“With RuFO, our cows are happier”
Animal Health Vision (AHV) has launched a new feed additive, RuFO, designed specifically to improve rumen function in dairy cows.
The new product has been formulated purposely for inclusion in Total Mixed Ration (TMR) diets. Its development recognises fully the very high inclusion rates of forage in the diets fed to dairy cows throughout the year in Northern Ireland.
AHV nutritionist Anna Blair states that, “the quantity and activity of rumen microbial population determines the efficiency with which all diets are utilised”.
“RuFO improves the production, fertility and overall health of our cows”
“RuFO has been designed specifically to promote an environment within the rumen that is fully conducive to the growth and activity of those microbial populations that ultimately produce optimal levels of health and productivity. This is being achieved by improved utilisation of feed, which – in turn – releases more energy and protein to the microbes and the animal. Therefore, the use of RuFO will help deliver improved production, fertility, and overall health outcomes.”
“RuFO has been extensively trialled on dairy farms throughout Ireland. Participating farmers have consistently confirmed the attainment of improved lactation performance, more efficient use of feed, better fertility, and improved health status across their herds.”
Fermanagh based farmer; Kyle Farlow has been feeding RuFO since February (2022) and is very happy with the results so far. Since integrating RuFO into his TMR structure, there has been a massive improvement in cows scanning in calf and overall herd fertility”.
Good results with AHV
He commented:
‘’We have been using AHV Solutions since August 2021. We have 120 dairy cows, milking all year round on an indoor system using two robots”.
“One of the deciding factors for using RuFO was that there were mycotoxins in the silage.’’
A beneficial impact of securing optimal rumen health is the ability of cows to better deal with the performance-related problems that can be caused by mycotoxins.
Recent surveys have confirmed that mycotoxins are becoming more prevalent in the silages fed to dairy cows throughout Ireland.
Kyle explained, “our cows were experiencing digestive problems, they were milking off their back. Since using RuFO, overall body condition has improved, and fewer digestive issues have resulted”.
‘’Our milk urea has stabilised, and the cow’s fertility has improved vastly. We’ve seen stronger heats. We do have the heat detection system on the farm, and it works well but we have had an increase in visible heats in the herd. Scanning results have improved with more cows scanning in calf.’’
Kyle added:
‘’The cows are much more settled and rumen health and digestion have greatly improved. In terms of lameness, we’ve seen an improvement in the cows’ feet. The footman was here a few weeks ago and he did say that he had never seen as little problems with their feet.’’
The impact on heating levels
RuFO acts to reduce heating in the TMR diet. All the farmers on the initial trial reported a consistent and significant reduction in heating levels within the rations fed to their cows. This is of huge benefit to palatability and crucially, feed quality. The heating process causes degradation of nutrients, so when we prevent heating when using RuFO, we maintain the nutrient value of the TMR diet.
RuFO has been designed to deliver improved performance levels across an entire herd or within a specific herd group. RuFO’s success in maintaining feed quality, promoting efficient digestion, and supporting overall cow health and performance has been evident, alongside its hugely worthwhile return on investment.
For further information, contact Anna Blair on +44 (0)7423 835065.
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Would you like to be visited by an advisor to discuss the health challenges on your farm together? Our AHV Specialist will be happy to visit you to jointly assess the health of your cows and come up with appropriate cow-specific advice.
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