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Farming

Dairy farm switches to grazing fodder beet as high-quality winter feed

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GRAZING fodder beet as a winter crop for beef and dairy cattle is reducing wintering costs at a Pembrokeshire farm.

The James family currently grow 10 hectares (ha) for wintering dairy beef stores produced by their dairy herd at Stackpole Home Farm, but are scaling that up to 45ha to provide feed for lactating and dry cows.

Cows are currently wintered on deferred grazing or kale with baled silage but switching to fodder beet will provide a cheaper, higher quality source of feed.

During a recent Farming Connect open day, George James, who farms with his parents, Chris and Debbie, said growing kale was getting trickier because of periods of prolonged drought following drilling in late May or early June.

“The earlier drilling dates for fodder beet give it an advantage, and we can comfortably get 20 tonne dry matter (tDM)/ha from it so it is by far the highest yielding winter grazing crop,’’ he said.

At around seven pence per kilogramme of DM, it works out at around half the cost of silage therefore the new system will reduce winter feed costs, plug feed gaps in late and early lactation, and capitalise on the farm’s free-draining sandy soils.

But transitioning the herd onto the crop and correctly allocating it will be crucial to animal health and performance.

During the open day, fodder beet expert Dr Jim Gibbs, a veterinarian and research scientist in ruminant nutrition at Lincoln University, New Zealand, and Marc Jones, an independent grass and forage consultant, shared important advice on how to get that right – and how to avoid some of the common pitfalls.

Fodder beet has a high sugar and water content so sufficient time must be given for feed intakes to adjust.

Dr Gibbs warned that dairy cows are the livestock class most susceptible to transition acidosis due to gorging, a situation which occurs if too much fodder beet is allocated too early in the transition process.

To prevent this, he advised feeding low amounts of fodder beet initially, building up intakes slowly, and providing supplementary feed to keep the cow’s rumen fully fed.

Feeding grass or silage as the supplement initially is advisable as if less palatable feed like straw is offered, cattle won’t eat the quantities they need to maintain condition and performance.

A marker for whether cattle have properly transitioned is if they are leaving beet behind – Dr Gibbs suggested this should be around 5-10% a day.

“There is no risk of acidosis after full transition providing intakes are adequate,’’ he pointed out.

A lactating cow needs 15-18kg DM in total therefore 5-6kg DM of fodder beet plus grass or silage should be the target for lactation feeding as the crop should not make up more than a third of their feed.

“Start by offering them 1kg DM/day and, once all the animals are eating the bulb, move up 1kg DM/day every two days,’’ said Dr Gibbs.

He recommended transitioning until target intakes are met.

For dry stock weighing 500kg and for in-calf heifers, the daily feed requirement is 14kg DM – as fodder beet can make up 80% of their diet, they can be allocated 11-12kg DM of fodder beet and 2kg DM roughage once they have transitioned.

Build them up to this in stages, 1-2kg DM at day one, increasing 1kg DM every other day, with 7-8kg of supplement until day seven, gradually dropping supplement to 2kg at 14 days when they have fully transitioned.

If feeding 2kg of supplement, careful consideration needs to be given as to how the supplement will be fed to enable all animals to access it; if feeding bales in ring feeders, increasing to 3-4kg is needed due to the restricted feed space.

For youngstock aged from six months, Dr Gibbs recommended starting with a daily intake of 0.5 kg DM a head of fodder beet, increasing this by 0.5kg every other day, fed with 3-5kg of grass or silage. At day 14 that mix should be 5-6kg of fodder beet and 1-2kg of grass or silage.

Marc Jones, who shared details of how he operates his system of growing and feeding fodder beet on his farm at Trefnant Hall, Berriew, said matching fodder beet varieties to class of stock is important.

He said Lactimo and Geronimo are excellent grazing varieties because they have a high proportion of leaf and more of the bulb sits out of the ground, which allows for a high level of utilisation.

A lower DM variety such as Brigadier is more palatable and will achieve better utilisation in smaller calves weighing around 200kg, he added.

Delana Davies, Cross Sector Manager at Farming Connect, who facilitated the event, said growing fodder beet provides real opportunities for reducing winter feeding costs in all classes of stock.

“Added to this there are savings to be made on housing and straw requirements plus reduced slurry and manure production and spreading issues, making growing the crop a worthwhile consideration for many dairy, beef and sheep farmers,’’ she said.

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Farming

King Charles III is new Royal Welsh Agricultural Society patron

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KING CHARLES III has continued a royal tradition by agreeing to become the new patron of the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society (RWAS).

As Prince of Wales, he consistently supported the RWAS, having visited the Royal Welsh Show seven times from 1969 to 2019 and he opened the Royal Welsh Winter Fair in 2001.

“To have the monarch as our patron is very special,” said Aled Rhys Jones, RWAS chief executive. “We are immensely grateful to His Majesty for continuing his support to the society.

“He is a true champion of rural matters and has a deep affection for Wales. His support as patron will be a great endorsement to the work we do in promoting Welsh agriculture.”

The decision follows a review of the patronages of the late Queen, the former Prince of Wales and the former Duchess of Cornwall. The letter from Buckingham Palace to the RWAS read: ‘His Majesty would be delighted to accept’.

The Queen was patron of the RWAS for 70 years and showed great support. Her support reflected her long-lasting interest in Welsh agriculture, horticulture and rural affairs.

The Queen’s first official role with the RWAS was as Princess Elizabeth in 1947, when she was honorary president. She undertook a triumphant tour of the showground during a visit to the Royal Welsh Show, held in Carmarthen.

The late Queen had followed her late father, George VI, and her grandfather, George V in accepting the patronage.

King George V first became patron as Prince of Wales in 1907 and formally as King in 1911. His Silver Challenge Cup for the best Welsh Cob then became known as the George Prince of Wales Challenge Cup, one of the most famous cups presented at the Royal Welsh Show annually.

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Farming

Nut trial looks at viability of producing walnuts in West Wales

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A WEST WALES couple are experimenting with growing nuts on their land.

Martyn Williams and Alison Harwood have planted walnut and sweet chestnut trees on a one-hectare south facing slope overlooking the River Towy.

They have chosen varieties that are a good match for conditions at Old Castle Farm, Llangain, Carmarthenshire.

Nuts are being grown commercially more than ever in the UK as the climate heats, making products more economically viable, but what is less understood is how well suited this enterprise is to weather conditions in west Wales, or the free-draining and slightly acidic loam soils at Old Castle Farm.

To examine this, Martyn and Alison have been awarded funding from the Farming Connect ‘Try Out Fund,’ an initiative that makes provides funding to individuals and groups of farmers and growers to experiment with ideas and bring them to life.

They have planted 20 walnut trees and 20 sweet chestnut trees, varieties selected for growth characteristics matched to the latitude in this region.

Establishment is now being monitored and, to give the trees the best chance to thrive, the area around them is being kept weed-free to prevent competition for nutrients and moisture.

The plan is to explore the use of alternative mulches, such as wool, even shells from a local beach, to balance the soil temperature and retain moisture.

Nut trees are helpful for providing biodiversity on farms but compared to other European regions, Wales has a very small economy in food production from trees.

Climate change coupled with proposed changes to the Welsh government farming policy means that alternative types of food production need to be investigated.

Martyn is grateful to Farming Connect and the Try Out Fund for helping to bring the project at Old Castle Farm to life.

“It has given us a bit of a free rein, taking the pressure off trialling an enterprise that might or might not be viable.’’

It is likely to be five years before the trees produce any quantity of nuts, if indeed they do, but Martyn says planting trees is as much a legacy for future generations as the pleasure they bring to the current one.

“I love planting trees, they could be around for hundreds of years, long after we have gone. I get that farmers need to produce food to feed us but this will be our legacy.’’

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Farming

Welsh farmers urged to be vigilant for signs of Bluetongue

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WALES’ Chief Veterinary Officer has urged farmers in Wales to be alert to signs of Bluetongue as we enter a period where animals are at an increased risk of contracting Bluetongue virus from midges.

Bluetongue does not affect people or food safety. The virus is primarily transmitted by midge bites and affects cattle, goats, sheep and camelids such as llamas, and midges are most active between April and November.

Bluetongue is a notifiable disease, so any suspect cases must be reported to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

The impacts on susceptible animals can vary greatly – some show no clinical signs or effects at all, for others it can cause productivity issues such as reduced milk yield or reproductive losses, while in the most severe cases can be fatal for infected animals.

Farmers can help prevent the disease by:

  • responsibly source livestock
  • practicing good biosecurityon your premises
  • remaining vigilant

Keepers considering importing animals or biological products, for example germinal products , from BTV affected countries or out of disease control zones should consult their vet to check if this is permitted, and on the risks of doing so. This should always be done before deciding to import or move animals.

All businesses should have a contingency plan for both responding to disease outbreaks on their premises and if they might be in a disease control zone. Contingency plans should include details of where animals are normally slaughtered to check that abattoir is designated.

Richard Irvine, Wales’ Chief Veterinary Officer, said: “As we enter this period where animals are more at risk from Bluetongue from midges, I would urge all keepers to take action now to protect their herds and flocks to keep disease out, be aware of how to spot Bluetongue and report any suspected cases immediately”.

“Wales has never had a case of Bluetongue – but – with past cases in England and in Europe we are encouraging people to be vigilant and prepared for Bluetongue to strike again.”

Your local Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) office should be contacted immediately on 0300 303 8268 if you suspect Bluetongue in your animals. APHA vets will investigate suspected cases.

Further information and resources on the current bluetongue situation are also available on the Ruminant Health and Welfare website.

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