A new diet concept that balances rates at which feeds are fermented in the rumen will have a big impact on cow health and production, as Jeremy Hunt found out

Dairy cow nutrition in the UK is about to get a complete overhaul - and a group of Cheshire milk producers will be among the first to test a cutting-edge approach to precise balancing energy and protein levels in the rumen.

The new Rumen Performance Management system, launched by feed compounders North West Farmers and working with Frank Wright Trouw Nutrition International, is based on the latest approaches to feed technology being developed in the USA and Europe.

It is thought the new system will finally put UK dairy farmers on the road to feeding their cows in the most efficient and profitable way, according to NWF's technical manager Tom Hough.

The RPM system ensures better rumen synchrony and a better matching of digestive end products to meet the cows' requirements. Rapid protein and energy synchronisation will address the imbalances that put cows under stress. The RPM system will improve feed efficiency and rumen health while reducing wastage, he said.

The research, undertaken by Dutch firm Nutreco, is claimed to create a dietary system that has a big impact on reducing acidosis caused by varying rates of fermentation in the rumen.

It's the first in the UK to take account of the different rates at which feeds are fermented in the rumen. It allows a diet to be produced which ensures the correct balance of fast and slowly fermented energy and protein constituents and enables us to ensure diets don't compromise rumen health, said Mr Hough, speaking at the system's launch at Nantwich, Cheshire.

However, Mr Hough stressed he was not advocating that a computer was the only thing needed to ration cows. Farmers will never be able to ration cows by sitting at a computer. It's vital to spend time observing cows and watching what's happening in the herd, assessing forage quality, how much is being eaten and then fine-tuning the diet accordingly.

A lot can be learned from looking at manure consistency. Thin manure can indicate a diet lacking in structure or which has surplus carbohydrate and/or protein, while thick, stiff manure can suggest a shortage of carbohydrate and/or protein or possibly excess fibre - or even a combination of all of these. RPM allows closer scrutiny of diets, giving clues to the source of problems, thus allowing corrective action to be taken.

Mr Hough explained how the concept had been used to modify the formulation of NWF compounds and blends.