By: Richard V. Breunig
Most everything in the World is changing and at a rapid pace.
From human health to animal health, the norms are shifting. I’ve heard stories from producers that they simply anticipate cow metabolic issues at a higher normal. When metabolic issues are questioned, they are told that’s just the way it is – You are within normal parameters. When foot health, reproduction, and getting cows bred back is a struggle; the response is ‘The neighbors have it worse’ or ‘You are at the upper end of the curve.’
- Can a farm make forage changes without animal health failing?
- Can a ration be formulated to improve the negative implications of acidosis, bloody gut, poor foot health, and/or poor reproduction?
We are asked to make better forages, and yet the higher the digestibility the poorer the cow health – It doesn’t make sense. The more digestible the forage, the more fermentable the fiber – This means there is actually more fiber there to ferment.
- Is particle length and scratch factor real?
- Do cows that graze pastures eat anything that is long or has the ability to scratch?
- Could animals be a teacher to us?
- Does the way we look at fiber need to be reviewed?
If more fiber is fermented (digestibility) and the speed at which it is fermented is even greater when wetter, could this be the real problem?
Fiber is a carbohydrate and so is corn.
Yet all the negative health challenges place the blame on starch. In my 20 year tenure managing Clover Mist, the cows were the teachers.
Priority IAC offers Microbiology Nutrition, where nutrition and microbiology are in perfect harmony, one can find the magic. Microbiology Nutrition was developed to bring simple principles back to nutrition.
Optimum rumen fermentation only occurs when carbohydrates, nitrogen, and rumen pH are in perfect harmony. This balance starts at the microscopic level, applying the use of Smartbacteria. These are the workers that are efficient in metabolizing and transporting the load and speed of fermentable fiber and starch. Highly fermentable carbohydrates such as fermentable fiber, sugars, starch, and silage acids increase the total carbohydrate load and the rate at which it ferments. Inefficient fermentation leads to high feed costs and problems like poor reproduction, declining animal health, foot problems, and even dead cows.
In the study of microbiology, I’ve spent more than 20 years expanding my understanding of the importance of the effects of specific bacteria on nutrition. Our research here at Priority IAC has been fascinating, finding bacteria so unique that they have specific functions that can benefit the animals they are in.
See the Principles of Microbiology Nutrition and how this is changing the way we feed cows here.
Smartbacteria are only available in Priority IAC products.
Your 1st Ingredient™ For Healthy Cows®.
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