Butterfat level

[fiat100]

Any suggestions on how to increase my butterfat level, they were at 4.2 but now have since dropped to 3.8. diet is still the same, grass silage and a 22% blend, litres have increased but just wondering if there is anything cost effective to raise the fat levels?

 

[upnortheast]

How much has the milk increased.
You say diet the same
Often find more milk / lower fat but do the sums, your weight of solids is probably the same

 

[Cuckoo's nest]

Try some beetpulp

 

[jackrussell101]

Try a bit of straw in the ration

 

[celtis man]

Add some rolled barley

 

[In the pit]

Buy 50 danish jerseys off @Bald Rick

 

[pappuller]

Any suggestions on how to increase my butterfat level, they were at 4.2 but now have since dropped to 3.8. diet is still the same, grass silage and a 22% blend, litres have increased but just wondering if there is anything cost effective to raise the fat levels?

If you haven't increased cost do the maths and see if your margin has increased, when you know the answer take a view on whether it would pay to increase fats

 

[Ducati899]

Buy 50 danish jerseys off @Bald Rick

the jerseys have sorted mine out,only thing we’ve really changed,couldn’t. stand the thought of buying pallet loads of butterfat booster and the like and have nothing to show for it

 

[Bangoverthebar]

I buffer with pke. Its savage for butterfat and lifts milk. Current solids 6.4bf and 4.3 protein. Crossbred cows.

 

[John1975]

Bottom fill tank and don't put milk through a plate cooler

 

[Conrod96]

You haven’t changed silage or anything we made bad silage last year fats were down made good stuff this year fats are up again

 

[Jdunn55]

fibre = butterfat

fibre = less milk

more milk = more cake to balance diet

it may pay to add fibre it may not. Only you and your consultant/nutritionist (if you use them) can work the cost out.

I will be adding soya hulls to my diet soon I expect as mine has dropped like a stone this week, not sure why as like you my diet is exactly the same.

I like soya hulls. I dislike palm kernel but don't believe it's as crap as some would have you believe.

 

[fiat100]

They have risen from 22 litres up to around average of 29 now, silage is still the same

 

[Fergieman]

Energy levels ok?

 

[Bangoverthebar]

fibre = butterfat

fibre = less milk

more milk = more cake to balance diet

it may pay to add fibre it may not. Only you and your consultant/nutritionist (if you use them) can work the cost out.

I will be adding soya hulls to my diet soon I expect as mine has dropped like a stone this week, not sure why as like you my diet is exactly the same.

I like soya hulls. I dislike palm kernel but don't believe it's as crap as some would have you believe.

I have never fed soya hulls. What i like about pke is.

Cheap energy in it.
Fibre
No acidosis risk
High in phosporus for getting cows incalf
High drymatter, perfect in spring to compliment wet lush high protein grass.

I feed maize meal in the parlour, pke at feed face with buffer and minerals. Maize meal drive volume and milk protein, pke drive butterfat. No dairy nuts fed

 

[Princess Pooper]

fodder beet

 

[bigw]

We fed Rumensmart instead of fats earlier this year and saw a lift of about 0.4% butterfat very quickly if i recall correctly.

 

[dinderleat]

Any suggestions on how to increase my butterfat level, they were at 4.2 but now have since dropped to 3.8. diet is still the same, grass silage and a 22% blend, litres have increased but just wondering if there is anything cost effective to raise the fat levels?

I always find intakes are key to butterfat levels. We would average from 4.7-5% through the winter with fresh holsteins making sure your silage is top quality is key but that happens in May so too late now. We used to feed straw in the ration but that just replaces quality forage so reduces milk/kgms which is pointless.

 

[ollie989898]

I buffer with pke. Its savage for butterfat and lifts milk. Current solids 6.4bf and 4.3 protein. Crossbred cows.

Well I never, a fan of PKE in cattle feed.

 

[Mr Mackay]

Any suggestions on how to increase my butterfat level, they were at 4.2 but now have since dropped to 3.8. diet is still the same, grass silage and a 22% blend, litres have increased but just wondering if there is anything cost effective to raise the fat levels?

I would ask if you are using a tub mixer , maybe some nice straw to add a bit of scratch ,or some hay chopped in !
and as suggested above ,use a nut which is enhanced to get best from fibre ,with possibly yeast
Our 70 cows are on big bale silage ,so a fraction more mature grass than average clamp stuff , and a 20 % blend and molasses ,all in a vertical tub ! Premier 18 nuts in parlour
Cross breds in the main ,predominantly Holstien ,some Friesian , some Swiss , Swiss crosses some Norwegian Red

Running around 4.97 to 5.30 % BF , 3.68 Pt ,which is what the cheese dairy want and all BF paid for /not capped

As an aside ,we arent that stuck on Palm Kernel Extract PKE - its got a very angular form , not good for cows feet ?? and we find it stuck in the separator screen ! Maybe thats wrong but we dont have it in our blend/nuts - Everyone to their own !!
Good luck with the BF experiments