Happy Herd

Good nutrition has long been accepted as the foundation of a healthy and happy herd of cattle, be they for beef or dairy production. We already know a forage based diet works well, and the addition of concentrates adds that extra punch for consistent DLWG, but what else can we do to maximise our outputs from minimal inputs? This is the question being asked the world over as population expands and land mass available for production becomes smaller.

Innovation is key, but it is often the smallest ideas which have the greatest impact.

Research has observed that yeast is particularly beneficial in ruminant diets, where yields are the key to profit success. As the gut of ruminants is more complicated than those of monogastric species, they are well equipped to survive on a high forage diet, with added concentrates for improved yields.

Studies suggest that supplementing the diet with yeast as part of the TMR gave rise to a 1.2kg/day increase in milk yield, which could be equivalent to an average extra 366kg of milk per lactation, per cow and it has also been shown that it can shorten meal intervals, meaning cattle eat on average 1.2 meals more per day.

It stands to reason then, that supplementing existing diets with yeasts contributes to improvement in carcass characteristics, as well as increasing feed intake. By improving the feed intake and working to maximise on the nutritional potential of the diet yeasts can prove a highly cost effective way of improving DLWG without significantly increasing the cost of feeding your herd.

Another area where yeasts have been shown to have benefits is with Sub-Acute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA). As a sub-acute condition it can impact significantly on yields whilst never really manifesting as an issue in itself. The major sign of reduced or irregular feed intake simply exhibits as reduced DLWG and a fall in milk yields for the dairy farmer. As the cost of feeding your cattle is already significant, even on a relatively self-sufficient system, to be investing in the feed and then not be reaping the anticipated returns can be hugely frustrating.

Yeast has been shown to raise the pH of the rumen, with changes evident after just one week of supplementation, which not only reduces the risk of SARA but also increases potential for fibre digestion in your herd.

In summary, feeding just 50g per day of yeast, can prove a highly cost effective way on optimising your outputs for maximal gain.