Dry cows are fed ad-lib baled silage on the Wallace farm.
Stephen and Hazel Wallace are aiming to strike a balance between driving milk output from silage and concentrates, while feeding cows as efficiently as possible.
The 210-cow Holstein herd has a mainly autumn calving profile. There are 150 cows calved down so far and calving is due to be finished by the end of February. Last year, average milk yield was 7,710l from 2.5t of concentrates.
Local animal nutritionist Lyle Hamilton has developed the winter feed plan for all livestock groups on the farm located near Seaforde, Co Down.
The milking herd is on a total mixed ration of 19kg first-cut silage, 19kg third-cut silage and 7kg of blend. This diet is formulated to support maintenance plus 23l, with cows then fed to yield through in-parlour feeders.
Teton County elected officials are backpedaling on urging wildlife managers to start weaning elk off of artificial feeding, a step one county commissioner said was prudent to avert the worst consequences of recently discovered chronic wasting disease.
The request to do something sooner rather than later was expressed in a draft letter that commissioners were going to send to the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. Elected officials also mentioned giving private landowners incentives to tolerate elk that might disperse from historic feed lots.
But while meeting Monday, two commissioners described taking those positions as being âout over our skis.â So now the board is softening its tone and delaying recommendations regarding the historic and controversial practice.