Feeding

Less rest feed, a more balanced meal for your cows, or less labour hours... there could be several reasons why you want to implement or optimize your feeding strategy. And yet, you might feel overwhelmed about where to start. Changing your feeding strategy can be a significant step, especially when you want to start feeding according to a totally new strategy. No matter your story, we are happy to get you started and share some tips.

Maize is the most common feed for dairy cows. As well as containing vital nutrients, the starch in maize also provides cows with the energy they need to produce milk and/or meat. When harvesting maize for whole crop silage it is essential to conserve 100% as this is your base for the coming year. This article looks at a few points that you should bear in mind.

Water plays a key role in milk production, control of body temperature and many other body functions in dairy cattle. While feed and ration management are generally monitored in detail, water intake, availability and quality are often overlooked. Cows consume around 4-4.5 litres of water per kg of milk produced and drinking water can satisfy 80-90% of a dairy cow’s total water needs. Generally, cows only drink in short bouts (7-12 times a day) during which they consume a total of between 10 to 20 litres of water. Cows prefer to drink after milking and during feeding. This behaviour is clearly seen in herds, where cows will go to drink after visiting the robot.