Pre Calving: Feeding Oats and Soya Bean Meal

Do you find it good blue? Tried it before and didn't see much difference, just on first calvers or all cows?

Give 1kg oats 0.3kg soya and 0.3kg dairy nut each 4-6 weeks precalving, used to give 100g seaweed, now give a mineral drench 4 weeks pre calving date, also reduce silage quantity

At the moment I’m giving cow fertility, have given grow-a-drop, osmonds etc. Anything you get in the store will help her immune system.

You could also do a 3 way mix of oats/barley/soya hulls. I would also put Cal mag in for milk fever and some molasses too I'm lucky enough I get a local mill to make it up and put it half ton bags for me and I just collect and feed. Super job

I don’t get the point of. Giving an additional Energy source to cows in the dry period.

a high fibre low energy diet that keeps the rumen full and keeps condition off is what she need. If it’s to improve colostrum then soya a couple of days before calving should be plenty. No point in doing it weeks in advance.

€490 a ton for soya in bulk around here. €10 - €20 more in 25kg bags. That’s the same as last year or possibly even a few euro less than last year. Soya is one of the only ingredients that hasn’t gone up in price. It’s been in and around €500 a ton for a good few years now.

Rolled oats here

If you’re paying €15 for a small bag I’d advise shopping around. It’s €490 a ton here (midlands in a small local merchant) in bulk which would be €12.25 for a 25kg bag. €510 per ton in 25kg bags (from Grennans) so €12.75 a bag. Both them prices are on account so there’d be a bit of a reduction on them too if paying upfront.