An alternative solution to rising feed costs
In the wake of soaring animal feed prices and a shortage of silage brought on by dry weather, British farmers are facing a tough winter ahead as they struggle to meet costs.
Increasing feed efficiency is now paramount to many farmers as their overheads look set to rise again.
There are measures however that farmers can take to improve feed efficiency whilst maximising output, according to Alltechs Technical Sales Manager Bob Kendal.
A good animal health programme can contribute to profits by maintaining a high level of animal performance, explained Bob. Simple measures such as ensuring cattle are housed comfortably to avoid stress and providing clean drinking water at all times are obvious steps that every farmer should take.
To really optimise production however, one solution farmers can take is to introduce a supplement to enrich the performance of the feed such as Yea-Sacc, a live yeast culture produced by Alltech.
Yea-Sacc is an excellent product to maximise feed efficiency, and with feed costs spiralling higher each day now is an excellent time to introduce it into your daily regime. It works by stabilising the pH and increasing the number and activity of bacteria in the rumen.
Its been proven to work as well: Alltech conducted a number of university studies across Europe which resulted in some impressive numbers.
In a study in Estonia, dairy feed conversion efficiency increased by 6% with 1.65kg of milk per kg of dry matter when Yea-Sacc was introduced compared with just 1.5 litres of milk per kg of dry matter intake (DMI).
In university trials in Ireland based on beef farming, there was an 8% increase in efficiency with just 6.5kg of feed needed to produce a kg of weight gain when supplemented with Yea-Sacc, compared with 8.5kg of feed without.
According to Bob, improving silage quality is also essential for optimum efficiency, and with this years cut being particularly poor for many farmers, mycotoxins could prove to be a problem.
Mycotoxins can have a big impact on feed efficiency and could be present in the dry first cut silage and whole crop or the second cut grass grown in variable conditions, he said.
If mycotoxins are suspected we recommend a binder which can deal adequately with both Fusarium and Penicilium-borne mycotoxins, such as Mycosorb, added Bob.
The anti-biotic effect of Penicilum-borne mycotoxins has a negative impact on the good bacteria within the rumen, making it work less efficiently. Therefore it is essential to eradicate them.
Yea-Sacc can also help rumen microbe populations adapt to the change from summer to winter.
For more information on Yea-Sacc and Mycosorb please visit www.alltech.com
Alltech is one of the leading animal health and nutrition companies in the world. It is committed to providing natural solutions to meet the needs of the animal production industry worldwide and also to ensuring that it adheres to the pioneering ACE Principle deliver performance for the Animal, beneficial for the Consumer and natural and safe for the Environment. For more information please contact Alltech on freephone 0800 1078066.
Alltechs Bioplex range of organic trace minerals provide trace mineral nutrition in a form as close to nature as possible. Supported by more than 18 years of research, Bioplex Trace Minerals are better able to meet the higher nutrient needs of modern livestock for rapid growth, maximum reproductive efficiency and animal health. Alltech is currently the worlds largest producer of organic trace minerals for livestock, with three state-of-the-art production facilities around the world. Q+ (Quality Plus), the mineral quality control programme unique to Bioplex Trace Minerals, sets the industry standard, enabling Alltech to offer a global quality guarantee to customers using Bioplex Trace Minerals in over 85 countries around the world.