MAINTAINING rumen health and function through the use of a fast-acting, long-lasting buffer supplement is key to maximising milk produced from forage on one North Yorkshire farm.

Richard and James Pratt farm 200 acres at Studdah Farm, Bellerby, with parents Alan and Edith. The farm’s 130-strong Studdah pedigree dairy herd calves all-year round and is milked twice daily. The focus is on producing as much milk from forage as possible.

An additional 150 young stock are also raised, with heifers bred to calve at 23 to 24 months.

“As well as producing milk for the Wenselydale Creamery, a large percentage of the farm’s income comes from selling freshly calved heifers,” said James Pratt.

“The value of the stock we sell relies heavily on the herd’s pedigree status and milk records, so it’s essential we are able to maximise milk quality and components as well as quantity.”

The Pratts work closely with Jim McRobert, their Carrs Billington feed sales adviser, to maximise the herd’s performance, paying particular attention to feed conversion rates to reduce production costs and maximise profitability.

“We looked at our dairy ration eight years ago and decided that, in order to boost milk yields and increase constituent levels, we needed to make a few improvements to increase dry matter intake and ensure the cows were getting enough energy,” said Richard Pratt.

“We started growing our own wholecrop silage to reduce bought-in feed costs and increased energy intake and ration palatability by adding molasses. On Jim’s advice, we also introduced Acidbuf at a rate of 65g/cow/day to reduce the effects of excessive acid production in the rumen.”

The TMR dairy ration, which is fed all year, consists of grass silage, wholecrop silage, haylage or straw, a bespoke Carrs Billington blend, molasses, minerals and Acidbuf.

The herd has access to fresh grass from April to October, but no concentrates are fed through the parlour. “It’s therefore vital the TMR diet is able to provide the herd’s remaining dietary requirements at the feed barrier,” said James.

The high yielders can eat up to 50kg per day of the TMR ration, with low yielders receiving up to 25kg. With such a huge intake, it is essential that the diet remains consistent, palatable and balanced and that the rumen is in good condition to process the entire ration.

“As we started to push for increased milk output, acidosis was starting to impact our yields,” said James.

“There was a noticeable difference in the overall demeanour of cows which were suffering from excessive acid so we started using Acidbuf to neutralise the rumen pH and to create a more consistent rumen environment.”

The Pratts make two TMR mixes a day – to ensure the herd has access to the freshest ingredients – and spread half a bag of Acidbuf over a shear grab of silage and let the twin-tub mixer wagon do the rest.

Jim McRobert said: “At less than three pence per cow per day, Acidbuf is a cheap, easy and very cost-effective way to maintain the optimum rumen pH.”

The herd, including first calvers, currently achieves an average of 10,500 litres per lactation, with milk components of 4.07 per cent butterfat and 3.22 per cent protein.

“Of this, 3,000 litres is produced from forage, with each animal consuming a phenomenal amount of dry matter,” said Mr McRobert. “It is still a work in progress as we’re aiming to increase milk from forage and minimum constituents of 4.10 per cent and 3.25 per cent.”

Since adding Acidbuf to the TMR ration, there has been a significant change across the herd. “The cows are quieter and more contented, and our milk yield and constituent values have improved,” said James.

“It makes sense that if the cows are happy and healthy, they’ll have a longer and more productive working life.

“That’s key to our ongoing profitability, both in terms of the milk we produce and the youngstock we breed.”