Livestock 2012: No Condition Lost when Feeding Fodder
UK - A recent study has shown that replacing some of the concentrate diet of dairy cows with Fodder Solutions fresh green fodder provides sufficient nutrition to enable cows to maintain body weight and provide consistent yields without any negative effects.
4 September 2012
3 minute read
The trial was carried out by organic dairy farmer, Alan Campbell, who was interested in the potential of the feed, and was willing to trial it on his dairy cattle.
For a period of one month, several cows were separated from the herd in order to feed them separately and monitor their performance. They were each fed one mat of Fodder Solutions weighing approximately 7kg, produced from 1kg of dry barley grain, in place of 3kg of concentrate feed, per day.
The cows were kept in the main barn, had adlib access to wholecrop sileage and were milked and weighed by a robot each day. The results showed that cows on the Fodder Replacement diet maintained their body weight, levels of milk production and consistency, and general health during the trial and compared with the cows on the Standard Diet there was no difference in productivity.
“I am convinced by the Fodder Solutions system and what it does for the cows. There is no doubt that sprouted grain works”, said Alan after the trial.
The trial has proved interesting to dairy farmers who are used to feeding a percentage of the cow’s body weight in dry feed weight and were concerned about the claim that one mat of fodder produced in a Fodder Solutions system would replace 3-4kg of concentrate feed.
One mat of fodder weighs approximately 8kg wet and is produced from 1.2kg of barley seed. The trial demonstrated that the drop in dry weight fed would not result in a decrease in productivity.
With the price of traditional feeds rocketing and another difficult harvest for farmers, the Fodder Solutions system offers a viable feed alternative, with cost savings and added health benefits. This revolutionary new hydroponic feeding system takes the uncertainty out of providing reliable, good quality feed for livestock.
How it works
The system is a self-contained thermal unit providing the optimum conditions for sprouting grains. The feed is grown in trays from barley seed and as it grows it forms a mat. Sunflower, lupin or mung beans can be added to the seed mix to add more protein or oil. It takes 6 days from seed to feed and the rotation system is recharged daily to ensure a reliable, continuous supply of fresh green feed.
Fodder Solutions sales manager, Liam McGreevy said “It has taken time to engineer and perfect the Fodder Solutions system for optimal growing and the results have been fantastic. Our customers are also reassured by the fact there is an expert just a phone call away should they have any queries about their system.”
The Fodder Solutions system gives lower costs per day, is cheaper than concentrate and cheaper than land. In addition, it helps to improve health of animals, so should lead to lower veterinary bills and improved performance of animals.
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