Performance key to producing an efficient litre of milk

The use of co-products in dairy rations can not only help reduce farm carbon footprints, but can also support performance improvements and increased margins.

There are many strategies to reduce the dairy farm carbon footprint, with the use of responsible raw materials and co-products a key factor, but focus must be retained on performance and productivity.

“Reducing the footprint of a diet could in fact increase the footprint of a litre of milk produced, if performance is compromised,” explains Charlotte Ward, Trident Feed ruminant technical manager.

The farmer therefore needs to focus on producing the most efficient litre of milk, and this can work hand in hand with responsibly sourced home-grown feeds and co-products.

Co-product

The use of co-products in ruminant rations, such as those generated from the production of beer, whisky, ethanol, starch and sugar, can be used to provide a larger proportion of nutrients required to balance homegrown feeds, whilst driving down the footprint of the ration significantly.

“The key is to marry-up those environmental benefit, while ensuring homegrown feeds and co-products support animal performance, and meet milk contract targets,” says Ms Ward.

“The rumen-protected rapeseed expeller NovaPro, made from UK rapeseed, is a good example, bringing performance benefits, including improving intakes and yields, while removing soya from dairy rations. Its carbon footprint is only around 1/7th of the carbon footprint of soya*,” she adds.

Manage crude protein

Depending on the ration, NovaPro can be used to lower crude protein of ruminant rations whilst still meeting metabolisable protein requirements for high yielding cows, leading to lower MUN (milk urea nitrogen) levels due to improved protein efficiency, as demonstrated in trials at the University of Nottingham, and lower emissions per litre of milk.

Protein is often overfed in UK dairy rations, which is environmentally and financially inefficient. Balancing rations by managing crude protein levels, can therefore benefit farm profitability while helping reduce carbon footprints.

Ms Ward concludes, “Co-products such as NovaPro, can be used to provide a range of nutrients required by the animal to balance homegrown feeds, whilst driving down the footprint of the ration significantly.”

*GFLI figure for soya coming into the UK including Land Use Change, NovaPro figure as per independent LCA.