Farmers get sophisticated on nutrition

Farmers are embracing science and moving away from cheaper feed options that don’t necessarily provide the best return on investment, according to Chris Stephens, Team Lead – Nutrition at Farmlands

One of the biggest trends in the nutrition space is the increasing complexity of what farmers are feeding their livestock, as they adopt a more scientific approach aimed at optimising nutrients and preventing deficiencies.

“It's no longer what I would class as a basic blend anymore" says Chris, “the blends are getting more and more complex all the time. We're getting more additives added into it, because they can see the animal health benefits, whether that be a rumen modifier or a mycotoxin binder, it's just different.

“You can even look at the simple things like magnesium and calcium, which a lot of farmers used to supplement through the water, but that can be quite expensive if their water system's not working well, or you have any other mitigating factors. Whereas when it's in the feed, it's a guaranteed intake that day, and an accurate intake.”

Tailored solutions

Despite difficult economic conditions and high input costs, farmers are starting to look beyond a simple cost per kilogram equation, Chris says. “Years ago, the average blend used to have maybe 40 percent palm kernel. Now, we're getting down to between 25-30 percent, and even as low as 20 percent.”

As for what else is being used in the blends, he says a lot depends on the farm, and that's where the solution gets tailored with Farmlands’ team of nutrition specialists. “It might be starches in springtime if they don't have hay silage, or it might be soya hulls if they don't have a fibre source like silage available.

“There's all sorts of different avenues and discussions had around nutrition. The nutrition specialists have a diet calculator tool; it's not a case of sitting down and guesstimating. There are pasture samples, which we can use to work out an appropriate diet, because everything's got a spec.”

Milking for longer

Chris says the big trend in the nutrition space over the next few months is likely to be dairy farmers extending their milking season, if drought conditions continue. “If it dries out, there may be shareholders who will milk the cows longer into May and June if they've got the feed available. Quite often when you have a drought, you can have really good feed autumns, so it's a good opportunity for them to milk animals through into June, to try and just maximise days in milk, but that will be regionally-dependent on how nasty the drought gets.

“It's easier to put condition on a milking cow than it is a dry cow; they're just more efficient at converting that feed. Sometimes it’s better to keep the animal in milk instead of drying them off and getting no income and still having to feed them. At least by milking, you're still bringing in a form of income with the milk production.”