Roughage tour Robert Welhouse
'Barn feeding gives more feeling to the grassland'
Organized for the third year in a row Boerenbusiness the Roughage Tour. Also this year we are following 10 dairy farmers throughout the Netherlands in their decisions regarding the extraction of roughage. In this series of company reports we introduce the entrepreneurs. In the tenth part Robert Welhuis from Wapse (Dr).
Welhuis is participating in the Roughage Tour for the first time this year and hopes that with his participation he will be able to spar with other dairy farmers about the extraction of roughage. Welhuis is present on every front when it comes to fodder winning. For example, fodder beets and field beans are grown on his farm. Does the dairy farmer use pastures and stable feeding and are there combinations of almost all breeds in the barn? The work on the farm is largely done by Welhuis itself. Every now and then a freelancer helps with the work at the company. His son is also interested in the company and is going to follow a training course.
On the dairy farm of the Welhuis family, 175 dairy cows are milked with 40 heifers and 40 calves. In total, 102 hectares are cultivated, of which 67 hectares are grass, 26,25 hectares maize, 7,75 hectares field beans and 5 hectares fodder beets. On the sometimes dry sandy soil, Welhuis chooses LG 31.211 for silage maize as the Limagrain variety. The average production is 10.500 liters with 4,50% fat and 3,70% protein.
Wapse is a so-called Esdorp in the municipality of Westerveld. The village is located on the edge of the Drents-Friese Wold and about 21 kilometers northwest of Hoogeveen. Welhuis himself says about the area: "It is not the most expensive region in terms of land price. There are a number of large bulb growers in the area and we also have some partnerships ourselves to sell the manure. We have no derogation, so these partnerships are also necessary to keep the manure disposal under control". The company is also "surrounded by Natura2000 areas". For example, to the north of the village is the Drents-Friese Wold, to the south of the village the Holtingerveld and slightly to the southeast is the Dwingelderveld. All in all, there are enough natural areas that will not hinder the company in the short term, but are present and therefore pose a slight threat.
Use everything except Jersey
In the dairy barn, the diversity of colors and shapes between the cows quickly becomes apparent: "We breed robust cows and make use of incrossing. In principle, we have already used all breeds except for Jerseys". The experiences with crossing in are good, according to the dairy farmer "you have to keep making good pairings to still maintain uniformity within the herd, so that we can work at herd level".
Welhuis describes himself as a cow man, who can look at his business with an economic eye. Until recently, not much farm work was done in-house and feeding is also outsourced to a contractor. Last year Welhuis started stable feeding by renting a loading wagon and tractor from a mechanization company. This went so well that Welhuis soon decided to purchase a larger tractor with a mower and a loading wagon. "From the fourth cut we didn't have to ensilage anything and we were able to raise all the grass fresh on the stem. The fresh grass is a lot of milk, floating like grass silage. There are also hardly any conservation losses to the grass."
Aim for 40% dry matter
Welhuis knows what he wants in terms of roughage management. "Usually we silage around four to five weeks after the previous cut. In between I also keep a close eye on the grass. Once during silage I aim to ensilage within 36 hours. The dry matter percentage should be around 40 The great thing is that the stable feeding has given me a better feeling about my grassland because I come here every day and the cows also tell the cows directly what they think of the grass that is growing at that moment. In November, we have done stable feeding and therefore do not have to silage an autumn cut. The cuts that are mowed are ensiled in lasagna."
The concentrates that are further fed come from ForFarmers and are supplied to Cono Kaasmakers. From the dairy there are a number of conditions that the entrepreneur must meet. For example, Vlog or non-GMO must be fed and grazing is mandatory. Welhuis applies the New Dutch grazing system for grazing. The house plot is divided into blocks and these blocks are again subdivided into smaller plots. The intention of New Dutch grazing is that the cows walk in a new plot every day.
Fodder beets are partly responsible for high levels
Welhuis has been growing fodder beets for quite some years now. A large part is harvested in stages and freshly fed to the cows. The rest is ensiled in the maize. Welhuis leaves the beets in the ground for as long as possible. For example, he showed a photo of the fodder beets from 2016 that still had to be harvested in February. "The fodder beets have a good effect on the levels of the cows and also on the health of the cows. It is not only the beets that provide the good levels. This is partly due to the choices we make within breeding. in making the bull choice at least as important as milk production".
Ronald Smit
© DCA Market Intelligence. This market information is subject to copyright. It is not permitted to reproduce, distribute, disseminate or make the content available to third parties for compensation, in any form, without the express written permission of DCA Market Intelligence.
