Buffer feeding Dairy cows

[Mf310]

No sign of rain for the next week.. wont be much grass left anywhere when it does come .. need to be planning now so that theres still a small bit of grass in diet. Atm we are zerograzing up 12kg of grass a day along with 3kg of a 16% nut but running out of grass on the outfarm to zerograze so will be into the 100 quality bales. Want to use these scarcely due to not having enough silage as it is.. Now looking at options some are going towards PKE and soya hulls. Never used PKE and would be unsure it could keep yields up .. beet pulp/soya would be looking like a better option .... just wondering how ye are all managing the situation with what feed and what effect it is having on the results ..

 

[Ozzy Scott]

Please dont feed PKE, is crap from a feeding POV, environmentally and morally. I see all these products being pushed by our main farming paper, meanwhile or native growers go out of business supplying a times better quality product at a similar price. How about looking for a straight 3 way native mix which will cost you maybe €30 a ton more than soya hulls but will get maybe 1.5 times the energy into the cow.

get a sample of PKE and I bet you will never fed it.

 

[Blackwater boy]

The first thing I would do is up the parlour feed to 6kgs anyway. If you need to feed a replacement on top of that again then pulps or hulls maybe, PKE is pure rubbish and I hate it. Keep the protein low and energy high. A mix like 25 maize, 25 barley, 25 hulls and 25 citrus or beet pulp would be good.
The place I work is selling a 3 way mix of maize, hulls and PK. Barley would feature but unfortunately it is seriously scarce and expensive until new crop comes in.
Selling a lot of PK these days to the very grass based guys but in the main lads are opting for better quality mixes such as my suggestion above or using beef finishing rations which would include yeast and bicarbonate to help digestion at high levels

 

[bruceythom]

The first thing I would do is up the parlour feed to 6kgs anyway. If you need to feed a replacement on top of that again then pulps or hulls maybe, PKE is pure rubbish and I hate it. Keep the protein low and energy high. A mix like 25 maize, 25 barley, 25 hulls and 25 citrus or beet pulp would be good.
The place I work is selling a 3 way mix of maize, hulls and PK. Barley would feature but unfortunately it is seriously scarce and expensive until new crop comes in.
Selling a lot of PK these days to the very grass based guys but in the main lads are opting for better quality mixes such as my suggestion above or using beef finishing rations which would include yeast and bicarbonate to help digestion at high levels

Given the grass quality ATM and the amount of it in the diet, should we be looking at a bit more protein? Urea levels should tell the tale.

 

[Blackwater boy]

Given the grass quality ATM and the amount of it in the diet, should we be looking at a bit more protein? Urea levels should tell the tale.

Possibly yes, I don’t actually have a clue what way grass proteins are lately but the cows overall demand for protein in mid lactation would be less, but I saying that adequate protein is required to keep the whole system working away

 

[marco]

Id be looking at putting oats in as Well, a seriously underrated cereal

 

[Blackwater boy]

Id be looking at putting oats in as Well, a seriously underrated cereal

Agree but Seriously scarce tho and could be very expensive this harvest is the only issue.

 

[Seedsower]

Pke can be fed ad lib without animals gorging themselves is the main advantage when bulk is required afaik

 

[Treemover]

What is PKE?

 

[gone]

Oats is not dear from a sellers point of view, if I could get barley price or near it I'd be delighted.

 

[jpt]

What is PKE?

Palm kernel extract

 

[Mf240]

What is PKE?

Palm kernel expeeler

 

[gone]

What is PKE?

A cosmetics byproduct.

 

[Blackwater boy]

Oats is not dear from a sellers point of view, if I could get barley price or near it I'd be delighted.

Would flahavans be worth a call this harvest? Spring oat acreage is down by 80% down here where their oats is usually grown

 

[gone]

Palm kernel extract and cows will only be ever able to eat about 3kg of that crap

Corrected that for you,

 

[Charolais0153]

Id be looking at putting oats in as Well, a seriously underrated cereal

Ya keeps a ruminants stomach working...think there's a special type pf enzyme in it? Cant sicken an animal with it

 

[gone]

Would flahavans be worth a call this harvest? Spring oat acreage is down by 80% down here where their oats is usually grown

Not sure, our main buyer is supplying the US market, which is very depressed at the moment.

 

[Mf310]

The first thing I would do is up the parlour feed to 6kgs anyway. If you need to feed a replacement on top of that again then pulps or hulls maybe, PKE is pure rubbish and I hate it. Keep the protein low and energy high. A mix like 25 maize, 25 barley, 25 hulls and 25 citrus or beet pulp would be good.
The place I work is selling a 3 way mix of maize, hulls and PK. Barley would feature but unfortunately it is seriously scarce and expensive until new crop comes in.
Selling a lot of PK these days to the very grass based guys but in the main lads are opting for better quality mixes such as my suggestion above or using beef finishing rations which would include yeast and bicarbonate to help digestion at high levels

For that mix what is the maximum I could feed at would 5kg be too much?

 

[marco]

Palm kernel excrement

 

[Blackwater boy]

For that mix what is the maximum I could feed at would 5kg be too much?

8/9 kgs max between parlour and buffer but you need a good fibre source with it. Real good leafy bales and short grazed grass and you could run into trouble