Increase Lifetime Daily Yield of dairy cows to increase income over feed costs
The world population is still growing and most of the arable land available for farming is already being used. To make dairy farming more sustainable, it is estimated that by 2050, the production of food should double, while reducing the impact on the environment by 50%26.
Sustainable dairy farming comes with a number of challenges;
For the dairy industry there is only one way to meet these 3 challenges:
Make use of existing resources more efficiently to increase the Lifetime Daily Yield.
Increasing Lifetime Daily Yield will help to reduce the environmental footprint, guarantee the health and welfare of animals and improve the financial performance of the dairy farmer.
Increasing Lifetime Daily Yield from a veterinary perspective
Increasing Lifetime Daily Yield of dairy cows starts with metabolic programming of dairy calves during the early rearing phase. The next 2 phases in the production cycle that have a great impact are the dry cow period and the transition to lactation. Once animals are beyond 30 days in milk, the only factor with a significant impact on milk production is the quality of the roughage.
Reduce the environmental footprint of dairy farming
Lifetime Daily Yield is key to reduce the environmental footprint
Studies carried out by the ILVO in Belgium19 have shown that the environmental impact and the use of natural resources of a dairy farm will be reduced if the number of youngstock can be reduced. If the age at first calving and the involuntary culling rate go down, the number of youngstock on a farm can be reduced and more cows producing milk can be kept.
The amount of energy per cow required for maintenance is fixed and not depending on production level. Therefore, if the production per cow goes up, less feed will be required per kg of milk produced.
Increasing the Lifetime Daily Yield will therefore reduce the environmental footprint of dairy farming.
Improve health and welfare of dairy cows
Increasing the resilience of dairy cows
Milk processors and consumers of milk show an increasing interest in the health and welfare of dairy cows. Many of the disease problems seen in modern dairy cows are related to a sub-optimal transition to lactation7,27,28. The metabolic diseases, lameness and mastitis often seen in the period immediately after calving have a strong negative impact on productivity and animal welfare.
The Selko programme for sustainable dairy farming helps you to improve health and welfare of dairy cows, resulting in a smooth transition to lactation.
Provide the farmer of today and future generations with a healthy income
Improving feed efficiency
Financial profitability of dairy farming is under continuous pressure. Dairy farming can only be sustainable if farmers can earn a living, now and in the future. One of the most important financial parameters on a dairy farm is income over feed costs. To improve this parameter, the Lifetime Daily Yield of dairy cows should be improved. German research suggests that for a farm to be profitable, the LDY should be above 15 litres per cow per day20.
The Selko programme programme for sustainable dairy farming helps you to increase Lifetime Daily Yield of dairy cows.
Make milk production more sustainable by increasing Lifetime Daily Yield
To achieve a Lifetime Daily Yield of at least 20kg of milk per day, the following targets must be reached19,21,22,23,24,25.
We share our scientific insights to get the best results for you.
Make sure you stay connected!
At Selko we are committed to put our scientific insights to work in order to achieve sustainable dairy farming for farmers who are looking to transform their milk production processes and meet 3 critical demands: reducing the carbon dairy footprint, ensuring animal welfare and create an optimal financial performance.
Subscribe to our download center and quarterly updates and we'll keep you informed about trial results, latest scientific insights and new legislative demands on environment and sustainability, specifically for the dairy industry
Great to have you on board. We have just send you an email with a link to confirm your subscription. Once you have confirmed your subscription via this email your registration will be complete.
*You can unsubscribe from our marketing lists at any time via the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails. For information about our privacy policy and general terms and agreements, you can click on the appropriate links in the footer of our website.
Selko Feed Additives
Making sustainable dairy farming profitable
Science-based solutions for optimum dairy performance
