Ruminants

Optimum feed quality ensures good nutrition for cows

How can you maintain feed quality by preventing storage and feed losses? Whether it is roughage, raw materials, liquid feed or by-products, Nutripreserve safeguards feed quality for a longer period. This leads to less feed losses, better technical results and a healthier herd.

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Challenge

Heating in feed for cow

Heat is the rapid increase in the ration temperature (of at least 8 degrees), due to the growth of microbes in the feed. This occurs when undesirable micro-organisms develop under the influence of oxygen. This leads to an increase in pH in the silage and therefore the micro-organisms are no longer inhibited, which causes more spoilage. The main reason for heating is the conversion of sugar into carbon dioxide and water.

How to recognise it

How to recognise heating in the feed ration

Heating is recognisable in the morning by steaming feed in front of the feed fence. These are the micro-organisms that produce heat which reduces the feed value. Heating can also be easily measured with a thermometer. There are often hot spots in the silage that are mixed with the other feed in the feed mixer. In warm periods, you can see that the cows’ feed intake decreases. This can also be a sign of heating.

Cause & effect

Poor preservation of the feed leads to heating, which is detrimental to the feed value and milk production.

Heating can be caused by poor storage of the feed, but also by feeding the silage too early, which makes it still unstable. A dry matter percentage that is too high can also cause heating, as can poor preservation.

 

The consequences of overheating are a lower feed intake due to reduced taste of the ration. We also see a loss of nutritional value, which means that extra feed has to be purchased. The costs quickly add up to more than €250 per cow per year. This does not include the costs for missed milk and reduced resistance.

Solution

Cold, fresh and tasty feed with Nutripreserve heating inhibitors

Organic acids in Nutripreserve inhibit the development of micro-organisms in the feed. This prevents the premature fermentation of nutrients, ensuring that the feed retains its nutritional value. In addition, the ration remains tasty and fresh by preventing overheating. As a result, the cows take in more feed. This results in a healthier herd and stimulates milk production.

Excellent results from research with HAS Den Bosch - University of applied sciences

Research into the economic benefits shows that the structural use of Nutripreserve, even in winter, yields almost 1 litre of milk per cow per day extra.
Product solutions for your challenges

The solution for less heating in cow feed

At Kanters you will find products to improve the health of your animals for every animal species and housing environment. Click below for more information on the products and download our research reports for more background information on their use and effect.