A new range of specialised performance packs for milking and dry cows that can be bolted on to any standard farm mineral and provide specific benefits has been launched by Cargill.

The Rupromin® Plus packs include additional vitamins, trace elements and performance products in a specific combination depending on their target ‘action’.

The supercharge Rupromin® Plus pack, available for dry and milking cows, will prime the energy pathways in the transition period and promote milk production in high-yielding cows producing more than 29 litres of milk a day.

A second pack, the feed-efficiency pack, can support improved fibre digestion by promoting gut health and beneficial rumen microbes in milking cows.

The health-and-fertility Rupromin® Plus pack, for dry and milking cows, includes a potent antioxidant pack that is designed to promote a strong immune system, for a smooth start to the lactation and to maintain a strong immune system and promote a trouble-free lactation.

This pack includes Cargill’s Proviox®. This complementary mineral feed has a proven track record for supporting immunity, particularly when animals are faced with challenges, such as during calving or external stressors.

Proviox® has been used in all livestock feeds for the past decade, and in dairy cattle trials it has been shown to improve feed efficiency and milk constituent quality. It is a carefully balanced combination of natural polyphenols, predominantly flavonols, that are rich in antioxidant properties.

Using a combination of vitamin E with Proviox® has been shown to be more effective than using only vitamin E and more cost-effective, even when prices of vitamin E are not prohibitive.

“Dairy herd nutrition is becoming more precise, and these packs are another step in this direction,” says Cargill’s ruminant technical manager Philip Ingram. “Each pack focuses on key areas, depending on the herd or group of animals. By keeping the cow in better running order and working more efficiently, she is better able to reach her potential.

“The running costs of efficient cows is less than those with health or fertility issues, or performing below par, and their output is almost always higher,” adds Dr Ingram. “These packs can be integral in promoting efficiency and contributing to more sustainable milk production.”

For more information about Cargill’s new Rupromin Plus packs contact Cargill on 01845 578125 or visit customerservices_dalton@cargill.com