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Feeding Dairy Cows Program Coming To Maffra

Having a clear understanding of effective feed management is generally the top priority for most dairy farmers and to help farmers develop this skill, the Department of Primary Industries (DPI)

By Department of Primary Industries - 25th February 2009 - Back to News

will be running a Target 10 Feeding Dairy Cows program in Maffra, during March and April.

This program is designed to help farmers build their skills towards maximising pasture consumption on farm while addressing feed gaps as efficiently and effectively as possible.

The program begins with a theory component and a range of topics is covered including:

• nutrition language;
• ruminant digestion;
• the feed requirements of a cow;
• nutrients supplied by different feeds;
• nutrient intake from pastures;
• the effect of supplements on pasture intake;
• the effect of diet on production and body condition;
• formulating a cow’s diet; and
• costing out feeds.

Terminology such as metabolisable energy (ME), crude protein (CP%), neutral detergent fibre (NDF%) and dry matter (DM) are all explained.

The program will enable farmers to identify the nutrient requirements of their cows throughout the lactation and to match these requirements with nutrients supplied by different feeds.

The program also covers nutrient intake from grazed pastures, how pasture quality varies over the year and how supplements can be used to meet shortfalls.

Understanding ruminant digestion is an important part of the program. The processes that take place in each part of the digestive system of the cow are discussed. A better understanding of the system assists feed decision making and the achievement of production targets.

The program will help farmers identify the least-cost feed to supply the limiting nutrient. In Gippsland pasture based systems, energy is normally the first limiting nutrient.

Therefore, in most cases supplements should be compared on the basis of cents per megajoule of metabolisable energy (MJ / ME). You will learn how to formulate the best value for money feeding strategies.

The second stage of the program consists of a series of on-farm days. The group will visit a participant’s farm and explore a nutrition related topic that the group wants to learn more about.

Topics may include:

• feeding dairy replacements,
• the effect of nutrition on fertility,
• metabolic diseases,
• vitamin and mineral requirements,
• substitution and summer fodder crops.

The skills of feed budgeting and ration formulation are further developed at the on-farm days.

A major feature of the program is a personalised farm visit from a dairy extension officer to discuss your own feeding plans, or to address other nutritionally related issues.

The Target 10 Feeding Dairy Cows Program will be run at DPI Maffra on Wednesdays, March 18 and 25; and April 1 and 8, from 10:00 am until 2:45 pm.

For more information or to enrol in one of these programs, please contact Ashleigh Michael on 5662 9901 or 0428 307 250; or Bree Walshe or Jason McAinch on 5147 0800.

Source: http://gippsland.com/

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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