Experience Dairy Farm TOPS: ‘You can see from the manure that the roughage is easily digested…’
‘Fewer fluctuations in the rumen are always better…’
Raymond & Niek Huirne
200
dairy cows
80
youngstock
78
hectares of land
10.300
kg of milk per cow per year
Changes in roughage and season cause fluctuations in the rumen. It can lead to rumen acidosis. As a result, the digestion of roughage and the cow’s resistance are under pressure. The manure pattern can change, and the results in the milk tank can lag.
Dairy farm TOPS is convinced that fewer fluctuations in the rumen are always better. To maintain a constant pH in the rumen, they use pHom Norway, even when changing roughage. How do you manage changing conditions for your dairy cattle?
Father Raymond and son Niek are tenth-generation dairy farmers. Together with the wife and mother of the family, Marion, the family runs a healthy dairy farm. Thanks to Quality Calf, we were introduced to the Huirne family. Satisfied entrepreneurs, confident in the future, with a focus on getting the highest yield from roughage.
Optimising protein and energy in the basic ration is essential in this regard. ‘We are not aiming for top production, but we try to get the most milk from this farm with as much roughage as possible,’ says son Niek.
Why did you start using pHom Norway?
Dairy farm TOPS used sodium bicarbonate as a rumen buffer until the spring of 2023. They heard stories about pHom Norway and were particularly interested because it is 100% natural and maintains the pH in the rumen throughout the day. Niek explains: ‘Sodium bicarbonate mainly works during feed intake, which means that the pH in the rumen can still peak and dip during the day. With pHom Norway, we keep the pH stable for much longer throughout the day.’ Father Raymond adds: ‘If you mow early in the spring, you get very fast silage and thin manure.’ With pHom Norway, they experience stable manure in their dairy cattle. Dairy farm TOPS also participated in the manure research conducted by students from the Agricultural University in 2023. It provided father and son with new insights.
What do you see in the manure when the roughage is easily digested?
Father and son Huirne say that they sieved manure for a month when the cows were still receiving sodium bicarbonate in their feed. They saw that the fraction of the coarse sieve was about the same size as the middle sieve. pHom Norway then replaced the sodium bicarbonate, and they continued to sieve the manure regularly. The results have made father and son enthusiastic: ‘We saw the proportion of the fine sieve increase over time. It became clear that the roughage is easily digested since pHom Norway’.
Do the results with pHom Norway meet your expectations?
According to the father and son, things were going well on the dairy farm before the switch. Father Raymond explains: ‘We don’t just start using any powder. We did have expectations after hearing stories about how good pHom Norway could be. When we started the research, we had no complaints, but we did hope that the manure would improve further.’ Son Niek adds: ‘In the months that followed, we saw that the maize and roughage in particular were better digested with pHom Norway.’
How do you use pHom Norway?
Dairy farm TOPS used 150–180 grams/animal/day of sodium bicarbonate with fast silage. Now they are replacing that with 70–80 grams of pHom Norway. Raymond explains that mowing grass early in the spring results in easily digestible silage. When you feed this roughage to the cows in winter, it can lead to thin manure. It is precisely what the gentlemen observed in the winter of 2023.
The cows had challenges digesting the roughage, and the manure from a herd of cows was very thin. They immediately started using pHom Norway to correct this and get more energy from their own roughage. In the summer, at temperatures above 25°C, they fed 250 grams/animal/day of sodium bicarbonate, even more in case of heat stress. Since 2023, sodium bicarbonate has been replaced with half pHom Norway, 100–125 grams.
Why do you continue to use the product?
Niek explains: ‘When we feed a little more pHom Norway, we can clearly see from the manure that the roughage is easily digested.’ Raymond agrees: ‘Yes, you can see that quickly.’ Niek continues: ‘In the winter, we noticed that the cows were eating less, probably because the roughage was easily digested. In the feed mixer, this saved us 500 kilograms per day without compromising on milk and solids.’ Dairy farm TOPS has found that pHom Norway contributes to better feed efficiency, because the cows can utilise the roughage better, thanks to a more stable pH in the rumen. Raymond states clearly: ‘Fewer fluctuations in the rumen are always better. pHom Norway works all day long. Think of a cow in heat. She doesn’t eat for half a day, but the pH in her rumen remains constant with pHom Norway.’
Would you recommend pHom Norway to colleagues?
Raymond laughs heartily and says: ‘My neighbour is already using it!’
Testimonials from dairy farmers
More Energy from your silage!
