Ingredient trial bring promising change to calf weaning diet

NIS calves
NIS calves

A development in calf weaning which saw a ten per cent boost in growth rates has been revealed by on-farm trials.

Nutritionally Improved Straw (NIS) is a valuable addition to youngstock diets and has shown exciting results for improved appetite and feed conversion.

So positive are the signals from trials carried out by Wynnstay on a Herefordshire farm, the company has reformulated its Start & Wean nuts to include NIS as standard.

Ongoing trials are also now looking at replacing all of the forage in the diet with NIS pellets, which would be a convenient solution for calves reared in single hutches where keeping the forage dry is always a practical problem.

Steve Brown, ruminant feeds product manager at Wynnstay, said: "When to wean and how to wean have always been contentious issues for calf rearers.

"There is a growing body of researchers who now believe we have been too cost conscious during the last 40 years – weaning too early for optimum growth and feed conversion efficiency.

"There is growing evidence that dairy heifers and beef calves will enjoy lifelong benefits if they are fed an increased amount of milk or milk powder and weaned at eight to ten weeks, rather than five to six weeks old.

"The trick as they transition from milk to dry feed is to avoid a post-weaning slump and stressful post-weaning period."

'Balanced starter feed is crucial'

Calf rearing specialists are increasingly aware that good management practice is crucial during the first 12 weeks of life, during which calves establish a functional rumen.

Providing clean fresh water and fresh ad lib nuts in clean troughs is at the heart of this approach.

Steve adds: "A balanced starter feed is crucial but it is very easy to get out of balance with the key elements of starches, high quality protein and digestible and functional fibre. We have found NIS to be a good balancer.

"The straw goes through an alkali treatment process which breaks open the structure of the straw allowing rumen bugs better access to the fibres and, in addition, providing a source of sodium bicarbonate, a natural buffer for the rumen.

"NIS provides slow release energy, counteracting acidosis which can be a problem because it depresses appetite.

"The addition of NIS to the starter nut makes it the ideal provider of fibre too, which helps to maintain a healthy rumen mat and healthy pH – which also combats acidosis."

The trials of the nut containing Nutritionally Improved Straw were carried out on beef calves at Uphampton Farm, in Herefordshire, a large contract rearing business, where the calves that were fed the nut grew ten per cent faster than those in the control group.

The NIS improved their appetite and feed conversion efficiency.