Driving feed efficiency is crucial in all production systems and attention to detail is required to optimise feed intake, reduce costs and improve returns. www. farmingmonthly. co. uk February 2017 | Farming Monthly | 41
| Nutrition
PIGS
Factors such as ensuring correct feeder type, sufficient space, feeder capacity, particle size, form, quality and targeted feeding regimes are all important at improving feed utilisation. But recent work is now focusing on water quality, hygiene and availability. It is a well-established fact that water intake can have an impact on feed intake, daily gain, feed conversion, milk production and weaning weights. But what impact does quality, hygiene and availability have on feed efficiency? AHDB Pork and RAFT solutions has carried out an initial investigation across 15 farms looking at these aspects. As a result, AHDB Pork will be producing guidance for water quality standards for pigs as well as outlining how to take a water sample, maintain and clean waterlines. It will also highlight considerations when using water as a delivery vehicle for medication. This will be very relevant as the industry works towards reducing antibiotic usage by targeting individual pens more effectively.
SHEEP
Good nutrition is fundamental to ewe performance through all stages of the production cycle, with nutrient requirements changing through the year. It is important to consider the longer-term impacts of nutrition from the foetal stage to first mating and the longer-term effects of ewe body condition score( BCS) within and between production cycles. Grazed pasture should provide most of the nutritional requirements for sheep. The last six weeks of pregnancy is one of the key times as metabolisable energy and protein requirements increase significantly. For example, for a 70kg ewe carrying twins there is a 60 % increase in ME requirement between seven and one week pre-lambing. Nutrient demands to support milk production increase rapidly after lambing. For example an 80kg ewe rearing twins will increase her daily energy and protein requirements by 60 % and 44 % respectively. The focus during late pregnancy and lactation is to maximise the amount of high quality grazed or conserved forages available to reduce the amount of concentrates required. For more, visit http:// beefandlamb. ahdb. org. uk / returns / or search“ Better Returns”
BEEF
Feeding management of growing and finishing beef cattle can be divided into the three phases of rearing, growing and finishing. Each phase requires a different ration specification, according to cattle type and target growth rates. Proper nutrition is essential to optimise health and performance, and in so doing improve returns to producers. The length of each phase of the production cycle varies with breed, frame size and target market. Native breeds or small framed cattle, usually require a longer growing period based on forages, but shorter finishing period than larger continental cattle. The latter are most efficient on rations containing high quality feeds and forage that facilitate fast growth rates. Bulls are better suited to systems based on energy dense diets, which exploit their potential for fast, lean growth. These systems can effectively miss out the growing phase and the animal is transferred directly from its rearing to its finishing phase. Having an understanding of the type of cattle to be fed and the target market, will enable producers to plan rations for the various stages of the production system. Having an understanding of the type of cattle to be fed and the target market, will enable producers to plan targets for the various stages of the production system.
DAIRY
AHDB Dairy’ s Calf to Calving initiative highlights that getting the milk feeding management of your calves right is crucial for optimising growth and lactation performance when they enter the milking herd. And achieving first calving by 24 months of age can significantly reduce your rearing costs. Colostrum and early nutrition during the first 60 days of a replacement heifer’ s life strongly influences her future health and performance. Feeding plenty of clean, antibody rich colostrum, with low bacterial contamination, as soon as possible after birth gives a calf the chance to absorb antibodies directly into her blood, before she develops her own antibodies. We recommended feeding 3 litres of colostrum within two hours, followed by a further 3 litres within 12 hours. Making a particular effort to produce, harvest and correctly handle top quality colostrum will be repaid in healthier, more productive animals. Colostrum quality can be tested very cheaply with a Brix refractometer. Visit https:// dairy. ahdb. org. uk / technicalinformation / calf-to-calving or search“ Calf to calving” for more.
Nutrition for better returns
Driving feed efficiency is crucial in all production systems and attention to detail is required to optimise feed intake, reduce costs and improve returns. www. farmingmonthly. co. uk February 2017 | Farming Monthly | 41