass will help you better balance their dietary needs. Spring grass
Grass silage
Maize Silage
W/crop Cereals
Dry matter (%)
18.0
32.7
30.2
40.4
Energy (MJ/kg DM)
11.8
11.08
11.3
10.0
Protein (% DM)
23
12.4
8.5
8.2
Starch (%DM)
n/a
n/a
30.0
24.1
Sugar (% DM)
15.0
5.0
n/a
n/a
NDF (% DM)
38.0
48.4
38.8
45.4
3. Target feeding In the climate of low milk prices, maximising the use of grass can provide a welcome reduction in feed costs. However, ensure that this short term gain is not achieved at the expense of long term herd health and fertility. Use a traffic light system to identify which cows will require additional nutritional support at grazing. Red (high risk): calving – 100 days in milk Amber (medium risk): 100 – 200 days in milk Green (low risk): 200 days in milk - in calf Make sure that higher risk cows are provided with adequate concentrate supplementation to meet their energy requirements and that low risk cows are maximising use of forage. 4. Grass management To get the most from grass, it is important to manage it correctly throughout the season and identify areas of excess or limited growth. Regularly assessing grass cover is important as it helps to identify when to graze, when to remove cows and when best to cut fields for silage. Grass growth can be monitored
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1,300 kg DM/ha Cows out
3,000 kg DM/ha Cows in
4,000 kg DM/ha Silage
5. Water Water is an essential component of milk and on average five litres of water are required for every litre of milk a cow produces. Providing cows with access to enough water when at grass is an essential nutritional requirement, and cows shouldn’t have to walk more than 200 metres to access water supplies. 6. Maintain a supply of vitamins, minerals and trace elements Grass is a poor source of vitamins, minerals and trace elements so it is essential that cows are provided with appropriate supplements when grazing. Magnesium is a key mineral supplement that can be added to compound feeds and buffer mixes to reduce the risk of hypomagnesaemia (grass staggers). Vitamin E, iodine, copper and zinc are also supplements that will help maintain a cow’s health and fertility whilst they are at grass.
Contact your ForFarmers account manager for nutritional advice at grass, or to receive a copy of the ForFarmers monthly grass bulletin.
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