Quality is measured in sweetness

After reading about Sugar Plus products in “Allevatori Top” magazine, Paolo and Claudio Baetta of Castel D’Azzano (Vr) wanted to use a liquid feed in their farm.  Today their satisfaction is tangible, as well as the improvement of herd performance.

Paolo and Claudio Baetta, owners of the Pigna Agricultural Company, have a passion in common: being breeders. Breeders with dual aptitude and no, we are not talking about the ability of the cows to produce both milk and meat, but about that of the Baettas to manage, in parallel with the 300 Friesian barn, also the breeding of 40,000 broilers / year. Whether they are poultry or ruminants, the two brothers hold firm the reins of the company, and if on the one hand their eyes are vigilant on animals, on the other they do not miss the innovations that the market offers. “I am your faithful reader”: this is how Paolo Baetta welcomes us upon our arrival in Castel D’Azzano (Vr). In fact, he tells us that he was struck, leafing through the pages of “Top Breeders”, by the positive experience of his colleagues who use the liquid feeds of the Sugar Plus line. And that he wanted to test these mixtures, consisting of differentiated sources of simple sugars. and organic acids, even in the family stable.

Results immediately evident

“A year ago we started adding Sugar Plus liquid feeds to the wagon – underlines our interlocutor – and it was not difficult to notice their validity. First of all, the physical aspect of the unifeed stands out, because thanks to the amalgamating capacity given by the presence of sugars, the raw materials bind better together and the mixture is more homogeneous. Furthermore, given the high palatability of these nutrients, a more consistent ingestion by the cows is immediately noted. This translates into an advantage for the ruminal well-being of our cows, the starting point for achieving good results not only productive, but also reproductive: the fact that pregnant cows are currently 70% and that the interval between calving and the conception has been reduced by several days, it is a first tangible proof. Even our trusted veterinarian, Antonio Riu, who comes to us every 15 days to diagnose pregnancy, has noticed that here fertility is better than that of other companies that he follows routinely ”. Paolo then shows, on his smartphone, the latest data relating to the composition of milk, and points out how the percentage of proteins, but above all that of fat, have grown for a year now, settling respectively on values ​​around 3.65 % and 4%. Not bad at all, also because the milk is also sold for dairy processing, and the reference cooperative recognizes more than 3 cents of premium for quality.

Rumen efficiency

It is clear that if the cows have an appetizing and well-mixed ration at their disposal, they will not be able to select the feed in the manger. And this – explains the Sugar Plus agent, Elena Montecchio – creates the ideal conditions for good rumen health, avoiding the possible risks of acidosis. If we add to the excellent rumen conditions the fact that the cellulolytic bacteria are supplied with energy in the form of sugars of different types, they will be able to multiply and degrade the fiber more than efficiently. The result? A greater production of volatile fatty acids in the rumen, including butyric acid which is the precursor of milk fat. “To obtain these good performances – continues Elena – we have done nothing but add a mixture of sugars and organic acids, the Milker, to the wagon, to be replaced in the warmer months with another product from the Sugar Plus range, Sugarade. It is a blend even richer in organic acids than Milker and therefore with a strong anti-fermentation capacity. In addition to having an energetic effect, ideal for allowing the cows to face the summer period, with Sugarade it is also possible to prevent the triggering of fermentation, leaving the mixture fresher and more stable. Not only that: Sugarade is a blend that, like Milker, complies with the Pdo specifications and which is improved every year, while maintaining its energetic and anti-fermentation function that Sugar Plus customers have trusted for years. By way of example, potassium has been added to help prevent milk fat loss syndrome ”.

Preserved fodder

An aspect, that of fermentation, which cannot be taken lightly by those who, like Paolo and Claudio, use ensiled products as the fulcrum of the feeding of their cows. In fact, once distributed in the manger, the unifeed can undergo fermentation and thus become less palatable, as well as generate problems of various kinds in cows.
Not only that: in silage, the sugars naturally present in the forage are degraded during the ensiling process. Their reintroduction therefore restores the correct nutritional intake of these foods. “From experience – concludes Paolo Baetta – I believe it is essential to try to eliminate fermentations to keep the quality of the fodder high, and at the same time avoid compromising the health of the animals. For these reasons, my modus operandi is based on prevention, starting with the diet on which I invest and by virtue of which I obtain satisfactory results. The decision to rely on Sugar Plus was a winning one, and if I had to summarize these products in one sentence, I would say that in a unifeed ration, liquid feeds are like icing on a cake “.