Focus on nutrition improves milk quality for high yielding herd  Les Allen farms with his two brothers and sister at Wyen Wenn Farm, Hanmer near Whitchurch. Paying close attention to the dairy herd’s genetics has seen average cow yields exceed 10,000 litres per year from twice daily milking, with the highest yielders regularly producing in excess of 12,000 litres .

But not everything has been so successful at Wyen Wenn. For a number of years the compositional quality of the milk was far from ideal, with butterfat levels falling below 3.5%. “We have always been very focussed on breeding good quality cattle, but as the herd’s genetics improved and yields increased, milk quality could not keep pace,” explains Mr Allen.

Milk from the herd of 140 Holsteins was originally sold onto a white water contract, so low butterfats were oflittle consequence. But when the white water contract came to an end, milk was regularly falling below the mandatory compositional quality for collection. “Being obsessed about getting the maximum yield from each cow can lead to all sorts of problems,” Mr Allen concedes, “so we had to find a way of improving milk quality in order to safeguard our milk payments.”

As an emergency measure, 10 Jerseys were introduced to boost butterfat levels, but this had little effect. “That was when we approached Wynnstay for help, and over the past couple of years our butterfat levels have risen significantly.”

“I was impressed by the quality of the cows at Wyen Wenn,” explains Steve Brown, ruminant technical manager for Wynnstay. “They are modern, well-uddered animals but they weren’t being fed to produce butterfat.” Herd nutrition was ratcheted up by introducing a high C-16 fat to specifically target an increase in butterfat production. “This approach boosted butterfat levels to 3.92% almost immediately, but it was an expensive way of tackling the problem. We started to work on a more sustainable approach that was more cost effective and viable in the long-term.”

The main focus of the new regime was to maintain yield, and to get more energy into the cows. “Energy is the main driver behind successful milk production and can also have a significant effect on fertility and longevity. But energy intake must be balanced against the right amount of fibre, protein and minerals to maintain a healthy rumen,” Mr Brown adds.

Maize silage was introduced to the diet two years ago, with 35 acres grown during the first year. “We made a big commitment to grow our own maize and we are now growing 50 acres,” Mr Allen comments. This year’s winter ration consists of a 50:50 mix of grass and maize silage as well as one tonne per day of fodder beet to increase energy intake. 1.5kgs of TMR50 liquid feed/head/day provides the cows with extra protein and sugar, while 1 kg per head of a bespoke Wynnstay blend and 1kg of Milkmaker dairy nuts and minerals complete the diet.

According to Mr Brown “Many farmers perceive fodder beet as a bulk forage, but from a cow’s point of view it acts as a concentrated feed and provides a real energy boost.”

This relatively simple system provides M+25 litres and is fed at just over 100 per cent of the herd’s daily requirement, with any leftovers being fed to the youngstock.

“But it is the introduction of maize that has been the real key to improving milk quality,” Mr Brown adds. “It is more costly to grow than grass, but the benefits far outweigh the extra outlay, with significant improvements in cow health, condition and fertility.”

The heavy ground at Wyen Wenn is less than ideal for growing maize, and last season’s wet conditions certainly didn’t help. “Wynnstay suggested that we should try growing two different varieties to spread our risk,” Mr Allen outlines. Ixxes and Destiny were sown on the advice of Wynnstay’s Dan Bates and have yielded well despite the poor weather. “In a good growing year we expect to see starch levels improve dramatically. This will have an even bigger impact on milk quality and will enable us to qualify for significant milk payment bonuses.”

Milk composition has tended to fall slightly at turnout, but this year Mr Allen intends to feed maize as a buffer all year round. “The cows will be fed at the barrier prior to morning and afternoon milking to maintain a constant supply of energy. This will bring added consistency to the summer diet and should iron out any discrepancies in grass quality,” Mr Brown explains.

Milk quality is now back on track thanks to these simple changes, with butterfat values averaging in excess of 4.2 per cent. Consequently, Mr Allen is able to spend more time concentrating on other areas of interest. “Milk yield has never been an issue due to the herd’s genetics. But with milk quality back on track we are now working on producing a once in a lifetime cow, by independently selecting which bulls to put to which cows and rearing our own followers.”

For further information please contact:

Steve Brown, Ruminant Technical Manager: 07774855026 / 01691 828512

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