Arla

[In the pit]

We turn them out and then 2 weeks before calving they are tightly stocked and fed hay and dry cow nuts.

Do you get any issues with ketosis

 

[rustyspring]

Do you get any issues with ketosis

We didn't have one last year and 2 the year before. We have evolved this system over a long period starting from basically a year round calving holstien herd to this on a 3 way cross, all home bred.

 

[In the pit]

We didn't have one last year and 2 the year before. We have evolved this system over a long period starting from basically a year round calving holstien herd to this on a 3 way cross, all home bred.

Think this year I’m going to go and mow the standing hay and make bales and feed that back to them along with a kilo or two of cake in the parlour in the two weeks before calving

 

[Wesley]

Think this year I’m going to go and mow the standing hay and make bales and feed that back to them along with a kilo or two of cake in the parlour in the two weeks before calving

Whats the phrase…why use a tractor 10 times when the cow can do it all herself?

 

[DairyNerd]

Think this year I’m going to go and mow the standing hay and make bales and feed that back to them along with a kilo or two of cake in the parlour in the two weeks before calving

Why?

 

[rustyspring]

Think this year I’m going to go and mow the standing hay and make bales and feed that back to them along with a kilo or two of cake in the parlour in the two weeks before calving

We are feeding 3 kilos of x-zelit dry cow nuts for 2 weeks. In the past we have had our share of milk fever cases even feeding these nuts, but on the restriceted grass and hay we actually didn't have one case last year.

 

[frederick]

Why?

With how weather is going still having standing hay is proving tricky.
22 and unless it was on away ground it had been eaten.
23 with the rain the regrowth in the bottom meant it was more like green grass than standing hay.

 

[In the pit]

Why?

Getting ketosis in cows 3/4 weeks after calving so need to be able to keep stomach as big as possible pre calving to stop this

 

[In the pit]

Whats the phrase…why use a tractor 10 times when the cow can do it all herself?

Won’t be used 10 times but 3 times so a lot less than the indoor money pit systems

 

[In the pit]

We are feeding 3 kilos of x-zelit dry cow nuts for 2 weeks. In the past we have had our share of milk fever cases even feeding these nuts, but on the restriceted grass and hay we actually didn't have one case last year.

Don’t get milk fever ,but seem to struggle with ketosis

 

[TheRanger]

Won’t be used 10 times but 3 times so a lot less than the indoor money pit systems

That’s a slippery slope you’ve started down

 

[In the pit]

That’s a slippery slope you’ve started down

Vet suggested full tmr .sent a shiver down my spine

 

[FarmerWasty]

We are feeding 3 kilos of x-zelit dry cow nuts for 2 weeks. In the past we have had our share of milk fever cases even feeding these nuts, but on the restriceted grass and hay we actually didn't have one case last year.

Probably to do with rumen fill, those nuts are awful if you could sprinkle the raw xzelit on tmr that would be better.
Id maybe bolus everything with calcium unless you can tmr. And add calc

 

[crashbox]

Getting ketosis in cows 3/4 weeks after calving so need to be able to keep stomach as big as possible pre calving to stop this

How does cutting and baking it help?

Cutting it younger to improve quality/palatability?

 

[rustyspring]

Probably to do with rumen fill, those nuts are awful if you could sprinkle the raw xzelit on tmr that would be better.
Id maybe bolus everything with calcium unless you can tmr. And add calc

Curiuos as to why you call the nuts awful, price I agree?

 

[Farmer Keith]

Don’t get milk fever ,but seem to struggle with ketosis

We’re the opposite, rarely see it in the spring calvers but in August/September ones we have to keep an eye out. Such as last year standing hay was impossible it was so wet, just chucked little bale hay around the calving paddock morning and night.

We are feeding 3 kilos of x-zelit dry cow nuts for 2 weeks. In the past we have had our share of milk fever cases even feeding these nuts, but on the restriceted grass and hay we actually didn't have one case last year.

what’s x-zelit? We feed 2.5kgs of a pre calver nut from the mill, last batch I feb was £324t. Like I said above we can see odd cases in the back end but limited to 5 calvers and older, I know not everyone has cows that old so sometimes muddys the waters a little when comparing milk fever data.

 

[In the pit]

We’re the opposite, rarely see it in the spring calvers but in August/September ones we have to keep an eye out. Such as last year standing hay was impossible it was so wet, just chucked little bale hay around the calving paddock morning and night.


what’s x-zelit? We feed 2.5kgs of a pre calver nut from the mill, last batch I feb was £324t. Like I said above we can see odd cases in the back end but limited to 5 calvers and older, I know not everyone has cows that old so sometimes muddys the waters a little when comparing milk fever data.

Did the trials on the boluses for ketosis on a spring calving herd and there was no need to use them as there wasn’t an issue .autumn calving now and the last 2 years the standing hay has been more like lush pasture because of the weather so cows stomachs are shrinking.the tmr boys will no more about this than me as they feed a percentage of the milkers ration along with quality straw to fill the rumen out .
My thoughts are grass will be left to grow from April to end June then cut ,teddered ,baled ,wrapped so it 50/60+ % dm and then fed back to them along with 2 kgs of cake and a strip of grass to provide the protein.
Will this provide a percentage of milkers ration along with the haylage (dry cow silage /straw stuff)

 

[Farmer Keith]

Did the trials on the boluses for ketosis on a spring calving herd and there was no need to use them as there wasn’t an issue .autumn calving now and the last 2 years the standing hay has been more like lush pasture because of the weather so cows stomachs are shrinking.the tmr boys will no more about this than me as they feed a percentage of the milkers ration along with quality straw to fill the rumen out .
My thoughts are grass will be left to grow from April to end June then cut ,teddered ,baled ,wrapped so it 50/60+ % dm and then fed back to them along with 2 kgs of cake and a strip of grass to provide the protein.
Will this provide a percentage of milkers ration along with the haylage (dry cow silage /straw stuff)

It’ll work well, we calve in two 6 acre fields that are used for ewes and lambs through summer so no standing hay there. Not sure you need to wrap it if the weather is right for hay, little bales are unreal for the job, no mash up around a feeder just chuck a heap on the bike at throw it around whist you check them, pre calver rolls on the ground. Suppose a bale unroller would solve the feeder issue but then you need a tractor on the job.

 

[vantage]

Did the trials on the boluses for ketosis on a spring calving herd and there was no need to use them as there wasn’t an issue .autumn calving now and the last 2 years the standing hay has been more like lush pasture because of the weather so cows stomachs are shrinking.the tmr boys will no more about this than me as they feed a percentage of the milkers ration along with quality straw to fill the rumen out .
My thoughts are grass will be left to grow from April to end June then cut ,teddered ,baled ,wrapped so it 50/60+ % dm and then fed back to them along with 2 kgs of cake and a strip of grass to provide the protein.
Will this provide a percentage of milkers ration along with the haylage (dry cow silage /straw stuff)

It’ll work well, we calve in two 6 acre fields that are used for ewes and lambs through summer so no standing hay there. Not sure you need to wrap it if the weather is right for hay, little bales are unreal for the job, no mash up around a feeder just chuck a heap on the bike at throw it around whist you check them, pre calver rolls on the ground. Suppose a bale unroller would solve the feeder issue but then you need a tractor on the job.

Last few years here, as it’s been so wet, I just don’t think the cows get enough fill of a decent quality of grass, seem to go back. No such issues on bales.

 

[wooly619]

We actually calve 50% of our cows in June! We start mid May when all the heifers calve as well, and calve 80% of the herd by the end of July with nothing calving between November and May. I find it really suits our all grass system and Arla's milk profile. We take a big first cut when a lot of the cows are dry followed by a smaller 2nd cut which then leaves a large grazing platform for rest of the summer. All the cows calve outside and the majority are safely back in calf before housing time.

Our systems are nearly identical. Except we calves about 2 weeks later but finish the same time.
All the cows and heifers start calving in June. All graze whist dry. All calve outside. Feed 2.5kgs of x-Zelit pre calve nuts 2 weeks before calving.
What sort of yeild are you achieving ?
We are pure Holsteins and fleckviehs doing 9000 at 4.4 & 3.6