Cheapest way to mop up protein

[lazy farmer]

Our cows on too much protein will loose weight before loosing production

 

[More to life]

Our cows on too much protein will loose weight before loosing production

should push production

 

[Headless chicken]

I think the correct term is winter bovine dysentery. It’s a viral infection. Knocked our cows for 6 in June of our first proper yr of spring calving. Luckily the recovered to about 95% of previous production. The yield drop was scary as we didn’t know what we were going to produce that season anyway. But it needed to be higher than that

We have just had a bout of winter dysentery, goes through every cow pretty much, the yield drop is ridiculous, most of mine recovered fine but could do without it again

what’s the solution? Or is it just wait it out?

edit. Can you loose cows to it? We have just had one die, assumed johnes although negative on previous test.

 

[Headless chicken]

Our cows on too much protein will loose weight before loosing production

I would expect ours too normally but I was thinking that maybe it’s just firing straight through them so theyphysically can’t produce the milk as nothing is being retained.

 

[Holsteinfriesian90]

Would bi carb help?

 

[lazy farmer]

Yes we had to wait it out. by the time we had worked out what it was the earlier sufferers were getting better. This was 20 yrs ago though so things might be different now.

 

[Fedupfarmer]

More to life perhaps near the mark,it may be fluke.

 

[Barmyfarmer]

If they are dropping yield (like 50%) overnight but not really looking sick, obviously they wont have much rumen fill but they shouldn't really get sunken eyes etc and sh*tting really thin, a fairly dark horrible smelling muck then I'd say it's a dose of dysentery if it's anything to go by what went through ours

 

[jimmer]

Ibr

 

[Mr Jones]

what’s the solution? Or is it just wait it out?

edit. Can you loose cows to it? We have just had one die, assumed johnes although negative on previous test.

Had the odd 1 or 2 with winter dysentery over the years, 3 or 4 days with watery s@@t, milk drop, but no deaths. Access to good round bale hay, always seemed to calm things down though.

 

[Sylution]

after 40yrs of 'trying' to be a 'modern' dairy farmer, it's now very obvious the simpler the system, the greater the potential profit. Short of grub all winter, ours have had a very simple ration w/c, then maize, bale silage of differing quality, bit of pit silage - 7 kg, hay, and pro rape meal, looks like a dry cow ration, they are pumping the milk out, way over what we aim for, aut calvers heading for 9,000 +, usually around 7/7500.

I’ve been a bit slow on reducing the protein in the cake and made a balls up because the silage is sky high in protein. Due a load of cake next week so that will help somewhat but we still need to mop up some protein to keep the cows happy. Milk is dropping like a stone currently and the cows are seemingly ravenous constantly, I assume due to anything they eat coming straight back out.
I’ve bunged some straw in the mix tonight and could add a bale of wrapped steamy silage tomorrow. After this what’s my best option? Access would limit maize being an option unless a bulker instead of a walking floor.

Get the cows on a more dry cow ration. Looks like it is working gor some.
Our cows have been quite loose all winter, but the milk ureas have stayed around 0.26- 0.30. All the hype now in every dairy mag and disscussions is multicut, and most say that it is better and less acidic load for the cows. We cut 4 times and silage protein can be quite high. Cows dung is always on the loose side, and I often think about going back to 3 cuts with more fibre. But spring arrives with and green fever and the mower is on ready for an early cut. Am worried about going backwards and loosing milk from forage. But I can see how more mature grass could be easier for the cows to manage. Just a thought!!!!

 

[Sid]

Cows dung is always on the loose side, and I often think about going back to 3 cuts with more fibre.

Don't know alot about feeding high yielding cows but always seems counter intuitive to get rocket fuel then add fibre with straw.
Why not let the grass grow on a bit?

 

[bigw]

Can you mix some SBP in with the cake to add fibre and reduce protein %

 

[Sylution]

Not a high yeild herd, aiming for 7000lts from 1.2t, up feed to 1.5t when milk price is favourable. Would never feed straw to dairy cows

 

[som farmer]

Don't know alot about feeding high yielding cows but always seems counter intuitive to get rocket fuel then add fibre with straw.
Why not let the grass grow on a bit?

we have had 3 very dry summers, leys have just died out, and forage has had to be bought. We are told to graze grass, at 2500/3000 on a plate metre, and leave at 1500, last summer, we tried leaving longer residuals, the grass grew back quicker, and didn't die off. The problem with taking the grass of, at ideal stage, is you are not allowing the grass to build reserves, the applications of N, encourage leaf production, but not root development, taken together, in a dry year, ryegrass dies off. By leaving longer residuals, you aid root development, you still get your 3 leaf's, just higher on a stem. Total agreement with feeding rocket fuel, and going 'straight' through, we have just bought s bunch of cows, which have been fed on low DM 3rd cut, the sh1te flies out, as we bought the remaining silage, it's flying out of ours to.
We are all taught about the feed value of grass, both grazed and ensiled, when it young, what they don't say is how much of the feed value, is utilised, by it's speedy passage through through the animal, it simply isn't in the cow long enough to be fully used. We had to buffer feed our spr calvers, virtually all last summer, 120 tons of hay, that fibre, and fibre from older grass, certainly kept the dung firmer, butterfat up, and cows in excellent condition, more importantly, the grass wasn't overgrazed, and didn't die off. Several years ago, we grew a supersonic ley, with all high sugar grasses, the holstiens hated it, the shite flew out, milk dropped, the hedges and banks were eaten right down, and when we put a bale of straw out, they ate that, before the grass, it gave them acute acidosis, and we pulled them off, back to normal. The lesson learnt, grass/feed has to stay in the cow long enough to be actually 'processed', the next lesson learnt, ryegrass has shallow roots, a combination of drought, N, and 1500 residuals, does not give the grass time to put reserves into it's self, and it dies off. A friend has 4/5 year leys, cut for silage, every 7to 8 weeks, never had livestock on them, only digestate, and are still producing well, after 10/12 years down. There is, i think, some more lessons to be learnt, perhaps grass is so highly bred, it needs ideal conditions !

 

[buffalo_soldier]

I don't know how you've zeroed in on the cake so fast, could be many things.

I'd be making phone calls.

 

[Beef farmer]

I don't know how you've zeroed in on the cake so fast, could be many things.

I'd be making phone calls.

To who?
I'd ring the vet. Get some samples off.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

To who?
I'd ring the vet. Get some samples off.

If there's a whole herd incidence, nutritionist and vet.

 

[Beef farmer]

If there's a whole herd incidence, nutritionist and vet.

Only use one of the above.

 

[buffalo_soldier]

Only use one of the above.

Ring them twice then!!!