3: FEEDING OF DIARY CATTLE IN LATE PREGNANCY AND EARLY LACTATION (WINTER/SPRING)

Pasture has always been the basis of dairy cow feeding in New Zealand and will probably remain so. Unfortunately pasture growth nutrient content and digestibility varies considerably from season to season with the result that animal performance fluctuates due to quality and quantity limitations. Even spring pasture, often regarded as ideal has problems of high water content, low magnesium and excess protein relative to the energy concentration......

4: LESS HEAT STRESS ... MORE PIGLETS

The impact of heat stress on sows  The optimum temperature in the farrowing crate will always be a compromise between the needs of the young piglets and their mother. The piglets like 25-30 degrees Celsius to feel comfortable, while the sow needs a lot lower temperature e.g. 18 degrees Celsius, to get rid of all the heat she  produces digesting feed and producing milk.....

5: LAMENESS

Within a herd a combination of factors play a role in lameness problems:
a. Environment (e.g. cow races),
b. Management,
c. Conformation of the cows and
d. Nutrition are the most important.

In this article we will focus on nutritional factors causing lameness....

6: MEAL FEEDING OF DAIRY COWS

Historically the official attitude to meal feeding in New Zealand was ... Never, or Only in emergency e.g. draught, or hay/silage shortage. The emphasis on per hectare production rather than per cow furthered this attitude. Unfortunately this approach frequently fails to provide the animal with a “balanced” diet and all too often resulted in increased health problems and wastage rate due to conception failure or delay......

7: VITAMIN E IN HORSE NUTRITION

Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin which has a role in many physiological activities including, reproduction, immune response and nerve and muscle function. It complements selenium in maintaining muscle activity by protection of cell membranes from oxidation induced damage.....

8: VITAMIN & TRACE MINERAL SUPPLEMENTATION OF PIG RATIONS REVISITED

Vitamin and trace mineral premixes commonly account for 3 to 5% of total feed cost and whilst regarded as essential ingredients and apart from price are rarely considered further by the farmer or feed compounder. Supplementary micronutrient levels have remained relatively constant for 10 to 15 years or more with only minor increases in vitamin E and maybe Pantothenic Acid......

9: WINTER FEEDING DAIRY COWS FOR CONDITION SCORE (CS)

Feed consumed during the dry period is required for maintenance, pregnancy and recovery of body weight and condition lost during lactation. Low Condition Score (CS) cows will deposit body protein in the initial stage of recovery but as CS improves these will be a gradual change to fat deposition. Improvement of CS is of course dependant on the quantity and quality of the feed on offer. This includes not only the energy and protein components but also the minerals and vitamins which are required to facilitate maximum utilisation of the energy and protein......

10: HORSE FEED INGREDIENT OPTIONS, ALTERNATIVES, BALANCES

Compared to the other common domesticated species of animals the horse in most countries, continues to be fed and managed in much the same was as it was 50-100 years ago. Considerable research has been devoted to the nutrition of pigs, poultry, sheep, cattle, goats, cats and doges and inn most developed and emerging countries the results of this research has been put into practice. Application of scientific principles by farmer and feed manufacturers has resulted in economic, health and performance benefits in these species....

11: PRE LAMBING NUTRITION OF EWES

The fertility rate and lambing percentage of NZ ewes has risen rapidly over the past one to two decades and the value of lambs resulting has also increased to the extent that maximising survival rates from birth to market has significant economic implications.....