Independent Cattle Nutrition (UK)
UK Beef and dairy herds using the Owen Cattle Company can be confident of a professional independent nutrition service that goes beyond that of just formulating a ration.
Our qualifications, experience and knowledge draw on research from around the world and experience in the cattle industry spanning the UK, Australia and USA.
Our dairy clientele base are mostly family sized businesses requiring independent advice. Our beef clientele cover all scales of beef production.
Having made the decision in late 2012 to go out on our own we are interested in developing a good working relationship with beef and dairy clientele. If you potentially have an interest in our services please feel free to contact us on +44 7528 436 163 or by email at info@owencattle.com to discuss your requirements in more detail.
Dairy Nutrition
Dairy—our methodology is potentially not the norm on mainstream dairy nutrition. Our view on maximising long term profitability comes down to being unconditional on fertility and herd health. From here milk production can be pushed to the limit of the herd dynamic and the managerial skill set of the dairy unit. We are positioning ourselves to work with family based dairies wanting to get a little more out of the job without costing the earth. First appraisal is non-committal, you'll need to allow 1-2 hours to complete.Typical Dairy Rations
- Single TMR Ration (Total Mixed Ration)
- Grassed Based PMR & Buffer Rations (Partial Mixed Ration)
- Dry Cow
- Heifers
- Dairy Bull Beef
- Single Visit - £160 plus VAT
- Quarterly Package - £480 plus VAT
- Annual Package - £1000 plus VAT
Beef Nutrition (UK)
Beef Overview—more often than not formulating rations for beef cattle comes down to making compromises that take into account seasonal variations and fluctuations in ingredient costs. The metabolic requirement of each management group needs to be weighed up against the cost effectiveness and the impact it can have on the group. From stretching out silage for the suckler herd or trying to boost daily live weight gain the Owen Cattle Company takes the guess work out of bridging this gap.
Sam's knowledge of beef feeding systems has made a refreshing change from the traditional dairy based approach used by other nutritionists. Over the past 12 months or so he has enabled me to take a fresh approach to my feeding plans and has been a contributory factor in my decision to invest in staff and machinery to expand my livestock production. Andrew Lloyd, Buckinghamshire
Breeding Herd—for the suckler herd (breeding cows) this will be mostly about managing condition score. Condition score impacts on calving, fertility and milking. Compared to straight silage the introduction of a diet feeder in conjunction with a correctly formulated ration will significantly reduce silage use and bedding costs.
Additionally, growing out replacement heifers to calve down at two years can be comfortably achieved. By taking control over condition score pre and post calving and keeping calving dystocia to a minimum there is a significant benefit to be gained. In brief it reduces freeloading stock, silage use and increases tonnage of beef sold off the farm each year.
Finishing/Fattening/Feedlotting—optimising the finishing system takes time, it goes well beyond balancing a ration chemically and physically. The intitial farm visit is about benchmarking to get an accurate picture of feed conversion ratio, days on feed, cost per ton, entry-and-exit weights, buy-and-sell price along with several other areas to identify where the unit is most efficient.A typical UK beef finishing unit will have cattle entering the 'finishing-phase' at 350-400kg live weight, they will be held for about 120-180 days aiming to finish them at 350-400kg carcase in a 3.5 to 4 condition score (CS).
This results in circa 300kg in live weight gain worth around £600/head.
With a Feed Conversion Ration (FCR) of 8:1 = 2.4 ton of dry matter (DM) is consumed = £480 leaving a margin over feed of £120 per head.
Should FCR be closer to 10:1 then 3 ton of feed would be consumed and if ration cost slips to £220/t DM the feed costs stretches out to £660 leaving a margin over feed of -£60 per head.
The Owen Cattle Company is about taking control over these figures, we have a systematic process that is worth taking the time to consider with your next or current batch of cattle.
Growing Cattle & Stores—the growing rations we formulate for this group of cattle encompassing heifers for self-replacing herds and steers-and-heifers being grown to be fattened or turned out. Like our other rations getting the most out of your home grown feeds enables us to use a cross section of ingredients that develops frame post weaning, retains or develops the 'sappiness' and shine without laying down excess fat.
Typical Beef Rations
- Dry Suckler Cows
- Dry Cow
- Heifers
- Dairy Bull Beef
- Winter Rations/Single Visit - £250 plus VAT (First year)
- Winter Rations/Single Visit - £160 plus VAT(After year one)
- Start to Finish (Batch) Beef Nutrition Package - £480 plus VAT
- Annual Beef Nutrition Package - £1000 plus VAT
Elite Beef
Premium Commercial Beef Package—for commercial herds this focuses on getting the most out of your cattle enterprise. By working on improving genetics, nutrition and equipment their are considerable gains to be made. This commences by setting out a clear breeding objective that will delignate the importance and priority that is needed to be placed on the synergy between genetics, nutrition and equipment.At a genetic level we work on improving fertility, structural soundness, growth, muscle and fat with the specific purpose of breeding cattle to fulfil a carcase specification and to do this as profitably as possible.
At a nutritional level we set in place rations each year that fulfill the metabolic requirement of each group and complete break-even, cost benefit and opportunity cost analysis that may exist. Through a measure-monitor-adjust process the beef unit is fine tuned year-on-year to be as efficient and profitable as possible.
In regard to equipment and a short fall exists we would look at putting in place equipment that would meet the demands of the enterprise and budget constraints.
Add-ons to the Premium Beef Package are available that can be tailored to each specific herd. Some of these include AI programs and placing the breeding herd onto a commercial performance register whereby unbiased best estimates of genetic worth can be calculated.
Pedigree Beef Package—from head-to-toe the pedigree package is our top end option and is all about marketing your prefix, bulls and top end females. Rations are provided for all cattle on-farm, from creep feeding through to bull rations for the top end bull sales. Pedigree package includes:
- Rations
- Structural assessment and selection
- Sire selection and breeding assistance
- Website
- Performance recording with ABRI (Breedplan) along with carcase data
- Marketing strategy
- Elite Commercial Beef Package - £1500 plus VAT
- Pedigree Beef Package - £2000 plus VAT
Elite Beef Nutrition Request Page »
Sheep
For sheep farmers using a diet feeder or in the market for a diet feeder we formulate rations for lambing ewes along with fattening lambs and hoggots. The benefits on introducing a diet feeder for the housed sheep are considerable.
Common benefits include: cheaper rations, less prolapses, less barging, less dominant ewe issues, higher pen density, higher survival rate, earlier turnout, better milking, less noise, easier on the back!
Sheep Nutrition Prices
- Single Visit - £160 plus VAT
Sheep Nutrition Request Page »
Please note that FCR and FCE (Feed Conversion Efficiency) have the same meaning but are expressed inversely. For example a FCR of 10:1 is the same as an FCE of 100. Or, it could be expressed that an animal has a 10 percent efficiency in converting DM into beef.
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