Preparing Your Livestock for Winter Feeding with UFAC Supplements

Despite having a wet Summer this year, in true British fashion, colder weather is on the horizon. With rain, wind, and cooler conditions expected this winter, many farmers will soon begin preparing their livestock for winter. 

One of the most important things to consider when preparing your animals for winter is their feed. Silage is the most common type of feed for livestock, but it is important to supplement this feed with the correct supplements to ensure an adequate supply of energy and other nutrients to your livestock. 

We have rounded up the UFAC products to help you ensure a sufficient intake of energy and protein to help maintain milk constituents in cold weather. We have also included some essential feeding and nutrition tips to help you prepare your livestock for winter.

Choosing the right winter feed for your livestock 

It is important to remember that as the weather changes, so does your animal’s energy needs. Your animals can keep themselves warm by eating more feed and increasing their calorie intake.

This is even more important if an animal is pregnant during winter, as it won’t only try to keep itself warm; it also needs extra calories to support its young and ensure a healthy pregnancy. 

The biggest factor in choosing a winter livestock ration is ensuring you provide the right amount of nutrients for each animal’s specific needs. Every farmer should be aware of how much to feed in winter compared with summer in order to cater for the energy needs for maintenance.

Things to consider when preparing for winter

Plan for adequate forage supply

Before winter arrives, farmers need to ensure that they have enough silage to meet the demands of their livestock. To estimate how much silage will be needed, you must consider how many animals are on the farm, their weight and the rough duration of winter. Purchasing a large amount of silage can also help farmers reduce the feed cost.

Supplement with other feeds

Despite it being a popular choice for winter feed, conserved forage might not be enough to provide all the nutrients required during winter. During winter, your livestock also needs an adequate intake of vitamins and minerals to ensure optimum performance during the cold weather. UFAC has a range of supplements designed to help livestock during the winter months. 

Provide adequate water

Water is also vital to the health and survival of your livestock during winter. As animals eat to maintain their body temperature, they consume less water, which can result in dehydration. Therefore, your livestock should be provided with fresh and clean water at all times. UFAC recommend checking your water supply daily to ensure that it is clean and that pipes have not frozen due to the cold. De-icers can be used in this situation to stop your water sources from freezing. 

Monitor your livestock

During winter, keeping a close eye on your animals is vital. Checking that they are eating and drinking enough and staying warm will be crucial as the weather gets colder. Monitoring your livestock also helps to detect any signs of discomfort, disease or illness that might require attention. 

Prepare barns for winter 

Preparing your barns for winter is another crucial step in preparing your livestock for winter. We recommend ensuring that your barns have proper insulation, ventilation, clean straw and bedding, and proper security for all doors and windows so that your livestock can stay dry and warm. 

Which UFAC products help with winter feeding? 

Dynalac 

dynalac is a proven fat supplement for high-yielding herds, increasing dietary energy density to reduce body condition loss and improve overall production, health and fertility.

dynalac’s unique combination of essential fatty acids helps meet the energy needs of milking cows while supplying the specific nutrients required for optimum performance and health at a time when intakes are suppressed. dynalac is ideal for incorporation in all dairy diets, regardless of the stage of lactation.

Envirolac 

envirolac has been proven to increase milk yields and quality while offering a lower carbon footprint than palm oil-based fat supplements.

envirolac is designed to increase dietary energy density while optimising rumen fermentation and priming liver function to increase milk yield and constituents and improve cow health and fertility.

Glycerene 

Glycerene boosts rumen-inert energy supply, helping cows settle into lactation and achieve high dry matter intakes while minimising body condition loss. The liver converts glycerol in the glycerene into glucose to derive milk volume and boost immunity.

UFAC recommends feeding glycerene if your herd is experiencing symptoms such as negative energy balance, false high butterfats, low blood glucose and low milk lactose. glycerene’s greater glucose supply reduces the need for the cow to mobilise body fat to provide additional energy and minimise the risk of metabolic disorders.

Glycobuf

Glyco-buf works to improve rumen health and reduces the risk of SARA and other metabolic disorders in high-yielding cows during transition and early lactation.

It is designed to maintain optimum rumen pH and improve energy supply, leading to improved DMI, lower body condition loss, fewer metabolic disorders and increased yields.

Supa cream 

supa-cream is a direct replacement for calcium soap with the added benefit of omega-3. It is balanced to optimise milk yield and composition while promoting better herd health and fertility. 

Suited to all stages of lactation, supa-cream is the ideal fat supplement to boost energy when cows are managed as a single milking group. 

Supa-cream is a precisely formulated blend of essential fatty acids derived from highly digestible oils. It contains the optimum ratio of C18:1 and C16:0 fatty acids, along with omega 3 EPA and DHA fatty acids and glycerine.

Contact us

Interested in learning more about UFAC products? Fill out the form below, and a member of our team will be in touch with more information, or contact our Regional Business Managers directly.

Steve Willats

M: 07827 249157

South West and Wales 

Richard Lapthorne 

M: 07788 963 487

North England and Scotland 

James Hastings-Molyneux 

M: 07538 763 832

South East and Midlands