Southern Valley Feeds’ customer wins £1000 in national competition
The news that he'd won £1000 in the national Rovimix® Biotin competition came as a huge surprise to Dorset dairy farmer Richard Foot, who farms 100ha at Caundle Marsh near Sherborne, because his wife Denise had filled out the entry form - without mentioning it!
Still deciding how to spend the money, Richard says that he has been adding Rovimix® Biotin to the semi-complete ration fed to his 140-cow pedigree 'Tarischka' herd for the last 15 months as part of a bespoke minerals package formulated and manufactured by Southern Valley Feeds. Richard, who first used Rovimix® Biotin on the advice of dairy feed specialist Guy Livingston, explains that it forms part of a revised feeding strategy designed to increase milk yields from the herd, which currently averages 8,800 litres, with 4.27% butterfat and 3.21% protein.
"We were having a few problems with white line disease and solar ulcers because the cows' hooves were soft, but these complaints have now virtually disappeared. Their feet are now definitely harder and our herdsman reckons they're much tougher to trim. The cows are more comfortable, which serves to boost dry matter intakes and milk yields. The fact that we've fewer lame cows to deal with means that I can concentrate on putting more milk in the tank."
Dairy feed specialist Guy Livingston points out that feeding 20mg/cow/day of Rovimix® Biotin improves liver function and boosts milk production. He commented: "Richard is looking to increase milk quality as well as yields and because he's aiming to drive down costs every additional litre has to be cost-effective. Producers can typically expect an additional litre per cow per day as a result of adding Rovimix® Biotin, while lactations tend to be more persistent and cows milk as if they're being fed using a flat-rate system. I have seen that effect in many herds, but it is important to ensure that all cows are fed the correct amount in order to maximise the benefits."
Commenting on the value of the product, Richard said: "I want to keep the cost of producing milk under control, while at the same time preventing health breakdowns, such as lameness. Feeding Rovimix® Biotin as part of my dairy mineral allows me to do this. Herd hoof health is better now than it's ever been. I'd like it to stay that way."
Spending less time treating hoof problems and worrying about cow health means that Richard can spare some time to resolve his current dilemma, namely how to spend his prize money. He said: "We might get a new television or maybe take a canal boat trip."
