Breeder testimony: yeast to boost productivity!
Personalised advice and monitoring
On this 35kg/cow farm, Patrick Le Delliou is well aware that the aim is to achieve good, consistent production throughout the year, while keeping an eye on the margin on feed costs. He therefore recommended that the partners try Delta® Levures. “I had noticed in the specialist magazines that productive farms regularly included Delta® Levures, so I agreed to give it a try,” explains breeder Jacques Valegant. At the beginning of January 2022, before starting to distribute Delta® Levures, Patrick Le Delliou and Nicolas Cherel, Phileo technician, collected data on rations, milk production and sieved dung. After 6 weeks of use, these data were compared.
Tested and approved
The results were immediate, with an increase in milk production noticed after 3 weeks of use. After 6 weeks, the measured data showed an increase of 2kg of milk per cow, with an identical ration, while the stage of lactation had increased by 19 days (from 164 to 183 days of lactation). Feed efficiency was calculated at 1.66kg of standard milk produced per kg of dry matter intake. Patrick Le Delliou also noted a 33% drop in residues in the dung sieves. During the distribution of Delta® Levures, there was only 4% on the 5 mm grid and 13.5% on the 2 mm grid (optimum figures in terms of ration utilisation, meaning good fibre digestibility).
With a few months’ hindsight, Jacques points out that “there is better feed intake and regular milk production, even when the ration is changed or temperatures rise in the building”. Lactation persistency and primiparous start-ups are also better than in the past. The figures from the trial showed an increase in production of 3L for the best 50 dairy cows in the herd.
€4,200 extra margin
“The main thing I will remember about Delta® Levures is its economic aspect. With a milk price of €400/1,000L, I have noticed that my margin on feed costs has increased by €0.7/dairy cow/D,”, says Jacques. Each month, with 200 cows, the livestock farm generates €4,200 extra margin. With the price of various raw materials on the rise, it is even more important to make the most of every ingredient in the ration. The positive impact of live yeast on the economic aspect is therefore even more significant in the current situation.
50 billion CFU of live yeast
The addition of Delta®Levures improves rumen function, encouraging the development of fibre-degrading and lactic acid-consuming flora in the rumen. The visible signs for the breeder are an increase in milk production and fat content, as well as a reduction in residues in the dung sieves (less fibre, less grain) for better ration use. Distributing 50g of Delta®Levures provides a dose of 50 billion CFU of Actisaf® live yeasts per cow per day. It can also be distributed to dry cows, heifers and beef cattle, in appropriate proportions. ‘This trial has proved conclusive in maintaining a good margin on feed costs,’ concludes the breeder, who is looking to maximise the margin on feed costs with the farm’s forage.
More information on DELTALEVURES™
A trial on 1,000 dairy cows in Brittany
The distributor carried out a trial on 10 farms in Brittany on 1,000 cows from October to March 2022. The average gain in milk was +1.6kg (+1.45kg for farms producing between 30 and 35kg and + 1.97kg for farms producing more than 35kg). The effect of live yeast is more noticeable when:
- The level of production is high (> 9,700 kg of milk)
- The percentage of multiparous cows in the herd is high (> 65%)
- The ration is made up of around 20% grass silage
- The proportion of concentrate in the ration is high > 20%)
- The dry cows were given Actisaf in pre-calving periods
LE COADIC FARM IN ARZANO (29 – FINISTERE, FRANCE)
- 200 cows, 60 bullocks
- 2 partners, 3 employees and 1 apprentice
- 2.39 million milk references
- 287 ha of UAA