Dr. David Lawrence
Head of Nutrition, Agritech

During winter housing, the feed passage is one of the best places to spot problems early. Are cattle eating as much as expected? Are they sorting the mix? Are they chewing the cud when they settle? Changes in dung consistency can add to the picture, especially when they coincide with changes in feeding behaviour or intake.

Housing often brings a change in forage and, on some farms, an increase in concentrates. When cattle eat a large meal of rapidly fermentable feed, rumen microbes can produce acids faster than the rumen can clear them. If this happens repeatedly, rumen pH can stay low for longer and fibre digestion can suffer. Loose dung and variable intakes are signs worth investigating.

Make ration changes gradually, provide enough effective fibre to encourage chewing and make sure quieter animals can get to the feed. Look at what’s left in the trough. If the refusals are mostly long fibre, cattle are likely eating a more concentrate-rich mix than the one you formulated.

Rumen buffers such as Rumicare can be considered when the ration contains a high proportion of rapidly fermentable feed. That might be a milking group on higher concentrate levels or finishing cattle moving onto a cereal-rich diet. Risk factors that are aided by a rumen buffer include sorting, high dietary starch, dietary changes, highly digestible forages and slug feeding of concentrates or beet.

For dry cows, the focus shifts towards preparing for calving. Start with a forage mineral analysis, particularly if silages come from different cuts or fields. High potassium can interfere with magnesium absorption, and magnesium helps the cow regulate blood calcium as demand rises at calving. Analyse sodium, potassium, chloride and sulphur to calculate the ration’s dietary cation–anion difference (DCAD). This figure helps guide whether anionic salts, such as magnesium chloride, have a place in the close-up ration.

Choose a quality dry cow mineral such as Welmin Dry Cow Elite and feed it for a minimum of six to eight weeks. Check that the rate is right for the group throughout that period. Weigh what goes into the mix and cross-check the bags used against cow numbers and days fed. This gives you a practical check on the average rate.

When you open a new pit or change the concentrate rate this winter, take another walk along the feed passage. What the cattle eat, what they leave behind and how their dung changes can tell you whether the ration is working in practice.

For further advice, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.

Dr. David Lawrence
Head of Nutrition, Agritech

Giving calves the best possible start requires good colostrum management, careful hygiene and a consistent supply of nutritious milk. Whole milk can support excellent calf performance, but a well-formulated milk replacer, fed in sufficient quantities, can achieve comparable growth while offering additional practical advantages.

Milk replacers offer farmers greater control and consistency of feeding, reduced exposure to pathogens, and a formulated supply of vitamins, minerals and selected nutritional additives. They also free up saleable milk for the bulk tank. The additional milk revenue offsets cost of purchasing powder, with the differential determining the net cash-flow impact. 

The key is choosing the right product based on ingredient quality, rather than judging it on crude protein or fat percentage alone.

Look beyond the protein percentage

For young calves, both the source and condition of dietary protein matter. Skim milk powder supplies casein alongside whey proteins, while whey ingredients provide valuable, highly digestible dairy protein. The target is as high an inclusion of dairy ingredients as possible, while having a functional product on the farm. 

The quality of the powder ingredients is as important as the milk replacer formulation. Nukamel, the manufacturer behind Vitalac, selects low-heat-treated dairy powders and uses active immunoglobulin G, or IgG, as one of several checks on incoming dairy protein ingredients.

IgG is a heat-sensitive protein, meaning it denatures with excessive heat. Measuring how much remains active provides useful information about processing history and the preservation of sensitive proteins, particularly when comparing similar raw materials. Having strict quality benchmarks such as this, allows for a more consistent and high-quality milk replacer to be manufactured. These raw materials are then combined using Nukamel’s “spray cooling” technology, which further manages the impact of heat on the raw materials. 

What about fats?

Fat supplies concentrated energy to support calf growth and help maintain body temperature, making its quality an important consideration when choosing a milk replacer. Both the source of fat and how it is processed influence how effectively the calf can digest and use it. Vitalac milk replacers contain an oil blend of complementary fat sources, coconut and palm. Coconut oil contributes medium-chain fatty acids, while palm oil supplies predominantly longer-chain fatty acids. Effective emulsification helps disperse the fat evenly throughout the mixed milk. As with protein, the percentage on the bag is only part of the picture: fat quality, processing and the daily quantity fed all contribute to the calf’s energy supply.

Careful selection and quality control of raw materials help preserve the nutritional value of dairy ingredients, supporting a consistent milk replacer designed to meet the young calf’s needs.

Consistency supports practical calf rearing

Milk replacer allows farmers to follow a planned feeding programme, with measured powder quantities and a repeatable concentration. This makes nutrient delivery easier to manage, provided mixing instructions are followed accurately.

Daily powder intake matters as much as the specification. A higher protein percentage will only deliver its intended contribution when enough powder is supplied. Feeding programmes should therefore account for calf size, growth targets and environmental conditions.

For farmers considering Vitalac milk replacer, the proposition is clear: carefully formulated specifications with attention to raw-material quality, and a consistent feeding programme supported by our technical team.

For more information please contact your local Agritech sales advisor or visit www.agritech.ie

Silage Testing and How We Use the Results
Dr. David Lawrence
Head of Nutrition, Agritech

It is that time of year again when silage pits are sampled across the country and analysed to see the potential feed value. The most important step in testing silage is knowing what actions to take based on your analysis.

What do the results mean?

The FAA accredited labs in Ireland testing silage typically measure dry matter (DM), which is the weight left in a sample after all the moisture has been removed (typically 24-32%), crude protein and PDI, which are measures of the protein in the sample. Digestibility of the DM (DMD%) is the proportion of the silage DM that is available for the cow to digest. Energy is recorded as ME (metabolizable energy) or UFL/UFV (net energy). Some samples may indicate the intake potential of the silage. There are also NDF, which is fibre and Ash, which is the inorganic material (mineral component and sometimes soil contamination).

Understanding all this information can be simplified by putting silage into three categories. Suitable for dry cows (66-71% DMD), Suitable for productive cows (72% DMD and beyond) and silage that will need considerable supplementation regardless of stock type (<65% DMD).

Dry cows need to be monitored for body condition gain beyond 68% DMD. Straw is increasingly helpful here the higher the DMD of the silage. Milking cows need to be on the best quality available (>74% DMD). A 74% DMD silage will require 4-4.5 kg of concentrate to produce a mere 18 litres of milk. This increases approximately 1 kg of concentrate for each additional 2 litres, or 1 kg of concentrate for every 4 DMD points. A milking cow will require 6kg of concentrate plus silage to achieve 18 litres on 66% DMD silage. This will have a similar response on growing stock who will require 2 kg of concentrate on poor silage vs. 0.5kg on very good silage. Dry cows on <66% DMD silage will require additional concentrate energy to maintain or gain body condition.

Silage made in late September/early October will have a higher protein and nitrogen content than normal, and lower dry matter content. This highly digestible forage is a welcome addition to tight fodder budgets; however, the utilisation of this silage needs careful consideration. It is likely to cause loose dung in growing cattle and is also too rich in protein and energy for dry cows. It is suitable for milking cows; however, it needs to be diluted with drier, lower protein forage to balance. The best approach for utilising these sodden bales is to feed them at a low rate for the winter, trickling through your stock until they are used up. They are not suitable for carrying forward but will make a welcome addition to forage stock. For further advice, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor or visit www.agritech.ie

October is a Month of Preparation

Dr. David Lawrence
Head of Nutrition, Agritech

The foundation for 2027 spring grass supply is laid during the autumn closing period. Beginning your closing round early will offer an opportunity to re-enter some of the earlier-closed pastures if we happen to have above-normal growth during October and November. The final round is less about dates and duration and more about carrying the correct cover through the autumn, not too much or too little. 750 Kg DM/ha of grass is a good farm cover to aim for on the 1st December.

This should lead to an opening cover of 1,000 kg DM/ha or more by the end of January. Delaying the closing date past the 15th of November has a negative effect on spring grass supply. However, autumn growth has been exceptional in recent years, so setting a target closing cover rather than a closing date seems to work well in most scenarios.

Preparing for Dry-Off

Invest time in understanding your dry-off approach now; by reviewing milk recording data, and performing a culture and sensitivity test on your higher cell count cows. This will help identify the root cause of cell count issues, along with shedding light on the most effective dry cow therapy required to tackle the problem for next year.

Body Condition and Calving Success

Body condition is a cornerstone of calving success. You should look at your herd critically now for body condition. Ideally, 90% of cows should be between a BCS of 3 and 3.25 and that condition should be maintained through drying off. There is huge variation in cow BCS this year. Targeting thin cows with additional feed early, while they are still milking, is an easier approach than managing multiple groups of cows during the dry period.

Dry Cow Nutrition

Dry cow nutrition is centred on good silage analysis, so getting silage pits sampled early offers flexibility when it comes to choosing the correct silage for milkers, vs young stock, and dry cows. A mineral sample of the dry cow silage is also very useful for planning ahead and addressing nutritional issues such as high potassium (Kl levels and mineral antagonists.

Choosing the Right Dry Cow Mineral

Dry cow minerals are a big talking point on farms at the moment. Look for a dry cow mineral that contains highly bioavailable sources of trace minerals, a highly soluble source of magnesium and good inclusions of vitamins particularly vitamins A, D and E along with Biotin, such as Welmin Dry Cow Elite.

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Thanks to altogether more pleasant conditions this Spring, farmers have enjoyed a welcome respite from the poor weather they worked through during the previous two years.

With cattle out earlier and, just as importantly, remaining out to graze in healthily growing paddocks, refilling forage reserves has not weighed on farmers’ minds nearly as heavily as it did during the first halves of 2023 and ’24.

Of course, when casting an eye five to six months down the line, refilling pits remains a significant consideration. But the better weather experienced in recent months means that farmers are in a better position to build up a reserve of high-quality silage with those (literally) cold and rainy days in mind.

As Teagasc has noted, grass digestibility decreases by 2 to 3% units per week from mid-May onwards. This is due to the increasing levels of stem in grass as the crop matures in addition to the accelerated decline in stem digestibility.

High quality silage permits flexibility in feed plans for both milkers and dry stock/dry cows. Earlier cutting, which recent conditions have facilitated, also permit quicker and earlier regrowths for subsequent cuts, which in turn leads to increased annual yield per hectare. The mean DMD of Irish silages comes in at approximately 69% DMD – which is well below the requirements of a lactating dairy cow.

At one point, every farm will have 80% DMD grass available to them in the field; however the decision is typically made too late regarding cutting date. Once seed heads appear by late May, DMD will be, at most, approximately 70% at, before declining by 1% DMD every two to three days after that. Each 1% increase achieved equates to a +0.33kg daily milk yield increase.

Farmers should also be aiming for a dry matter content of approximately 25%. Where wilting continues for long periods, grass quality will deteriorate, leading to significant energy losses. In ideal conditions, this will be achieved in a 24-hour wilt.

The use of a silage additive has long been proven to improve fermentation and lend to less waste/losses. Agritech’s GrasZyme Sugarboost is proven to: Increase ADG by 110g/head/day in beef situations and in dairy scenarios; Increase Dry Matter intakes by 0.4 kg/head/day, resulting in milk protein percentage increases of 0.09%. Fermentation losses are also reduced by an average of 6.1% where an additive is used (equating to 30t additional feed, in a 500t pit).

For further advice, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor.

The importance of colostrum management protocol cannot be over-emphasised, as many scour-related issues on farm directly correlate to insufficient passive transfer.

Feeding colostrum on farm

The ‘3-2-1 Rule’ is worth recalling at this time of year:

1. Offer milk from the dam’s first milking.
2. Within the first two hours of birth.
3. Offer at least three litres (10% of birthweight).

Typically, there’s sizeable variation in colostrum quality within a herd, with Teagasc research showing that approximately 20% of a herd may have poor quality colostrum, i.e., insufficient antibodies for the calf. Many farmers have started to test colostrum quality using a refractometer to ensure calves are receiving a high-quality first feed, with the threshold of a Brix value > 22% being the quality standard.

Pooling colostrum is regularly practised on farm due to labour constraints. However, combining colostrum from several cows increases the risk of disease spread (e.g., Johnes), reduces passive transfer and dilutes high-quality colostrum. Therefore, aim to offer calves a ‘one-dam-to-one’ calf system to avoid such issues occurring.

It is also important to remember that the calf’s first opportunity to get an infection is through its navel or mouth. Therefore teats, the underbelly of the cow and contact with the calving pen bedding can become a source of infection for a new-born calf. Prolonged time spent in the calving areas is frequently a key issue with disease transfer in herds.

Recent survey results from Moorepark of 48 commerical farms highlighted that stomach tubes and bottles with teats had the greatest quantity of bacteria present.

High levels of hygiene are required when collecting, feeding and storing colostrum with research indicating that clean (no dirt contamination) colostrum allows for increased antibody absorption. Bacterial contamination competes with antibodies at gut level, resulting in reduced passive transfer.

Recent survey results from Moorepark of 48 commerical farms highlighted that stomach tubes and bottles with teats had the greatest quantity of bacteria present.

Excess colostrum can be stored in a fridge at 4°C. However, bacteria will still grow so it can only be refrigerated safely for 24-48 hours. It is an all-too-common sight to see buckets of colostrum in the parlour/dairy, where ambient conditions arise, bacterial counts can double every 20 minutes.

For more information and advice, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor here.

As spring looms ever closer, we fast approach the influx of the next generation of calves on farm. Replacement heifers born over the next few weeks will calve down in February 2027, become the herds mature stalwart cows of 2030 and the influence we can have on the beginning of their lives will long be felt regarding longevity, milk production, and overall herd health.

Year on year we will discuss, read and write about 3-2-1 rules and how important colostrum management is. Yet conversations still arise around how best to avoid scour outbreaks in sheds, anti-scour remedies etc., and as we face into another spring a back-to-basics approach should be taken with colostrum.

Get the basics right

Its important to remember that the calf’s first opportunity for infection is via its navel or mouth – and its first contact from both will happen in the calving pen. Cows’ underbelly, teats and calving pen bedding become the first source of possible infection for a new-born calf. Hence the importance of good dry cow cubicle management. Prolonged time spent in calving areas are often a key issue with disease transfer in herds, especially where unhygienic conditions as also a factor. From here, all feed equipment must be disinfected before colostrum is collected and fed. Dirt contamination of colostrum is now known to have a negative effect on passive transfer and therefore cleanliness of the collection process is vital.

Storage is also imperative – it is an all-too-common sight to see open buckets of colostrum in the parlour/dairy – and where ambient conditions arise, bacterial counts can double every 20 minutes. A dam-to-calf systems is obviously the ideal, however during extremely compact calving periods this can sometimes be difficult to obtain. Colostrum quality will vary massively between cows depending on age/parity, volume produced, dry period length, and dry cow nutrition, etc.  If we can avoid pooling and use a 1-cow to 1-calf option. At the very least where pooling occurs colostrum must be Brix tested to avoid dilution happening with poor quality colostrum.

Vaccination of the dam is also a key consideration to help reduce risks around calf health. However, it is worth noting, that passive transfer from a vaccine only occurs from dam-calf via colostrum and transition milk, so all of the above applies to get full coverage from vaccinating the herd.

Research has shown where passive transfer is 100% successful mortality rates of <5% is achievable, in stark contrast where passive transfer rates of 85-90% is achieved, mortality rates can increase to ~ 8%.
Treat colostrum management with the respect and attention it deserves.

Many herds are currently engaged in drying off cows, as the focus shifts towards dry cow management across most farms. It’s also  important to consider nutrition plans when cows calve down this coming Spring, accounting for the following:

• A planned and well executed dry cow mineral programme.
• Calving down the cow in the correct Body Condition Scoring (BCS).
• Excellent animal husbandry in the week pre-and post-calving (no additional stressors).
• Careful transition diet planning.

Given how silage quality in many cases was hampered due to poor growth and weather, do you have sufficient high-quality forage available for when cows calve down come Spring 2025? If not, what’s your back-up plan?

Negative Energy Balance (NEB)

In the week post calving, cows produce more milk than their feed intake can provide for, resulting in Body Condition loss due to Negative Energy Balance (NEB). Typically, a cow reaches peak milk output 6-8 weeks post-calving but will only reach peak dry matter intake 10-12 weeks after calving. Such a cow’s diet must be energy dense enough to ensure body weight loss of less than 0.5 BCS between calving and breeding.

Dry matter intake typically increases by 0.75 – 1.0 kg/week post-calving, underlining the need for an energy-dense transition diet. This can prove difficult to control where silage quality is poor. In such a scenario, farmers must be prepared to fill the gap; otherwise, production will be compromised in the short-term, while in the longer-term, issues including poor fertility could be evident by May. Adequate concentrate supplement, depending on milk output, is paramount, with high energy grazed grass forming an essential diet component.

Monitoring NEB

• Low milk protein %: when energy is restricted in the diet – often caused by poor quality silage, delayed turnout and/or insufficient supplementation levels relative to cow output.
• Body condition loss across the herd (<25% of cows with a >0.5 unit of BCS loss in early lactation).
• A bulk tank milk fat: protein ratio > 1.4 (calculated by dividing the milk fat % by milk protein %); signals poor energy balance in the herd’s diet where compact calving occurs.

For more information, contact your local Agritech Sales Advisor here.

After a fantastic back end to the grazing season, the focus of farmers has increasingly turned towards nutrition levels from winter forage.

Hopefully for many herds, and where silage stocks are tight, the last number of weeks will have alleviated some pressure from the feed budget. However, it is still worth knowing what reserve is available for next spring.

The aim over the winter period will ultimately depend on the animal type, whereby youngstock/dry cows will be stored/maintained over the winter (target Average daily gain of 0.5-0.7 kg/hd/day youngstock). Cashflow animals will also be targeted to achieve optimum performance, be it winter milk herds or finishing cattle.

However, you cannot manage what isn’t measured, and the same applies in terms of what quality silage is available to you in the yard.

The focus of farmers has increasingly turned towards nutrition levels from winter forage.

Silage analysis results will often signal the level of fermentation that occurred which can be used to predict the stability of the pit and therefore dictate feed-out management. However, the importance of completing forage analysis hinges around allowing farmers to make informed decisions regarding feed plans dependant on stock type.

For dry cows, silage analysis will also dictate feed plans:

Replacement heifers

Weanlings/replacement heifers should be offered the national average of 67% DMD well-preserved grass silage, while underweight heifers will typically require 1.5-2kg of concentrates/head/day. This can be reduced by 1 kg/day (0.5-1 kg/head/day) if silage digestibility is 5% higher or where heifers are at or above target weight.

For example, on target heifers (grass silage quality of ~ 70% DMD) require supplementation of 0.5 – 1 kg of concentrates. Early turnout for the lightest heifers in the herd will them help gain lost ground next spring. However, this should not represent the sole contingency plan with under-target replacements.

Separate heifers should be housed and fed in separate groups according to the requirements needed to achieve their target weight at breeding. The target at housing is 40% of mature body weight and 50% in early February when turned out to grass.

For more advice, contact your local Sales Advisor here.