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