Summer protein blend

dinderleat

Member
Location
Wells
Getting prices for summer blend at the moment looking at 60% soya hulls or sugar beet pellets which ever is cheapest 30% soya and 10% rape seed meal
Blend works out at around 25% protein probably feed at a rate of 1-2kgs a head depending on grass growth and time of year they will also get 2.5kgs of rolled wheat and fed to yield in parlour on a 18% protein 13me HDf cake max 6-8kg depending how generous I'm feeling
Prices are for 15t tipped April £190 June £185 August £178
@happycows
 
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Location
West Wales
Getting prices for summer blend at the moment looking at 60% soya hulls or sugar beet pellets which ever is cheapest 30% soya and 10% rape seed meal
Blend works out at around 25% protein probably feed at a rate of 1-2kgs a head depending on grass growth and time of year they will also get 2.5kgs of rolled wheat and fed to yield in parlour on a 18% protein 13me HDf cake max 6-8kg depending how generous I'm feeling
Prices are for 15t tipped April £190 June £185 August £178
@Happy cows

Sounds expensive when we can have cake blown for £200. Admitably that's an 18% mind but surely should be atleast 15pound a tonne cheaper tipped
 

More to life

Member
Location
Somerset
Getting prices for summer blend at the moment looking at 60% soya hulls or sugar beet pellets which ever is cheapest 30% soya and 10% rape seed meal
Blend works out at around 25% protein probably feed at a rate of 1-2kgs a head depending on grass growth and time of year they will also get 2.5kgs of rolled wheat and fed to yield in parlour on a 18% protein 13me HDf cake max 6-8kg depending how generous I'm feeling
Prices are for 15t tipped April £190 June £185 August £178
@Happy cows
Just checked a straights email I get and I think the raw material price is about £165 at 29t so I'd say they are fair prices
 
Umm I'm no nutritionist but I wouldn't see the need to feed rapemeal in the summer. Soya yes I can understand but there should be lots of proteins in the grass. I'd be more interested in soaking up that protein and trying to utilise it to the max.
Are you feeding the fibres to increase butterfats? Would NIS pellets do this cheaper and better??
I'm not exactly sure what you are wanting from the blend??
 
Umm I'm no nutritionist but I wouldn't see the need to feed rapemeal in the summer. Soya yes I can understand but there should be lots of proteins in the grass. I'd be more interested in soaking up that protein and trying to utilise it to the max.
Are you feeding the fibres to increase butterfats? Would NIS pellets do this cheaper and better??
I'm not exactly sure what you are wanting from the blend??
How much is this nis?
 
How much is this nis?

About £125 a ton. It doesn't seem to effect intakes, 2kgs of nis will take a small space in the rumen compared to 2kgs of fresh straw and will pass through in a day where unprocessed can take several days and take up space that could be depressing for intakes of grass. Also it has a great rumen buffering effect too. 2kgs of NIS topped on top fresh grass has yielded lifts of 2 to 3 litres before.
I don't feed if if I can get a bit of structure in the grass but at times it's not easy and as it keeps for ages so handy to have at hand if needed to boost butterfat and firm them up a bit. I certainly wouldn't feed it with silage.

At 12.5p a kg if it creates better rumen function and lifts fats I'd rather buy 2 kgs of that at 25p than a bleedy C16 at £1250 a pallet that will be more likely to add a oil slick to the rumen and potentially depress fats further. remember oils in grass can be quite high already.
 
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Butterfat production can be compromised when rapidly digestible grass is consumed; due to the high sugar content of the summer grass and also the lack of effective fibre present in the summer grass. Butterfat is derived from acetate which is produced when bacteria breaks down fibre, but because rapidly digestible grass has low effective fibre it produces little acetate and as a result hinders butterfat production. The rumen environment is also very important to butterfat production. As grass has a lack of structural fibre, saliva production is reduced as fewer cows will be “chewing the cud” which causes rumen pH to drop leading to sub-acute rumen acidosis (SARA). SARA is a disorder of ruminal fermentation that is characterised by extended periods of depressed ruminal pH (below 5.5-5.6). SARA may not be as serious as acute acidosis, however, overtime it can act as a gateway to many other issues; low rumen pH can cause damage to the lining of the cow’s rumen which in turn can have a negative effect on both feed intake and feed digestion leading to depressed milk production and a negative impact on health as well as fertility. Low milk fat can be a sign of cows suffering from SARA. Other symptoms to watch for include loose dung with gas bubbles, less than 60-70% of cows chewing the cud, poor rumen fill and loss of body condition.
 

More to life

Member
Location
Somerset
About £125 a ton. It doesn't seem to effect intakes, 2kgs of nis will take a small space in the rumen compared to 2kgs of fresh straw and will pass through in a day where unprocessed can take several days and take up space that could be depressing for intakes of grass. Also it has a great rumen buffering effect too. 2kgs of NIS topped on top fresh grass has yielded lifts of 2 to 3 litres before.
I don't feed if if I can get a bit of structure in the grass but at times it's not easy and as it keeps for ages so handy to have at hand if needed to boost butterfat and firm them up a bit. I certainly wouldn't feed it with silage.

At 12.5p a kg if it creates better rumen function and lifts fats I'd rather buy 2 kgs of that at 25p than a bleedy C16 at £1250 a pallet that will be more likely to add a oil slick to the rumen and potentially depress fats further. remember oils in grass can be quite high already.
In a zero graze situation I sort of get it,have you tried soya hulls in the same situation, I'm never a fan of straw
 
Yes tried 50\50. I think if it's fibre your after NIS is just the job. . Will be some soya hulls and sugar beet in my blend.
Tell me if I'm wrong but soya hulls is the shell of a seed pod designed to pass through undigested to protect a seed. Straw is a forage and by it's nature was intended to be digested??
 
We're just using maize to mop up some protein and keep the dung firm. And it's got a bit more energy than straw!

Take the grain out I'm not entirely convinced maize stalk is much better than straw. Take up the space of stalk in the rumen and replace with good grass, as long as you have that fibre and good rumen function I can see a potential of more milk from extra grass intakes.
This is splitting hairs mind you.....
 
Don't do that with fresh cows or it will be ping ping ping. How did your butter fats hold when you started zero grazing.
Held up very well, then when I went away last week, time and lack of grass meant they didn't zero graze, now back at it hard, and the fats have gone from 4:6 down to 4.35. Protein is holding at 3.5/3.6 and ureas have gone up to 0.035/0.042
 
Take the grain out I'm not entirely convinced maize stalk is much better than straw. Take up the space of stalk in the rumen and replace with good grass, as long as you have that fibre and good rumen function I can see a potential of more milk from extra grass intakes.
This is splitting hairs mind you.....
I've got loads of maize here. Maize stalk is straw.
 

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