Balancing the Winter Ration

To ensure a successful outcome to cow wintering, consideration needs to be made around cow requirements for energy, protein and minerals (Ca, P and Na). Knowing the content of the diet, the proportions to be fed and the likely utilisation will enable you to fine tune where required. A dry cow needs a minimum of 10-11% crude protein and this increases to 16% as she nears calving.

Last year our practice did a large amount of feed testing on Fodder Beet crops. The range and variation in protein and macromineral content was enormous. A very low crude protein/calcium FB crop coupled with a low protein/calcium cereal/maize silage will not adequately support a pregnant cow or set her up for the following lactation (and reproductive season).

A large part of the protein and calcium in a fodder beet plant is held in the leaf. Although the leaf yield in most crops is looking good right now, as they exhaust soil of nitrogen and potassium reserves this may lead to leave senescence (die back of exterior leaves to pull reserves into the bulb). Consider the late applications of around 50 units of N and K/hectare to maintain the green leaf mass.

Look to get your winter diet tested now to provide time to make tweaks with supplement matches if these are required. Contact your Prime Vet about collection, testing and diet balancing.