The What…?
Optimising dairy cow diets is becoming more crucial for maximising milk production, improving cow health, and ensuring economic efficiencies on farm. One approach is using protected feeds, specifically, protected proteins and starch. These specialised feeds are designed to withstand degradation in the rumen, delivering essential nutrients directly to the small intestine, where they are more effectively absorbed.
The How…?
NWF’s range of rumen-protected feeds, Ultra Pro-R, Ultra Soy and Ultra Starch-W are formulated to deliver exactly the above. In a typical diet, proteins and starches are degraded by rumen microbes before reaching the small intestine, reducing their nutritional value. Using our unique protection process, NWF’s Protected feeds range safeguards nutrients and results in up to 50% more nutrients being available post-rumen than conventional material, delivering Protein and Energy directly to the animal’s foregut where she has a natural deficit.
The Why…?
The primary benefit of feeding protected feeds is increased milk production, as cows can convert the additional energy and protein into higher milk yield. Additionally, cows fed with protected feeds often show improved body condition and reproductive performance, as they receive a more balanced supply of nutrients. This can lead to a reduction in metabolic diseases, lower veterinary costs, and improved longevity in the herd. Moreover, the use of protected feeds can contribute to more sustainable farming practices. By improving feed efficiency, farmers can reduce overall feed consumption, lower methane emissions, and decrease the environmental footprint of dairy operations where Ultra Pro R is used in place of Hipro Soya.
The Where…?
Charles Ravenscroft of Simmonds Green Farm, Cheshire milks 120 Holstein-cross cows on a mixed system. The high-yielding fresh cows are housed all year & zero grazed fresh grass in the summer while pregnant low-yielding animals are grazed through the summer months. High-quality multi-cut silage is made over six cuts a year, often analysing at over 12ME and 17% CP and fed in conjunction with maize silage. Ultra Pro-R is fed to the high yielders to complement the highly readily available protein supplied by the fresh grass and high-quality grass silage.
“When fed in unison with high protein forages & grass, we are not seeing the depressed milk constituents that usually occurs when a high fresh grass diet is fed“, comments Charles. “Fertility rates on the farm have also remained at an impressive figure of between 32-36% pregnancy rate on a 12-month rolling basis. Working closely with NWF sales specialist, Howard Brown, we were recommended to feed the dry cows NWF’s dry time compound feed, containing Ultra Soy. The protected soya fed inside the Dry Time rolls is supplying our dry cows with the essential nutrients and amino acids. Since feeding protected feeds to our dry cows we have seen colostrum quality significantly increase and days to conception reduce drastically”, adds Charles.
