Concentrate feeding

Cows are fed automatically to yield twice daily in the milking parlour. The feeding levels are set depending on the time of year and the quality of the forage. Feeding to yield is preferred as it allows cows with higher genetic merit to more readily demonstrate that potential. The computer is set to feed cows for production beyond a pre-determined maintenance plus production figure. Cows yielding beyond this figure are fed at a rate of 0.35 KG/litre up to a maximum of 10 kilos (eight kilos maximum for heifers).

Heifers are generally fed for three litres less production from forage than cows. The adequacy of feeding is checked against grass and silage intake on a monthly basis. Feed is built up over a two week period after calving starting from two kilos per day and rising to eight kilos or the maximum appropriate level relative to the cows performance. After the two week build up, the appropriate maximum feeding level applies. Table 1 shows the maintenance plus production levels from grass targeted for each of the summer grazing months.

During the winter months when cows are being fed silage as the only forage source, up to 15 litres from forage may be achievable, if the silage analysis meets the required target.