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Ag News

By Department of Primary Industries - 29th November 2006 - Back to News

ARE YOUR COWS GETTING ENOUGH?

Feeding dairy cows is a balancing act. Dairy cows require a balanced mix of energy, protein, fibre and minerals in their diet and this can be achieved by offering a smorgasbord of different feeds. However, production will be limited if the diet is deficient in any individual nutrient.

Any feed is basically a package of nutrients, containing energy, protein, fibre, minerals and water, and different feeds provide different proportions of these nutrients. No single feed provides all the dietary needs of the dairy cow, so the diet must be made up of a combination of different feeds.

When water and pasture are in short supply you still need to meet the cows’ changing requirements for energy, protein and fibre over the season, if you are to meet your milk production and profit targets. The difference is that more of the cows’ diet will be made of feeds that we know less about and unless we are in control, feeding the herd can soon turn into a juggling act.

Some feeding rules to keep in mind

• Provide a balance of energy, protein, fibre and minerals. Seek advice if unsure of how to balance the diet.
• If you are planning to ‘buy in’ a large proportion of your herd’s diet this year, remember the 50:50 rule.

1. 50% of the diet should be sourced from pasture, hay and/or silage.
2. 50% can come from high-energy sources such as grain, concentrates, by-products or summer fodder crops.

• Gradual changes in the diet are best. The rumen needs time to adjust to any change in diet. To maintain efficient digestion and rumen health make gradual changes over several days.
• In mild weather (15-20°C), a lactating dairy cow needs 30-40 litres of water per day for maintenance, plus an extra 4-5 litres for each litre of milk produced. Water should be clean, cool and easily available.
• Know the quality of the feeds you intend to use. Where ever possible, obtain a feed analysis.

If the diet is balanced and adequate you will see:

• Bright, alert, healthy cows. Metabolic disorders such as acidosis should be at a minimum.
• Cow condition is on target. No more than 1 condition score (1-8 scale) should be lost between calving and joining and this must be regained during the remainder of the lactation so that the cows are dried off at condition score 4.5 – 5.5.
• 50% of the cows are chewing their cud when at rest. If at least half of the cows at rest are chewing their cud it is likely that the diet is providing adequate levels of fibre.
• Manure is porridge-like consistency. Another indicator of rumen health. Manure that is very loose or very solid indicates a dietary imbalance.

If one or more of these indicators changes suddenly it is likely that the cows are either not getting enough feed or their diet is not well balanced.

Assistance

Diet formulation is something that you need to do to ensure that your cows are adequately fed with a balanced diet across the changing seasons and differing feed availability.

If you would like to work through your feeding strategies for this season, please contact your local Dairy Extension Officer at the Department of Primary Industries at Ellinbank on 5624 2222, Leongatha on 5662 9900 or Maffra on 5147 0800.

VICTORIAN RECREATIONAL FISHING GUIDE

Holiday time is approaching, a time when anyone with an interest in fishing might be heading off to their favourite spot to try their luck.

The recently released 2006‑07 edition of the 'Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide' informs recreational anglers about the regulations that currently apply and about recent changes, as well as other useful information.

More than 300,000 Guides have been published and are currently available at DPI regional offices, selected tourism outlets and over 900 recreational fishing licence outlets across the State.

The new guide also provided the recreational fishing community with important information about closed seasons, bag/possession limits and minimum size limits.

New information includes changes to the trout closed season, a list of waters included in the

Family Fishing Lakes stocking program and abalone bag limits.

This year's guide also includes more information about access arrangements within Aquaculture Fisheries Reserves, including diagrams and a map of where they can be found in Port Phillip Bay and Western Port.

The 2006‑07 edition of the Victorian Recreational Fishing Guide can be viewed online at DPI's website on www.dpi.vic.gov.au/fishing.

Free hard copies are available from most tackle fishing shops or by ringing the Customer Service Centre on 136 186.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com