Cwmcowddu Project Update - April 2024
Progress to date:
January 2024:
- Project development initiated, focusing on ration monitoring and adjustment based on silage analysis and metabolic profiling data
- The project has evaluated and confirmed winter ration requirements and adequacy.
April 2024:
- Grazing platform established to maximise the use of this cost-effective feed source and fine tuning summer grazing to match the requirements of high yielding cows. Crucial to this will be appropriate management of the rotational grazing platform by recording grass growth in all paddocks weekly and balancing additional cow nutritional needs from silage and concentrates before grass becomes short of the demand profile on the grass wedge.
Next steps?
- Monitor the grass wedge to ensure adequate forward grass availability and balance with silage and concentrate as required and in a timely fashion to meet the herd's energy requirements during grazing.
- Continuously monitor ration effectiveness, production figures, and fertility to assess whether the nutritional demands are being met and make necessary adjustments.
- Calculate and monitor feed rate, feed costs, and other economic indicators to assess the financial impact of improved herd nutrition.
- Assess any changes in the farm's carbon footprint resulting from the nutritional adjustments made.