Experiences De Bokhorst: “Milk fat increased by 2 points…”

“Getting the most out of our roughage, that’s the goal on this farm…”
André & Daan Klein Geltink

130

dairy cows

young stock

hectares of land

9,500

kg of milk per cow per year

Taking advantage of opportunities. Run technically well. Farm in balance with herb-rich grassland. Return on efficiency. Getting the most out of their roughage. De Bokhorst thrives on optimism, realism, and entrepreneurship. The dairy farm is located in the Achterhoek region. This family farm belongs to “The Remainers” of the Dutch dairy sector.

In 2022, De Bokhorst invested in a Lely Vector. In 2023, they participated in a study with pHom Norway to successfully get even more energy from their roughage. Courtesy of Quality Calf, we spoke with dairy cattle entrepreneurs André and Daan Klein Geltink.

Why did De Bokhorst start pHom Norway?

André & Daan explain, “pHom Norway is a natural product, so there can be little wrong with that for the cow. Our goal on this farm is to get the most out of our roughage. We were open to investigating whether pHom Norway contributes to that.” De Bokhorst participated in a field study. During three months, at a stable ration, manure was sieved regularly by students from the agricultural college. The manure results made the difference very visible. The coarse fraction dropped from 14% to 8%. That means 6% more energy from our roughage. André relates, “We do see the reaction from the cows. Digestion is close to optimal”.

How do you use the product?

pHom Norway is half the dose compared to sodium bicarbonate. De Bokhorst uses 3.5 oz pHom Norway per cow daily, and thus replaces sodium bicarbonate. The Lely Vector has a special dosing system for minerals. Father and son are visibly proud of the investment in the feeding robot. De Bokhorst sees advantages in getting more roughage into the cow in this way. The feeding robot offers more flexibility in the ration. André adds: “With the Lely Vector system, we can dose accurately and get the stuff right on the spot. We fill the dosing system with pHom Norway and set the dosage. The dosing system has an additional auger, which makes dosing the product easy and even.”

What effects and benefits do you see?

De Bokhorst has been using pHom Norway since March 2023. The trend shows that the milk fat content has increased by 2 points since introducing pHom Norway. The gentleman says: “With warm weather or changes in rations, you often have a dip in the milk production. With pHom Norway, this drop is contained. The manure quality remains hearty despite the change in ration and grazing. The cows are visibly comfortable. A strong base is essential to produce a liter of milk, and pHom Norway contributes to that strong base.

What is your experience with pHom Norway compared to sodium bicarbonate?

De Bokhorst states, “Sodium bicarbonate is salty and not so palatable to the cow. We heard from pHom Norway that you use less and that it is a natural product. We also milk for PlanetProof, so this fits. With pHom Norway, the cows eat everything nicely. We now feed 18 kilograms of concentrate per 100 kg of milk. That’s not that much. If you do well on a nutritional level, you also do well on a balance level”. During the hot summer of 2022, milk fat content dropped from 4.35 to 4.14% despite a rumen buffer. With pHom Norway, the annual average sits around 4.60% milk fat.

Why does De Bokhorst continue to use the product?

André shares a stroke of luck: “We had forgotten to refill the dosing system with pHom Norway. For a few days, the tank was empty. I did see the result immediately in the milk tank. The milk fat was sinking. With that, it seems that pHom Norway contributes to that balance in the rumen to keep the milk fat levels up.”

Would you recommend pHom Norway to colleagues?

De Bokhorst started using pHom Norway with an open mind. André says, “It did not disappoint us. I recommend colleagues to try pHom Norway and experience it for themselves”. Daan adds: “I can give a nice talk, but you have to experience whether it suits you or not…”

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