Experience Dekker Farm: “Converting more roughage into milk…”
“Our ration is rich in sugar. It ferments quickly. Yet we see a nice manure consistency…”
Dave Dekker
115
dairy cows
110
youngstock
70
hectares of land
11,000
kg of milk per cow per year
Dave has a passion for grasslands. And passion pays off! In 2021, Dave was nominated as the best grassland farmer in the Netherlands. He won the Golden Blade of Grass for his innovative ideas around grass use.
The dairy farm near Amsterdam needed more space for this enthusiastic family’s ambitions. So, they bought an existing dairy farm in Denmark. The Dekker family has lived in Lemming since February 2023.
Dave saw the story of fellow dairy farmer HK Holsteins and sought more consistent results from a solid roughage base. They were also feeding sodium bicarbonate, but Dave was not satisfied with the effect on the palatability of the ration. Sjoerd van der Helm’s story appealed to him. In June 2023, Dekker Farm started with pHom Norway. Since then, they have achieved promising results during summer, autumn, and winter. We visited them to get inspired and enthused by Dave and Kelly.
Why did Dekker Farm start pHom Norway?
Dave Dekker says: “In February 2023, we started on this dairy farm with a group of cows that were on average mid-lactation. We had roughage with a good structure, yet I saw significant differences in manure quality and condition scores between the cows. Our feed consultant recommended we feed sodium bicarbonate, but this didn’t give the rumen sufficient stability. Also, the high dosage caused the roughage intake to decrease because palatability became less with sodium bicarbonate.
The story of HK Holsteins appealed to me immediately. A natural product from Norway to replace a chemical rumen buffer and more milk without the hassle. I wanted to experience for myself whether that would be the case. We also like to be at the forefront of new developments. The fact that we are the first in Denmark to give this new product a chance is a nice bonus.”
How do you get more energy from your roughage with pHom Norway?
Dave Dekker continues: “In June, we added 100 grams of pHom Norway per cow daily in the feed wagon and stopped using 200 grams of sodium bicarbonate. We then had a wet and quickly fermentable silage. We also fed much of the third cut with less sugar, making it less palatable for the cows. Rumen acidosis can be a big problem, but in the first weeks we started feeding pHom Norway, we saw the manure consistency improve every time. We saw almost no rumen acidosis due to a more stable and constant rumen activity. We had nine cows with rumen acidosis from February to May, and from June to December, only 3, despite the hot and dry summer.”
What do you experience during roughage changes?
What do you experience during roughage changes?
The goal at Dekker Farm is to get the most out of roughage responsibly. According to Dave, the average dry matter intake is 23 kg, while at most farms, it is around 22 kg. Dave has experienced that with pHom Norway, his cows have increased dry matter intake and improved performance. pHom Norway contributes to the palatability and utilization of the roughage.
“During the summer, we milked 31 to 32 liters of milk from grass. We switched to a sugar-rich first and second cut with 140 grams of sugar, and with crushed barley, we supplemented on energy. The feed supplier recommended chopped straw to support the rumen. We didn’t do that. We saw that the manure remained nicely consistent with pHom Norway. It was on the thick rather than thin side. So we started feeding it a little tighter. In October, we started using maize silage in the ration. The manure remained nicely consistent.”
What results are you seeing with pHom Norway?
Dave Dekker is enthusiastic: “I find the effect of pHom Norway on palatability very positive. As a result, I get more kilos of roughage through the cow, and I can feed a more challenging ration. We have little problems with ketosis. Before we started pHom Norway, we had start-up problems with 8 out of 30 calvings. In the past 40 calvings, we have had one cow with milk fever. Since we have been using pHom Norway, the cows look more robust, fitter, and healthier at the beginning of lactation. The Energy Corrected Milk has increased by more than 150 kg to 11,280 kg in 2023 compared to 2022″.
Dekker Farm has a stable milk yield with more milk solids. Since pHom Norway, milk fat has increased from 4.30% to 4.65%. Milk protein has also increased from 3.55% to 3.70% on average. They see rapid recovery in fresh cows and higher milk yields that retain longer due to healthy and stable rumen function. The cows can convert more roughage to milk.
Why do you continue to use pHom Norway?
Dave Dekker continues: “We see less rumen acidosis, and starting up fresh cows is also a big difference. It takes us less time. It’s not always smooth, but it’s a lot easier. Sodium bicarbonate spoils the palatability of the ration, after all. We see that pHom Norway contributes to the palatability of the ration. I’d rather have an extra kilo of dry matter in the cow so they convert more roughage to milk.”
Would you recommend pHom Norway to other dairy farmers?
Dave Dekker replies, “Yes, definitely. I regularly talk to dairy farmers around here about pHom Norway and what it can do for their cows. The more roughage you can convert to milk, the more stable the ration, and the higher the margins you yield annually.”
Testimonials from dairy farmers
More Energy from your silage!