• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
  • News
  • Lifestyle
This week's Farmers Inside Track podcast episode features Chikondi Gurira, SAIAE’s Business Manager, and Jan-Paul Smit, SAIAE’s Limpopo Branch Chair, Phakade Khanyile, Mpumalanga, cattle breeder, Thandeka Masego, founder of Blooming Fresh Produce, and Stephan Gericke, ruminant technical advisor at Meadow Feeds. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Formulate the right rations for dairy cows’ diet

6th July 2022
This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

13th August 2022
His life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in jail for dealing in drugs, but Thembinkosi Matika turned his life around and now helps others through his Legacy Farming Project. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

12th August 2022
ADVERTISEMENT
Beat the winter blues with yummy butter chicken

Beat the winter blues with yummy butter chicken

12th August 2022
Households in South Africa could be in for some respite in the coming months on food prices. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Food may soon be cheaper. What’s the catch?

12th August 2022
Archive photo. Western Cape agri MEC Ivan Meyer highlighted small towns' dependence on agriculture during a recent provincial summit with municipal leaders. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: MEC lines up municipal support for farmers

12th August 2022
Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

12th August 2022
Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

11th August 2022
Thanks to Netafim’s innovative solutions, drip irrigation is within reach of small-scale farmers. Photo: Supplied

Yes, precision irrigation is possible on a budget

11th August 2022
There's been a major breakthrough with South African citrus containers that have been contained at European ports. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Relief! Govt convinces EU to save SA citrus

11th August 2022
Willem Booise (left) is a trustee and has won the industry’s Specialist Agricultural Worker of the Year award in 2018. Photo: Supplied/Hortgro

Fruit farm shows there’s power in transformation

11th August 2022
Many people love avocados, but did you know that the introduction of just one of these fruits per day can improve the overall quality of your diet? Photo: Pixabay

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

10th August 2022
Davidzo Chizhengeni, animal scientist, founder of KvD livestock, Ika Cronje, farmer and participant in the Corteva Women Agripreneur 2022 programme, Vuyokazi Makapela, a Director at Afrivet, and permaculture farmer, Stephanie Mullins. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Prevent rabies with vaccination

10th August 2022
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
11 GLOBAL MEDIA AWARDS
Sunday, August 14, 2022
Food For Mzansi
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
    • All
    • AgriCareers
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Farmers
    • Groundbreakers
    • Innovators
    • Inspiration
    • It Takes a Village
    • Mentors
    • Movers and Shakers
    • Partnerships
    This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

    How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

    His life took a turn for the worst when he ended up in jail for dealing in drugs, but Thembinkosi Matika turned his life around and now helps others through his Legacy Farming Project. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

    Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Agripreneur 101: Creating a beauty brand

    Claire and Martin Joubert have sacrificed and struggled to become top breeders of Ankole cattle in South Africa. But giving up was never an option, because they wanted to offer only the very best Ankole genetics in the country. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

    Farming couple lives and breathes Ankole cattle

    Tackling climate change, one tree at a time

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Agricareers: Veterinary science not for the timid

    Once struggling farm now a family heirloom

    This drone is collecting data which farmers can then access on the yield management platform. Photo: Supplied/Aerobotics

    Optimal yields now at farmers’ finger tips

  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought
No Result
View All Result
Food For Mzansi

Podcast: Formulate the right rations for dairy cows’ diet

This week, our Meadow Feeds expert zooms in on what the minimum and maximum nutrient specifications are when formulating dairy cow diets

by Vateka Halile
6th July 2022
in Farmer's Inside Track
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
This week's Farmers Inside Track podcast episode features Chikondi Gurira, SAIAE’s Business Manager, and Jan-Paul Smit, SAIAE’s Limpopo Branch Chair, Phakade Khanyile, Mpumalanga, cattle breeder, Thandeka Masego, founder of Blooming Fresh Produce, and Stephan Gericke, ruminant technical advisor at Meadow Feeds. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

This week's Farmer's Inside Track podcast episode features Chikondi Gurira, SAIAE’s business manager, and Jan-Paul Smit, SAIAE’s Limpopo branch chair; Phakade Khanyile, Mpumalanga cattle breeder; Thandeka Masego, founder of Blooming Fresh Produce, and Stephan Gericke, ruminant technical advisor at Meadow Feeds. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

For any dairy farmer, ensuring the health of their cows and optimising production is of the utmost importance. And while farmers engaged in dairy farming may be aware that formulating dairy cow rations is essential, knowing what factors to consider when formulating a ration can be quite overwhelming.

In this episode of Farmer’s Inside Track, sponsored by Meadow Feeds, we focus on what to look for when formulating dairy cow rations and we give you first-class insider info from Stephan Gericke, ruminant technical advisor at Meadow Feeds.

The most important factor to consider when formulating a ration is that its purpose should always be to increase the farm’s profit, Gericke points out.

ADVERTISEMENT

If you’ve ever wondered what a balanced diet for diary cows should look like, then click play on this discussion as Gericke unpacks this and more. He also zooms in on what the minimum and maximum nutrient specifications, as well as main macronutrients are when formulating dairy cow diets.

“The first one we’ll be focusing on is protein. And there are three main components of protein to look when formulating ruminant diets. Number one is rumen degradable protein, limiting amino acids, and rumen undegradable protein.”

Explaining what dairy cows need to ensure optimum health, Gericke says there are certain nutrients that cows require in order to survive, grow, and produce.

However, often the challenge in formulating pasture-based dairy cow rations is that cows typically consume only a third of their total diet from 14 feeds in the milking parlour, he explains.

“Therefore, the ratio should be supplementary to the natural feed while providing all the essential nutrients to improve the cow’s performance.”

Gericke also unpacks the following in the episode:

  • Seasonal pasture production;
  • How oversupply reduces milk production; and
  • Infertility issues and similar circumstances for insufficient energy, minerals, and vitamins. 

Want to know more? Listen to the full episode of Farmer’s Inside Track.

Option 1: Click here to listen on Spotify (all mobile and other devices).

Option 2: Click here listen on any Apple device.

Option 3: Click here to listen on Google Podcast

ADVERTISEMENT

ALSO READ: Podcast: How to get the most out of your dairy cows

Sign up for Farmer’s Inside Track: Join our exclusive platform for new entrants into farming and agri-business, with newsletters and podcasts.

Tags: dairy cowsLivestockMeadow FeedsRuminants
Previous Post

Food prices: Tighten your budget but still eat healthy

Next Post

ICYMI: The search for KZN’s top young farmer is on

Vateka Halile

Vateka Halile

Related Posts

Get the best out of your pigs’ genetics

Get the best out of your pigs’ genetics

by Nicole Ludolph
5th August 2022
0

When managing a pig farm, attention to detail can go a long way to ensuring pigs perform to their genetic...

For the past two years South Africa's agricultural sector experienced strong growth, with expansion in all sub-sectors. However, this year will be a bit different. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Livestock: Urgent industry solutions needed or else…

by Wandile Sihlobo
11th July 2022
0

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: South Africa's livestock industry is feeling a major pinch as feed prices continue to soar and outbreaks...

What to look for when formulating dairy cow rations

What to look for when formulating dairy cow rations

by Stephan Gericke
1st July 2022
0

FARMER'S INSIDE TRACK: Since dairy cows only consume a third of their daily diet in the milking parlour, the remaining...

Beef up your understanding of SA’s red meat industry

Beef up your understanding of SA’s red meat industry

by Nicole Ludolph
28th June 2022
0

FARMER'S INSIDE TRACK: A specialist in agricultural economics gets to the meat of the matter while explaining good-to-know terms in...

Next Post
KwaZulu-Natal’s hardworking young farmers are asked to showcase the best of the province’s farming sector. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: The search for KZN’s top young farmer is on

Households in South Africa could be in for some respite in the coming months on food prices. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi
News

Food may soon be cheaper. What’s the catch?

by Duncan Masiwa
12th August 2022
0

There’s a whole list of basic food items that are set to become cheaper soon. But there are factors at...

Read more
Archive photo. Western Cape agri MEC Ivan Meyer highlighted small towns' dependence on agriculture during a recent provincial summit with municipal leaders. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

ICYMI: MEC lines up municipal support for farmers

12th August 2022
Christo Van der Rheede is the executive director of Agri SA. Photo: Supplied/Food For Mzansi

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

12th August 2022
Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

Bumper harvest for Mzansi’s olive growers

11th August 2022
Thanks to Netafim’s innovative solutions, drip irrigation is within reach of small-scale farmers. Photo: Supplied

Yes, precision irrigation is possible on a budget

11th August 2022

New farmer? Informal markets ‘the way to go’

Podcast: Level up your farm with carbon credits

Seasonal farmworkers struggle to get UIF

An avocado a day can keep the doctor away

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

ICYMI: Mama Fifi determined to rise again

THE NEW FACE OF SOUTH AFRICAN AGRICULTURE

With 12 global awards in the first three years of its existence, Food For Mzansi is much more than an agriculture publication. It is a movement, unashamedly saluting the unsung heroes of South African agriculture. We believe in the power of agriculture to promote nation building and social cohesion by telling stories that are often overlooked by broader society.

How the Internet of Things is transforming agri

Drug dealer turned farmer ploughs back

Beat the winter blues with yummy butter chicken

Food may soon be cheaper. What’s the catch?

ICYMI: MEC lines up municipal support for farmers

Former music teacher leads agri’s greatest symphony

  • Our Story
  • Contact Us
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Copyright

Contact us
Office: +27 21 879 1824
News: info@foodformzansi.co.za
Advertising: sales@foodformzansi.co.za

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Changemakers
  • Lifestyle
  • Farmer’s Inside Track
  • Food for Thought

Copyright © 2021 Food for Mzansi

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.