To calculate the carbon footprint of a dairy farm, the farmer needs to know the amount of CO₂eq per mT of the feed he buys for his dairy herd. Producers of dairy feed therefore need to know the CO₂eq number of all ingredients they use to produce the feeds they sell to dairy farmers. If dairy feed producers want to know the carbon footprint of the trace mineral source they use, they now have access to an LCA for the production of Selko IntelliBond trace minerals. This provides provides dairy feed producers with an independent verification on the CO₂eq number of their trace mineral source for dairy cattle.

Reducing the age at first calving, while still reaching rearing targets, will help to improve Lifetime Daily Yield because heifers will start producing at an earlier age. It has also been demonstrated that heifers that calve at 22 to 24 months have optimal fertility and maximum milk yield in their first lactation, resulting in a further improvement of Lifetime Daily Yield.

A trial in cattle showed that Selko LactiBute, containing rumen protected calcium gluconate had a prebiotic effect in the hindgut of cattle. This resulted in increased levels of acetate and propionate and a trend towards higher levels of butyrate in the hindgut. Butyrate can reduce the risk of hindgut acidosis in dairy cows.

In a recent trial in dairy cattle, conducted by Professor Santos from the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, a 1 kg increase in colostrum production and a 1.5 kg rise in energy-corrected milk (ECM) were found. Additionally, the trial demonstrated improvements in feed conversion efficiency, an improvement of fertility, a reduction in disease incidence, and a lower culling rate. Feeding Selko IntelliBond to dairy cows resulted in significant benefits. These findings highlight the positive impact of trace mineral nutrition on the performance, health and longevity of dairy cows.

Managing the challenges that cows are facing in the transition period will have a strong positive impact on fertility and will reduce involuntary culling. A further improvement of dairy herd fertility can be reached by monitoring some key fertility parameters in a systematic way and translating this into specific actions.

Proven feed additives to reduce methane such as Selko IntelliBond & Selko Fytera Balance are designed to not increase the costs per kg of milk produced