Optimising Winter Diets for Dairy and Beef Herds in Ireland

As winter approaches, Irish farmers face unique challenges in maintaining the health, productivity, and well-being of dairy and beef herds. The colder months bring reduced pasture availability, forcing a heavier reliance on stored forages and concentrates.

This shift in diet requires careful planning to optimise winter feeding regimes and ensure animals receive balanced nutrition.

Well planned winter diets are essential for maintaining your livestock’s health and productivity when they are housed for long periods

Our experts at Specialist Nutrition are always available to provide on-farm guidance to tailor bespoke winter diets for your livestock to maintain performance and health through the colder months. In the meantime, our specialists have selected some key actions below for you to consider:

Silage Quality and Feeding: Testing the quality of silage is crucial to determine its Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD). Silage with a DMD above 70% is ideal, promoting better weight gain and milk production. Lower-quality silage may necessitate additional concentrate feeding to meet nutritional requirements, especially for growing and lactating animals.

Analysing silage quality is crucial to understanding its fibre, energy, and protein content so you can effectively balance fibre, protein and energy levels for optimum health and performance. High-quality silage provides digestible fibre to support rumen function, helping cattle meet their energy needs while reducing the reliance on concentrates.

It’s best advised to use a consistent silage source and carry out regular quality checks to avoid variability that can disrupt digestion and rumen health. Using additives like silage inoculants can help maintain the quality during storage and feeding.

Concentrate Use: Supplementing with concentrates depends on silage quality, desired growth rates, and energy needs. For dairy cows, the level of concentrates needed will depend on the level of production. Concentrate requirements for beef cattle will also depend on the quality of the silage and on what the expected performance of the animal is.

It’s recommended to introduce concentrates gradually to avoid digestive issues, using products with balanced energy and protein levels to support optimal digestion and feed conversion.

Rumen-Protective Additives: High-concentrate diets increase the risk of acidosis, a condition resulting from a repaid decrease of the rumen pH. Rumen additives, including buffers and yeasts, help maintain a stable pH and promote beneficial microbial activity in the rumen.

Recommended additives include Acid Buff to neutralises excess acidity, protecting rumen health in high-grain diets; yeast cultures to stimulate beneficial bacteria and improve fibre digestion; and Ionophores (for beef herds, not for dairy) to improve feed efficiency.

Housing and Comfort: Proper housing management helps reduce stress, which in turn improves feed intake and animal health. It’s good advice to have adequate space, ventilation, and regular cleaning to prevent disease build-up, especially respiratory issues. Minimising draughts and dampness can improve feed efficiency and reduce energy expenditure on maintaining body heat, which is especially important for young and growing animals.

Health Management: Regular parasite control, including dosing for liver fluke and lungworm, is essential, as animals in housing may be more vulnerable to infestations. It is recommended to work with a veterinarian to develop a dosing schedule tailored to the specific needs of the herd.

In addition, managing common diseases like IBR and pneumonia through vaccination and hygiene can prevent performance losses and support robust winter growth.

Water Availability: Ensuring constant access to fresh water is often overlooked in winter management. Water intake is vital for digestion, especially with high-fibre diets like silage.

Farmers are encouraged to check water flow regularly, as colder temperatures can lead to freezing, reducing intake and impacting feed digestion​

By following these recommendations, Irish farmers can maintain productivity and health in their herds throughout the winter.

Sample Diets for Housed Winter Cattle

Dairy Herds

A typical housed winter diet for a high-yielding dairy cow might include:

• Forages: 30-40 kg (fresh weight) of high-quality Forages. This can be grass silage only, or a combination of grass and maize silage and/or Whole crop silage
• Concentrates: type and quantity will depend on the quality and type/s of forages being used
• Minerals: High Performance Dairy mineral Pack. Ideal for high performing dairy cows
• Buffer: For example 80-100grams of Acid Buff or Vistacelll Yeast or a combination of both

Beef Herds

For a growing beef animal aiming for efficient weight gain, a housed winter diet could include:

• Forages: 10-20kgs of high-quality Forage/forages
• Concentrates: Starch sources like Maize Meal, barley and wheat are a must. Protein sources like Soya and Distillers also need to be included. Beet pulp and Soya Hulls can also be included as a source of digestible fibre.
• Minerals: SN Intensive Beef or SN Special Beef are essential for high performing cattle.

Final Thoughts

Optimising housed winter diets requires a balanced approach that meets nutritional needs without compromising rumen health. By investing in quality forage, balancing energy and protein levels, supplementing essential nutrients, and using rumen-protective additives, Irish farmers can help their dairy and beef herds thrive through the winter months. Specialist Nutrition offers a range of products and advisory services tailored to the Irish climate and farming conditions, supporting healthy and productive housed herds throughout the season.