lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
What price are you paying( if not too confidential obviously)
Cows eating stones
- Thread starter Devon lad
- Start date
Sorry were with a buying group and I can’t share that info.
lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
Fair enough..
- Location
- Northern Ireland
Perhaps less relevant to you guys, but will be coming your way eventually. Since Northern Ireland was placed in an NVZ in 2007, there has been a persistent mumble in the background about phosphate being the next limit. Farms which apply for the derogation must complete a farm phosphate balance, the inputs of which include fertiliser and bought in feed. So there has been work done some time ago at our local ag research unit in the effects on animal production of reducing mineral phosphorus in feed. It's also against cross compliance to purchase P fertiliser without soil analysis to support the requirement.
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
We're sort of half way there, we have to have soil tested in last 5 years before applying any manure or slurry. We haven't bought any P fert in about 18 years here.
I
Do your buying group all use the same ration?
There’s about 6 different products, we generally commit to a total tonnage as a group and rough products each members
Its easy. Your cows are short of protein, rumen ph is too low, they are looking for something to buffer rumen. mineral absorbtion is also not there.
You've reduced N this year, it hasn't rained to take any up, 12% in parlour & ureas down. YOUR COWS ARE IN ACIDOSIS!!!!!!
Milk protein running at 3.5-3.6, any other symptoms to acidosis?
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
PHOSPHATE deficient cows
Fats running at 4.3 average
we would normally feed a max of 14% on an all spring grass diet, I guess a grass analysis would be best thing to do.
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
Either do some internet research yourself or speak to (preferably) a vet or a nutritionist then!
And to add, internal parasites may affect ability to metabolise some nutrients so that's an extra complication.
Grass protein is around 21% , were on similar protein level as you but with better quality Ingredients, NDF in grass is low, we offer some straw and cows haven't touch it, we have the lowest BF we have ever seen, but 70% of herd are heifers.
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
No, analyse the cows! It's the cows that are showing the problem!
Headless chicken
Member
- Location
- West Wales
salt is just good practise and won’t cost the earth. If they have acidosis they’ll go nuts for if and wolf it down.
if it’s low phosphate you need to get on is ASAP it nearly ruined a herd locally. Vets failed to find it. Couldn’t hold any pregnancies for 6 months. Worst still from what I heard it was dirt cheap to sort in the end.
lazy farmer
Member
- Location
- som/dor border
You maybe able to discount acidosis by watching them lying down to see whether or not they are uncomfortable and kicking out.
Headless chicken
Member
- Location
- West Wales
not sure if this is helpful or not to you. 1st round still. fairly fresh ley.