Winter Management Matters

Date published: 23 November 2017

Feeding of youngstock

Is there an option to adjust the diets of youngstock on the farm to save silage? Table 1 shows a range of potential options for saving silage using both forages and concentrates, with prices based on freshweight. The lowest cost diet is likely to be silage based along with feeding 1kg of concentrate. Can additional silage be sourced i.e. clamp or round bale? Depending on quality the partial straw diet can save up to 10kg of silage per day but is more expensive, think about cost, quality, convenience. Aspects to think about when feeding straw or hay based diets are feed space and presentation of forage i.e. should be chopped.

Another aspect also to consider relating to Table 1 is prices of different forages may vary in your area, so remember to adjust the costs as this will impact on the total feed costs per day. The diets are based on heifers weighing 300-400kg and as with all proposed diets it is essential to monitor heifer performance.

Dry cow feeding

During the dry period cows have a reduced energy requirement, therefore a bulky palatable forage may suffice. One group of cows to consider for silage saving options is dry cows in the far off period i.e. first four/five weeks dry. Cows in the far off period require 100MJ of energy per day with 11-12% crude protein. For example, if feeding average quality silage of 10MJ this would equate to feeding 10kg of silage dry matter or 42kg fresh weight (based on silage dry matter of 24%). A partial straw diet containing 4-5kg of chopped straw could be included as a means to saving silage. Feeding straw will benefit cows in terms of rumen fill, along with reducing the risk of milk fever compared to grass silage only. If dry cows run as one group this will require careful management in terms of monitoring intakes and ensuring adequate feed space.

Ultimately whichever diet you select, it is important to consider a number of factors in relation to dry cows:

• Cow body condition score (BCS), particularly if drying cows off with low BCS
• Crude protein level in the overall diet
• Supply of adequate vitamins and minerals

If mistakes are made during this period it may have a detrimental impact on performance during the next lactation.

Management decisions to consider in relation to winter feeding:

• Batch livestock and target best quality silage to most productive animals
• Can changes be made to youngstock/far off dry cows diets
• Examine the possibility of sourcing additional forage
• Consider straw/hay in diets to replace silage (please note straw quality may be an issue along with cost; diet should contain a minimum of 25% long fibre)
• Cull unproductive stock
• Consider bed and breakfast youngstock
• Plan for early turnout of stock in spring 2018

Consult your nutritionist when considering silage saving diets