As they come in for housing this month, the diet of both the suckler cows and finishing cattle will be switched to a mixture of grass and maize silage and a bespoke, high starch blend. This includes among its ingredients rolled cereals and ground maize and the live yeast, Levucell Titan SC.
He says: “I have learned from experience the importance of good gut health and we know the Levucell SC optimises rumen function and stabilises its pH.” Mr Greasley agrees: “Acidosis is always a risk when cattle move on to a higher starch winter ration and, although it may only occur at a sub-clinical level, it will always impact performance and can damage the lining of the rumen.
“The rumen-specific live yeast, Levucell SC Titan, has been designed to help in exactly this situation, as it can regulate rumen pH, improve fibre digestion and scavenge oxygen, all of which have a positive effect on rumen health.
“For instance, by utilising oxygen it helps create the ideal environment for the rumen’s anaerobic microflora, and this, in turn, gets other important processes under way.” This includes the ‘mopping up’ of lactic acid by the bacteria encouraged by the yeast, which will help to maintain a constant rumen pH of 6.2 or higher. He says: “This is a particularly important benefit in high starch diets, such as those including barley, wheat or maize.”