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Welcome to the Carrs Billington Newsletter - in our Spring 2008 issue:
If you would like further information on these or any other topics please contact customer services on 01768 889800.
During the winter there were concerns that milk prices might ease back; at the point of writing, commodity markets have started to pick up again and some milk buyers are concerned about the possibility of production dropping further if dairy farmers decide to sell up and grow grain.
So the outlook for milk price is more positive for the coming summer. Based on a milk price of 25ppl the following table shows how margin over concentrates data has changed for a 25 litre cow and may change looking forwards.
| |
March 07 |
May 07 |
Nov 07 |
May 08 |
Aug 08 |
| Milk Price |
17.4 |
15.7 |
25 |
25? |
25? |
| Feed Rate |
0.33 |
0.24 |
0.36 |
0.24 |
0.30 |
| Feed Cost/ltre |
5.16 |
3.50 |
6.90 |
5.50 |
7.20 |
| Margin/litre |
12 |
13 |
18 |
19.5 |
17.5 |
Despite significant price rises, the lower feed rate achievable in early summer should mean margins may still be higher than they were this winter. Even in August when the feed rate increases, the margin over concentrates still looks better than it has done for some years.
Other input costs are rising too and costings analysis shows that fertiliser, fuel, water and electric will typically add another 1ppl onto costs.
 Cutting back concentrates on high performing cows will also compromise milk quality, fertility and other aspects of cow health. It is a fact that cell counts are now at their highest during the summer; one cause of poor immunity is stress which could be brought on by a combination of bad weather and inadequate nutrition.
As a rule, upto 8500 litres, every 0.5kg cake fed produces an extra litre of milk. If concentrate reaches £230/t, 0.5kg will cost 11.5p. With a 25ppl milk price this still gives a return of better than 2:1.
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The graph shows the average milk production achieved from grazing in Great Britain based on grass analysis and taking into account sward density.
Last summer efforts were made to increase milk from grass in light of very low milk prices but this ended up compromising both milk yield and cow condition in many herds.
The cows most affected were the spring and summer calvers which took another hit when housed onto moderate quality silage.
Edinburgh University have been analysing blood samples for many years and whilst it is relatively common to see low energy levels in fresh calved cows, this winter’s testing has revealed low energy levels in mid and late lactation cows too. All this is a reflection on the poor summer weather in 2007.
Some farm advisors are stating that cows can achieve 20 to 25 litres of milk from grazing. To get 25 litres from grass, a cow must eat 95kg of grass at 18% dry matter a day; in spring grass can often drop as low as 15% dry matter necessitating intakes of over 110kg per day. Is this realistic for your cows and the grazing/ climate they will experience this spring, particularly if you have high yielding Holsteins.
High protein levels in grass of upto 28% can give the short term illusion of milk from grass when the reality is milk from grass + significant weight loss leading to poorer fertility and lower milk yields and milk quality later in the year.
The situation is different for those farms with eg New Zealand genetics or some of the European breeds, but for the majority of dairy farmers with Holstein blood, maintenance + 15 litres from grass is more likely to be achievable, with M+ 20 litres possible on a few days given excellent grass and perfect weather.
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The Problem |
Carrs Billington Solution
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| Beware wet grass |
Buffer feed higher dry matter forages and use our ration planning and forage analysis services. |
| Very low fibre |
Supplement with high digestible fibre feeds eg citrus pulp, Palm kernel and soya hulls. |
| High in unsaturated oil |
Feed more saturated fats like palm oil and Butterfat Extra. Avoid feeding more unsaturated fats which drop butterfat. |
| Very high in ERDP |
Feed less protein but more high DUP feeds such as AminoMax S and AminoMax R. |
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 Feeding Crystalyx Cattle Booster to dairy cows for the first 100 days of lactation can produce 1-2 litres/cow/day extra milk – worth up to 50p/cow/day. And with typical intakes of Cattle Booster of only 150-250g/cow/day, costing 10-15p/day, this seems a very worthwhile return on the investment!
Why is there any response at all to feeding Cattle Booster in early lactation? After calving a cows dry matter intake typically lags behind her milk production, so she “milks off her back” using her own body fat reserves as a supplemental energy source.Achieving maximum dry matter intakes as early as possible in lactation is the key to optimising both lactation performance and fertility in dairy cows.
Crystalyx stimulates the rumen bugs to digest forage faster and with improved efficiency. Any increase in the speed of rumen fermentation of forage is likely to increase forage intakes (due to a reduced gut fill effect) whilst improved digestive efficiency releases more energy from the forage consumed. Studies at Newcastle University have shown that the poorer the quality of the forage, the greater is the benefit to feeding Crystalyx.
The minerals present in Crystalyx Cattle Booster helps buffer rumen acidity, whilst licking itself stimulates saliva production, a natural buffer. A healthy rumen pH means the rumen bugs will be harder at work digesting forage which in turn helps maximise forage intakes. Independent university research has shown that feeding Crystalyx increases the rate of cellulose digestion in the rumen, which helps maximise total feed (and energy) intakes in freshly calved cows. This reduces the need to mobilise body fat reserves helping to maintain better body condition,
which in turn help improve conception rates and fertility.
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Over the next month, we are facing the largest feed price rises most of us have ever seen. What is behind these rises? Fundamentally, it is increasing demand at a time of tight supply.
Rapidly improving living standards in many SE Asian countries, not least China, are shifting people to a more Western-style diet, particularly greater quantities of meat. Meat requires far more tonnes of feed ingredients than a more vegetarian diet. As a result, over the last few years China has gone from being an exporter of food and feed products to becoming one of the largest importers.
On top of that, political interest in climate change has pushed governments to pursue biofuels as a green alternative to fossil fuels. Add high oil prices into the mix and both politics and economics are creating new demand for cereals.
As a result, most of the major feed ingredients have seen rapid and significant rises in cost in the last 12 months, many doubling in price.
Farmers across the world are responding, of course, with larger crops of wheat and soya being planted and EC set-aside being removed. However, because world stocks of most commodities have been depleted, even rumours of crop problems are causing wild fluctuations in markets.
In recent weeks, prices have eased back from their peaks with encouraging news on stock and planting intentions plus generally good yields in the Southern Hemisphere. However, few would predict prices crashing back to the levels of 12-18 months ago. Rather, most people predict we will have to get used to feed prices in the excess of £230/t for the foreseeable future.
Peter Gorst
Raw Materials Manager
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We have become used to growing energy crops for our cows, e.g Maize silage and grain for combining or wholecrop silage but on the whole we tend not to grow much in the way of protein crops. Even grass silage has only averaged around 13% protein in recent years. What if we could grow more protein and reduce nitrogen inputs as well? Here are two suggestions for alternative forage mixtures.
Lucerne
Why Grow it?
 Will yield at least as well as perennial ryegrass and can reach 15t DM per hectare.- Typically between 19% and 22% protein, high in digestible undegradeable protein.
- Great scratch factor for rumen health.
- Suitable for most soils, except where prone to waterlogging on a regular basis.
- Very drought resistant due to long tap root
- Fixes 200kg nitrogen per hectare and after establishment rarely needs phosphate.
- Can be sown from April until mid August. Will last 4 to 5 years.
Lucerne needs
- A soil pH of 6.7 or above, so low pH fields need liming well in advance.
- Lots of FYM or slurry and 25-50kg sulphur per hectare every two years.
- Dressing with Rhizobium innoculant before planting to help nitrogen fixation.
- Early weed control. Once established, the dense foliage prevents competition.
- A break in cropping from mid August to late October so the plant can build up energy reserves to see it through the winter.
Red Clover
Why Grow it?
 Similar yields to perennial ryegrass. Sow 3-4kg mixed with 9-10kg ryegrass.- Typically between 14% and 19% protein.
- Fixes between 120 and 150kg nitrogen per hectare.
- Ideal for wetter land that is unsuited to Lucerne. Lasts about 5 years.
- Great for finishing lambs in the autumn.
Red Clover needs
- Must be sown by early September to allow clover to establish before winter.
- Avoid grazing with cattle because they tend to pull out the crown/ growing point.
- Requires 100-150kg phosphate and 250-300kg potash per hectare.
For More Details Contact Your Local Carrs Billington Branch
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Many farmers are now seeing big benefits from using the Heatime Fertility Detection Service, the advanced and cost effective system for detection of oestrus in dairy cows. It is significantly improving heat detection rates and identifying the best time to serve cows. Farmers are also getting early warning of problems such as clinical mastitis by the reduced activity of cows in the early stages of infection.
Can you afford not to use it?
6 months money back guarantee if not satisfied, (less installation fee)
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