Key features
The dry cow blends are fully mineralised and all contain anionic salts to act as metabolic acidifiers for milk fever prevention. The anionic salts are mixed with palatable feeds and the feed rates are 2kg/cow/day for Barbican Red and Green and 1kg/cow/day for Barbican Yellow. It is important to mix anionic salts throughout a ration and inclusion rates less than this tend to make an even distribution more difficult. The blends should be used when a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is being used.
The metabolic acidification of cows pre-calving needs to be done for at least 10 days but in practical terms it is better to use them for the entire transition period. There is no need to use them in the far-off dry period.
Optimum results are obtained when the degree of acidification causes a urine pH of approximately 7 across a group but remember there will be individual variation of probably 0.5 pH units across the group. This is not ‘full DCAB’ territory so there is not the same requirement to undertake regular pH testing although it is advised to undertake it when setting up the ration after the cows have been on it for at least a week. Full DCAB milk fever control usually means that extra calcium has been added to get an overall ration level of 1-1.2%. This level of dietary calcium is not required with the degree of acidification advised with our dry cow blends.
The blends can be fed alongside magnesium chloride which can be used at rates normally between 50 and 150g/cow/day to get the change the pH slightly at recommended feed rates for the blends.
The other main advantage is that feeding anionic salts to get to lower pHs tends to drop intakes but this is not a problem at pH 7.
In general, milk fever prevention by inducing mild acidification is very effective and less expensive that calcium binding techniques.
- 3 choices
- Fully mineralised
- Convenient- Barbican Red and Green are fed alongside forages only without the need for other straights.
- Can have choline incorporated which can be used routinely or strategically at times of excess fat mobilization
The dry cow blends are fully mineralised and all contain anionic salts to act as metabolic acidifiers for milk fever prevention. The anionic salts are mixed with palatable feeds and the feed rates are 2kg/cow/day for Barbican Red and Green and 1kg/cow/day for Barbican Yellow. It is important to mix anionic salts throughout a ration and inclusion rates less than this tend to make an even distribution more difficult. The blends should be used when a Total Mixed Ration (TMR) is being used.
The metabolic acidification of cows pre-calving needs to be done for at least 10 days but in practical terms it is better to use them for the entire transition period. There is no need to use them in the far-off dry period.
Optimum results are obtained when the degree of acidification causes a urine pH of approximately 7 across a group but remember there will be individual variation of probably 0.5 pH units across the group. This is not ‘full DCAB’ territory so there is not the same requirement to undertake regular pH testing although it is advised to undertake it when setting up the ration after the cows have been on it for at least a week. Full DCAB milk fever control usually means that extra calcium has been added to get an overall ration level of 1-1.2%. This level of dietary calcium is not required with the degree of acidification advised with our dry cow blends.
The blends can be fed alongside magnesium chloride which can be used at rates normally between 50 and 150g/cow/day to get the change the pH slightly at recommended feed rates for the blends.
The other main advantage is that feeding anionic salts to get to lower pHs tends to drop intakes but this is not a problem at pH 7.
In general, milk fever prevention by inducing mild acidification is very effective and less expensive that calcium binding techniques.
Dry cow Products
Barbican Yellow Dry Cow Meal
£459.00
£459.00
Barbican Green Dry Cow Meal
£0.00
£0.00
Barbican Dry Rolls
£350.00
£350.00
Barbican Red Dry Cow Meal
£497.00
£497.00