Stable milk performance despite heat stress
Heat stress can occur in dairy cows even at temperatures of around 20°C. The consequences are inferior milk performance, poor milk composition, diminished reproductive performance and poor hoof and udder health. You can now give your cows targeted support by selecting the right components for their feed.
High temperatures and increased humidity during the summer months present a variety of challenges for dairy cows.
- Ration tends to reheat at the feed fence. This causes feed intake to decrease and nutrient and energy provision to drop (see Fig. 1).
- Buffer substances are lost as a consequence of panting and sweating. The danger of acidosis increases.
- Cell counts in the milk rise and milk performance and composition decline.
- Hoof problems begin and fertility drops
Avoiding reheating
When feed ration reheats, its palatability is reduced and feed intake impaired considerably. Rations that are prone to reheating should be stabilised by using SCHAUMASIL 5.0 or SILOSTAR TMR PROTECT.
SCHAUMASIL 5.0 reliably protects even concentrate-rich rations against reheating (see Fig. 2). With a pH value of 5.0, SCHAUMASIL 5.0 is also considerably less corrosive than other products with similar effects.
SILOSTAR TMR PROTECT lowers the level of harmful yeast content in the ration and in doing so, maintains its energy content and palatability (see Fig. 3). SILOSTAR TMR PROTECT is a non-corrosive granulated product that can be used on either a home blend or TMR.
Stabilising blood and rumen pH
When cows breathe more heavily, their blood CO2 content is diminished. Regulated by hormones, they excrete carbonate, making it no longer available for the formation of bicarbonate in their saliva. By supplementing cows’ feed with RINDAMIN BP – a special combination of buffer substances for the blood and rumen – acidosis is effectively prevented. Their milk composition is also stabilised.
Improving digestibility
The active ingredient RUMIVITAL®i supports microbes in the rumen during digestion. The results are an increased passage rate and a high feed intake. In addition, the feed conversion and energy efficiency from maize silage is around 0.31 MJ NEL/kg DM higher when RUMIVITAL®i is applied (see Fig. 4).
Cell counts under control
Toxins from feed as well as oxidative stress put considerable pressure on the liver metabolism of dairy cows. With its special combination of toxin binders and antioxidants, RINDAVITAL VARIO PROTECT protects the metabolism and the liver from increased strain, enabling it to ensure performance even in stressful situations. It also supports udder health and reduces the risk of increased cell counts.
Protecting energy supplies
Very high doses of feed concentrate may well increase the energy content in ration, but they also increase the risk of acidosis, which leads to diminishing milk fat contents. Nevertheless, a low milk fat content does not necessarily indicate acidosis. Milk fat content can also drop when cows mobilise less body fat to reduce unnecessary metabolic heat. Use SCHAUMANN ENERGY to bridge any gaps in energy that arise.
Calving tip
The strain on cows when they are calving – particularly at high temperatures – is extremely high. The loss of electrolytes and fluids during birth is intensified by additional sweating. Even feed intake suffers twice as much during calving under heat stress, and cows run the risk of slipping into acidosis more quickly. RINDAVITAL ENERGIETRUNK replaces lost electrolytes and boosts feed intake with the help of the ASS-CO Ferm live yeast complex, and prevents acidosis (see Fig. 5).
