Advance+ Silage inoculant – the perfect choice for Northern Ireland

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At this time of year farmers are bombarded with information on silage inoculants. With so much variation between years and cuts, it’s very difficult to compare silage inoculants or even treated verses untreated crops. Many products claim to be better than the next one, so how can they actually be compared?

 

It is advisable to check the bacterial strains are EU approved.  The EU registration system has standard parameters to measure efficacy such as dry matter losses, pH, lactic acid and ammonia plus stability for wholecrop and maize silages.  Parameter testing shows efficacy on easy, moderate and difficult to ensile crops. Some of the inoculants, in particular the ones that only apply 100,000 bacteria per g of grass, failed to show a benefit in moderate and difficult to ensile crops.

 

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Better silage improves herd performance

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Ryan McMullan runs 60 Holstein cows in Carnlough, Co Antrim. They are currently yielding 8000L on 46kg silage mixed 50:50 1st and 2nd cut plus 5kg in wagon and rest of meal topped in parlour to yield.  A few years ago he decided that he needed to improve silage quality in order to improve herd performance.

The first aim was to cut silage earlier; however with heavy land this can be difficult. The silage ground gets 4000 gallon per acre, this year it was put on with his umbilical slurry system, which has been invaluable. Next only 60 units of N is applied for the first cut in early April, this means silage can be cut from early May, second cut get 2 bags per acre of 27.4.4 plus sulphur and it was cut third week of June, third cut was delayed until September . Again mowing and ensiling is done by Ryan’s machines. It is mowed with a mower-spreader, gets a 24 hour wilt weather permitting, rowed up and then ensiled with a trailed harvester, aiming for a DM of 28% to 32%.

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Provita products: Helping to boost lambs of all ages

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ProVitaMin contains a range of chelated minerals, vitamins and 25 trace elements at optimal levels in an ultra-concentrated liquid drench form.  It can be used as an early lamb drench giving them an important nutritional boost to support growth and development, energy metabolism and better absorption of nutrients.

Colin Mc Eldowney, from Slaughtneil uses ProVitaMin on his 300 Lanark Blackfaces. In order to maximise the output achieved from this flock, he uses ProVitaMin on all his ewes to give them a boost in minerals and vitamins at critical times of the year. He also drenches all his lambs post weaning to enhance growth rates

“I drench all the lambs with ProVitaMin prior to weaning. This ensures that growth rates are not reduced, once they are taken off their mothers”

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Provita Colostrum used to protect every lamb

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Terence Mc Laughlin runs a 330 ewe commercial flock near Dungiven. It consists of 150 crossbreed mules and 180 purebred Lanark type blackface ewes. All male lambs are finished mainly of grass from July onwards and some females are sold through the mart. The last of the crop were clipped and finished on slats in the house, recently making £100+ each.

Lambing is due to start on the farm on the 17th March. The crossbreed sheep are inside and get 1kg of meal plus good quality silage. This level of feeding will continue for twins after lambing starts but will stop for singles at this point.

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Provita products help reduce scour in newborn calves

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In spring 2017 Cavan Johnson who is a dairy farmer in Co Down struggled to control calf scour.  His veterinarian at Downe Veterinary Clinic contacted Provita to help investigate this case.

Provita recommended that Cavan only used fresh or instantly refrigerated colostrum and give every calf Provita Protect, the only medicinally licensed probiotic for the prevention of calf scour and Provita Calf Colostrum powder 300g.  He began this protocol towards the end of calving with good results visible so he continued for this calving season to help suppress the build-up of pathogens. Cavan will give all calves Protect and Provita Calf Colostrum first, the cow’s own colostrum is given in the second feed, and this is especially convenient at night when around 50% of his cows calve. Provita products and protocols help to protect calves during this high-risk period, giving more protection, which enables it to overcome this risk period and develop a stronger active immunity.

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Lameness reduced by farmers on the Hoofsure HELP Service

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Arthur Hanna, runs 130 Holstein Friesian cows in Armoy, Co Antrim, and recently availed of Provita Hoofsure HELP service. Arthur explained they had been using traditional footbathing products, but the lameness problem was still getting worse. However, since starting the Hoofsure HELP programme and following the more aggressive daily plan set out by Kieran Donnelly from Provita, his herd lameness levels have dropped significantly.

 

“Initially in November 2017 around 60% of my herd had active DD so footbathing with Hoofsure Endurance 5% was done every day for 3 weeks, we also spot-sprayed bad cases with Hoofsure Endurance 25% or Hoofsure Combat ready to use spray which forms a film for extra protection.  I could soon see the DD healing with scabs going brown or black and falling off.  The dilution rate was reduced every 3 weeks and the protocol is currently a daily footbath of Hoofsure Endurance 2%.  The same mix lasts for 2 days so it’s economical to use. Hoofsure Endurance has helped me reduce the DD problem down to around 10% and I have less lame cows, but I will keep control measures in place. The cows are now milking better as they are not annoyed by sore feet. I can recommend it to other dairy farmers with confidence, but for it to work it must be used according to a tailored plan under the Hoofsure HELP service.”

 

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Provita Protect and Calf Colostrum prevents calf scour

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In spring 2017 Cavan Johnson who is a dairy farmer in Co Down struggled to control calf scour.  His veterinarian at Downe Veterinary Clinic contacted Provita to help investigate this case.

Provita visited the farm and assessed all aspects of current calf health management finding that hygiene was good, cows were vaccinated and calves were getting plenty of colostrum soon after birth.  Colostrum quality was assessed and found to be variable but acceptable in most cases.  Provita’s Tommy Armstrong therefore concluded that the colostrum hygiene should be tested.  Results showed that the colostrum itself was too high in bacteria and it represented a hygiene risk to the calves. At best, the colostrum antibodies were being used up fighting the bacteria it was introducing itself!  Indeed a recent survey in Northern Ireland by AFBI reported that some colostrum contained up to 17,000,000 cfu/ml of bacteria.  Provita in-house testing shows that both leaving colostrum at ambient temperature and thawing it out after freezing stimulates bacterial growth.

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