Responsible mineral nutrition is important at all life stages, from calf through the fifth lactation. Many producers are overfeeding key trace elements. Formulating diets with trace minerals that meet the animal’s nutritional requirements and are highly bioavailable inside the animal helps producers achieve more with less.
Sustainability Manager Ruminants Europe
Trouw Nutrition
“Essential” and “efficient” go hand in hand when it comes to sustainable livestock production. Sustainability is not only woven into efficient production – it is also essential for the long-term success of a business. People, planet, and profit are interrelated in sustainable farming systems that support the viability of the business, the health of the planet and people’s livelihoods. Too often, businesses focus on one aspect of sustainability such as reducing their carbon footprint – instead of considering the varied environmental factors, practices, and systems that influence sustainable production.
There is no single model for achieving the most sustainable system. But by incorporating small incremental changes, it is possible to improve the sustainability of livestock production and reduce the effects on the environment.
A dairy farm’s sustainability and carbon footprint are closely linked to efficient production. Reviewing the entire production process is a good place to start enhancing efficiency, beginning with youngstock. Careful attention to nutrition and farm management starting early in life and continuing through every stage of production can help set cows – and herds up for long-term productivity.
LONGEVITY STARTS WITH YOUNGSTOCK
Getting cows to their fifth lactation and beyond begins with a holistic approach to nutrition and management, especially for youngstock. Getting conditions right at the youngstock stage can unlock whole farm efficiency, support profitability, and reduce the farm’s carbon footprint.
Research has shown that effective colostrum management, providing high-quality calf milk replacer (CMR) and feeding CMR at elevated volumes can boost calf health, and growth rate. In turn, these benefits can help reduce the age of first calving and help animals remain in the herd longer. Research conducted by Trouw Nutrition has shown that animals fed at an elevated plane of nutrition from birth to weaning (with the same treatment thereafter) remained in the herd longer than those fed a restricted plane of nutrition. For example, 20% of animals fed at an elevated plane were in the herd at fifth lactation compared to 7% of animals not receiving optimal nutrition.
Quality nutrition fed at higher levels can help farmers capitalise on investments in genetics. Proper feeding shows up in herd longevity, leading to enhanced profitability and a reduction in the herd’s carbon footprint. It has been estimated that reducing age at first calving, reducing replacement rates and improving production combined can reduce footprint by approximately 9% (depending on the original starting point).
REACHING FIFTH LACTATION
Given that replacement rates are in the range of 33%, animals rarely reach their third lactation, which is where they fully express their genetic potential for milk production. Research by de Vries et al (2020) has shown that the fifth lactation is the optimal point for expressing genetic potential, bringing new genetics into the herd and for aged cow cost. With this research in mind, dairy producers should be aiming for optimal replacement rates of 20%.
BUT HOW DO WE GET TO THE FIFTH LACTATION?
Correct calf rearing is the first step in the process. Next, it is important to ensure that heifers calve at 22-24 months and have a healthy transition into their first lactation, continuing to milk and transition well into subsequent lactations. Most culling events occur in the first 100 days in milk.
Precision nutrition is key to ensuring optimal dry matter intake (DMI). Balancing protein and energy helps support a smooth transition to milking. Precision nutrition also encompasses mineral nutrition which is often overlooked. Feeding too large an amount of minerals can be just as harmful as feeding too little, so it is important to get the balance right. Responsible mineral nutrition can also save money and be more environmentally friendly.
ENSURING RESPONSIBLE MINERAL NUTRITION
Responsible mineral nutrition is important at all life stages, from calf through the fifth lactation. Many producers are overfeeding key trace elements, so ensure that minerals are formulated responsibly. Review all background sources, including forage and any other mineral sources, being fed. Formulating diets with trace minerals that meet the animal’s nutritional requirements and are highly bioavailable inside the animal helps producers achieve more with less.
Minerals can have an adverse effect on fibre digestibility, which can influence overall milk production. Multiple independent studies have recently confirmed the negative influence of sulfate trace minerals (copper, zinc and manganese sulfate) on neutral detergent fibre digestibility (NDFd) in lactating dairy cows (see Figure 1).
This effect results primarily from the antimicrobial effect of soluble copper and zinc, which can react with fibre-digesting microbes in the rumen, reducing ration efficiency. This in turn can have a negative effect on the level of carbon emissions released per litre of milk produced. The same research has shown that when sulfate trace minerals are completely replaced with Selko® IntelliBond® ® trace minerals (copper, zinc and manganese) NDFd can be optimised, which can be captured as an increase in energy-corrected milk (see Figure 2).
Based on the positive effect of Selko® IntelliBond® on NDFd and resulting productivity, Selko® completed a comprehensive lifecycle assessment (LCA) to measure the ability of Selko® IntelliBond® to lower the cow’s carbon footprint. The LCA indicated that when Selko® IntelliBond® completely replaced the use of sulfate trace minerals in the ration, the cow’s carbon footprint was reduced by up to 2% per kg FPCM. This result confirms that a quality source of trace mineral nutrition can assist with the reduction of the cow’s carbon footprint. To further verify the LCA’s results, the Selko® IntelliBond® LCA was independently reviewed by Dr E. Kebreab, Professor, University of California, Davis, confirming that the LCA was compliant with the industry status.
Minerals can alter cost of production. When formulating a mineral, it is important to look at all sources of macro and trace elements which can lead to a cost-saving or cost-neutral scenario while ensuring adequate amounts are being fed.
WHY IS INGREDIENT SUSTAINABILITY IMPORTANT?
Farmers and their nutritionist and/or advisors should consider how every decision on the farm affects the carbon footprint. The purpose of such scrutiny is to minimise negative effects on the environment at every stage of the formulation process. It is important to use products that have a verified LCA and to determine how this will affect the product’s LCA in kg/ tonne. It is also necessary to consider how this affects milk production and the footprint per kg fat and protein corrected milk (FPCM).
Increasingly, today’s feed compounders, premixers, and nutritionists are requesting the total carbon footprint for all ingredients utilised in their blends. To provide this data, Selko® IntelliBond® completed an additional LCA focused on identifying each Selko® IntelliBond® product’s total carbon footprint at the conclusion of the manufacturing process. The LCA was independently verified by Dr Kebreab. Results of the LCA provide formulators and nutritionists with the values they require to compare the carbon footprints of various ingredients and additives while maintaining the blend’s nutritional requirements (see Table 1).
Is the company you are purchasing from actively involved in sourcing materials with as low a carbon footprint as possible? If high, carbon emitting ingredients are used, is this justified? For example, do such ingredients have a positive effect on animal performance and reduce carbon footprint per kg FPCM? Sustainability must be reviewed in a holistic manner including at the level of mineral nutrition. Data from trials continues to show that even a small component of the diet can have significant influence on the end carbon footprint per kg FPCM. It’s an easy win!
About Liz Homer
Dr. Liz Homer studied BSc Animal Science at the University of Nottingham and went on to complete a PhD in Dairy Cow Physiology and Fertility. After being awarded her PhD she then worked as a post doctoral scientist for a couple of years focusing on oestrous detection and expression, dairy cow nutrition trials, and assisting in trials focusing on the rumen microbiome and methane reduction.
She joined Trouw Nutrition GB in 2015 as Ruminant Technical Development Manager focusing on linking R&D with practical, applicable solutions for use at customer and farm level. Her role involves working closely with the company’s Global Ruminant Innovation Team and technically supporting many of its customers in the market. Homer has been instrumental in the development and application of many R&D projects, most notably the NutriOpt Dairy Model and NutriOpt solutions.
Liz Homer’s main focus is now on sustainability where she leads the European team in driving and implementing Trouw Nutrition’s sustainability strategy for ruminants.
