The trial began in August last year on Paul and Tania Tarver’s 800-cow Kahikatea Farm, at Paeroa, where 400 cows received 5ml/day of the formula, diluted into 50ml of water at the bail with their normal supplement.
Early results showed an encouraging improvement in milk yield, trial analyst David Whyte said.
The cows in the test herd produced on average 10.71 litres each milking, 444ml more than the control group at 10.26l.
It would appear that under good feed conditions the aloe vera is acting as a galactagogue, a substance that increases milk production. This is thought to occur because of a change in the rumen flora, or other changes inside the rumen, which enable the cow to produce more milk.
The 888ml extra production/cow/day from two milkings quickly added up, DairyCare owner Kuldeep Sharma said. A conservative estimate was that a cow averaging 400kg milksolids (MS) at a payout of $7/kg MS would earn an extra $112 from her extra 4.4% yield.
The cost of the formula was $60/cow so for a herd of 400 cows that was a potential profit of $20,800.
The trial also investigated the effects of the DairyCare product on udder health and somatic cells, Whyte said. Initial results had shown that if used early, the formula could treat intra-mammary mastitis.
“However due to the low number of clinical cases treated, this result needs to be confirmed with more trial work.”
Sharma said a separate trial at the farm included two test mobs of 40 calves that received 5ml/day of the cow and calf formula from birth. Results showed the DairyCare test mobs had lower mortality rates and the calves had gained more weight.
The formula also helped alleviate scours and the need for antibiotics.
“It’s not going to cure everything or eliminate the need for antibiotics, because there are some cases where antibiotics are necessary,” he said.
The trial would continue through to record the performance of these calves in two years’ time.
For more information visit www.dairycare.co.nz.
